Science and Sivali: The Secrets to LUCK

Teresa Iafolla (Nautilus.us, 3/26/18) via GetPocket.com; Ajahn Lee (trans. by Ven. Thanissaro, accesstoinsight.org); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ellie A. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Meet Fortuna, Goddess (Devi) of Luck, Abundance, and Fate (icydegwick.com)

Venerable Sivali is the Buddhist epitome of luck and good fortune (thailandamulet.net)

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Luck can seem synonymous with randomness. To call someone lucky is usually to deny the relevance of their own effort, intelligence, hard work, or talent.

As Professor of Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK Richard Wiseman puts it:

Lucky people “appear to have an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time and enjoy more than their fair share of lucky breaks.”

What do these people have that the rest of us don’t? It turns out “ability” is the key word here.

Beyond their level of privilege or the circumstances they were born into, the luckiest people may have a specific set of skills that bring chance opportunities their way. Somehow, they’ve learned ways to turn life’s odds in their favor.

“His research is hilarious.”

Demystifying this luck skillset has been a personal project of Christine Carter, a sociologist and senior fellow at the Greater Good Science Center, at the University of California at Berkeley. A few years ago, she was putting together an online course for families on raising happier kids.
 
She translates research findings on qualities such as gratitude, mindfulness, and happiness into quantifiable, teachable skills.

Amidst her work, she stumbled upon a funny little concept that seemed to be entangled with all these things -- luck. More

Sivali's super karmic good luck
Wisdom Quarterly Wikipedia edit

Buddhist Sivali gave himself luck by his profitable karma and gained enlightenment.

  

Ven. Sivali gold amulets (WQ)

Ven. Sīvali (Thai พระสีวลี, Chinese 尸婆羅) is an enlightened (arhat) Buddhist monk widely venerated among Theravada Buddhists.

He is the Buddhist "patron saint" of travel, for he -- by his great karma -- is believed to ward off misfortune at home, such as fire and theft. His veneration predates the introduction of Theravada Buddhism into Burma.
 
Ven. Sīvali, whose statue is often mistaken for that of the Buddha, is typically depicted standing upright and carrying a walking staff, an alms bowl, and Buddhist mala beads.

Thai good luck Ven. Sivali talismans

Born to Queen Suppavasa, young Sīvali is said to have remained in his mother's womb for seven years because of past karma.
 
After a week in labor, his mother gave birth to a precocious boy who could immediately speak.

Thereafter, the historical Buddha's chief male disciple foremost in wisdom, Ven. Sariputra, ordained Sīvali into the Sangha.

Burmese Buddhists believe that Sīvali is still living and that he can be invoked to come by a special incantation. His mere invisible presence brings prosperity and good fortune.

Sivali Paritta: special incantation (chant) to call forth protection

Karma: sharing is merit

Attractive gold Sivali talisman

Eating modestly: This type of eating is very good, both in terms of worldly success and of the Dharma [spiritually beneficial, profitable in the gaining of enlightenment and liberation]. Take Ven. Sivali as an example.

He ate modestly. How? All that most of us know about Ven. Sivali is that he was extremely wealthy in terms of the donations (dana) he constantly received. But where did that wealth come from? It comes from eating modestly.

Eating modestly is the source that gives rise to wealth. What Ven. Sivali did was this: whenever he received cloth, he would not wear what he had received until he had given some of it as a gift to someone else.

When he received food in his alms bowl, he would not eat until he had given some of it as a gift to someone else.

No matter which of the Four Requisites [permissible for Buddhist wandering ascetics and intensive meditation practitioners] he received --

1. food
2. clothing
3. shelter
4. medicine

no matter how much or how little -- once it was in his possession, he would not use it until he had shared some of it with those around him.

When he received a lot, he would make a large gift to benefit many people. When he received just a little, he'd still try to benefit others. This gave rise to all sorts of good things. [It is one of Buddhism's Four Bases of Popularity].

Thanks! I feel lucky now, and it shows!

His friends loved him, his community loved him, and they were kind to him. This is why being generous [and unbiased in our generosity rather than preferential to some] is said to tie the knot of friendship and to wipe out our enemies.

So that's what Ven. Sivali did. When he passed away from his previous lifetime and was reborn in his final lifetime (final because it is when he finally achieved awakening and complete liberation from all rebirth and all suffering), he gained all kinds of wealth and never had to go hungry.

Even when he went to travel or live in places where food should have been scarce, he always enjoyed plentiful abundance and never suffered scarcity, never had to do without... More