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.

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

(Chapter 12 ﹝9﹞ ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha

Co-translators in the time of Eastern Han Dynasty, China(A.D. 25 - 200) : Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan (Who translated the said Scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese. )

Translator in modern time (A.D.2018: Tao Qing Hsu (Who translated the said Scripture from Chinese into English.)

Teacher and writer for explaining the said Scripture: Tao Qing Hsu 

Chapter 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion. Dao is Tao, which is transliterated from Chinese. The original meaning of Dao is the way and path, and it is extended to be the truth of life that we can learn and practice in our lives.

(Prologue) 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

The Content 

Prologue

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

This prologue introduced the cause, condition, and situation about the saying for the following forty-two chapters.

“The World-Honored One” which is one of the ten names of Buddha, is that the Buddhist disciples respectfully call their teacher, the Buddha Sakyamuni, when they are learning and talking about the practice or teaching of Buddha with their teacher. Why it is called “the World-Honored One”, because that the Buddha owns many virtues which are esteemed by the public, the ordinary people and the saints in world and the people in heaven. After Siddhartha had died, the public respectfully call him as the Buddha Sakyamuni, it is especially showed in Chinese scripture of Buddhism. Enlightened people would not call themselves as Buddha or the World-Honored One. Why? Think about it.   

“Having attained Buddhahood” means that Siddhartha had enlightened and liberated from the all worldly suffering, was able to speak of the Buddha-law for the public, and saved the people who are suffering.

“Made such meditation” means that he sat down under the Bodhi tree and deep contemplated how to save the people who are suffering.

“That leaving away from the desire, to be in the state of silence, is the best victory.” We can find that the thought of Buddha Sakyamuni is different from the ordinary people. Most people think that having the family, authority, wealth, high status in work or in society, which is that they have the advantages more than others, is the victory. If they want to have so many things, they must have the strong desire for those things, and must have the flexible social skill, otherwise, they would not achieve the success. However, the Buddha Sakyamuni thought that leaving away from the desire, to be in the state of silence, is the best victory.

In other word, that is, no competition, no fight, no argument, and no heart to achieve the worldly success, are the best victory. From we are a child, that what we are educated are implanted the concept of success about the competition, fighting, and argument for our better life, no matter we are in the school or in the society. It seems that if we do not do such things, we will be a loser in our society, in the world and in our whole life. And it seems that if there are no such concepts for our children or the public, our country will lose the power of competition in the world. Such concept make a lot of children and people are in the state of anxiety, fear, suffering and sulk, and make them have disease in physical and mental body. Then, we must exhaust the people’s physical and spiritual strength and health resources, and spend a lot of time to treat these people.

Therefore, you might observe that what the secular concept to be thought the right, smart, and victory by the public is thought by Buddha Sakyamuni as no brightness. In other word, what the thought of the ordinary people is darkness and stupidity.

A lot of people think that such concept of Buddha Sakyamuni will be no positive and will let their children or people lose the competition for their life in the world. I have to say that they all misunderstand the teaching of Buddha. In fact, the positive desire occurs from no desire and from the state of silence. Why? If the Buddha Sakyamuni had no desire, how could it be possible for him to speak of the Buddha-law for 49 years and to save sentient beings to liberate from the suffering? In other word, his desire had been sublimated by himself. Then, we might have questions. What is the difference between his desire and the desire of the ordinary people? Or what is the desire about the teaching of Buddha? Think about it. From this scripture, you might find it.

In the narrow explaining, the desire means filth such as the greedy for money, loving the erotic, and so occurred the hatred to the people, the arrogance and the un-trusting, that would defile our heart so to hurt ourselves and others, and make us suffer. So, the motivation of such desire is selfishness. In such a situation, the heart is like large waves, how could it be in peace? Leaving away from such desire, there would be no affliction. Our heart would be in the state of peace and silence, which means that the heart is clear, clean and pure.      

