Danan ca dhammacariyi ca
Natakanan ca sangaho
Anavajjani kammani
Etam mangalamuttamam.
Generosity, Practise the Dhamma,
The helping of relatives,
And blameless actions,
This is the Highest Blessing.
The first blessing means giving (dana) i.e., generosity, liberality, charity or donation. Generosity can be in the form of giving material items and in sharing the Dhamrna.
Everyone who comes into this world wants to become a perfect person; this is their aim. If you are perfect, you should help your relatives and friends to become perfect, and then perfect the entire world. The Buddha achieved perfection as a human being by completing the ten kinds of perfections (parami). He strove to perfect himself, to perfect his relatives and friends, and to perfect all human beings. Perfection here means the quality of the mind. The first of the ten perfections is the perfection of generosity (dana parami). It is a quality of the mind which you can attain in this very life by donating and giving.
In the Mangala Sutta the Buddha taught that generosity is a blessing because it confers upon the giver a double blessing. Generosity inhibits the immoral thoughts of selfishness on one hand, while developing pure thoughts of unselfishness (selflessness) on the other.
For example, suppose you own many things such as a cassette player, television, radio, food, books, etc. If you were stingy or greedy, you would hoard everything. So it was not eaten or used by anyone else. This is the thought of selfishness. When you can never tolerate others using your property, this is selfishness. As you see, thoughts of selfishness are very bad. Generosity by means of sharing your property with others and giving is the manifestation of non-greed and non-selfishness. So the Buddha taught and emphasized the need for this unselfish spirit in the world.
Some millionaires bide behind their closed gates. They keep their money to themselves and do not want to share anything with other people. Today, many people throughout the world are hungry and thirsty. Others have lost all of their property and suffered from natural disasters like storms, earthquakes and wildfires. Every millionaire should share their property with poor, hungry and deprived people. Generosity is greatly needed in all facets of the world today.
The objective in giving is to eliminate the craving that lies dormant within oneself. It is this greedy craving that is the original cause of the immoral thought of selfishness. We should expel the craving that always lies dormant in our heart by making donations, sharing our possessions with others, and not being stingy or greedy. But in order to completely eradicate this craving at the root, we need to practise Vipassana meditation. Rare are those in the world who are free from craving.
Happiness, consolation and the alleviation of suffering are the good results that ensue from the blessing of generosity and joy of service. For example, if you donate money, clothing, material things, service, etc., to your teacher, later you will feel happiness and joy in your heart whenever you remember that you donated your things to your teacher. However, some people are unable to make donations because they have neither property nor money to give others. Instead, they may physically serve with activities in some type of service. For example, if you cannot share your material or money with the victims of a storm, you should go their and give your service as a donation for the suffering people.
You can alleviate your suffering in the countless number of future lives until Nibbana by making donations because it is for your good kamma (action). Accumulate wholesome states now. Later, you will receive the good effect. We should exercise this virtue of generosity to extend such qualities of spirit that are neither selfish nor self-possessive. It is from the evil spirit of this "me, my, mine" that selfishness later arises. We can eradicate and eliminate these two kinds of bad spirit, selfishness and self possessiveness, by donations, charity and generosity.
One of the most important teachings is the Law of Kamma, or the Law of Cause and Effect. Every action, whether mental, physical or verbal, brings a certain result. Whenever our acts are motivated by greed (lobha), hatred (dosa) or delusion (moha), then bad results like misery, sorrow and suffering come to us. When our actions are motivated by generosity, loving-kindness and wisdom, then good results like happiness and peace come back to us. Kamma is our only true property, it will follow us in this life and our future lives.
If something bad happens to you, it is because of your past kamma, not necessarily your immediate past but successive past lives. Sometimes we have good actions, purified without hatred, greed and delusion, but these actions are not associated with love, compassion and wisdom. In this case it is not enough for the good result to come to us, because just like a seed of corn or wheat if we do not have soil and water, it will never grow. We need at least three conditions - seed, soil and water.
Just as the seed needs the three conditions, we need volition (cetana), wisdom (panna) and effort (viriya). Sometimes people have a very good heart but lack effort and wisdom, so it is necessary to use our good heart with industrious energy, energetic will and very sharp wisdom. Cetana is like the seed, viriya is like the water, and panna is like the soil. Our seed of cetana must grow in the soil of wisdom, and we must pour our effort of water. Good Kamma is not enough; we need all three conditions.
If we integrate understanding of the Law of Cause and Effect into our lives, we can begin more consciously to cultivate and develop a wholesome state of mind. The Buddha often stressed the importance of generosity because giving is the expression in action of non-greed in the mind. The whole spiritual path involves letting go, not grasping and not clinging. When we are attached to our property, we cannot give it to others. So generosity is the manifestation of non-greed and non-attachment.
