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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 511
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(KN 9.68), where Cāpā requests her husband to Min Wei: Surely, we should share merits with the
dedicate to her his ‘offering’ of homage to the Buddha. heavenly beings as well. In Buddhist tradition, the
heavenly realm is populated by godly beings who enjoy
In Putta Sutta (AN 5.39), the Buddha says that there are great power, wealth and long life. They live in splendor
five reasons why parents wish for a child. One reason is and happiness. Furthermore, their privilege and exalted
that the child will continually give offerings (dakkhiṇaṁ status often blind them from the suffering of others, so
anuppadassati) to the departed relatives. The phrasing in spite of their long lives, they have neither wisdom
is identical in meaning to that describing the duty of a nor compassion. Their lives are long but not eternal.
child towards his parents in Siṅgāla Sutta (DN 31). Mahāyāna Buddhism shows that it cares about the rest
This shows that the offering is given directly to the of humanity as a whole, not just as individuals. Some say
departed, perhaps just like how the Chinese do when that because their pleasure is the greatest, so too is their
they honor their departed ones; rather than to monks misery.
first and then dedicating it to the departed afterwards.
If the latter case were true, it would be phrased “will Geshe Dadul: We share merits in both directions, not
dedicate the offerings” (dakkhiṇaṁ ādissati) instead just with those of less fortune, or lower rebirths. We
of “will continually give offerings” (dakkhiṇaṁ could share our merits with a deceased relative of
anuppadassati). ours who may now be reborn as a celestial being in
either the desire, form, or formless realm. Those born
Similarly in Tirokuṭṭa Sutta (KN 1.7, KN 7.5), the flow of as gods are not necessarily more powerful than us by
the first 10 (out of 12) stanzas indicates that the offering the mere virtue of being born there, nor are they more
is given directly to the departed and this is explicitly privileged in continuing with dharma practice by virtue
phrased as such in the 10 stanza: To the departed of that. They are as steeped in saṃsāric afflictions as
th
ones an offering should be given | while recollecting [the us and can find use for our shared merit. By virtue of

good] done [by them] in the past. Oddly though, only in their positive, yet contaminated, karma, they are in a
the last 2 stanzas is the Saṅgha suddenly mentioned relatively more privileged condition either physically
as the recipient of the offering, thus implying instead and/or materially, or, in the case of formless gods, for
that the offering is given to the Saṅgha but dedicated lack of any materiality/physicality. It is similar to a
to the departed. This seems to suggest a later change of deceased relative of ours now reborn back in the world
ideology and emphasis, which becomes very obvious in in a wealthy family, nonetheless still exposed to the ills
Petavatthu where the offerings are explicitly made to of untamed mind and its curses. She could still find use
virtuous monks and dedicated to suffering spirits. for our merits if dedicated to her.

Jāṇussoṇi Sutta (AN 10.177) is often cited as canonical Could you explain how we share merits, and how our
evidence for the sharing of merits. However, its context merits as humans can benefit these unseen beings?
shows that the dāna is given directly to departed
relatives and the sharing of merits or dedication of the Aggacitta: The idea of others benefiting from the
offering is neither explicitly mentioned nor implied. sharing of another’s merits seems to be at variance
There is no mention in the Pāli Canon of sharing merits with the Law of Kamma which is based on the principle
with / dedicating offerings to hell beings. that one reaps what one sows. Even in the few cases
of dedication mentioned in the early suttas where the
Despite the absence of solid evidence in the early Pāli offerings are explicitly given to renunciates, no specific
suttas of the practice of sharing merits / dedication of benefits are assigned to the recipient of the dedication.
offerings given to the Saṅgha, there are some anecdotal On the contrary, the benefit seems to accrue to the one
testimonies that attest to its efficacy. 10 who dedicates the offering, as can be inferred from this
stanza:
10 E.g. see accounts related by Phra Rājsuddhiñāṇamongkol (Luang Wherever he may dwell, the prudent one;
Poh Jarun of Wat Ambhavan, Singburi, Thailand) in The Law of
Having there feasted virtuous, restrained lofty
Kamma: Dhamma Practice Series, https://tinyurl.com/y8wsrcjl.
practitioners;