One of the Ten Titles about Buddha—Brightness-Action-Feet

 

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu

 

 

The meaning of Brightness-Action-Feet

 

The character Brightness-Action-Feet in Sanskrit is vidyā-carana-sajpanna, which is translated by me according to my understanding from the content of Buddhist Scripture said by Buddha. In the Buddhist Scripture of the Ten Titles Said by Buddha, the Buddha Shakyamuni had explained its meaning which is translated by me as follows:   

 

Why it was called Brightness-Action-Feet. The Buddha said. The brightness meant that the brightness of heavenly eye, the brightness of experienced and predestined destinies, and the brightness of leak-ended. What the meaning of the action feet was the Karma of the Tathagata’s body, mouth, and mind. Good at practicing the consummate of possessing feet, the rightly truth and clearly clean. Such as owning a large clothing and bowl, etc., being able to perceive and reflect it at ease but without loving or attaching it. In all actions of the voluntary strength, practice them so as to make them consummate to possess the feet. It was named Brightness-Action-Feet.

 

The summarized explanations of the character Brightness-Action-Feet

 

Except for the explanation by Buddha, I also refer to the explanations of the character Brightness-Action-Feet by other Buddhist masters, and I summarize them as follows:

 

The character Feet here indicates the two legs of a Buddha. One of the titles to honor the Buddha is Two-Leg-Respect, which means that one leg represents the wisdom of the Buddha and the other leg represents the blessed-merit of the Buddha. A person leans down to the ground, with his forehead on the ground, his palms facing up, and salutes to the other person's feet. This is the highest salute done to the respected person in ancient India. Buddhists today also use this method of worship to worship the Buddhas who are in the ten directions of space. The statue of the Buddha or the image of the Buddha itself is only a symbolic representation. It is not worshiping the statue or worshiping the idol. When we have a deeper understanding of Buddhism, we can understand that Buddha is formless and imageless.

 

The two legs of a Buddha indicate the wisdom and blessed-merit, and are noble.

 

Why the two legs of a Buddha indicate the wisdom and blessed-merit? It derives from the action. That is, the Buddha had completely practiced the ten good Karmas and had guarded his six roots well not to do the evil. Therefore, the Buddha’s body, mouth, and mind are clean. That is, a Buddha has no five poisons and no related negative thoughts, mindsets and actions. Five poisons mean the greedy, hatred, stupid obsession (infatuation, addiction and attachment), arrogant and suspicion. The ten evil Karmas derive from the five poisons.

 

The word Karma means the action and what a person has done. In the Chapter 4 of A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha (Chapter 4: Understand the good and evil at the same time), we have mentioned that not to do the ten evil is to do the ten good. It is the ten good Karmas. The six roots mean the root of eyes, ear, nose, tongue (mouth), body and mind. The essence of the six roots is the emptiness and neutral, which is not to do the good and not to do the evil. That also means not to think of the good and not to think of the evil. This is to guard the six roots. That is because there are no five poisons and no related negative thoughts, mindsets and actions. Under the circumstance, its self is the wisdom. On this basis of wisdom and to do the right thing, the blessed-merit can be generated and appeared naturally. That is why the two legs of a Buddha are noble and worth for being respected. 

 

Keep the heart in Brightness.

 

The definition of and the explanation of the good and the evil, the right and wrong, and the justice and injustice are easily manipulated and distorted by the people who own the five poisons. That is, these people have the scheming and fraudulent mind and have the different self-interests and positions. Any hatred and hostility are also easily instigated and aroused in this situation. If we are ignorant, we will easily be led around by mistaken way. We then may make mistakes and create the bad karmas. This means that the heart is polluted and is in darkness. That is, there is no brightness and no light in heart. When we keep not to think of the good and not to think of the evil, we keep the neutral and objective position. We then judge anything according to the individually widely understanding, knowledge and wisdom. Hence, the heart is in brightness.

 

Four points taught by the Buddha about no-thinking and no-doing.

 

No-thinking and no-doing is one of the states of the Buddha. The further realizing for the no-thinking and no-doing, there are four points taught by the Buddha. It is according to what I have read in Buddhist Scripture and what I have learned in Zen of Buddhism. It is as follows:

 

1. Not to think of (not to remember, recall, and regret) the past what happened

2. Not to seek for and expect for the future what would be happened. 

3. Not to addict and attach to the present. That is, don't be swayed and distracted by what's happening right now so as to avoid the five-poison thought and mind being arisen.

4. On the basis of above three points, we cherish the moment and live at the moment with our clean body, mouth and mind. That is, we do anything, such as eating meals, drinking teas, sleeping, talking and work, ext., with the normal and peaceful mind. It is pure in heart without any greedy, hatred and stupid obsessed thought and mind.  

 

The meaning and function of no-thinking and no-doing

 

When we deeply understand the teaching of Buddha, we then understand the profound meaning of no-thinking and no-doing. When we are in the state of no-thinking and no-doing, we know that any manipulated binary opposition is not functioning and any deceive dogma and seemed plausible reasons that fools people's hearts will fail. Any attempt to manipulate us under the guise of religious teachings, including those who use Buddhist teachings to manipulate us, will not succeed. The Buddha is not always in the state of no-thinking and no-doing. If a person is always in the state of no-thinking and no-doing, it is called the stubborn emptiness (the stupid emptiness) and the death-silence (the stupid silence). This is not the state of the Buddha. Therefore, when we have any troubles and any sufferings, we know that it is better for us to be in the state of no-thinking and no-doing until our wisdom without any toxic mind arise and we thus know how to solve any problems. And then, we take any action. 

