Chapter 11: Giving meals turns to victory

(Chapter 11) 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 11: Giving meals turns to victory  

The Buddha said,” Giving hundred evil persons meals is not as good as giving one good person a meal;

giving thousand good persons meals is not as good as giving a meal for one person who obeys the five precepts;

giving meals to ten thousand persons who obey the five precepts is not as good as giving one Srotāpanna a meal;

giving one million Srotāpanna meals is not as good as giving one Sakridāgāmi a meal;

giving ten million Sakridāgāmis meals is not as good as giving one Anāgāmi a meal;

giving one hundred million Anāgāmis meals is not as good as giving one Arhat a meal;

giving ten hundred million Arhats meals is not as good as giving one Pratyeka-buddha a meal;

giving ten thousand million Pratyeka-buddha meals is not as good as giving one Three-World Buddha a meal;

giving one thousand trillion Three-World Buddhas meals is not as good as giving a meal to a person who is in the state of no thought, no dwelling, no practicing, and no proving.”             

Giving to the wicked is helping them do evil.

Giving meals to others turns to the victory; the victory is not over others, but is for self. If we give meals to one hundred evil persons, what we have done is to assistant them to do the evil things. It means that we do the evil things indirectly. It is not our victory, but our loss for life and spirit, even to waste our energy.

Donating food or money to good people is helping them to do good deeds.

On the contrary, if we give meals to one thousand good persons. What we have done is to assistant them to do the good things. That means that we do the good things directly. It is the victory to increase the bliss for our life and for our spirit. The above mentioned persons are the people who do not learn the Buddha and do not practice the Dao. But, it doesn’t mean that they are not good persons. Whether learning the Buddha and whether practicing the Dao or not, is not related to whether the person is a good person or not. If an evil person could repent his fault, has the heart of compassion, and wish to attain the Buddhahood, he could also learn the Buddha.

Good persons will obey Five Precepts automatically, but a wicked won't.

If one person would learn the Buddha, he would be taught to obey the five precepts in the fist classwork. Those who are Buddha-learner, but not Buddhist monk or nun are necessary to obey the five precepts. A good person does not necessarily obey such five precepts. Even though we are not the Buddha-learner, we could also obey the five precepts automatically. Then, what are five precepts? It is as follows:

Don’t kill others, and don’t kill self. 

Don’t steal things. It means not to take away any thing which is not allowed to give us. 

Don’t have sex in improperly ways. That is, don’t harm self and others. It is better to respect to each other. 

Don’t lie to self and others. 

Don’t take alcohol or illegal drug.

It is demonstrating that obeying the five precepts is the victory. As we know, such victory is not to compare to others, but, to ourselves. To offer meals to the person who obeys the five precepts is better than to offer meals to thousand good persons. It is the victory, too.

Why giving meals to ten thousand persons who obey the five precepts is not as good as giving one Srotāpanna a meal?

Srotāpanna, Sakridāgāmi and Anāgāmi are Sanskrit, and are some kind of rank noun. They are not limited in Buddhist monk or nun. That is, they are used to identify for the level of each Buddha-learner. They are also mentioned in different scriptures, and sometimes the explanation for them is different. In a word, in learning Buddha, they are still in different levels of self-saving.

Moreover, they have not yet been able to liberate themselves from the suffering, let alone to have the ability to save others to liberate from the suffering. Why? In the virtue, wisdom and bliss, what they have done and what they have gained is not enough. That is why they are saving themselves in effort, but not others.

Anyway, their degree of wisdom is better compared to the general good persons. That is because they have already the concept to liberate and save themselves and others, but the general good persons are not necessarily to have such concept. In other word, Srotāpanna, Sakridāgāmi and Anāgāmi have entered into the gate of emptiness and practice to abandon the greedy, hatred and stupid-obsession heart. However, the general good persons are not necessarily to have such concept. 

Why giving one hundred million Anāgāmis meals is not as good as giving one Arhat a meal?

It is also existed the difference in degree. The degree of Srotāpanna is less than Sakridāgāmi. And the degree of Sakridāgāmi is less than Anāgāmi. Even though this, in virtue, wisdom and bliss, they are better than the person who obey the five precepts. Why?

