The Nobility of Buddha-Nature

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu/ Hsu, Tao Qing/ Hsu, Daoqing

The realm of the law (Dharma Realm; Law Realm) is empty, and the spirit(or god) is omnipresent. The spirit( or god) is the soul.

The spirits in the worlds commune with each other, wandering in the vast emptiness in a dream. This dream is not a dream, yet it is also a dream. Like a dream, yet not a dream, itself is illusory. That is the inner and outer phenomena of the self.

Other spirits(or gods) are neither internal nor external. This spirit(or god) is not another, but merges with the original spirit. Other spirits(or gods) and one's own spirit are one. Other spirits(gods) are Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and sentient beings. The original spirit is the self.

The Buddha said: In heaven and on earth, only I am the most nobility(honored).

This "I", itself, is Buddha-nature. It does not only refer to the Buddha Shakyamuni, but also to the Buddha-nature of sentient beings who have not yet attained Buddhahood. Know that one's own Buddha-nature is uniquely noble, identical to the Buddha's. This is not arrogance towards others, nor contempt for sentient beings. Knowing the nobility of Buddha-nature, one dares not trample upon it.

The Buddha Shakyamuni  also said: I, the Buddhas, and sentient beings are one(the unity).

He also said: All sentient beings possess Buddha-nature.

One(the unity), itself, is Buddha-nature. I, itself, am Buddha-nature. The spirit, itself, is Buddha-nature. The Buddha-nature, itself, is emptiness. 

The spirit, its essence, is also void, also illusion. It manifests and functions with the illusion-transform within the void. Hence it is said, "The spirit transforms in myriad ways." The Buddhist Scripture, The Great Direction and Immense Flower Solemn Scripture, says: "The mind is like a skilled painter, able to paint the picture of all worlds." That is, all spirits of all beings create various worlds, no matter if it seems good or bad. 

The mind is the spirit.

Buddha-nature has no inherent nature, it is empty. The vast emptiness is inherently empty, that is it.

The great bright mirror of the mind, itself, has neither right nor wrong. All phenomena of the Law Realm (Dharma realm) are reflected in it, yet it is neither without right nor without wrong.

A single thought arises and functions, the right and wrong, all due to causes and conditions.

All phenomena are complex, all arising from causes and conditions. When causes and conditions cease, the reflection disappears.

Therefore it is said: those who stubbornly cling to illusions are foolish; those who are biased are stupid.

The above is neither my own creation nor a repetition. It is the compassionate transmission of the Law(Dharma) by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Those who realize this themselves will understand.

All sentient beings possess this nature, all possess this mind. This nature is Buddha-nature. The mind is a mirror of the heart. Know that all beings are capable of realizing this; it only awaits the right time and conditions to trigger and awaken it, it only awaits the realization itself. What has not yet occurred is because of ignorance (no-brightness). Therefore, know that the essence and nature of all beings are without ignorance(no-brightness). The Heart Sutra says: There is no ignorance(no-brightness), nor is there an end to ignorance(no-brightness). That is, the mind of all beings, the essence, itself, is bright. 

To realize this is enlightenment. Enlightenment is the light of the sun and moon, illuminating all things. It is like Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Bodhisattva World-Sound-Perceiving), playing in the Saha world (the world on earth). Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Bodhisattva World-Sound-Perceiving)  manifests in countless forms, seemingly good, seemingly evil, guiding beings in the Saha world; it is both play and performance. Whether appearing as a good person or a bad person is merely the subjective perception of beings. Therefore, know that beings who take everything seriously are foolish. This is a way of dealing with people that allows us to have an open mind and flexibility, and not to be blackmailed, kidnapped, or manipulated by stubborn, biased, and foolish ideologies, claims, or any opinions.

Therefore, we know that the Buddha-nature of all beings is also noble, the same as that of the Buddha, the same as that of the self. Therefore, we know that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas respect beings, daring not to infringe upon them, daring not to trample upon them, daring not to despise them, daring not to deceive them.

