One of the Ten Titles about Buddha—Good Death

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing)

  

When we are young and learning Buddha, we may never think what the meaning is about Good Death. For the young women and men, the problem what they encounter is how to survive and live well, most of them never think about what the death is and how to die well. 

 

The meaning of good death in the views of Buddha’s teaching

 

If you have noticed the issue about long-term care, you may notice the issue about how to help the dying patient to experience the good death. There are a lot of discussion of ideas, methods and experiences of good death for a person. However, it is not the points in this article. In this article, it talks about the good death from the views of Buddha’s teaching. In the Buddhist Scripture--The Scripture of the Ten Titles Said by Buddha, the Buddha explained what the Good Death meant: 

 

Why it was 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.

 

How to get the Good Death in learning Buddha

 

“Good” here means “virtuous”. From the meaning of the Good Death explained by Buddha, we know that the Good Death means the marvelous going. How do we go through the marvelous ways? That is, our inner Tathagata's  right wisdom has been eliminating all confusion in our lives. Meanwhile, such wonderfully appearing of our inner Tathagata's right wisdom and such eliminating all confusion of beyond the world can lead us go toward the fruition of becoming a Buddha. That is, we are able to achieve or have achieved the Buddhahood. Such situation or state is named Good death. 

 

What kinds of states belong to good death in the views of Buddhism

 

Such sort of ways include not to own any negative thought, mind,  emotion, mindset and any such motive, behavior and action.  That is because such negative things would make us go to the path of the evil. For instance, the hatred mindset is the ignorant fire which usually "burn down" our rational brains and merits, and "burn down" other’s lives and properties. That is, if we had the hatred mindset, it was possible for us to harm ourselves and others, and to cause any damages in the spiritual, physical and material.  The jealous mindset is easily caused the hatred mindset and the behavior of breaking any good matters of others.  

 

What kinds of states do not belong to good death in the views of Buddhism

 

The individually or group greedy mindset is easily to damage the interests and rights of the huge ordinary people through the ways of cunning smarts or injust means or the fake goodness, or through the ways of violence, threaten or fraud. The personal or group stupid obsession with any beliefs or with any ideologies might cause the large ordinary people being blind in their good wise, thinking and judgment, even to cause them being poor in the spiritual and material.  

 

The souls of more low level have no bright in their heart. 

 

In the views of Buddhism, such sorts of negative mindsets, actions and things are regarded as the evil human beings and the evil matters and which will make the persons who had done these evil things go to the evil paths after they die. That is the paths of animals, the hungry ghosts and the hells. Such sorts of fruitions of the evils are not regarded as Good Death. As we have mentioned a lot in the articles in the blog, it is easy and possible for the human beings with the Triad Dark personalities and the five-poisonous mindsets to go into the fruitions of the evils after their lives are terminated, and it is regarded as Bad Death. That is because their souls have to be taught and the retribution so as to compensate the beings who they have harmed before.  Therefore, we know that such sorts of souls are the beings of more low level and there are no bright in their heart. That there are no bright means that there are no wisdom, mercy and empathy. 

 

A thought of goodness will lead a person into the good death. 

 

I say "it is easy and possible." That is because if the human beings with the Triad Dark personalities and the five-poisonous mindsets have a thought of goodness and are willing to be taught and reformed, and are willing to do the goodness for the public or the large ordinary people or all human beings, they will change their fates and the consequences. Then, they will have the opportunity to obtain the Good Death. 

 

The cause of the Bad Death and how to avoid the Bad Death

 

Except for the mentioned above, we know that the opposite of Good Death is Bad Death, such as unexpected dying, dying accidentally, tragic death, suicide, murdered by others, etc. Such causes include the cause by the self and by others. In the views of the Buddhism, such causes derive from the five poisonous mindsets of, or any negative thought, emotion and behavior of the self and of the others. Therefore, we know that if we could do the goodness with integrity and honesty and with the good will, it would be possible for us to avoid any Bad Death. That is because there are good angels or the guardian gods who will protect us in our daily lives. Meanwhile, our righteous thought, wisdom, mercy and empathy will be the best protection for our personal lives to help us go to the Good Death. 

