The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters said by Buddha (Chapters 22~ 42；Total in 42 Chapters )

  

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.)

 

 

 

Chapter 22: Money and erotic incur the affliction
The Buddha said,” That money and erotic for people can not be abandoned are such as honey on the blade of one knife which is not enough to be the perfect of one meal; when a child licks them, it would cause the trouble of cutting tongue. ”  

 

 

 

Chapter 23: Wife is more than a prison

The Buddha said, ”People are tied by wife and house, which is more than a prison. There is a date of the release for the jail. There is no thought of departure from the wife. Emotion and love about the erotic, how would they scare to offer the services? Even though the worry about the mouth of tiger exists, the heart is willing to be conquered. Throwing self into the mud and drowning self, that is why those people are called ordinary people. Those who can see through such door are the out-of-dust Arhat.

 

 

 

Chapter 24: The erotic and desire hinder the Dao   

The Buddha said,” Love and desire is not more than erotic. The erotic as a desire is so large and there is no beyond it in the external. Fortunately, there is only such one. If there were the second one as the same, the people in the universal world would be incapable of acting the Dao.”   

 

 

 

Chapter 25: The fire of desires burns the body.  

The Buddha said,” For the people, the love and desire are such as holding a burning torch to walk against the wind, and which absolutely has the trouble of burning hands.”  

 

 

 

Chapter 26: The heaven demon disturbs the Buddha.     

The heaven god devotes the jade girl to the Buddha so as to spoil the will of the Buddha. The Buddha said,” Leather bag with much filth inside, you come here for what? Go! I don’t use it.” The heaven god is more respectful for the Buddha and thus inquires the meaning of Dao. The Buddha explains it to him, who immediately attains the fruit of Srotāpanna.   

 

 

 

Chapter 27: Without attachment gains the Dao.

The Buddha said,” Those who put the Dao into the practice are such as the wood floats on the water, flows along the river, doesn't touch the two side of the river, doesn't be taken away by people, would not be covered by ghosts and gods, would not be stopped by turbulence and nor being corrupt, I guarantee that this wood is decided to enter the sea. People who learn the Dao are not confused by the emotion and desire, are not disturbed by many viciousness, and refine the progress and practice the no-doing, I guarantee such person to gain the Dao certainly.”

 

 

 

Chapter 28: A thought is as a horse, don’t indulge it.      

The Buddha said,” Don’t trust your thought. Your thought is un-trusty. Be cautious not to meet the erotic. Meeting the erotic would incur the disasters instantly. Having gained the Arhathood, you thus can trust your thought.     

 

 

 

Chapter 29: Right perception can resist the erotic.        

The Buddha said,” Be cautious not look at the women nor speak with them, if speaking with them, the heart and thought should be right: I am śramaṇa, being in the turbid world, should be as a lotus, not contaminated by the mud. Think those elderly as mother; those older than me as elder sister; those younger than me as younger sister and those children as daughter. Have the heart for saving and liberating them, and eliminate my own vicious thought. "  

”          

 

 

 

Chapter 30: Depart far away from the desire-fire       

The Buddha said,” Those who act the Dao are such as putting on the dried grass, must avoid it, when the fire comes. When the Daoist people see the desire, they must depart far away from it.”

 

 

 

Chapter 31: To silence in heart removes the desire.       

The Buddha said,” There is someone who is suffering from fornications and can't stop, and wants to cut off his penis by himself.” The Buddha told him, “If you cut off your penis, it would be better to cut off your heart. The heart is like Gong Cao. If Gong Cao stops, the followers will halt. If the evil heart could not stop, what are the benefits to cut off the penis?” The Buddha said the verse to him:” The desire is happened from your consciousness. Your consciousness is occurred from your thought. If the two hearts are silent separately, there is no the erotic nor the action.” The Buddha said,” This verse is spoken by the Buddha Kāśyapa.”        

 

 

 

Chapter 32: The ego-emptiness eliminates the fear. 

The Buddha said,” People follow the desire of love and thus to occur the worry and follow the worry so as to occur the fear. If they leave the desire of love, what would be worried and what would be feared?” 

 

 

 

Chapter 33: The wisdom-brightness destroys the demon.

