Chapter 12 ﹝5﹞: Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult

(Chapter 12 ﹝5﹞ ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha 

Co-translators in the time of Eastern Han Dynasty, China(A.D. 25 - 200) : Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan (Who translated the said Scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese. )

Translator in modern time (A.D.2018: Tao Qing Hsu (Who translated the said Scripture from Chinese into English.)

Teacher and writer for explaining the said Scripture: Tao Qing Hsu

Chapter 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

The Buddha said,” There are twenty difficulties for people. Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor. Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility. It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned. Being able to see the scripture of Buddha is difficult. Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult. Enduring the erotic and desire is difficult. Seeing the self-interest and not to pursue it is difficult. No resentment when being humiliated is difficult. When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people  is difficult. When contact with things and no heart  is difficult. Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult. Removing the ego-arrogance is difficult. Not to despise the un-learner is difficult. Practicing the equality in heart is difficult. Not saying its right or wrong is difficult. Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult. Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao are difficult. According to conditions to reform people so as to save them is difficult. Seeing the circumstance and unmoved in heart are difficult. Good at understanding the convenience is difficult.

Chapter 12 ﹝5﹞: Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult

What is Buddha?

Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult. This is the fifth difficulty said by Buddha Shakyamuni in this Chapter. Buddha Shakyamuni was lived in the year between 563 and 483 BCE and his living range was in the north India. “Buddha” is a title and means “the person who is awaken or enlightened, meanwhile, who is liberated from all suffering in life and death, and who also has the ability to help sentient beings liberate from all suffering in life and death.”

Brief description of Buddha Shakyamuni

The title “Buddha Shakyamuni” is called by the Buddhist disciples and the public. The worldly name of Buddha Shakyamuni is Siddhartha. Siddhartha was an ordinary person, just like you and me. He was a prince and educated well. He also had the marriage and a child, a boy. Before he left the family, he was expected by his parents to be a king.

He had found that being a king could not resolve the personal problem, that is the suffering in life and death, let alone to help the others resolve their personal problem, that is also the suffering in life and death. He had found that everyone could not avoid the four sufferings, that is, the suffering of life, of aging, of disease, and of death. Then, he sought for the methods to liberate himself from the sea of personal suffering. That is why he began to practice the Dao (the Dao of Buddha) and then proceeded with the course for speaking of Buddha-law and the teaching of Buddha-law during 49 years, after he had achieved the Buddhahood in his 31 years old.

Everyone has Buddha-nature and is equal to each other on this principle and basis.

In his teaching, he did not deify himself to be a god. Meanwhile, he did not control or harm others by the name of god. In other word, he did not rely on the strong to bully the weak. What he had told us is a truth, that is, everyone had the Buddha-nature which could let us become Buddha. In this point, everyone is equal to each other and is equal to Buddha. He had proved it by himself and had showed it to us. In other word, he wanted us to know that we could achieve the Buddhahood as him someday.  

What is the special about Buddha?

Then, we might have a question. What is the special about Buddha? Buddha owns the honor of bliss, virtue and wisdom at the same time, is the teacher of the human beings in heaven and on earth, and is also respected by them. There is no gender difference to become Buddha. In other word, woman or girl could also become Buddha.

The benevolent and smiled god of wealth, Buddha Maitreya.

There is a lot of Buddha in the universe, including the past and the future. Buddha Shakyamuni is not the only Buddha. He had mentioned that there is a lot of Buddha before and after his time. What the viewpoint of time from Buddha Shakyamuni, the time is very long and it is beyond our knowledge and understanding. He had mentioned that the next Buddha being born in this world is Maitreya. That would be after 56 hundred million years. In other word, the time from one Buddha being born to the next Buddha being born in the world, it is very long.

“Maitreya” is originally the Sanskrit and means benevolence, mercy and compassion. Buddha Maitreya has some of the different appearance which is created by the human’s imagination, and I think that is not what the really appearance of Buddha Maitreya. Anyway, do not be bound by any appearance of any Buddha, but to know the essence of Buddha's teaching.

In China and Taiwan, the outward appearance of Buddha Maitreya is a Buddhist monk with many smiles and relaxed sitting position. He has a little fat and upper body naked, and it is highlighting his round belly. Mostly, one of his hands holds a gold ingot and the other hand holds Buddhist-beads or wishful treasure. Meanwhile, he carries a fabric backpack on his back. So, he is also called Buddhist monk Fabric-backpack. There is a folk hymn to describe him:

The Big belly can tolerate things that are difficult to be tolerated for the world;

The mercy face often smiles and smiles to the ridiculous people in the world.

Secondly, such outward appearance of Buddha Maitreya as described above is always regarded as the god of wealth by the folk. And we can see such statues at the general stores. It means that the bosses of the stores hope to luckily have the wealth.

In Buddhist Scripture, the Buddha Shakyamuni said that the human beings are benevolence, mercy, compassion, wealthy and healthy, and have the longevity life to be 1000 years, in the time of Buddha Maitreya. Meanwhile, each one is happily interested in learning Buddha.  

The Buddha Shakyamuni also said that the world what we have been now are more evil and more trouble. And the people in this world are not easy to be taught. In other word, those who are willing to learn Buddha and could learn it well are few. In the history of China, there are some Buddhist monk who learn Buddha well and vows to reborn in the time of Buddha Maitreya and to encounter him, so as to have the chance to keep learning Buddha and to follow the path of Buddha Maitreya, and to support him to continue the teaching of Buddha.

If we could be born in the time of Buddha, we would have the chance to meet the Buddha and be taught by the Buddha. That is also to mean that we have a lot of chance to be saved by the Buddha and to liberate ourselves from our suffering, such suffering includes the suffering of reincarnation.