“Dwelling in the grand meditation, conquering all paths of demons” which means that when Siddhartha dwelled in the grand meditation under the Bodhi tree, the demon in heaven wanted to test him, and to know whether Siddhartha had eliminated the desire in heart or not. Then, the demon transformed his family members into three beautiful girls, who lured Siddhartha with their beauty and sexy. Siddhartha did not be lured by them. On the contrary, Siddhartha assimilated them. And then, the demon in heaven became the supporter to protect and maintain the Buddhism and its scripture.        

“The Buddha whirled the Law-Wheel of the Four Noble Truths in the Deer-Wild Garden” which means Siddhartha speak of the Buddha-law in related to the Four Noble Truths, which means the suffering, the accumulating, the eliminating and the Dao. In Buddhism, whirling the Law-Wheel means to teach or speak of the Buddha-law. Siddhartha in the profound contemplation had found that the sentient beings were suffering, and accumulating the suffering every day. When they have a thought to eliminate their suffering, they then would go into the Dao for liberating themselves from the suffering, which means that they would go into the path of Buddha.

Regarding the suffering, there are eight suffering being mentioned, which are the suffering of life, aging, disease, death, departing from the loved or the loved leaving, meeting each other in hatred, demanding which could not be content, and the suffering of flaming in five aggregations.

These sufferings would be accumulated day by day and thus increase our affliction. Only when we feel such affliction, we would have a thought to eliminate the suffering. It is thus possible for us to practice the Dao and prove the Dao, which means to liberate ourselves from the suffering and furthermore to help others liberate themselves from the suffering.

The Deer-Wild Garden(the Sanskrit is mṛgá-dāva) is a famous place in India. In the legend, there were two Pusa who transformed to be the Deer-King and to offer themselves to the Human-King so as to protect the deer herd. The Human-King promised and built a garden to protect the deer herd. So the place was called the Deer-Wild Garden. It is the first place that Siddhartha whirled the Law-Wheel, which is why it is so famous.

“Saved Ajñāta Kaundinya and so five persons who had thus proved the fruit of Dao.” When Siddhartha had enlightened under the Bodhi tree, he thought which one could be saved. Then, he thought of the five persons, who were his relatives and his protector to company with him to practice the Dao. Ajñāta Kaundinya is one of them. They had experienced the ascetic practice together. But, Siddhartha finally find that the ascetic practice did not work for enlightenment. Siddhartha then accepted the offering of milk by a girl. Ajñāta Kaundinya and so five persons thought that Siddhartha gave up the ascetic practice and then left him. After Siddhartha accepted the offering of milk by a girl, he returned back the Bodhi tree and sat down to meditate continually. Then, at one night, he had completely enlightened. After that, he talked about the first scripture “The scripture of grand-direction-widely-Fo-flower-solemn ” which Sanskrit is mahā-vaipulya-buddhâvataṃsaka-sūtra. This is an amazing scripture. However, it is pity that it is hard to be understood by the ordinary people. So he had to talk about what the ordinary people could accept and understand, such as this scripture.   

Ajñāta Kaundinya and so five persons were the first persons to be saved by Siddhartha and became his first disciple, who had proved the fruit of Dao. That means that they have attained the fruit of Arhat. So when we are enlightened, who will be saved by us? Of course, our family members or relatives will be the first. Then, how these people to be enlightened? When you carefully read, understand and realize this scripture, you will know.

“There were also various questions said by Bhikkhu who inquired the Buddha about the go-ahead and stopping.” Bhikkhu is Sanskrit. It means Buddhist monk. It also had the meanings of breaking through the evil in heart, terrifying the demon, purifying to obey the precepts, and the begging scholar which means that they practice the Dao to cut off their troubles, to conquer the demon inside and outside, to obey the precepts with clean heart, and to beg food so as to maintain their life for practicing the Dao and eliminating the greedy heart.

The evil in heart and the demon of inside and outside means the troubles and afflictions in heart. The go-ahead and stopping are related to how to put the Dao into practice, what should go ahead and what should be stopped when practicing the Dao, which is also mentioned in this scripture.

“The teaching and admonition of the World-Honored One let them enlighten one by one. Putting palms of hands together, they respectfully promised to thus comply with the World-Honored One’s admonition.” So, if you had completely understood and realize this scripture, you might be inspired or enlightened just as same as those Buddhist monks.