Theravāda Buddhist lay practice in Sri Lanka, Laos and Thailand revolves around the generation and giving of merit. The Theravāda tradition often speaks of the three pillars of ethical behaviour which generate merit: alms giving ( dāna), morality ( sīla) and contemplation ( bhāvana). Nowhere is the creation, sharing and flowing of merit more tangible than in the funeral context. The dead need a good store of merit in order to improve their destiny in the next life, and most funeral ritual activities centre on ways to generate and transfer merit to the dead.
Further images depicting the generation and giving of merit can be downloaded for free.
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