Transfer Merit and Virtue

Question:

Ven. Master:

First of all, please accept my respects and well wishes for your health and peace of mind.
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Please help clarify a few of my doubts.

1. Each evening, I recite the Infinite Life Sutra and the Great Compassion mantra. I also bow in repentance but do not how to do it properly. I wish to dedicate all the merit and virtue to my parents, my in-laws and our ancestors and my immediate family. What is the appropriate way to dedicate blessings to our past creditors?

2. If I wish to bow repentances on behalf of our parents, what Dharma should I practice? I am also trying to rectify my faults and become a better person. Please kindly instruct me how to cultivate accordingly.

Thank you very much for your instructions.
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NH

​Answer:

Thank you asking a question that is of interest to a lot of people.

Allow me to briefly address them.

1. Please keep up reciting the Infinite Life Sutra and the Great Compassion mantra. It is a very good practice. You could also switch to reciting the Amitabha Sutra instead because you can then eventually be able to recite both that sutra and the mantra from memory. You’ll create similar merit and virtue.

2. I recommend that after your daily practice, you chould recite the following to dedicate the merit and virtue, in any language of your preference:

I DEDICATE THE MERIT AND VIRTUE FROM CULTIVATION
功 德 殊 勝 行◎,
Gōng dé shū shèng héng,
Tu Hành công đức thù thắng hạnh,

WITH ALL ITS SUPERIOR, LIMITLESS BLESSINGS,
無 邊 勝 福 皆 迴 向.
Wú biān shèng fú jiē huí xiàng.
Vô biên thắng phước giai hồi-hướng.

WITH THE UNIVERSAL VOW THAT ALL LIVING BEINGS SUNK IN DEFILEMENT,
普 願 沉 溺 諸 衆 生,
Pǔ yüàn chén nì zhū zhòng shēng,
Phổ nguyện trầm nê chư chúng sanh,

WILL QUICKLY GO TO THE LAND OF THE BUDDHA OF LIMITLESS LIGHT
速 往 無 量 光 佛 剎.
Sù wǎng wú liàng guāng Fó chà.
Tốc vãng Vô Lượng Quang Phật Sát.

ALL BUDDHAS OF THE TEN DIRECTIONS AND THREE PERIODS OF TIME
十 方 三 世 一 切 佛◎
Shí fāng sān shì yí qiè Fó
Thập phương tam thế nhất thiết Phật

ALL BODHISATTVAS, MAHASATTVAS
一 切 菩 薩 摩 訶 薩
Yí qiè Pú Sà Mó Hē Sà
Nhất thiết Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát

MAHA PRAJNA PARAMITA!
摩 訶 般 若 波 羅 蜜◎!
Mó Hē Bō Rě Bō Luó Mì!
Ma Ha Bát Nhã Ba La Mật!

Afterwards, you can dedicate the merit and virtue to your family and relatives.
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3. It’s most excellent to bow repentances. You could bow the Great Compassion Repentance or the Ten Thousand Buddhas Repentance [the latter is only available in Chinese and Vietnamese]. Please call the temple directly to ask for specific instructions.