(Chapter 37) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha
Chapter 37: Thinking of the precepts approaches the Dao.
The Buddha said,” The disciples of Buddha are thousands of miles
away from me, those who keep my precepts in mind and think of them surely gain
the fruit of Dao. Those who are around me, although they can see me often, if they
do not obey my precepts, do not gain the Dao finally."
What are the precepts in Buddhism?
The precepts of Buddhism are also the
Buddhist monastic disciplines, which also mean that the religious regulations
prohibit certain behaviors, or generally refer to things that are forbidden to
do. To follow the precepts in Buddhism, to keep the said precepts in mind, to
practice the said precepts in each moment of daily life, is very important in
learning Buddhism. These things are better to be implemented in each moment of
daily life rather than to be researched by learner in academically and recorded
in academic paper.
Regarding the basic precepts of Buddhism, we
have talked a lot in Chapter 4. That is, not to do the ten evil things will be
the ten virtues.
Chapter 4:
Understand the goodness and evil at the same time
The Buddha said, “For sentient beings, there
are ten things as goodness and ten things as evil. What are the ten
things? Three pertain to the body, four to the mouth, and three to the mind.
Killing, stealing, and evil sex pertain to the body. Two tongues, malicious
speech, lie, and frivolous speech pertain to the mouth. Envy, hatred,
and infatuation pertain to the mind. Such ten things are named as ten evil
deeds when not following the holy path. If such evils are stopped, they are
named as ten virtuous deeds.”
Furthermore, we also have talked a lot of precepts in the chapters, such as honor your parents, no greed, no evil thought, no desire, no erotic, no demanding, no arrogance, no flattering, no alcohol, no drug and no despising others. Don’t murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t envy. In a word, not to do anything which may harm the self and others, but to do anything which are good for the self and others.
Who
can examine the effect of following the precepts in Buddhism?
Who can examine the consequence of the said
implementing? It is examined by the self, the sentient beings, the enlightened
Buddhist master, the Bodhisattva, and the Buddha. In other words, the said practicing
cannot deceive the self and others.
In Buddhism,
there are six methods to save self to liberate the self from the suffering.
These six methods are respectively in order as follows: giving to others,
following the precepts, enduring the humiliation, keeping progress, meditating
in mind, and the wisdom. Hence, we understand that following the precepts are
the second methods to save self to liberate the self from the suffering.
However, do you know why?
What is the origin of precepts in Buddhism?
The details of
the precepts in Buddhism are developed with the increasing number and the
various behaviors and thought of the Buddhist monk and nun. When the Buddhism
is transmitted into China, the precepts are also added a lot with the culture
of Chinese conditions. In Tibetan, Thailand, Korea and Japan, the precepts in
Buddhism and its culture are also different from the Chinese culture.
Therefore, if we profoundly
think about the origin of the precepts in Buddhism, we can find that the
precepts as said are mainly developed from the relationship of humans.
Meanwhile, the precepts of Buddhism are set from the phenomenon of all. Not to
follow the precepts of Buddhism is the cause of reincarnation in the
Three-Evil-Path. Even though you are not the disciples of Buddha, you can spontaneously
follow the precepts of Buddhism so as to avoid going into the Three-Evil-Path.
When we understand the origin of
the precepts in Buddhism and what the meaning to follow the said precepts is,
the said precepts are therefore worthy of our implementation.
The meaning and importance of following the precepts
in Buddhism
In the chapter 12
(1), we have talked about the meaning and the importance of giving to others.
This chapter, what we will talk about is the meaning and the importance of
following the precepts in Buddhism.
Firstly, as we
have mentioned above, following the precepts in Buddhism can save us and
liberate the self from the suffering. Meanwhile, it can raise our wisdom. That
is, such process will establish the good cause and thus lead us to experience
the good consequence and to have the good paying and blessing. To have such
blessing are not only in the present life but also in the next life. According
to the Buddhist scripture, the Buddha said that such person will be protected by
the good gods.
In other words,
when we follow the precepts in Buddhism, not only do we become our own nobles to help ourselves get rid of any entangled of any negative mentality and emotion which are
arisen from the inside and outside conditions, and of any evil events which may
happened from the outside situation, meanwhile, we also have good gods as our
nobles to help us abolish any bad events. Good gods will help us according to
our situations in many ways. Such help from the good gods may not correspond to
our subjective opinion or our prejudice. There is a saying, “Everything is the
best arrangement for us.” Therefore, it is better to accept it with an open
mind than to complain it.
Secondly,
following the precepts in Buddhism is the basic of enduring the humiliation.
Regarding to endure the humiliation, we have talked in Chapter 7 and 8. We can
deeply perceive the mentality of envy, greed, hatred and stupid infatuation in
our mind through following the precepts in Buddhism. On this basis, we can
perceive the envy, greed, hatred and stupid infatuation of others people. Then,
we will understand that any humiliation is resulting from the ignorance of
humans. That is because there are the envy, greed, hatred and stupid
infatuation in their mind. Such state in mind are also defined and named as no-brightness
by the Buddha. The mentality of envy, greed, hatred and stupid infatuation means
no-brightness. To understand no-brightness as said in our mind and in other’s
mind will help us understand the self-nature, the Buddha-nature. Why?
