The Significance of Transference of Merits to the Departed
功德與回向
If you really want to honor and help your departed ones, then do some meritorious deeds in their name and transfer the merits to them.
如果真的要紀念或幫助過往先人，你可以以他們的名義多做善事，然後把功德回向給他們。
According to Buddhism, good deeds or ”acts of merit” bring happiness to the doer both in this world and in the hereafter. Acts of merit are also believed to lead towards the final goal of everlasting happiness. The acts of merit can be performed through body, speech or mind. Every good deed produces ”merit” which accumulates to the ”credit” of the doer. Buddhism also teaches that the acquired merit can be transferred to others” it can be shared vicariously with others. In other words, the merit is ”reversible” and so can be shared with other persons. The persons who receive the merit can be either living or departed ones.
佛教認爲善行的功德能帶給人今世或來世的福報，也能引導人們達到永恒快樂的目標。善行表現在身、語、意的活動。每一種善行所産生的功德，成爲行善者的「業績」。佛教鼓勵人們將功德回向給他人，由他人分享你的福報。換句話說，功德是可以轉讓和分享的，他人可以在生前或死後接受你的功德。
The method for transferring merits is quite simple. First some good deeds are performed. The doer of the good deeds has merely to wish that the merit he has gained accrues to someone in particular, or to ”all beings”. This wish can be purely mental or it can accompanied by an expression of words.
回向的方法非常簡單，行善的人把善行當作專爲某一個人而作，或爲一切衆生而做。這種願望可以在心裏或以語言文字表達出來。
This wish could be made with the beneficiary being aware of it. When the beneficiary is aware of the act or wish, then a mutual ”rejoicing in” merit takes place. Here the beneficiary becomes a participant of the original deed by associating himself with the deed done. If the beneficiary identifies himself with both the deed and the doer, he can sometimes acquire even greater merit than the original doer, either because his elation is greater or because his appreciation of the value of the deed is based on his understanding of Dhamma and, hence, more meritorious, Buddhist texts contain several stories of such instances.
發心回向的人，不一定要讓接受者知道。當接受回向者得知你的這種行動和願望時，就會産生「喜悅」，而參與你的善行。接受回向者認同了功德本身和回向者，他所獲到的功德甚至比原來的更大。那麼，他的喜悅心將更高，他更了解功德，變得更聰慧和更具功德了。在巴利文叁藏經典裏，保存著大量有關這方面的記載。
The ”joy of transference of merits” can also take place with or without the knowledge of the doer of the meritorious act. All that is necessary is for the beneficiary to feel gladness in his heart when he becomes aware of the good deed. If he wishes, he can express his joy by saying ”sadhu” which means ”well done”. What he is doing is creating a kind of mental or verbal applause. In order to share the good deed done by another, what is important is that there must be actual approval of the deed and joy arising in the beneficiary”s heart.
功德回向是一種「喜」法，接受回向者，不管知不知道回向者是誰，都會一樣的感到喜悅。但是接受功德者，起碼要表示對功德的隨喜。如發自內心或口頭的贊賞：「薩度sadhu！薩度sadhu！」(善哉)爲了分享他人回向的功德，必須由衷的同意並喜悅于他人的善行。
Even if he so desires, the doer of a good deed cannot prevent another”s ”rejoicing in the merit” because he has no power over another”s thoughts. According to the Buddha, in all actions, thought is what really matters. Transference is primarily an act of the mind.
做善行的人，不會阻止他人分享他所締造的「功德的喜悅」，他不能控製他人有「隨喜」的念頭。佛陀認爲，所有的行爲的關鍵在于心識，回向基本是一種心識。
To transfer merit does not mean that a person is deprived of the merit had originally acquired by his good deed. On the contrary, the very act of ”transference” is a good deed in itself and hence enhances the merit already earned.
回向功德並不意味褫奪了一個人所造就的功德。相反的，功德的回向能增上已經造就的功德。
Highest Gift to the Departed
回向先亡：
The Buddha says that the greatest gift one can confer on one”s dead ancestors is to perform ”acts of merit” and to transfer these merits so acquired. He also says that those who give also receive the fruits of their deeds. The Buddha encouraged those who did good deeds such as offering alms to holy men, to transfer th…
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