Chapter 17: The brightness comes and the darkness disappears (Updated on January 3, 2022)

(Chapter 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 17: The brightness comes and the darkness disappears

The Buddha said,” Those who see the Dao are as holding a torch into a dark room, where the dark is vanished immediately, yet only the brightness exists. Learning Dao and seeing truth, no-light is vanished immediately, yet the light always exists.”  

We have to use our own eyes to see the moon, not others eyes.

When we learn Buddha at different stages, the understanding of the Dao will be different. We have ever mentioned the different stages of the Dao in Chapter 14: Ask about the goodness and grandest.

What the Dao is, which has to be experienced by self. Fortunately, Buddha Sakyamuni has talked and taught us a lot according to his experience, and which gives us a direction to learn. We also have mentioned the Dao in many articles in this blog. Regarding the more profoundly meaning about the Dao, it is not yet mentioned in this blog.

In fact, the Buddhist scripture of 42 chapters said by Buddha is talking about the Dao. Of course, all of the Buddhist scripture is talking about the Dao. The Buddha Sakyamuni said that what he has talked and taught is as like outstretching the arm, and pointing at moon with finger. What it means? If we want to see the moon, the brightness, we have to use our own eyes, not the eyes of Buddha Sakyamuni. What he had done is to tell us where the moon is, why it is the moon, and what we can do to know the moon, when we can see the moon, and how bright it is.

Do you have ever thought why we want to learn or know about the Dao? Does it mean anything to us? If we don’t have any question about it, we would not be interested in that. Only when we have the basic concept about its meaning to us, it would be possible for us to open our mind and to learn Dao further.

The greatest Dao is the speechless. (The grandest Dao is no speech.)

In Buddhism and Daoism, the basic meaning of Dao is the same. Why? The basic meaning of Dao, that is the truth of Dao, is actually practiced and realized by the wise people themselves at the different places and the different time. The truth of Dao is practiced and realized through our experience, but not created by whom.

However, most people do not have such intelligence to realize the truth of Dao, because most of them are repressed by the suffering in life, such as hard working to raise children or to earn money. In ancient time, that is why those who want to seek the truth of Dao would leave their family, which is to give up their worldly life and the burden in life, so as to learn Dao.

Moreover, some of the masters in Buddhism ask their disciples not to read the news and not to contact the outer world, so as to focus their mind to learn Dao. But, in the modern time, I do not suggest you to do that, because the information exchange on the internet is easier to know and obtain, and the AI could replace of many labors, which is also helpful to us to learn Dao.

In fact, Dao is existed everywhere. And it is impossible to gain the Dao by self-excluded from the worldly life or from the outer world. Furthermore, the greatest Dao could not be express by words. That is the greatest Dao is the speechless. It is only when we actually practice, experience and realize the Dao, and the Dao could be seen in the current moment. 

  

The wise human beings in heaven also teach us the truth of Dao.

Except for the practice to learn Dao by self, it would be possible that the truth of Dao is taught and transmitted by the wise human beings in heaven. In other word, the wise human beings in heaven might be the teacher or professor. According to the historical records, there are a lot of different name to call them.

Whatever which name is called, that the wise human beings in heaven have the ability to teach and communicate with the wise persons who practice the Dao on earth is true. Such historical records could be found or read in Chinese Buddhist scripture or in the Chinese documents of Daoism, or any historical documents in Chinese. Such teaching is very positive and helpful to human life.

There is the evil spirits in heaven and is able to control human beings on earth.

In fact, no matter whether people learn Dao or not, the human beings in heaven are able to teach and communicate with them. However, the content what is taught might be different. And some of them might be not good for the human beings on earth.

According to the Chinese Buddhist scripture, the demon in heaven is able to spoil the Buddhism purposely. But, it maybe not be called demon. It is possible to be another name to be called. Such as the spy, we may not know who the spy is, what its real name is, and how it manipulates us. However, it may be around us, or to be our friend, or partner, or colleague.

Demon is also one of the human beings in heaven. In other words, there are the evil spirits in heaven, who could manipulate the human beings on earth and teach them to do the evil things so as to spoil the harmony in the society or in the country of human beings on earth.

According to our experience, thinking, reasoning and judgment, could it be possible to be true? If it is true, what we should do and what we have the choice? And how we could get rid of the control from the demon in heaven?

How could we get rid of the control from the evil spirit in heaven?

In this part, Buddha Sakyamuni also teaches us a lot. In a brief, that is to learn Dao of Buddhism and keep the positive and right thinking as taught by Buddha Sakyamuni. Why? Do you think, could it be possible for evil spirit to control or manipulate emptiness or nothingness?

For example, if we have and persist in love and desire in our mind, it would be possible for us to be manipulated by anyone who makes use of the love and desire in our mind. If there is no love and desire in our mind, that is nothingness in mind, how could it be possible for demon to manipulate us by making use of the love and desire? That is also one of the reasons that Buddha Sakyamuni wants us to know that we could see Dao, if we could abandon the love and desire.

Understanding this and to abandon the love and desire, our heart of empathy and of equality for all sentient beings would be generated gradually. That is the true love for all sentient beings. The prospect of our life is thus actually lighted. That is true brightness in our life and future.

