Evening Chanting (English)

The Highest Blessings

[ Now let us chant the verses on the Highest Bl꜕essings ] [ Thus have I heard that the Ble꜕ssed One ] Was staying at Sā꜓va꜕tthī, Residing at the Jeta’s Grove In Anāthapi꜓ṇḍika꜕’s Park. Then in the dark of the night, a ra꜓dia꜕nt de꜕va Illuminated all Je꜓ta꜕’s Grove. She bowed down low before the Ble꜕ssed One Then standing to one si꜓de she꜕ said: ‘Devas are concerned for ha꜓ppiness And ever lo꜓ng fo꜕r peace. The same is true for hu꜓mankind. What then are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings?’ ‘A꜕vo꜕iding those of foo꜕lish ways, A꜕sso꜕ciating wi꜓th the꜕ wise, And ho꜕nouring those wo꜓rthy of ho꜕nour. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Li꜕ving in places of suitable kinds, With the frui꜕ts of past goo꜕d deeds A꜕nd gui꜕ded by the ri꜓ghtfu꜕l way. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Acco꜕mplished in le꜕arni꜕ng a꜕nd cra꜕ftsman’s skills, With di꜕scipline, highl꜕y trained, And speech that is true and ple꜓asant to꜕ hear. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Provi꜕ding for mother and father’s support And che꜓rishing family, And ways of work that ha꜓rm no꜕ being, These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Generosity and a r꜕ighteous life, Offering help to re꜓lati꜕ves and kin, And acting in ways that le꜓ave no꜕ blame. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Steadfast in re꜕straint, and shunning e꜓vil ways, Avo꜕iding into꜓xicants that du꜕ll the mind, And heedfu꜕lness in all things tha꜓t arise. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Respe꜕ctfulness and being of humble ways, Contentment and gra꜓titude, And hearing the Dha꜕mma fre꜓quentl꜕y taught. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Patience and will꜕ingness to accept one’s faults, Seeing venerated se꜓ekers of the꜕ truth, And sharing o꜕ften the wo꜓rds of Dha꜕mma. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Ardent, co꜕mmitted to the Ho꜕ly Life, Seeing for onese꜓lf the Noble꜕ Truths And the realization of Nibbā꜕na. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘Although in co꜕nta꜕ct wi꜕th th꜕e world, Unsha꜕ken the mi꜓nd r꜕emains Beyond all so꜕rrow, spo꜓tless, se꜕cure. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings. ‘The꜕y who live by fo꜕llowing this path Know vi꜕ctory whe꜓rever the꜕y go, And every place for them i꜕s safe. These are the hi꜓ghest ble꜕ssings.’