(Chapter 12 ﹝17﹞ ) 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 ﹝17﹞: Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao are difficult.
Seeing the Nature and
learning the Dao are difficult. It is the Seventeenth difficulty in the twenty
difficulties said by Buddha Shakyamuni in this Chapter.
The definition about the
word "Nature" here is different from what you have known in the
dictionary.
The Nature here is broadly
classified as four meanings. But, actually and profoundly, these four meanings
are one.
The first is meant to the self-nature
(the nature of self).
The second is meant to the
law-nature or dharma-nature (the nature of law or the nature of dharma).
The third is meant to the
emptiness-nature (the nature of emptiness).
The forth is meant to the
Buddha-nature (the nature of Buddha).
These four natures could be
really seen by eyes, which are not only seen by naked-eyes, but also could be
seen by heart-eyes. So, that is why it is used the word “see”.
It is difficult for most
people to understand the four-mentioned meanings about “the Nature”, let alone
to “see” the Nature as mentioned-above.
In Chapter 2, 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.”
It is difficult for the
most people to understand the Dao said by Buddha, let alone to learn it.
In Lotus Sutra, there is a
Chinese sentence,” Have completely seen the nature and then become the Buddha.”
So, now we know that we have to completely see the nature before we become a
Buddha. The meaning of the nature here is the meaning as said above.
The self-nature (our own nature)
The broad meaning of the
nature and the self-nature includes the natural instincts, inherent quality,
and inwardness.
However, do you really
understand the true meaning of the nature and the self-nature? The sixth-founder
of Zen in China, Zen Master Hui Neng (AD638-718), said, “ The wonderful nature
is the originally emptiness.“ But, what does it have any meaning for us, if the
wonderful nature is the originally emptiness?
He said, “All of the law
can not leave the self-nature.” The law here broadly means a general rule
that states what always happens when the same conditions exist. It further
means the general rule of all things, which contains the law of virtue, and the
law of evil; including the method, rule, legislation, codex, education,
knowledge, regulation, theory, doctrine, ideology, religion, belief, dogma,
science, music, art, politic, physic, technology, psychology, philosophy,
sociology, medicine, therapy and so on, even to the virtue karma, the wealth,
health, wisdom and bliss.
He also said, “The
self-nature could generate all law.” In other word, the all things could be
birth by self-nature (our own nature). That is, the self-nature (our own nature) could birth the law of virtue,
and also could birth the law of evil.
Zen master Hui Neng said
that the essence of self-nature (our own nature) is clear and pure, and is in the state of
emptiness and stability, and also is in the state of no-birth and no-death.
However, once it is affected by the conditions from the outward, the
self-nature (our own nature) becomes unclear and unstable. It is like that our own nature is polluted by the dust
from the outward. The polluted state of self-nature (our own nature) also is in the state of the
continually cycles of birth and death, which means that all things would happen
birth and death under the mutual situations of the outward-mind and
self-thought.
Secondly, Zen master Hui
Neng also said that the essence of self-nature (our own nature) is full of all things. Why? From
the concept of above, we know that the self-nature (our own nature) is able to generate all
things. But, here I have to explain it more profoundly. The Buddha Shakyamuni
said, “All laws of things are alone created by heart.” Here, the heart means
the self-nature (our own nature). In other words, once any good causes meet any good conditions,
any good things would be generated from our self-nature (our own nature). The good causes might
come from our inner thought or from outer conditions. The good conditions might
be created by ourselves or by outer situation.
From the concept of above,
we know that the Buddha Shakyamuni has taught us to count on our self-nature,
not rely on outer Buddha or Bodhisattva. Why? The self-nature of Buddha or
Bodhisattva is no different with us. When they create any things from their own
heart, the method and concept are the same with above.
But, why we are not Buddha or
Bodhisattva? That is because we have lost our self-nature and are
unenlightened. Buddha does not lose its self-nature. The Buddha Shakyamuni said
that the self-nature is like the moon which is so bright and could light our
path in the dark. However, the self-nature of the most people is covered by the
dark cloud which let the self-nature no more brightness and could not light our
path anymore. The dark cloud means the delusion, wishful thinking, vain hope,
pipedream, obsession, stubborn, greedy, hatred, jealous, distrust, suspicious,
indulgence desire, over enjoyment, foxiness, chicanery, arrogance, prejudice
and so on, which could pollute self-nature.