When people are willing to take time to realize and practice the truth of life or of the universe, that is to learn and practice the Dao, it would be possible for everyone to see the Dao someday. Therefore, the truth of Dao is not the patent which should be belonged to whom, but it could be gained by everyone. 

What is the difference between doing goodness and learning Dao?

Secondly, even the human beings in heaven, most of them do not know what the truth of Dao. In Buddhist scripture, Buddha Sakyamuni also teaches Buddhism for the human beings in heaven; that is to teach them to learn Dao. Why? A lot of human beings in heaven are reincarnated from the human beings on earth; that is because they have done a lot of goodness, but have not yet to learn Dao, let alone to know what the truth of Dao.

It is easier for us to do goodness, because it might let us have a good feeling for the value of our existence and might make us happy or to have the obviously feedback from any person who is helped by us. Moreover, we always have the concept that we could go into heaven to enjoy the bliss, if we could do goodness in current life.

Learning the Dao and practicing the Dao seems not to be the same thing, but, it is truly the same thing finally. If you have ever read the Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding, or you have ever read a lot of articles in this blog, you might have the basic concept about the truth of Dao.

Do you have ever thought what the difference between learning Dao and doing goodness would be? Many people think that doing goodness is learning Dao. I cannot say it is wrong, because doing goodness is the basic to learn Dao. But, the meaning of Dao is broader. 

Practicing the Dao is able to see the Dao, which makes our life brightness.

Furthermore, do you have ever thought what the true helpful to our real life, if we learn Dao or see the Dao? If it could not help our life in reality, why we learn Dao? If you have ever read a lot of articles in this blog, you might have the basic concept about why we learn Dao.

Many people think that it is useless to learn Dao, because they do not know how it could be helpful to their real life, such as to have a job to earn money or to have meals in life. This is a very real problem. Actually, it is the suffering in life. Buddha Sakyamuni had answered a lot to resolve such problem, and had blessing a lot for those people who are willing to learn Dao.

To learn and practice the Dao is to learn and practice the wisdom, especially to inspire the natural wisdom in our self. We have mentioned such concept in Chapter 15: Ask about the force and brightness. And there is the answer for this problem.

There is the shallow or the deep meaning for the Dao. No matter it is, once we have seen the Dao, it would light our life, even if it is only a slight light, which could become the great light someday and make our whole life in the present and future life be in the brightness.

Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion.

p.s. 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.

To tolerate the Se and desire is difficult.

(Chapter 12 ﹝6﹞ ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha (updated 2019/11/24)

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 

To tolerate the Se and desire is difficult. This is the sixth difficulty said by Buddha Shakyamuni in the Chapter 12 (6). This is the updated translation and writing.

“Se” is transliterated from Chinese. There are many different meanings for the character “Se” in Chinese. When I want to translate it into English, I have tried many words. Last time, I use the word ”erotic”. However, I always think, it could not completely representative the Chinese word ”Se”.

This time, I decide to get rid of what views from others, and to translate and express it by my own views and knowledge. So, I decide to use the original word “Se” instead of “erotic”. What is the connect about these two words ”Se” and “erotic”?

What is the meaning of “Se”?

The original meaning of“Se” in Chinese is the impression that light emitted and reflected by an object produces through vision. On this basis, it is extended to be many different meanings. All of any object, any material or any substance, which could be seen by our eyes or could be touched by our hand or body, is included in the word “Se”.

Let’s explore the original meaning of “Se”. We could find that if we want to form the word ”Se”, it has to be combined by light, emitting, reflection, object and our eyes. In other words, the light, emitting, reflection, object and our eyes are conditions to form the word “Se”. If there is lack of any one of the said conditions, it is impossible to form the word “Se”.

Extending the meaning of “Se” and translating it into English, it would be the meanings of color, tint, hue, look, appearance, countenance, expression, scene, description, kind or quality. In the Chinese meaning, it would include the meanings of erotic, lust or sexual desire. And mostly, when the Buddhist monks teach Buddhism, they prefer to use the meanings of erotic, material or substance to express the meaning of “Se”.

Why tolerating the Se and desire is difficult?

Why tolerating the Se and desire is difficult? That is because our mind and eyes are always following the changes of colors, hue, look, appearance, countenance, expression, scene and description. If we thus see what we like or what would content our mind, our desire for them is therefore generated. That is, our heart is always turning with the changes of external realms. In Buddhism, that is called un-stability of heart.

For Buddhist monk or nun, to cut off or to abandon the love and desire is the basic discipline. That the eyes and mind stop following the changes of external realms is to train the mind and heart to be stable. However, it is very difficult to do that, let alone to tolerate the changes of external realms.    

Most people prefer to follow the erotic. To stop following the erotic is one of the most difficulties. And mostly, the erotic is concerned about the money or fortune. For some people, it is even connecting the poison. Such thing becomes the temptation and is possible to draw in people to make crime. Such people indulge in the enjoyment in the current moment. That is why it is difficult for people to tolerate the erotic and desire. Unfortunately, they do not think about any consequence. That is, the suffering or pain is coming after the enjoyment.  

For the male, they prefer to follow the beautiful and glamorous woman. For the female, they prefer to follow the handsome and sturdy man. Their eyes see the woman or man, and the romantic love illusion and dream are generated in mind. The desire for the woman or man is generated at the same time. The mind and heart is thus no longer clear and pure, but turbidity. Then, they could not see the self of clear and pure, let alone to see the Dao.     

