What are the Blessings of Life

Meditation

Meditation for Peace

 

What are the Blessings of Life

 

 

The Blessings of the Lord Buddha.

 

 

Hearing this question, it was not considered to be very difficult. However, once there was a person who answered this question. His opinion was ignominiously disproved by another person.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, please listen to me. I know what the Blessings of Life are.” Said someone. “The things that our eyes see are the Blessings of life. Please notice, when we wake up in the morning, we see many birds flying in the sky, the sun rise, green trees, and cute little children. These views are considered to be the Blessings of life.”

 

Right after he finished his speech, another man argued immediately. “Wait, ladies and gentlemen, don’t believe him yet. What he said is impossible. If the things that our eyes see are considered to  be the Blessings of life, then if we see excrements, urine, or ill people, these views are considered too to be the Blessings of life? This cannot be true.”

 

“The Blessings of life has to be our ears. If the sounds that we hear are the blessings of life. When we wake up in the morning, we hear bird’s singing, beautiful songs, the teasing sound of the mothers who play with their children, a nice conversation between people etc. These sounds are the Blessings of life.”

 

Immediately after that, another man protested: “That’s impossible. The sounds that we hear are the Blessings of life, then we hear people scolding, yielding at each other, or lying are these sounds too the Blessings of life?” “It has to be our emotions. Think about it, when we wake up. We smell good scented flowers, wear clean clothes, and eat delicious food. These are the emotions we feel each day and these are the Blessings of life.”

 

 

 

The Blessings of life has to be our ears.

 

 

Suddenly there was another man arguing: “That’s impossible. If the emotions are the Blessings of life, then when we smell stinky things, touch dirty objects, or have evil thoughts, are those bad emotions too the Blessings of life?”

 

The discussion about what were the Blessings of life expanded widely into the entire region in houses, parliaments, clubs, among travelers etc. Everywhere the question about the Blessings was discussed.

 

Not only among humans, even among angels, when they heard the discussion, they too discussed about it. All kinds of angels, including Brahmas, were discussing about this topic. This topic became a chaotic matter. The three worlds including human world, angel world, and Brahma world were trying to figure out the question. But, no one could tell what the Blessings of life are.

 

Not only among humans, even among angels, when they heard the discussion, they too discussed about it. All kinds of angels, including Brahmas, were discussing about this topic, This topic became a chaotic matter. The three worlds including human world, angel world, and Brahma world were trying to figure out the question. But, no one could tell what the Blessings of life are.

 

However, there was a kind of Brahma who when he was a human practiced meditation until he became a Non-Returner. Therefore, he knew what the Blessings of life are, but he could not explain it in words. To help the others he announced to all the angels that in 12 years, the Lord Buddha would be born. Please wait until then and ask Him this question.

 

 

The Lord Buddha then explained: “The Blessings of life consist of 38 principles.

 

 

When the Lord Buddha was enlightened, one night when he was at Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery near Savatthi City, Sakka, the king of the gods came with many angels to visit Him, and order one of the angels to ask the Lord Buddha what the Blessings of life are.

 

The Lord Buddha then explained: “The Blessings of life consist of 38 principles. They don’t concern about materials or other things. They are focusing on the behaviour of humans and how to conduct the behavior as a major point.”

 

Although the principles that the Lord Buddha explained were inarguably perfect and cpnsisted of reasons. This didn’t mean that all the teachers, thinkers, the leaders of doctrines would give up their own ideas and believe Him due to their ego. Although they realized that they were wrong, they still insisted that their ideas were right. Their followers still convinced people to believe what their teachers said. This results in two kinds of Blessings of life. Both of them have been conducted and practiced from the past until now. We call them:

 

1. The Blessings of the thinkers. In Thai this Blessings are called “Mongkhon Mee” (the ‘Have’ Blessings.) The people who believe in this kind of blessings will hold on to an object and consider that a Blessing. He/she feels like they have the Blessings by having that object. In some places this object is considered to be a blessing. However, at other places the exact same thing may be considered to be an inauspicious object.

 

2. The Blessings of the Lord Buddha. In Thai this Blessings are caked “Mongkhon Tham” (the “Perform” Blessings.) We call them: The Discourses on Blessings”. These Blessings focus on the practice and conduct of a person as a standard. It is an unchangeable truth. Whoever practices these Blessings will be rewarded in the end.

 

The Blessings of the thinkers, once proposed, will be easily disproved, and will be proposed again by another person like a cycle that has no end. However, the Blessings of the Lord Buddha, once explained, no one could disprove or argue about it. Although the Lord Buddha always gave a chance to whoever would like to criticize it, could do, just like the phrase “ehipassiko” in the chanting for paying respect to the Lord Buddha’s teaching. This phrase means “please come and prove it.”

 

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