[Glamyclitlemi]

Let's not forget kaarine, that people practice from different traditions from your own and the language used may be different.

Is merit none other than coming closer to the truth? And in which case is merit none other than the ripening of causes and conditions that allow us to see that truth a little more clearly?

It's unfortunate that you feel merit accumulation is unnecessary and is for "religious practitioners". Merit allows us to cultivate our wisdom, it is our ripening karma that allows us to meet not only wise and good spiritual friends (teacher's), will help us to stay on the path when our own obstacles arise. Without this merit, we would not even be able to hear a word of Dharma. At least this is from a Mahayana perspective...

And Yes, Malaga this is a path of "letting go", but do you not think that it is necessary to have a path for our cultivation until the point where we are able to let it go? An analogy that worked well for me is like peeling layers of skin from a fruit, for example, to find that there is no seed inside. However, in order to reach this point, we must first peel the layers. As the great Master Aryadeva said, "Once we reach the other shore, we must abandon the boat." Seems to me the boat is necessary then...

Be well