Regarding to tolerate the Se and desire, how could we put it into practice in life?

This is one of the examples. For the younger, they might indulge in or follow the video game. In fact, there is no good or bad in the external realm. But, what is the problem? Once we are stupid and stubborn to obsess in the external realm, our mind and heart is easier to be dull or be fooled by the changes of external realm.

In other word, once our mind and heart are no longer stable, clear and pure, it is difficult for us to think or understand anything independently. If our mind and heart are in the state of un-stability, our thinking are easier to be kidnapped and it is easier for us to make sin by any lure, threaten, or kidnapping.

To blindly repress our desire about the Se is not a good idea. Regarding to tolerate the Se and desire, how could we put it into practice in life? When we understand the principle of what said above and know that all of the things or external realms is combined with different reasons and conditions, we would try to dismantle the reasons and conditions one by one, and then we could see the truth, and think and reason anything independently. Under the circumstance, it would not be difficult for us to tolerate the Se and desire. 

Chapter 16: Abandon the love and gain the Dao (updated on 22 Dec, 2021)

(Chapter 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 16: Abandon the love and gain the Dao

The Buddha said,” People hold the love and desire, and can not see the Dao. It is as the clear water is stirred by hand; the public reach and approach this water together; there is no one who can see its own image. People interlace the love with desire. The turbidity is thrived in heart. That is why they can not see the Dao. All of you Sramanas should abandon the love and desire. The filth of love and desire ending, the Dao could be seen. “

There are different methods to teach in Buddhism.

The topic is mostly for the Buddhist monk, Sramana. The topic could also help us learn Buddha, or make a reference and value to promote our life to be good, even though we are not Buddhist monk.

Buddha Sakyamuni had ever told his disciples how and why the love and desire is generated and how and why we are concealed by the love and desire in life, and let us could not see the truth or make us could not see the Dao. That is there are the reasons that would result in any consequences. Basically, Buddhism is not the superstition. On the contrary, it is very logical and wise.

However, for the public, it is some kind of hard for them to understand the reasoning. Under this circumstance, telling the story, even the magical story is easier to be accepted by the public. That is also why those who don't understand the Buddhism and are focused on the reasoning would think that Buddhism is blind faith. Then, think about it; which one that we would be? Do we prefer to accept the reasoning or the told story? Or, both of them could be accepted by us?

How and why the love and desire are generated.

If we have ever research the psychology or the growing process of human beings, we would have read the Freudian personality development theory. The age 1-2 is in the period of oral organ. The infant needs to suck the nipple so as to content the desire of oral organ. If we purposely take off its plastic nipple, the infant would be unhappy and cry loudly. In this period of time, the original seed of the love and desire has already been planted in its mind. That is, there is the subconscious of the love and desire in the infant. That is their original instinct.

If we track and date back to the infancy before, a thought of no light, that is one of the eighth conscious and one of the seed of no light, go into the embryo; that is the soul as we call generally. Then, the infant is growing and follows the self-six-roots in its body; it is affected by the outer conditions and such changes, such as the video game, education from family, the school education, and so on; its love and desire in its mind are developed and changed gradually. The self-six-roots mean the root of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind.

For example, our eyes would follow the colors of dresses, the forms of hairs, the performance or the appearance of any human beings. Our ears would follow the sounds, such as soft sound, powerful sound or dull voice. Our nose would follow the smell, such as fragrance or stinky. Our tongue would follow the taste, such as salty, sour, sweet or spicy. Our body would follow the sense of touch, such as the feeling of smooth or rough. Our mind would follow the various feeling of aforesaid five roots from self and others. We thus generate the self-consciousness, differentiating and concept about the feeling of likes and dislikes for anything in the outer world.

Our roots and mind are obsessed in such outer changes and thus are tangled in those things. We have made a choice what we love accordingly and want to own something from it. And our love and desire are therefore generated and developed in such process, and never stop, even to die for it. For example, some people prefer to die for their woman or man, or for fortune.

Furthermore, the five poisons (greedy, hatred or resentment, stupid-obsession, arrogance and suspicion) are therefore happened according to the love and desire. And it thus occur the more complex development and changes to affect or harm the self and others, including any fighting in life or in society, or any unexpected war in the domestic or in the international. If we profoundly observe the fighting in politic or any war, we could find that is because some persons want to content their original and personal love and desire. That is their subconscious motivation.

Some evil persons know about the human weakness. That is the strong feeling of love and desire, and therefore to generate the five poisons. So, the evil persons would follow their love and desire, and use the human weakness to threaten, control, harm and slave the people. What happened is not only in the cruel dictatorship politic, but also in the ignorant lovers or the couples, even to the parent treat the children. So, extending such love and desire, it becomes some kind of the power of control for contenting the personal love and desire, and is formed to be the authority which is not allowed and unable to be challenged by anyone.

In other word, the love and desire not only harm others and make the worries to others, but also harm the self and cause the self trouble finally. However, most people do not have such self perceiving. On the contrary, they seem to enjoy in the great dream and the illusion, and are concealed by their own love and desire.