So, it is possible for us
to see “the bright moon”, the self-nature, if we remove such said dark-cloud.
Once we see our self-nature, we could also see the self-nature of others
people. Because the self-nature of others people is no different with us.
The law-nature
If we want to distinguish
what is the different between the self-nature and the law-nature. We could say
that the self-nature is inner of our body and the law-nature is outer of our
body. Furthermore, the law-nature could not leave the self-nature. Without the
self-nature, the law-nature has no meaning for us, because the law-nature is
also generated from the self-nature. Eventually, both of them are some kind of
concepts which help us to understand who we are and what the essence of the
world is.
I use the word ”law” to
instead of the word “dharma”. We could give new definition for the word “law”,
because any new definition could be created by our self-nature.
In Buddhism, the concept of
law is not what you have thought. There are several meanings for the word ”law”
in Buddhism.
In general, we know that the word ”law” includes the meaning of
criterion, standard, rule, principle, regulation and norm which are set by
human beings, such as constitutional law; or such as Newton’s laws of motion,
the laws of physics and the laws of nature.
Extending and broadly
explaining the word “law”, it includes the general rule of the changing or
unchanging of large or small, or of substance, or of objects or things about
the visible, invisible, real and false. It is regarded as part of Buddha-law
(dharma; Buddhist-law).
Furthermore, the meaning of
the word “law” includes the rule for preserving and maintaining the self-body.
For example, plum tree has its own body; bamboo has its own body; the visible
has its own body; the shapeless also has its own body. All of them would have
their own rule to preserve and maintain their own body. It is also
regarded as part of Buddha-law.
In addition, in such
meanings, it also includes the method and applying, and any generated states in
such meanings. It is also regarded as part of Buddha-law.
So, concluding above, we
give the word “law” more widely meanings in Buddhism. The word “law” means all
having in the universe, which contains the visible things or objects, such as the
high mountain, the large sea, or the small dust and sand, or the bacterial;
which also contains the invisible things or objects, such as the air, wind,
soul, ghost or god; which also contains the thought, spirit, opinion and
concept generated from human beings. In a word, the “law” is generated from the
combining of all outer reasons and conditions.
Therefore, if we remove any
reasons and conditions step by step, or one by one, and when any reason could
not meet any condition, we could find that any law could not be established or
generated. We then understand the essence of law is nothing and emptiness.
For example, as we know, if
there is no sun, water and soil, the seed of grass could not grow to be green
grass. So, the seed is as the reason. The sun, water and soil are as the
conditions. The green grass is as the consequence or the result. Only the seed
(the reason) combines the sun, water and soil (the conditions), the green grass
(the consequence or the result) therefore could be generated. We call such
forming process, method, rule or preserving and maintaining the self-body as
“law” in Buddhism.
So, as we have mentioned
above, the nature of law is nothing and emptiness. However, it could generate
any having in the universe, once any reasons link to or meet any conditions.
What are the conditions? The sound, light and material in the universe are
regarded as the conditions.
All of above is part of
Buddha-law. There is no proper English word to interpret the law or rule or
principle in Buddhism. I translate it as “law” or “Buddha-law” or
“Buddhist-law” to instead of the Sanskrit-word “dharma”.
The emptiness-nature
The emptiness in
Sanskrit-word is ”śūnya”. The emptiness-nature in Sanskrit-word is “śūnyatā “.
To realize and practice the meaning of the emptiness and the emptiness-nature
is one of the key points in the focus in learning Buddha.
However, it is too hard for
the people to realize and practice the meaning of the emptiness and the
emptiness-nature. That is also why the Buddhism could not be accepted by the
most people; even some people hate the Buddhism and want to destroy it. Why?
That is because most people
want the more desire, more love, more fortune, more wives, more powers and more
enjoyment. If they want to have so many things, they have to control the world
and slave others beings; even to initiate the war or kill people.
However, the Buddha Sakyamuni
is in the different opinions. The Buddha Sakyamuni is completely enlightened
and realizes and practices the meaning of the emptiness-nature. He is the truly
great-wisdom person and has left us the shapeless and very precious assets.
