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

Ａ：Of course we should! Ven. Guo Kae explained that, though the transfer of merit practice entails an attitude of non-self, our self-cultivation should start with the "recognition of the self." If the goals we set are too lofty in the beginning, will find it difficult to focus and make progress. Therefore, there is a gradual path for cultivating merit transfer. First, we should start with transferring the merit to ourselves, then expanding to our family members, friends, acquaintances, and even complete strangers, spreading out like layers of ripples, and ultimately expanding to all sentient beings in the Dharma realm, equal in essence.

In the process of visualizing the transfer of merit, we will discover just how insignificant we are when we start to realize that there are more and more people we would like to thank and bless, as we have received so much from others. We are all interconnected and interdependent. Understanding this will gradually dissolve our self-centeredness and generate the Bodhi mind to resonate with this whole situation. This shows that merit transfer contains both the wisdom of non-self and the compassion of equanimity.  


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