The Buddha said,” Those who put the Dao into practice are as one person fights with the ten thousand persons. When he puts on the armor and goes out of the door, his will may be weak, he may retreat in the halfway, he may die because of fighting, or he may return because of gaining the win. The Sramaṇa who learns the Dao, should insist its heart to keep improving, and should be brave and elite, should not fear the front situation, and should destroy many demons, and thus gains the fruit of Dao.”        

 

 

 

Chapter 34: Being in the middle gains the Dao.          

A Sramaṇa recited the Scripture of The Legacy of The Teachings Said by The Buddha Kasyapa at night. His voice was showed sad and tight. He felt remorseful and would like to retreat. The Buddha asked him and said,” What was your career when you were at home? He answered and said,” I like to play the stringed instrument.” The Buddha said,” What would happen when the string is loose?” He answered and said,”Do not sound anymore.” The Buddha said,” What would happen when the string is tight? He answered and said,” The sound breaks and stops.“ The Buddha said,” What would happen if the string is in the middle between the loose and the tight?” He answered and said.” All sounds ring melodiously.” The Buddha said,” A Sramaṇa learning the Dao is as like these. If the heart is adjusted in a proper way, the Dao can be gained. If being irritable in the Dao, being irritable is the tired body. If being tired in the body, any nuisance would be occurred from any thought instantly. If any nuisance is occurred from any thought, the practicing would be retreated. Since the practicing is retreated, the sin would be added certainly. But being clear, pure, peaceful and happy, the Dao won’t be lost.”   

 

 

 

Chapter 35: Once the filth is cleaned, the brightness is existed.           

The Buddha said,” As if a person forges iron to remove the dross, and then to be the utensil, the utensil is thus refined and good, the person who learns the Dao removes the filth in heart, his practicing is clean and pure accordingly.“   

 

 

 

Chapter 36: Floundering gains the victory.          

The Buddha said,” After people depart from the Evil Path, it is difficult for them to become the human beings. Since they have become the human beings, it is difficult for them to remove the female body but to be the male body. Since they have become the male body, it is difficult for them to completely have the Six Roots. Since they completely have the Six Roots, it is difficult for them to be born in the central part of a country. Since they have been born in the central part of a country, it is difficult for them to encounter the world of Buddha. Since they have encountered the world of Buddha, it is difficult for them to encounter the Dao. Since they have encountered the Dao, it is difficult for them to raise the confidence. Since they have raised the confidence, it is difficult for them to initiate the Bodhi-heart. Since they have initiated the Bodhi-heart, it is difficult for them to be no-practicing and no-proving.

 

 

 

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."

 

 

 

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.” 

 

 

 

Chapter 39: There is no difference in the teaching.            

The Buddha said,” Those who learn the path of Buddha should believe and obey what the Buddha has spoken. Such as eating the honey, both of the middle and the side are sweet; my scripture is as the same.”

 

 

 

Chapter 40: Practicing the Dao into heart.             

The Buddha said,” The Sramana practices the Dao, who is not like the grinding cow; although the body practices the Dao, the Dao of heart doesn’t be practiced. If the Dao of heart is practiced, why should it be necessary to practice the Dao?” 

 

 

 

Chapter 41: The honest heart leaves the desire.               

The Buddha said,” Those who practice the Dao are such as a cattle loads heavy objects. When it walks in the deep mud, it is too tired to dare to look around; when it is out of the mud, it is then able to be rest. The Sramana should perceive that the emotion and desire are more than the mud. With the honest heart to think of the Dao, it could avoid the suffering.”      

 

 

 

Chapter 42: Recognize the worldliness as illusion

The Buddha said,” I view the position of a king and princes as that dust passes through a gap, gold-jade treasures as rubbles, white-delicate clothes as broken-old silk, large-thousand worlds as a myrobalan, Anuttana-pool water as applying foot oil, convenient gate as transforming the treasures gathering, the supreme-boarding as the gold-handkerchief in dream, the path of Buddha as the flowers in front of the eyes, the meditation as Sumeru pillar, the Nirvana as the day-night awakening, the reverse and positive as the six-dragons dance, the equality as one truth-land, the thriving and teaching as the four-seasons wood.    

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The sutra of forty-two chapters said by Buddha in Chinese and English (Chapters 22~ 42；Total in 42 Chapters )

The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters said by Buddha (Chapters 1~ 21；Total in 42 Chapters )

 

The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters said by Buddha

(Chapters 1~ 21；Total in 42 Chapters )

 

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.)

