MANGALA
SUTTA VANANA
23. Nivato ca
To Be Humble Is Most Blissful
People must be as humble as possible showing no pride.
The fact that we encounter a number of blessings which deal with non-pride,
should make us realise how important humility is for the successful practice
of the Dhamma. The person ‘who knows all’ or has his own theories about
the Dhamma, does not have humility. Because of this he can never be trained
under a good Teacher. The Commentary gives the right attitude to have:
‘be as humble as a carpet that is always trodden upon, or like a cow with
broken horn or like a snake without any fangs.’ The wise person tries to
make ‘displays’ of self less and less evident. He does not advertise himself,
he is not exuberant in body or speech but instead is restrained. Therefore
to be humble is bliss.
24. Santutthi ca
To Be Contented Is Most Blissful
To be without craving is to be contented. The man who is never contented with what he has but is always striving for more, will never be always happy. Contentment implies the acceptance of conditions and situations as they arise, with equanimity and without grumbling. This is a much needed quality in those parts of the world and among those families where there is affluence, Contentment spells peace of mind for the person who has it, craving more and more spells out the opposite. Lay people must make effort to obtain what is necessary for a happy life without poverty and starvation.
Everyone has to decide for themselves whether possessions
will bring more happiness or more trouble. Being able to know this clearly
is an aspect of wisdom.
25. Katannuta
To Be Grateful Is Most Blissful
People must always be grateful. The Lord Buddha is always full of praise for gratitude. Persons who are always ready to help are rarely found in this world; but rarer still are those who remember and are grateful to those who have helped them. If we are grateful we are sure to be happy.
Without this quality, a person forgets his parents, relatives,
friends, teachers and those who teach him the Dhamma. He turns his back
on them just when they could be helped by him or when they are in need
of aid. A selfish person seems
to try to isolate himself.
On the other hand, the grateful person makes for harmony
and peace. He will always be remembered and loved.
26. Kalsna Dhammasavanam
To Listen And Hear The Dhamma At Such Times As In Order To Check Our Thoughts Is Most Blissful.
When one’s mind becomes lustful and full of passion, we must always listen to the Dhamma in order to subdue our thoughts of lust and anger. Hearing of the Dhamma should be opportune and well timed. It will be more profitable if hearing of the Dhamma is regularly attended to when one still possesses a healthy body and mind. Some of the excellent general occasions for the hearing of the Teachings are:
i) on sacred days such as Full Moon days or during Buddhist festivals
ii) when disease and suffering make one thoughtful enough to want to understand the Truth of Sufferings
iii) when the mind is specially inclined towards the Teachings
iv) when evil thoughts have invaded the mind but have not yet fully taken possession of it.
v) through reading of Dhamma books. During the time of the Buddha, knowledge was gained only through hearing but now it is more through reading of books.
vi) at the time of approaching death, when concentration of the mind can condition a happy rebirth or may even help to attain one of the Paths.
Timely hearing of the Dhamma is a great blessing since
with such a store of Dhamma knowledge, one can apply it to one’s life for
one’s own benefit and the happiness of others. A great blessing!
27. Khanti ca
To Observe Patience Is Most Blissful
Patience is an important virtue which includes forbearance, forgiveness and tolerance. One should possess a serene attitude towards stresses and tension within oneself and outside. One should be able to accept with equanimity the flow of events maintaining the peace and serenity within oneself, not letting upsetting situations and disturbing events to become heated. The mind should be cool, clean and calm.
Patience is one of the Paramitas (Perfections) which one
who aspires to Enlightenment must perfect to a far greater degree than
just not being impatient or impetuous. Even if our patience is not tried
by extreme events of others still we have to encounter heat and cold, hunger
and thirst, and also being patient with time itself. Patience is the foundation
of Metta (loving-kindness). It is reckoned as a great power and the strength
of those who have patience is often praised in Buddhist writings.
28. Sovacassata
To Observe Obedience Is Most Blissful
People should be obedient to their elders and should listen
to them and follow their advice. One should also be tolerant of criticism
and be courteous and have gratitude when accepting advice. A person who
is meed when corrected has the chance to learn the Dhamma. People having
no obedience are difficult to train and others may find them hard to get
along with. One should examine oneself to find out whether one has the
blessing of being meek when corrected or not. Obviously a gentle person
will only need to be told to do a thing gently, unlike an obstinate one
who only responds to harsh treatment. He responses instantly to good advice
and possesses good manners and speech.