All of the outer changes are like the illusion. And any feeling and emotion thus occurred in inner heart are also the illusion. Those things are not permanent. That is because it is appeared by conditions and would be disappeared in any time by conditions, too. Those things are also like the dust or filth would dirty and disrupt our clear mind and heart. And it thus makes us unable to see the original nature of the self, which is the mind and heart of peace, stillness, clear and pure.

In sum up, the disorder of self mind and heart would make the disorder of the others mind and heart, and many disorder of many minds and hearts would seriously make the world disorder. 

That is why the Buddha said,” People hold the love and desire, and can not see the Dao. It is such as the clear water is stirred by hand; the public reach and approach this water together; there is no one who could see its own image. People interlace the love with desire. The turbidity is thrived in heart. That is why they can not see the Dao. All of you Sramanas should abandon the love and desire. The filth of love and desire ending, the Dao could be seen. “

What is the Dao? If you have no concept about it, you can make a reference or read Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding or Chapter 13: Ask about the Dao and destiny in this blog.

Why the Dao could be seen? When we clearly understand what our true colors and what our nature is, that is our mind and heart is no longer disorder, we would then clearly know what we are doing in each moment and thus we could clearly see what the Dao we are walking. 

In the teaching of Buddha, abandoning the love and desire is one of the very important teachings. It is mentioned in many Buddhist Scripture. But, for the disciples or those who want to learn Buddha, it is really difficult for them to put it into the practice in life. That is because such habit has been rooted and it is not easy to remove.

Furthermore, there are the reasons from the physical body and mental body, such as the Hormonal hormone is naturally generated in the physical body. Sometimes, it is really hard to repress it and to ask it not to be happened. In the mental body, most people are demanded by their parent to have children so as to continue their family life, career and property. That is also why most people could not accept the Buddhism and do not allow their children to be Buddhist monk or nun.

However, do you know why abandoning the love and desire is so important in learning Buddha? If we don’t have a lot of love and desire, we would not come to birth on earth. That is also because we have a lot of love and desire, and we thus reincarnate again and again in life and death and suffer from it. That is to die here and to birth there, and to birth here and to die there. And it would not stop forever until we have abandoned the selfish love and desire. We then are able to jump out the reincarnation in life and death and its suffering. 

How to abandon the love and desire?

For abandoning the love and desire, there are some methods to practice it for the Buddhist monk or nun. One of the methods is to view the bone of the dead body by naked-eyes or to observe the white bone of human body in self-mind while meditation-sitting.

Why to do that? By such method, we would know that, even the beautiful girl or the handsome boy, there is only a pile of white bones in the end with time passed by. To practice it for a long time, it would disrupt the stupid-obsession about the opposite sex, and thus to stop the love and desire for it. That is also meant to stop any trouble caused by stupid-obsession, or by the love and desire. On the basis of such practice, we would gradually abandon the love and desire for outer things. In other word, we would abandon any trouble and worries.  

Furthermore, the Buddha also had told stories to inspire our wisdom and thus to make us abandon the love and desire. 

Abandon but not abandon

Most Buddhist monk only knows to cut off or abandon the love and desire. But, they might do not know or would not mention another teaching from the Buddha about not to cut off or not to abandon the love and desire. Why? And How?     

If we persistently hold the love and desire, which means we persistently hold the trouble and worries, so we absolutely need to abandon it. However, if there were no love and desire in mind, which means there is no trouble and worries, so what we should abandon? Therefore, it is not existed any problem of abandon.

It is not to deny the existence of the love and desire, but to understand why it is possible for the love and desire not to exist. Most of the general people are insisting in having something, such as love and desire. It is easier to teach them to give up what they have. However, it is hard for them to understand what is emptiness or nothingness in mind. That is why it is harder to teach them the concept about not abandoning anything. When people do not have the profoundly understanding about the Buddhism, It is easier to be mistakenly understood and used by them for the no-abandoning love and desire.  

If you have read the following two articles in this blog : A Brief Talk About Cause And Result or Chapter12 ﹝17﹞  : Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao aredifficult.,  you might have the basic understanding about Buddhism, and might understand what is talked. However, if you have not yet read the aforesaid articles, have no concept about the Buddha-nature, and are interested in the new knowledge, I recommend you to read it. Such reading could avoid you to mistakenly understand the Buddhism.  

In Buddhism, there are the shallow teaching and the deep teaching. It is because the human intellectual and wisdom, and thus its ability of understanding, has the different level. On the internet, it is easy to search about the shallow teaching about Buddhism. However, it might not be helpful for the people who are focus on thinking and reasoning, and want to profoundly understand the Buddhism.

In the shallow teaching of Buddhism, it is only talked about to practice the good and not to do the evil, and thus to have a lot of bliss. They do not dare to talk about the emptiness-nature. Why? If we talk about the emptiness-nature every day, all people might leave and run away.

So, why it is abandoning but not abandoning? The answer is there, do you have found it?

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 15: Ask about the force and brightness

(Chapter 15) 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 15: Ask about the force and brightness   

A Sramana asked the Buddha: ” Who has the more force? And what is the most brightness?” The Buddha replied to him:” Those who tolerate the humiliation have the more force. That is because of no malice, and having the peace and health in heart. The tolerant person without malice would be absolutely respected by people. The dirt of heart is removed and ended. The clean without filth is the most brightness. From no sky and land till today, where all exists in the ten directions, there is not thing which can not be seen, or can not be known, or can not be heard by us. Gaining all wisdom could be called the brightness.  