The second blessing isto practice(cariya) the Dhamma. There are ten kinds of Dhamma (dasakusala kammapattha) which we need to follow and practise:
Throughout the Mangala Sutta you have learned about the first five Dhammas, so it is not necessary to go further into detail. Pattidina, the sixth Dhamma, means that we should share our good merit and wholesome states (which include our good actions, morality, donations, meditation, etc.) with others. In Sagaing Hills, Myanmar, I built a hospital, a water donation project, a university, and have written and published many books. This is my generosity which I share with you and I transfer this merit to you. When you hear about my good endeavour for social welfare and you feel joyous in your heart, at that time you can receive merit as well as I can, because you rejoice in my merit (pattanumodana).
Even further, let us say that you have a lighted candle. Then, over one hundred people come with a candle to you. They touch and transfer the light from your candle to theirs. Then, everywhere, the light increases from the hundred candles. Just like the transferring of light of one candle to another, we need to transfer our merit to others. This is the Buddhist spirit. Rejoicing in others' merits means that when you transfer your merit to someone, they should rejoice. Teaching the Dhamma and learning the Dhamma, are the eighth and ninth Dhamma. On every available opportunity you should hear, learn and accumulate knowledge in Dhamma.
The tenth Dhamma is straightening the view, which means right thought and right understanding. If we accept the theory of the Law of Kamma, our view will be straight. We depend upon ourselves; we create our life by ourselves through our cetana, viriya and panna. These three things are our creator. This is straightening the view.
The third blessing is support (sangaho) of our relatives (natakanam), including friends. According to theSingalovada Sutta, you should minister to and help your relations and friends in five ways:
When you treat your friends, relations and associates in such a way, they will look after you in return in five ways. They will:
The fourth blessing is blameless (anavajjani) actions (kammani).
If you commit one of the ten kinds of evil actions, people will always accuse and abuse you.
To sum up the four blessings taught in this stanza: generosity, practise the Dhamma, the helping of relatives and blameless actions, this is the highest blessing (etam mangalamuttamam).
Arati virati papa
Majjapana ca samyamo
Appamamdo ca dhammesu,
Etam mangalamuttamam.
To cease and abstain from evil,
Forbearance with respect
to intoxicants,
And steadfastness in virtue,
This is the Highest Blessing.
In the commentary shrinking (arati) and abstinence (virati) from evil (papa) is the first blessing in this stanza; however, to cease and abstain from evil is the modern translation.
Arati papa means to abstain from evil in the mind. We must eradicate all defilements (greed - lobba, hatred - dosa, delusion - moha) which are rooted in our minds. Of the ten kinds of evil, the last three ill will, covetousness and wrong view - are mental evil actions.
The first mental evil, ill will, refers to the hatred some people feel in their mind toward others. It is because of this ill will that people seek revenge against each other. This is not proper behaviour for a good-hearted person.
The second mental evil, covetousness, is rooted in greed. If you receive a work salary of $1,000 per month, you should accept and be satisfied with this money. But if you are greedy, you will desire much more than you should possess, which will lead to further desires for material items like cars, boats, jewels, etc. This is not proper behavior for any living being.
The third mental evil is wrong view. According to the Law of Kamma, every action produces an effect; good actions will produce good results, likewise for bad actions. When we accept this law, we will have right view or right understanding.
Virati papa means to abstain from physical and verbal evil. The three physical evil actions from which we should abstain are: killing, which is rooted in hatred; stealing and sexual misconduct, both are rooted in greed. The four verbal evil actions which we should abstain from are telling lies, frivolous speech, harsh language and vain talk. These are rooted in greed, hatred and delusion.
Since the past is gone, we should abstain from evil in the present and future. If we can eradicate the root of our defilements, this is the highest form of abstaining from evil things for both the present and future. In the Abhidhamma we can analyze three kinds of abstinence (virati):
sampatta-virati, samadana-virati and samuccheda-virati.
Sampatta-virati means to abstain from evil as the occasion arises considering one's birth, age, education, etc. Previously, you may not have undertaken the precepts; however, when the occasion arises, you can abstain from evil on the spot by considering your age, education, nationality or relation to famous parents or teacher. For example, if a mosquito is biting some part of your body, you want to hit it so it will stop biting. Instead, you leave it alone realizing, "1 am an educated person and I should not kill or destroy this insect because this mosquito like all beings wants to live a long life, without disturbances by any other being. Therefore, I should not kill any living being." Even though you have not undertaken any precepts, it is at this very moment that you refrain from killing the mosquito. This is one kind of abstinence. Many people never undertake the precepts, yet they are able to abstain from committing evil on every occasion as it may arise because of their good morality or ethical conduct. This behaviour is very important.
