The Buddhist lay women and men clad in grey robes while reciting the Amitabha sutra. According to Buddhist thought, the recitation of Buddhist texts is an important means to earn spiritual merit.. Spiritual merit (Skt "punya", Vietn. "Cong Duc") can be gained by way of good deeds such as donating alms, reading Buddhist texts, reciting names of specific Buddhas, honouring Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, contributing to the building of a temple or to the publication of a Buddhist book, donating to monks and nuns and many other ways. Accumulating merit is thought of as a necessary preliminary step to a brighter future in this life and a better rebirth in the next life.