29. Samananan ca Dasanam
To Be Pleased With The Sight Of Bhikkhus Is Most Blissful
According to some astrologers, it is unlucky to meet Bhikkhus. This is quite wrong, because if you meet Bhikkhus, you will be blessed and you can get merits, so that for many thousand lives, you will be free from eye diseases. You will also enjoy blessings. If animals see the Lord Buddha and feel happy, they will get bliss and after death such animals get rebirth in the human world or become saints.
‘Seeing’ is generally performed with the desire to pay rspects to them, and so we must:
a) have a desire to meet holy persons, particularly the monks and nuns following the Teachings of the Buddha.
b) make genuine efforts to visit them at their monasteries or making use of any opportunity available to pay one’s respects to them such as when they are on their rounds for alms-food or during their visits to friends and relatives, or when one is able to receive them reverently in one’s house.
c) derive inspiration from their company.
There is no better company than holy persons whose very
presence spreads a purifying aura and inspires a constructive approach
to one’s problems. Such company is an antidote to evil ways of life besides
leading one to discover for oneself spiritual treasure in due course.
30. Kalena Dhammasakaccha
To Be Engaged In Religious Discussions When One Requires Checking One’s Thoughts Is Most Blissful
When we are in doubt, we should go to a Bhikkhu or a wise man to ask questions on the Dhamma. If you get knowledge in this way, then this is bliss. As the Dhamma is a profound subject, it needs sincere effort to understand it properly and grasp it for practical use in life. This can be made easier through discussions with others who have a thorough knowledge of the theory and practice of the Dhamma.
Dhamma discussions should be well timed. Discussions with
intelligent, wise and experienced people should not be missed even though
it means personal inconvenience. It is particularly right to discuss the
Dhamma when one’s mind is troubled either by defilements of the mind or
when facing family problems, or in any kind of relationship.
31. Tapo ca
To Try And Arrest Passion Is Most Blissful
Subdue craving and ignorance. Conquer laziness by energetic
ways. By this way, we can arrest passion and be blissful. The Buddha taught
‘self control’ with regard to the restrain of one’s passion. When passion
is restrained then unwholesome mental states such as covetousness and grief
will have no chance to appear. The Buddha encouraged the use of vigorous
efforts to ‘burn up’ the defilements.
32. Brahmacariyan ca
To Practise’Brammacariya’ Is Most Blissful
The word ‘Brammacariya’ while including all aspects of Dhamma practice in its scope emphasises moral purity. Through the study and practice of the Dhamma, one attains self-control and an important part of this is sex control.
Sensual desire generally is a cause of many lives and
much suffering. As sexual desire is a concentrated form of sensuality and
so the cause of much trouble, the Buddha has shown how it can be
checked first by precepts (Sila) and then through meditation. For the lay
followers, sex is limited to that allowed in the third of the Five Precepts,
while for bhikkhus complete sexual abstinence is necessary. Bhikkhus are
bound to practise it strictly and even lay-followers may undertake the
precept of sexual abstinence if they wish, especially on Uposatha days.
33. Ariyasaccana Dassanam
To Realise The Four Noble Truths Is Most Blissful
When we understand and fully realise the Four Noble Truths we are on the right path to Nibbana and that is surely most blissful. The Four Noble Truths constitutes the central pillar of the Buddha’s Dhamma. All other Buddhist doctrines provide a background to, or are an elaboration on them.
They are the briefest factual description of experience during life.
The Truths are:
i) all forms of existence are subject to sufferings
ii) craving (tanha) is the cause of sufferings
iii) the cessation of sufferings
iv) the path leading to the cessation of sufferings is
the Eightfold Path
34. Nibbana Sacchikiriya ca
To Attain Nibbana Is Most Blissful
The person who attains Ni6bana is freed of the fetters
that bind him to the round of rebirths. Therefore he is free from all worldly
attachments such as birth, death, sorrow, decay, anger, craving and ignorance.
Nibbana is the Final Goal. It is the blessed state of perfect freedom from
the vicissitudes of existence. In Nibbana, all desires are extinguished
and all clinging are nullified. It is supermundane and is beyond
the power of language to describe, even the Buddha did
not describe nor define Nibbana except by using negations. The attainment
of Nibbana is the most excellent achievement needing a strong determination
backed by strenuous endeavours in the right way.