 

 

Prologue

The World-Honored One, having attained Buddhahood, made such meditation, that leaving away from the desire, to be in the state of silence, are the best victory. Dwelling in the grand meditation, conquering all paths of demons, the Buddha whirled the Law-Wheel of the Four Noble Truths in the Deer-Wild Garden, and saved Ajñāta Kaundinya and so five persons who had thus proved the fruit of Dao. There were also various questions said by Bhikkhu who inquired the Buddha about the go-ahead and stopping. The teaching and admonition by the World-Honored One let them enlighten one by one. Putting palms of hands together, they respectfully promised to thus comply with the World-Honored One’s admonition.

  

Chapter 1: Go out of family and prove the Dao-fruit

The Buddha said, “Those who farewell their family members, go out of the family, recognize the heart, reach the root of inside, understand the law of no-doing, are called Sramana. Those who always go the 250 Precepts, are in the cleanness and purification while going and stopping, and do the practice of the Four-Noble-Truths Dao, become Arhats. Arhats are able to fly and change, have the lives of great eons, can dwell and move in the heaven and earth. The next is Anāgāmi. At the moment of death, their spirits ascend above the nineteenth heaven, where they prove the Arhats. The next is Sakridāgāmi, who gains the Arhat at once, after ascending to the heaven one time and return to the earth one time. The next is Srotāpanna, who proves Arhat, after seven deaths and seven being born. Cutting off the love and desire is like broken limbs which are unable to be used again.”

 

Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding

The Buddha said, “Those who go out of the family, become the Sramana, cut off the desire, remove the love, recognize the source of their own heart, reach the profound principle of the Buddha, realize the law of no-doing, have nothing being gained inside, have nothing being demanded outside, not to fasten the Dao in heart, nor to collect the karma, have no thoughts, have the no-doing, are non-practicing, are non-proving, not to experience the successive levels, but reach the own loftiest state of all, are called the Dao.”

 

 

Chapter 3: Cut off the love and remove the greed

The Buddha said, “Those who shave their hair and beard to become the Sramana and accept the Dao-law should renounce worldly possessions, be content to beg for alms, and take only what is needed. Eat one meal before noon a day, pass the night beneath trees, and be cautious not to desire more, for love and desire are what makes people foolish and concealing.”

 

 

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.”

 

 

Chapter 5: Correct the vice into the good deed

The Buddha said,” People have a lot of faults, yet don’t know to repent, suddenly let their heart rest, and the sins come to the body; such as the water return to the sea, being deep and wide gradually. If people have faults, resolve them by themselves and know the mistake, correct the vice and do the good, the sins would be vanished by themselves; such as illness cause the sweaty, being healed gradually.”  

 

 

Chapter 6: Endure the evil without hatred

The Buddha said,” When the evil person heard the good deeds and came to disturb you purposely, you should refrain by yourself and have no hatred and blame. He came to do the evils, yet do the evils by oneself to itself.”  

 

 

Chapter 7: Evils back to the evildoers

The Buddha said,” Someone heard that I obey the Path and put the grand benevolence into practice so to scold the Buddha. The Buddha keeps silence, doesn’t respond to him, while the rebuke stopped, and asks: if you bring a gift to someone, who doesn’t accept it, does the gift return to you?” A disciple replies:” It would be returned.” The Buddha said,” Today you scold me, I do not accept it. You have disasters by yourself to let them return to you! Such as an echo responds to a sound, a shadow follows a shape, it is finally unable to be avoided and departed. Be cautious not to do the evils.”

 

 

Chapter 8: Saliva and dust defile oneself 

The Buddha said,” The vicious person harms the virtuous person, such as spitting the saliva toward the sky, the saliva doesn’t reach the sky, but falls to oneself; to scatter the dust in inversing wind, the dust doesn’t reach the other place, but being brought back to oneself. The virtue doesn’t be destroyed. The disaster absolutely ruins oneself.”    

 

 

Chapter 9: Return to the root and understand the Dao 

The Buddha said,” Extensively hearing and liking the Dao, the Dao is certainly hard to be understood; obeying our own aspiration and keeping the Dao, such Dao is very grand.”

