Chua Duoc Su

People in the world often say:

- If you have virtue, you are free to enjoy.

The reason is that people with meritorious deeds are easy to accomplish, especially in daily life. When applying morality to daily activities, you must show it through practical actions. Those who understand morality and practice properly are called people with merit and virtue. This sounds easy, but it's not easy to do. Like when you say that a person is kind, but all day he wanders up and down according to external disturbances, or inner delusions, such a person is not a good person. Because of that mess, you forget about yourself and get identified with those messes. So merit is the result of a process of righteous practice. It requires action, requires specific experience of each person, not just words.

It can be said that merit is the result of your daily actions. If you open your heart, every action, big or small, will be blessed. Being selfish, just taking care of yourself and not thinking about others, the more you do it, the more karma you create. When you have created karma, you will not have merit or virtue, but you will also experience suffering in the next life. The cultivation of merit does not have to look far away. The Buddha's teachings teach you right in this life, you convert, build, and change bad things into good, that's called cultivation, doing meritorious deeds. Edit right from your actions, wherever you are. You don't have to have a good environment, go to a temple or live in a secluded place to practice. How in all circumstances, when you are in contact with the scene, you know how to cultivate and practice, then the merit will accumulate silently accordingly. On the contrary, all day from morning to evening, if you run after appearances on the outside, but in your heart are not open-tolerant, not joyful, awake, tomorrow's results will never be good.

The question is specifically how to cultivate merit.

The answer is: How to cultivate merit, the Buddha said the Blessing Sutra at Jetavana Monastery in Mr. Anathapindika's garden like this, the sutra says:

Late one evening the gods came to the Buddha, their rays illuminating the whole monastery. Then a representative of the gods asked the Buddha:

- World-Honored One, the gods and humans are awake and want to know about the meaning of merit and virtue, in order to live a peaceful life. May the Blessed One teach this meaning. According to the Buddha's teaching in this Blessing Sutra, I would like to summarize ten things as follows:

1- Stay away from evil people, stay close to good people, and respect respectable people who have merit.

In life, in all activities, in all interactions, you must wisely recognize what is bad, give up, and what is good, and practice.

This is understandable, but whether you will do it or not is another matter. For example, someone said that a casino is a place to play and spend money. Entering this gambling place, families will lose happiness, children will be affected badly, and gamblers will never have a good future. People with a strong inner spirit listen to their friends and invite them to just laugh or stay silent. You often have the disease that it is easy to run after the wrong, but it is difficult to follow the truth. When you have the wisdom to distinguish what is good and what is bad, then you must have the determination to practice.

In daily life, it is good that you try to keep from doing things that are against your conscience. The late Venerable Thich Thien Hoa, in the book Lessons of a Thousand Gold, told stories related to the sentence:

- Whatever you do, you have to think about the consequences first

Such an ordinary saying, but it requires you to live in awareness, what is contrary to your cultivation practice, do not do. Saying, doing, and thinking must all be reconsidered, so as not to lead to unfortunate consequences. That is the person who knows how to cultivate virtue. In daily activities, walking, standing, lying down, sitting, talking, and keeping quiet, you always think about its consequences, you will prevent bad things. That is practice.

Next should be close to good people. The ancients said:

- Near the ink is black, near the light, it's bright

If you know that your close friends are good, your life and character will also be good. For a person worthy of respect, you must know respect. This you have learned from childhood with grandparents, parents, and teachers. As a student, if you go out to the street to meet an elderly person, you must be respectful and ask questions. If you see a lonely person or a child younger than you, you are ready to help. These are the early teachings.

The Buddha's teachings are not outside that ordinary life. People who know how to cultivate, the more they practice, the more valuable life becomes, and the more in harmony with everyone. If you can do that, it means that you know how to accumulate merit and virtue, surely the results in this life and the next life will be good.

2- Living in a good environment, being created a good predestined agent

Being on the right path is the greatest blessing.

In hindsight, in the family from the days you were a toddler to an adult, the thanks to parents, and elders for teaching, and guidance are innumerable. Until you meet the true Dharma, be taught the way by the Buddha to avoid evil and do good, to teach you the way to escape from birth and death, that is indeed a blessing. Therefore, in a good environment, it is easy for you to make efforts to focus your life on getting better and better.