But, I have to tell you that the above speaking is one of the teachings from Buddha Shakyamuni. Such speaking is for the beginners in Buddhism and is to hope them to cherish their human body and time to learn Buddha. Therefore, they would be willing to learn Buddha well in the present, and to have more chance to be born in the time of Buddha and to encounter them.

The human beings in heaven still keep learning Buddha.

In the viewpoint of Buddha, doing the good for going to the heaven and enjoying the bliss in there could not really liberate the personal suffering. In the teaching of Buddha, Buddha Shakyamuni had mentioned that, even the human beings in heaven, they would have to meet the suffering of aging and of death. The human beings in heaven might be reincarnated into hell after the ending of their enjoyed bliss and their death, if they did not have the chance to hear the teaching of Buddha.

Buddha Shakyamuni also had mentioned that, there are thirty-three heavens and which could be classified into three, which are the realm of desire, the realm of material-form, and the realm of no material-form. What we have known about the god in the Greek and Roman Mythology might be the human beings in heaven in the realm of desire.  

Buddha Shakyamuni had also mentioned that, some of the human beings in heaven in the realm of desire also have the heart and mind of hatred. Such human beings of heaven would fight with the other human beings of the other heaven. So, there is also the war in some heavens. Such human beings have the great bliss. However, they still have not yet liberated themselves from the suffering. They have to go into hell after the ending of their life in heaven someday. The amount of human beings in heaven which is mentioned by Buddha Shakyamuni is countless more than the human beings on earth. Even though we might not feel their existence, it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. For example, do you think that the all ants could feel the existence of human beings on earth?  

Don't kill self and others is one of the basic teachings of Buddha.

In the Scripture of Buddha, there is rare to mention about the war. That is, in the time of Buddha and in the living range of Buddha, the world is more peaceful. Even today, there are some people who are living in the war; and there is almost not existed the Buddhism in those place. In the history, we could find that most of those people to attack others, to bully others, and to fight to the other country’s people are not Buddhists. Why? It is because that don't kill self and others is one of the basic teachings of Buddha. But, Buddhists will also defend themselves in support of Buddhism without being destroyed.

Being human beings born in the world is difficult.

In the Scripture of Nirvana, Buddha Shakyamuni had said that, being human beings born in the world is difficult; encountering the Buddha-world is difficult; it is so difficult such as in the big sea, a blind turtle meets a hole floating on the sea. In other word, this is a small chance.

We could image that a blind turtle swims in the big sea, meanwhile, there is a hole floating on the sea in the other side. The blind turtle and the hole are respectively floating or sinking with the wind and the waves in the different realm. If the head of the blind turtle wants to meet into the hole, the probability is very low.

Being human beings born in the world and encountering the Buddha-world is like the head of the blind turtle to meet into the hole, the chance is very small. That is also to tell us that, to obtain the body of human beings is difficult and to hear the Buddha-law is also difficult, even though we are not born in the time of Buddha. If we have the chance to obtain the body of human beings, we should cherish our body to hear the Buddha-law. That is to cherish our Buddha-nature and to learn Buddha well. 

Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion. Dao is Tao, which is transliterated from Chinese. The original meaning of Dao is the way and path, and it is extended to be the truth of life that we can learn and practice in our lives.

Chapter 12 ﹝4﹞: Being able to see the scripture of Buddha is difficult.

(Chapter 12 ﹝4﹞ ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha 

Co-translators in the time of Eastern Han Dynasty, China(A.D. 25 - 200) : Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan (Who translated the said Scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese. )

Translator in modern time (A.D.2018: Tao Qing Hsu (Who translated the said Scripture from Chinese into English.)

Teacher and writer for explaining the said Scripture: Tao Qing Hsu

Chapter 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

The Buddha said,” There are twenty difficulties for people. Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor. Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility. It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned. Being able to see the scripture of Buddha is difficult. Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult. Enduring the erotic and desire is difficult. Seeing the self-interest and not to pursue it is difficult. No resentment when being humiliated is difficult. When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people  is difficult. When contact with things and no heart  is difficult. Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult. Removing the ego-arrogance is difficult. Not to despise the un-learner is difficult. Practicing the equality in heart is difficult. Not saying its right or wrong is difficult. Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult. Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao are difficult. According to conditions to reform people so as to save them is difficult. Seeing the circumstance and unmoved in heart are difficult. Good at understanding the convenience is difficult.

Chapter 12 ﹝4﹞: Being able to see the scripture of Buddha is difficult.

Being able to see the Buddhist Scripture is difficult. This is the fourth difficulty said by Buddha in this chapter. We might be curious why the Buddha Sakyamuni said that?

Why it is difficult for the public to see the Buddhist Scripture?

In ancient time, most people are illiteracy, and are pressured or oppressed by living, family, society or the government. Secondly, they might be living in the time of war, and of famine. In a word, they are suffering the life and death. For them, it has been already difficult for them to survive. How could they have the mood and time to seek the Buddhist Scripture and read it, let alone to seek the wisdom? In other word, it is the groups that are lack of bliss and blessing.

Furthermore, due to the isolation and the difference of the language and of the word, the Scripture of Buddha is hardly to be translated from the Sanskrit into the other language completely, let alone to circulate in the different society or country freely. In the ancient, being able to translate the different language is not easy.

In addition, the most important is that the translators must understand the Buddhism and have put it into the practice so that they could translate the Buddhist Scripture perfectly and surely to transmit the meaning of Buddhism.  

If we want to translate the scripture of Buddha from the Sanskrit into our language, it has to take a lot of time, and need a lot of people and funding. As we know, in that time, there is no translating software.

