Dedication Magnifies Merit

📖Master’s Reading

Many practitioners think practice is only for themselves, overlooking the most important step of "dedication." In truth, the meaning of dedication is, first, to magnify merit, and second, to make the merit a two-way benefit.

If we selfishly keep merit for ourselves, the energy is not only small but breeds greed within. The truth of the dharmadhātu is: merit kept on oneself brings little benefit; but when you send it out and it expands back to you, that benefit is very great. It is like piling assets in a warehouse to grow moldy — better to let dedication produce a good cycle, so goods flow freely.

When you selflessly share merit with beings, the buddhas and bodhisattvas make a two-way guidance, magnifying the good thought, turning the merit that benefits ten people into merit that benefits ten thousand. This is the dharmadhātu's inconceivable magnifying of merit.

Practice must never seek only self-benefit. When you no longer cling to personal gain and loss and are willing to share merit selflessly, beings who benefit will in turn bless you. This two-way dedication not only dissolves karmic obstacles but has the cosmos send doubled blessing endlessly back into your life.

🌱Reflection for Daily Life

• Send merit out, and blessing returns doubled.
• Understand that practice must never seek only self-benefit.
• Dedication magnifies merit into a two-way benefit.
• Merit sent out surely expands back.
• Produce a good cycle so goods flow freely.