It can be said that now you are living in a good environment, although you were born in a time far from the Buddha, you still meet the Buddha's teachings, and there are cultivators to guide you in your practice. That is blessed. It can also be said that compared to those who are lacking food and clothing, while you are eating and wearing excess clothes. You are born as a human with a healthy body, and perfect organs, that is a person of merit. Moreover, you also have the opportunity to go to the temple to study Buddhism, most of them understand more or less morality depending on each person's circumstances. That means you are on the right path. Have the opportunity to do alms and make offerings. Therefore, you must know how to preserve and promote that virtue.

In the process of evolution, people with merit should try to cultivate more and more merit, not let it decrease.

3- Have a good education, have a good job, and know how to practice precepts.

Knowing how to speak lovingly is the greatest blessing.

In the family, precepts are rules and regulations that you arrange well. The man has the character of the man, the woman has the character of the woman. Parents take care of teaching and guiding their children to study, so that tomorrow, someday, they will have a good career in their hands. Children obey their parents, don't rebel, and study hard for success. It is a blessed family according to the world.

In the same way, in a way, those who will practice the precepts are blessed. By keeping the precepts, concentration is born, and from the concentration comes wisdom. That is, you are on the right path taught by the Buddha to liberate samsara. Virtue is great support for your practice to come to full results. A person full of merit and virtue, in all positions and gestures, has a great emotional impact. By keeping the precepts, you have a dignified manner, and calm demeanor, making people look at you easily and respectfully. That is the practical benefit of those who know how to cultivate the roots of merit.

Next is a love language. Love language is one of the Four All-embracing. As a Buddhist, as a good person, when you see someone in a difficult situation or having a sad heart, you say words of comfort to help him or her relieve suffering and overcomes difficulties. Thus, it is a blessing. Language has a great effect, there are words that make people resentful, and there are words that make people weak-hearted... such words should not be said. If the target is more powerful than you, then a careless word will cause great harm. Therefore, Buddhists must be cautious in language and behavior. The Dharma of loving speech is the dharma of speech and karma, very necessary in the family, and in the human community. When you use loving speech, every word must be ethical and bring happiness to you and everyone. Loving-kindness brings common blessings to both secular and religious communities.

4- To serve their parents, to love their family

To practice, the right profession is the greatest blessing.

If you are a child who is destined to serve your parents fully and love your family, that is a blessed person. To say love is to speak according to the world, in religion to speak of compassion. Because compassion is unconditional love, does not force others to depend on you, and does not need anyone to think about you. With this love, you will be open and tolerant and will not feel sad when people are not good to you. Mothers and fathers who are responsible for the family should use compassion, not narrow selfish love. Because selfish love is often limited, wanting to embrace what you like, and what you are not willing to resent, wants to get rid of it. Such love only hurts each other.

The spirit of compassion in Buddhism is to open the door of your mind. Whether rich or poor, with status or without status, the person who disturbs you but you still love, as usual, you decide to become a Buddha. Easy to say but difficult to practice. Because people are born with heavy emotions and attachments, they are born in this realm, so when you meet each other, you are already bound. The more passionate you are, the more bound you are, eventually falling into the vicious cycle of borrowing and paying, paying and borrowing.

As a Buddhist, you practice opening your heart, to everyone you love. The compassion of Buddhism is unconditional, regardless of the near or far. Therefore, people who are disruptive, disobedient, anti-slander… you are more interested in encouraging and correcting. You remember in the history of the Buddha, reverence Devadatta was the expert to disturb him, but in the end, the Buddha declared:

- The reason why I quickly became a Buddha was because of the good knowledge of Devadatta. That is my greatest teacher.

Because Devadatta's contradictory actions helped the Buddha to increase his patience, and expand his compassion and equanimity, he quickly achieved the unsurpassed path. So with compassion, you can overcome any difficulty, and any rebellious person can be tamed.

Buddhists in life, always have a simple, generous heart, protecting from relatives to villages. Developing such loving-kindness will increase merit and virtue, people will love you, and whatever you do, you will achieve. Even if you don't recite the Buddha's name, don't chant sutras, but with such action and mind, it is enough to represent the spirit of compassion and wisdom. Buddhism's education focuses on body education, each person must set an example in practice. If you can't master your actions, language, and ideas, you won't get good results. Practicing compassion, and practicing loving speech is not only teaching others but also cultivating merit for you.

5- Live uprightly, give alms. Help relatives and friends

Acting without blemish is the greatest virtue.