Samadana-virati means abstaining from evil according to one's observance. In meditation class you undertake the five precepts, Buddhist nuns take 10 precepts and monks take 227 precepts. Using the previous example, if you abstained from killing the mosquito on the spot as the occasion arose because you had previously undertaken the precept, to abstain from killing any living being, this too is one kind of abstinence.
Samuccheda-virati means abstinence of noble disciples by completely eradicating the roots of evil. An arahant has eradicated evil things without exception; therefore, it is not necessary to undertake the precepts.
The second blessing in this stanza is forbearance (samyamo) from intoxicating drinks (majjapanam).
The Buddha taught the son of Singala, in the Singalovada Sutta, six evil consequences of indulgence if one consumes intoxicating drinks and drugs. They are:
One who indulges in intoxicants will become inebriated and negligent in every activity of their life because the mind becomes dull without intellect, knowledge or wisdom. Consequently, the intoxicant will take over the mind causing the worst disease, addiction. People then blame intoxicants for causing any kind of evil action or disturbance which they commit.
Out of ignorance people use intoxicants before sitting meditation. They believe it will enhance their concentration when the opposite is the case. They will never attain concentration or wisdom. Therefore, it is easy to understand why we should abstain from such intoxicating drinks and drugs.
In the third blessing, steadfastness (appamado) in virtue (dhammesu) is here translated as mindfulness in Dhamma. Mindfulness is very important. We need it in every aspect of our everyday life, just as we use salt in every kind of curry dish that we prepare.
Without mindfulness you will forget everything about the Mangala Sutta and you will lose valuable properties and guidance in your life. If you can memorise these blessings in your heart, you will have many valuable treasures because these teachings will follow you to Nibbana. With mindfulness and right understanding you can store these teachings in your heart and use them at any time as guidance in your life. So do not forget the Dhamma and these teachings; if you do, you will lose your guide in life.
Appamada and sati are Pali translations that literally mean mindfulness, awareness and heedfulness. A very famous teaching that the Buddha expounded on meditation is called the Sattipatthana Sutta, which means the foundation of mindfulness, in brief, it teaches that we should be mindful in every bodily action, feelings, mental states and mental objects. These are the four foundations of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a mental discipline needed to establish concentration and knowledge and to construct vast wisdom. When we train in the three kinds of mental discipline with mindfulness, we will be able to abstain from evil. Mindfulness is the foundation of Dhamma and it is very essential to gain the Dhamma.
The Buddha taught a beautiful verse (Dhammapada, verse 21) on mindfulness:
Appamado amatapadam,
Pamado maccuno padam,
Appamatta na miyanti,
Ye pamatta yatha mata.
Mindfulness is the way
to the Deathless (Nibbana);
Unmindfulness is the way to Death.
Those who are mindful do not die;
Those who are not mindful
are as if already dead.
In this beautiful stanza death does not mean the death of life, rather it is the death of Dhamrna. If you lack mindfulness, you will not have morality, concentration and wisdom, and you will be dead in Dhamma. We need a foundation of mindfulness to construct our house of Dhamma.
To sum up the three blessings taught in this stanza: to cease and abstain from evil, forbearance with respect to intoxicants, and steadfastness in virtue, this is the highest blessing (etam mangalamuttamam ).
Garavo ca nivato ca
Santutthi ca katannuta
Kalena dhammasavanam.
Etam rnangalamuttamam.
Reverence, Humility,
Contentment, Gratitude,
And to hear Dhamma
at an appropriate time,
This is the Highest Blessing.
The first blessing is respect (garavo) or reverence for those who are worthy of respect. Respectfulness is the expression or manifestation of a good heart, a cultured heart and a gentle heart. You should show the expression of your good heart by paying respect to worthy people regardless of age, sex, religion, race or nationality.
Those who have the good qualities of morality, concentration and wisdom are worthy of respect. You should pay respect to people such as your parents, grandparents and teachers. They are your benefactors and they provide guidance for your life.
According to the Buddhas teaching, it is especially beneficial to pay respect to enlightened persons. A samana is one who is trying to calm down their defilements. We should pay respect to those who uphold the teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha are most worthy of respect. Even when you go to a church, you should respect the Christian clergyman because they have good qualities. They lead the life of the Christian community, and they teach us how to tame and culture the mind. Therefore, you should pay respect to your religious teachers because they are the benefactors of your life and of the world.