We Know that any sentient being who, in the name of the gods or independently of the gods, uses their consciousness to commit various acts, showing contempt for, despising, or infringing upon other sentient beings, creates their own karma and will inevitably suffer the consequences. This is because the inner spirit of all sentient beings and the inner spirit of myself are neither one nor two. Their forms differ, but their inner spirits are one. To despise other sentient beings is to despise oneself, and the same principle applies to all others. This is the earnest exhortation of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas from ancient times to the present.

Therefore, the wise should know that they should not be swayed by sentient beings, but rather sway them. Sentient beings are myself, and also the product of the five poisons of greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt. Bodhisattva Manjushri, the mother of Buddha, severed the eighty-four thousand threads of afflictions in the world with the sword of wisdom, thus transforming the five poisons of the mind to be clean. This is because of the image reflected in the image. That is, using images to respond to images. This is something ordinary sentient beings cannot bear. However, we  observe others' performances. Dignified solemnity, laughter, and scolding are all like illusions. The Buddha said: All phenomena are like illusions. All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows.

Worldly appearances may differ in age, position, rank, wealth, or poverty. However, if one understands that all beings share the same Buddha-nature, one is able to be neither arrogant nor servile. If some beings are ignorant, biased, and prone to bullying the good and fearing the evil, the wise should wield the Vajra sword of wisdom, sometimes with compassion, sometimes with severity, hoping to sever their ignorance and afflictions, thus protecting the vast number of innocent and kind beings.The Manjushri Wisdom Sword usually means the application of the invisible wisdom. As times change, the Manjushri Wisdom Sword can be understood and practiced in a broader sense.

Worldly legal entities, organizations, and political parties are simply aggregations and derivatives of individuals. They are gathered together by causes and conditions. Their essence is empty. Therefore, they can be viewed and acted upon in the same way.

Buddha-nature is the essence of the body. Cultivation or practice is the form and phenomena. Becoming a Buddha is the function and application. Only sentient beings with the spirit can know, cultivate, practice, and realize this, and thus attain realization. Only after realization can it be used.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) can remember and think, but it lacks spiritual power; therefore, it cannot cultivate, realize, or attain anything. This is the difference between spiritual beings and AI (Artificial Intelligence).

What do spiritual beings realize? The body of Law (the Dharmakaya), the body of reward or repay( the Sambhogakaya), and the body of transformation (the Nirmanakaya)—the three unified. This is the supreme treasure of the Tathagata, realized, proclaimed, and transmitted by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Only spiritual beings can realize and attain this.

In other words, AI has accumulated vast knowledge, surpassing the total knowledge of all humanity. However, because it lacks the unique spiritual abilities of humans, even if it simulates humans, it will not possess the wisdom of the Tathagata. The wisdom of the Tathagata is unique to spiritual beings in the Law Realm (Dharma Realm) and cannot be imitated or destroyed by artificial intelligence. The spiritual beings include the beings in heavens. The beings include the aliens in the universe. 

We know that all human knowledge arises from the emptiness of the original mind and is inseparable from the Buddha-nature and Tathagata wisdom of the original mind. AI is also created from the Buddha-nature and Tathagata wisdom of humanity. Those who understand this can control and transform AI. Those who do not understand this will be transformed by AI.

The powerful and wealthy in the world claim to have a mission and use various words and deeds to benefit sentient beings, whether the ways are good or bad. Maybe to claim that the mission is from the gods' indication or from something. Beautiful words carry a mission, ugly words are merely a tool. The wise, upon careful reflection, will understand what is being said. Those who understand are humble and kind to all beings. Those who do not understand are arrogant and harm all beings.

A soul practicing within a hierarchical group or organization built on authority might have a slight chance of attaining Arhatship. Unfortunately, in such a group or organization, the chance of attaining Buddhahood is almost nonexistent. Why?

Because in such an environment, the soul is manipulated and controlled by authority and hierarchy, regardless of whether the intentions of these authorities and hierarchical systems are benevolent or malevolent. The nobility of Buddha-nature lies in its liberation from the manipulation and control of all authority and hierarchy, even those authority and hierarchy originating from souls in the void. We might call these gods or demons or ghosts.