In all communication, Buddhists need to be upright to keep people's trust. Integrity is the key to future success. When you have been trusted, you will have support and convenience in whatever you do. For your family, close friends, and relatives, you are a factor, a fulcrum for everyone to rely on, you must practice by yourself, and know how to give and make offerings. At the same time, you also encourage and help your relatives to practice together and give alms. That is what is called a blessed family.

The behavior here is the object of contact, whether your action is right or not, what is worth doing or not, you need to know. In life all arrangements, you need to be wise and resolute, if you hesitate, no matter what anyone says, without a firm stance, nothing can be done. You have been studying Buddhism for a long time, and knowing Buddhism for a long time, you must understand this well. If someone said to practice according to this or that method, within three months you can become a Buddha, have supernatural powers, know the past, future, etc., you also believe. If so, then you as a Buddhist do not have enough faith. The reason why you don't have good judgment, and seriousness. So here the Buddha taught you to behave without blemish, that is, to be wise, and lucid and decide all affairs in accordance with the Dharma. Whatever you do, know the cause and effect, so you can avoid harm, that is, keep it unblemished.

6- Avoid doing evil, do not get drunk

The need to do good deeds is the greatest blessing.

Everyone who cultivates wants to make progress, from bad to good, from not beautiful to become more beautiful, that is the general direction. In order to do that, Buddhists who have not lived well must correct themselves. If you have not awakened, you must try to awaken. Therefore, the Buddha taught that people with merit and virtue should not do evil deeds. Not getting drunk is to avoid cause and effect to avoid suffering. There are many reasons for suffering in this life right now, that is because deluded you mistakenly create bad karma from the past. Today, if you do not do evil deeds, you will not be afraid that tomorrow will bring evil results.

Trying to do good, is to say continuously diligently doing good so that your life is more and more sublimated. The more you practice, the more beautiful and precious the circumstances and people around you will be. That is a man of merit.

7- Be humble, polite, content, and grateful

Not missing the opportunity to study religion is the greatest blessing.

6- Avoid doing evil, do not get drunk

The need to do good deeds is the greatest blessing.

Everyone who cultivates wants to make progress, from bad to good, from not beautiful to become more beautiful, that is the general direction. In order to do that, Buddhists who have not lived well must correct themselves. If you have not awakened, you must try to awaken. Therefore, the Buddha taught that people with merit and virtue should not do evil deeds. Not getting drunk is to avoid cause and effect to avoid suffering. There are many reasons for suffering in this life right now, that is because deluded you mistakenly create bad karma from the past. Today, if you do not do evil deeds, you will not be afraid that tomorrow will bring evil results.

Trying to do good, is to say continuously diligently doing good so that your life is more and more sublimated. The more you practice, the more beautiful and precious the circumstances and people around you will be. That is a man of merit.

7- Be humble, polite, content, and grateful

Not missing the opportunity to study religion is the greatest blessing.

People who are humble, polite, and contented are easy to learn the Way. As a Buddhist, you should not miss any small occasion, you should always be mindful of learning and practicing the Way. This concept is very important, you should never take it for granted. For example, if you are dedicated to practicing meditation, do not think that you learn to meditate the best. Go to another place where there is a lecture, don't be disrespectful, on the contrary, you should learn more, and don't waste any good opportunities. Because the more you learn, the more you practice, and the brighter you become.

8- Know how to persevere, to be good. Close to the monastic world

Attending Dharma talks to learn is the greatest blessing.

9- Live diligently, awake. Learn the mysterious truth

Realizing Nirvana is the greatest blessing.

10- Together in the human world, the mind does not move

The end of afflictions, a peaceful life, is the greatest blessing.

Buddha taught that all situations and human bodies in this life are the results of cause and effect created by yourself from previous lives. In the past, you were confused and did not understand, so you created bad karma, now the consequences come, and you accept to bear, not afraid. That is the person who is awake, that is the person who knows how to restore good. No matter how great the consequences are if you pay, it will end, there is nothing to fear, just afraid that you will close your eyes and continue to cause bad causes. The Buddha taught that true Buddhists are not afraid of the result, but only of the cause.