That is also because they have launched their compassionate heart and Bodhi heart. Meanwhile, they put the Buddha’s teaching into the practice. Their wisdom of emptiness-nature is thus grown. And their virtue and bliss is accumulated gradually, but has not yet proved the fruit of Dao. It means they have not yet proved the result of their natural wisdom. However, once they have proved the Dao as said and taught by Buddha, they become Arhat. In Buddhism, those who have liberated themselves from the suffering are called Arhat. In the degree of learning Buddha, the achievement of Arhat is better than Anāgāmis. Arhat is more near to the degree of Buddha. But, it has not yet perfected completely in enlightenment and practice of whole Buddh’s teaching.

Giving, sponsoring or offering meals to Arhat can bring us the virtue and bless. It is coming from the merit and virtue of Arhat. It would become the merit and virtue of giver someday. When we support Arhat to achieve the merit and virtue, it is as if we plant a good seed in the bliss farm, and the good seed will grow to be a large bliss tree and have many bliss fruit. It is not only we can enjoy it, but also we can share it with others.

Why giving ten hundred million Arhats meals is not as good as giving one Pratyeka-buddha a meal?

Arhat and Pratyeka-buddha have been liberated themselves from the suffering. That also means that they have more achieved in virtue, wisdom and bliss. But why giving ten hundred million Arhats meals are not as good as giving one Pratyeka-buddha a meal? If someone wants to achieve the degree of Arhat, they still have to depend on the wisdom-strength of and the compassion-strength of Buddha; moreover, they have to put the Dao into practice and then prove the fruit of Dao. It means that to be Arhat still have to hear the Buddha-law and be taught by Buddha. Arhat also has the ability to speak of Buddha-law.

But, those who achieve the degree of Pratyeka-buddha are depending on themselves to be enlightened. It means that they have attained the enlightenment of equality-wisdom, and the nature of Buddha. They are also in the state of no practicing and no proving. Being Pratyeka-buddha is not from hearing the Buddha-law from Buddha, and also not be taught by Buddha. They do not speak of Buddha-law. In the wisdom and virtue, their degree is more than the degree of Arhat. In other word, Pratyeka-buddha is in the stillness and emptiness.

So, offering a meal to Arhat or Pratyeka-buddha would connect with them, to nourish their body, and help them attain the Buddhahood. That would also help us sow the seed of wisdom, virtue and bliss in this life; and the fruits of wisdom, virtue, and bliss would be gained in our present life, and in our future life.

That is why the Buddhist is more willing to offer anything to the Buddha-learner, especially those persons who are enlightened in the nature of Buddha. But, it does not mean that the Buddhist does not offer anything to the poor. In Buddhism, there is the concept that those who become the poor are because they are not willing to generously offer anything to others in their past life. That is the past cause to make the present outcome.

In the perceiving of equality, the poor is also having the nature of Buddha, however, its nature of Buddha has not yet been enlightened. That is, its natural wisdom has still been covered, not been appeared. If our natural wisdom would be appeared, we would be very blissful, and would be full of wealth.

Why giving ten thousand million Pratyeka-buddha meals is not as good as giving one Three-World Buddha a meal?

   

There are two explanations for Three-World Buddha; it is about time and space. One is meant to the Buddha lived in the past world/time, the Buddha lived in the present world/time, and the Buddha lived in the future world/time. The other is meant to the Buddha Sakyamuni in the center world, the Buddha Amitabha in the western world, and the Buddha Pharmacist- glazed-light in the east world. 

The space and time are unified, are one, and are unlimited. So, any Buddha is in any time or in each space, they are one. This concept is hard to be understood, let alone to be experienced and proved by self, unless the concept for the existing boundary line and for the differentiation of anything have been broken and eliminated totally.

In our cognition, the Three-World Buddha is someone which should be respected by us. In the deep experience, the Three-World Buddha is not in our outside, but in our self-nature. When we respect the Three-World Buddha, it is also meant to respect ourselves. When we offer meals to the Three-World Buddha, it is also meant to offer anything to ourselves. The Three-World Buddha is unified with us. We are one.   

