Continuing with our exploration and counting our blessings.

Bāhu saccañ ca sippañ ca 
Vinayo ca susikkhito 
Subhāsitā ca yā vācā 
Etam mangala muttamam

Vast-learning, perfect handicraft, a highly trained discipline 
and pleasant speech; this is Blessing Supreme.

These blessings relate directly to our ability to survive, earn a living, function well in society, and communicate with others. They are not abstract ideals. They are deeply rooted in everyday life.

Traditionally, this verse is often explained in practical terms. Vast-learning and perfect handicraft refer to having knowledge and skills that allow us to secure a livelihood. In this sense, learning and skillfulness help us remain employable, independent, and useful in society. When combined with discipline—the ability to work hard, show up consistently, and follow necessary rules—and pleasant speech, which prevents conflict with colleagues, customers, and the public, this verse clearly points to the foundations of a stable life.

When we have skills to earn a living, the discipline to apply them properly, and the wisdom to communicate without creating hostility, that itself is already a great blessing.

But beyond livelihood, we can also reflect on this verse in a broader and more personal way—by counting the many forms of learning and skill we often take for granted.

Being knowledgeable is a blessing, and knowledge is not limited to what earns us an income. Think about simple things: knowing how to look for aspirin or charcoal pills when facing minor ailments. Knowing when to rest, when to seek help, or when something is serious enough to see a doctor. Isn’t this knowledge a blessing? Some people simply do not have access to such understanding, and their lives are put at risk because of it.

Healthcare knowledge, navigation skills, knowing how to search for information, understanding basic safety, even having access to Buddhist teachings—these are all forms of vast-learning. More importantly, being endowed with the ability to learn, the enthusiasm to learn, and the willingness to apply what we learn in daily life is itself a rare blessing.

Perfect handicraft is often understood as working skillfully with our hands, and again, this is not limited to earning money. In our time, the ability to repair, repurpose, and recycle can be incredibly valuable. Instead of constantly throwing things away and buying new ones, learning how to reuse and transform old items into something useful or beautiful is both practical and meaningful. The ability to look beyond an object’s current form and imagine new possibilities is a wonderful human skill—and a blessing we often overlook.

However, knowledge and skills alone are not enough. Our greatest obstacle is often not ignorance, but lack of discipline.

We may have qualifications, talent, and experience, yet sabotage ourselves through laziness, cutting corners, or an inability to do the right thing consistently. In the workplace, discipline shows up as punctuality, reliability, compliance with necessary policies, and respect for shared rules. Without these, even the most capable person can become unemployable.

On a deeper level, discipline also relates to how we live with others. The discipline to be considerate is a blessing. In modern times, personal freedom is often emphasized to such an extent that some feel entitled to do whatever they want, regardless of the discomfort or harm caused to others. There may not be a clear right or wrong here, but restraint is undeniably harder than indulgence. And precisely because it is harder, the ability to restrain oneself becomes a blessing.

From being polite, to lowering one’s voice, to being mindful of others’ feelings—these do not come naturally to everyone. In the past, societies deeply valued such discipline because communal life depended on it. People recognized that while everyone is unique, living together requires shared standards. Hygiene, noise, and public behavior were not merely personal matters, but collective concerns. Spitting or relieving oneself in public spaces, for example, affects everyone.

I remember in my younger days, before CD players and MP3 devices, youths would carry portable stereo systems and play music loudly in public. We thought it was cool and enjoyable. Older folks frowned upon us, seeing us as noisy and disruptive. In our minds, we believed we had every right to enjoy music wherever we wanted. If you didn’t like it, that was your problem.

Who was right? Who was wrong? Why should one side give in?

Fast forward to today, and similar clashes continue—talking loudly on phones in buses and trains, disputes over religious expression in public spaces, cultural tensions arising from migration and travel. The “me versus them” dynamic persists.

In Buddhism, the emphasis is often on personal restraint. We celebrate the one who yields first. We admire the person who chooses harmony over insistence, consideration over convenience. When we are kind and mindful first, we create conditions for others to pause, reflect, and perhaps do the same.

This is where pleasant speech completes the picture. Words can escalate conflict or dissolve it. Speaking gently, respectfully, and with awareness does not mean suppressing oneself—it means choosing harmony over ego. It is not weakness, but strength guided by wisdom.

When we reflect on this verse in this way, we begin to see how richly blessed we already are. The ability to learn, to work skillfully, to discipline ourselves, and to speak kindly sustains not only our own lives, but the fragile harmony of society itself.

To recognize these qualities as blessings is to cultivate gratitude—and gratitude naturally leads to care.

Perhaps this, too, is what the Mangala Sutta is quietly teaching us.

And that, truly, is the highest blessing.

May all be well and happy.