Making Merit--Is It Really Meritorious?

Whether raised in Eastern or Western societies many people adhere to the concept of 'karma'—that doing good brings good things, bad brings bad—in some form or another. Every normal person wants to receive 'good', and so we see many people 'being good', with a double-sided motivation—they not only want to receive good, but they also fear that bad things will happen if they are not good. However, if a person is truly good, wouldn't they do good simply because they are a good person, not because they want something in return, or because they are scared something negative might occur to them? This article, originally written with Thai Buddhists in mind, takes a closer look at the commonplace act of 'merit-making' and challenges the concepts and attitudes behind this ancient practice.