This is a short sutra of the Southern tradition, easy to recite, easy to remember and easy to practice. Together with the Amitabha Sutra of the Northern tradition, these two sutras are very suitable for beginner Buddhists. The Phuoc Duc Sutra has many different translations, the sutra is in five-word verse form, very easy to memorize, the length of the translations is different but basically they are the same. The title of the sutra is also a little different, some translations are Phuoc Duc Sutra, some are recorded as Hanh Phuc Sutra...

The reason why the Master spoke this sutra was that a deva appeared late at night in the Anathapindika garden near the city of Xa Ve to pay homage to the Buddha and then consult about the issue of merit. The Buddha took this opportunity to speak the Phuoc Duc Sutra. Just like the Buddhist sutras that often begin with the sentence: "I heard that once upon a time..." The Phuoc Duc Sutra also begins with: "One day late at night a deva came down to visit him..." Why not clearly state the year, month, day and time but only write it in a general way like that? Actually, this is the most wonderful and vivid way of recording. Years, months, days and hours are man-made time markers. Time is not real, it is a thought. Countries are extremely different. In this place, it is day, in another place, it is night, in this place, it is summer, in that place, it is winter... not to mention different realms, the time and space are even more different, even more different. The way of recording "a certain day at night" or "a certain period" is suitable for all times and all countries. The past was a certain period, the present is a certain period and the future will also be a certain period, forever a certain period, east, west, south, and north are also a certain period. It is wonderful, just one opening sentence has transcended time and space to be forever suitable for all times and all different countries.

After bowing to the Buddha, the deva stood to one side like a student respectfully asking the Buddha. He did not ask anything profound or lofty, but asked something very close and very practical. The question you asked is also the question that we are always concerned about. The angel asked about virtue and the Buddha taught:

New Buddhists in particular, and all of us in general, have little blessings and heavy karma, deep obstacles and shallow wisdom, little virtue and talent, and weak mind-control... cannot learn from the great men or bodhisattvas to "Enter the market empty-handed". "Entering the market with empty hands" or "Good and evil are not two"... Therefore, we must definitely avoid evil people. What is evil? Not burning down houses, robbing, or killing people is evil. Here, evil means killing, stealing, adultery, lying, and drinking; greed, anger, and ignorance are evil. Everything that goes against the precepts we have received is evil, everything that goes against the teachings or the Buddha's teachings is evil. We, the novice Buddhists, are too inexperienced, so we must avoid evil people, otherwise we will be infected. This is similar to the Vietnamese proverb: "Near the ink, you will be black, near the lamp, you will be bright." Buddha taught us to stay away from evil people. Being close to wise people, who is wise and virtuous? Buddha's meaning is not only people with high positions, not rich and powerful people... Wise and virtuous people are good teachers and good friends, people who practice the path of enlightenment and liberation, are true monks. We often hear: "The most respected monks", meaning that the monks, the bhikkhus, and bhikkhunis are the most noble and worthy of respect in the community. They are day and night spreading the teachings of enlightenment and liberation throughout this world. It is not by chance that these things are placed at the top of the sutra, clearly the Buddha intended to teach us about the first thing of merit. The monks themselves are our fields of merit.

A good environment is not a place of nobility or high society... A good environment is an environment close to wise people, close to good knowledge, good teachers and good friends... because living in that environment, we will naturally be trained in good things, encouraged to do good things, and learn good things. For a superficial example, if we live in a spacious house, we will not have to kill flies, mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches... or if we live in a rural area, we will have the opportunity to come into contact with scriptures, good teachers and friends, rather than living in a border environment where we do not know about Buddhism. Living in a good environment is due to merit, on the other hand, living in a good environment makes it easy to create merit.

What is the cause of goodness? Taking refuge in the Buddha, taking refuge in the Dharma, taking refuge in the Sangha is the cause; keeping the five precepts, ten good deeds is the cause; reciting Buddha's name, chanting sutras, meditating, being vegetarian, preventing childbirth... is the cause. This is like the verse: "Do not commit evil, practice all good deeds..." Following all that the Buddha taught is creating good causes.

Walking on the right path is definitely the path to enlightenment and liberation, a long and difficult path with many challenges. At a lower level, trying to regain a human body is also very precious. There are seven billion people in the world, but how many know and believe in Buddhism? Among those who know, how many are willing to commit to walking that path? Just like that, by inference, we know that there are not many people walking on the right path and walking on the right path is merit, is thanks to merit. Beginner Buddhists who cannot become monks should at least spend time listening to the sutras, reading and reciting sutras, meditating, reciting Buddha's name and doing things that benefit people and animals.