 

The concept of Good Death in learning Buddha is very highlighted  in the practice of the teaching of Buddha and underlined in the cultivation of self-thought and action.

      

In the teaching of Buddha, we at present know that what is the Good Death, how to experience the Good Death, who will obtain the Good Death, where to go during and after the Good Death, why it is the Good Death and when we will experience the Good Death. Therefore, the concept of Good Death in learning Buddha is very highlighted  in the practice of the teaching of Buddha and underlined in the cultivation of self-thought and action.  It is different with the concept of good death what we know in the medical care or long-term care or physical care or mental care. Even though it is some kind of difference, there is no conflict between them. 

 

Tathagata's right wisdom was capable to eliminate all confusion.

 

Tathagata's right wisdom was capable to eliminate all confusion. What is the meaning of all confusion in Buddhism? The confusion means do not understand the original and clean and pure heart, mind and thought. Meanwhile, such original and clean and pure heart, mind and thought are blinded or polluted by various odd, fake or seemed reasonable opinions or dogmas or ideologies and so on. In a word, that is the confusions of seeing, thinking and worrying which are caused by the fantasy mind of the self and others.

 

The fantasy mind is major caused by the five-poisonous mind of the self and others. The five-poisonous mind means the greedy, hatred, stupid obsession (or the stupid infatuation and attachment), arrogant, and the suspicious, which involve the jealous mind, restless mind, violent mind, ruthless mind and the brutal mind and so on. Mental violence is also one of them. In the views of the Buddhism, all of these fantasy mindsets and confusions are not the truth. For instance, some of the religious ideologies or politic themes are created by the people who have the cunning smart and selfish intention in order to manipulate and slave the large masses. 

 

Only when we truly practice the teaching of Buddha and prove the Tathagata's righteous wisdom by the self can we insight the deceit and trick, and get rid of any manipulating and slaving from the five-poisonous-mind persons. Then, we might have one question. What is the Tathagata’s righteous wisdom? In a word, it is the original and clean and pure heart and thus arise any applying from it by any convenient ways so as to face all kinds of changes of the world and to handle it or to resolve any problems. That is to live at ease by the Tathagata’s righteous wisdom.

 

The honesty to practice the teaching of Buddha is to the self.

 

Most young persons are very simple men or women, and they are not quite acquaintance about what the five-poisonous-mind is.  Maybe they have a little or a lot of five-poisonous-mind, but they cannot perceive it very well. To perceive the five-poisonous-mind of the self and the others, and to control the self not to do harmful things thereby, it requires the honesty to practice the teaching of Buddha and it also takes time. The honesty to practice the teaching of Buddha is to the self, not to others, because learning Buddha in the thinking and action is very personal thing at the beginning. However, if we do not have a decision and great vow with the sincere heart to achieve the fruition of becoming Buddha in the beginning, we would not learn Buddha diligently.  That is why it is responsible to the self to be honest. Only to be honest to the self, the guardian gods and all Buddhas in the ten directions will help us and care about us. 

 

Those dishonest persons will follow their fate and the causality what they have done. 

 

Otherwise, they don't pay attention to us and don't care about us. In fact, they had reminded and taught us to be a good person and do the good thing for all beings through many ways since there were records in the history of humans. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people ignore the reminder and teaching from all Buddhas. That is, those dishonest persons will follow their fate and the causality what they have done. If they do the evil, they go into the path and the consequence of the evil. Now we know that it is the Bad Death and they will go into the three evil paths -- the animal, the hungry ghost, and the hell. That is their retribution and suffering in their fantasy mind. However, it is "very real in the feeling" just as the nightmare. We know that such sorts of "world and phenomena" are not created by others, but by the self. 

 

The cause is the consequence. The consequence is the cause. 