Our mother, father, grandparents, teachers, elders, those with higher qualities and those of a higher age are respectable persons regardless of religion, race or nationality. When you pay respect to these people, they will feel satisfied and happy because you are good hearted and pay reverence to others. Thus, you will receive blessings from other people.
The second blessing is humility (nivato) in our manners by being gentle, genial and easy to talk to. A humble person is without pride, conceit and arrogance. For example, it is because of pride that a poisonous snake uses its sharp and poisonous fangs to fight other beings. So we must put away our pride and act like a snake with extracted fangs.
Sometimes buffaloes will fight and clash their horns against others. Those that have stubborn pride will always fight others. Even people with no education and with little money have pride. If one responded, "I am poor and uneducated but I do not care about anybody," this too is pride. When highly educated people who are proud of their education, wealth, etc., neglect to take care of people less fortunate for such a reason, this pride is especially undesirable. Two people may even be on the same level (both with doctorate degrees), but if they do not respect the other, it too is because of pride, just like clashing buffaloes. So we should destroy our pride, just like a buffalo with broken horns.
In this stanza the first two blessings are interdependent. If we can suppress these two interdependent defilements, hatred (dosa) and pride (mana), we will always have respect and humility. It is when we have much anger, hatred and pride in our mind that our heart becomes very hard and harsh. People may have pride because of a higher education, a higher rank in position, wealth or nationality. If they have such pride, they will feel pig-headed and will never bow to pay respect to other people.
When the British returned from the Falkland Islands after defeating the Argentine military, Margaret Thatcher honoured her army. In this ceremony she said that they were very proud to be British due to their race, country, victory and weapons. This type of pride is not good, because it causes a mass of enmity and conflict. Even today, from country to country, race to race, people are fighting due to these two defilements, which are internal enemies. When we reduce our hatred and pride, we will never harm other beings. So we should show the expression of our good heart, good intentions and polite manners by paying respect and showing our humility. This is a good quality for every human being.
The third blessing in this stanza is to be content (santutthi). In the Dhammacakkappavatana Sutta the Buddha expounded, 'Dissatisfaction is suffering.' Contentment and satisfaction have the same meaning, it means to lessen your greed. According to your energy and work, if you earn $1,000 per month, you should be content with that amount and not long for more money. If so, you will feel suffering because of your greed.
Suppose because of your hard work you receive a 747 jumbo jet. What would you do with this airplane and how would you fly it without an airport, pilot or staff? You got the airplane properly according to your work and ability, but this attainment is not proper for you. So, we must be content with proper things and not accept improper things. Contentment is very important for everyone. If we are contented we will then abandon any evil ideas, such as excessive wishes and desires.
The fourth blessing in this stanza is grateful bearing (katannuta) or gratitude to anyone that provides benefits to you. In this world the Buddha is the greatest person to have gratitude towards because he gave the best guidance. The Buddha showed every being the way to become noble, how to penetrate the Four Noble Truths, how to understand rightly and how to follow the Noble Path. We also need to be very grateful for the Dhamma and towards the Sangha.
We need to return our gratitude to anybody who makes benefits for us, especially our mother, father, grandparents and teachers because they are the highest benefactors of our lives. We should pay gratitude to our teachers in the following five ways:
1. Stand up upon their entrance to a room.
2. Attend them in service.
3. Have obedience to the teachings.
4. Approach them respectfully at least three times per day.
5. Learn your education and lessons with deep regard, care and respect.
The Buddha taught that there are two kinds of persons who are hard to find in the world: one who first does a favour and one who is grateful for the favour. It is very important to understand that the gratitude people give is very useful for us. Whether it is little (such as being given a cup of drinking water) or great, or done by whomever, we should be grateful for and not forget any guidance, advice, suggestions, teaching, support, etc., that we receive.
The fifth blessing is to hear the Dhamma (dhammasavanam) at an appropriate time (kalena). Any time can be appropriate for you to learn and hear the Dhamma because the Buddhas teaching are very flexible and comfortable. The Buddha never commanded; he only provided teachings, guidance and suggestions. It is our privilege to accept these suggestions and follow his guidance.
You can only learn and hear the Dhamma if you have the appropriate time each day. When you approach a teacher to hear the Dhamma in order to gain knowledge, to dispel any doubts and to ask questions, this is appropriate hearing of the Dhamma. Even when your consciousness is agitated or overcome by thoughts of sensual desire, ill will or cruelty, and you hear the Dhamma to remove these thoughts, this too is appropriate hearing of the Dhamma.
Learning the Dhamma has many good blessings. To your advantage you accumulated knowledge in this stanza by learning reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude and hearing the Dhamma. With these five blessings and the entire Mangala Sutta you accumulate good knowledge in your heart and mind. If you accept this idea or concept, you will accumulate good merit for the future. When you hear the Dhamma and wholeheartedly react, then you can abandon all taints and hindrances. It is very important to accumulate this knowledge and guidance for your life.