In China of the ancient time, the translation for the Scripture of Buddha is sponsored and supported by the state, especially, in the time of Tang Dynasty. In that time, the houses and places for used in translation are set up by the government, and which could contain more than 100 persons who are responsible for the translation professionally. Those are not included the people who are responsible for the cooking, cleaning and so on.

So, we can see that the government of Tang Dynasty is very concerned about the promotion and spread of the Buddhism. In the development of Chinese history, the Buddhism has developed the Chinese characteristics and become one part of Chinese culture. Even today, such Chinese characteristics are still developed well in China and Taiwan.

Moreover, the Buddhism has transmitted into Korean and Japan since the Tang Dynasty. The Korean and Japanese Buddhist Scripture are preserved well in their country. And it also develops the Korean and Japanese characteristics of the Buddhism. In China, Korea and Japan, the development of this system is called Mahayana Buddhism. In Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Buddhism has also developed very well.

The version of hand copy might be eaten by worm, or might be destroyed by fire or by war. In the history of China, Buddhism had been destroyed twice by the different emperors. What have been destroyed includes the Scripture of Buddha. For protecting the Buddhist Scripture, some Buddhist monk began to do something, and the action was sponsored and supported by the nobility. In that time, the nobility was educated well and they have the chance and time to read the Buddhist Scripture and to understand it. Buddhist monk thus engraved the Buddhist Scriptures on the slate of stone and hidden them in the caves in deep mountain so as to avoid any destruction from the war.

At that time, in the folk, if they want to see or read the Scripture of Buddha, they have to go into the Buddhist temple or to be the Buddhist monk or nun. There are some reasons. First, it is to protect the Buddhist Scriptures and avoid to be destroyed. Secondly, it is to avoid the Buddhism being humiliated by the ignorant public.

As we know, when the public are ignorant and most of them are illiteracy, they are easy to humiliate Buddha or to destroy the Buddhist Scripture, In fact, to humiliate Buddha is equal to humiliate oneself. Buddha is not else. It refers to our heart. All sentient beings have the Buddha-nature. We are the future Buddha. 

Secondly, the printing and typography has not yet been invented and is also not developed well in that time. Third, some of the Buddhist Scripture is not allowed by Buddha to pass to those people who are lack of wisdom and virtue, because they might misused the Buddhist Scripture for seeking the personal profit. Such Buddhist Scripture is only allowed in secret to pass to those disciples who have understood the Buddha-nature. That is why Buddhist Scriptures cannot do a good circulation in the public. So, that is also why to see the Buddhist Scripture is difficult.

The translated Buddhist Scripture is protected well in China and Taiwan. Some is protected well in Korea and Japan. However, out of such districts, most of the Buddhist Scripture are destroyed by the hatred people in the war, which include the original Buddhist scripture in Sanskrit.

People must have the following reasons and conditions so that they have the opportunity to see or read the Buddhist scripture, to hear the teaching of Buddha, and to learn the Buddha.

In the scripture of Buddha, the Buddha Sakyamuni had mentioned that people must have the following reasons and conditions so that they have the opportunities to see or read the Buddhist scripture, to hear the teaching of Buddha, and to learn the Buddha.

First, we must have the deep cultivation for the roots of virtue in our present life and in our past life. That is, we have done and accumulated a lot of good karma.

Second, we have already supported countless Buddha in our past numberless life.

Third, we must have virtuous reasons and good conditions. That is, we have a root of virtue in ourselves, and itself is the virtuous reason and good condition.

Fourth, we must have the basic bliss, such as we have basic financial resources to support our life and to support the Buddha-learner; we are literacy; we could understand text, and have the basic intelligence and IQ.

Fifth, even we are illiteracy, but, we have above said reasons and conditions, we still have the opportunity to see the Buddhist scripture, to hear the teaching of Buddha, and to learn the Buddha.

Sixth, according to my observation, if people do not have the open and curious mind, it is hard for them to see the Buddhist Scripture. In other word, if we do not have above reasons and conditions, it is difficult for us to see the Buddhist Scripture, let alone to read it and learn it.

It is few that the Buddhist Scripture is translated from Chinese into English.

In the current time, the printing, typography, and internet are developed well. If we are willing to see the Buddhist Scripture with Chinese, and to read it, we are easy to find it. But, if we want to find and see the Buddhist Scripture which is translated into English, it is still some kind of difficulty for us, because the amount is few, let alone to be translated into the other language.

Due to a lot people do not have opportunity to see and read the Buddhist Scripture, they do not understand the true meaning said by Buddha, and just have heard a little from the Buddhist monk or nun. Since the Buddha’s teaching might be misinterpreted by them, the public might thus misunderstand the teaching of Buddha.

What is the Buddha’s teaching?

In fact, all the teaching of Buddha just has one key point that is to know and understand our true heart. That is to know and understand our own Buddha-nature. The rest of the points is just methods to be used how to know and understand our true heart. Then, we might have a question. What is our true heart? Which we can have a reference from the chapter 2. (Chapter 2)A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha or Let heart in peace, no fear and affliction any more (Updated on 2019/07/11)

The methods contain eighty thousand and four thousand Law-doors. The number doesn’t mean that there are really such amount methods, but means that it contains various positive methods, and it also means that the methods could be very flexible and creative.

That is why the methods being used by the Zen-master might not be understood and accepted by the public. In the ancient, sometimes, they use their shoes to hit his disciple’s head in some situation; at this moment, if their disciple arise the heart of hatred, or arise a thought of question about that, it means that they still could not find their true heart. Such method could not be used for the modern people, because the modern people are easy to have the hatred mind and sue to the court for such behavior.

