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.