35. Putthassa Loka-dhammehi Cittam
Yassa na Kampati
To Be Well Balanced In the Attha-Loka Dhamma Is Most BlissfuI
The Attha-Loka Dhamma means the law of worldly changes. He who practises ‘Upekkha’ i.e. equanimity, remains unchanged and uninfluenced in the observances of his mental equilibrium in respect of all matters whether worldly or supramundane; and so is therefore most blissful. There are eight worldly conditions namely: i) gain ii) loss; iii) fame; iv) ill-fame; v) praise; vi) blame; vii) happiness and viii) sufferings.
Ordinary people cling to the pleasant halves of these
pairs and reject the other unpleasant halves. The Noble Ones are not shaken
by either of the halves, so we should try to develop more equanimity towards
gains and loss in the same manner.
36. Asokam
Not To Feel Sorrow Is Most Blissful
Ignorance is the cause of sorrow. If we understand the
cause of sorrow i.e. desire, attachment, craving, temptation or love that
accompanies passion and gives rise to rebirth, we can realise that to completely
root out the above causes
of sorrow is the final removal of sorrow itself.
37. Virayam
Not To Be Addicted To Lust And Passion Is Most Blissful
Lust and passion are two of the main fetters that bind
us to the ocean of Samsara. If we are still addicted to lust and passion,
then it is impossible for us to be free from sorrow. Therefore not to be
addicted to lust and passion is most blissful.
38. Khemam
To Be Calm And Quiet In Everything Is Most Blissful
He who maintains equal balance of thoughts in respect of what he does or experiences without being even slightly moved and is always calm and quiet, is most blissful. The mind of such a person is unique; free from disturbance, purified of passion and finished with sensuality. It is calm and serene, without the storms of desires and the waves of worries. He stands firmly, witnessing but untouched by the changing and sorrowful drama of life going on all round him.
The one who practises the above-mentioned blessings fearlessly
at every stage, will never be beaten. Such a person will everywhere gain
everything good and virtuous and thus become the gainer of the blessings
of the highest esteem.
Mangala Sutta Vannana
Ewam me sutam ekam samayam bhagawa Sawatthiyam viharati Jetawane Anathapindikassa arame.
Atha-kho annatara dewata abhikkantaya rattiya abhikkanta-vanna kewala kappam Jetawanam obhasetva yena bhagava tenupasankami.
Upasankamitva bhagawantam abhivadetva ekamantam atthasi.
Ekamantam thita kho sa devata bhagavantam
gathaya ajjhabhasi.
1. Bahu dewa manussa ca,
Mangalani acintayum;
Akankha-mana sotthanam,
Bruhi mangala muttamam.
2. Asewana ca balanam
Panditanam ca sewana
Puja ca puja-niyanam
Etam mangala muttamam.
3. Patirupa desa waso ca,
Pubbe ca kata-punnata
Atta samma panidhi ca,
Etam mangala muttamam.
4. Bahu-saccanca sippanca,
Vinayo ca susikkhito,
Subhasita ca yavaca,
Etam mangala muttamam.
5. Mata-pitu upatthanam
Putta-darassa sangaho;
Anakula ca kammanta,
Etam mangala muttamam.
6. Danam ca dhamma-cariya ca,
Natakananca sangaho;
Anawajjani kammani,
Etam mangala muttamam.
7. Arati wirati papa,
Majja-pana ca sannamo;
Appa-mado ca dhammesu
Etam mangala muttamam.
8. Garawo ca niwato ca,
Santu t thi ca katannuta
Kalena dhamma sawanam
Etam mangala muttamam.
9. Khanti ca sowacassata,
Samanananca dassanam
Kalena dhamma sakaccha,
Etam mangala muttamam.
10. Tap o ca brahma cariyanca,
Ariya saccana dassanam;
Nibbana sacchi kiriyaca,
Etam mangala muttamam.
11. Putthassa loka dhammehi
Cittam yassa na kampati
Asokam wirajam khemam
Etam mangala muttamam.
12. Eta-disani katvana
Sabbattha maparajita
Sabbattha sotthim gacchanti
Tam tesam mangala-muttamam.
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