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answers to the eternal 
questions of life. We will begin to 
know for 
ourself our purpose in life and as 
we see how the 
Buddha practised virtues (which 
are none other 
than those outlined in this series of 
thirty-eight 
blessings) we will realize too that 
to practice in 
his footsteps is our real task in life. 
As humans we 
were not born to indulge in 
materialism, or even 
to find a place for ourselves in 
heaven. Like the 
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Buddha, our aim in life should stop 
nowhere short 
of Nirvana. Our true aim in life is 
encapsulated in 
the eternal words of the Great 
Abbot of Wat 
Paknam: 
Born in search of the Triple Gem 
— but when 
you find them disperse them! 
Craving cheats 
us, falsity deludes us and ensnares 
our roiling, 
tortured mind — put an end to 
craving, 
escape falsity, remove yourself 
from sensuality, 
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follow the threefold aggregates 
without let, 
complete the sixteen tasks: until 
invulnerable 
to hardship — you can call it 
Nirvana if you 
like . . ." 
424 A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
D. ILLUSTRATIVE 
EXAMPLES 
D.1 Metaphor: Released prisoner 
Whenever a prisoner is released 
from confinement 
and can escape the reach of 
instruments of torture, 
the freedom he feels will bring him 
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happiness that 
fills both his body and mind. In the 
same way, those 
who attain Nirvana who have 
escaped the touch of 
all defilements and fetters, will 
also have a mind 
suffused with bliss. 
D.2 Ex. MahA-Kappina Thera 
(J.iv.180, 
A.i.25, SN.A.11.440, Vsm.393) 
Once, during the time of the 
Buddha, a king called 
MahA-Kappina with his queen 
AnojA reigned in the 
frontier kingdom of 
KukkhuEavatE. Every morning, 
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MahA-Kappina would send out 
messengers from the 
four gates of the city to seek news 
from passing traders 
as to the arising of an Enlightened 
One in the world. 
One day, after the Buddha had 
arisen in the world, a 
group of traders from SAvatthE 
were visiting 
KukkhuEavatE. They told King 
MahA-Kappina of the 
arising of the Buddha. Just hearing 
the word `Buddha' 
King MahA-Kappina swooned 
from rapture. The traders 
mentioned the word `Buddha' a 
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total of three times 
— the king swooning each time he 
heard the word —
and the same happened when the 
traders mentioned 
the arising of the Dhamma and the 
Salgha — he 
swooned a total of nine times. 
Without further ado, the king 
renounced the throne 
and after rewarding the the 
merchants handsomely, 
left the palace in search of the 
Buddha, accompanied 
by all his ministers. The group set 
off in the direction of 
SAvatthE, but in their way were 
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three rivers which they 
must cross on horseback: the 
AravacchA, the 
NElavAhana and the 
CandabhAgA. Each time they 
reached the bank of one of the 
rivers, MahA-Kappina 
would make an act of truth saying 
"if the teacher for 
whom we are seeking is truly a 
fully-enlightened Buddha, 
let not even the hooves of our 
horses be wetted 
when crossing the river". 
Miraculously, the river became 
temporarily solid like land, 
allowing MahA-
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Kappina and his ministers to cross 
to the other side. In 
this manner they crossed the three 
rivers. 
In his meditation, the Buddha 
perceived MahA-
Kappina's approach and travelled 
through the air to 
the banks of the CandabhAgA 
where he seated himself 
under a Banyan tree facing them 
and sent forth radiance 
as a signal to MahA-Kappina. 
When MahA-
Kappina and retinue met up with 
the Buddha and had 
paid respect, the Buddha taught 
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them the Dhamma 
and they eventually became 
arahants, joining the order 
of monks. 
AnojA and her courtiers renounced 
the world in a 
similar way and crossed he three 
rivers as their husbands 
had done to meet the Buddha. The 
Buddha made 
the womens' husbands invisible to 
them so that they 
would be no distraction as he 
preached the Dhamma 
— and the women too could 
become stream-enterers, 
entering the order under 
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UppalavaAAa BhikkhuAE. 
MahA-Kappina Thera spent his 
days in the extasy 
of deep meditation and was so full 
of happiness that 
he constantly repeated the words 
`Oh! The Happiness. 
Oh! The Happiness' [aho sukhaO 
aho sukhaO] which 
made the other monks suspect that 
he was longing for 
the pleasures of kingship he had 
left behind, until the 
Buddha dispelled their doubts. 