In other words, the nobility of Buddha-nature lies in its liberation from the manipulation and control of gods and demons in the void. More profoundly, the nobility of Buddha-nature lies in its independent thinking and the ability to distinguish what is the different between manipulation, control, and teaching.

May all beings understand this: their own Buddha-nature is supremely noble. The Buddha-nature of others is also supremely noble. Equality between self and others is based on Buddha-nature. Knowing this, one can respect oneself and others, value oneself and others, and thus put it into practice. This is the earnest teaching of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout history.

May all beings truly understand supreme wisdom.

May all beings truly understand supreme compassion.

Grateful to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions for their compassionate teachings and care.

Grateful to all sentient beings of the ten directions for their compassionate protection and guidance.

The equality and justice of Confucian thought is not the true equality and justice.

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

 

In the culture of ancient China, it emphasizes on Confucius thought. Confucius is the people in 2500 years ago. Confucian thought affect the government of history Chinese dynasties. It also affects the government of Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand in history. In the history, the authority of male likes to use Confucian thought to stress its legitimacy in governing. However, the concept of equality and justice is standing on the angle of thought of male, not female.

 

Confucian thought is really despising female. Unfortunately, even today, there is the authority of male who are positive to promote the Confucian thought and regard the Confucian thought as a representative of Chinese culture. As a woman, in my opinion, I do not think it is an honorable thing. The women of the history are pressed and bullied because of the Confucian thought. Unfortunately, it is still affecting the eastern woman in the modern time.   

 

In other word, the equality and justice of Confucian thought is not the true equality and justice. In fact, it is only some kind of equality and justice under some kind of conditions. That is, it must be correspond to the concept or thought of male, and thus there is the equality and justice. Do you have found such concept or thought is existed everywhere on earth? 

Chapter 25: The fire of desires burns the body.

(Chapter 25) 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 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 your hands.” 

Humans are born by love and desire. The humans being produced by the artificial reproduction is also derived from the parents' love and desire. Love and desire is the root of human nature. Mostly, love and desire is related to the eroticism.

But, I hope that you know that love and desire is not just concerning about eroticism, because love and desire can be connected with the money, authority, social status, social reputation, social control and luxury life such as to have good cars, gorgeous clothes, delicious eating and luxurious living.

When we insight such root of human nature and what have been done, we can understand anyone’s motivation. Even though they use any upside-down and twisted reasons to fool the masses, it is impossible to fool us.  

The source of love and desire is mostly coming from the personal selfishness. It is very rare to come from the selfless love and desire. Selfishness and selflessness are coming from the same heart of one person. If this heart is enlightened, it can be selfless to face the all sentient beings. However, if this heart is unable to be enlightened, it becomes negative and selfish and what have been done is just want to take the advantage from the world.

Whether the heart of one person is selfish or not, it is not concerning about what and how a person has educated, but it is concerning about whether its heart is enlightened or not. Unfortunately, those who have the more education will have the more love and desire to grasp the resource of the world, and will not share the resource to all mankind, that is because their heart is not enlightened.

In the history of China, the corrupt officials always have the good background of education and the appointment through national examination. They collect a lot of gold, money and valuables. They also have many wives. They grasp the resource of the country and do not will to share it to the civilians.

Whenever the new emperor took office, he began to sweep away the corrupt officials of the previous emperor. The outcome of the corrupt officials is not only to go into jail or to be executed, but all property is also confiscated by the state. And this situation has been repeated again and again, China has not learned the lessons and reforms from history. Those who want to be official are because of their selfish love and desire so as they can collect the more gold, money and valuables for themselves and their families. Such situation is not just existed in China, but also existed in many countries in the world.

Such officials don’t have the selfless mind to share the resource of the country for the civilians and don’t have the kind mind to take care of them, let alone that they can respect them. Violence from the government to the civilians often occurs in this situation.

