The Quiet Wealth of a Good Life

To cease and abstain from evil,
forbearance with respect to intoxicants,
and steadfastness in virtue;
this is Blessing Supreme.

At first reading, this verse may sound like a list of moral instructions. But when approached through the lens of counting our blessings, it reveals something gentler and more encouraging:

We are already living with many inner protections in place.

These qualities do not appear by accident. They arise because certain conditions in our lives are already supportive.

And what is even more amazing is the quiet multiplying effect of blessings attracting blessings — once we begin to understand how it works.

Abstaining from Evil: The Blessing of Choice

To refrain from harmful actions, we must first not be trapped in circumstances that force harm as a means of survival — nor shaped from young into harmful patterns of thinking.

Some people grow up learning that exploitation is normal. Others are taught that cruelty can be justified if it leads to profit, power, or even religious approval. In such environments, people may sincerely believe they are doing good while causing great harm.

If we, however, have access to teachings, reflection, and inner clarity that help us recognise right from wrong, then we are already deeply blessed.

One simple Buddhist framework for this is Right Intent, from the Noble Eightfold Path.

Right Intent asks us to pause and look inward before we act, speak, or even follow a train of thought. We check:

• Is this driven by craving?
• By aversion?
• By a wish to harm?

If the answer is yes, we step back.

Consider parenting. When we hover constantly over our children, trying to mould them into our ideal version of who they should become, craving and aversion are at work. We crave a particular outcome. We fear an outcome we dislike. When control replaces care, even “good intentions” can quietly become harmful.

But the opposite extreme carries its own trap.

Sometimes people hear this and swing toward total detachment — believing that love means never interfering. Yet when we clearly see a child heading toward danger and choose to do nothing, that too becomes a form of neglect. It may look calm on the surface, but underneath is still attachment: attachment to our self-image as “non-controlling” or “open-minded.”

There is no fixed formula.

There is only awareness, again and again.

Moment by moment, we learn to ask:

What is moving me right now?

This ongoing checking is what it means to consciously avoid evil.

When we can do this, we are already holding a profound blessing: the blessing of choice.

Our mind is not completely hijacked by impulse.
We are not living on autopilot.

The Buddha said the mind is the forerunner of all things. In modern language, we might say: what we consistently hold in the mind becomes the direction of our life.

To have some ability to choose clarity over compulsion is not ordinary.

It is a Blessing Supreme.

Attracting Blessings

When we train our minds to avoid evil, something subtle begins to happen.

We don’t just stop doing harmful things.
We slowly start moving toward spaces where harm is not normal.

Our inner landscape changes, and with it, the kinds of people and situations we are drawn to.

We become more sensitive to unhealthy energy — what we might casually call “bad vibes.” Not in a mystical sense, but in a very human one. Our mind learns to recognise when something feels off.

Someone may speak kindly.
Someone may smile warmly.
Someone may even wear impressive religious symbols.

Yet we no longer judge only by appearances.

Because we are practising awareness, we begin to notice tone, intention, and underlying motivation. Sometimes consciously. Sometimes as a quiet feeling in the body.

We sense when a person, group, or environment normalises cruelty, manipulation, or exploitation — and we feel less inclined to stay.

At the same time, we feel naturally drawn toward people and places where kindness feels ordinary, where honesty is valued, where no one needs to step on others to succeed.

In this way, avoiding evil is not only about restraint.

It becomes a kind of inner compass.

Our blessing of choice quietly places us in better environments.
It leads us to healthier relationships.
It aligns us with conditions that support a blessed life.

This is how inner discipline turns into outer blessing.

Not through force.
Not through superstition.
But through a mind that has learned to recognise what leads toward peace.

Therefore, it is truly a Blessing Supreme.

Restraint with Intoxicants: The Blessing of Clarity

The verse speaks of forbearance with respect to intoxicants — substances that cloud the mind and weaken mindfulness.

Clarity matters because without it, we cannot truly see our intentions. And without seeing our intentions, it becomes difficult to avoid harmful actions.

When we value clarity, we naturally learn to say no to intoxicants used for pleasure or escape. Not from fear or moral pressure, but from understanding. We begin to see that meeting life directly — even when it is uncomfortable — is healthier than numbing ourselves.

In the Pali Canon, clarity of mind is consistently praised. Even celestial beings are described as delighting in awareness rather than intoxication. From this perspective, practices or rituals that normalise consuming intoxicants move away from what the Buddha taught.

If you value a clear mind…
If you are not dependent on substances to get through the day…
If you are capable of saying no…

Then you are already standing on blessed ground.

This, too, is a Blessing Supreme.

Steadfastness in virtue

Just as avoiding evil begins with inner reflection, virtue also begins in the mind.

Virtue refers to actions, words, and thoughts that bring benefit to ourselves and others.

One simple and timeless framework is the Brahmaviharas, or Divine Abodes — four boundless qualities cultivated in Buddhism:

Loving-kindness.
Compassion.
Sympathetic joy.
Equanimity.

They are also known as the Four Immeasurables, because they are not meant to be limited to a few people, but gradually extended to all beings.

Through this practice, we gently train our minds to abide in love, kindness, and compassion toward ourselves and others.

We learn to rejoice in wholesome actions and achievements — our own and those of others — rather than comparing or feeling threatened.

And when we encounter the ups and downs of life, we try to remain steady.

Not cold.
Not indifferent.
But peaceful, without losing love.
Calm, without losing compassion.
Balanced, without closing the heart.

This is what steadfastness in virtue looks like.

Not perfection.

But a sincere, ongoing commitment to return to these qualities, again and again.

And when we are able to do this, even imperfectly, we are already living with another Blessing Supreme.

May all beings be well and happy.