 

In Buddhism, there is the principle of that the cause are equivalent to the consequence. That is what kind of causes is created by a person is equivalent to the corresponded consequences in which this person will have to bear and suffer. That is, no matter the cause and the corresponded consequence are, it is created by the same person. Meanwhile, such sort of corresponded consequence is able to be the cause. It can become the cause and basis to go into the path of Bodhisattva. That is, no matter how bad the corresponded consequence is, it is the good opportunity for the person to create a good cause to achieve the Buddhahood for the self. No matter how bad the situation of outside or inside in our life is, we always hold the positive views and attitude to take the action in the views of Buddhism. Then, it would be the beginning of the good.     

 

Then, this person would have an opportunity to deserve the corresponded and good consequence in the future or in the next life. Such logical principle is also applicable to the group. That is, a group, such as a community, a society, a company or a country, is able to create good causes so as to gain the corresponded and good consequence. If they create the evil cause, they will gain the corresponded and bad consequence. In a word, the cause is the consequence. The consequence is the cause. 

 

The Buddhism is not the ideology of brainwashing or the manipulation by the name of God or Buddha.

 

That is why if someone said that they were atheist and they did the evil or if someone said that they believed in God or Buddha and they still did the evil, we know it and it is not necessary for us to take time to debate with them. Therefore, if we profoundly learn Buddha, we will find that the Buddhism is not the ideology of brainwashing or the manipulation by the name of God or Buddha.  The Buddhism owns the deeply dialectical theory and we can question it by any ways, if we know how to question it. Meanwhile, we understand that it is absolutely impossible for the Buddhism to be manipulated by any politic party or any ideology or any dogma.  If any politic party manipulates the Buddhism with any ideology and any dogma, we know that it is a thing of quite stupid.

 

From what we have observed in history and some people and things that have happened in modern times, some people use cunning, clever and unscrupulous methods to get the power and wealth they want, and they proudly think that they are the winners in the world. From a Buddhist point of view, they have lost their kind and upright hearts, wasted their bodies and lives, and failed to seize the opportunity to obtain human bodies in this life to cultivate the self, improve their spirituality, and advance themselves to the three good paths. On the contrary, they allowing themselves to run towards the three evil paths are actually the real loser.

 

As long as you read and recite the Medicine Master's Sutra with an honest and kind heart, you can avoid sudden death.

 

The Medicine Master's Sutra mentions that as long as you read and recite the Medicine Master's Sutra with an honest and kind heart, you can avoid sudden death. We know that sudden death is often difficult to accept for yourself and your family. Many things are not arranged, and may also cause some family members to have different opinions or disputes, for example, disputes over inheritance.

 

The Medicine Master's Sutra also mentions various kinds of unforeseen deaths, such as died of fright, death from torture, die from hatred, die from greed, die from infatuation, die for blindly following an ideology manipulated by evildoers. These are unwholesome deaths.

 

People who have achieved success in spiritual practice can predict the coming time and know when they will be reborn.

 

People who have achieved success in spiritual practice can predict the coming time and know when they will be reborn. Although most people do not believe in Buddhism, they are kind-hearted and behave well. They will also feel that their life span is about to end, and they can make arrangements for themselves early, both psychologically and in daily life.

 

Buddhists follow the teachings of the Buddha and do not do any bad things such as the five poisonous thoughts. 

 

Ignorant people with five poisonous attachments think that those who study Buddhism and believe in Buddha are stupid people and are easy to fight and bully. Because these ignorant people have not practiced Buddhism, they do not know that those who learn Buddha have the education and practice of solid moral life. Therefore, Buddhists who have a good foundation are very aware of the good and evil mentalities and behaviors in the world, and they also understand the consequences of good and evil mentalities and their behaviors. Therefore, they follow the teachings of the Buddha and do not do any bad things such as the five poisonous thoughts and actions. 

 

Doing nothing is one of the practices of learning Buddha. 

 

Even if ignorant people such as the five-poisoned minds fight, bully, harm or seduce these Buddhist practitioners with a mentality that they think they are smart and conceited, these Buddhist practitioners will not be affected and develop the five-poisoned minds to retaliate or respond. For example, some people use their cunning smart to do all the specious things in order to manipulate others or hurt others or make others bear the cost to get the benefits they want. Things like this do not mean that those who practice Buddhism do not know how to do it, but they don't want to do it. In these situations, doing nothing is one of the practices of learning Buddha. 

