When Merits Depleted, I Went Broke

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CASE STUDY

I pay my respects to you, Luang Phaw,

I am a Taiwanese person living in Taoyuan. I learned about the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center of Taoyuan at the beginning of 2006 because at that time, I want to learn the Thai language. I wanted to learn Buddhist teachings because I knew that Buddhism has a lot of great things. Now, these valuable teachings are recorded in Thai. I was not disappointed. The monk instructor was kind to teach me Thai very well. It allowed me to understand that we are born to realize Nibbana, seek merits, and pursue perfections. It is worth it even to know just that much. Later, the monk instructor had me learn Thai and the Dhamma language from DMC, the Only One Channel. It allowed me to learn about you, the Great teacher, who has the great heart and determination to spread the cool mist of Dhamma to all of mankind. Representing all of your non-Thai children, I would like to thank you, Luang Phaw, for your kindness in bringing out pure Dhamma, with clear reasons and the Law of Kamma, so we can learn, improve our lives and design better lives through DMC. I ask for your kindness to dream in dream about the life story of me and the members of my family.

From the time I was born, my life was magnificent and comfortable. My family was ranked as a moderately wealthy family of Taoyuan, because my family were representatives who sold alcohol and cigarettes. I did not know that the comfort I received was a result of the destruction of others.

I am the second child amongst 3 siblings. I loved to play sports very much. When I was only 11 years old, I won 1st place in the Taiwanese Tennis Championships. I brought fame to my family so I became my parents' favorite child. My parents love and believe in me.

When I grew up and after I had already gone through the military, my father decided to hand down his alcohol and cigarette business that he had been running for over 20 years to me. And I did not disappoint him. I managed the business very well. It happened to be during the same time that the nation's leader supported the operation of casinos, bars and karaoke bars without restrictions. I went into a partnership with a friend who was not a good person, was involved in the black society and certain law enforcement. I open clubs, bars, karaoke bars and disco clubs. I used my brain to make money with alcohol. I used handsome and beautiful models in advertisements. There were a lot of promotions to attract customers at that time. I was able to expand this complete system of evil across Taoyuan and other cities, with the estimated value of 1 billion baht.

My life was undergoing a steady growth. My income was very high. During the festival season, I had over 10 million in cash coming in. But I did not have any money left. The more it came in, the more it went out. I had new sports cars valued at 5-6 million. My cheapest wristwatch was 100,000. My life at that time was not quite that of a human life. In other words, I ate, drank, partied and had women around all the time. Many friends invited me to invest, expecting benefits from me. In one week, I came home for 2 days. The other 5 days, I slept elsewhere. My life at that time was very disorderly.

This business was prosperous for 5-6 years before it began to decline. The general state of the economy declined. My economy bubble burst as well. The clubs, bars and karaoke bars that I had partnerships in closed. My income declined rapidly. Sales were not as high as targeted. The stocks I had bought dropped. I wanted to cash in over 100 Shares I was playing in, but the Share originator ran away. Money lent out never returned. Businesses worth over 1 billion were destroyed to dust.

While I was confused with my life, the important turning point approached. My close friend died unexpectedly. He was a tour guide. While bringing a tour back to Taiwan, the plane crashed. All the passengers died. I was shocked and rushed to search for my friend's corpse. Each corpse was just pieces of flesh spread out haphazardly. I searched until I found my friend's body. It made me realize the uncertainty of life.

After that, I wanted to study Buddhism at a deeper level. I learned about the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center of Taoyuan, DMC, and the Great Teacher. It made me think that my reduced income was a result of the Law of Kamma, just like what the Lord Buddha taught, because I did not know, in the past 20 years, how much damage the alcohol and cigarettes I sold caused my fellow humans. Countless number of drunken people got into fights causing deaths or handicaps. I want to confirm that alcohol and smoking are not good things because it does not only harm oneself, but it also harms others. At this time, I switched to doing business in Alternative Drinks without alcohol. I began with one store next to an elementary school in Taoyuan. Although the income is not great, every single penny earned brings more happiness and joy than the tens of millions earned from selling alcohol.

My grandmother was a kind and generous person. At first, she believed in everything that other people believed, from saints, goddesses, the Lord Buddha, to any religious statue. She will pay respect and pray to them all. In the 10 years before she passed away, she was a full Buddhist. It began when her adopted daughter, who ordained as a Buddhist nun, invited her to attend the temple. My grandmother had great faith in Buddhism, and invited a Chinese monk from Huafan University to give a sermon at her home every first Sunday of the month and over 20 Taiwanese Huafan members would come to meditate.

Before she died, her brain had a hemorrhage. She was hospitalized for 1 month. In the end, we brought her back to take care of her at home. We invited Chinese monks to chant and give sermons to her every day. She passed away with a smile on her face at the age of 90.

