Pariṇāmanā
| Translations of Transfer of merit |
|
|---|---|
| Pali | pattidāna |
| Sanskrit | pariṇāmanā (Dev: परिणामना) |
| Chinese |
迴向 (Pinyin: huí xiàng) |
| Japanese |
回向 or 廻向 (rōmaji: Ekō) |
| Tibetan | bsngo ba |
| Thai | อุุุทิศบุญกุศล |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
Transfer of merit is a standard part of Buddhist spiritual discipline where the practitioner's merit (Sanskrit: puṇya, Pali: puñña), resulting from good deeds, is transferred to deceased relatives, or to all sentient beings. Such transfer is done mentally, and it is believed that the recipient can receive this merit, if they rejoice in the meritorious acts of the person transferring. In Buddhism, transfer of merit is seen as a better alternative than mourning. Although the exact origins of this practice are subject to scholarly debate, it is widely recognized that transfer of merit was the Buddhist response to pre-Buddhist Brahmanical customs of ancestor worship. In Buddhism such worship was given a more ethical meaning. Transfer of merit is widely practiced in all Buddhist countries, in ceremonies, festivals and daily practice. In the present day, transfer of merit has become an intrinsic part of Buddhism.
The practice of the transference of merit—the giving of one's merit—is an ancient and extremely widespread and common Buddhist practice. What it indicates is that spiritual practice is to be entered into in a generous spirit, not for the sake of acquiring merit exclusively for oneself but for the benefit of others too. Indeed, only acts undertaken in this spirit are truly meritorious in the first place. The rejoicing in the merit of others also indicates that, in undertaking meritorious acts, it is one's state of mind that is crucial: thus if one gives grudgingly, with an ungenerous heart, the auspiciousness of one's acts is compromised; on the other hand, if one gives nothing at all but is deeply moved by another's act of generosity, then that in itself is an auspicious occasion, an act of merit. Thus, for many Buddhists it is customary at the end of Buddhist devotions and rituals to offer the merit generated during the ceremony for the benefit of other beings—either specific beings such as dead relatives, or all sentient beings—and in so doing to invite all present (whether they have directly participated in the ceremony or not, whether they have physical presence or are unseen ghosts or gods) also to rejoice in the merit of the ceremony.
The idea of transference of merit is quite uncommon in most religions. However, transferring merit is a widespread custom in all Buddhist countries, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna and Theravāda, and is often practiced at ceremonies and festivals in honor of the dead. In the Pāli tradition, the word pattidāna is used, meaning 'giving of the acquired'. And in the Sanskrit tradition, the word pariṇāmanā is used for transferring merit, meaning 'bending round or towards, transfer, dedication'. Of these translations, 'transfer of merit' has become commonplace, though objected to by some scholars.
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