 

Buddha's state and action

 

The clean state of the Buddha’s body, mouth and mind is based on the wisdom, empathy, benevolence and compassion. In Buddhism, the wisdom means to completely eliminate the individual greedy, hatred, stupid obsession (infatuation, addiction or attachment), arrogant and suspicion. To sum up, that is to completely eliminate any negative thoughts, mindsets and actions. Meanwhile, this person with wisdom has completely understood that these five poisons and the related negative mindsets and behaviors are existed in those persons who have not yet been enlightened.

 

Any empathy, compassion and benevolence for others are on the basis of wisdom. This is what the state of a Buddha. At the same time, a Buddha is capable to take use of any flexible and convenient way to teach, lead and reform those un-enlightened persons so as to make them be in the state of the brightness. That is to make them remove the five poisons and any related negative thoughts, mindsets and behaviors so as to relieve any sufferings. Therefore, we know that the Buddha is full of the positive energy and is always doing such positive things for the sentient beings and the world on the basis of the no-thinking and no-doing.

 

The meaning of the consummate feet

 

From above explanation, we know why the action of the Buddha is good at practicing the consummate of possessing feet, the rightly truth and clearly clean. The two legs of the Buddha also mean the wisdom and compassion (mercy, empathy and benevolence). One leg represents the wisdom, and the other leg represents the compassion. To possess both of these two legs at the same time and without lack of any one of them means the consummate feet. No matter what the leg represents, what the action of the Buddha is, its essence is the rightly truth and clearly clean. That is, there are no five poisons and no related negative thoughts, mindsets and actions. It is also like owning a large clothing and bowl that are used by the monk and the monk is able to perceive them and to reflect them at ease, but the monk doesn’t love them and doesn’t attach them.

 

What we can learn from the meaning of the consummate feet.

 

That is to teach us that we can use anything what we need actually but not what we desire to possess, and that we can do anything to really help the self and the others with our wisdom and compassion so as to relieve our troubles, worries and sufferings. We can perceive these things and reflect them at ease. However, it would be better for us not to love it and attach it so as to avoid any troubles, worries and sufferings. Meanwhile, this teaching of Buddha is also to remind us, when we do anything and take any actions, we keep the wisdom and compassion in mind. At the same time, when we are walking and pay attention to our legs, we think of the meaning of the wisdom and compassion taught by the Buddha.

 

Buddha’s actions are coming from the voluntary strength.       

 

“The Buddha said. In all actions of the voluntary strength, practice them so as to make them consummate to possess the feet.” It means that all actions of the Buddha are coming from the voluntary strength of the self. There is no compulsion and no impure motives. By this way of practicing all actions, it can consummate to possess the wisdom and blessed merit. That is why the Buddha's two legs of wisdom and blessed merit are so noble and being respected. Whether you are willing to own the wisdom, compassion and the blessed merit or not, it depends on the self, not on the others. That is, the noble and being respected is coming from the honesty learning and practicing by self, not from others expectation and manipulation.

 

There is no situation of opposition to each other in the honesty Buddhist groups.

 

From above explanation, we know how we can learn if our goal is to achieve the Buddhahood. In Buddhism, there is no issue of religious divisions. In the world and in the different countries, there are a lot of different Buddhist groups. What the different is the method of practicing and learning. It is the different in the process and experience. And their goal is the same. That is to achieve the Buddhahood. It is as if someone wants to cross the river from the left shore to the right shore, one takes use of the small boat, however, the other takes use of the large boat, their destination is the same, the right shore. That is why there is no situation of opposition to each other in the honesty Buddhist groups.

 

There is also no situation of opposition to the others who believe in different religion from the Buddhism in the honesty Buddhist groups.    

 

Meanwhile, there is also no situation of opposition to the others who believe in different religion from the Buddhism in the honesty Buddhist groups. In Buddhism, it thinks that all sentient beings are the future Buddha who owns the Buddha-nature. However, they have not yet been enlightened in the aspect of Buddha-nature. That is, they have not realized that they own the Buddha-nature. Therefore, the future Buddha is also called the unenlightened Buddha. No matter what your belief is and no matter your race is and whether you have belief or not, it thinks that you are the future Buddha and you will become a Buddha someday after experiencing the reincarnation of unmeasurable times. Therefore, the Buddha thinks that all the sentient beings are equal to all Buddhas in the ten directions of space. In Buddhism, There is no such concept of master and servant and there is also no such concept that the servant served and dedicated to the Lord. The Buddha doesn’t think he is a Lord. The Buddha thinks that he and all sentient beings are the one and are equal. In the idea of Buddhism, to harm all sentient beings is to harm the self and such bad Karma would make the bad response and bad retribution return to the self.

 

 

The three kinds of brightness are based on wisdom and are arisen naturally.

 

“The Buddha said. The brightness meant that the brightness of heavenly eye, the brightness of experienced and predestined destinies, and the brightness of leak-ended.” Now you may realize that the brightness as said is based on the clean actions of practicing as mentioned above. The word Brightness also means to clearly know and to know by wisdom. The Brightness here also represents the wisdom. The wisdom-brightness is based on the clean action of practicing. It is that the Brightness is based on the Wisdom. When the body, mouth and mind are clean, that is without five-poison heart and action, then, the brightness of heavenly eye, the brightness of experienced and predestined destinies, and the brightness of leak- ended will be arisen naturally.

 

The three kinds of brightness are the power of the spiritual openness.

