廣弘明集 28.2

28.2

What is merit? It is called inducing pleasant feeling to ease the physical form, and taking pleasure and amusement to delight the nature. Now, the King of the Dharma established the teachings to comprehensively govern the conscious mind. In the prison of the triple realm, three categories examine and determine it: the first is transgression, the second is merit, and the third is the path. Transgression is bound by the three poisons, its binding karma belonging to the ghost kings; its characteristics are set out in detail in a subsequent section. Merit is accomplished by the four vast vows, its self assuredly belonging to the sovereign of heaven. The path is open, unimpeded, and unhindered; according to practice, it is not without clarity and obscurity: when obscure, the vehicles are divided into small and great, and wisdom is engaged with faith and Dharma; when clear, it penetrates directly to the principle and nature, soaring high above existence and emptiness. The glorious manifestation of this path is as shown elsewhere. Now, in discussing merit, compassion and reverence are the foremost: compassion pities the hardships of the suffering destinies, thinking of rescuing and liberating them; reverence recognizes that the Buddha's Dharma is difficult to encounter, broadening faith and ascending to the divine. Relying on objects involves worldly feelings, but relying on principle, only the mind is the foundation. Therefore, if the open mind is unattached, then its merit is not turned away from oneself or others; if inverted conceptions are not removed, then the deeds performed run contrary to their proper function. Thus, stretching from antiquity across the present, they follow upon one another without cease: rulers, realizing that the physical body does not belong to the self, promote the maintenance of stūpas and temples; the rest, troubled by insufficiency, practice much giving to provide for others. From this we know that creating karma for the sake of existence cannot be called transcendent ascent; it mostly arises from producing faults that further increase birth and death. Therefore it is said: in creating transgressions for the sake of existence, one must renounce them entirely; in generating merit for the sake of existence, though one practices it, one must not be attached. By this intent, stages and practices are divided in two: attachment increases rebirth, while renunciation increases the path. The path relies on going against the current, leaving the ordinary and entering the sagehood; merit follows rebirth, giving rise to inverted views and binding karma. Therefore, inspiring merit was originally intended to pass through the stages of the worthy and the enlightened.