My wife sells cosmetics at a department store. We met each other when I traveled to see my best friend in the southern province. She is a friend of his girlfriend. We had been introduced and I fell in love with her. It was love at first sight. She was the first woman that I ever thought of marrying. We dated for about a year, and then I asked her to marry me. She is a woman that is sweet, speaks little, is calm, and is kind. From the day we got married, I have never seen her get angry. She has made me happy in every way. Sometimes, I sleep at home 3 days and am gone for 4 days, but she doesn't say anything. She takes good care of me and our children and balances the household budget. She is also another stronghold that brings an income to the family. I have a good wife like I have a mother. I am touched and love her very much. We won't be separated like a river that goes around a big mountain.

I have a lovely daughter. This year she turned 10 years old. Before we had her, I thought about quitting smoking. So I quit smoking permanently as a present to her. In the middle of 2006, my daughter joined the youth camp that the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center of Taipei had organized. She was happy and returned to tell me she wanted to go again next year. I was amazed because looking at her character, she doesn't seem to be able to sit still. But she gained an interest and enjoys meditating more. This made me more confident in the Dhammakaya organization and I decided to join the summer novice ordination in Taipei from August to September 2006.

Questions

1.   Before my grandmother died, what did she see? Why did she smile? Where is she now? Is she happy?

2.   My father did not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, but was a representative who sold alcohol and cigarettes for over 20 years. Currently, his health is not well. His body frequently aches, his head aches, and now, his feet aches. Does it have to with his selling of alcohol and cigarettes? What merit can help him?

3.   What merit or kammic retribution supported the inheritance of the business, since I was the only person who inherited it, becoming a representative who sold alcohol and cigarettes? And I was even able to expand the business until it was valued at 1 billion.

4.   What merit helped me just lose all my money but did not cause me to be in debt? When I lost all my money in this lifetime, is it a result of the alcohol business I had created? Is what I received equivalent to the kamma I created? Aside from losing all my money, is there something else that I should be cautious of? And in the afterlife, will the kamma follow me to send its effects?

5.   What merit helped me find a way out of the peril in my life, by turning me towards Buddhism? And how can I correct myself, so that I do not receive the kammic retribution from selling cigarettes and alcohol, and so that I will have a fortunate afterlife?

6.   What did I do to have such a good wife? How have we accumulated merits together in our past lives? But she still does not understand Buddhism or Vijja Dhammakaya very much. What should I do for her to gain more interest in Buddhism, just like my daughter and I have?

7.   How have my daughter and I supported each other in our past lives? From the time she was born, she tended to be the reason that I would frequently do good deeds. For example, I quit smoking cigarettes. And when I joined the meditation center at Taoyuan, it was because of her encouragement.

8.   My daughter's mood changes easily. I am afraid that when she grows up, she will have problems. How should I teach her so that she is always a good child? Some people tell me that it is because her blood is Type AB. Luang Phaw, does blood type contribute to a person's character? And why do people have different blood types, like Type A, B, AB, and O? What causes each blood type?

9.   I have the intention to build a temple in Taiwan, for the purpose of meditation, so that people can attain their Dhammakaya. Do I have enough merit to follow my intention? And will I be able to become a kalyanamitta in inviting people to not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes? What occupation should I have so that it will be most beneficial to me, with a good income, able to do a lot of merit, and safe from going to the unfortunate realms?

10.   Why is it that in this lifetime, I like everything that is Thai? And when I learned about the Dhammakaya Temple, I feel closer and more familiar with it. Also, Vijja Dhammakaya is a great influence upon my life and has helped show me the bright path. How have my daughter, my wife, and I, pursued perfections with the community in our past lives? When I turn 50 years old, I intend to ordain for a long period of time. Do I have ordination merit from my past lives? Will I be able to do this?

11.   Why do I feel so close to the monk instructor, who has kindly taught me Dhamma and very much of the Thai language? Do we have any relationships from our past lives? In his past life, how did he pursue perfections with the community? How was his meditation experience? Is his previous plan for ordination strong? Why was he born a small person in this lifetime and had a difficult life when he was young? My monk instructor has asked me to ask if there is a way to correct this.

I pay my highest respect to you.

Luang Phaw's Dream

I closed my eyes, dreamed and woke up with these answers.
When you tell anybody the story like a tale, it will make anyone know more about retribution (Law of Kamma)

1. Before your grandmother passed away, she saw images of the merit that she made in Buddhism and saw an image of the Lord Buddha in the Chinese style.

After she died, she became a beautiful angel with a golden celestial mansion in the 3rd phase of Tavatisma, the 2nd level of heaven, because of the merit she made in Buddhism. She is happy, comfortable, beautiful, and young. Right now, she is being delighted in the celestial wealth that has resulted from the merit she made.

2. Your father does not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, but he was a representative who sold alcohol and cigarettes for over 20 years. Currently, his health is not well. His body aches, his head aches, and now, his feet ache. This is because of his current kamma from selling alcohol and cigarettes. It caused others, when drunk, to have different problems, such as, violent arguments, accidents, and so on.

Have him make every merit by being generous (dana), observing precepts (sila), and meditating (bhavana) with all his might and on a regular basis, for the remainder of his life. And have him make resolutions to not engage in the Wrong Livelihood in his future lifetimes. And he should dedicate these merits frequently to those who have experienced problems because of alcohol and cigarettes.

