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Merit and Happiness

บุญและความสุข

Merit is what cleanses the mind: true merit, giving that bears great fruit, the gift of forgiveness, mindfulness, and happiness found within.

5 articles

From the books Good Dhamma, Happy Life

  1. True Merit

    Merit (puñña) cleanses the stream of thought of defilements, so true merit lies in your state of mind as you act, not only in the outward activity.     pp. 9–14

  2. How to Give So That It Bears Great Fruit

    Giving bears great fruit through intention and a refined mind, not the gift. Even a small gift given with faith and a bright mind brings no small merit.     pp. 15–21

  3. Abhaya-dāna: The More You Give, the More Merit Grows

    Abhaya-dāna is the gift of freedom from danger, of safety to others. It is a name for virtue, a great gift harder to give because it comes from virtue.     pp. 22–26

  4. Keep Mindfulness with You

    Mindfulness (sati) is like a dam against evil: it keeps greed, anger and delusion out of the mind and keeps goodness from slipping away.     pp. 27–32

  5. Outer Happiness, Future Happiness, Inner Happiness

    True happiness is inner happiness, which arises the moment the mind is good, unlike outer happiness tied to things or future happiness tied to goals.     pp. 33–36