Author: Tao Qing Hsu
This Buddhist scripture "Scripture of Lotus Magnificence of Marvelous Law" is classified as the classic scripture of great-boarding (great-vehicle).
This Buddhist scripture --Scripture of Lotus Magnificence of Marvelous Law, was taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni eight years before he was into Nirvana, which was about forty-two years after he had achieved the Buddhahood at his age of 30. That is, this Buddhist scripture was spoken at the Buddh’s age of 72. The Buddha Shakyamuni first taught little-boarding scriptures (Hinayana classics) after his enlightenment, and then gradually led to great-boarding scriptures (Mahayana classics). I use the word “boarding”, it may be strange for you, which the related explanation you can refer to the following link: "Board " means "save" in Buddhism.
Why I use the word Boarding and what the little-boarding mans in Buddhism.
I further explain it here. A board, a river or any sea, or cross the river, or ferrying the river, or a cart is the metaphor in Buddhism. That is, that it is able to carry only one person across a river or to take a ride for only one person from one place to another place and which therefore can be taken for use is only a small board.
A river is comparing to be the suffering in a personal life. A person has used a small board to help him to cross the river from one shore to another shore. Taking use for such a board and safely crossing the river to attain the peaceful shore. Such the way and experience, it is called the saving and liberating the self from the suffering. I board on the small board to cross the river. Therefore, boarding on a small board in Buddhism is comparing to be the method or the way to save the self to liberate the personal suffering, which is called Hinayana. I use the word Little-Boarding to replace Hinayana or small-vehicle. For the word Little (or Small), it means to be lack of the capability in saving others. That is, those who learn the Buddha-Law of little-boarding (Hinayana) are lacking of the widely generous heart to save, reform and liberate others from the suffering of life and death.
What the great-boarding means in Buddhism.
The small board is so small which cannot carry the second people. However, the large board is different. The large board is not only can carry the self but also the others, so as to help the self and others cross the river. Boarding on the large board in Buddhism is comparing to be the method or the way or the path to save the self and the others so as to liberate themselves from their sufferings. We board on the large board to cross the river. That is why I use the word Great-Boarding to replace Mahayana or great-vehicle. For the word Great, it means those who learn the Buddha-Law of great-boarding (Mahayana) are full of the widely generous heart, and of great compassion and wisdom, and thus are capable to take use of any convenient, flexible and limitless methods so as to save, teach, reform the all beings and liberate them from the sufferings of life and death.
This is the basic concept to learn Buddhism. On this basis, you will learn more about the more deeply concept in learning Buddha. Especially, you can learn it from this Buddhist scripture. In Buddhism, there are some metaphors to describe how the self or the others to liberate the self or the others from sufferings, such as boarding on the small or large boat, a sheep cart or a bullock cart. Today now, we can image that there are a small or large electric car (bus) or a small or large cruise ship, or the small or large aircraft.
The basic concept of practicing, saving, teaching, reforming and liberating in Buddhism.
No matter what it is, that is, no matter what the transportation is, it is all needed a board to carry the self or the others from one place of making the self or others feel suffered to another place which can make the self or others feel peaceful and safe. And we need to board on these boards so that we can arrive at any ideal destination. As we have mentioned, such the boarding and its process of transporting, and thus to attain any ideal destination are a metaphor to be some kind of vehicle or way in liberating the self and others from the sufferings of life and death. It is comparing to be the Buddha-Law (Dharma) what we learn and practice in learning Buddha.
The used metaphor in the Buddhist scripture.
The similar concept is used in boarding on the animal's cart. When we board on the sheep cart, deer cart or bullock cart, it means that we choose to take use of the different vehicle or way. And when we take use for the different animal’s cart and sit on it and when it walks on the road, it is as if we go on the road. It is also described as vehicle or way in learning Buddha. It is also the metaphor and is called the method, the Path or Way what we learn in Buddhism. I use the word Dao to replace the word Path or Way.
What the voice-hearer means.