3. You inherited the business and were the only representative who sold alcohol after your father. In addition, you were able to expand the business until it was valued at 1 billion. This is because in your past life, whenever you made merit, you tended to make only the resolution to become rich. That resolution was not a result of wisdom and was not complete, like the resolution to become rich from the Right Livelihood. Therefore, when the merit sent its effects, it made the wealth appear from one way, whether it was a result of the Wrong Livelihood or the Right Livelihood.

4. Later, you only lost all your money and did not come in debt because in that lifetime, whenever you made merit, you would do it with all your might. You would set a goal, asking for the merit to help you become rich and be able to sell a large parcel of land, which you had inherited. If you sold it, you would bring the money to make more merit and use a portion to build your business.

In the end, you were able to sell that parcel of land, but you used the money to only build your business, and ended up doing only that much merit. When the merit runs out, your money runs out.
You were not in debt to anyone because you never owed money to anyone and never cheated anyone out of their money.
But the money that you received from selling alcohol is contaminated with bad kamma. Therefore, it will be a reason for your wealth to collapse as a result of different methods.

5. You found a way out of the critical point of your life by turning towards Buddhism because of the merit that you had made in Buddhism and with the community, sending its effects.

The kamma that you made in this lifetime has not yet sent all of its effects. It will still send its effects in the future, after you have died in the afterlife. When you are reborn, this kamma has a chance to send more of its effects, which I am not able to go into detail here. You will have to study it in the miniseries.

Therefore, so that this kamma is not able to follow you, you will have to forget the reckless past and from this point on, do not make any more of this kamma. Also, you must diligently accumulate merit by being generous (dana), observing precepts (sila), and meditating (bhavana) with all your might and on a regular basis, until you pass away. You must attain your Dhamma within and this will help close the unfortunate realms to you so that you can go to heaven.

6. You have a very good wife but she does not yet understand Buddhism or Vijja Dhammakaya. You and your wife have been husband and wife in many of your past lifetimes and have supported each other.

Also, you have both accumulated merits with the community. But in this lifetime, she understands that she is already a good person and there is somewhat of a barrier in regards to nationality and language.
Therefore, you must be a kalyanamitta for her. Carefully explain so that she understands, on a regular basis, with patience and endurance. One day, she will turn to pursue perfections with the community because she has made merits with the community in her past life.

7. You and your daughter have been father-child in your past lives and she had been a kalyanamitta to you by inviting you to pursue perfections with the community.

8. Your daughter's moods changes easily. Therefore, as a father, you should not give in to her too much as if without reason. She is your only child, so you want to let her do what she wants. You should raise her with patience because she is a person with reason and loves to be good anyways.

In terms of blood type, it has nothing to do with a person's habit or character. It has to do with consumption, association with others, and training of oneself, and so on.

Those with different blood types have nothing to do with the Law of Kamma. Even those with different blood types are able to train themselves so they are equally valuable.

9. You have the intention to build a temple in Taiwan for people to come and practice meditation, so that they can attain their Dhammakaya. You will be able to do it. You have enough merit.

And there are a large number of people with merit in Taiwan. All that is needed is for you to not change your mind like the way you did in your last lifetime, when you had a good intent but tended to change your mind later.

You can be a kalyanamitta for others to quit drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Some people can quit quickly. Others will be able to quit more slowly.
Therefore, you must have endurance and be patient. You should accumulate every merit and make resolutions to engage in the Right Livelihood and to only achieve prosperity, be rich, so that you will be able to pursue perfections as you have intended.

10. You like everything that is Thai and feel close to the Dhammakaya Temple and Vijja Dhammakaya. This influences your mind to follow the bright path. This is because you have pursued perfections with the community. And when the community was born in Thailand, you like and feel close to it as well.

You, your wife, and your daughter were supporters of the community. And you have merit from ordaining for a short period. If you are going to ordain for a long period, it will take a great amount of support and encouragement.

11. In the last Buddhist era, the monk instructor had been a soldier of the king who ordained. He followed the king into ordination. When he ordained, he performed the duty of spreading the teachings for the rest of his life and had been your monk instructor as well.

His meditation experience was that of attaining the Dhammakaya, and was able to return to Tusita Heaven. He has been reborn to pursue perfections twice. His is a small person because he had teased a friend, frequently asking his friend if he was a monk or a nun, because his friend was small. This caused his friend to be frequently annoyed. This kammic retribution sent its effects.

He had a difficult life when he was young because when he was a soldier, he had herded children from another region, so that they could serve him. This caused those children to experience great difficulty. To correct this, he should accumulate every merit and diligently follow the monastic discipline. He should make resolutions to have the wealth of appearance, money, and quality, that is complete in every way.

Having met with the community in this lifetime, you should strongly intend to pursue perfections with all your might in every merit, and make resolutions to follow the community to the special merit zone of Tusita Heaven, in the Bodhisatta area. Do not allow yourself to separate from the community.