The Significance of Transference of Merits to the Departed
功德与回向
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.
如果真的要纪念或帮助过往先人，你可以以他们的名义多做善事，然后把功德回向给他们。
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.
佛教认为善行的功德能带给人今世或来世的福报，也能引导人们达到永恒快乐的目标。善行表现在身、语、意的活动。每一种善行所产生的功德，成为行善者的「业绩」。佛教鼓励人们将功德回向给他人，由他人分享你的福报。换句话说，功德是可以转让和分享的，他人可以在生前或死后接受你的功德。
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.
回向的方法非常简单，行善的人把善行当作专为某一个人而作，或为一切众生而做。这种愿望可以在心里或以语言文字表达出来。
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.
发心回向的人，不一定要让接受者知道。当接受回向者得知你的这种行动和愿望时，就会产生「喜悦」，而参与你的善行。接受回向者认同了功德本身和回向者，他所获到的功德甚至比原来的更大。那么，他的喜悦心将更高，他更了解功德，变得更聪慧和更具功德了。在巴利文三藏经典里，保存着大量有关这方面的记载。
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.
功德回向是一种「喜」法，接受回向者，不管知不知道回向者是谁，都会一样的感到喜悦。但是接受功德者，起码要表示对功德的随喜。如发自内心或口头的赞赏：「萨度sadhu！萨度sadhu！」(善哉)为了分享他人回向的功德，必须由衷的同意并喜悦于他人的善行。
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，不会阻止他人分享他所缔造的「功德的喜悦」，他不能控制他人有「随喜」的念头。佛陀认为，所有的行为的关键在于心识，回向基本是一种心识。
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.
回向功德并不意味褫夺了一个人所造就的功德。相反的，功德的回向能增上已经造就的功德。
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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