བསོད་ནམས་བྱ་བའི་དངོས་པོ། | Glossary of Terms

Lit. “merit work entity.” The meaning of this term is made clear in chapter 33, when the value of a bodhisattva practicing the perfection of wisdom is compared with other meritorious acts; cf. Mppś 2248, Mppś English p. 1858.

The meaning of this term is made clear in chapter 33, when the value of a bodhisattva practicing the perfection of wisdom is compared with other meritorious acts; cf. Mppś 2248, Mppś English p. 1858.

As an example: a gold coin is a “basis.” Given into the hand of a pauper (the “action”) it becomes a basis for action that makes merit (puṇya­kriyā­vastu). It becomes that because of the giver’s aim‍—stopping the pauper’s hunger. The same gold coin (the basis, Skt vastu), remaining in a person’s pocket, remains a basis as the term is used in the fundamental Buddhist scriptures‍—a place (vastu) where the renunciant is to avoid attachment, but not a basis of meritorious action (puṇya­kriyā­vastu). The bsod nams bya ba (puṇyakriyā), “meritorious action” or work that produces merit, makes the basis into something (the basis) that now is achieving the aim.