PUNNA

(Pali: merit), primary attribute sought by Buddhists, both monks and laymen, in order to build up a better karma (the cumulative consequences of deeds) and thus to achieve a more favourable future rebirth. The concept is particularly stressed in the Theravada tradition of Southeast Asia. Pua can be acquired through dana (giving, such as offering food and robes to monks or donating a temple or monastery); sila (the keeping of the moral precepts); and bhavana (the practice of meditation). Merit can also be transferred from one being to another. This is a central feature of the Mahayana schools, in which the ideal Buddhist is the bodhisattva (Buddha-to-be), who dedicates himself to the service of others and transfers merit from his own inexhaustible store to benefit others.