Some of the methods are always mistakenly understood by the public to be the whole of Buddhism. For example, the method to chant the Amitabha. And such misunderstanding Buddhism could not be contented to their expectation or personal desire so that they might disregard, or criticize the Buddhism.

To support the translation of Buddhist Scripture could plant the root of virtue to oneself.

Let’s return to the topic. Some people are dedicated to translate the Buddhist scripture from Chinese into English by their own force. And some of those Buddhist Scripture could be found in the internet. Some of them could be read by free. However, some of them have to be paid because of the copyright.

To support the freely circulation and translation of Buddhist Scripture could plant the root of virtue to oneself. Why? That is because when we support the virtuous action of others is to support us to be a virtuous person. Such blessing and bliss would return and repay to us at any time. 

Of course, if you are interested in the Buddhism and in the translation of the Buddhist Scripture, why not to join the line to do the virtue, whatever your language is.

I am still dedicated to translate the Buddhist Scripture from Chinese into English by my own force continually. I am not just to translate it, but also to explain it, and post it on the blog to be read freely. I share those articles from time to time by free.

I sincerely hope that the public could have the opportunity to read the Buddhist Scripture with their own language by free at any time. And you are lucky and blessed, if you have read this article. 

Chapter 12 ﹝3﹞: It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned.

(Chapter 12 ﹝3﹞  ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha

Co-translators in the time of Eastern Han Dynasty, China(A.D. 25 - 200) : Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan (Who translated the said Scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese. )

Translator in modern time (A.D.2018: Tao Qing Hsu (Who translated the said Scripture from Chinese into English.)

Teacher and writer for explaining the said Scripture: Tao Qing Hsu

Chapter 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

The Buddha said,” There are twenty difficulties for people. Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor. Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility. It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned. Being able to see the scripture of Buddha is difficult. Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult. Enduring the erotic and desire is difficult. Seeing the self-interest and not to pursue it is difficult. No resentment when being humiliated is difficult. When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people  is difficult. When contact with things and no heart is difficult. Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult. Removing the ego-arrogance is difficult. Not to despise the un-learner is difficult. Practicing the equality in heart is difficult. Not saying its right or wrong is difficult. Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult. Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao are difficult. According to conditions to reform people so as to save them is difficult. Seeing the circumstance and unmoved in heart are difficult. Good at understanding the convenience is difficult.

Chapter 12 ﹝3﹞: It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned.

It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned. It is the third of the twenty difficulties for people said by Buddha. As we know, most of us are very cherishing our life. However, once we are coveting life and fearing death, we would surrender to the threat and inducement from the evil intention of others.

There is no exclusivity in the teaching of Buddha.

In the teaching of Buddha, once a disciple could not learn the Buddha well because his personality is very arrogant and he could not get along well with the public in the group, the most serious education is to disregard him in silence in the group, until he could have perceived his faults by reflecting himself. The Buddha would not drive him out, unless the arrogant disciple leaves the group automatically.

However, most of the Buddhist monk or nun, or the Buddha-learner has not yet been enlightened. They are not the Buddha. On the contrary, they are ordinary persons. Therefore, in their group, there might be existed the exclusivity and to exclude the disobedient person.  

In the right teaching of Buddha, people accept the Buddhism by their free will. Even they leave the group or never accept the teaching of Buddha again, there are not existed any punishment or any exclusivity in the society or in the career. Why?

Only in the unequal status, in the unequal authority, and in the un-contented mind, there is thus existed the punishment from the self-arrogant mind. In addition, in the hatred mind, and in the greedy mind, there is also thus existed the exclusivity from the un-awakened mind.

Furthermore, the Buddha is in the nature of Emptiness. All sentient beings are the unenlightened one, and are the future Buddha. Their nature is also the Emptiness. In other word, in the heart of Buddha, all sentient beings are equal to the Buddha. All in one is the Emptiness. So, how could it be existed any punishment or any exclusivity in the Emptiness? Such as in the Universe, who could be excluded? Every one is part of the universe.

So, we could find the difference. In the heart of Buddha, there is not existed any line to differentiate any person or any thing. However, in the heart of un-enlightened person, there is existed the line to differentiate any person or any thing.

If we could understand the above completely, we could find that a lot of ideology is fooling people, including the threat and inducement from the evil intention of others. Secondly, we could see through the intention of others which is hided in their greedy and hatred mind.

Patriotism creates barriers and binary oppositions and thus limits the thinking and creation of human beings.

I remember that when I was a little girl, we were instilled the ideology of patriotism at the elementary school, and at any time we were preparing for fighting with the enemy since we are in the martial law. Even the thought of Buddhism, it would be regarded as the violation of the ideology of patriotism. Why?

As I have mentioned, there is no enemy in the nature of Emptiness. In the body of Emptiness, there is no object, things, binary opposition, even any ideology. To have the ideology of patriotism is meant to be loyal to the country, and which is regarded as the right thought. However, in fact, the ideology of patriotism is to increase the hatred to the enemy. What so called "the enemy" which is always means that the person who disagrees with our ideology. So, the ideology of patriotism is hidden the binary opposition.

Such as ideology of binary opposition would make people narrow their mind and limit their thought and creation. In the history, I have found that a lot of people were instigated by the ideology of patriotism or the other, and were thus killed in the war. A lot of soldiers were illiteracy, and they might have force and courage, but were lack of brain. They were easy to be fooled by any ideology. If we go into the path of Buddha, the war is impossible to be existed, and people could not die innocently.

