A society moving forward together in a good and safe way.
–– Charles Hallisey
Early in December, I had the good fortune and blessing of participating in a study of the Mangala Sutta, an ancient Buddhist story, with Professor Charles Hallisey at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Massachusetts––and the blessing as well to be able to reflect on it further with the Valley Insight Thursday group. It is said to be the most beloved set of teachings in the living Theravada Buddhist traditions of Southeast Asia.
The story begins with the arrival of a somewhat agitated spirit, late one warm night in the Jeta Grove, where the Buddha and his followers were settling deeply into what we might recognize as the depth of a meditation retreat. The visiting spirit, whose radiance illuminated the entire Grove, came to the presence of the Buddha, respectfully saluted him and stood at one side. She then addressed the Buddha with a question: “Many deities and humans, yearning after good, have pondered on blessings. Pray tell me, what is the greatest omen?”
The Buddha probably paused for a moment. He was being asked to tell the assembled group what he, as a wise sage, an “awakened one,” considered to be the one most auspicious omen. He knew he would be speaking to what was, for the most part, an assemblage of people raised in a superstitious culture. Maybe they wanted to know if it was better to complete a business deal if a Buddhist nun had crossed their path earlier in the day––or a pregnant woman the day before. What if a cobra had slid past them, or a monkey dropped from a tree behind them? Good omens or bad? Should they call off the deal or go through with it? How could they best know if this was a good time to prosper in their actions?
The Buddha often skillfully used such encounters with “the ordinary religiosity” of the existing culture to explain his own teachings. He didn’t denounce such beliefs. Instead, he would reframe and repurpose these existing “views and opinions” in a way that explained the new perspectives he had discovered through his insights. He gave them a broader context. The Buddha used the language and life experiences of the people with whom he was talking, always with the intention of making the teachings more easily accessible. For the Dharma teachings to be understood, first they must be heard.
When the Buddha did speak that night, he didn’t answer the question as directly as might have been expected. Instead, he spoke of 36 auspicious circumstances, beginning with choosing the company of the wise, and continuing with the teaching to be generous, refrain from evil, be patient and kind, support family, and more––ending with the goal of developing an unruffled mind. [For the full list, please see the end of this essay.] These are the good omens, the auspicious conditions that we should be looking for, both in ourselves and in the world around us. When we see them, we will know that we are safe, that it is a beneficial time to proceed with projects. We will be supported.
Perhaps we can see that no one person can accomplish all 36 at one time. We might say that the Buddha is describing how a group of people may live life together in a mutually beneficial way, in harmony with the natural laws of the Dharma, caring for one another.
Live simply so that others may simply live.
–– Charles Hallisey, quoting a once-popular bumper sticker
It also seems clear that, in his answer, the Buddha is telling those gathered in the grove on that warm summer night that we can effectively do something about creating these “omens.” We don’t just have to wait around for them to occur. They are not just happenstance. We are not only affected by the conditions of our world; in fact, we can act with intention and thereby create conditions. What we do in this world has an effect in this world.
Understood in this way, the Mangala Sutta teachings have elements of empowerment and of prescription: here are 36 ways to use your liberated energies. The Mangala Sutta is an important ethical teaching as well as a profound wisdom teaching. If you behave this way, you will live in peace and harmony: your business deals have a good chance of being successful!
Peace is possible, said Thich Nhat Hanh. It is not just a matter of faith. It is also a matter of practice. Peace is both aspiration and action––as is the peaceful community of contented individuals which the Mangala Sutta is describing. As Timothy Snyder points out in his wonderful new book, On Freedom, such engaged individuals are nurtured by, and come into being through, community; and these individuals, in turn, co-create and sustain wise, kind and peaceful communities.
Freedom is for everyone. No one is free alone, but within a community.
–– T. Snyder
I once heard a highly esteemed contemporary Buddhist teacher say that he believed in “a positive force for good in this world.” I was a little surprised by that statement and thought about it a lot. So, when I had the chance, I asked another esteemed teacher if he also held to that idea. This second teacher paused, then replied, “I don’t know, but I do believe that I can be a positive force in this world.” Perhaps the Buddha in the Mangala Sutta is telling us that both of these ideas are worthy.
Loyalty and honesty and grace and beauty, commitment, friendship, these things are real. And freedom is the state of things in which you or I or all of us are able to choose among these values as we go through life and thereby create character, create personality. I think free will at the end of the day is character.
–– Timothy Snyder (in an interview with BBC)
Happy New Year!
Sn 2.4: Mangala Sutta: Blessings —- translated from the Pali by Narada Thera
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Exalted One was dwelling at Anathapindika’s monastery, in Jeta’s Grove, near Savatthi. Now when the night was far spent, a certain deity whose surpassing splendor illuminated the entire Jeta Grove, came to the presence of the Exalted One and, drawing near, respectfully saluted him and stood at one side. Standing thus, he addressed the Exalted One in verse:
“Many deities and humans, yearning after good, have pondered on blessings. Pray, tell me the greatest blessing!”
[The Buddha replies:]
“Not to associate with the foolish, but to associate with the wise; and to honor those who are worthy of honor––this is the greatest blessing.
To reside in a suitable locality, to have done meritorious actions in the past and to set oneself in the right course––this is the greatest blessing.
To have much learning, to be skillful in handicraft, well-trained in discipline, and to be of good speech––this is the greatest blessing.
To support mother and father, to cherish family and children, and to be engaged in peaceful occupation––this is the greatest blessing.
To be generous in giving, to be righteous in conduct, to help one’s relatives, and to be blameless in action––this is the greatest blessing.
To loathe more evil and abstain from it, to refrain from intoxicants, and to be steadfast in virtue––this is the greatest blessing.
To be respectful, humble, contented and grateful; and to listen to the Dhamma on due occasions––this is the greatest blessing.
To be patient and [kind], to associate with [those on a spiritual path] and to have [related] discussions on due occasions––this is the greatest blessing.
Self-restraint, [a wise and compassionate] life, the perception of the Noble Truths and the realization of Nibbana––this is the greatest blessing.
A mind unruffled by the vagaries of fortune, from sorrow freed, from defilements cleansed, from fear liberated––this is the greatest blessing.
Those who thus abide, ever remain invincible, in happiness established. These are the greatest blessings.”