 

Not having hatred towards these ignorant people with the five poisonous minds in our heart is a sign of compassion for oneself. 

 

When these ignorant people with the five poisonous minds laugh at the stupidity of those who practice and study Buddhism, usually those who practice and study Buddhism remain silent and do not respond. Why? First, it is compassion for all living beings, and second, it is compassion for oneself. Because those who practice Buddhism already understand who will go to the three evil paths and how they will suffer there. Therefore, we compassionate these living beings. And not having hatred towards these sentient beings in our heart is a sign of compassion for oneself. 

 

Others’ greed, anger and ignorance may cause their own tragic death, and may also drag us down to our tragic death.

 

We cannot say that other people’s greed, anger and ignorance have nothing to do with us, because others’ greed, anger and ignorance may cause their own tragic death, and may also drag us down to our tragic death. For example, someone’s personal greed, anger and ignorance may cause harm to the general public and may cause financial losses. The freedom of the public may be restricted. And the victim may be dissatisfied, so he vents his anger and deliberately detonates an explosion in a building to cause serious harm. At this time, if we happen to be in the building or pass by, we may be affected and may be injured, or just killed in a bombing. The casualties caused by many incidents can be compared, for example, wars caused by the struggle for sovereignty.

 

Use cunning and deceitful means to set up traps to frame people, use confusing right and wrong, and use methods that seem reasonable and correct but are neither reasonable nor correct to take advantage of people and collect wealth. Even if they gain the world's wealth, even if they win sovereignty and obtain supreme power, it would not the good death. These are all going to the three evil realms. Even if they die sitting down or lying down, it is not a good death.

 

In Conclusion

 

Therefore, what we know about the good death involves the realms of physical good death, mental or spiritual good death, and worldly and beyond worldly good death. In summary, if we can practice Buddhist ideas, whether we are Buddhists or not, I believe we will have a good death. Buddhist ideas do not limit only Buddhists to practice. I have observed many who are not Buddhists, who follow their teachings to treat themselves well and love all living beings, and loving all living beings is actually the practice of Buddhist thought to a certain extent. Therefore, as long as we deeply understand and appreciate the profound meaning of practicing Buddhism, we will understand that Buddhism completely breaks the barriers and oppositions of various religions, politics, and ideologies, and possible manipulation. Even if you are not a Buddhist, if you have thoughts and practices in this regard, I believe you can benefit yourself and all sentient beings.

 

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. 

Chapter 41: The honest heart leaves the desire.

(Chapter 41) 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 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.”      

 

 

What is practicing the Dao?

 

What is practicing the Dao? In a word, it is to practice our thought to be pure and clean, and to practice our heart to be genuine, peaceful and steady. Meanwhile, it is to keep our mind to be in the state of silence and equality on the basic of emptiness. On this basis and without any expectation, our natural wisdom will be inspired and functioned, which would help us resolve any problem what we have met in our life, and would make us relieve our suffering of life and death. Meanwhile, it pushes our fate to be smooth. This is the good causality. It is the basic purpose of Buddhism. Others are the methods with the different way so as to achieve the aforesaid purpose.

 

If a learner doesn’t know the basic purpose of Buddhism and this learner always sticks in the methods and any expression, vocabulary, words and phrases in Buddhism, it would be difficult for this learner to see the Buddha-nature. Meanwhile, it would add a lot of obstacles for this person to achieve the basic purpose as aforesaid. In this situation, learning Buddhism would be a thing of hardship for this learner. Why? Generally, such person would stuck in the individual idea and use the self-righteous thoughts to deal with anything. Then, such situation would make this person trapped in the problem what this person had made. This is so-called the individual worries and burdens and the reincarnation of life and death in the current life. This is also the bad causality and is one of the sources of suffering in life and death.

 

 

Any method to help us liberate from suffering is like a ship which boards us cross the river of suffering in life and death.

