Nidhi Kanda-The Reserve Fund(Merits)

A person stashes a fund away,
deep underground, at the waterline:
"When a need or duty arises,
this will provide for my needs,
for my release if I'm denounced by the king,
molested by thieves,
in case of debt, famine, or accidents,

With aims like this in the world
a reserve fund is stashed away.
But no matter how well it's stored,
deep underground, at the water line,
it won't all always serve one's need.
The fund gets shifted from its place,
or one's memory gets confused;
or--unseen--
water serpents make off with it,

When one's merit's ended,
it's totally destroyed.
But when a man or woman
has laid aside a well-stored fund
of generosity, virtue,
restraint, & self-control,
with regard to a shrine,
the Sangha,
a fine individual,
guests,mother, father,
or elder sibling:
That's a well-stored fund.
It can't be wrested away.
It follows you along.

When, having left this world,
for wherever you must go,
you take it with you.
This fund is not held in common with others,
& can not be stolen by thieves.
So, prudent, you should make merit,
the fund that will follow you along
This is the fund
That give all that want,
to beings human, divine,
Whatever devas aspire to,
all that is gained by this.
A fine complexion, fine voice,
a body well-built, well-formed,
lordship a following:
all that is gained by this.

Earthly kingship, supremacy,
the bliss of an emperor,
kingship over devas in the heavens:
all that is gained by this.
The attainment of the human state,
the attainment of Unbinding.
all that is gained by this.
Excellent friends,
appropriate application,(1)
mastery of clear knowing & release:(2)
all that is gained by this.
Acumen,(3) emancipations,(4)
the perfection of disciplehood:
all that is gained by this.
Private Awakening,(5)
Buddhahood:
all that is gained by this.

So powerful is this,
the accomplishment of merit.
Thus the wise, the prudent,
praise the fund of merit
already made.

Special Note: With our heart-felt gratitude and appreciation to Venerable Ashak Rinpoche for giving us so many opportunities to accumulate merits and practice the Dharma. With this we wish to dedicate the above article to Venerable. May Venerable Be Well And Happy, and May Venerable's Aspirations come true soon! Sadhu!
From the Khuddakapatha: The above article about investing and accumulating merits at the present moment which is more reliable and longer lasting than worldly investments.
Note:1. Proper practise of the Dharma. 2. Knowledge of previous lives, Knowledge of passing away and arising of beings(rebirths), Knowledge of the ending of mental fermatations: sensual passion, becoming, views and ignorance. Release: release from the cycle of rebirth.3. Acumen with regards to its dharma, to its meaning, to its language & to quick-wittedness. These 4 talents can be found in all but not all Arahants.
Emancipations: The Maha-nidana Suttanta (DN15) describes the great emancipation as follows: Possessed of form, one sees forms. Not percipient to form internally, one sees forms externally, this is the first emancipation. One is intent only on the beautiful. This is the third emancipation. With the complete trancending of perceptions of (physical) form, with the dissapearance of perceptions of resistance, and not heeding perceptions of diversity, (perceiving) infinite space, one enters and remains in the dimensions of the infinitude of space. This is the fourth emancipation. With the complete transcending of the dimension of the infinitude of space, (perceiving) 'infinite conciousness', one enters and remains in the dimension of the infinitude of conciousness. This is the fifth emancipation. with the complete transcending of infinitude of conciousness, (perceiving) there is nothingness, one enters and remain in the dimension of nothingness. This is the Sixth emanciptation.With the complete transcending of nothingness, one enters and remain the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is the Seventh emancipation.With the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, one enters and remains in the dimension of cessation of perception and feeling. This is the Eight emancipation. Now if the monk attains these eight emancipations in forward order, in reverse order, and in forward and reverse order, when he attains them emerges from them whenever he wants, however he wants, and as long as he wants, when through the ending of the mental fermentations-free awareness-release and discernment-release, having directly known it and realised it in the here and now, he is known as a monk who is released in both ways. And as for another release in both ways, higher or more sublime than this. There is none.
Private awakening: Awakening as a Private Buddha, one who can gain awakening without relying on the teachings of others. But who can not formulate the Dharma in the way a Full Buddha Can.