To close self and live alone could not practice the tolerance for the humiliation nor prove the stillness in heart.

In Buddha’s teaching, Sramana means the Buddhist monk who follows the path of Buddha and to be his disciple. In the time of Buddha Sakyamuni, there were more than 500 Buddhist monks to follow Buddha Sakyamuni in daily life. In fact, Buddha Sakyamuni is not alone.

In the history and in the modern time, some of the Buddhist monk or nun chooses to retreat from the sentient beings. And they live alone and close self in a small house, to read and chant the Buddhist scripture and to sit in meditating every day. Meanwhile, they also need people to send meals for them every day.

They think that this way is ascetic practice, one of the practices of the Buddha’s teaching. The continue time may be from one year to three years. When they finish such retreat and close, and in the moment when they go out from the small house, they are joyfully welcomed by his disciples to be called master or saint. Then, they may be proud of this experience, because they think that the general people are unable to do that.

Of course, it is one of the 84000 methods for learning Buddha. And it may be suitable for some persons to practice the teaching of Buddha. I do not have the opinion for it. But, what the problem is? Think about it.

Even the Siddhartha (the worldly name of the Buddha Sakyamuni), when he acted the ascetic practice, he didn’t leave his fellows or live alone. Meanwhile, he didn’t ask anyone to send meals for him. What the teaching of Buddha about stillness, silence or tolerance is in heart, not in the form or any appearance.      

To close oneself in the small house and to retreat from the sentient beings could not truly make us prove the truth of emptiness, nothingness, stillness, or tolerance. Only the ignorant public might think that this way to close oneself in the small house and to retreat from the sentient beings could prove the truth of emptiness, nothingness, stillness, or tolerance. Therefore, to learn Buddha, be sure that we are not an ignorant one.

In Taiwan, there ever been a Buddhist nun to accept land and house offered by her disciple. And then, she lived alone in this house on the mountain. She thought that to retreat from the public would keep her pure, clean and stillness in heart. And that was to practice the teaching of Buddha. Unfortunately, she was kidnapped, threatened and killed, because the evil person was greedy and wanted her land and house. And no one could help her. Even the Bodhisattva couldn't do anything for her.

So, the state of no phenomenon and thus to keep clean and peace in heart is not coming from closing oneself and to retreat from the public. Why? If there were no human beings or no phenomenon, how, where, to whom and what could we practice the tolerance?

Cherish our Buddha-nature to be a tolerant person.

Let’s return to the topic. A Sramana asked the Buddha: ” Who has the more force? And what is the most brightness? ” The force here doesn’t mean the violence, but means the good influence and powerful.

The Buddha replied to him:” Those who tolerate the humiliation have the more force. That is because of no malice, and having the peace and health in heart.”

Do you have ever experienced the humiliation? Or do you have ever a thought that wants to humiliate others? To observe such behaviors of human beings needs some concept of psychology and the Buddha’s teaching. If you have ever read the chapter 6, 7 and 8 in this blog, you have some basic concept from the Buddha’s teaching.

Why people stand any humiliation would have the more force? That is because such persons have no malice, and have the peace in heart, and have the mental health. But, do you know why people want to humiliate others?

As we have observed in psychology, those who are more likely to humiliate others are with low self-esteem and low self-confidence. People who are less healthy in psychology are more likely to humiliate others with malicious intentions. In general, they have the more jealous to others performance. In other word, they have felt that they have less force to others. They thus have to show their power by humiliating others so as to achieve the control of situation. Through such behavior, it would let them feel that their personal power is promoted.  

As we have meditated and perceived from outside and inside in Buddha’s teaching, those who are more likely to humiliate others are basically because of their personal five poisons, that is the greedy, hatred or resentment, stupid-obsession, arrogance and suspicion.

Such behavior of humiliating others might be performed in greedy for fortune in life and for power in career, or in stupid-obsession in sexual desire or love, or because of the arrogance or suspicion to others, and thus occurring the hatred or resentment. Therefore, they attack others by humiliating others so as to achieve the control of situation and their selfish purpose.

Furthermore, all phenomenon or situation is caused by some reasons and conditions. Dismantling any reasons and conditions one by one, we would find that the nature of all phenomenon or situation is emptiness, nothingness and stillness. Then, what is the reason and condition for the humiliation? As what has been mentioned above.

When we realize that the nature of the phenomenon of the humiliation is emptiness, nothingness and stillness, what else can we tolerate? The truth is that there is no humiliation and tolerance. And we don’t need to tolerate, let alone to have the mind of the hatred or resentment, because the humiliation is only an illusion and which could be disappeared anytime. That is why we don’t need to be tangled in the situation of humiliation. This is the profound meaning in Buddha’s teaching. But, it is difficult to be understood and realized by the general people.

In the eyes of Buddha, those who humiliate others are piteous and lamentable, because they have lost their most precious Buddha-nature. Completely understanding this, we realize that we should cherish our own Buddha-nature, have the compassion and empathy for all sentient beings, keep our own esteem and confidence, have no malice and have no hatred or resentment, thus to tolerate those lost behaviors. It also makes us establish a positive foundation for our psychological health. And therefore, it could make us keep peaceful in heart. The true force is thus formed naturally and gradually in the silence and invisible.