 

The brightness of heavenly eye, the brightness of experienced and predestined destinies, and the brightness of leak-ended are the power of the spiritual openness. In the translation of mine, the word Brightness is able to be replaced by the words Spiritual Openness. In Buddhism, the meaning and function of both of them are the same. It is translated by someone as the supernatural power. I don’t use the words Supernatural Power. The power of the spiritual openness is what we owned originally. However, the spiritual of the unenlightened people is in closeness and their heart is in darkness because of the five-poison mind and action of the self. That is why theirs such abilities are unable to be opened up and developed well.

 

These three kinds of brightness are included in the six kinds of the spiritual openness in Buddhism. I have explained it in the Buddhist Scripture of A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha. If you are interested in understanding it, you can read the following linked article. Its link is as follows:

Chapter 15: Ask about the force and brightness

 

 

 

The brief introduce about the three kinds of brightness.

 

I briefly introduce these three kinds of brightness as follows:

 

The brightness of heavenly eye

 

The brightness of heavenly eye: In the common dramas, novels and cartoons, especially in the classic and traditional Chinese dramas, it is called the third eye of human. If you have seen the image and its content, you might have the concept about what it is and what its function is. The heavenly eye means that it allows you to see what's going on in the distance about the people and things you care about, or any people and any things that need you to care about.

 

The brightness of experienced and predestined destinies

 

The brightness of experienced and predestined destinies: Its meaning and function are the same as the spiritual openness of perceiving fate. That is, someone who owns this power is capable to understand and see the past and the future destiny of the self and any person who you care about. In Buddhism, the destiny usually means the cause and condition, and the causality, and the reward of good result (the repay of good consequence), the retribution of bad result, and the response of the effect. In Buddhist Scripture, it records that the Buddha Shakyamuni always used this power to perceive his disciple’s destiny or human’s destiny so as to give his disciples and the sentient beings the correct teaching and to enlighten them to realize the meaning of Buddha-nature at the same time. The meaning and function of the brightness of experienced and predestined destinies is different from that of the fortune telling.  In Taiwan and China, the fortune telling always involves the meaning and concept of the Buddhism so as to offer the helpful advices and help people to change their fate and to make them be the good persons.

 

The brightness of leak-ended

 

The brightness of leak-ended: The word Leak is the analogy of troubles, worries and sufferings in Buddhism. In the Buddhist Scripture, it records that the Buddha Shakyamuni mentioned the word Having-Leak and the word No-leak. The word Having-Leak means to have the troubles, worries and sufferings. The word No-leak means to completely eliminate or remove any worries and sufferings. The state of a Buddha is ending the leak completely. That is, a Buddha is in the state of no-leak. The other meaning for the brightness of leak-ended is that a Buddha is capable to clearly know and perceive the other person whether to achieve the brightness of leak-ended or not when this person has achieved the leak-ended brightness.

 

From above explanation, we understand why the Buddha is in the state of no-leak. That is because no-leak is based on no five poisons and no related negative thoughts, mindsets and actions. All troubles, worries and sufferings are caused by the five poisons and the related negative thoughts, mindsets and actions of the self and the others. Therefore, if we want to resolve any problems, it is better for us to resolve any fundamental causes.

 

Conclusion

 

Now we know that when our thoughts, mindsets and actions are clearly clean as what had taught by the Buddha, and when we have achieved the Buddhahood, we naturally own the three kinds of the brightness as mentioned. Above is what and why I translate and explain the word Brightness-Action-Feet. When we have completely understood the meaning of the ten titles about Buddha, we will know that all of them are connected with each other. 

The Scripture of the Ten Titles Said by Buddha (Updated on May 23, 2024)

The ancient translator: Master Devasantika, Buddhist monk, Since A.D. Unknown to A.D.1000, born in North India, Jalandhara. Master Devasantika accepted the ancient emperor's order to translate this Buddhist scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese.

The modern translator: Tao Qing Hsu, Buddhist-at-home, not Buddhist nun, born and living in Taiwan. She has translated this Buddhist scripture from Chinese into English since the year of 2023 AD.

 

　　

Tathagata, Should-Make-Offerings, True-Equality-Enlightenment, Brightness-Action-Feet, Good-Death, World-Understanding, Supreme-Scholar, Man-Tamer, Teacher-of-Heavens-and-Humans, Buddha, and World-Venerable-One.

 

Ananda spoke and said. Why was it called Tathagata? The Buddha told Bhiksu. In the past, when I was a Pusa in the cause position, I had experienced to practice various deeds. In order to seek the supreme truly equality and truly enlightenment, now I have attained Bodhi, Nirvana and all truth. By the Eight Sage Paths truly see what the proved. It was named Tathagata. Just like those, who attained the truly equality and truly enlightenment in the past, tamed and rested the mind so as to achieve nirvana. It was named Tathagata.

 

Why was it called Should-Make-Offerings? The Buddha said. In the past, when I was in the cause rank, the good laws, solemn and majestic appearance, and the classified of precepts were practiced. The strength of the ten good roots was cultivated so as to make it increased. Thus consummately practicing and learning to attain the ultimate rank. When achieve the Nirvana, cut off and end all worries. To make the body, mouth and mind clean and untainted. Forever destroy worries. Such as to break the head-root of Tala tree, make it never sprout buds. Furthermore, due to ending the worries of greed, anger, and obsession, all the toward-going would never produce the fruition and generate. It was beyond the law of bitter fruitions of the four difficulties of birth (living), aging, illness and dying. The two seeds of confusion and suffering would never be produced. It was established the name of Should-Make-Offerings. Furthermore, make all the clothes, bedding, food and drink, soups and medicines, banners, flags, precious canopies, fragrant flowers, lamps and fruits in the world, and the highest thing in heaven and earth be offered to the Buddha. Obtain the blessing of supreme wealth and auspiciousness. It was the name of Should-Make-Offerings.