One who hears the Dhamma is very fortunate because this opportunity is very rare. Forests are everywhere but sandalwood (a sweet- smelling wood used for perfume) can not be found in every forest. It is very rare to find. Mountains may be everywhere, but they are made of mere stone (not jade or gems because they are very rare to find). So too the opportunity to hear the Dhamma is very rare. Understandable hearing of the Dhamma is a blessing because sometimes one hears and listens but does not understand.
To sum up the five blessings taught in this stanza: reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude, and to hear Dhamma at an appropriate time, this is the highest blessing (etam mangalamuttamam).
Khanti ca sovacassata
Samananan ca dassanam
Kleena dhammasakaccha,
Etam mangalamuttamam.
Patience, Easy to teach,
Sight of the Samana (recluses),
And discussion of Dhamma
at the appropriate time,
This is the Highest Blessing.
The first blessing is patience (khanti). The suppression, eradication and purification of anger is real patience. To become a completely patient person, we have to suppress anger on three levels:
Anger, hatred and aversion always lies latent in our heart and mind. Sometimes it is just like a burning fire and causes violence in the mind. This anger comes out through our mouth by bad speech, or we may verbally abuse others by treating them with harsh language, etc. Sometime this anger does not stop, at the mouth but continues to our bodily actions, and we may harm others. We must suppress our anger on the outward level: not to kill other beings, not to steal, not to harm, not to say abusive language, harsh language, unpleasant words, etc. If you can control your anger on an outward level or level of vision, you will become a good person.
We may speak very gently, be very honest and peaceful, but there may be too much anger in our heart and mind. By undertaking the precepts (five, eight, 10, or 227 for monks), we can suppress anger on an outward level. Yet this is patience. However, by the practice of concentration of the mind with mental discipline, we can control the violence of anger in the mind and heart. This is the second step
In the third step, we should practise insight meditation to eradicate the root of anger. Therefore, we should uproot the anger just like digging up and cutting the root of a tree. This is the highest level. Only at that time will we become completely patient because we will be without anger.
Metta is pure loving-kindness and compassion, never with anger, hatred or aversion towards any other being. People mostly understand that metta means love, but mere love is not enough. You should try hard to cultivate non-hatred towards any being. If we have even a minimal amount of anger, we cannot completely love or be agreeable with any other being. To be completely patient means being without any kind of anger.
We should be patient and agreeable with our environment not to complain about weather, food, accommodations, transportation or other social customs. In your home, office, social life and in any environment you should practise and follow this method to be patient. Sometimes we are very eager to watch television. However, if someone else wants silence, these two wishes are contradictory. So we must be agreeable with each other. In doing so we will attain satisfaction. Satisfaction is real happiness, and dissatisfaction is suffering. To be satisfied in every aspect or in every environment, we should be patient and suppress our anger so that it does not arise in our heart.
When you have patience, you will be able to endure abuse, such as abuse based on birth, name, race, age, work, craft, sickness, sex, defilements, or some other offense. When people mistreat you with abusive speech, you will be able to act as though you never heard or saw them, and remain impassive.
The second blessing is easy to teach (sovacassata). When you are spoken to in order to be taught or corrected and your mind does not stray from the topic (day-dream), you will be easy to teach. However, the ability to obtain advice and instruction with obedience, respect and humbleness in mind is of utmost importance.
Sometimes people are very difficult to teach. The teacher may want to teach one way, and they may want to learn another way. The teacher may want to teach at one time, and they may want to learn at another time. The teacher might explain about mangala according to the commentary, and they might want to listen to another method. In America, it is very difficult for students to obey this teaching and their teacher because the Asian culture is difficult for them to identify with.
In Asian countries, particularly Myanmar, most of the tradition and culture is based on religion. Previously, in this book you were taught how to support and minister to your mother and father in five ways. In Myanmar, most children, parents and grandparents live together without loneliness as a family unit until death. The parents depend upon their children. These children are easy to teach because they obey the good ways as were taught by the Buddha, their teachers and family, by supporting their family. To be satisfied, we should obey the good instructions and guidance given by others.
If you can suppress your anger and hatred from arising in a violent way on an outward level or level of thought, you will be patient and very easy to teach by your teacher. If you cannot be patient, you will be very difficult to teach. Dhamma is a measurement of what type of person you are. Now you can easily understand what type of person you are and whether or not you are easy to teach. Every good student or disciple must be patient and easy to teach.
