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100. OLD MERIT, NEW MERIT I have pity for both the rich and the poor. Rich people are well off because they have “old” merit from their past lives to support them. However, if they don’t produce “new” merit in their present life, the old merit can be used up. With no new merit to sustain them in subsequent lives, they will be reborn poor and will face much adversity in their future existences. The reason poor people are the way they are is because they have not built up enough old merit. If we don’t encourage them to accumulate new merit, then they will be even more unfortunate in the next life. I feel compassion for both types of people. We must invite people we know, both rich and poor, to make merit so that they will have spiritual wealth to take with them to future existences. 101. TO HELP OTHERS, ONE MUST HAVE ENOUGH MERIT I feel sorry for people and I want to rescue them. But to be able to save others, you must have enough merit as a foundation. That is why I work so hard to accrue merit for myself at every opportunity. 102. MERIT COMES TO YOU EVERYDAY A person who takes part in building a temple receives great merit because he has provided a facility for others to do good deeds. As long as the temple remains standing, and the buildings are in good repair, that person will reap merit from it every day. May 16, 1991