Secondly, the ideology of patriotism is to draw a line in our heart, to differentiate any persons and any things, which would increase the conflict and argument from person to person, and would increase the fighting from country to country. So, if human beings own the intelligence and wisdom enough, the ideology of patriotism or nationalism should be removed. All people in the world are equal to each other. It is better to destroy the intangible line of one country and the other country.

Evil karma would counterattack to oneself in the future.

A lot of people for keeping their life, they had to but being instigated by the blind ideology of patriotism or the other, and thus to kill others. A lot of evil karma has thus been done. They do not know that such evil karma would counterattack to oneself in the future. In other word, if one person kills others with the mind of hatred, one day it would be killed by the hatred mind of other person in the future or in the next life.

That is why the Buddha has said,” What has been done in the past life is the consequence of the current life; what has been done in the present life is the consequence of the afterlife.”

“It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned.” That is one of the weaknesses of human nature. The self-righteous person would use it to control human beings. People’s livelihood is concerned about the life and death. However, do you have found that the Buddha Sakyamuni did not take part in or play in the rule of game of any worldly system created by human, let alone the ideology of patriotism. Why? Think about it.

Life and death are one.

To understand above would increase our wisdom. Then, we might have one question. When people must die because of their lives being abandoned, how to let it not be difficult for them?

As we know, we are afraid of dying, especially, when we are told that we have serious disease, such as cancer. Some of people are unwilling to die, when they have known that they have cancer and might have to die in less than half year from knowing the cancer. Unfortunately, they finally have to die; even they have spent a lot of money to cure their disease. Under the circumstance, it is hard to them, when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned.

A lot of people could not accept and face their disease and death with peaceful mind. So, they feel angry, despair, and depressed. They are suffering the life and death, and struggling in there. Finally, once they could not stand or bear the suffering or pain any more, they choose to suicide or euthanasia. 

However, if they have the concept that life is equal to death, and death is equal to life, the realm of their heart would be different. The meaning that life is equal to death is also meant to that life and death are one. Such concept is hard to be understood.

The Function of Soul

In a brief, every one has the soul and the body. Even though the soul is shapeless, it still has the conscious, feeling, thinking, and memory. It also could “speak” and “communicate” to others with mind. It is the “sound” with no sound. In other words, it is the speaking and communication from the heart or mind to the other heart or mind. It is existed in the shapeless and in the no substance, and it is hard to be verified by science instrument. For the most people, it might be experienced when we are dreaming in sleeping. It is very clear and could be remembered. However, it is different from the theory of Freud.

As we have mentioned in the Chapter 12﹝2﹞ : Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility, the body is formed by the four elements, that is, the land, the water, the fire, and the wind. The body has the form and the substance which could be seen and touched. If we want to vocalize from our body, we have to depend on the medium in the air, so that our voice could be transmitted to others and be heard by others.

Now we have the basic concept for the soul and the body. Following concept would be hard to be understood, because it is beyond our experience of the general knowledge and common sense.  

The soul is eternal. It can not be eliminated. There is no arising and no destroying for the soul. In other word, there is no birth and no death for the soul. The soul is like the software. What we have learned, what we have thought, and what we have done, would be recorded in there. The seed of virtue or of evil would be planted in there, which means that the thought of virtue or of evil would be recorded in there. It would affect our current life and our future or next life.

Our Body is not permanent.

On the contrary, the body is not eternal. It could be eliminated. The body could be arisen and then be destroyed. In other word, there is the birth and death for the body. Our cells are metabolized and replaced at any time. Our decaying organs can be transplanted or replaced through surgery.

Sometimes, we describe our body as a car or a piece of clothing, which could be replaced. Once our body is dead, our soul would leave the dead body, and dwell in the next new-born body, which is like that we change a new car or a piece of new clothing. That is reborn or reincarnating.

The eighth consciousness is soul.

The Buddha Sakyamuni had mentioned eight kinds of consciousness. Our soul is equal to the eighth consciousness. The soul is some kind of quality. Some scientist has said that the soul has weight.

To know and understand above, it could help us understand the concept that life is equal to death, and death is equal to life. And, it could help us not attach to or depend on our body, but our soul. We have known that our soul is not dead, and what has dead is just our body. To have such concept would help us accept and face the fact that our body might die at any time. Meanwhile, we could let our soul be at peace, and let us increase our wisdom, to nourish our life of wisdom.

Under the circumstance, it is no difficult for us, when we must die because our lives have to be abandoned. So, what has being abandoned is the body, not our soul. Our lives of wisdom are still very live, abundant and extend. 

Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion. Dao is Tao, which is transliterated from Chinese. The original meaning of Dao is the way and path, and it is extended to be the truth of life that we can learn and practice in our lives.

Chapter 12 ﹝2﹞: Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility

(Chapter 12 ﹝2﹞  ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha

Co-translators in the time of Eastern Han Dynasty, China(A.D. 25 - 200) : Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan (Who translated the said Scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese. )

Translator in modern time (A.D.2018: Tao Qing Hsu (Who translated the said Scripture from Chinese into English.)

Teacher and writer for explaining the said Scripture: Tao Qing Hsu

Chapter 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

The Buddha said,” There are twenty difficulties for people. Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor. Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility. It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned. Being able to see the scripture of Buddha is difficult. Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult. Enduring the erotic and desire is difficult. Seeing the self-interest and not to pursue it is difficult. No resentment when being humiliated is difficult. When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people  is difficult. When contact with things and no heart  is difficult. Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult. Removing the ego-arrogance is difficult. Not to despise the un-learner is difficult. Practicing the equality in heart is difficult. Not saying its right or wrong is difficult. Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult. Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao are difficult. According to conditions to reform people so as to save them is difficult. Seeing the circumstance and unmoved in heart are difficult. Good at understanding the convenience is difficult.