 

Why was it called the True-Equality-Enlightenment? The Buddha said. The Tathagata possessed all wisdom. There was nothing all over the places that could not be understood and known. Take the four thought places, four right breakings, four spiritual feet, five roots, five strengths, seven factors of enlightenment, eight sage paths, twelve causalities, and the four reason laws, etc., such were the laws. Equally enlighten all sentient beings. Make them arise the wisdom, cut off the confusion, and attain the in-flaw fruition, one-come-and-go fruition, never-come-again fruition and the no-birthing fruition. Possess the three kinds of brightness and six kinds of spiritual openness. Furthermore, in the great boarding (Mahayana), make the meaning and think the requesting so as to experience and practice all the status. Cut off the knots’ habits and attain the supreme enlightenment. This name was the True-Equality-and-True-Enlightenment.

 

Why was it called Brightness-Action-Feet? The Buddha said. The brightness meant that the brightness of heavenly eye, the brightness of experienced and predestined destinies, and the brightness of leak- ended. What the meaning of the action feet was the Karma of the Tathagata’s body, mouth, and mind. Good at practicing the consummate of possessing feet, the rightly truth and clearly clean. Such as owning a large clothing and bowl, etc., being able to perceive and reflect it at ease but without loving or attaching it. In all actions of the voluntary strength, practice them so as to make them consummate to possess the feet. It was named Brightness-Action-Feet.

Why was it called the Good Death? The Buddha said. That is the meaning of marvelous going. Such as greed, anger, obsession, etc., dragging all sentient beings towards the other evil going. This is not named good death. Tathagata's right wisdom was capable to eliminate all confusion. Wonderfully appearing and beyond the world can go toward the Buddha-fruition. It was hence named Good Death.

 

Why was it called the World-Understanding and the Supreme-Scholar? The Buddha said. What the world means. It was called the desire realm, the color realm, and the colorless realm. And the hells, the hungry ghosts and the brutes, etc., that sort of things. Each had its own form aggregate, feeling aggregate, thought aggregate, action aggregate and consciousness aggregate. And the root of the eyes, the root of the ears, the root of the nose, the root of the tongue, the root of the body, and the root of the mind. And all the laws of that six consciousnesses and of that realms of thereon depending and so on. It was called the world. Truly enlightenment and truly knowing was called World-Understanding.

 

Moreover, all the two-legged, four-legged, many-legged and no-legged in the other world, the all heavens of desire and color, the heavens of thoughts and no thoughts, the heavens of neither thinking nor non-thinking, and supposing to be the mortal or the sage, in all these sentient beings, only the Buddha was the first, the most supreme and no grade. It was thus named the Supreme-Scholar.

 

Why was it  called Man-Tamer? The Buddha said. Buddha was a great man. And it could harmonize and rule the two sorts of good and evil things. The evil one made the three karmas of not good arise. And doing all the evil thus depraved oneself into the hells, hungry ghosts and brutes therefore gained the evil retribution. A good person practiced all good deeds in body, mouth and mind. Obtain blessings fruition from human and heaven. All good and evil were done by the mind. The Buddha used the law of nirvana of the good of the first meaning. It demonstrated the harmonizing and ruling to make beings leave the contaminated and filth and thus gained the supreme silent and eliminated Nirvana. Therefore, it was called Man-Tamer.

 

Why was it called the Teacher of Heavens and Humans? The Buddha said. It is not to be the teacher for Ananda of one bhiksu. All Bhiksus and Bhiksuni. And Upasaka and Upasika. And the heavens and humans. The Srmana and Brahmin. The demon king and the outside Dao. All the heavens of Sakras, Brahmas and Dragons had returned their missions and relied on the teachings to pursue and follow it and all became disciples of the Buddha. It was hence named the Teacher of Heavens and Humans.

 

Why was it called Buddha? Its wisdom possesses the adequately three enlightenments and the consummate and the brightness. It was hence named Buddha.

 

The Buddha told Ananda. I had done the practicing of regularly-walking in the past. A Brahmin came and asked me. Why did your parents name you Buddha? The Buddha immediately answered. That what the world understands and knows can be understood and known by me. That what the world perceives can also be perceived by me. That what the world can eliminate can also be eliminated by me. I have all wisdom and all understanding. I have experienced my lives since the countless kalpas. All kinds of practice are far away from dust and dirt. Now I have achieved the supreme Bodhi. Therefore, the name of Buddha was established.

 

Why was it called the World Venerable One? The Buddha said. When I was in the cause rank, I investigated myself to perceive all good laws. Precepts’ laws, mind’s laws, and wisdom’s laws. And I also perceived the laws of not good of the greed and so on. It could incur all sufferings of having generated and eliminated and so on. Used the wisdom without leakage to break through those worries and gained supreme enlightenment. That was why heavens, humans, mortals and saints. Those who transcended the world and those who were in the world respected him. Therefore, it was called World Venerable One.

Annotation: Pusa is transliterated from Chinese. It means Bodhisattva.  

 

Perceiving the spiritual awakening is the Bodhi.

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

 

What is the spiritual awakening and what is the Bodhi? Relative to awakening is sleeping. It is a kind of describing. When we don’t know our self Buddha-nature which is the serenity and stillness in mind and nothingness in heart, we are like sleeping in the dark room and we couldn’t see the brightness. Once we know our self Buddha-nature, it is as we are awakening from the sunshine and could see the brightness, which is also called enlightening. This is the simple and short explaining about spiritual awakening.