The cause is because of greed, hatred, and delusion. They form karma and this karma leads you to receive retribution. Karma is the energy that arises from your words, actions, and thoughts. The karma you create, and the consequences you have to bear should not be blamed on anyone. Buddhist disciples who believe in cause and effect are no longer afraid of anything, just afraid that you will not be lucid when thinking, not knowing how to correct your mistakes when you make mistakes, speak and act. Knowing the cause and effect caused by you, now you have to repair and adjust your body, mouth, and mind. That is the most legal way to practice, anyone can practice. Wherever you are, you are always correcting, and letting goes of all wrong thoughts, words, and actions. Cultivating from within the cause, from within your heart, is called cultivating the mind. You have the predestined to take refuge in the Three Jewels, keep the five precepts, and be close to the Sangha step by step practice, step by step creating merit. Because precepts are to limit your thoughts, speech, and actions to the right framework, free from error. That is the practice, the original method of the Buddha's son on the process of cultivation. Therefore, at this stage, the Buddha taught that if you want to have merit and virtue, you must believe, understand, and properly apply the spirit of cause and effect to your life. When you know how to persevere, be good. Being close to monastics, always attending Dharma talks to learn, live diligently, stay awake, and study mysterious teachings. Although you live together in the human world, your mind is not moved, is not sad or angry…. That's how you cultivate merit and virtue.

Someone asked how do you know you are a blessed person?People who are humble, polite, and contented are easy to learn the Way. As a Buddhist, you should not miss any small occasion, you should always be mindful of learning and practicing the Way. This concept is very important, you should never take it for granted. For example, if you are dedicated to practicing meditation, do not think that you learn to meditate the best. Go to another place where there is a lecture, don't be disrespectful, on the contrary, you should learn more, and don't waste any good opportunities. Because the more you learn, the more you practice, and the brighter you become.

8- Know how to persevere, to be good. Close to the monastic world

Attending Dharma talks to learn is the greatest blessing.

9- Live diligently, awake. Learn the mysterious truth

Realizing Nirvana is the greatest blessing.

10- Together in the human world, the mind does not move

The end of afflictions, a peaceful life, is the greatest blessing.

Buddha taught that all situations and human bodies in this life are the results of cause and effect created by yourself from previous lives. In the past, you were confused and did not understand, so you created bad karma, now the consequences come, and you accept to bear, not afraid. That is the person who is awake, that is the person who knows how to restore good. No matter how great the consequences are if you pay, it will end, there is nothing to fear, just afraid that you will close your eyes and continue to cause bad causes. The Buddha taught that true Buddhists are not afraid of the result, but only of the cause.

The cause is because of greed, hatred, and delusion. They form karma and this karma leads you to receive retribution. Karma is the energy that arises from your words, actions, and thoughts. The karma you create, and the consequences you have to bear should not be blamed on anyone. Buddhist disciples who believe in cause and effect are no longer afraid of anything, just afraid that you will not be lucid when thinking, not knowing how to correct your mistakes when you make mistakes, speak and act. Knowing the cause and effect caused by you, now you have to repair and adjust your body, mouth, and mind. That is the most legal way to practice, anyone can practice. Wherever you are, you are always correcting, and letting goes of all wrong thoughts, words, and actions. Cultivating from within the cause, from within your heart, is called cultivating the mind. You have the predestined to take refuge in the Three Jewels, keep the five precepts, and be close to the Sangha step by step practice, step by step creating merit. Because precepts are to limit your thoughts, speech, and actions to the right framework, free from error. That is the practice, the original method of the Buddha's son on the process of cultivation. Therefore, at this stage, the Buddha taught that if you want to have merit and virtue, you must believe, understand, and properly apply the spirit of cause and effect to your life. When you know how to persevere, be good. Being close to monastics, always attending Dharma talks to learn, live diligently, stay awake, and study mysterious teachings. Although you live together in the human world, your mind is not moved, is not sad or angry…. That's how you cultivate merit and virtue.

Someone asked how do you know you are a blessed person?

Follow the instructions of the venerable ones. Those who are blessed by accumulating virtue from many previous lives will always have their wishes fulfilled in all aspects of life. If you meet the ten signs below, you are indeed luckier than people. If you have the following signs, you are sure to accumulate virtue from your past lives and be blessed.

01- In difficult times, there is always a way out

You will encounter many difficulties and obstacles in life, and if you find a quick way out, such as an unexpected favorable situation. Or if someone suddenly helps you, you will certainly be blessed by accumulating merit from your past lives.

