Chapter 12 ﹝16﹞ : Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult.

(Chapter 12 ﹝16﹞ ) 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 ﹝16﹞ : Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult. (Meeting a person who owns the good knowledge is difficult.)

Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult (It is difficult to meet a person who owns the good knowledge.). It is the Sixteenth difficulty in the twenty difficulties said by Buddha Shakyamuni in this Chapter.

According to my personal knowledge and understanding, there are three definitions for  a person who owns the good knowledge. 

The first definition for the good-knowledge person is meant to those persons who are understanding of the specialized subject and have information about the specialized field. 

It is referring to the profession which can be used in the society and country. And mostly it must be tested and issued a certificate from the school or university or any allowable educational institution. Furthermore, it must have the good experience in some specialized subject and field, such as politic, finance, environmental protection, education, management, medicine, technology and so on.

This good-knowledge person would help us increase our knowledge and fortune to survive in the world. However, if we are not studying or working in the some specialized field, we almost have no chance to meet such professional persons. 

The second definition for the good-knowledge person is meant to those persons who own the virtue and merit in personal conduct and character.

The second definition for the good-knowledge person is meant to those persons who own the virtue and merit in personal conduct and character. Because they have the virtuous knowledge to put it into the practice and to persuade people to be good, they can thus help them and others people to be good persons at the same time.

In Buddhism, the good-knowledge person is meant to those persons who have been enlightened in the path of virtue, such as in the path of Buddha and Bodhisattva, and have liberated them from the suffering in life and death. Meanwhile, they have such knowledge and experience to teach and help people liberate from the suffering in life and death. That is, all of the Buddha and Bodhisattva are so called good-knowledge persons.

Where can we “meet” such good-knowledge persons? Through reading and reciting the Buddhist scripture, and profoundly understanding the teaching and meaning of Buddhist scripture, we have the chance to “meet” such good-knowledge persons.

However, not everyone has a chance to read and recite the Buddhist scripture, let alone to profoundly understand the teaching and meaning of Buddhist scripture. In this time, if we have a chance to meet the Buddhist monk, or Buddhist nun, or the Buddhist-residing scholar of male or female, and they have the above-mentioned characteristics to teach the public of the knowledge of Buddhism, we regard them as such good-knowledge persons. Such good-knowledge persons are one of the three treasures in Buddhism.

However, not everyone has a chance to meet such good-knowledge persons as said above. If we have no virtue in present and past life, we would have no chance to meet such good-knowledge persons. It is mentioned by Buddha Sakyamuni in the Buddhist scripture. That is why Buddha Sakyamuni always persuades the public and the human beings to do good things, to learn wisdom, and not to do evil things.

What is the advantage to meet such good-knowledge persons? In a word, they would enlighten our wisdom, help us know who we are and where we come from, and increase our bliss in present and future life. In Buddhism, it would help us become Buddha someday.  

There is a famous Buddhist scripture named as the Avatamsaka Sutra. In Sanskrit, it is as " महावैपुल्यबुद्धावतंसकसूत्र mahā-vaipulya-buddhâvataṃsaka-sūtra ". In its last part, The Buddha has mentioned about a boy whose name is Virtue-Wealth. I translate the boy’s name as Virtue-Wealth which is from the meaning of the Chinese characters. The transliteration from the Chinese characters is Shàn cái tóngzǐ. The boy Virtue-Wealth is about 15-18 years old. Due to he has planted a lot of virtue in his mind in the present and past life, he thus owns a lot of wealth naturally. That is why he is called as boy Virtue-Wealth. The famous part is that he visits 53 good-knowledge persons, and consults them how to learn the conduct of Bodhisattva and how to practice on the path of Bodhisattva. In a word, it is meant to how to learn Buddha.

In this part in the said Avatamsaka Sutra, I have not yet found any version of translation from Chinese into English. This is a pity. The human beings would rather spend huge money to develop or buy the high-tech weapon, but not will to spend a lot of money to develop the wisdom and the true bliss for the human beings.    