 

There are methods to help us learn how to have a steady, easy, peaceful and wealthy life from Buddhism. Any method to help us liberate from suffering is like a ship which boards us cross the river of suffering in life and death. Do we still need the ship at this moment, when we have reached the shore of wisdom? No. We do not need the ship any more. It is also means that we can let the methods go, when we achieve the purpose of life what we have learned from Buddhism. If we have reached the shore of wisdom and have still carried the ship, it absolute becomes the heavy burden for us in our life. That is why we have to let it go. Therefore, we must be capable to understand and distinguish what is the purpose and what are the methods, when we learn Buddha. Nirvana of stillness and emptiness is not the state after our death. We can achieve the Nirvana in our current life with our effort in learning Buddhism.

 

Many people don’t understand Buddhism. That is because they only see the complicated and difficult methods from teaching of Buddha, but don’t see the pure and clean realm in self. Reading the Buddhist Scripture and thinking of the meaning what the Buddha had said and what the Buddhist teacher has explained are the basic methods to learn Buddha. This is to help us enter our pure and clean realm in mind. When we can absorb the meaning what the Buddha had taught and the interpretation what the Buddhist teacher has instructed, it is possible for us to digest these things to become our own wisdom.

 

The basic attitude to learn Buddha is also very important. What is the basic attitude to learn Buddha? It is the true heart, the faithful and sincere heart, the upright heart, the honest and frank heart. That is no pretending heart and no cunning heart. When we use our own true heart to learn Buddha, we can thus really see our own true heart and see the truthful self, which is pure and clean. What is its meaningful? It makes us to live peacefully and fearlessly on the inspired natural wisdom.

 

What is to use our own true heart?

 

First, in our heart, there is no fantasy expectation for anything or for anyone, including the Buddha, the human beings and the self, when we do anything or face any person.

 

Second, there is no negotiation with the Buddha, Bodhisattva, and the Buddhist teacher in order to obtain any worldly advantage. That is we can't use the heart of exchange interests or the heart with conditions to learn Buddha.

 

Third, don’t use the unstable emotional mindset to learn Buddha. That is because the unstable emotional mindset is arisen from the heart of gaining and losing.

 

Fourth, there is no erotic feeling, lust, love or desire for anything or anyone in heart.

 

In a word, our own true heart is also the mindfulness. That is our first pure thought remains in the present, without the second distracting thoughts. That is what the so-called where the thought arises at the moment, it is extinguished at the moment. Meanwhile, each successive thought is kept pure and clean. That is so-called each thought without evil.

 

Whether our thought and heart is pure or not, all Buddha and Bodhisattvas can perceive it. When we use our sincere heart to learn Buddha, all Buddha and Bodhisattvas are joyful to help us to have a good life and to become the same with them. That is, whether we can achieve the Buddhahood or not, it is not only dependent on our own strength with sincere heart to learn Buddha, but also needed to dependent on the merciful strength of all Buddha and Bodhisattvas.  

 

One of the most important meanings of practicing the Dao is to correct the worldly ideas mode and behaviors mode to be the upright and sincere ideas and heart.

 

For the beginners to learn Buddha, it is hard for them to use the true heart to learn Buddha. That is because most people are seriously affected by the worldly environment and ideas so as to form their worldly ideas and behaviors. One of the most important meanings of practicing the Dao is to correct the worldly ideas mode and behaviors mode to be the upright and sincere ideas and heart.

 

For example, the technic of negotiation is the worldly ideas and worldly behavior. It is regarded as the proper idea and behavior and what we should learn in our worldly life, if we want to survive well in the domestic or international society. However, if we use such technic and ideas to learn Buddha, it becomes a serious obstacle for us. That is because the technic of negotiation with conditions and bad intentions contains the scheming ideas. It is serious wrong to use the scheming ideas to learn Buddha.

 

Don’t use the worldly ideas or behavior to learn Buddha doesn’t mean to give it up in our worldly life, because the both things are the different situations. Such as a knife, we can choose not to use it, or we can choose to use it as a tool of medical scalpel to save any lives. One thing can be used in many different ways. When we use it in the righteous and positive way, there will be the righteous and positive development. Whether to use it or not, or how to use it, that is what we can made a decision. That is why I had said that we have to own thinking logic when we learn Buddha.              