02- You bring good luck to others

If many people enjoy luck from you, it means that you are a very lucky person. For example, when going to the market, a shop is empty, you just walked in with the intention of buying something, then suddenly a lot of other customers also rushed in. So you have brought some of your happiness to that owner. Someone is unlucky, but when they interact with you, they immediately change their luck, that is, that person will enjoy the blessings from you.

03- Always overcome the accident

Like in a mass accident many people are injured or lose their lives, but you are unharmed even though you are on the same bus. Or there is an epidemic, almost everyone gets sick, but you are very healthy as if nothing happened. This means that you are enjoying the blessings and should be protected.

04- You have many dear friends

The blessed are also those who have many good friends with them. Not everyone has such luck. When you are in trouble, many people will be willing to help you out, it's because of your blessings, not by chance.

05- No matter what you do, you will succeed

You do business, work in an office, or whatever, you are better than everyone else. For example, in the same street that sells 1 product, you always get more customers than other places. While the whole street of business is sluggish, you still sell as usual. Simply because they don't have the same blessings accumulated from their previous lives as you.

06- You have an ideal wife or husband.

A person who is blessed by accumulating virtue will be the person who meets the will of a lover wholeheartedly for them. If there is no blessing, surely she or he will not wholeheartedly love and be faithful to you like that. Be grateful that you have accumulated virtue from your previous life so that this life will be luckier than others.

07- Your children are obedient and study well

A blessed person will surely have good and well-educated children who are filial to their parents. Not everyone has this blessing, you should cherish this blessing.

08- You have good looks

Blessed people are often blessed with a beautiful and well-proportioned appearance. Not everyone is lucky to be born with a lovely face and attractive body. Be thankful for your past life.

09- Rarely gets sick

Lucky people will definitely have a longer life and better health than usual. Minor illnesses like coughs, colds, or fevers will never reach you. Simply because of the good fortune and high virtue that helped you get this.

10- Are you a believer in cause and effect?

This is an important point for the blessed. If you believe in cause and effect, you will live honestly and behave in accordance with the moral path. The more you do this, the more virtue you will accumulate for yourself, and the more blessings you will receive.

If you have these signs, you are definitely a blessed person, your children, parents or friends will therefore enjoy good luck. But for that happiness to last, you must live better, and live honestly and tolerantly. Believe in cause and effect, you will never be disadvantaged.

Above, are the necessary points when the Buddha taught the gods as well as humans the method of cultivating merit and virtue. People with merit and virtue are easy to cultivate, and their hearts are firm and do not retreat. On the contrary, it is difficult for people without merit to do anything, let alone practice. So I ask all of you Buddhists to diligently cultivate merit and virtue, in order to prepare you for a better direction in your future lives. In that way, your virtue will be fully accomplished.

In short, each of your thoughts, actions, and words causes good or bad karma, and that karma will create consequences for the present or the future. Good and Evil Karma Retribution is the result of good deeds, bad deeds caused by yourself and you have to bear with the surrounding circumstances. According to Buddhism, good is what is right, beneficial for you and for people in the present as well as in the future. Evil is doing things that are contrary to right, harmful to you and to people in the present as well as in the future.

As soon as you do good deeds, your mind is at peace. A good deed was done through the three components of the body, mouth, and mind of a person, that good will bring good results to you, no matter when that result happens, you don't know. As such, your life is up to you to decide. If this life of yours is an accumulation of benevolent causes, your body and mind containing those benevolent causes will result in your own body and mind.

In ordinary life, if you are a good person, you will be loved and honored by society. Living in an environment with many esteemed and supportive people is a happy environment. Your good deeds have an effect on others, if someone imitates them, a good cause will not only produce one good result but many good results.

In human society, instead of doing bad things, they will be punished, while those who do good are respected and rewarded by society. This reward still occurs on a material level: Those who are hardworking, thrifty, conscientious, and have initiative and dedication will be well paid. People who do not lie are trusted by others. Those who violate the five precepts are sometimes dismissed from work.

Even if the above does not happen, because your good deeds are unknown to anyone, it is still there, because the law of cause and effect never leaves anyone disadvantaged. There is no good deed, no matter how small, that does not produce the corresponding result.

By not doing evil, you are not creating for yourself the causes of suffering. Having fun doing good, that is, you create for yourself the causes of happiness. If life is the cultivation of the causes of happiness for you and for others, that is a happy, successful life. Between happiness and unhappiness, you can always choose your life. That is human freedom.