Chapter 12 ﹝2﹞: Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility

Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility. As we have mentioned that there are four noble truths. That is suffering, accumulation, elimination and Dao.

The four kinds of basic suffering

There are four kinds of basic suffering. That is the suffering of life, of aging, of illness, and of death. No one could avoid such four kinds of suffering in its whole life. What is the suffering of life? Many people are suffering how to survive in the situation of war. And more than half population in the world is suffering how to survive in the pressure of potential attacking from the contiguous countries, or in the situation of un-equal and of un-peaceful society.

More than half population in the world almost has no chance to hearing the Dao said by Buddha, let alone to learn the Dao. Once they could have the chance to hear the Dao said by Buddha, they would be willing to learn the Dao and correspond to the compassion of Buddha, then, to arise the personal and natural wisdom. They then would have the chance to liberate from the suffering of life.  

What is the suffering of aging? There is a saying,” we are beginning to walk toward the tomb from our birth.” If there is no accident in life, we would be aging finally. Do you know how the suffering of aging? Our brain nerves begin to degenerate. Our physical strength and our brain strength are not as good as before year by year. Meanwhile, we might be suffering the chronic.

To eat the medicine every day makes our head dizzy and we are afraid of falling. Our appetite is getting worse. We often suffer from insomnia because of illness or chronic. The worst is that we might have the loneliness and melancholy, which could increase our feeling of suffering. And we might lie on the bed, can not move by ourselves any more, and have to be taken care by others people in our daily life, let alone the pain in cancer or the suffering of dialysis, if we have cancer or the illness of dialysis.

What is the suffering of illness? Illness is not belonging to the elder. Each age of human being could have the illness. A lot of young man or woman is suffering the illness of diabetes, cardiovascular, dialysis or cancer. Most of them could face the disease in positive mind. However, some of them are suffering the melancholy and choose to end their life so as to end their suffering.

For the young and healthy people, they could not feel or experience the suffering as said above, let alone the suffering of death. What they might feel or experience is the suffering of life.

Four Key Elements to Form Our Body

About the suffering of death, we have to mention about the four key elements to form our body. That is the land, the water, the fire and the wind as follows.

The land means hard or solid. In our body are bone, nail and hair.

The water means liquid and flowing. In our body are blood, urine, tears, nasal fluid and saliva.

The fire means temperature. In our body is the body temperature. So we might have fever, or feel cold, or feel hot.

The wind means gas, air and breath. In our body is respiratory system. If we make the meditation in seat or practice the qigong, we could feel the gas flow in our body. It can cause our body or limbs to move or rotate involuntarily. That's because our inner airflow is running. It’s normal. So, don’t worry about the change in the moment.

When we are dying, the four key elements of us would be in the state of decomposition. At the time, we would be in the serious suffering. In the beginning, we would feel the severe pressure in our body, so, we would become restless. Then, we would feel very cold. Sometimes, we would feel very hot. We can not eat anything anymore. If we do not have any belief, or we can not accept the coming of death, and we still have the conscious, we would feel the serious suffering because we know that we would depart from our family members and to said good bye to this world. This is the suffering of death.

Those who have no wisdom do not care about the suffering as said, let alone they do not understand the suffering as said.       

No matter rich or poor persons, they have chance to learn the Dao.

If one person wants to enter the Dao, he must have felt the suffering as said in life. Meanwhile, he must have felt that the suffering has being accumulated at each moment, or day by day, so that they would have a thought, a self perceiving, to ask for the elimination of the suffering and the liberation from the suffering. This is the motivation, cause and condition for learning the Dao.

Therefore, it is possible for them to inspire their Bodhi-heart, go into the path of Buddha, then, to attain the Buddhahood after learning the Dao. No matter the rich people or the poor people, once they have felt the suffering in life, they would be willing to go into the path of Buddha, the Dao defined by Buddha, which you can find and read in the chapter 2. (Chapter 2)A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha

Most of the wealthy and the nobility persons have less chance to liberate from suffering in life and death.

Those who are in the huge wealth and are the nobility are lack of such feeling of suffering in life, because they are living in the very comfortable environment. Meanwhile, their relatives and friends might be also living in the same way. In other word, they are lack of the environment and motivation for learning the Dao.

According to my observation from the history, most of the people who are in the huge wealth and are in the nobility, their life is short and die early, which we can find in the royal family or the official family. In other word, the huge wealth and nobility for them are very short. Why?

In their environment, what they have focused on is not the suffering of life, but, how to obtain the more power, official position and wealth. In other word, it is an environment which is full of fighting for the power and of demanding for the profit. Under the circumstance, how could they be longevity? A lot of people is murdered, or die in disease, because of the heart and the mind of the greedy and hatred from themselves and from others people.

Who would have more chance to achieve the Buddhahood?

In Buddhism and In Daoism, the founder and the successor are longevity. The Buddha Sakyamuni lives to 80 years old. When he is dying, he still teaches the Buddha-law for his disciples. His successor Dajiaye and Ananda live to more than 100 years old. They are neither being hanged up because of crime or sin nor being murdered. On the contrary, they have died naturally in peaceful mind.

The first founder of Zen in India is Dajiaye. The successor is Ananda. It is 2,500 years ago. As we have mentioned, the Dao defined by Buddha Sakyamuni is Zen. In the time of Buddha Sakyamuni, he did not use the word “Zen”. The word“Zen” is used in China.

Do you know who the first founder of Zen in China is? It is the person named Dharma. He also lives to more than 100 years old, and is dead naturally in peacefully mind. They themselves are one of the persons who are in the huge wealth and are the nobility, and have educated well in the worldly, before they learn the Dao.

