Categories: Other Meditation Teachings
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Welcome. Today, I wish to share some reflections on a topic that I see causing confusion and doubt in the world. It’s about the nature of good and bad, and the very real experiences we have when we try to live a life of integrity. In our society, we see both wholesome and unwholesome actions happening all around us, performed by people from all walks of life, without distinction.
This article will focus on the bright side of this equation: the power and promise of goodness. Many of you may have faced significant challenges in your life problems arising from your family, your relatives, your workplace, or even your place of education. You might be the kind of person who lives a quiet, harmless life, who would never intentionally cause pain or distress to another being. Many people, both men and women, live this way, with a good heart and noble intentions.
The Calling to Goodness and the First Great Hurdle
Perhaps, while living such a life, you feel a pull towards making offerings or engaging in devotional acts. In our Buddhist tradition, this could be something beautiful, like offering two thousand lotus flowers at the great Ruwanwelisaya stupa, or offering robes in a Kaṭhina ceremony, a special annual event for the monastic community. You might feel inspired to support one of the sixteen sacred sites in Sri Lanka or contribute to any temple through these acts of generosity, known as āmisa pūjā. This is the practice of giving material support for a spiritual purpose.
You might undertake these meritorious deeds as a continuation of a habit from past lives, or as a new commitment in this one. However, as you begin, a very common and difficult obstacle often appears: a financial challenge. A feeling of being stuck arises, and you might think, ‘Will I actually be able to do this?’ We have seen this happen time and time again.
Your Greatest Ally: The Purity of Your Own Heart and Past Kamma
But here is where something remarkable happens. For those who persist with such a wholesome task, their good fortune, what we might call the power of their past wholesome actions, or kusala kamma, comes to their aid. No matter how stuck they feel, the purity and sincerity in their heart, their citta or heart-mind, becomes a powerful force. Because of their honest intention, even when obstacles mount and it seems impossible, a path forward opens.
You may have experienced this. Perhaps people who promised to help you, either with money or with their time, suddenly back away. You are left feeling abandoned and helpless. We’ve seen many people face this demoralizing situation. And yet, despite these challenges, the problem often resolves itself beautifully. The issue that seemed so large simply dissolves, and the meritorious deed gets done perfectly.
When Human Help Falters, Unexpected Support Arrives
Let’s take the example of organizing a Kaṭhina robe offering ceremony. As mentioned, those who initially pledged financial or physical support might disappear. Yet, just when you feel lost, someone you never expected, perhaps a person you barely know, someone less familiar than those who made the first promises, will step forward to help. Often, support comes from the most surprising places, from strangers who connect with your pure intention.
This can be a mentally stressful experience, worrying that you won’t receive the support you need. But you must understand what is happening in these moments. When you undertake meritorious deeds with an honest heart, you overcome these challenges because of your sincerity, your purity, and your genuine desire to see the good deed through. This is one side of the story: the ripening of your past good kamma, your wholesome actions from the past, coming to protect and support you. The help you need simply appears.
Beyond the Veil: Receiving Help from the Unseen Realms
But there is another, equally important dimension to this, which is central to our topic. You are also receiving help from the unseen world. A divine being, or deva, may be assisting you. A celestial being from a higher realm, a brahma, may be lending support. This help can also come from a wide range of non-human beings, or amanussa, who understand right from wrong and align themselves with wholesome actions.
This could be a nāga (a serpent spirit), a yakkha (a nature spirit), or even other beings like gandhabbas or kumbhāṇḍas. Any being from these unseen realms who possesses ‘Right View’, or Sammā Diṭṭhi, an understanding of the Dhamma, can offer their aid.
This is a critical point to understand. When you set out to build a Dhamma hall, construct a road to a temple, or engage in any of the meritorious deeds we’ve discussed, you will face obstacles. Just as a meditator faces external hindrances, those performing acts of generosity face them too. You might wonder, ‘I am acting with such sincerity, why are people creating problems for me? Why are they spreading gossip to divide us?’ We see this often.
But remember: your commitment to virtue, especially the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla) or even the Eight or Ten Precepts, becomes your shield. That virtue protects you. Furthermore, if you engage in the path of practice, or paṭipatti, such as chanting protective verses (pirit) or cultivating powerful meditations like loving-kindness (Mettā Bhāvanā), these practices also become a source of immense support and protection.
The Synergy of Kamma and Unseen Allies
I have had many people personally tell me that when they commit to a meritorious deed, they have no idea where the money will come from, but it always appears. This is the combination of your past wholesome actions and the support from right-seeing beings in the unseen world. You must understand this. Many people hesitate, wondering if they can accomplish their goal. They often start alone, or with a very small group, feeling vulnerable.
But if you are performing these meritorious deeds for the sake of the Buddha’s teachings (the Buddha Sāsana) and with the ultimate aim of your own liberation (Nibbāna), you will absolutely receive help from your past merit and from the wholesome unseen forces. This isn’t limited to just gods; it includes brahmas, yakkhas, and other non-human beings who support goodness. The ability to complete your task will manifest.
A Law of Attraction: The Two Paths and a Call to Goodness
Of course, this principle works in both directions. If you consistently indulge in unwholesome actions, becoming habituated to alcohol or drugs, engaging in sexual misconduct, or breaking the other precepts of Pañcasīla, you will attract beings who delight in such things.
There are unseen beings and even gods with ‘Wrong View’ (Micchā Diṭṭhi) who are attached to sensual pleasures. They will encourage you further down that dark path, reinforcing your habits and leading you toward an unfortunate destination, a state of suffering or dugati. It is vital to remember that both of these forces exist.
Therefore, the core message of this teaching is to encourage you to always engage in what is good. Do wholesome things. Do not cause pressure, harm, or trouble for another being. Act with sincerity and be a straightforward person. When you live this way over the long term, you can never go wrong.
As you engage in both material generosity (āmisa) and spiritual practice (paṭipatti) with these honest qualities, help from the unseen world is certain to arrive. Remember this. I have heard countless stories from both men and women who faced enormous challenges with their meritorious deeds and then say, ‘Venerable Sir, I have no idea where the help came from in the end.’ Many of you reading this may have similar experiences. We encourage you to share them to inspire others.
Your Way Forward: Proceed with Courage and Faith
So, proceed on your journey without fear. The support you need will come. The resources you require will appear. Never waver or be discouraged. Do not let your spirit break. What is required is that you continue to perform these good actions, again, and again, and again.
I trust that this reflection has provided the understanding and encouragement you needed. I will conclude this brief teaching now. By the power of the Triple Gem, the Buddha, the Dhamma (His Teachings), and the Sangha (the community of noble ones), may you all be able to listen to these words, reflect on them, and act accordingly.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!.
