actions and to try to cultivate the good actions. By doing so we gain benefits not only in this life but also in many other lives.

To do so here we must understand wholesome or merits and unwholesome or demerits.







Chapter (2)

The Three Main Principles

Before understanding numbers of wholesome and unwholesome roughly, we should examine the nature of them. Herein we should ask by our self a question that " how can we judge if an action is good or bed?" According to Buddhism, the answer is very one. The quality of an action based on the intention or motivation (Cetanā) from which it originates. If a person performs an action out of greed, hatred and delusion, his action is considered to be unwholesome. On the other hand, if he performs an action out of loving-kindness, charity and wisdom, his action is considered to be wholesome. Greed, hatred and delusion are known as the "three evil roots", while loving-kindness, charity and wisdom as the "good roots". The word "root" refers to the intention from which that action originates. Therefore, no matter how a person tries to disguise the nature of his action, the truth can be found by examining his thoughts, which gives rise to that action. And the mind is the source of all our speech and action. In Buddhism, a person's first duty is cleanse himself of the mental defilements of greed, hatred and ignorance. If a person performs good action, he does not perform so because of fear or desire to please some divine beings. If this is so, he is still lacking in wisdom. He ids only acting out of fear like the little child who is afraid of being punished for being naughty.

A Buddhist should perform an action out of understanding the law of cause and effect and wisdom. He performs wholesome deeds because he realizes that by so doing he develops his moral strength which provides the foundation for spiritual growth, leading to liberation from mental and physic suffering. In addition, he realizes that his happiness and suffering are self-created through the operation of the law of Kamma. To minimize the occurrence of troubles and problems in his life, he makes the effort to refrain from doing evil. He performs good actions because he knows that these will bring him peace and happiness. Since every seeks happiness in life and since it is possible for him to provide the condition for happiness, there is every reason for him to do good and avoid evil. Furthermore the uprooting of these mental defilements, the source of all anti-social acts, will bring great benefits to other in society.

Furthermore, to understand merits and demerits, we have to first study qualities of these main principles preached by our Buddha to follow for human beings. There are three main principles which we have to practice adhere to. They are charity or alms giving (Dāna), morality or virtue (Sīla) and mental development or mediation (Bāvanā). In order to dispel the three kinds of impurities namely greed, hatred and delusion, which produce all suffering or human problems we need to, perform these three kinds of meritorious deeds. Offering alms or giving a charity can eradicate greed. Observing moral precepts or virtues in other words keeping the thoughts of loving-kindness can eradicate anger. Meditation can eradicate delusion. Without performing these factors the emotional fires that are stem from impurities can never be extinguished. Therefore these meritorious factors are very important to make our mind purified and get real happiness and peace.






The Nature of Merit and Demerit

The performance of good actions gives rise to merit, a quality which purities and calmness proceed from them. If our mind is unchecked, it has tendency to be ruled by evil tendencies, leading to perform bad deeds and getting in to troubles. Merits purify the mind of the evil tendencies of greed, hatred and delusion.

The greedy mind encourage a person to desire, accumulate and hoard the hating mind drags him to dislike and anger and deluded mind make him become entangled in greed and hatred thinking that these evil roots are right and worthy. Demeritorious deeds give rise to more suffering and reduce opportunities for a person to know and practice the dhamma Leading to get real happiness and peace which one wish to.

Merit is very important to help us along our journeys in cycle of birth and death. It's connected with what are good and beneficial to oneself and other and can improve the quality of the mind.

While gathering the material wealth, one's possession can be lost by thief, flood, fire and confiscation etc. But the benefit of good deeds follows him from life to life and it cannot be lost by any enemy. A person, who possesses merits, will be experience happiness here and now as well as hereafter through the performance of good deeds. Merit is a great facilitator; it opens the doors of opportunity everywhere. For instance, a meritorious person will succeed in whatever venture, he put his effort in to. If he wishes to do business, he will meet with the right contacts and a good friend. If he wishes to be a scholar, he will be awarded with scholarships and supported by academic mentors. If he wish to progress in meditation, he will meet with a skillful meditation teacher, who guides him by his spiritual development. Any way merits what had been performed by someone, follows to one like a show of him.

Our Buddha preached ten meritorious deeds for us to perform in order to gain a real happiness and peaceful life as well as to develop knowledge and comprehension of true life.

The ten meritorious deeds are as follow;
1. Charity (Dāna),
2. Morality (Sīla),
3. Mental culture (Bhāvana),
4. Reverence or respect (Apacayana),
5. Service in helping others (Veyrāvecca),
6. Sharing merits with others (Pattidāna),