DN 31 & making offerings on behalf of deceased parents, transference of merit?

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DN 31 states:

A child should serve their parents as the eastern quarter in five ways, thinking:
Pañcahi kho, gahapatiputta, ṭhānehi puttena puratthimā disā mātāpitaro paccupaṭṭhātabbā—

‘I will support those who supported me. I’ll do my duty for them. I’ll maintain the family lineage. I’ll take care of the inheritance. When they have passed away, I’ll make an offering on their behalf.’
bhato ne bharissāmi, kiccaṁ nesaṁ karissāmi, kulavaṁsaṁ ṭhapessāmi, dāyajjaṁ paṭipajjāmi, atha vā pana petānaṁ kālaṅkatānaṁ dakkhiṇaṁ anuppadassāmīti.

I’ve been trying to find references for the last item, making offerings on behalf of one’s deceased parents, but it seems to imply some kind of benefit (To oneself? To one’s deceased parents?).

Is there any other sutta or commentarial text that explains this concept (of making offerings on behalf of others) in detail? I’ve read some discussions in the forum about the transference/sharing of merit, and it seems to point towards it being only attested for pretas rather than of general application as in Mahāyāna schools.

I would want to know if there’s any benefit to this at all, whether that be for oneself, for the ones you’re making offerings on behalf of, etc., and why it is important for a child to do so for one’s parents.

There’s a separate thread on this from 2017, but it didn’t get any discussion, unfortunately.

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In SN 42.6, the Buddha is clear that the destination of the deceased cannot be changed simply by prayer and supplication. Their destination depends on the nature of their own deeds viz kamma.

That said, AN 10.177 clarifies that there are different destinations possible for the deceased. Of the variety of destinations, only one - the ghost (preta) realm- is suitable for partaking of the gift offered in memory of the deceased.

If the particular relative in whose name the gift is offered has been reborn other than in the preta realm, though they themselves will not benefit from the gift, other relatives will - there is always someone in the preta realm.

Thus such offerings are always beneficial for the donor, in that they personally reap good kamma vipaka from having done a meritorious deed.

Also consider SN 15.14 - SN 15.19 where the Buddha says that it is difficult to find someone in the world who has not been related to you at some point in cycle of transmigration.

Hence the Mahayana emphasis on sharing of merit.

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Thanks for the response! I appreciate the references as well.

Regarding this, is there any sutta or text that attests to merit being shared with others instead of the intended recipients?

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When a gift is given, there are three results of the action

  1. Giver benefits from the accrual of good kamma, the worth of which is dependent on the nature of the recipient (MN 142, AN 9.20). The merit being made is maximised depending on the correct mindset (AN 6.37, AN 5.148 ).
  2. Receiver benefits from the gift.
  3. Observers benefit by developing good mindstates (AN5.36)

The kamma accrued by the giver cannot be shared/ transferred, because that would violate the laws of kamma being personal (AN 5.57, MN 130). This kind of merit cannot even be stolen! (Kp8, AN 7.7)

Now when it comes to the benefit of the gift to the receiver, if the gift is made to someone (Y) in the name of a specific person (X), then X will benefit from this only if X has been reborn in the preta realm (because pretas live off spirit offerings).

If X has not been born in the preta realm, X will not get any direct benefit from the gift intended for him. However he can get benefited indirectly, in that X develops higher mindstates on observing the gift giving.

However, the donor will always benefit. Why? Because the person (Y) who actually received the gift benefited directly, while other relatives who live in the preta realm benefited from the merit of the act. And samsara being without any discernible beginning, it is very likely that Y as well as the existing beings in the preta realm are in some way related to the donor.

Also, the observer benefits indirectly by developing higher mindstates. So, even if X has been reborn as a god not a preta, he may still derive benefit by observing the gift being given to Y on his account and being joyful.

So what kind of benefit are we sharing/ transferring? It is, IMO the receiver’s and observer’s benefit. We are giving a gift in the name of X, wishing that X will receive the benefit… and even if X cannot (because of being reborn elsewhere than in the preta world), we are wishing that others who are able to benefit will do so and that X will observe the act and be happy too.

This is my reading of the suttas. Others will have different opinions. So you can easily see how that could have lead to the emergence of the broad concept of “sharing of merit” in later traditions.

And that’s perfectly OK! Making merit is good!! Why worry about whom its going to benefit? :rofl: Just do good deeds anyway!! Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhuuuuu…!!!:grinning_face:

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Valid, friend! hahaha

Thanks for your explanation. I understand your POV, and it seems reasonable.

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I did not catch this, but DN 31 states:

“But worthy Gotama, who partakes of that gift if the departed relative is not reborn in that place?”

“Other departed relatives reborn there will partake of that gift.”

“But who partakes of the gift when neither that relative nor other relatives have been reborn in that place?”

“It’s impossible, brahmin, it cannot happen that that place is vacant of departed relatives in all this long time. It’s never fruitless for the donor.”

“Does the worthy Gotama propose this even when the conditions are wrong?”

“I propose this even when the conditions are wrong. Take someone who kills living creatures, steals, and commits sexual misconduct. They use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re covetous, malicious, with wrong view. They give to ascetics or brahmins such things as food, drink, clothing, vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of elephants. There they get to have food and drink, garlands and various adornments.

So, the Buddha did encourage doing so anyway regardless of whether one’s parents (or whoever) were reborn as petas or not.

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Researching the matter a bit deeper, I find that there is also a third aspect of gift giving… the effect on the mindstates of observers (AN 5.36).

This represents a way in which the deceased can indirectly benefit from the gifts given in their name, even if they are not reborn in the preta world. Suppose they have been reborn in heaven - they benefit from observing their child giving the gifts on the earthly plane, being joyful on this account.

Im updating my original post to reflect this aspect.

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Good read! I will look for more suttas to reference on the matter.

Those who rejoice at that,
or do other services,
don’t miss out on the offering;
they too have a share in the merit.

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Yes, the Buddha encouraged giving in even the apparently smallest ways. One of my favorite passages in this regard is from AN 3.57:

Vaccha, this is what I say: ‘You even make merit by tipping out dishwashing water in a cesspool or a sump with living creatures in it, thinking, “May any creatures here be nourished!”’ How much more then for human beings!

It’s also of note that the first factor of the first factor of the Noble Eightfold Path is:

There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings
atthi dinnaṁ atthi yiṭṭhaṁ atthi hutaṁ
-MN 41

And the first parami is generosity.

And the first thing mentioned as taught in passages where a person attains stream entry after being taught the 4 Noble Truths by the Buddha is generosity.

Then the Buddha taught him step by step, with a talk on giving, ethical conduct, and heaven. He revealed the drawbacks of sensual pleasures, so sordid and corrupt, and the benefit of renunciation.
-DN 3

Sorry, just rambling a bit there. :slight_smile:

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Thank you so much for sharing these as well! The emphasis is very much complementary to what I’ve read. Good references to have and remind ourselves of, personally.

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