Merit is synonymous with Happiness
“Meritā is a word that you rarely hear of in Western Buddhism. But itās whatās kept Buddhism alive over the centuries. Generosity, virtue, and meditation are all forms of merit. Even stream entry is a form of merit, so you canāt look down on it. What that means is that you look at the world as an opportunity to gain the happiness that comes from doing good. So if unexpected things happen, look at them as an opportunity to make some merit.
A lot of people donāt like the idea of merit. It sounds grabbing or acquisitive, but itās amazing how happy it can make people and how it can give them the strength and resilience to put up with difficult situations. So itās not just acquisitive. It comes from an understanding that if you want to be happy, you have to do something good. And doing something good has to benefit somebody else, not just you. In other words, you see that happiness is not a zero-sum game. Itās not a question of somebody else taking what you want or your taking what somebody else wants. You find a way of generating happiness where it spreads around. You gain, and the other people gain. And it helps develop a sense of resilience, of patience, resourcefulness.”
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu “Radiating Goodness”