Tranfering Merits to Relatives in Different Belief.

Q. A daughter - in – law follows Buddhism religion. She usually recites Kstigarbha sutra to trasfer merits to her Christian mother – in – law. Will her mother’s soul escape from rebirth?

A. First, a daughter – in – law who has dutiful mind with her parents deserts to be highly appreciated. A biological chid has such a responsibility as a good deed. Here, it is a dautergh/son – in – law who masters to chanting sutra to tranfer merits to her husband’s mother in different religion, which is a merit deed. This is good things. If it is performed in earnest, sincere thought which is certainly to be useful.

Next, according to the causes and effects law, whether a person who has belief or not but his/her living is in good nature, honest speech, truthful work, which helps their next life with many blessings. On the contrary, Buddhists don’t keep precepts and master cultivation, do bad things, which is difficult to avoid being born into the evil realm. 

 

Therefore, if we concentrate on chanting and tranfering our merits to the ancestors, it will affect their souls. If they paid light karmas, they will get little blessing, then their souls would be reborn to a good world. However, if they suffered heavy karmas, they must depend on tranfering merits from their relatives, so that it helps reduce their evil ones which changes heavy karmas, becoming a ligher one. Then, they will get salvation.

Chanting sutra of transferring merits to the dead or a living person which chanters will gain merits first; the next is  their dead relatives. Thus, it is vital to practice in the earnest and sincere mind.

Thích Minh Thành