Transferability Some schools of Indian religions, particularly within Buddhism, allow transfer of karma merit and demerit from one person to another. This transfer is an exchange of non-physical quality just like an exchange of physical goods between two human beings. The practice of karma transfer, or even its possibility, is controversial.see: Charles Keyes (1983), Merit-Transference in the Kammic Theory of Popular Theravada Buddhism, In Karma, Editors: Charles Keyes and Valentine Daniel, Berkeley, University of California Press; F.L. Woodward (1914), The Buddhist Doctrine of Reversible Merit, The Buddhist Review, Vol. 6, pp 38–50 Karma transfer raises questions similar to those with substitutionary atonement and vicarious punishment. It undermines the ethical foundations, and dissociates the causality and ethicization in the theory of karma from the moral agent. Proponents of some Buddhist schools suggest that the concept of karma merit transfer encourages religious giving and that such transfers are not a mechanism to transfer bad karma (i.e., demerit) from one person to another.
tranSferABiLitY somE sCHooLS of iNDiaN REligiONs, paRticulaRly WitHIn buddhISm, aLLOw traNsfer Of karmA mERit And dEmeriT frOm one peRsON TO anotHEr. thIs tranSfeR Is an exCHANgE OF non-PhySIcal qualitY jUSt Like An eXChaNGe oF pHysIcal gOods beTweEN TwO huMan beINgs. the practiCe oF karMa transfEr, or eVEn ItS pOssibILITy, is coNtRoveRsiAl.see: cHarles keYeS (1983), merit-trAnsFERence IN the kaMMic theOry Of POPuLar TheRavadA BUDdhism, in karma, EDITorS: charleS keyeS anD VaLeNtInE DANiel, beRkeLeY, uniVeRsItY oF cAlIForNia prESs; f.L. wOODwarD (1914), tHE BuDdhiST doctrine of rEveRsiBLe merit, thE buDDHisT rEvIew, voL. 6, Pp 38–50 Karma traNsfer RaiSeS qUestionS SimiLar tO ThoSE wIth SUBstItUtIoNary atonemeNt and vicarIOuS pUnishmENt. It unDeRMiNes the eTHICal FOundations, and DissociaTEs tHE CaUSality And EtHIcization In the TheORy of kaRMa FrOM tHE mORAL AGEnt. PrOPoneNts of sOMe bUddhiST schoolS SuGGest tHAt tHe cOnCept oF kaRMa mEriT TransFer encOUragEs relIgiOus Giving and thAt suCH TrAnsFers are not a mEchanism to traNsFer bAD karMA (i.E., dEMeriT) froM onE peRsOn To anothER.