The Buddha Sakyamuni spent
most of his life to teach his disciples how to understand, realize and practice
the meaning of the emptiness and the emptiness-nature. The talking was recorded
by its disciples as Buddhist-scriptures. One of the famous Buddhist-scriptures is
Diamond Sutra and the Great-wisdom Sutra (the Sanskrit is as महामहाभारतसूत्र Mahā-prajñāpāramitā Sūtra). These two Buddhist-scriptures
are mentioned the great wisdom of the emptiness-nature.
Some of the Buddhist,
including the Buddhist monk and nun, could not really understand the meaning of
the emptiness-nature. This is not their fault. That is because their wisdom is
not enough. So their life becomes to be a vegetarian. And, every day, they
recite the name of Amitabha, and Buddhist scripture, for themselves and others
sentient beings, even to the deceased, in order to bless them. They think that
this is the merit and virtue. And they hope that their next life could birth in
the pure land of Amitabha. They are so persistent in such faith. That is why the
general people thus mistakenly understand the Buddhism, and think that the
Buddhists escape from the secular life and have no contribution to the society.
Therefore, they have the more prejudice about the Buddhism and the Buddhist.
The Buddha Sakyamuni spoke
of the merit of releasing the life of beings in order to teach the disciples
not to kill the sentient beings, and to avoid any sin to come to them, but to
birth the heart of compassion for all sentient beings. Some Buddhist monk and
nun thus purposely buy the animals from the sellers, and recite the Buddhist
mantra or sutra for the animals, in order to teach their disciples to birth the
heart of compassion for the sentient beings. However, such action results in
the controversy, because the released beings, such as exotic species of fishes
and birds or vipers, would harm or spoil the local ecology and the local
environment.
The above two examples are
one of the application of the Buddha-law. However, if we do not really
understand the emptiness-nature, and just are persistent in one part of merit
and virtue of Buddhism, it is possible to make the public mistakenly understand
the Buddhism or mistakenly lead the public to the wrong way.
To understand, realize and
practice the emptiness-nature is the best-worth thing in our life, if we want
to learn Buddha. All the method or application of the Buddha-law is just to
help us return and achieve the emptiness-nature. To achieve the
emptiness-nature is to achieve the supreme wisdom and blessing.
From the internet or any
Buddhist school, there is a lot of debate or philosophy about what are the
emptiness and the emptiness-nature. Such concept or theory makes us dizzy. To
directly read the Buddhist-scripture might be more helpful for us.
Unfortunately, it is very few for the English version of the
Buddhist-scripture, let alone the version of the other language.
Some of the Buddhist
ancients are lack of the completely knowing about the emptiness and the
emptiness-nature, and thus fall into the stubborn emptiness, to deny all
existence and to abandon the secular life. Most people thus think that they are
losers, decadent persons. The Buddhism is thus mistakenly understood. The
Buddhism is even to be despised by the public.
In the many previous
articles, I have explained about what is the meaning of the emptiness many
times. If you have ever read the previous articles, you might have the concept
about the emptiness. If you have not yet read any previous articles and are
interested in the emptiness and the supreme wisdom, I recommend you to read the
following articles, The
Scripture of The Supreme-Wisdom Heart, or Let
heart in peace. No fear and no affliction any more. (Updated on 2019/07/11).
This article is Heart Sutra, and its explanation, which are the concentration
and the essence of the concept of the emptiness. This is the one of the basis
to understand the concept of the emptiness. However, if we want to profoundly
learn Buddha, it is not enough for us to only read and understand the heart
sutra.
The emptiness and
emptiness-nature could not be discussed by any words, let alone being debating
or speculating by any thinking. However, to understand the meaning of the
emptiness and emptiness-nature, we have to make the second choice, to talk and
explain about what are the emptiness and the emptiness-nature. Even the word
“emptiness” or “emptiness-nature”, it is created by human beings from the
emptiness and emptiness-nature. In the original start, the word “emptiness” or
“emptiness-nature” are not existent. So, for many things, you can such compare
and have the analogies.