Confucian scholars say: "If a person does not study, he will not know the principles", so as a person, one must study, learn letters, learn a profession, learn worldly knowledge... to have knowledge, have a career to support oneself and one's family. Study morality, study internal scriptures, study sutras and mantras... to develop spirituality, create provisions for tomorrow. Study to have a good career, in this world there are many jobs that make money but are evil because they harm people, animals and the environment. Having an education and a good profession to live a righteous life.

Beginner Buddhists should try to keep the minimum limit of the five precepts, because this is the basis for being reborn as a human being, better still the ten good deeds, the eight precepts, the bodhisattva precepts... "Practicing the precepts" is a general teaching for everyone (seven groups), each person should keep the precepts according to their status and limitations.

Lovely words are truthful words, words that bring harmony, solidarity, mutual love... Loveful words are one of the four methods of winning people over. Loveful words comfort, sympathize, and share with people and life, and are absolutely not flattering, flattering, or false. Loveful words must be true, based on the four noble truths, and must be right speech. Speech is verbal karma, one of the three karmas: body, speech, and mind. Loving words are also the blessing of the speaker himself.

Buddhism is the way of filial piety. If one is not filial to one's parents, then one should not talk about studying Buddhism. Everyone in the world knows how to be filial to one's parents, but it is not easy to do so. Sometimes, due to favorable or unfavorable circumstances, one becomes unfilial. Being filial to one's parents and serving one's parents is a great blessing, because parents are often compared to the first two Buddhas in the home. Filial piety is not only about providing material things but also about caring for spiritual life, creating conditions for parents to come into contact with religion, doing good deeds, going on pilgrimages... Understanding and being filial to parents is a blessing.

Loving your family is natural, taking care of both material and spiritual things, of course, the care also depends on your blessings and abilities and those of your family members. If you are too unlucky, it will be difficult to take care of and love completely.

Professions to make a living and support your family, many people, due to bad karma, have to do jobs such as: butchering, silversmithing, prostitution, alcohol, weapons, drug trafficking... Although they earn money, they are evil jobs, completely unsuitable for conscience and religion. Practicing a suitable profession is related to the previous saying "If you study, you will have a good profession". To have a suitable profession, you must study, no Buddha or saint can give it to you, you must study, you must do it yourself, save yourself and then save others. A suitable job also depends on intelligence, ability, health, living environment, living circumstances... A suitable job is a blessing and only with blessings can one have a suitable job.

Almsgiving is the first of the six paramitas, almsgiving includes giving of wealth, giving of Dharma, giving of fearlessness, giving of letting go to overcome greed, attachment... A novice Buddhist cannot do giving of Dharma or giving of fearlessness, but must also know how to give of wealth. Giving alms to help others, to help life is also helping oneself, creating provisions for the future. Living upright means living in a righteous, decent, and honest way. Living uprightly as a Buddhist, one must know how to take refuge and respect the Three Jewels... Behaving without mistakes depends on one's ability and competence. Living in this world cannot be without mistakes. The important thing is to minimize mistakes. When you make mistakes, you must know how to admit and correct them. People who behave without mistakes have already become saints. We, novice Buddhists, must know what mistakes are and what is good. When we make mistakes, we must repent and correct them.

Humility and courtesy is a way of life, a moral character of a person. Everyone in the world loves an attitude of humility and courtesy. There is a proverb: "The more full the grain of rice, the lower you bow." People in the world know how to be humble and polite, how can Buddhists not know? Buddhists must be even more humble and polite to learn, to cultivate themselves and accumulate virtues, to create harmony... After all, our body is just a false combination of the four elements and five aggregates, there is nothing to be proud of; a stinking skin bag with a fragile life between two inhales and exhales, if not humble and polite, is truly ignorance; on the other hand, arrogance, pride, and ambition... are afflictions, the more humble we are, the better it is for ourselves, it is our own merit.

Contentment is also a method to create peace for ourselves. Confucianists say: "Content is convenient when satisfied, when satisfied when satisfied". We are Buddhists, knowing enough means being happy, being content with what we have means reducing our greed. Knowing enough means living in harmony with everyone, with the surrounding environment. Being grateful is so obvious that there is no need to say more, as a human being we must be grateful. Buddhism has four great favors: the favor of Buddha who opened the path to enlightenment and liberation, the favor of teachers and ancestors who preserve and transmit the Dharma, guide Buddhists and everyone; the favor of parents who gave birth and raised them; the favor of the country that sheltered them; the favor of donors and believers who coexisted and interacted with each other... This world is a world of reciprocity, mutual existence, this exists, that exists, this dies, that dies. We live in that world, coexist with each other, interact with each other, and support each other, so being grateful is natural, it is human morality.

