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17. STRIVE TO BUILD MAXIMUM MERIT Dhamma is something deep and profound. It is not easy for ordinary people to attain or even comprehend in a short amount of time. You know that it is difficult to be born as a human. One has to overcome innumerable odds before one gets to become a human. Now that you are a human and have found Buddhism, you should make your life worthwhile. Build as much paraman (Perfections) as possible until your virtue is whole enough to help you find your way out of suffering. Being born human is a great blessing indeed. It doesn’t matter whether you are born into a rich or poor family, a fortunate or unfortunate condition, you should accept it and carry on. There is nothing anyone can do to change this. You have become the way you are because of what you have done in the past. It is your kamma*. If you want to improve your conditions, you have to commit to doing more good deeds. *Under the Law of Kamma, by which all creatures must live, a person bears the consequences of his own actions. Bad action causes bad consequences and good actions bear good consequences. Everyone who is born will eventually die. We all have to die, but no one knows when/ her time will come. Because of this, we must do all we can to accumulate as much merit as possible. Merit is the only possession we can take with us after we die. We are the way we are because of what we have done. Learn to endure it. Do the best you can for yourself. Do the best you can in everything. Good things will eventually come to you. You will die regardless of whether you do it or not. It is better to do it and to do it well. Don’t be lazy with your meditation. Meditate as much as you can to cultivate good mindfulness. If your mindfulness is weak, you will be vulnerable to evil thoughts that give rise to bad kamma. But if you maintain good mindfulness, virtue will be with you instead, leaving no room for negative kamma to enter. January 31, 1975