 

To help others with the pure heart which is what the right attitude in Buddhism.

 

For the beginners, they accept the ideas of Buddha’s teaching that we will gain the good repay when we do the good thing. Some of the beginners are happy to do good things with what they think about the righteous way and always stay in this stage, can’t accept any further profound teaching by Buddha or by Buddhist teacher. That is because they cling to the good repay in the worldly life and hope any blessings from Buddha, Bodhisattva or Buddhist teacher. Such people are accounted for the majority of Buddhists. If they can’t improve selves in learning Buddha, they will forever stay in such fantasy expectation and feel good for themselves.

 

Such beginners for learning Buddha are not from the true heart. That is because it exist conditions and exchange interests in heart which are hidden under the surface of charity. It doesn’t violate any law. It is just the mindset. However, their mistakes deviate what we have mentioned above, if they want to learn Buddha. Of course, we can't deny their good behavior, such as to rescue disasters and to help the disadvantaged relieve poverty. What they have done about the good things are contributed to the domestic and international society, and are well known by the society. Basically, they also obey the teaching of Buddha. That is what encouraged by Buddha.

 

Buddha encouraged all human beings to be good persons and to do good things without conditions and without demanding for others to repay. For this point, it is not everyone who can do it. Therefore, if we help others and have a mind of expecting others repaying, it doesn’t be the pure heart. Whether the helped parties would repay or not, it is decided by them. The helper can’t enforce them to repay with any strong will or technic. To help others with the pure heart which is what the right attitude in Buddhism.

 

Jump out of the frame of expecting others repay and cease the scheming mindset, so that we can upgrade our level and truly let us learn Buddha with unconditional and sincere heart.

 

For the worldly world, any good behaviors are approved by the human beings. Basically, the beginner as mentioned above doesn’t do any evil or illegal things. They are good people. That is why it is also a good thing. However, if we want to improve us so as to learn Buddha further, we have to jump out of the frame of expecting others repay and cease the scheming mindset, so that we can upgrade our level and truly let us learn Buddha with unconditional and sincere heart. What I mean is not to give up doing any good things, but to stop any unreal expectation for anyone's repaying. Only when we can do this, we will truly enter the realm of learning Buddha. Therefore, it is very important to establish a healthy mindset in learning Buddha.

 

Worries and burdens in life are like the mud and also like heavy objects loaded by cattle. 

 

The Buddha said,” Those who practice the Dao are such as a cattle loads heavy objects.” However, as human beings, the hardship of life, the personal endless desire and the erotic feeling makes most people be turned and restricted by many stubborn and ridiculous ideas from the outside environment, and thus fall into the evil circulation of suffering in life and death. This situation makes us incur a lot of complicating thoughts, even the scheming and evil thought, which makes us suffer a lot of worries and burdens in life.  All of these awful situations are like the mud which makes us fall into there and be trapped, and are also like the heavy objects which make us bear the heavy burdens. That is why the most people have a lot of mental problems, such as anxiety, panic and restlessness. If we want to get rid of all of these terrible things, it seems not an easy thing for us. That is also why the Buddha said,” Those who practice the Dao are such as a cattle loads heavy objects.”

 

Sramana, the Buddhist monk, is only a form of appearance and of the personal vow. No matter we are Sramana or not, when we have decided to get rid of such worries and burdens, we have gotten into practicing the Dao. Practicing the Dao is not the exclusive in Buddhism. In the ancient time of India and China, when there are no such vocabulary and thing about Buddhism, there are the wise persons who practice the Dao with their independent thinking. In the history of India and China, when there are the records about practicing the Dao, there is such culture. When we learn from any religion, it is better for us to know the history and the logical of thinking. It would help us avoid any blind faith.      

 

The Buddhism doesn’t teach you to resolve the surface problem of any flow phenomena, but to understand and resolve the basic cause of any problem what we met in our life.