C.3 Ex. SakamAna Sutta (S.i. 7) 
Once during the midday rest 
period, there was a large 
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gathering of forest animals and the 
sound of all their 
cries was a fearful racket. One 
angel took a dislike to 
the horrendous sound finding it got 
on their nerves. 
However, hearing the same sound, 
the response of the 
Buddha was completely different. 
He declared, "Even 
when all the forest animals gather 
together at lunchtime 
and make such a noise, I am still 
happy because 
after my almsround and having 
eaten, it is my time of 
meditation." Understanding that 
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which constitutes true 
happiness, even perceiving the 
same things as another 
person, one's better understanding 
of reality will always 
allow one to respond in the most 
positive manner 
appropriate. 
Blessing Thirty-Eight: The Blissful 
Mind 425 
A 
Aadiya Sutta 192 
abandon in hard times, friend who 
doesn't 43 
ability, doing to fullest 115; myth of 
latent 177; vs. knowledge 113 
abortion, prohibited by Buddhism 
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166 
absent-mindedness 229, 380, 413, 
416 
absolving sins 198 
absorptions attainment, for monks 
324; 
shackle of 422 
abstain from evil, non-recklessness 
reminds us to 246 
abstaining from unwholesomeness 
225-
32, 228-30 
abstinence, indispensable for 
Buddhists 234; Christian history of 
233 
abstract spiritual concepts, hard to 
learn 331 
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abused children 147-8 
academic knowledge, doesn't keep 
one 
out of prison 37 
accepting what you are 271 
access, amenable location 72 
accidental killing 123 
accommodation, overcoming 
attachment to luxury 350-1 
accomplishments, the four 85-6 
accumulatable, character of merit 
78 
achievement in life 27 
acknowledgment, rules entailing 
127 
acquired wealth, progress by 21 
acquisition, of discretion 28; 
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diligent 40; 
scrupulous 276; without discontent 
276 
acting profession, pitfalls 253 
action, humility of 264; right 245; 
purified 247 
active learning 254 
acts, treating monks with kindly 191 
addictive drugs, as intoxicant 235 
adherence to superstitions 416, 413 
admitting failings, helps learning 
254 
adoption, usually reluctant 144 
adultery 106; absolutely not 
committing 200; as defilement of 
action 199; as gross 
unwholesomeness 228; committing 
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128; not committing 121,122, 123-4 
advice, following encourages others 
to 
give it 313; formative influence on 
discretion 333; patience is not 
ignoring 304 
affairs, taking responsibility for 42 
after giving, intention 190 
afterlife destination, dictated by 
habitual state of mind 359; evidence 
for 359 
afterlife realms, proof for existence 
of 
359 
age, recollecting to develop 
conscience 
230 
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aggregates, conventional versus 
aggregates 381; dhamma- 386 
aggression caused, mark of 
externalbased 
happiness 274; provoking 114; 
unwholesomeness at social level 
228; 
vengeful 167 
aggressive, thinking 114 
aging, suffering of 373 
agreeing to disagree, attitude in 
buddhist debate 385 
aim in life 92; lack of clear 92; loss 
103; 
prerequisites for highest 96; three 
levels 93; universal 92 
aim in spiritual development 92 
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alcohol, as origin of disease 74; as 
unsuitable gift 188-9; benefits of 
not 
drinking 236; damage arising next 
lifetime from drinking 235, 236; 
dealing in 216; distraction to work 
179; drinking 94, 107; found in 
roads 
to ruin 199; knowingly drinking 
125; 
medical use permissible 235; not 
drinking 122, 124; not knowingly 
drinking 121; omitted from 
defilements of action 199; restraint 
from drinking 233-242; social 
damage from 233 
alms, giving daily 87 
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almsgiving every morning 308 
almsround, correct monastic income 
128; monks pass on 66; sole 
monastic 
livelihood 191 
alone, contented to be 271 
altruism, rare 281; required for 
progress in society 142 
amenable dhamma teachings 66-67; 
definitions 70-1; household level 
71; 
local level 71; national level 71; 
neighbourhood level 71 
amenable food 66, 67; household 
level 
68-9; in the household 173; local 
level 
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68; national level 68; 
neighbourhood 
level 68 
amenable location 65, 66, 67, 96; 
components 68-72; creating 74; 
INDEXES 
I - GENERAL 
426 A Manual of Peace: 38 Steps 
towards Enlightened Living 
household level 68; inner & outer 
73-
4; living in 67-76; local level 68; 
national level 68; neighbourhood 
level 68; relative importance of 
factors 73 
amenable neighbours 66, 67; 
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