means, in general usage, anything regarded as
'auspicious' 'lucky', or a 'good omen'.
Against the contemporary superstitions
notions about it, the Buddha, in the Mahā-mangala Sutta (Sn., w. 258 ff.), set
forth 36 'blessings' that are truly auspicious, i.e. conducive to happiness,
beginning with the 'avoidance of bad company' and ending with a 'serene mind'.
It is one of the most popular Suttas in Buddhist countries, and a fundamental
text on Buddhist lay ethics.
Tr. in Everyman's Ethics (WHEEL 14). See Life's Highest
Blessings, by Dr. R. L. Soni. (WHEEL 254/256).

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