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

Merit transfer is a form of spiritual response we establish with others that arises from the power of our mind, which in turn is fulfilled through the power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas' vows. Master Sheng Yen used an analogy to explain the idea: sun rays reflected off a mirror or any metal object can illuminate dark spaces within the interior of a building. This is how dark spaces of a building's interior receive sunlight without been directly exposed to it.

Orthodox Buddhists believe that with each virtuous act they perform-- be it delivering the dead with Dharma assemblies, daily chanting practice, or acts of giving-- they will vow to transfer every merit they generate to all sentient beings because they are convinced that the merit accumulated through self-cultivation can be transferred to others. When we share our virtuous merit with our family and friends in this life, they can share the benefits of this merit provided they are able to rejoice in it. The key to delivering our deceased family and friends using our merit lies in whether the virtuous karma of the person being delivered is sufficient, as well as whether the ones chanting sutras has a pious heart and strong resonance generated from their diligent practice.

According to the Earth Store Sutra, only one-seventh of the merit generated from Buddhist practices can be received by the deceased. The remaining six-sevenths of the merit goes to the living. Only when we seize the opportunity to practice Buddhism as a human can we accumulate and share karmic blessings, wisdom, and spiritual provision. By doing so, we can work together to liberate ourselves from the Three Lower Realms and reincarnate in the Pure Land.


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, Glen Sha