 

There could be a lot of explaining about Bodhi. According to the different degree of learning Buddha, Buddha Shakyamuni or the Master in Buddhism will offer the different meaning from shallow to deep. We will read the different meaning for Bodhi from the different Buddhist scripture. So, be wise and don't be bind by one meaning.

 

Bodhi is originally the Sanskrit and means a tree which names Bodhi. That is because Buddha Shakyamuni seat in meditation under a tree, where he is enlightened and prove the supreme-equality-wisdom by self. Then, this tree is called Bodhi tree. So, Buddha Shakyamuni uses the word “Bodhi” as “enlightenment” or “prove the supreme-equality-wisdom”. The masters in Buddhism usually explain Bodhi as compassion, wisdom, or becoming Buddha.

 

Perceiving the spiritual awakening is to have seen the self Buddha-nature and to enlighten and to prove the self natural wisdom, and then becoming Buddha, which whole experience is Bodhi.

 

How to perceive the spiritual awakening? There are three important methods. That is, to listen to Buddha’s teaching or to read the Buddhist scripture and its explanation, to think and to reason what the Buddha has taught, and to put Buddha’s teaching into practice. The spiritual awakening means to know self heart which is self nature, self Buddha nature.

 

Learning Buddha is to perceive the self spiritual awakening, not to worship Buddha Shakyamuni. For the masses, they may not have such knowledge. But, to worship Buddha will bring them hope and peace in heart. It is better for us to understand such situation with our empathy.

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

(Chapter 35) 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 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.“ 

 

The Dao means the Dao in Buddhism. Learning the Dao in Buddhism is as if a person forges iron to remove the dross. Iron ore is burned by fire with high temperature and then the dross is emerged and removed. The left iron is more pure, and is continuously beaten by hammers with thousand times. A utensil of steel is hence completed.

 

Such utensil is refined and good and it is so perfect and can be used well, as if a person who learns the Dao makes himself to be a useful person, and to shoulder the inheritance of Dharma (Buddha-law), so as to make sentient beings liberate from their suffering, and hence to make them reach the blessed place which is established by themselves with their self-effort. Such blessed place is not elsewhere, but in their heart. In other word, at this moment, where they live, the place is the blessed place. That is because their pure heart is in there.

 

What is learning the Dao in Buddhism? In a word, to truly see the Buddha-nature by self and to be able to freely apply it is the process and goal for learning the Dao in Buddhism.

 

A person learning the Dao is as if the process of forging iron to become steel and to become the useful utensil. This person has to experience the strict life training so as to remove his evil thought, and to wear off his bad habit. The strict training in life is as if the iron ore is burned by raging fire in the stove with high temperature. It means that the training in life is very strict, hard and even suffering. Only experiencing such process, the pure mind and the determined belief can be made.  

 

Whatever the place is, where we live is as if a stove with fire to burn the iron ore and then to hammer it with thousand times, which can train our mind and character, when we learn the Dao. Through contacting people and any events, our evil thought and behavior would be gradually removed in the daily life. The strict training in life is not to isolate oneself in the crowd, and then to close oneself, but to place oneself in the crowd so as to train the self-mind to be open, integrity, honest, upright and pure, and to train the self-heart to be soft and compassionate, so as to train the self-will in learning the Dao to be firm.

 

The person who learns the Dao removes the filth in heart, his practicing is clean and pure accordingly.“

 

The filth is as if the dross as mentioned above, when it is removed, our heart becomes more pure and can tolerate any attacking from outside, such as humiliating, any negative thought or evil action. Such process is as if iron ore without dross can stand the beaten by hammers with thousand times.

 

What is the filth in heart? That is, to someone or to anything or to any events or to any circumstances or to any relationships, a person has the mind of the greed, hatred, resentment, stupid infatuation, arrogance, suspicion, jealousy, flattering, cunning, lie, brutality, despising, selfishness, or the insidious. In a word, it is the mind of the greed, hatred and the stupid infatuation. All of these are the negative states and emotions and able to drive the person to do anything to harm the self and others. That is why we define these states and emotions as the filth in heart. Our original heart is as if the white cloth, it is so white, bright and clean. There are no negative states and emotions in there. When it is stained by many black spots, we think that it is polluted to be black. This concept is that the heart with filth is the polluted heart.  

 

When we are embryos, our heart is very clean and bright, which is in the state of emptiness, and is no thinking. However, when we are born to the world and are infant, our mind are beginning to be stimulated and influenced continuously by the outside environment, which stimulate our various thinking and make us generate any different emotion. If we are lack of the correct guiding and self-perceiving, we are easy to generate any negative thought, emotion and behavior, even the evil or the distorted thinking and action to harm self and others. In such process of growing and living, we say that our heart is polluted and full of filth.

 

In such circumstance, when we treat people and deal with anything, we will no longer use our original sincere heart, but any polluted heart. When we use our polluted heart to treat people or deal with anything, we even do not know that we maybe harm others, or ruin anything, or break any good event, or even to harm the self in the end. Why? Our original heart without filth is as if the clean and bright mirror, which can make us view self clearly, and is also as if the clear eyes, which can make us see the truth distinctly. In such circumstance, we can keep our mind clear and make us calm down to do anything right. However, our heart with filth is as if the mirror with the thick dust, which cannot make us view self, and is also as if the blinded eyes, which cannot make us see any truth. In such circumstance, how can we assure that we cannot do anything wrong?

