Chapter 12 ﹝17﹞: Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao are difficult.

(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.

The Dao here is defined by the Buddha Shakyamuni, which you could refer to Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding.

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.