False (mundane) merits vs True (supramundane) merits

False (mundane) merits vs True (supramundane) merits
Imaginea este preluată automat împreună cu articolul de pe Amida-ji

It is said that when the great Master Bodhidharma came to China, Emperor Wu called him and asked him: “I’ve built many temples and I’ve offered many lands to the path of the Buddha; now please tell me what merits have I gained? Bodhidharma’s answer came shocking but true: “None, not one merit.”


In Buddhism we speak about two kinds of merits: mundane and supramundane. The mundane good is the effect of every good deed fulfilled with the purpose (conscious or unconscious) that there will be positive consequences: happiness in this life or in the next, a better rebirth, etc. This good deed doesn’t escape the subtle or gross forms of greed, which is one of the “Three Poisons” along with anger and ignorance (delusion). No matter how spiritually advanced we think we are, any good we do while we still identify ourselves with the false self,is a mundane good. As Shinran said:


“Extremely difficult is it to put an end to our evil nature;
The mind is like a venomous snake or scorpion.
Our performance of good acts is also poisoned;
Hence, it is called false and empty practice.”
(Shozomatsu Wasan, 96)


Contrary to this, the supramundane good represents any kind of action undertook without a personal goal or interest. It is spontaneous and natural, aiming exclusively to the well being of others and it has absolutely no trace of ego. Only this is the materialization of true compassion and may be considered as a genuine virtue leading not only to a better life in one of the six forms of existence, but to perfect Enlightenment. This kind of supramundane good was accumulated by Bodhisattva Dharmakara during many kalpas of selfless practice and dedication before He became Amida Buddha.


Emperor Wu is representative for all of us who have the pretention that by our deeds we are clean and pure without even realizing that the true virtues are very far away from our tiny actions fulfilled under the influence of ego. What the Emperor had accomplished represented mere mundane merits: that is why Bodhidharma told him: “not one merit”. We, the Jodo Shinshu followers, should never forget these meaningful words and never consider ourselves spiritually pure or superior. “Know yourself to be a foolish being of karmic evil”, said Master Shan-tao. Also Master Shinran said:


“With minds full of malice and cunning, like snakes or scorpions,
We cannot accomplish good acts through self-power;
And unless we entrust ourselves to Amida's directing of virtue,
We will end without knowing shame or self-reproach.”
(Shozomatsu Wasan 99)


As long as we identify with our false self any good we do is poisoned and cannot generate true supramundane merits. Our actions may lead us to rebirth in better states of samsaric existence but cannot help us attain birth in the true fulfilled land of the Pure Land (center of the Pure Land). For such a birth we need to receive Amida’s transference of merits – “Amida's directing of virtue”,which is possible only for people who entrusted themselves totally to Him in accordance with the Primal Vow.

Adrian Cirlea
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