 

 

Chapter 10: Joyfully give and gain the bliss  

The Buddha said,” See people giving Dao and help them joyfully; the gained bliss is very grand.” A Sramana asked: “ Does such bliss be ended?” The Buddha said,” Such as a torch-fire that many thousand and many hundred of people separately come to take the fire with their torch, to cook food and remove the dark, this torch-fire is still the same. The bliss is also the same like this. “     

 

Chapter 11: Giving meals turns to victory  

The Buddha said,” Giving hundred evil persons meals is not as good as giving one good person a meal;

giving thousand good persons meals is not as good as giving a meal for one person who obeys the five precepts;

giving meals to ten thousand persons who obey the five precepts is not as good as giving one Srotāpanna a meal;

giving one million Srotāpanna meals is not as good as giving one Sakridāgāmi a meal;

giving ten million Sakridāgāmis meals is not as good as giving one Anāgāmi a meal;

giving one hundred million Anāgāmis meals is not as good as giving one Arhat a meal;

giving ten hundred million Arhats meals is not as good as giving one Pratyeka-buddha a meal;

giving ten thousand million Pratyeka-buddha meals is not as good as giving one Three-World Buddha a meal;

giving one thousand trillion Three-World Buddhas meals is not as good as giving a meal to a person who is in the state of no thought, no dwelling, no practicing, and no proving.”         

  

Chapter 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

The Buddha said,” There are twenty difficulties for people. Giving something to others is difficult when people are in poor. Learning the Dao is difficult when people are in the huge wealth and are nobility. It is hard to the people when they must die because their lives have to be abandoned.  Being able to see the scripture of Buddha is difficult. Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult. To endure the erotic and desire is difficult. Seeing the self-interest and not to pursue it is difficult. No resentment when being humiliated is difficult. When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people is difficult.  When contact with things and no heart  is difficult. Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult. Removing the ego-arrogance is difficult. Not to despise the un-learner is difficult. Practicing the equality in heart is difficult. Not saying the right or wrong is difficult. Meeting the good-knowledge person is difficult. Seeing the Nature and learning the Dao are difficult. According to conditions to reform people so as to save them is difficult. Seeing the circumstance of outside and unmoved in heart is difficult. Good at understanding the convenience is difficult.

  

Chapter 13: Ask about the Dao and destiny     

A Sramana asked the Buddha: ”By what cause and condition could we know our destiny and understand it to reach the Dao?” The Buddha replied,” Purifying our own heart and obeying our own aspiration could understand and reach the Dao, such as grinding the mirror, the dirt is removed and the shine is kept; cutting off the desire and no demanding, we would surely gain the destiny.   

  

Chapter 14: Ask about the goodness and grandest    

A Sramana asked the Buddha: ” What is the goodness? What is the grandest?” The Buddha replied,” Putting the Dao into the practice and obeying the truth is the goodness. Combining the aspiration and Dao is the grandest.”

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.    

 

 

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. “             

  

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.”      

 

 

Chapter 18: The root of thoughts is equal to the Emptiness. 

The Buddha said,” My law (Buddha-Law; Dharma) is about thinking of the no-thought thought, acting the no-doing action, talking about the no-talking talk, and putting the no-practice into the practice. Those who understand what as said are approach it. Those who feel confused about what as said are far from it. The Dao of words and talks is cut off. It can not be bound by things. The difference of millimeter or centimeter would cause the mistake in a moment. 

 

Chapter 19: perceive the fake and real at the same time

The Buddha said,” Observe the sky and land, have a thought of the impermanence; observe the world, have a thought of the impermanence; perceiving the spiritual awakening is the Bodhi. Those who have such knowledge gain the Dao quickly.”          

 

Chapter 20: reasoning I am originally emptiness

The Buddha said,” We should think of that there are four-big parts in our body, which part separately owns its name, and all of which have no I. Since it does not have me, it is like illusion.”  

Chapter 21: The fame makes us lost our root.

The Buddha said,” People follow their emotion and desire in order to seek the fame; when the fame is obvious, the body is already dead. Be greedy for the worldly permanent fame, but not to learn the Dao, it wastes the energy and toils the body, such as burning incense, even though people smell the scent, the ash of incense has not yet dying. The fire to endanger the body is behind.”     

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The sutra of forty-two chapters said by Buddha in Chinese and English (Chapters 1~ 21；Total in 42 Chapters )