The third blessing is seeing (dassanam) the monks (samana). One who has eradicated all kinds of defilements so that they have calm and peace in their heart without the violence of defilements, this person is called a samana. Someone who has suppressed and practised to calm his or her defilements and violence on the outward level, thought level and root level is a real samana.
When you visit the temple, you have this blessing because you see the samana. Approaching, seeing, aiding, recollecting and hearing those who have calmed their defilements, those who maintain virtue, cognizance and understanding, and those who possess supreme control and quiet, this is the highest blessing. Why is it that when you see the samana, it is a blessing?
For example, if we see a fire blazing violently and disorderly in the forest or city, at that time we feel heat in our heart. If we see the south or north pole, or a cold snowy mountain in Alaska, at that time we feel cold in our heart. These two sights are different. In one we feel hot and the other cold. On television we may see the facial appearance of a person with a gun. It is very ugly, fearful and dreadful because this person is preparing to kill someone. Therefore, we feel fearful. Sometimes we see a meditator sitting calmly, quietly, steadily, with his eyes closed practising deep mediation. At that time we feel calm. We compare the samana with the coolness of the snow and calmness of the meditator. If you practise to become calm in your heart and to eradicate your defilements, you too can become a samana.
Sight of the samana is the highest blessing only for the good-hearted person; for the bad-hearted person it is not a blessing. You can easily understand and know that when a person sees a monk, then shouts and cheats him, they cannot understand the way of the samana. Sometimes people saw the Buddha and just seeing him was very effective in their heart because they felt calm and peaceful. This is the highest blessing. Sometimes when people saw the Buddha, anger and hatred arose; for them there was no blessing. It is only for a good hearted person that seeing the samana is a blessing.
At one time I was crossing through a city called Nagapura, which is the capital city in Maharastra State in southern India. When I was walking through the street getting a cold drink, two ladies and gentlemen came running up to me quickly. They gave salutations and paid respect three times and asked in Pali, "Bhante, kacci khamaniyam." At the time of Buddha from the various directions, many monks, nuns, ladies and gentlemen came to see the Buddha and listen to the Dhamma. At that time Buddha greeted them "Kacci khamaniyam," or in English 'How are you?' I felt very satisfied because they used the Buddha's language.
The people greeting me had established a Buddhist center in their city and they warmly invited me to deliver the Dhamma. Of course, I accepted immediately. Nearly 200 people gathered together to listen to the Dhamma. I taught a summary of Buddhism - not to do any evil, to do all good, to purify one's mind - this is the teaching of the Buddha. This Dhamma teaching was a blessing for them because they had an appropriate time to listen to the Dhamma (kalena dhammasavanam) and an appropriate time to discuss the Dhamma (kalena dhammasakaccha). These Indian people received these two highest blessings because when they saw a samana or bhikkhu coming from somewhere, they thought we should go quickly and request him to teach the Dhamma; this is the highest blessing.
An appropriate time (kalena) to discuss the Dhamma (dhammasakaccha) is the fourth blessing in this stanza. An appropriate time is when cognizance is good or when you are able to discuss the Dhamma with someone who understands the Dhamma. It is very important to get a chance to discuss the Dhamma.
Sometimes you may want to discuss the Dhamma but only if you have a learned person for discussion. Discussion is really important because if you can discuss with your teacher or another learned person in Dhamma at that time, you will acquire some knowledge, which is a blessing for you. When you discuss the Mangala Sutta, especially with your teacher, you will accumulate much knowledge, and this is your highest blessing.
When we discuss Dhamma with someone, we must be patient, loving, compassionate and intellectual. If we do not have these good qualities when we have discussions, gradually we will argue and fight; later we will separate. Discussion and arguing are different. Arguing is based on dissatisfaction, and discussion is based on patience and wisdom. So when we discuss the Dhamma or religion with someone, we should first build a foundation to be patient, very patient. These mangalas are interdependent. If you follow these teachings and this guidance, blessings will follow you.
To sum up the four blessings taught in this stanza: patience, easy to teach, sight of the samana and discussion of the Dhamma, this is the highest blessing (etam mangalamuttamam).
Tapo ca brahmacariyan ca
Aryasaccana dassanam
Nibbana sacchikiriya ca,
Etam mangalamuttamam.
Self-control,
Exercise of Holy Practice,
Understanding of the
Four Noble Truths,
And the realization of Nibbana,
This is the Highest Blessing.
In the beginning of the Mangala Sutta we started with "not associating with fools," and gradually we have moved deeper and deeper through the blessings. The four blessings expounded by the Buddha in this stanza, ending with the realization of Nibbana, are the highest of the blessings.