“The tolerant person without malice would be absolutely respected by people.” The tolerant person without malice has the open-mindedness and the kindness. Such qualities could be felt by the human beings, even the spirit or god. That is why such tolerant person would be respected.

Any thought is the dirt of heart.

“The dirt of heart is removed and ended. The clean without filth is the most brightness.” What is the dirt of heart? In general speaking and teaching, any evil thoughts, evil mind, evil motivation and evil action which harm or kill the sentient beings and self are recognized as the dirt of heart.

But, how to define what is the evil? Do you have ever found that some people purposely twist the meaning of the human right, democracy, belief, justice, freedom, bliss, public welfare or equality? They deceive the public with a distorted theory or concept and what surprise us is that there are a lot of persons who believe it and support it, and even are willing to be slaver for it. And they don't think that they are evil persons to do the evil things. On the contrary, they think they are the good person and the incarnation of justice, and do the right thing.

If there were 10 persons who follow the distorted theory or concept and think that such theory or concept is justice and they do the right thing, the remaining person might thus question self, I am wrong? So, it is possible to be debated, argued or distorted for any definition or explanation for the evil or good. Therefore, we should be wise to get rid of it and to find the truth. And be sure that we would not be kidnapped by any distorted theory or concept, no matter how it seems reasonable.

There was a great Zen master Hui Neng, the sixth founder of Zen in Chinese Tang Dynasty. He had ever said, ”don't think of goodness and of evilness.” In the profound Buddha's teaching, there is no goodness and no evilness in the emptiness-nature. Furthermore, the concept of good or evil is an opposite concept and which is easier to be manipulated by human beings with any reasons and conditions. In a word, it is better for us to jump off the frame of good and evil.

Therefore, in sum up, any thought is the dirt of heart, no matter any thought is defined as goodness or evilness. That is because any thought is easier to be affected or be distorted by the inner or outer conditions, and thus it is possible to be distorted and become the evil thought. In the same way, evil thoughts can also be packaged and twisted into good deeds. But, the people propagate that it is the justice and equality. Furthermore, people are more likely to insist in the goodness and evilness blindly, but not to think about it logically. That is why such truth that any thought is the dirt of heart is not easy to be understood by the general people.

Any thought is easier to be mistakenly understood and misuse in life, if people are lack of the capability and wisdom to understand it. So, the first founder of Zen in Chinese Tang Dynasty, Zen-master Dharma, had ever said,” When the thought is generated, the sin is happened at the same time.”

Five poisons in mind make human beings have no light (no bright).

Therefore, in the general Buddha’s teaching, five poisons are easier to be mentioned. What are the five poisons? They are the greedy, hatred and resentment, stupid-obsession, arrogant, and suspicion. These five poisons are the psychological state and could be observed and perceived by human beings, even though they are not defined and have been covered by taking advantage of any seemed-clever methods.

But, the general people are lack of the capability and wisdom to perceive their own five poisons, let alone to perceive others. That is why they follow their inner five poisons and do any harmful things, to poison and harm themselves and others. Therefore, these five poisons, and any thought or any doing caused by these five poisons, are regarded as the dirt of heart. They are like the thick dust could cover the light of heart. That is why the Buddha Sakyamuni said that those who own the five poisons are no light (no bright).

Pure heart makes human body self-illumination.

According to the research of science, the human body can shine itself at least the seven colors of light. But, the color of light in everyone is different and it could not be seen by the naked-eyes of human beings. I speculate that the Buddha Sakyamuni could see the color of light in everyone, when he was in sitting-meditation. In Buddhist Scripture, when the Buddha Sakyamuni was ready to speak of the Buddha-law, that the Buddha Sakyamuni shine itself from his mouth is often mentioned.

For the Buddha Sakyamuni, the dirt of his heart was already removed and ended, his body could naturally shine the light by itself and it is as bright as the sunshine. That is why he said, ”The dirt of heart is removed and ended, the clean without filth is the most brightness.” He had proved it by self. If we could remove and end the dirt of our heart, that is, there are no five poisons and no such harmful action or such evil thought, we then also could prove that the clean without filth in heart is the most brightness.

In fact, our body is the pure light. Mostly, the light is the light of white, yellow, or orange. Only few people are the light of purple. To appear such light means that their heart is in the pure goodness, and has the less five poisons, or even has no five poisons.

The Origin of the World

In the Buddha’s teaching, the Sramana is also curious about how the world is formed, and asks the Buddha such question. The Buddha said that a thought which is full of desires and love is no light, and once it is birth, the world is formed at the same time. (Love here means craving.)

So, it is not what we thought how the outer material world is formed or is created by whom. On the contrary, the Buddha wants to let us know that our inner and outer world is formed and created by our original thought which is existed before our infant body being born, even before the formed of embryo. In other word, that is some kind of fate which is decided by our thought. Such world and fate is not belonged to someone else, but is belonged to self. 

What our outer or inner world is heaven or hell, or what it is, is really depending on our mind and heart, not depending on any god or any someone else. Furthermore, once any of our thought is eliminated, our outer or inner world is ended at the same time. It is also means that an evil world is ended at the same time, once a thought with five poisons is eliminated.

