Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions we've collected, along with the answers provided by the venerable. We hope this will be helpful to everyone.
Question 1
Why do my relatives and friends receive benefits when I write their names on the red or yellow Pray Plaques? What kind of benefits will they receive?
Writing your relatives' and friends' names on the red or yellow Pray Plaques will place them at the Dharma assembly. During the assembly, the virtuous deeds of chanting and praying by monks and laypeople will be dedicated to these living beings, so they can receive the merit from the chanting, prayers, and offerings.
Question 2
I heard that for dedication of merit to be effective, there must be three kinds of karmic connections (family lineage, shared resources, or Dharma connection). If the monks in the Sangha don't know the names I wrote down, and there are no such three kinds of karmic connections between us, will they receive the dedication of merit?
Yes, because the person who wrote the name has shared resources and Dharma connections with the Sangha, and the person whose name was written down has family lineage or shared resources with the person who wrote it down, so their relationship can be connected.
Question 3
If I simply write someone's name on the red/yellow Plaques, but I cannot participate in the chanting during the three-day Dharma assembly, will that person still receive the merit?
Yes, during the Dharma assembly, both monks and laypeople sincerely chant the sutras, dedicating the merit to the sentient beings on the memorial tablets. They will receive the merit of the Dharma assembly.
Question 4
If we each fill in the names of our relatives and friends on the red/yellow list, but during the chanting at the Dharma assembly, some of us chant very attentively and sincerely, while others chant in a drowsy state, will there be a difference in the merit received by our relatives and friends? Or will they all receive the same merit because of relying on the Three Jewels and the Sangha?
This needs to be discussed in two parts. The merit received by me chanting sincerely versus chanting in a drowsy and distracted state will be very different. The Ksitigarbha Sutra says that when we chant sutras for our relatives and friends, they receive one-seventh of the merit, while we receive six-sevenths. Even this one-seventh is different. Regarding the dedication of merit accumulated by the congregation during the Dharma assembly, everyone receives the same amount of merit.