So, we could find that, those who are in the huge wealth and are the nobility, and have educated well in the worldly, would have the higher achievement in the realm of Buddhahood, once they are willing to go into the path of Buddha. And they are dying naturally in peaceful mind. That is because they have already liberated from all suffering, including the suffering of death. Since they have the ability to help people to liberate from their suffering, that is why they are not dead in suffering, let alone to die for others suffering. In other word, they have the supreme wisdom. The teaching of liberating from the suffering in life and death is the key teaching of Buddha.

Two Basic Conditions to achieve the Buddhahood.

There must be full of two conditions so that the Buddhahood could be achieved. That is the worldly bliss and wisdom. The bliss includes the wealth, health and intelligence. Generally speaking, those who are in the huge wealth and are the nobility might be full of the worldly bliss. In other word, they might have good education and good knowledge. However, they are lack of wisdom. That is also why it is difficult for them to learn the Dao. Because they are full of the worldly bliss, they would learn the Dao more smoothly, comparing to the poor people, once they are willing to go into the path of Buddha.  

What is the importance of learning the Dao?

Then, we might have one question. What is the importance of learning the Dao? In a brief, there are two kinds of importance to us for learning the Dao. One is to help ourselves liberate from the suffering in this life, and do the good karma as the cause and condition to lead us to the good life with bliss and wisdom in the present and the future life. The other is to help us to be reborn, to reincarnate into the human being of virtue and bliss in the next life and in the future life. Therefore, those who could feel the four suffering as said, intent to liberate from the suffering, and who are like to increase the self wisdom, would be willing to learn the Dao.

Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion. Dao is Tao, which is transliterated from Chinese. The original meaning of Dao is the way and path, and it is extended to be the truth of life that we can learn and practice in our lives.

Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion. Dao is Tao, which is transliterated from Chinese. The original meaning of Dao is the way and path, and it is extended to be the truth of life that we can learn and practice in our lives.

Chapter 12 ﹝1﹞: Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor

(Chapter 12 ﹝1﹞  ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha

Co-translators in the time of Eastern Han Dynasty, China(A.D. 25 - 200) : Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan (Who translated the said Scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese. )

Translator in modern time (A.D.2018: Tao Qing Hsu (Who translated the said Scripture from Chinese into English.)

Teacher and writer for explaining the said Scripture: Tao Qing Hsu

Chapter 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

The Buddha said,” There are twenty difficulties for people. Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor. Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are the nobility. It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned. Being able to see the scripture of Buddha is difficult. Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult. Enduring the erotic and desire is difficult. Seeing the self-interest and not to pursue it is difficult. No resentment when being humiliated is difficult. When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people  is difficult. When contact with things and no heart  is difficult. Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult. Removing the ego-arrogance is difficult. Not to despise the un-learner is difficult. Practicing the equality in heart is difficult. Not saying its right or wrong is difficult. Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult. Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao are difficult. According to conditions to reform people so as to save them is difficult. Seeing the circumstance and unmoved in heart are difficult. Good at understanding the convenience is difficult.

Chapter 12 ﹝1﹞: Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor

Poverty in mental is the real poverty.

”Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor.” In general speaking, what we have known about the poor is meant to the shortage in material matters in its life. That is also the meaning of the poor in this sentence.

But, we have little known about “poverty” in mental realm. If people are not poor in material matters, but “poor” in mental realm, they would be not willing to give what they have owned to others. I think that such persons are really the poor. Why? According to my observation from the history and the society, such persons would experience the material realm from good to bad; that is from rich to poor. In Buddhism, stinginess or mean in money in material or in mental realm is the bad reason for our current life and our future life, because it would really result in the poverty in material.

On the contrary, if people are poor in material matters, but are not “poor” in mental realm, it is possible for them to give something to others. I think that they are really the richer. Why? According to my observation, such persons would experience the material realm from bad to good; that is from poor to rich. In Buddhism, generousness in material or in mental realm is the good reason for our current life and our future life. And it would thus result in the wealth in material.

Therefore, those who are both “poor” in material matters and in mental realm, and those who are not poor in material matters, but “poor” in mental realm, are really the poor. That is what I define about the poor in here.     

In material and in mental, to be the recipient is not as good as to be the giver.

The recipient here is mean to those persons who are the poverty in material or in mental, and are happy to receive money or anything from others. Why to be the recipient is not as good as to be the giver? If you have choices, which one would you hope to be? Think about it.

Some people like to be the recipient and might think what they have from others is reasonable, even though they are not poor in the material life. In psychology, we found that the personality of such person is cline to have the ready-made and comfortable life, but not the upright and hard working life relying on self. If we profoundly observe them, we could find that they are not abounding in the mental life or even un-contented in the material life, and it is thus easy to make them have the anxiety and depression.

Only when we are rich in the mental and material life, and healthy in mental, it could be possible for us to be a generous giver. According to the research and my personal observation, the generous givers are more positive at ease in their life, and it thus makes them have a longevity life.    

Three kinds of giving in Buddhism

As we have mentioned in chapter 10, there are three kinds of giving in Buddhism. That is as follows:

A.     Giving money or belongings to others. Money or belongings could also be replaced by food, clothes, medicine, or to be the volunteer and so on.

B.     Giving Buddha-law to others. Buddha-law contains all of the law which is good for people, including the worldly and unworldly creation. In a word, it means giving the wisdom to others in any ways.

