Dear Earth, this is for you.

At the end of our Buddhist services we often transfer merit. This means that we symbolically gather together all the peace, insight, consolation and joy that we’ve received from our practice, and we pass it on to those who might need it.

The great thing about transferring merit is that, in the giving, we receive. I experience a glad, cosy feeling when I think of those who might be standing under a shower of our blessings. Maybe you absorb our happiness, dear Earth, or maybe a passersby suddenly glimpses a sliver of light where before there was none.

Giving isn’t always this easy. When it comes to my freshly baked peanut chocolate cookies, my generosity increases or decreases depending on how many cookies there are and how many people are present. A full tin of cookies and a few people – my generosity knows no bounds. When the cookies are running low…

This is how it is for all of us. Sometimes we are able to offer freely, but mostly our clinging-at-things gets in the way. We cling because we are afraid of scarcity, of facing unsavoury truths about ourselves or the world, of missing out. It is human to cling, and pointless to pretend otherwise.

When I do find myself having a generous thought, when I experience the pure joy of giving, this is a cause for celebration. When we give things in this spirit it’s just like transferring merit – our happiness increases. At these times I see that I am only passing on what I have already been given.

“Gratitude is multiplying, going forth, returning richly…” Here is my happiness from this morning, dear reader, dear Earth. Please, take it. It would be my pleasure.

Much love, Satya <3