Answer: We carry a lot of negative karma from the past, which continues to influence us, while the positive karma we create in this life may not have yet matured into visible results, making it difficult to perceive our merit clearly. However, if we spend our lives doing good deeds, helping others, planting trees, digging wells, repairing roads, fixing neighbors’ houses, building new homes for the community, helping children go to school, assisting the poor with medical care, paying taxes diligently, teaching others about the Law of Karma, encouraging moral development, and promoting love and compassion among people… we are likely to enjoy a peaceful and happy old age, which reflects some of our accumulated merit. After death, we may be reborn into a favorable realm, and if reborn as a human, we will have a noble status. 

The concern is if we do too few good deeds in this life. If our blessing runs out before we die, we may face hardship and loneliness in old age and become a suffering spirit after death, taking a long time to be reborn into a lowly position.

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  1. […] Question 33: HOW CAN WE KNOW IF OUR MERIT IS GREAT OR SMALL? […]

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JANNA is the pen name of a certain monk who does not wish to use his real name. He is likely mature enough to understand that fame, wealth, and glory are as fleeting as morning mist.

In Pali, “JANNA” means purity, so it’s unclear which country he’s from. However, he seems to have studied the Nikaya scriptures.

Although he writes about Buddhism, he appears to desire unity with other religions to contribute to the cause of world peace. He attempts to demonstrate how differences can complement one another…