C.    Giving fearlessness to others, which includes helping people get rid of fear with our courage, saving them from the dangerous situation, and consoling them with soft words so to let them abandon the fear. Who is the fearlessness-giver (Who gives people the fearlessness)? Which you can make a reference in this article: A Brief Talk about Pusa World-Sounds-Perceiving in Universally Door Chapter

If people are the poor as defined, it is really hard for them to give any one of the three kinds of giving. On the contrary, if people are not the poor as defined, it would be more willing to give any one of the three kinds of giving to others unconditionally.

Once people are “poor” in mental realm, it would be possible to cause them to be the really poor person in material matters. There is the reason and the consequence for it as we have mentioned above. In a word, it is because of shortage of the virtue and wisdom.

The Profoundly Meaning of Giving

So, how to change the situation of poverty in present life and in the future life? The Key is to give something to others unconditionally. The said principle is easy to know, however, it is hard to do, especially, when we are in the stingy mind.

Someone might disagree to this idea. Most people think that to resolve the problem of personal poverty is to work and to earn money. However, we have ever heard that being busier in work would lead to be poorer. Why?

Giving something to others is the basic teaching in Buddhism and is also the basic learning. It is the first method in six kinds of salvation about how to self-saving and how to save others people to liberate from the suffering. I tell you why.

First, giving something to others unconditionally and with no-expecting and no-demanding, it could eliminate our selfish mind and the arrogant-ego. The selfishness is the imprisoned mind. It would cause the suffering in mind and any affliction in life. However, most people have no such self perceiving. When we have taken the first step as said giving, it could decrease our selfish mind and arrogant-ego little by little, and it is also meant to release our imprisoned mind.

Secondly, giving something to others unconditionally could eliminate our heart of desire and greedy. Selfish people desire more in heart and are greedy in anything. Generally, they demand more from others. However, they would not give something to others unconditionally. Once their desire and greedy are not contented, it would cause them to have the emotion of wrath and hatred in heart.

In this situation, they would bring the disaster and affliction to themselves and others. For example, as we know, the war could bring the more death and more poverty, the reason of war is because of the desire, greedy heart, selfish mind and arrogant-ego that the person who owns any power to start the war. Do you have ever heard who gain a lot of fortune because of the war? Only a few people, right? And sometimes, most of them are scolded by the public. That is because of the selfishness of people to cause the poverty of most people.

In the history, most of those who start the war are death in suicide in the end, due to that they could not bear the pain in life. Or they have been killed by those persons who are more selfish or have the more desire. All such persons are lack of wisdom.

Therefore, once we have taken the first step as said giving, it would also mean to remove our desire and greedy heart, and also mean to prevent any disaster and affliction. A good thought and a good deed would affect the world peace and bring the wealth of a society and a country.

Third, it could increase our wisdom. When we have removed our selfish mind, desire and greedy heart, our wisdom would be thus arisen at the same time. Once our wisdom is arisen, wealth and bliss are waiting there for us. Why? I tell you a secret. There is a saying, ”God help those who help themselves.” To increase our wisdom is to help ourselves. That is why God would help us. As we have mentioned in chapter 10, such wealth and bliss are never ended. That is also why I have said that giving something to others would let us have the wealth. The name “God” could be also replaced by “Buddha” or “Bodhisattva”.

A true story about being lack of wisdom to lead to the poverty

When we have the wisdom, we could thus avoid any cause to lead to the poverty. I tell you a true story in our society about being lack of wisdom to lead to the poverty.

As we know, a judge is paid very well in the work. There is a judge who has a lot of lust for women. Therefore, he has four wives and eight children, which is having two children with each wife. His children do not work and still depend on the economic support from their father, even his children have grown up. That is because his children are used to the ready-made and comfortable life and the huge living expense is offered by his father- the judge. His four wives also rely on the husband's financial support in huge living expense.

We question why he has so much money to raise his family-the four wives and eight children? For supporting so many family members in economic, the salary of the said judge is not enough to pay the living expenses. Then, he begins to do the dirty thing, taking bribes. And he does the corruption from his work.

Do you know? When he seems to be responsible to his wives and is a good father to his children, he really is not responsible to his job, the public and the country.

Finally, he is in jail, lost his work and his salary. Meanwhile, he has to give back his illegal gains to the government. In other word, he is from the rich to the poverty. That is because he is lack of wisdom. When a person is lack of wisdom, it is impossible for him to save himself to liberate from the suffering. That is, the shortage of wisdom would push him in the sea of suffering.

Giving is the first method in six kinds of salvation in Buddhism.

So, when we have the wisdom, we would have the ability to save us liberate from the suffering little by little. Once we have totally liberated from the suffering, we would have the ability to liberate others from the suffering. That is why giving something to others is the first method in six kinds of salvation in Buddhism. It is the one of the basis to go into the path of Buddha.  

Giving something to others also means to offer something to others. As we know, the problem about the unequal in poverty and wealth in the world is always existed. The 80% wealth of the world is owned by the 20% population of the world. In other word, more than half population in the world is in the poverty. In my opinions, that is because most people are lack of wisdom, let alone to be ignorant.

A lot of ideology is fooling people. But, it is valued as the knowledge in the academic. Only the human are improved in wisdom and remove the ignorance, the real equal wealth could be possible to be achieved.

To eliminate the poverty is not so difficult. The easy way is mentioned above. However, for the people who are suffering the poverty, how many of them would be willing to give something to others? Let alone to mention that they have the chance to read this article.

Giving something to others is more blessed than accepting something from others. Which one would you like to be? If we wish we are the person who has the ability to give something to others, we would then be more blessed and richer in life.

Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion. Dao is Tao, which is transliterated from Chinese. The original meaning of Dao is the way and path, and it is extended to be the truth of life that we can learn and practice in our lives.