Q2: Must we first accumulate merit before we can transfer it to others?

A：Yes indeed. The act of transferring merit means to dedicate our merit to all sentient beings. In other words, we should share what we have received or acquired with others. In "The Key of Chan," Master Sheng Yen pointed out that the transfer of merit arises through two situations. The first situation occurs when a person shares his or her tangible possessions with others. The second situation occurs when we share with others the intangible merit generated from our self-cultivation. When we receive benefits, we ought to hope that every sentient being receives as many benefits as we have.


Extended reading:

Transfer of Merit –The Practice of Generating a Great Mind

The Transfer of Merit: the Giving of Dharma that could be Practiced at any Time

What Buddhist Scriptures Reveal about the Evolution of Merit Transfer

Dedicating the merit for attainment of nirvana is superior to praying for karmic blessing in the human and heavenly realms

To practice the Buddhist teaching is to transfer merit in its true sense

Compassionately delivering sentient beings, dedicating the merit for supreme Bodhi

Dedication verses commonly seen in the Chinese Buddhist tradition

Tibetan Buddhism: The most sublime chapter on the Practices and Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra

Q1: How is merit transfer different from the blessings we give to others in our everyday life?

Q2: Must we first accumulate merit before we can transfer it to others?

Q3: Would it matter if I don't transfer merits after chanting?

Q4: When we transfer the merit generated from self-cultivation to our family, friends, and deceased loved ones, can they really receive it?

Q5: Should we still transfer merit to specific people after we have already transferred it to all sentient beings in the Dharma realm?

Q6: The terms "making vows" and "transfer of merit" are often used alongside each other in Mahayana Buddhist scriptures. What are the differences between them?

Q7: Are there corresponding dedication verses for different Dharma methods? Can these dedication verses be used interchangeably?


Resource: Humanity Magazine Issue #413
Translation: Ariel Shen 
Editing: Keith Brown, Freya Chang