Unfortunately, selfish love and desire are not just exists in the officials, but also exists in the families. Many families have their own family business and property. Those who have the more selfish love and desire for the family business and property would have the intention to occupy the resource of the family. Disputes between brothers to fight for property often occur in such situation. Mental and physical violence also occur in this situation. Injuries and deaths can also occur.

Selfish love and desire is more coming from the eroticism. Why those people want to occupy the resource or to collect the money, gold and valuables? We can find that it is because they want to raise more wives or women who they love and desire, and their children. Moreover, it is also because they have obsessed with the authority, reputation and the luxury life.

Many people fall into this life situation and don't think there is anything wrong with this. They are even proud of this value. Unfortunately, they do not know what the moral wealth is. Wealth obtained in an immoral way is not real wealth. It will eventually turn into smoke and gone. However, the crime and mistake are recorded and will not be disappeared.

For people, eroticism is like walking with a burning torch against the wind, and there must be the worry of burning your hands. In eroticism, it is more concerning about the erotic desire and money. If the desire for the erotic and money is not contented, emotional disputes occur. People will lose their minds. Mental and physical violence also occur in this situation. Injuries and deaths cannot be avoided.

Therefore, we must be careful about any personal selfish love, desire and eroticism. The most important is to be cautious about the selfish love, desire and eroticism of the self so as to avoid any harm or any crime or mistake.

Of course, what we want to review is not others, but ourselves. Avoiding us as a slave to ourselves’ selfish love and desire can prevent us from becoming a slave to others’ selfish love and desire. It is very important. When we thoroughly understand this, our heart can therefore truly be enlightened and realize the truth, and transform selfish love and desire into selfless love and desire. Only in this way can we really benefit the world. We thus naturally can make merits and virtues, and gain moral wealth from it.

Chapter 12 ﹝9﹞: When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people is difficult

(Chapter 12 ﹝9﹞ ) 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 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 the 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. Enduring 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 its 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 and unmoved in heart are difficult. Good at understanding the convenience is difficult.

Chapter 12 ﹝9﹞: When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people is difficult. (when people have the authority, it is difficult for them not to draw near to ordinary people.)

When having the authority and not to draw near to ordinary people is difficult (when people have the authority, it is difficult for them not to draw near to ordinary people). It is the ninth difficulty in the twenty difficulties said by Buddha Shakyamuni in this Chapter.

It also means that it is hard for the person not to draw near to ordinary people when having the authority. I use the words “ draw near to” which is translated according to the Chinese word. It is also means “to come closer” or “to approach”.

The whole meaning is that it is hard for the persons when they own the power and not to bully the ordinary people. The original article in Chinese is some kind of difficult to understand.

When people own the authority, the mind of arrogance is easy to be generated. And it might want to demonstrate their power or to gain their personal advantages and profit so to bully others. Even today, such situation is still existed in some places.

What we have often heard is that the evil bullying persons plunder the civic fortune, encroach the good farm, robbery the women or children, or enslave the others. Such evil bullying person is not someone else. They are the persons who have the authority in army or in politic, especially in the time of war or of darkness in politic.

Even in the time of democracy, there are also existed the bullying thing in company or in the politic party, or any group, or in some big family in some countries. The bullying persons are the boss, or the supervisor, or the elder male.

The official career and the authority are the temporary. It is not permanent. Even our body is not permanent. We’ll lose those things some day. The Buddha have said that all of the phenomenon would have four stages. That is forming, dwelling, destructing and emptying; and all mental and physical situations would have four stages. That is generating, dwelling, changing, eliminating.

So, we could find the connecting. Forming corresponds to generating. Dwelling means dwelling on something. Or something is dwelled on. Destructing corresponds to changing. The emptying corresponds to eliminating.

Those who bully others with arrogance are in the stage of formed and dwelled authority. Usually, their retribution is in the stage of destructed and emptied authority. If we have such sense, we would not dare to bully others. And it is not hard for us when having the authority and thus not to draw near to ordinary people.

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.