 

No matter who we are, there are a lot of worries and burdens in our heart. What the difference is the details and events. That is because what the cause, condition and situation in everyone is also different. In a word, everyone’s destiny is not the same. Therefore, when we have decided to practice the Dao, what we may have experienced, what the obstacle that we may need to remove, and whether it is difficult for us or not, which are also different. Hence, practicing the Dao is the personal thing. It is not necessary for us to generate the comparative mindset. All we need to do is to remove obstacles from our mind or from our heart, not others.

 

All the Buddha’s teaching is to inspire our natural wisdom and to liberate us from the suffering in life and death. It is not necessary to stick in any changes of any appearance what we have met and don’t tangle in any flow of any phenomena in our environment. If we tangle in any flow of any phenomena, it would increase our suffering. Only when we find the basic cause and analyze it with step by step, we will find the good methods to resolve any problem in our life. Therefore, the Buddhism doesn’t teach you to resolve the surface problem of any flow phenomena, but to understand and resolve the basic cause of any problem what we met in our life. That is what we have to know.  

 

Those people who practice the Dao concentrate on the basic problem in life and death, knowing the truthful selves and the enlightenment in truthful wisdom.

 

The Buddha said,” When it walks in the deep mud, it is too tired to dare to look around.” It means those people, who use their upright and sincere heart to learn what the Buddha had taught and to practice the Dao in reality life, are focus on how to eliminate the suffering in life and death and how to remove the worries and burdens in current life. They are like bulls bearing heavy loads, walking in the deep mud and struggling to move forward so as to get rid of dilemma. Because of concentrating on reaching the flat expansive grass—to achieve the purpose of relieving suffering in life and death, bulls are too tired to dare to look around. That is those people who practice the Dao don’t pay a lot of attention on and don’t cling to the flow of the phenomena in their environment and don’t turned and affected by any changing of anything, but concentrate on the basic problem in life and death, knowing the truthful selves and the enlightenment in truthful wisdom.  

 

When we have achieved the shore of liberation and wisdom, we can be rest from practicing the Dao. 

 

The Buddha said, ”When it is out of the mud, it is then able to be rest.” It means that when we practice the Dao, and we have completed the following things, so that we can be rest from the practicing the Dao. That is as follows:

 

First, we have thoroughly understood the principle of the causality.

Second, we have completely repented the ego's faults which have been done by self in the past and present life.

Third, we don’t make any mistakes any more.

Fourth, we have completely known the source of heart.

Fifth, we have seen the self-nature and the truthful selves and have proved the fruit of Dao by self finally, that is we have enlightened the natural wisdom by self.

Sixth, we have let all the worries and burdens in life go and have liberated by self from the suffering in life and death.

Seventh, we have resolved the basic problem in life and death.

 

The deeper meaning is that we have to keep practicing and to make it progress in Six-Saving-Parami as mentioned in Buddha’s teaching, that is giving, keeping the precepts, enduring the humiliation, diligence, meditation and wisdom. This Six-Saving-Parami is like a ship which boards us from the shore of suffering to the shore of liberation. When we have not yet reached the shore of liberation and wisdom, that is when we have not yet become Buddha, we can’t be rest and can’t put the Six-Saving-Parami down. When we become Buddha, we can freely apply the Six-Saving-Parami by convenience ways based on the Buddha-nature to save all sentient beings.             

 

The emotion and desire are mutual affected.

 

The Buddha said, “The Sramana should perceive that the emotion and desire are more than the mud.” This is the honest and good advice for the Sramana from the Buddha. Even though we are not Sramana, it is also a good advice for us and very helpful to our life.

 

The emotion and desire are more than the mud. It means that the emotion and desire will bring us more worries and burdens, and make us trapped in the dilemma so as to increase our suffering in life and death. The emotion and desire are companied with each other. Both of them will be mutual affected. The more desire will increase the more unstable in emotion. Moved emotion leads to desire for something or someone. When something or someone could not content our inner desire, we will become emotional, such as anger, anxiety, or disappointment. Then, our suffering is arisen.  

