Manifestations of Cashing In One's Merit

Question: Suppose a person earns a lot of money in this lifetime, but keeps it all in the bank and never spends a penny until death. Having earned so much money in this life but never enjoying it, has he cashed in his merit or not?

Answer: If a person's merit has not been cashed out from the tathāgatagarbha, then no form of blessing will manifest in his worldly life. Being respected, admired, revered, having high fame, great power, good looks, good health, smooth success in all matters, psychological well-being, family harmony, filial children, and so on—all of these are manifestations of the enjoyment of merit.

A person who earns a lot of money in a lifetime—that is merit, flowing out from the tathāgatagarbha. Not spending money does not mean having no money; as long as one has money, it is a manifestation of merit, showing that the karmic seed of merit has flowed out from the tathāgatagarbha in the form of money. Although this person has not spent money to enjoy it, that money gives him psychological comfort and peace of mind in life; he feels secure and supported, feels happy, feels wealthy, feels proud and elated, feels superior to others—all of these feelings are the result of enjoying merit. Otherwise, he would be anxious all day long, living in fear and worry, feeling that life has no foundation or security, feeling inferior to others—that is the sign of lacking merit.

Although this person never spent money in his lifetime, it was deposited in the bank, and his family members and relatives could enjoy it, benefiting his family—this too is a manifestation of merit. If he owed his family, this repays the debt, which is likewise a manifestation of enjoying merit. If his family did not get to enjoy it either, then the bank profits; he either repaid debts owed to the bank from a previous life, with the debt thus settled, or he made generosity (dāna) to the bank, benefiting it, and in future lives he will receive a thousandfold or ten-thousandfold blessing.

When a person cashes out his merit, he can then give it away again, using merit to generate merit—this is the greatest business in the world, the most profitable investment. Whoever you invest in becomes indebted to you and will repay it a thousandfold or ten-thousandfold later—a sure high-interest loan. Yet some people simply love to incur such high-interest debt in exchange for immediate gains.