Life is short, life is fragile, the world is impermanent... Learning the Dharma is very important, learning the Dharma so that in the next life we can have a human body, or be born in heaven, or be liberated. Making money is important but only for one life, learning the Dharma is not only for this life but also for many future lives. Occasions to learn the Dharma such as: when there is a Dharma assembly, listening to the sutras, reciting sutras, reciting mantras, meditating, reading Dharma books, giving lectures... Knowing how to persevere in repenting from evil deeds Being close to the monastic community Participating in Dharma discussions and learning is the greatest blessing Worldly people, because of their ego and self, are very stubborn and even stubborn. It is not easy to repent from evil deeds. The bigger the ego, the harder it is to repent from evil deeds and to let go. Buddhists who study Buddhism must repent from evil deeds, must know how to follow the right path, and be a little more diligent in doing good deeds and repenting from evil deeds. The good deeds in Buddhism are broader and deeper than the good deeds in the world. Keeping the precepts is good, studying and practicing is good, living a righteous life is good, speaking loving words is good, speaking righteously is good, generally following the spirit of the Noble Eightfold Path is good. Anything that benefits people and things is good.

People often have the habit of: "Seeing rich people and trying to be related to them", like to be close to and get to know rich people, people with status, famous people... We Buddhists do not need, what we need is to be close to teachers as good friends, close to the monastic community because they are the “most respected community”. Be close to learn the teachings, to receive advice and encouragement, be close to make offerings, be close to incense and you will surely be fragrant. Monks are the most noble people in this world. Monks teach sutras and preach the Dharma on behalf of the Buddha, Dharma discussions are extremely precious opportunities to study, practice, resolve doubts, and dispel ignorance for novice Buddhists. Dharma meetings will sow the seeds of wisdom, compassion, and liberation in the storehouse consciousness. If you cannot achieve it in this life, there will be a future life when the conditions are ripe and the other seeds are activated.

Living mindfully or in other words, living in diligence and mindfulness, diligence in simple terms means being diligent, diligent in studying, worshiping, and making progress on the path of the Dharma. Living fully mindfully in every present moment, knowing what you are doing. Doing everything with the compass of the Noble Eightfold Path. Living in true knowledge, thinking correctly, speaking correctly, creating correct karma... Realizing nirvana is probably reserved for superior people, those with superior faculties and intelligence, and outstanding practitioners... Realizing nirvana is probably not something that lay Buddhists dare to talk about, but learning the truth is possible. That truth is: From the Noble Truth, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, the Thirty-Seven Factors of Enlightenment... The ultimate goal and the ultimate truth is enlightenment and liberation. In the human world, the mind is not polluted at all. The end of afflictions and peace is the greatest blessing. Life has many aspects, afflictions are also many colors. Beginner Buddhists cannot completely eliminate afflictions, but they must reduce them as much as possible. The more afflictions are reduced, the more the mind is peaceful and pure. If the mind is not polluted, then one must be a saint. Beginner Buddhists cannot do that yet. Our minds are still heavily polluted, polluted by wealth, beauty, fame, food, sleep; polluted by greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, doubt, wrong views; polluted by the six senses clinging to the six sense objects. There are too many pollutants, so we suffer and struggle in the six paths. That is why the Buddha appeared in this world to open the path to liberation, and that is why we learn Buddhism and practice Buddhism in order to purify the mind of pollution. The mind is the master, the creator. Living in this world, our mind cannot be free of pollution. We just have to reduce it. Today is better than yesterday, tomorrow is better than today, and the next life is higher than the previous life. If all afflictions are gone and there is no more pollution, then we have already attained the fruit. Whoever can live like that is safe wherever they go, strong wherever they go, and the merits and virtues of the self. Living according to the sutras means living in accordance with the principles and the Dharma, living in mindfulness and responsibility, controlling the six senses, living diligently... taking the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path as the guiding principles. Here, the sentence "Blessings and virtues of oneself" is worth noting. If we live according to this sutra, we will have blessings and virtues ourselves, and we will create them ourselves. Blessings and virtues are all created by ourselves. Buddha does not bestow blessings or bring misfortune, no one can bestow blessings or bring misfortune. Buddha is the spiritual teacher, the root teacher, the fundamental teacher (master), the one who guides and shows the way. We must commit ourselves, we must go on our own.