In the concept of Buddha, the world, including the universe, is an illusion, no matter what it is. The origin of world is coming from a thought. Once a thought is birth, a world (illusion) is born simultaneously. Once a thought is eliminated, a world (illusion) is ended at the same time.

Then, how does the material world is formed? The Buddha said that it is formed from the no beginning and no ending. That is, it is formed from no thought and nothingness. That is why the Buddha said, "from no sky and land till today." And, the universe or the world itself has no concept what it wants to be. Furthermore, it is not created by special one.

In the process, all material worlds are formed from reasons and conditions. In fact, it is chaos and no rule. What is formed is by random and what is disappeared is also by random. In other word, no one could control the universe or the material world, let alone to conquer it. For example, climate change and earthquake are mostly out of control by human beings. In the modern technology, we might predict it. But, we could not control it not to happen.

So, in Buddhism, there is no such concept of end of the world (end of the material world). Secondly, the Buddha said that the human beings have experienced countless generations. It is counted according to the human life. In the countless ancient time, the life of human beings could be 1000 years. In that time, the hearts of human beings are very pure and goodness. Meanwhile, there is also Buddha. But, it is not Buddha Sakyamuni. In our generation, the life of human beings could be only 100 years. That is because the hearts of the most human beings are less pure and thus to have more evil thought and evil action, and which cause human beings reducing their lifespan.  

The Origin of Human Beings

The Buddha Sakyamuni had ever said that the human beings on earth are originally coming from the light and sound heaven. Their body is transparent and luminous, is very light and almost has no weight. Meanwhile, they can fly from the light and sound heaven to the earth, and fly to come back to their home. Wow! They do not need UFO.

Some of them are greedy to eat the sweet and delicious food grew on earth and thus make their body too weight to fly back home. Thereafter, they begin to have the sexual desire and to develop the male organ and female organ in their body. They then become the first ancestor of the human beings.

Even today, I speculate that the human beings of light and sound heaven still continually communicate with us by light and sound in mind. That is the communication with mind to mind. But, only few people on earth who are pure in heart could perceive and accept the message from them. Once such pure people died on the earth, their original soul would come back home of the light and sound heaven, and no matter what this heaven is called.

So, whatever its appearance is or what it is called, we might have one question. Could it be possible that the God or any god is one member of the human beings of light and sound heaven?   

Spirit-Openness of Wisdom-Nature

“From no sky and land till today, where all exists in the ten directions, there is not thing which can not be seen, or can not be known, or can not be heard. Gaining all wisdom could be called the brightness.”

Each word above is known by us. However, the whole meaning of the paragraph is beyond our knowledge and experience. Even though it is beyond our understanding, it doesn’t mean that such knowledge, experience, ability and wisdom don’t exist. Why? That is because it is actually practiced and proved by Buddha Sakyamuni and be transmitted and taught to us by him.

In the history of India and China, including Tibet, there are only few Buddhist monks or nuns who own such practical experience and ability being recorded in the book. In the transliteration of Chinese, such practical experience and ability is called “Shentong”. Its meaning is translated as spirit-openness by me. Some people translate its meaning as magical power. In some Buddhist Scripture, I translate its meaning as wonderful and spiritual power.

The spirit here means self-spirit and others spirit. But, mostly, it means the self-spirit. To broaden the meaning of openness also includes the meaning as follows: through, connect, communicate, go, see, hear, know, perceive, freely or no obstacle and no worries. Connecting such meanings, it is classified as six kinds of spirit-openness.

According to my knowledge, I translate them from Chinese into English as follows:

Spirit-openness of feet

Spirit-openness of understanding others mind

Spirit-openness of heaven-ears

Spirit-openness of heaven-eyes

Spirit-openness of perceiving fate

Spirit-openness of leak-ended  (The word Leak-Ended means that the leak has ended. don't worry; There are no worries in the mind and thus owning the opening spirit naturally.)

Spirit-openness also has the meaning that the self-spirit opens to the other spirit and thus could connect and communicate with the other spirit in mind, and the self-spirit also could perceive the self and others fate. Furthermore, spirit-openness also means that the self-spirit could see what others spirits have done, could hear what they have talked, and perceive what they have thought. Meanwhile, the self-spirit could freely go anywhere, when we are in sitting-meditation or sleep.

In the state of Buddha, he or her has proved the ability of spirit-openness of leak-ended  (There are no worries in the mind and thus owning the opening spirit naturally.). It means that in the state of Buddha, he or her has proved no worries in heart. "Leak" here is described as "worries" or "annoyance". When the leak is ended, that is when any annoyance is finished or eliminated, the personal wondrous spiritual power is naturally appeared. Only the Buddha who has this ability. 

Such ability and function is based on the openness of the self-spirit. That also means that there is no obstacle in the self-spirit and it can do, go, see, hear and perceive anything freely. Mostly, such self-spirit as said is in the living body, but not excludes the dead person. For the dead person, what died is the body, not the self-spirit. No matter the body is living or dead, the self-spirit has its own conscious.

So, even the dead person, their self-spirit could also connect and communicate with us in some special and required situation. For the general people, they connect with each other through making a dream. But, for some persons who learn Buddha well, it is possible for them to communicate with each other directly, except through the dream.