 

As if we want to remove the filth on the white T-shirt by washing it, we want to remove the filth in our heart, when we learn the Dao. When we remove the filth in heart, our thought become clear, our mind become pure, and our behavior become correct, our practicing in the Dao is clean and pure accordingly.

 

What is the benefit for us? We then understand that each one’s original heart is the same, which is clean, clear, pure and bright. Whatever the self or others, the heart is gradually affected and polluted by the environment. Therefore, the heart becomes dirty and dark. No matter our heart is bright or dark, it is the same heart. What the difference is whether our heart is polluted or not. When we understand the nature of the heart, we thus can tolerate any another heart which is outside of us and is without any wisdom and bright. At the same time, when we remove the filth in our heart by self and we can further guide another polluted hearts outside of us to be clean and pure. This is one of the processes to learn the Dao in Buddhism.   

 

There is a saying, “It does not need to go far away in order to pursue the mountain of spirit, because it is in your heart.” Mr. Dharma said, ”I originally pursue the heart, not the Buddha, because I completely know that there is nothing in the emptiness of the three realms. If you want to pursue the Buddha, but you only need to pursue the heart, because the heart itself is the Buddha.”

 

The mountain of spirit is the heart, in which there is nothing, because the heart itself is in the state of stillness and emptiness. Under the circumstance, all is generated deriving from it, including the heart of precept, stability and wisdom, and the heart of the greed, hatred, and the stupid infatuation. That is, the emptiness contains the all existence. The still heart contains the all. Such heart is no boundary.

 

In a word, the heart with darkness and filth is the un-inspired heart and the un-enlightened Buddha. The heart with brightness and wisdom and without filth is the inspired heart and the enlightened Buddha. Whatever the heart is, the Buddha-nature is in the heart. That is why a Bodhisattva said to the masses, “All of you are the Buddha in the future.” One day, when your heart is inspired and you see the truth, you are the Buddha.

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.

Chapter 33: The wisdom-brightness destroys the demon. (Updated on July 16, 2022)

(Chapter 33) 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 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.” 

 

The Buddha said,” Those who put the Dao into practice are as one person fights with the ten thousand persons.” Here, “one person” means those who vow to become Buddha, are willing to listen to Buddha’s teaching, learn Buddhism and put it into practice. Such process and experience means to put the Dao into practice. Here, “ten thousand persons” is a metaphor to mean the various personal bad behavior, bad habits, troubles, worries and afflictions. “Fight” means to overcome or to eliminate the negative mental state and events as aforesaid, with the personal power of precepts, stability and wisdom.

 

When the person puts the Dao into practice, it means to overcome, or to resolve, or to release the various personal troubles, worries and afflictions. When the person did such things is as if he was fighting with the ten thousand persons. The Buddha said, humans have eighty-four thousand worries, that’s why they need eighty-four thousand method-door of Buddhism to eliminate their personal worries. 

 

Regarding the causes and conditions of various troubles, worries and afflictions by self, we have talked a lot in aforesaid chapters. The causes as said are mostly coming from the self. And the conditions as said are mostly coming from outside. Everyone's causes and conditions are different. Each one has its own tribulation. Your destiny may be not the destiny of others. The method-door of Buddhism applied to the different persons and accepted by everyone is also different. Therefore, when we observe those who believe in the Buddhism and use the method taught by their master of Buddhism to release their suffering or anxiety, it is better for us to respect them and to have the empathy to them.

 

“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.”

 

Here, “put on the armor” means the precepts in learning Buddhism. There are a lot of precepts which Buddhist monk should obey and follow. Such behavior and function are to protect Buddhist monk so as to avoid him to harm self and others, and to avoid him to be harmed by others. That’s why the precepts of Buddhism are like the armor. For example, one of precepts as said is not to drink the alcoholic beverage. The behavior after drunk is always losing the mind and makes the mistake. Drunk driving is harming self and others. As a Buddhist monk, it is strictly asked not to drink alcohol.

 

The details of precepts are a lot. In summary, the purpose is to eliminate the personal greed, hatred, resentment, stupidity, silly infatuation, arrogance and incredulity, meanwhile, to therefore arise the personal wisdom. The related discussions are mentioned a lot in the aforesaid chapters. Whatever we are Buddhist monk or not, such discussions are very helpful for us to have a good life in present and in future. 

 

“Goes out of the door” means to face the personal troubles, worries and affliction with the power of personal stability and wisdom. When the person puts on the armor and goes out the door, it means that this person will go into the battlefield to fight against the enemies. The battlefield means the personal environment and situation. The enemies means not else but the personal troubles, worries and afflictions.

 

“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.”

 

“His will may be weak” means when this person faced his personal troubles, worries and affliction, he didn’t have the powerful stability, wisdom and the strong will, to deal with those things.

 

“He may be retreat in the halfway” means that this person could not face his difficult situation, when his will was weak. Once to face it, his mental was either shock or disorder, either complaining or angry, even to close self. This person could not overcome his personal troubles, worries and afflictions, and thus he choices to depart away the path of personally pursuing the wisdom-truth.

 

“He may die by fighting” means that this person was diligent to learn how to overcome or to eliminate the personal obstacles and worries. However, his power of wisdom was not enough, and he could not adjust his own way of life in physical and mental to balance his life. Unfortunately, he had not yet to prove the wisdom-truth by self in his present life, and died in the process of practicing the Dao. 