 

The more desire would leads to the serious emotional and mood disorder, such as anxiety for money or other things. The serious emotional and mood disorder would affect not only the self but also their family members in daily life. Finally, both of them are suffering. Unfortunately, both of them don’t know why and just think it is the personality and life habits. The persons who are in such situation don’t necessarily know about their problem. That is because they also work and have a marriage in a normal way and it seems to live a normal life from the views of friends and relatives. If the person and the family members don’t have any alert about this situation, they fall into the evil reincarnation of suffering of life and death. And they don’t have an idea to get rid of this suffering. That is also why we read a lot of news about the fighting of husband and wife.  

  

Indulging in the lust, the erotic feeling and desire too much is very harmful for our health and life.

 

Some Buddhist monk thinks that the emotion and desire are integrated as the lust or the erotic feeling. That is because Sramana can't have wives and can’t have the life of lust. Therefore, for Sramanas, to cut off the lust, the erotic feeling and any desire is very important in learning Buddha. There are many chapters in 42 chapters said by Buddha which mentioned a lot about the meaning and importance for cutting off the lust, the erotic feeling and desire. I also explain it a lot.

 

If we are not Sramana, the Buddhist monk or nun, we don’t need to self-restraint in the normal sexual behavior. But, if we are wise, we have to know that indulging in the lust, the erotic feeling and desire too much is very harmful for our health and life. It is even harmful for our family members. We can observe this from our surrounding and the news. Therefore, it is better for us to know how to refrain us from indulging in the lust, the erotic feeling and desire. Do you know how to do this? Being quiet and deeply thinking about the teaching of Buddha would be helpful for us to avoid any lure from outer lust or any ignorant impulse from our inner lust. When our mind is trained to be steady, our heart is ceased which means that we can’t be turned and affected by any lust and desire. Only we can do this, we can truly protect ourselves and our family members. Meanwhile, we don't have any scheming mind with lust and desire to set traps to frame others or to take advantage of others so as to harm others. When we have such knowledge and training, we observe the behaviors of our friends and relatives, and any events of news, we will understand what the resource of any problem is. The others are only the flow and changing of different appearance and phenomena.       

 

The lust, erotic and desire is the prime of all suffering for the human beings. How to know it, how to control it, and how to deal with it, is the very important subject in learning Buddha. If we want to remove the problem of our suffering in life and death, to handle this chief issue is the major thing of learning Buddha. Even though you don’t have mind to learn Buddha, to know this issue is also very helpful for your life. 

 

The Buddha explained a lot how to practice the Six-Saving-Parami. The Six-Saving-Parami is the major ways to deal with the lust and desire. That is the Six-Saving-Parami is the prime methods to eradicate the root of our suffering in life and death. When we have read a lot of Buddhist Scripture, we will find this point.

 

The Six-Saving-Parami is the independent thinking and behavior which we can count on by self to relieve our suffering in life and death.

 

The Buddha said, “With the honest heart to think of the Dao, it could avoid the suffering.” That is, we should use the honest heart to think of the Six-Saving-Parami and to practice it. Therefore, it could make us avoid the suffering. In the many aforesaid chapters, we have explained a lot about Six-Saving-Parami. It is worth for us to think of it and practice it with our honest heart. Some people without wisdom use the drug, alcohol, eating a lot of food or desire for someone or something to relieve their suffering. It is an act of using improper external forces. It is not a good idea and it would increase our suffering.

 

The Six-Saving-Parami is the independent thinking and behavior which we can count on by self to relieve our suffering in life and death. If we want to learn Buddha, it is what we should know and what we should do. What the importance is to have the upright and sincere heart, when we do anything. What is the upright and sincere heart? It is to depart from the lust, the erotic feeling and the desire. No matter we learn Buddha or not, to keep this in our heart would increase the bliss and fortune in our life. That is because the life itself is the Dao. The Dao doesn’t leave our life. If the Dao leave our life, it doesn’t have any meaning for us to think of the Dao and practice the Dao. That is what we should know.

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.