Replanting the merits There was an old bikshu in Sravasti whose sight was impaired. One day, he tried to mend his robe only to find it impossible to thread the needle. In despair, he said:" Whoever cherishes merits, please come to thread the needle for me." The Buddha heard about this, and immediately came to do it for him.Recognising the Buddha's voice, the old bikshu asked:" Buddha! You have cultivated incessantly on compassion and good deeds for so long that you must have accomplished wholesome merits and conduct. Why do you still have to help me thread the needle to gain more merits?" The Buddha told him:" I am here to help you only because I have not forgotten my past habit of doing good." [ ' Do not do what you think is a trifling evil, and do not miss doing a trifling good.' Although the Buddha was already an enlightened one, he did not stop doing even the smallest of good deeds. Buddhists of great virtue are those who would care to do even the small good deeds, otherwise they would not have accomplished great merits. Only such Buddhists deserve to be called virtuous.] Back to Contents Page