What is Buddha? When someone has totally enlightened from the highly wisdom, liberated from the suffering, and known all truth, meanwhile, has no fear in heart any more, and can also use its grand power of kindness and sympathy to save all sentient beings, so as to let them liberate from the suffering in life and death, we call such person “Buddha” to respect it. In Chinese language, we call it “Fo” or "Fu", which is transliterated from Chinese word, and its original language is from Sanskrit.

Now, we have one question. The above mentioned that the Three-World Buddha is unified with us and we are one. Why we aren’t Buddha? That is not the problem of the Three-World Buddha, but ours. It is because that our inner heart is not in the realm of Buddha. It also means that we have not yet been attained the Buddhahood.  

So, giving meals to the Three-World Buddha is more victory; it is because it is hard for us to offer meals to them. If we have the chance to offer meals to them, it is also meant to have more chance to liberate self from the suffering, and to have chance to gain more virtue, wisdom and bliss, and have the chance to attain the Buddhahood, due to the Three-World Buddha would give us the wisdom and compassion, teach us the Buddhism and how to be enlightened. That is why to offer meals to the Three-World Buddha is a special victory.

Why giving one thousand trillion Three-World Buddhas meals is not as good as giving a meal to a person who is in the state of no-thought, no-dwelling, no-practicing, and no-proving?

It is already so special victory. Why to give thousand and thousand million Three-World Buddhas meals is not as good as giving a meal to a person who is in the state of no thought, no dwelling, no practicing, and no proving?

No-dwelling means not to attach to or not depend on anything. A person who is in the state of no-thought, no-dwelling, no-practicing, and no-proving, which we have ever mentioned and explained in the chapter 2 (Chapter 2)A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha.

Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding

The Buddha said, “Those who go out of the family, become the Sramana, cut off the desire, remove the love, recognize the source of their own heart, reach the profound principle of the Buddha, realize the law of no-doing, have nothing being gained inside, have nothing being demanded outside, not to fasten the Dao in heart, nor to collect the karma, have no thoughts, have the no-doing, are non-practicing, are non-proving, not to experience the successive levels, but reach the own loftiest state of all, are called the Dao.”

If we do not understand the Buddhism, we might mistakenly understand it, and think that such person is no useful or is a loser. No, it is absolutely not like this. In Buddhism, those who could be in the state of no-thought, no-dwelling, no-practicing, and no-proving are attaining the higher wisdom, are gaining the higher virtue and bliss. That is, their achievement is higher and almost near or in the top.   

We might think that those who are in the state of no-thought, no dwelling, no-practicing, and no-proving are someone else, because giving meals to them is better than giving meals to the Three-World Buddha. If we think so, it is totally wrong.

If all the giving as mentioned could not make us attain the Buddhahood, such giving is almost no meaning for us. Some unwise people offering meals to others just want to get more fortune. If we have such thought, the realm of our heart is very limited and very small.   

So, all the giving as mentioned above is to help us attain the Buddhahood. That is, it is the very important meaning for us. If we understand the Buddhism profoundly, we could find that all mentioned is not someone else, but ourselves. What the mentioned in Buddhism seems someone else. But, in fact, it means us.

Those who are in such state as mentioned are highest in virtue, wisdom and bliss. They are almost in the state of Buddha. However, such person is very rare in the world. If we could have a chance to offer a meal to them, it is the most special victory. Why? It is because such person has achieved the state of one, to unify with the Three-World Buddha.   

Meanwhile, it also means that if we could have a chance to offer a meal to them, we could have a chance to be in such state as them by connecting with them and learning from them. Moreover, we finally might be also the one in such state. To make ourselves attain the Buddhahood is very noble and worth to be respected by the all sentient being; that is why offering meals to such person is the most special victory.

In a word, offering meals to others is to offer meals to ourselves. Providing something to others is to support ourselves. This is the principle of equality in Buddhism. What the achievement, their virtue, wisdom and bliss which they have attained would help us be the same with them.