 

“He may return because of gaining the win.” means that, this person has completely overcome his personal obstacles and troubles, and eliminated his personal worries and afflictions in life, with his personal compassion and wisdom. He really proves the fruit of Dao by self through practicing the Dao in daily life. What the meaning of the Dao is, which we have talked a lot in aforesaid chapters. Please refer to it by yourself if you are interested.

 

So, after this person returning because of his success and victory in the fighting, he can remove the armor, and no longer be harmed, threatened and controlled by his enemies. His body and mental is thus completely free and comfortable now.

 

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.”

 

The Sramana means the Buddhist monk. When he learns the Dao and the Buddha, and practices it to overcome the personal bad habits, evil thought, negative behavior, greedy desire, hatred heart, silly infatuation, and to eliminate the various troubles, worries and afflictions, he should insist its positive heart to forge ahead vigorously, to dedicate himself to progress, to be absorbed and desirous to do better, day by day.

 

Meanwhile, he should be brave, ready to face and endure any dangerous and unpleasant conditions or behavior coming from the self and others, and also should endure or face the pain in life without showing fear, so as to make self be elite. At the same time, he should not fear any front situation, because it is the changing of phenomenon which is like the illusion of dream, the bubbles, the lightning, or the dews, which would be appeared and disappeared at any time, because of any causes and conditions. When he had steadily learned the knowledge and skill of how to handle any causes and conditions, he would know how to deal with any front situation, and know how to destroy demons.

 

Demons mean the personal troubles, worries and pain, which are able to hinder the person to enlighten the self-wisdom, to practice the Dao and to do any good things.

Here, demons mean the personal troubles, worries and pain, which are able to hinder the person to enlighten the self-wisdom, to practice the Dao and to do any good things. In Buddhism, it is called the worried-demon and heart-demon that is because any causes of personal troubles, worries and suffering are coming from the self, not others. Therefore, the first principle of Buddhism is to self-reviewing and self-reflection, not to blame others. So, the demons are inside the body, not outside.  

 

The second meaning is that the demons are some kind of human beings in heaven. They can see us and talk with us. They have mind and conscious. Meanwhile, they can change their form and body to be anything. If they want us to see them, or to hear what they are speaking, we can see and hear it. Of course, there must be some purpose to let them to contact us. When the Dao-practitioner is honestly vowing to practice the Dao and to become the Buddha, the demons always do a lot of evil things in order to spoil or to block the good events and behavior of the Dao-practitioner. In fact, they are playing the bad guy so as to assess or to examine the Dao-practitioner what the degree of learning Buddha is. Therefore, such demons are neither inside nor outside of our body. In fact, the Buddha and demon are unity one. It is really incredible. But, only few people realize it and prove it, in this world and in the history.

 

Except for the above, there are the desire-demon and the erotic-demon, which means that the self-desire of greed and the self-erotic are as the demon which could disturb the self and hinder the self-wisdom to be enlightened. Regarding these parts, we have talked a lot in aforesaid chapters. The desire here means the greedy desire. 

 

If we have the upright mind, have the compassion and are honesty to self and others, and such status of us is very stable, whatever the said demons how to disturb us, they can neither shackle our heart nor affect our thought.    

 

So, to destroy the demons is the final work if the Dao-practitioner wants to achieve the Buddhahood. How can we destroy the said demons? The most key point is to have the compassion so as to heal the self-hatred heart, and to have the abandoning thought so as to cure the self-greedy heart, and to have the wisdom heart so as to heal the heart of silly infatuation, or of stubborn obsession, that is caused by the personal ignorance and stupidity. 

 

Accordingly, to destroy the said demons will be as the important and final checkpoint which the Dao-practitioner has to pass it. When the Dao-practitioner has passed the checkpoint as said, he thus really gains the fruit of Dao, which means that he indeed has achieved the Buddhahood. When we really achieve the Buddhahood, we are truly people with freedom, ease and comfort. 

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.

 

Chapter 17: The brightness comes and the darkness disappears (Updated on January 3, 2022)

(Chapter 17) 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 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.”  

We have to use our own eyes to see the moon, not others eyes.

When we learn Buddha at different stages, the understanding of the Dao will be different. We have ever mentioned the different stages of the Dao in Chapter 14: Ask about the goodness and grandest.

What the Dao is, which has to be experienced by self. Fortunately, Buddha Sakyamuni has talked and taught us a lot according to his experience, and which gives us a direction to learn. We also have mentioned the Dao in many articles in this blog. Regarding the more profoundly meaning about the Dao, it is not yet mentioned in this blog.

In fact, the Buddhist scripture of 42 chapters said by Buddha is talking about the Dao. Of course, all of the Buddhist scripture is talking about the Dao. The Buddha Sakyamuni said that what he has talked and taught is as like outstretching the arm, and pointing at moon with finger. What it means? If we want to see the moon, the brightness, we have to use our own eyes, not the eyes of Buddha Sakyamuni. What he had done is to tell us where the moon is, why it is the moon, and what we can do to know the moon, when we can see the moon, and how bright it is.

Do you have ever thought why we want to learn or know about the Dao? Does it mean anything to us? If we don’t have any question about it, we would not be interested in that. Only when we have the basic concept about its meaning to us, it would be possible for us to open our mind and to learn Dao further.

The greatest Dao is the speechless. (The grandest Dao is no speech.)

In Buddhism and Daoism, the basic meaning of Dao is the same. Why? The basic meaning of Dao, that is the truth of Dao, is actually practiced and realized by the wise people themselves at the different places and the different time. The truth of Dao is practiced and realized through our experience, but not created by whom.