For the public, such concept and ability of spirit-openness is difficult for them to understand, let alone to apply it in the daily life. For them, they even do not know that they have such ability in self. As the mentioned above, the human beings in light and sound heaven has such natural ability and could use it freely.

In the early ancient time of Chine, there are a lot of records that the governing and law system and culture are transmitted and taught by the human beings in heaven. It is that the human beings in that time, especially, the king or the leader with virtue, could connect and communicate with the human beings in heaven directly, and are helped by them. Even today, they still continually help us in many ways. But, the general people do not know how the human beings in heaven to do that.

Then, we might have one question. Why the self-spirit has such ability and could do that? In a word, all teaching of Buddha is able to inspire us such ability. In the present, there are two key points to let us inspired such ability. One is in the article Let heart in peace, no fear and affliction any more (Updated on 2019/07/11). The other is in this chapter. In sum up, to keep our heart peace, pure and clean, no malice and thus no obstacle in heart is the basis to inspire us to appear such ability. And thus to gain the all wisdom is the brightness.

So, we might have another question. Does AI artificial intelligence have such ability? Could it really control or destroy the human beings? Do you think that AI artificial intelligence could control or destroy the emptiness, nothingness or stillness?

Spirit-openness (Shentong) is always regarded as some kind of magical or wonderful power by the general people. Some ignorant people deceive the public that they have such magical power to generate the medicine to heal the disease, or they can use their magical power to change people’s fate from bad to good. Unfortunately, a lot of ignorant people are willing to be deceived and believe it is true.

If we learn Buddha well and profoundly understand the teaching of Buddha, we would know that spirit-openness is the natural power and wisdom owned by everyone. The most people are unable to appear and to use such natural power. That is because their natural wisdom has not been inspired.

In fact, the most highlight point of the Buddha’s teaching is to inspire our natural wisdom. The remaining is the methods how to put it into the practice in daily life. So, how to enlighten such natural power of us? The knowledge and methods are included in the Buddhist Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha. But, it is not enough, because we have to put such knowledge and methods into the practice and to turn it into our wisdom in life. 

In sum up, it is the wisdom and compassion, and put the wisdom and compassion into the practice in our daily life. On the basis, our natural power, spirit-openness (Shentong), would be naturally appeared and we would know how to use it rightly with our wisdom. Once our natural wisdom is truly inspired, we would absolutely not dare to deceive the public.

Furthermore, relying on ignorant people’s blind magical power is not as good as relying on our own spirit-openness, if we understand the reason and principle as above. Unfortunately, such self-ability of the most people has been lost due to our education from the government or from the generation to the generation in the family and in the society.

In Taiwan and in America, some famous institutions proceed with the research of spirit-openness (Shentong) by spending huge expenses, and some of the expenses are sponsored by the government. They then publish papers or books. I have no opinion for it. But, do you think that the Buddha Sakyamuni spend huge expenses to know and gain the spirit-openness (Shentong)?

In the history, do you have ever found that some people claim self to be the agent of any god or of any spirit which has the magical power? And then, they apply such will to control other people’s mind, will or action. Even to demonstrate themselves as god. They said if people do not believe it, people have to go to hell, and are allowed to be killed. Such thought is really to fool the public. Theocracy is an unequal thought. In fact, it is a closed thought and could not bring the real peace. Then, we know that they are really lack of the wisdom and compassion.

Only when we are in the open-mindedness, and thus to cultivate our wisdom and compassion, we would know what is the real peace and equality, and what is to know all things in the ten directions. The ten directions include the space and time (the past and the future). Then, it is possible for us to gain the all wisdom.

Join in the light and be together with the dust

There is a Chinese sentence,” Join in the light and be together with the dust.( Join in other light and be together with other dust.)” The light means those who have proved the peace, pure and clean in heart, and are no malice and no obstacle in heart, meanwhile they have gained the natural wisdom, the all wisdom. According to the teaching of Buddha, such state and such person is called the brightness. On the contrary, the dust means those who have not yet inspired in wisdom. Their heart is closed and has more five poisons to cause many annoyance and trouble for self and others. Such state and such person is no light (no brightness) and thus is formed the obstacle in heart.   

The whole sentence means that we should join in the goodness of the Bodhisattva or Buddha, once we have proved the Dao. Secondly, it also means that we should not despise or exclude those who have not yet been enlightened in wisdom when we learn Buddha and go on the path of Bodhisattva or Buddha. Because all sentient beings have the Buddha-nature, and we are no difference in this nature, even though we have proved the Dao. In a word, it let us remove the self-arrogance and to be together with all sentient beings with humble.

Let’s return to the question of the reality. We might have one question. What the said above could make us rich?

If we have the ability to know all things and have the wisdom to deal with all trouble, do you think that we would be still a poor person? In other word, intangible fortune is the basis of the tangible fortune. That is the intangible fortune could create the tangible fortune. To understand the above reason and principle and to know how to practice and apply it in our daily life, we would never be a poor person. That is why the Buddha said that Buddha-nature is like a priceless and treasure orb which is in our inner mind and could realize and become the true fortune in reality. So, cherish it well, ok?

P.S. "No light" means "no bright". It also means that a person's mindset is full of greed, hatred and foolish obsession.

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.