For instance,
there is calm water in the sea. When there is slight wind, there are the slight
waves. However, when there is violent storm, there are huge waves. The changes
of wind and the wind itself are as if the conditions of outside, and are also
as if any situation, event and phenomenon. The changes of waves and the waves themselves are as if the mentality of the said no-brightness which is existed in each
mind. The mentality of the said no-brightness is stirred by any conditions of
outside or by any situation, event and any phenomenon. No matter the calm water
or what the waves are, both of them are one, the water. The nature of water
belonging to them is the same, which is as if the self-nature, the
Buddha-nature. In other words, the said no-brightness covers up the brightness.
When there is no such no-brightness, the brightness can be appeared naturally.
That is, our natural wisdom and its shine are always there. What a pity is that
our natural wisdom is always hidden by the said no-brightness. The natural wisdom
means the brightness. Now we understand that the brightness and no-brightness
as said are existed in our body. Hence, we surely can remove no-brightness as
said by truly following the precepts in Buddhism.
Thirdly, following
precepts in Buddhism is the basic of keeping progress in learning Buddha. If we
want to keep progress in learning Buddha, it is very important to follow
precepts in Buddhism. As we have mentioned above, following precepts in
Buddhism will help us increase the wisdom. The wisdom is the basic of becoming
Buddha.
In the world, we
have observed that there are a lot of people who are busy to do things which
are resulting from the personal no-brightness as said and thus to cause harm to
the self and others. Such persons are generally existed in the international
and domestic politics, society and the family. They not only drag others down, but
also drag themselves down. Unfortunately, they do not have such cognition and
knowledge as said above. If we have such cognition and knowledge, we will know
how to help self and others to remove any no-brightness as said so as to make ourselves,
the family, the society, and the world, more peaceful.
Fourthly,
following precepts of Buddhism is the basic of the meditation in mind. It will
stabilize our mind and thought so as to understand the profound meaning of
Buddhism. The meditation in mind is the basic of wisdom. Meanwhile, following
precepts of Buddhism is also the basic of wisdom. That is to realize the
self-nature, the Buddha-nature, meanwhile, to experience the Nirvana, the
emptiness and stillness in mind. It will clean our thought and make our mind to
be clear so as to view the truth in any event and phenomenon. At the same time,
we will not be turned or entangled by any dogma, event and phenomenon. We will
not involve in any storm caused by the ignorance of humans. Any troubles and
worries will depart far away from us. Any affliction is even not existed, not
to mention to have the suffering. That is the important meaning to follow the
precepts in Buddhism.
Therefore, No
doing does not mean that nothing to do. One of its meanings is not to do any
evil things which are caused by the personal mentality of no-brightness as said. That
is to remove our any evil thought, bad behavior and bad habit. What we should
do and what we should not to do, we should have a clear cognition in our mind. Therefore,
no-doing in Buddhism is not decadent. On the contrary, no-doing in Buddhism is
very positive and virtuous.
Learning Buddhism is not by the side of Buddhist
teacher every day, but to keep precepts in mind and put them into practice at
each moment.
The Buddha said,”
The disciples of Buddha are thousands of miles away from me, those who keep my
precepts in mind and think of them surely gain the fruit of Dao. Those who are around me, although who
can see me often, if they do not obey my precepts, do not gain the Dao
finally."
To gain the fruit
of Dao means to experience and prove the supreme and equality wisdom by the self.
Such person is almost achieving the Buddhahood and is in the position of
Bodhisattva. That is, such person is almost completely liberating the self from
the suffering. Meanwhile, such person has almost proved the one with the
Buddha. That is, no matter where such person is, even thousands of miles away
from the Buddha, it is always together with the Buddha and is one part of the
Buddha. For the ordinary people who do not learn Buddhism or is the beginner or
learn Buddhism but are not sincere in mind, it is difficult for them to understand
this concept.
For instance, the
Buddha is assumed as the sun light, and this person who gains the fruit of Dao
is assumed as a little light which is on the earth. No matter where this little
light is, it is merged in the light of the sun and is part of the sun light.
Following the precepts of Buddhism is to establish the good cause and to achieve the good effect.
Those disciples
of Buddha who sincerely follow the precepts in Buddhism will clear their
thought, purify their mind and stabilize their mentality to realize the emptiness
and stillness in the self-nature. Such virtue will naturally make the
self-nature light (bright; brightness). It is as if the little light (bright) on the earth.
On the contrary,
those disciples of Buddha who do not obey the precepts will not remove the
envy, greed, hatred and stupid infatuation, which will blind their heart-eye
and cannot make the self-nature light. Even though they are around the Buddha, or
are by the side of the Buddhist teacher, they cannot view the truth, let along
to gain the fruit of Dao. In other words, their self-nature is as if to be
covered by the thick dust. The thick dust means the no-brightness as said
above. That is, it still makes the light of the self-nature to be covered by
the said no-brightness.
The self-nature
is the Buddha-nature. Seeing the bright self-nature is to see the Buddha.
Seeing the self-nature is also to see the Dao of Buddhism. It also means to
gain the fruit of Dao in Buddhism. Regarding what the Dao in Buddhism is, we
have talked a lot in the chapters. You also can refer to the article of talking
about the heart sutra in this blog.
In a word, whether
the learner gains the fruit of Dao in Buddhism or not, it is not depending on
whether the learner is by the side of the Buddha or not, but is depending on
whether the learner is following the precepts in Buddhism or not, and whether
the learner is sincere in learning Buddhism or not.
Finally, if we
are disciples of Buddha, remember that it is to demand self to follow the
precepts of Buddhism. It is not to demand others to obey the precepts as
said. If ordinary people do not follow
the precepts of Buddhism, do not blame them. But, we can advise them. This is
the attitude to learn Buddhism.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment