(Chapter 38) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha
Chapter 38: Arising is to have the eliminating. (Happening is eliminating. When there is happening, there is eliminating.)
The Buddha asked the Sramana,” How long is
the span between the human life? ” The Sramana answered and said,” It is
between several days.” The Buddha said,” You have not yet known the Dao.” Then,
The Buddha asked another Sramana again: ” How long is
the span between the human life?” The Sramana answered and said,” It is
between meals.” The Buddha said,” You have not yet known the Dao.” Then, The
Buddha asked another Sramana again: ” How long is the
span between the human life?” The Sramana answered and said,” It is
between breathing.” The Buddha said,” Good! You have known the Dao.”
It is not easy to understand the Dao of Buddhism.
For the Sramana, who
is willing to learn the Buddhism, the most important thing for him is to know
the Dao of Buddhism, and to practice it in life. The Buddha had talked a lot
about what the meaning of Dao of Buddhism is, by the way of space, time, fate,
moral, ambition and method, and how to practice it in life in many Chapters. It
is some kind of difficulty for the general people to understand and practice it.
Even to the Sramana, who is called the Buddhist monk and the professional, it
is still very difficult for him to understand and practice it.
The Buddha
examined his disciples how much they know about the Dao of Buddhism, and asked
them the question,” How long is the span between the
human life?” This question means that how long
it is between the birth of and the death of life for humans. For the general
people in the modern time, what we know about the lifespan of humans is very
long. In Taiwan, the average lifespan is 80 years old. But, the average
lifespan in the world is not the answer what we want to talk about in this
chapter.
Cherish our life to learn the Dao of Buddhism
The purpose of
this Chapter is to advise us that our life is existed in a moment. When a
thought of us has been just arisen, it has been instantly covered and
eliminated by our next thought. The arisen and eliminated of a thought is in a
moment of life. It is birth and death
of life of one time. And we even don’t know whether we are living or not in the
next moment. Our life maybe occurred and vanished in a moment. This thing may
be just happened between our breathing. And it let us know the impermanent of
life. It is also to encourage us to treasure our life, and grasp the current
moment to do the meaningful things for ourselves and others. For the Sramana,
he should cherish each moment of life to learn the Dao of Buddhism. If we are
the Buddhist disciples, we should also treasure our life and time to learn the
Dao of Buddhism.
The verse spoken by Buddha
There is a verse
which was talked by Buddha. It is translated by me as follow. Meanwhile, I
explain it in more detail so as to make you easier to understand the profound
meaning.
All actions are not permanent,
Which are the laws of appearance and disappearance.
The appearance and disappearance are already disappeared.
The state of stillness and disappearance is joyfulness. (Note: This refers to the state of one's own thoughts and heart.)
All actions are temporary,
This is the law of appearance and
extinction.
Appearance and disappearance gone.
The state of silence and extinction is joy.
We must deeply
think of this verse so that we can profoundly understand the meaning. All
actions are included the birth of life, the death of life, and what happened,
what have done, what have talked and what have experienced during the time of
life. The processes are included the intercourse between a life and another
life, and then to become the phenomena. Meanwhile, all actions are also
contained the changes of our environment, such as the changes of weather, earth
crust and astrology in the universe. These actions, processes and phenomena are
mingled to become the complicated world which is appeared in front of our eyes
and is what we have lived and what we are living now. In this chapter, what we
want to talk is about the changes of our life.
The
no-brightness in the Twelve Causality and Condition
The Buddha had deeply perceived the
phenomena of a life and its changes, and then offered us the concept of Twelve
Causality and Condition, which is also called Twelve Dependent Factors, or
Twelve Dependent Origination. The Buddha was in the opinion that the origin of
all action is the no-brightness of the self. The no-brightness is not
necessarily equivalent to the ignorance which means to be lack of knowledge or
intelligence. Regarding the concept of no-brightness, we have talked about its
meaning in the chapter 37. In a word, the no-brightness means the mind of the
greed, hatred, stupid infatuation, arrogance or suspicion. Such mind is nothing
about how the education is, how the social status is, and how the intelligence
is. That is, even a person who is in the high education, high social status and
high intelligence, meanwhile, who has the professional knowledge, this person
maybe has the mind of no-brightness. That is why the criminals are included
those persons who are in the high education and high social status, and has the
professional knowledge.
How
to distinguish the difference between the ability of the intelligence quotient and
the ability of wisdom in Buddhism?
In Buddhism, the ability of the intelligence
quotient is not necessarily equivalent to the ability of wisdom. The meaning of
intelligence is more about the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and
skills or to have opinions based on reason. However, the meaning of wisdom is
the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and
judgments. For example, when we have to let go of unpleasant experience, what
we need may not be the intellectual ability, but the ability of wisdom.
A person with the ability of high
intelligence quotient may have the serious hatred to the society, or may have
the serious greedy for the resources of the country. However, a person with the
ability of high wisdom has absolutely no hatred and no greed, or only has
subtle hatred and greed. Those who have the ability of intelligence quotient
don’t mean that they have the ability of wisdom. The ability of the
intelligence quotient is prone to the worldly clever. However, the ability of
the wisdom is some kind of more than worldly clever and experience. This is what we have
to know if we want to learn more about Buddhism. For example, in "The Universal Door of Avalokitesvara", it is mentioned that Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's thirty-two incarnations and its supernatural powers play samadhi in the Saha world. This is the supreme wisdom ability that transcends worldly clever and experience.
Without
phenomena, then without argument.
The Buddha said that it is very difficult
for those with the highest intelligence quotient to learn Buddhism, because they
are good at thinking, reasoning and debating, meanwhile, they are proud of such
ability to think they are better than others. However, if we want to experience
the wisdom of Nirvana—the state of stillness and emptiness, we must even temporarily
abandon the ability of thinking, reasoning and debating. That is because we are
in a state of no-thought, no-doing, no-desire, and no-demanding, we are in a
state of stillness of Nirvana. When we are in this state, we don’t need to
think of, reason and debate anything. However, this does not mean that we do not have intelligence and wisdom.
Only when there is any condition,
situation, and phenomena in front of our eyes, so that there is the subject and
object for us to think of, reason and debate. However, if all of them are
disappeared in front of our eyes, what can we think of, reason and debate? That
is why there are no-phenomena, there is no-argument. All argument, fighting,
and binary opposition are arisen from cling to the phenomena. However, any
phenomena begin at any actions, which are impermanent, and are the laws of
appearance and disappearance.
The Buddha said that all actions and all
phenomena begin at a thought of no-brightness of humans. This is the beginning
of the Twelve Causality and Condition. That is, all the changes of phenomena
are based on the Twelve Causality and Condition. Only when Twelve Causality and
Condition is disappeared, all phenomena and actions pertaining to us are
disappeared at the same time.
What
is Twelve Causality and Condition?
The Twelve Causality and Condition is the
theory proved by Buddha when he meditated in sitting under the Bodhi tree. The Twelve
Causality and Condition is based on the soul and the individual as the main
subject. What is Twelve Causality and Condition? The Twelve Causality and
Condition respectively continue as the no-brightness, actions, consciousness,
the name and the material, the six-senses-entering, the touching, the feeling,
the love, the taking, the possessing, the birth, the aging and the death.
The no-brightness of the individual is the
original cause, which generate actions. Actions as the condition, it is
therefore generated the consciousness. The consciousness as the condition, it
is therefore generated the name and the material. The name and the material as
the condition, it is therefore generated the six-senses-entering. The
six-senses-entering as the condition, it is therefore generated the touching.
The touching as the condition, there is therefore the feeling. The feeling as
the condition, it is therefore generated the love. The love as the condition,
it is therefore generated the taking. The taking as the condition, it is
therefore generated the possessing. The possessing as the condition, it is
therefore generated the birth. The birth as the condition, there is afterward
the aging and the death.
When the cause is appeared, the condition has the dependent and is
then generated. However, when the cause is disappeared, the condition has no
dependent and is then naturally eliminated.
When the
no-brightness has been eliminated, the actions are then naturally destroyed.
When the actions have been destroyed, the consciousness is then disappeared.
When the consciousness has been disappeared, the name and the material are then
naturally eliminated. When the name and the material have been eliminated, the
six-senses-entering is then vanished. When the six-senses-entering has been
vanished, the touching is no longer existed. When the touching has been no
longer existed, the feeling is then disappeared. When the feeling has been
disappeared, the love is then no longer existed. When the love has been no
longer existed, the taking is then vanished. When the taking has been vanished,
the possessing is then eliminated. When the possessing has been eliminated, the
birth is then disappeared. When the birth is disappeared, the aging and the
death is then disappeared.
Twelve
Causality and Condition is the cause of reincarnation.
Regarding Twelve Causality and Condition,
it is “When one cause or condition is arisen, the other cause or condition is thus dependent on it and is then appeared. When one cause or condition is eliminated,
the other cause or condition is no longer dependent on it and is then disappeared.”
In Buddhism, to cut off or to break the
no-brightness—that is to eliminate the cause of reincarnation, it is the major
concept to end the suffering of reincarnation. And it is also very important
for the Buddhist disciples to practice it in life. That is because all
suffering of reincarnation begins at the no-brightness. For Theravada Buddhism,
there is a lot of story talked by Buddha to teach the sentient beings how to eliminate
the cause of no-brightness. There are a lot of concepts as the same in these 42
chapters. These are the basic concepts in learning Buddhism. It is like the
foundation of the house, which should be established well, so that we can
continuously build a sturdy and practical house.
In Mahayana Buddhism, there is the
different concept about no-brightness. Such concept should be learned based on
the concept as said above. You will know what it is when you keep following the
teaching of Buddha.
The circulated of and vanished of Twelve
Causality and Condition
The Twelve Causality and Condition is the
mutual cause and effect, which are the laws of generation depending on cause
and condition. Meanwhile, it is the laws of the occurred and eliminated. Its
phenomena are impermanent. At the same time, the time of what happened is from
a moment to years. This circulation is continuous and uninterrupted. It makes
humans soul circulating in the sea of suffering of life and death. To birth in
here because of death in there, to die in here and then to birth in there, it
is circulated continuously. A soul is able to get out from this circulation
after any one of Twelve Causality and Condition has been cut off and Twelve
Causality and Condition is vanished instantly.
The Further Interpretation for Twelve
Causality and Condition
When a soul is in
the state of no-brightness, it means this soul is unable to understand the
clear, pure, clean and bright Buddha-law, so that there is a lot of any
negative thought, complicated emotion or stupid idea. This state makes this
soul generate a lot of vexation. That is why it is called the ignorance.
Then, this soul
has done something dependent on its no-brightness. The no-brightness is such as
greed, hatred and stupid infatuation or any thought accordingly. Actions with
no-brightness from body, mouth and mind are therefore generated and formed. It
may be the good deed or may be the evil. No matter what it is, it is able to
form shapeless power to affect the self and its future fate. It is called Karma
in Buddhism.
Dependent on the
actions in the past life—that is the Karma of the past life, this soul enters
the mother's body for conception. Its consciousness is generated at the same
time. And this soul begins its present life. The consciousness can understand,
know and distinguish what happened around it. That is, the consciousness has
the function of recognition, holding and control from heart to face the
environment and phenomena.
Dependent on the
consciousness, the embryo begins to take shape and develop. The name and the
material is thus generated and formed. The name pertains to the mental—the laws of
heart, such as the shapeless heart, mind or thought. The name here means the
laws of the abstract and intangible heart. The material pertains to the body.
The material means substance and which can be really felt, seen or touched by
the six senses. The material also means the body with six senses. Therefore,
the material also means that the phenomena of substance, sound, fragrance,
taste and touching.
Dependent on the
name and the material, the six senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind,
are grown and completed. The function of these six senses begins to work. The
baby is born and its six senses can begin to aware the surroundings and phenomena.
All the changes of its surroundings and phenomena will enter this baby’s mind
and body through the six senses systems. That is why it is called the
six-senses-entering. These contacts, feelings and the changes form the life realm
and world pertaining to this baby.
Dependent on the
six-senses-entering, two-to-three years-old baby begin to develop the curiosity
and is fond of touching everything. The baby will explore everything by
touching spontaneously.
Dependent on the
touching, the child after six or seven years old can aware and distinguish the
feeling about pain and happiness to things or situation. The Buddha mentioned
about three kinds of feelings. That is the feeling of suffering, happiness and
no-suffering-and-no-happiness.
Dependent on the
feeling, the teenage after fourteen or fifteen years old will generate the
strong feeling about love. The love and desire are strongly generated. The love
here also means craving everything.
Dependent on the
love, the adult with stronger love and desire will seek and chase all
condition, situation and phenomena, and will take and demand anything what it
wants.
According to
vexation of the love and the taking, the adult has done various things, which means
Karmas and will decide the adult’s fate in the next life. The possessing means
to have Karmas, which pertains to the Karma of current life.
According to possessing Karma—the Karma of current life, it decides the birth of the soul in its next life. The birth is therefore generated. Because of the birth, there is the aging and the death in the next life.
Regarding Twelve
Causality and Condition, it is included the past causes, the current causes,
the current effects and the future effects. The causes are also the effects.
The past cause will become the current effect. The future effect could become
the past cause. That is, the effect could be the cause. Meanwhile, the causes
could be overlapping with the effects. Because it is circulations, there is no
start and no end. The circulation will never stop, unless anyone of the Twelve
Causality and Condition is cut off or eliminated. When the circulation stop, a
soul will have the chance to get rid of the torture and suffering of this
circulation.
In these 42
chapters, you will find that the Buddha was always advising the Sramana how to
cut off or eliminate any cause and effect in the Twelve Causality and Condition.
Now we have the concept about perceiving the Twelve Causality and Condition as
mentioned above. We know it is impermanent which can be happened in a moment or
for a long life.
The four kinds of perceiving
The Buddha also
taught us about four kinds of perceiving. That is, to perceive that the heart
is impermanent, to perceive that the law is impermanent, to perceive that the
thought is impermanent, and to perceive that the body is impermanent.
The heart means the mind, the mental and any function accordingly, which includes the emotion, such as joy, anger, or sad. For example, someone was smiling one second before, and the next second he was furious about something trivial. The law means the changes or the principles of any situation, condition, environment or phenomena in the universe, such as the war, natural disasters or the epidemic. There is a verse in Buddhist scripture:
All law is generated by cause and condition.
All law is eliminated by cause and condition.
That the cause and condition have been eliminated is the Dao.
This is said by the grand Master.
The
thought means the idea which burst from our mind suddenly and continuously. The
first thought which is just appeared is immediately covered by the next
thought, and then the first thought is disappeared. The second thought is
covered by the third thought. This situation is happened continuously and
uninterrupted. Each thought is appeared and then disappeared immediately. The
body includes the instant death and birth of cell, and the aging of body at
each moment.
All disappeared, the joyfulness of Buddha-nature won’t be disappeared.
Why the heart,
the law, the thought and the body is impermanent? These four things are related
to the Twelve Causality and Condition, and are also the laws of generated and
eliminated, or the laws of appearance and disappearance. The Buddha said, when
all appearance and disappearance are already disappeared, the
stillness-disappearance is joyfulness. Why? It let us know the impermanent of life
and death, and the impermanent of actions, through these four kinds of
perceiving. It also makes us not cling to anything through this experience of
perceiving. When all generated and eliminated are disappeared, there is nothing
that we can crave and attach. In the state of stillness and emptiness, the true
peace and joyfulness will be appeared in mind naturally.
It does not mean
that we do not need to care about the public issue. On the contrary, we will
care about the public issue with the wisdom and the peaceful and joyful mind.
If you are interested in the public issue or the political issue, this knowledge,
wisdom and joyfulness will help you to participate in the campaign, and it
would be very blessed for yourselves and the public. If you are the general
citizen, this knowledge, wisdom and joyfulness would help you have the
different and new concept and attitude to face your life, study, work, classmates,
colleagues, or family members. It is really a blessing for you and those people
around you.
The life and
death is fleeting like meteor. When we know about the impermanent of life and
death which is between the breathing, the impermanent of all actions, the
impermanent of four perceptions as said, and the suffering of life and death
because of Twelve Causality and Condition, we will cherish our human body to
learn Dao of Buddhism, and will cherish our Buddha-nature. Why? I have another
verse which is some kind of the difference with the verse said by Buddha as
mention above, and is to correspond to the verse said by Buddha.
All Actions are impermanent,
Which are the laws of appearance and disappearance.
The appearance and disappearance are already disappeared,
The Buddha-nature will not be disappeared.
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.
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