For example, we suppose
that there is a desk in front of you. You see the desk and you also have the
concept of the word ”desk” appeared in your mind at the same time. When we are
a baby and could recognize the world, the shape and the concept of the desk are
existent in our mind. In other word, from that time, we have already been used
to any existence. Any existences are around us and even to be a part of us,
which make us impossible to recognize and admit the emptiness, let alone to see
the emptiness-nature. That is our mind unconsciously has been occupied,
restricted and controlled by the inertia of thinking and recognition. And that
would affect our independent thinking and judgment.
The shape and the material
of desk is completed and created by human beings. And the process is from the
nothing to be something. However, it is also possible for the further process
from something to be nothing, because the desk might be getting old, weathered
and damaged, then it might be dismantled or burned. In that time, does it still
be a desk? No. it is no longer a desk. For the anything of the shapeless, such
as concept, opinion, view, thought, theory, dogma, ideology, research,
academic, law, custom, emotion or feeling, it could also be such compared and
could have the analogies.
So, the whole process from
nothing to be something and then from something to be nothing is the nature of
the emptiness. To understanding this point is very important, because it would
help us get rid of being restricted and controlled by any inertia, or of any
existence, including thinking and ideology.
Then, we might have one
question. Who create the human beings? In the Buddha’s teaching, all sentient
beings are formed by their thought and their accumulated karma, which are made
in their past life. Karma means the strength of the behavior or action, which
might be positive or negative. So, in Buddhism, the dominance to create the
outer or inner world of us, including ourselves, is grasp in our own heart. And
the essence of the outer or inner world of us, including ourselves, is the
emptiness-nature.
For example, the sperm of
father combines the egg of mother to form the human body, which is the process
of forming or birth. It grows up and might maintain the health in stability, which
is the process of the dwelling. But, the cells, nerves and organs also began to
degenerate, which is the process of changing. Finally, the body is death, and
burned or decomposition, which is the process of destroying and emptiness. The
whole process of the forming, dwelling, changing and destroying, we said that
its essence is the emptiness-nature.
So, the emptiness-nature
doesn’t mean that it contains nothing or it is no-doing. On the contrary, the
emptiness-nature contains all having and everything could be done from the
emptiness-nature.
No matter the self-nature
or the law-nature, it is the emptiness-nature. So, the emptiness-nature is not
a death state. On the contrary, it is “able to generate or to birth”, to birth
the all having, the all existence, including the things or events of shape and
of shapeless.
The Buddha-nature
The emptiness-nature is the
Buddha-nature. The Buddha-nature includes the emptiness and the non-emptiness.
Many people ask for the
Buddha to bless them, even to visit the famous mountain where is sitting Buddha
or where lives the famous Buddhist monk. In other word, Most of the people only
know about the outer Buddha, but they don’t know the inner Buddha in their
heart.
The first Zen-founder in
China is named as Dharma, who is an Indian and he can speak Chinese. In the
early time of China, the Buddhist-scripture is brought into China by Indian
Buddhist monk and is also translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by the Indian
Buddhist monk. When the Indian Buddhist monk transmitted the Buddhism into
China, they use the way of peace. They neither use the military to bully the
people nor to use the threatening to ask people the taxation.
However, because of the
limited by information and transportation, and of the poverty of most people
who don’t have the bliss, wisdom and knowledge to learn Buddha, the Buddhism
could not spread widely in India. Fortunately, the Buddhism is flourish and
widely spread in China in the past time, and so now in Taiwan.
Dharma, the first
Zen-founder in China, who had written some Buddhist articles about what is
Buddha, and is also copied and recorded by his Chinese disciples. Some of the
famous Buddhist verses are as follows:
I originally seek heart but
heart is self-maintained.
Seeking heart and didn't
get it, we should wait for our heart to know it.
The Buddha-nature could not
be obtained from outer heart.
When generating anything
from heart is the time of generating the sin.
I originally seek heart,
not Buddha,
And understand that there is nothing in
the emptiness of three realms.
If you want to ask for
Buddha but seek your heart,
Only this heart is a Buddha.
Above Buddhist verses are
translated from Chinese into English by me. I hope that it properly transmit
the meaning of the Buddhist verses spoken by Dharma, the first Zen-founder in
China. The meaning of heart here is not meant to the organ, but a shapeless
state. In Buddhism, the meaning of shapeless heart contains a lot, which are
even included the conscious, thought and mind.
From the Buddhist verses,
we understand that the Buddha-nature could not be obtained from the outside of heart. But, I have to tell you that, from the outside of heart, it could help us
understand the inner heart, the Buddha-nature.
Many scholars research the
Buddhism, and have written a lot of theories. But, most of the talking make us
dizzy and let us do not know what they are talking about. Buddha Sakyamuni did
not research the Buddhism, who even did not have any papers and certificate.
Buddha Sakyamuni realized and practiced the Buddhism by its concrete action.
That is what we should learn, if we want to learn Buddha.
To see and to have the
Buddha-nature is not coming from the research or recitation, but coming from
the realization and practicing in daily life, and it is also could not be
obtained by leave away from the public.
Then, what is the
Buddha-nature? Buddha Sakyamuni said that all sentient beings have the
Buddha-nature. We summarize above. The self-nature, the law-nature and the
emptiness-nature is the Buddha-nature. Buddha Sakyamuni said that the
Buddha-nature is originally full of the all and it is like the mind-obeying
orb-pearl which could generate or appear anything what we need. In the opinions
of Buddha Sakyamuni, the original nature of all sentient beings, that is the
Buddha-nature, is very abundant and could content what we need. When we deep
realize and practice the Buddha-nature, we would more understand the rich in
our self-nature.
Many people do not believe
what the Buddha Sakyamuni had said, because what he had shown is a Buddhist
monk. He begged the food each day and had no house, no wife. He did not need
any valuable things. Every day he slept under a tree and only ate a meal a day.
How could it be possible for him to be a rich person? Many people hate Buddha
Sakyamuni, because they don’t want to be like him. If you just only see such
thing, it is your largest lose.
The Buddha Sakyamuni spent
his time of 49 years to teach the Buddhism. In that time, the average life
expectancy of the people may be less than 40 years old. In other word, for the
most people, it is impossible for them to completely understand the Buddhism in
their whole life. This is my speculation. That might be also one of the reasons
why the Buddhism could not widely spread and only could be accepted by the
nobility in the beginning. In that time, the nobility has the longer life than
the general people, and has the more time and knowledge to understand the Buddhism.
Secondly, the nobility don’t worry about their livelihood problem.
The Buddha Sakyamuni
mentioned that any need of a Buddha is supplied by the beings in the heaven and
earth. That is because a Buddha is the teacher of the beings of the heaven and
earth. And it is also because the supreme merit and virtue of a Buddha. Why?
Because it is the virtuous repay and result of a Buddha. A Buddha has been
one of the sentient beings in its many past lives and has supplied anything to
many Buddha. At the same time, it accepts the teaching of Buddha and sincerely
practices it. It is in such way and lives in his many lives, until one day, it
has completely been enlightened and then becomes a Buddha. The Buddha Sakyamuni
taught us that the virtuous reason would result in the virtuous repay and
consequence.
So, actually, the Buddha
Sakyamuni was very rich. What is commendable is that he didn’t greed those
stuffs. And it also didn’t indulge himself in those things. What he needs is
just to apply in teaching Buddhism. Some of his disciples was very rich and
offered the house and food for supporting the Buddha’s teaching. So, the Buddha
Sakyamuni was not always a beggar. Most of his time, he lived in a great and
beautiful house, and ate the food, all of which was offered by his disciples,
the rich elders.
What the mentioned above is
just only one part of the Buddha-nature and is also the part of the reasons.
There is also a lot of Buddha-law said by Buddha Sakyamuni. Some of the
application of Buddha-law is some kind of convenience for the people to realize
the Buddha-nature. Some people could not realize the Buddha-nature by
understanding the reason. However, it is possible for them to realize the
Buddha-nature by actually application of Buddha-law in daily life. Why?
The Buddha-nature is
incredible. Its essence is in the supreme silent state of no thought, no work,
no action and no doing. That is the state of the emptiness and stillness. Meanwhile, it is able to think all things from the
state of no thought. And dependent on the wisdom, it is capable to do anything based on the state of no work,
no action and no doing.
So, if we understand the
reason of Buddha-nature, it would be possible for us to learn the Dao said by
Buddha Sakyamuni. To see the above-mentioned nature and to achieve such Dao is
not difficult for us. Then, what is the meaning for us? It lets us be
completely full of the supreme wisdom, merit-virtue and blessing.
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.