To extend the notion as said above. When a person learned the Buddha by listening to Four Sage Truths spoken by the Buddha, and was thus enlightened, and was able to save and liberate the self from the sufferings of life and death, however, such a person was unable to save and liberate the others from the sufferings of life and death, in Buddhism, such a person was called voice-hearer.
That is, such a person was enlightened by hearing the sound of the Buddha. And such a vehicle or way or experience or outcome in learning Buddha was called the boarding of voice-hearer and was also called Buddha-law of the little-boarding (Hinayana). What this person was able to do is just to do the good thing for the self. However, it could not do the same good for the others. It is as if such a person is able to take use of a small board which only can carry this one to cross the river or to take use of the sheep cart which is only can carry this one so as to attain its destination. That is why it is called little-boarding (Hinayana) or small-vehicle.
What the Pusa-boarding (Pusa-vehicle; Bodhisattva-vehicle) and Buddha-boarding (Buddha-vehicle) means.
When we take use of the analogous to the same concept, there are the boarding of Pusa and the boarding of Buddha (Pusa-vehicle and Buddha-vehicle). If a person chose the Pusa-boarding to practice, it would be as if it took use of the large board to cross the river, this large board carry the person to become Pusa, such as the large boat, large oxcart, etc., which is not only to save themselves but also to save others, so as to attain the destination together--to achieve the Buddhahood. That is, such a person practiced the profound and boundless Buddha-law and is capable to achieve the grade and state of Pusa. That is why it is called the great-boarding (Mahayana) and the Buddha-law of great-boarding. However, the grade and state of Pusa has not been completed to achieve the Buddhahood after all. Therefore, the Buddha encouraged the disciples to choose the great law of Buddha-boarding (Buddha-vehicle).
What the Fo-Dao and Pusa-Dao means in Buddhism.
The boarding is also a metaphor to be similar to the path or way to learn Buddha, such as the Way of Bodhisattva (Pusa-way) or the Way of Buddha. In any articles and contents of this Blog about Buddhism, you can find that the word Dao is often appeared. The word Dao is transliterated from the Chinese. The word Dao generally means way, path, road in transportation field. In Buddhism, its meaning is extended to the method of practicing Buddhism, and to the direction that should be learned, and to the final state of proving and enlightenment. And its deep meaning is quite beyond that the humans can think in our common sense, worldly professional knowledge, or in any our worldly logical mind. Basically, the notion of the boarding of Buddha is the same as the Dao of Buddha. (The Buddha-boarding (Buddha-vehicle) is similar to the Buddha-Dao or Fo-Dao.)
I use the word Dao to replace the word Way.
That is because I hope you do not be limited in the explanation of any
dictionaries. In Buddhism, the inner meaning of Dao (or Way) is more widely
than the explanation in the dictionary. That is only when you profoundly learn
and practice the Buddhism so that you are capable to understand it.
I usually use the word Pusa-Dao to replace
the way of Bodhisattva, and the Fo-Dao to replace the Way of Buddha. And I use
the word Pusa to replace the word Bodhisattva, and use the word Fo to replace
the word Buddha. Only can you understand the meaning in Buddhism, you can
choose what the characters you like to use or what the words you are used to.
If you know the language of Chinese, you will be more easily to understand it. There
is no regulation what kind of characters you have to use. Why?
The nature of all the phenomenon of any characters, words, and expressions is still and empty.
All the phenomenon of any characters,
words, and expressions is silent and eliminated in nature. That is, the nature
is still and empty. That is taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni. On this basis, you
can create any characters, words, and expressions. Meanwhile, any meaning of
any characters, words, and expressions are countless and boundless. There are
two Buddhist scriptures which are talked about these deep meanings of the
characters. That is why if we research the origin of any languages, we can find
them from nothing to become images, then they evolved into the literal notation
we use now.
The only-one-Buddha-boarding is the most core notion in this Buddhist scripture “Scripture of Lotus Magnificence of Marvelous Law” .
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