The first blessing, self-control (tapo), is faculty-restraint by controlling our physical, verbal and menial actions. We should control our bodily and verbal actions by undertaking the precepts or morality. We should control our mental actions by establishing concentration. We should control, suppress and eliminate the root of defilements by the practice of insight meditation.
Evil and good, these two thoughts or actions are always fighting in our bodies. Sometimes we want to cultivate good spirit and qualities in our heart, body and mind. However, at that time, when evil things enter and fight, the good qualities may run away. With right effort we can establish good qualities by preventing evil things not yet arisen, eliminating evil things already arisen, cultivating good things not yet arisen, and developing good things already arisen. It is energetic will and right effort that we should use to fight, suppress and eliminate evil things from entering our heart, body and mind.
For example, in many countries there are rebellions. The government will use its military force to defeat the rebels that are destroying the villages. However,. when the military forces enter into the forest, these rebels run away. Just as military forces threaten the rebellions, we should threaten the rebels (greed, hatred and delusion) that lie latent in our mind. These rebels (evil defilements) are suppressed and driven out by morality, concentration and wisdom. This is self-control.
The second blessing in this stanza is practice of the holy life (brahmacariyam). It is the divine life because it is the life of noble conduct. Brahma means holy, noble or divine. Sometimes it also means holy person or holy ascetic. In the Tipitaka, commentators explain that brahmacariya is practice in three ways:
totally abstaining from sexual intercourse; practicing the four noble ways of loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita) and equanimity (uppekkha); and following the Eightfold Noble Path.
The way on which we should tread for liberation of our minds is the Eightfold Noble Path. In the Eightfold Noble Path, right speech, right action and right livelihood are included in the morality (sila) group. By observing morality and undertaking the precepts, we will acquire a lot of happiness. Right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration are included in the concentration (samadhi) group. While an outward level of control is good, it is most important to practise mental discipline to suppress mental violations. Once we attain complete concentration of the mind, we will acquire mental peace and real happiness of mind. We can cultivate and train our mind by the practice of concentration. Subsequently, our sense desire, ill will, stiffness, torpor, agitation, and irritation will subside. Non-violence in the mind is happiness. Right understanding and right thought are included in the wisdom (panna) group. When we practice these three training rules (sila, samadhi and panna), we are leading the holy life by ourselves.
The third blessing in this stanza is the realization (dassanam) of the noble (ariya) truths (sacca) or understanding the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are the essence of the Buddhas teachings. The Buddha states in his teachings, "In this very fathom-long body, along with its consciousness and perception, do I proclaim the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world." Here the term "world' means suffering. The Buddha himself discovered these Four Noble Truths by his own intuitive knowledge. The Buddha was not indebted to anyone for the knowledge of these truths. These truths always exist, but it is the Buddha who reveals them to the deluded world.
In brief, the Four Noble Truths are:
We should understand the First Noble Truth, Dukkha Sacca, as the "Noble Truth of Suffering'. Life, to one who sees deeply, is full of suffering. In the First Noble Truth, the Buddha taught about three kinds of suffering: ordinary suffering, suffering caused by change and suffering caused by conditioned states.
What is ordinary suffering? On the physical level; birth, decay, disease and death are four inevitable causes of suffering for every being subject to life. On the mental level: sorrow, lamentation, dejection, despair, association with hateful persons and unpleasant things, separation from beloved ones and pleasant things and not getting what one desires are forms of suffering, but they are a suffering which can be avoided by those who see things as they truly are.
The second kind of suffering is suffering caused by change. Nothing in life is permanent or everlasting. When we sit meditation, we examine this state of impermanence in our body. For example, a moment of happiness or a pleasant sensation is temporary, and when it inevitably changes, pain, suffering or unhappiness, may take its places
The third type of suffering is suffering caused by conditioned states. According to Buddhist philosophy, there is no self, no soul, no being nor individual "I". What we call a "being", or "individual," is only a label given to a combination of ever-changing physical and mental forces which are conditioned by and completely interdependent upon one another. These aspects are divided into five groups or aggregates: materialities, sensations (feeling), perceptions, menial formations and consciousness. The very conditioned-ness of all things, including our "selves" is at the deep root of suffering.
The Second Noble Truth, Samudaya Sacca, is the "Noble Truth of the Cause or Origin of Suffering". It is the craving which produces rebirth, accompanied by passion and attachment, delighting now here, now there. It is the thirst-craving for sensual pleasure, existence and non existence. This craving is a powerful mental force latent in all of us. It manifests itself in various ways, and it gives rise to all forms of suffering. The Buddha taught deeply and precisely that the root of all suffering is greed (lobha), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha). Besides greed, hatred and delusion every defilement, including attachment to sensual pleasures, ideas, beliefs, etc., jealousy, pride and wrong-view, is the cause of suffering, too.
