Maṅgala Sutta
The Maṅgala Sutta is a discourse (Pali: sutta) of Gautama Buddha on the subject of 'blessings' (mangala, also translated as 'good omen' or 'auspices' or 'good fortune').[1] In this discourse, Gautama Buddha describes 'blessings' that are wholesome personal pursuits or attainments, identified in a progressive manner from the mundane to the ultimate spiritual goal. In Sri Lanka, this sutta considered to be part of "Maha Pirith".
| Translations of Maṅgala Sutta | |
|---|---|
| English | Discourse of 'good omen','auspices' or 'good fortune' |
| Sanskrit | महामङ्गलसूत्र mahāmaṅgalasūtra |
| Burmese | မင်္ဂလသုတ် (MLCTS: Mingala Thok) |
| Japanese | 吉祥経 |
| Khmer | មង្គលសូត្រ (UNGEGN: Mongkolasot) |
| Sinhala | මහා මංගල සූත්රය (mahā maṅgala sūtraya) |
| Tibetan | བཀྲ་ཤིས་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ། |
| Tamil | மகா மங்கள சூத்திரம் |
| Thai | มงคลสูตร |
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This discourse is recorded in Theravada Buddhism's Pali Canon's Khuddaka Nikaya in two places: in the Khuddakapāṭha (Khp 5), and in the Sutta Nipāta (Sn 2.4).[2] In the latter source, the discourse is called the Mahāmangala Sutta. It is also traditionally included in books of 'protection' (paritta). It is also found in the Tibetan Canon, in the Kangyur (བཀའ་འགྱུར།).
Content
The discourse was preached at Jetavana Temple in answer to a question asked by a deva as to which things in this world could truly be considered blessings (mangalāni). The sutta describes thirty-eight blessings in ten sections,[3] as shown in the table below:
| Gp.1 | Not associating with fools | Associating with the wise | Expressing respect to those worthy of respect | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gp.2 | Living in an amenable location | Having meritorious deeds (Good Karma) in one's past | Setting oneself up properly in life | ||
| Gp.3 | Learnedness | Artfulness | Self-discipline | Artful speech | |
| Gp.4 | support father & mother | Cherishing one's children | Cherishing one's spouse | Peaceful occupations | |
| Gp.5 | Generosity | Dhamma practice | Caring for extended family | Blameless actions | |
| Gp.6 | Avoiding unwholesomeness | Not drinking intoxicants | Non-recklessness in the Dhamma | ||
| Gp.7 | Respect | Humility | Contentment | Gratitude | Listening regularly to Dhamma teachings |
| Gp.8 | Patience | Be easily admonished | Sight of a True Monk | Regular discussion of the Dhamma | |
| Gp.9 | Practising Austerities | Practising the Brahma-faring | Seeing the Four Noble Truths | Attainment of Nirvana | |
| Gp.10 | Mind free of Worldly Vicissitudes | Sorrowlessness | Free of Subtle Defilements | Blissful Mind |
Traditional context
The post-canonical Pali Commentary[4] explains that at the time the sutta was preached there was great discussion over the whole of Jambudvipa regarding the definition of blessings. The devas heard the discussion and argued among themselves till the matter spread to the highest Brahmā world. Then it was that Sakka suggested that a deva should visit the Buddha and ask him about it.
This sutta is one of the suttas at the preaching of which countless devas were present and countless beings realized the Truth.[5]
Uses
The sutta is often recited, and forms one of the commonest pieces of chanting used for the Paritta. To have it written down in a book is considered an act of great merit.[6]
History
King Dutugemnu of Anuradhapura preached the Mangala Sutta at the Lohapasada.[7]
The preaching of the Mangala Sutta was one of the incidents of the Buddha's life represented in the Relic Chamber of the Ruwanwelisaya.[8]
See also
- Four Noble Truths
- Metta Sutta
- Paritta - Traditional Buddhist "Protective Scriptures", including Mangala Sutta
- Ratana Sutta
- Sutta Nipata
References
- For example, Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 513, entry for "Mangala" (retrieved 08-28-2008 from "U. Chicago" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:3740.pali) translates mangala as 'good omen, auspices, festivity.'
- Sn, pp. 46f
- Khp.pp.2f
- KhpA.vii.; SnA.i.300
- SnA.i.174; BuA.243; AA.i.57,320
- MA.ii.806
- The Mahāvaṃsa XXXII. 43, translation by George Turnour (1837), read online : "The Mahavamsa.XXXII. : The Entrance Into the Tusita-Heaven". www.mahavamsa.org. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- The Mahāvaṃsa XXX. 83, translation by George Turnour (1837), read online : "The Mahavamsa.XXX.: The Making of the Relic Chamber". www.mahavamsa.org. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
Sources
- Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society's Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.
External links
- Bhikkhu Ānandajoti (trans.). The Discourse on the Blessings (Khp 5).
- Bhikkhu Brahmali (trans.) (2015). The Greatest Good Fortune (Sn 2.4).
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1994). Mangala Sutta: Protection (Khp 5). Retrieved from "Access to Insight" on 08-15-2008 at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/khp/khp.1-9.than.html#khp-5.
- Life’s Highest Blessings: The Maha-Mangala Sutta: Translation and Commentary by Dr R.L.Soni
- A Day of Practice and Discussion, Inspired by the Maṇgala Sutta, by Sharon Salzberg, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Spring 2000
- Mangala Suta Uannana by Ven. K. Gunaratana Thera (docx- file 69kB)
[* Chandrabodhi chants the Mahamangala Sutta and other suttas in an 'Indian style' at and Sangharakshita reads the Mahamangala and Karaniyametta suttas, although with other readings from the Pali Canon at both retrieved from freebuddhistaudio.com