In the 53 good knowledge persons, there are Buddhist monks, Buddhist nuns, Buddhist-residing scholar of females, Buddhist-residing scholar of males, Immortals, Brahmans, elders, boys, girls, non-Buddhist monks, kings, women, the gods of heaven, the gods of land, the gods of night, God-light girl, and Bodhisattvas.

We can find that the good-knowledge persons are not limited in the Buddhism. The good-knowledge persons are also coming from the outer of Buddhism, and also coming from the different genders, ages, and various industries, even from the immortals, goddesses and gods. I think it is more corresponding to our logical thinking of the diversity and the equality.  

All of the good-knowledge persons have and practice their own method or Buddha-law to liberate from suffering in life and death, and to use such method or Buddha-law to liberate others people from suffering in life and death. It is not only liberating sentient beings from suffering, but also enlightening them and letting them own the wisdom, wealth and bliss naturally.

Some of the method is like the worldly knowledge, such as architecture, arithmetic, and law. However, most of the method or Buddha-law is beyond our knowledge and experience, even to beyond what it should be as we think. Mostly, it is positive concept and energy with benevolence and empathy to the all sentient beings.

The third definition for the good-knowledge person is meant to those persons who became the “evil person” to teach and punish the true evil persons, and to adjust them to be good persons.

However, there are exceptions. Even though there are exceptions, its essence is still based on the benevolence and empathy to the all sentient beings. Just he used another means which we think it might be not normal and not corresponding with our logical thinking.

For example, one of the good-knowledge persons is a king, and he might be not a good king according to our common sense. On the contrary, according to the public's common sense, they think the king is “evil and brutal”. Due to there are more evil people in his country, such evil people are full of greedy and hatred in mind, and always to bully and cheat the good persons, that is why the king becomes “the evil person” and uses the cruel punishment to punish such evil people.

So the third definition for the good-knowledge person is meant to those persons who became the “evil person” to teach and punish the true evil persons, and to adjust them to be good persons. There is a Chinese saying, “Evil people ride the evil horse.” It means that the true evil people are like the evil horse and there would be the more-evil people to tame such evil people.       

Do not worry. If we are not the true evil people, we would absolutely not meet the “more-evil person”.

In a word, how to encounter the good-knowledge persons as mentioned above? According to the Buddha’s teaching, we should initiate and have the Bodhi-heart and planted the virtue in mind. If we have such good causes, we would absolutely meet the good-knowledge persons as mentioned above and it would help us go on the path of Buddha.

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.

Tour in Taiwan, Roaming in the valley of Guguan, hot springs, hiking in the Shaolai trail & Baxian Mountain,the Eight Immortals Mountain

Guguan is located in Taichung, and is famous for its hot springs. Guguan is also a famous valley. there is a famous trail, Shaolai Trail, for the tourist to hike. Thanks to it is a natural valley, there is a lot of natural ecology, such as Taiwanese black bear. Taiwanese black bear is the national protected animal, which number is less than 250 in the world. Taiwanese black bear only could be found in Taiwanese mountain. The white V in the chest is the famous mark for the Taiwanese black bear.  When we hike in the higher mountain of Taiwan, we should be careful for and far away from the Taiwanese black bear, because Taiwanese black bear has the aggressive.  secondly, we should be careful for the wild viper. 

There is a lot of hotels which are offered the service of hot springs. When we return to the hotel from the hiking, we could take a shower and enjoy the service of hot springs. 

This is the entrance of the Shaolai Trail.

This is the suspension bridge in the Shaolai Trail.

 This is part of the Shaolai Trail.

 This is part of the Shaolai Trail.

There are also many Taiwanese aboriginal peoples living in Guguan.  The dolls shows the traditional dresses of the Taiwanese aboriginal peoples. But, in the current factual life, their dresses and culture of life are almost the same with the general peoples. 

The doll is Taiwanese black bear. In the current factual life, it is almost hardly for us to see the wild Taiwanese black bear. 

There is a hot spring park. A lot of families come here and enjoy the hot spring. There are many little fishes in the hot spring. The fishes bite the feet of the families.

In the Tourist Visitor Center, there is a wall which introduces the famous hot springs in Taiwan and in the world. From Guguan, we can take a bus to the deeper mountain, Baxian Mountain, which is one of the National Forest Recreation Areas.

This is the entrance of Baxian Mountain, the Eight Immortals Mountain. We need to buy the ticket. The cost is used to maintain the ecological environment and other miscellaneous expenses.

It shows the earlier glutinous rice culture of the aboriginal people, and let the travelers to experience such culture. 

There are also cabins available for accommodation here.

 Peach is the specialty here.

There are a lot of birds and butterfly ecology here.

 There are also many trails to hike. 

 The Eight Immortals Mountain, Baxian Mountain, is above 2000 meters above sea level.

There is the Tourist Visitor Center, which is offered the ecological education for the children and families. 

Bus information: we can take the bus#153 from the bus station#21 in exit#6 of Taichung High Speed Railway Station. Its final station is Guguan. 

Travel in Taiwan, eat in Wuqi Fishing Harbor, walk in Gaomei Wetland, Taichung city

This video records two places.

One is Wuqi fishing harbor. The other is Gaomei wetland.

We can go these two places easily by bus. 

We take the #309 Bus of BRT, from the start station-Taichung railway station-to the final station, Wuqi fishing harbor. It takes about one hour and more.

We must have one Easycard, which can be used in taking the short-distance train, subway and the bus. We have to go to the exit toward the road of TaiwanBoulevard. Then, we go to the Platform B and down stair to wait for the Bus#309. There will be a bus in 25 mins. 

In Wuqi fishing harbor, there is a fish market, where we can buy the fresh fish, and then take it to the seafood restaurant and ask the chef to cook it for us. We have to pay it. 

There are also the shopping streets to sell many kinds of cooked seafood. We can find those places easily when we walk around. 

We could walk around to see the fishing boat and the sea. We can buy a ticket and take a boat trip, to see the white dolphin, and the final destination is Taichung harbor, where is also a good place to trip. There is a Ferris wheel and shopping mall. 

If we eat too much in the Wuqi fishing harbor, let us go to the Gaomei wetland, and take a walk in the long way so as to have the digestion and weight loss.  Because we take the return Bus from the Wuqi fishing harbor, when we arrive at the bus station of Gaomei wetland, we have to go back to find the way toward the Gaomei wetland.

Gaomei Wetland is located at the exit of the Dajia stream into the sea, is a large area, and is wildlife sanctuary. There are the various landscapes in the high tide and low tide with the change of climate, season and time. It is also a public area to open for the public. But sometimes it would be closed, if the area is dangerous.  

There are many different species of small crabs, and bouncing fishes, in the wetland. There are also many different species of birds flying to find food and walking in the wetland. It is a safe and beautiful place for the family or lover to hike or to ride a bike. And it is also a good place to do the observation of ecology. 

Gaomei wetland is also a very special landscape in Taiwan and in the internationally. The sunset in here is also a very beautiful landscape. However, it is raining today. The sky is covered by dark clouds. There is no sunshine. But, don’t worry. Be happy. Every day is good day. Every moment is good moment. Let us live in the moment. The landscape of Gaomei Wetland in the raining day is also good and beautiful. It is cool today and suitable to take a walk.

If we take a walk under a big sun, it is too hot and not suitable to take a walk in the wetland.  We should be careful and avoid the heat stroke under a big sun. If you do not like to take a walk, but like to ride a bike, there are bikes in the roadside. After completely registering our smartphone number in the machine only one time with the Easycard, we can ride the bike in the whole Taiwan.

This is the Gaomei wetland visitor center. There is the coffee shop and ecological exhibition hall in the center. We can park around this center, if we drive a car to be Gaomei wetland.

There is the breakwater and gazebo. It is good place to see the landscape and the sunset.

There are windmills in the distance. In Taiwan, we promote wind power and solar power. On the western coast in Taiwan, we can see windmills or solar panels everywhere. 

When we go up into the bus, I recommend you to sit in the behind. The seat is relatively high, and you can see the street landscape of Taichung city. Mostly, we don’t use the cash, when we take the bus. We have to use the Easycard, to sensor the machine, when we get on and off the bus.