The Buddha said, "The world always lacks and hungers and is never satisfied, and the world is enslaved to thirst." So, everyone should realize that all the evils and troubles in the world, whether small quarrels to great wars are produced by selfish desire. This craving, desire or thirst, which is gross or subtle, leads to repeated births and deaths, sorrow and suffering. As long as there is this thirst-craving to be and to become, the cycle of continuity of suffering will go on. The cycle can be stopped by cutting off the driving force (thirst-craving), through wisdom experience of Nibbana - the Absolute Truth.
According to Buddhism, the Absolute Truth is that there is nothing absolute in the world, that everything is relative, compounded, conditioned and impermanent, and that there is nothing unchanging, everlasting. There is no absolute substance like self or soul within or without. When wisdom is developed and cultivated, according to the Four Noble Truths, this wisdom sees the secret of life, the reality of things as they are. When the secret is discovered, when the truth is seen, all the forces which feverishly produce the continuous cycle of suffering in illusion, thirst, and lust, become calm and incapable of producing any more kamma formations, because there is no more illusion, no more thirst, no more lust for continuity.
Nibbana can be realized in this very life; it is not necessary to wait till you die to attain Nibbana. One who has realized (sacchikiriya) Nibbana has attained the fourth blessing in this stanza and is the happiest and most peaceful person in the world. He is free from all complexes and obsessions, all worries and troubles. Happiness is non-attachment in this world. This is called the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.
The Fourth Noble Truth, Magga Sacca, is the Way leading to the Cessation of Suffering - Nibbana. This is known as - the Middle Path (Majjhima Padipada) because it avoids two extremes: the search for happiness through the pleasures of the senses, and the search for happiness through self-mortification in different forms of asceticism. The Buddha, having found both extremes to be useless, avoided them and discovered the new path through his own experience. It is the Middle path which gives pure vision and //knowledge, that leads to purification, insight, enlightenment, peace, happiness, cessation of craving, extinction of suffering - Nibbana. The Middle Path is known as the Noble Eightfold Path because it consists of eight categories:
Right Understanding is the keynote of Buddhism. To understand rightly means to understand oneself and things as they really are. Right Understanding is understanding of the Four Noble Truths. In the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Understanding stands at the beginning as well as at its end. In the beginning it deals with certain natural laws, and at the culmination of the practice, Right Understanding has matured into perfect insight-wisdom, leading directly to the stage of enlightenment.
Clear vision or Right Understanding leads to the second factor, clear thinking or Right Thought. This serves the double purpose of eliminating evil thoughts and developing pure thoughts. In this particular connection, Right Thought is threefold. It consists of: (1) the thought of renunciation of worldly pleasures or the virtue of unselfishness, which is opposed to attachment, selfishness and possessiveness; (2) the thought of loving-kindness, good-will or benevolence, which is opposed to hatred, ill will or aversion; and (3) the thought of harmlessness or compassion, which is opposed to cruelty and callousness.
Right Thought leads to Right Speech, and this includes abstinence from speaking lies, slander, harsh words and frivolous talk. Right Speech must be followed by Right Action, which comprises abstinence from killing living beings, stealing things not given by others and sexual misconduct. Right Livelihood is refraining from five kinds of trades which are forbidden to a lay disciple. They are trading in weapons, human beings (slavery and prostitution), poisons, intoxicating drinks and drugs, and livestock for human consumption.
Right Effort is the energetic will to (1) prevent an evil and unwholesome state of mind from arising, (2) get rid of such evil and unwholesome states that have already arisen, (3) produce good and wholesome states of mind not yet arisen, and (4) develop and bring to perfection the wholesome states of mind already present. Right Mindfulness is to be diligently aware, mindful and attentive with regard to the activities of the body, sensations or feelings, activities of the mind, and ideas, thoughts, conceptions and things.
Right Effort and Right Mindfulness lead to Right Concentration. It is "one-pointedness" of mind. Concentration is very helpful to clear the path of its obstinacies, but it is insight alone which enables one to see things as they really are. With this "one-pointed" mind which now resembles a polished mirror, one looks at the world to get a correct view of life.
To understand the Four Noble Truths, Dukkha Sacca, Samudaya Saccca, Nirodha Sacca and Magga Sacca, is the highest blessing in this very life. This is the destination of everyone, not only for Buddhists but for anybody who needs to understand the Truth.
To sum up the four blessings taught in this stanza: self-control, exercise of the holy practice, understanding of the Four Noble Truths, and the realization of Nibbana, this is the highest blessing (etam mangalamuttamam).