However, most people do not have such intelligence to realize the truth of Dao, because most of them are repressed by the suffering in life, such as hard working to raise children or to earn money. In ancient time, that is why those who want to seek the truth of Dao would leave their family, which is to give up their worldly life and the burden in life, so as to learn Dao.

Moreover, some of the masters in Buddhism ask their disciples not to read the news and not to contact the outer world, so as to focus their mind to learn Dao. But, in the modern time, I do not suggest you to do that, because the information exchange on the internet is easier to know and obtain, and the AI could replace of many labors, which is also helpful to us to learn Dao.

In fact, Dao is existed everywhere. And it is impossible to gain the Dao by self-excluded from the worldly life or from the outer world. Furthermore, the greatest Dao could not be express by words. That is the greatest Dao is the speechless. It is only when we actually practice, experience and realize the Dao, and the Dao could be seen in the current moment. 

  

The wise human beings in heaven also teach us the truth of Dao.

Except for the practice to learn Dao by self, it would be possible that the truth of Dao is taught and transmitted by the wise human beings in heaven. In other word, the wise human beings in heaven might be the teacher or professor. According to the historical records, there are a lot of different name to call them.

Whatever which name is called, that the wise human beings in heaven have the ability to teach and communicate with the wise persons who practice the Dao on earth is true. Such historical records could be found or read in Chinese Buddhist scripture or in the Chinese documents of Daoism, or any historical documents in Chinese. Such teaching is very positive and helpful to human life.

There is the evil spirits in heaven and is able to control human beings on earth.

In fact, no matter whether people learn Dao or not, the human beings in heaven are able to teach and communicate with them. However, the content what is taught might be different. And some of them might be not good for the human beings on earth.

According to the Chinese Buddhist scripture, the demon in heaven is able to spoil the Buddhism purposely. But, it maybe not be called demon. It is possible to be another name to be called. Such as the spy, we may not know who the spy is, what its real name is, and how it manipulates us. However, it may be around us, or to be our friend, or partner, or colleague.

Demon is also one of the human beings in heaven. In other words, there are the evil spirits in heaven, who could manipulate the human beings on earth and teach them to do the evil things so as to spoil the harmony in the society or in the country of human beings on earth.

According to our experience, thinking, reasoning and judgment, could it be possible to be true? If it is true, what we should do and what we have the choice? And how we could get rid of the control from the demon in heaven?

How could we get rid of the control from the evil spirit in heaven?

In this part, Buddha Sakyamuni also teaches us a lot. In a brief, that is to learn Dao of Buddhism and keep the positive and right thinking as taught by Buddha Sakyamuni. Why? Do you think, could it be possible for evil spirit to control or manipulate emptiness or nothingness?

For example, if we have and persist in love and desire in our mind, it would be possible for us to be manipulated by anyone who makes use of the love and desire in our mind. If there is no love and desire in our mind, that is nothingness in mind, how could it be possible for demon to manipulate us by making use of the love and desire? That is also one of the reasons that Buddha Sakyamuni wants us to know that we could see Dao, if we could abandon the love and desire.

Understanding this and to abandon the love and desire, our heart of empathy and of equality for all sentient beings would be generated gradually. That is the true love for all sentient beings. The prospect of our life is thus actually lighted. That is true brightness in our life and future.

When people are willing to take time to realize and practice the truth of life or of the universe, that is to learn and practice the Dao, it would be possible for everyone to see the Dao someday. Therefore, the truth of Dao is not the patent which should be belonged to whom, but it could be gained by everyone. 

What is the difference between doing goodness and learning Dao?

Secondly, even the human beings in heaven, most of them do not know what the truth of Dao. In Buddhist scripture, Buddha Sakyamuni also teaches Buddhism for the human beings in heaven; that is to teach them to learn Dao. Why? A lot of human beings in heaven are reincarnated from the human beings on earth; that is because they have done a lot of goodness, but have not yet to learn Dao, let alone to know what the truth of Dao.

It is easier for us to do goodness, because it might let us have a good feeling for the value of our existence and might make us happy or to have the obviously feedback from any person who is helped by us. Moreover, we always have the concept that we could go into heaven to enjoy the bliss, if we could do goodness in current life.

Learning the Dao and practicing the Dao seems not to be the same thing, but, it is truly the same thing finally. If you have ever read the Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding, or you have ever read a lot of articles in this blog, you might have the basic concept about the truth of Dao.

Do you have ever thought what the difference between learning Dao and doing goodness would be? Many people think that doing goodness is learning Dao. I cannot say it is wrong, because doing goodness is the basic to learn Dao. But, the meaning of Dao is broader. 

Practicing the Dao is able to see the Dao, which makes our life brightness.

Furthermore, do you have ever thought what the true helpful to our real life, if we learn Dao or see the Dao? If it could not help our life in reality, why we learn Dao? If you have ever read a lot of articles in this blog, you might have the basic concept about why we learn Dao.

Many people think that it is useless to learn Dao, because they do not know how it could be helpful to their real life, such as to have a job to earn money or to have meals in life. This is a very real problem. Actually, it is the suffering in life. Buddha Sakyamuni had answered a lot to resolve such problem, and had blessing a lot for those people who are willing to learn Dao.

To learn and practice the Dao is to learn and practice the wisdom, especially to inspire the natural wisdom in our self. We have mentioned such concept in Chapter 15: Ask about the force and brightness. And there is the answer for this problem.

There is the shallow or the deep meaning for the Dao. No matter it is, once we have seen the Dao, it would light our life, even if it is only a slight light, which could become the great light someday and make our whole life in the present and future life be in the brightness.

Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion.

p.s. 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.