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.

Punya 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 bodhisattva (“buddha-to-be”), who dedicates himself to the service of others and transfers merit from his own inexhaustible store to benefit others.