Chapter 29: Right perception can resist the erotic.

(Chapter 29) 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 29: Right perception can resist the erotic.     

The Buddha said,” Be cautious not look at the women nor speak with them, if speaking with them, the heart and thought should be right: I am a Sramaṇa, being in the turbid world, should be as a lotus, not contaminated by the mud. Think those elderly as mother; those older than me as elder sister; those younger than me as younger sister and those children as daughter. Have the heart for saving and liberating them, and eliminate my own vicious thought. “ 

Why the Buddhist monk has to be cautious not look at the women nor speak with them? It is one of the methods to curb the inner erotic desire.

 

As we have said before, the object for The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha is Buddhist Monk. In Buddhism, when the Buddhist monk has the certain basic practicing, he is also called the Sramana. Sramana is transliterated from Sanskrit. We have to know that the stance of this Chapter 29 is for the Buddhist Monk, who has to practice the seriously required religious discipline in daily life. The content of this Chapter 29 is one of them. Even though we are not the Buddhist monk, the content of this Chapter 29 is also worth for us to know and learn.   

 

The Buddha said,” Be cautious not look at the women nor speak with them.” This religious discipline is seriously obeyed by the practicing Buddhist Monk. No matter we are male or female, if we meet the Buddhist monk on the road and find that he doesn’t not look at us and nor speak with us, we don’t need to think that he despise us or he doesn’t respect us. We now understand that his behavior is due to his obeying the religious discipline. Today, there is also the problem of homosexuality. This point should be reminded and careful.

 

Why the Buddhist monk has to be cautious not look at the women nor speak with them? It is one of the methods to curb the inner erotic desire. If we are male, when our eyes look at the woman, her appearance, behavior and voice will stimulate our inner erotic desire and hormones. Through such cause and condition, we might take any action and lead to any effect so as to affect our life and fall into the circle of fate. For example, we might do some harmful thing to the woman and make the woman’s body and mentality seriously damaged by us. Or, we might thus have children and work hard to raise them. Or, for raising the woman and children, we might violate our good nature to harm others people. 

We might be trapped in a jail of woman, wife or family and might have no freedom in personal body and mentality.

 

In the concept of Buddhism, it means that we might be trapped in a jail of woman, wife or family and might have no freedom in personal body and mentality. Our personal body and mentality are attached and stick on the woman or family. However, some people could not bear the pressure caused by the woman, wife or family. They might thus bully others in order to achieve their greedy goal, go to the astray and commit a serious crime.

 

The erotic desire and hormones inside the male is the serious cause to result in the turbid of the world.

When we quietly perceive and observe the human nature, we could find that the erotic desire and hormones inside the male is the serious cause to result in the turbid of the world. In the history, do you have ever seen any authoritarian and cruel king or emperor is a pure single man? Even the gangster, do you have seen that he is a single man? Generally, the consequence of such man is very sad and tragic. That is because they are easily turned according to their erotic desire and controlled by their own selfish desire.

 

When any scheming man profoundly knows about this point, he will use it to control and threaten the other man so as to achieve his evil goal. All the scheming and greedy men use it to control and threaten each other. Any woman becomes the victim in such evil thing. From this point, it will extend to control and threaten the whole society and the world, just because those scheming men form a evil group and their selfish desire is grown largely. It is not only appears in the evil politic, but also in the evil religion.

 

The inner erotic desire is the basic cause of suffering to self and others. 

The Buddha has perceived that the inner erotic desire is the basic cause of suffering to self and others. The outer environment is over there. Mostly, it is hard for us to change it. However, we can change self. The Buddha thus said to the Sramana that if you have to speak with the woman, your heart and thought should be right. And you should have a right thought that is: I am a Sramaṇa, being in the turbid world, I should be as a lotus which is not contaminated by the mud.

 

So, the turbid world is like the mud. We live there. However, our heart and thought should be right and pure and not be contaminated by the turbid world, just like a lotus which is growing from the mud. The lotus is so pure and beautiful and not contaminated by the mud. It means that we should not be affected by the turbid world. Our heart and thought should be kept pure and right and not be turned by any outer condition or outer environment. 

 

Our heart and thought should be kept pure and right and not be turned by any outer condition or outer environment. 

What is the righteous heart and thought for a Sramana? Think those elderly as mother; those older than me as elder sister; those younger than me as younger sister and those children as daughter. Have the heart for saving and liberating them, and eliminate my own vicious thought.  

 

As a man, no matter we are a Sramana or not, it is good for us to have such righteous heart and thought to all women. Even the women, especially the young women, they also have the strong erotic and selfish desire. Such desire is the cause of suffering. Women are also needed to be saved and liberated from the suffering.

 

The ignorant, scheming and evil men always have the vicious thought and treat women badly.

Women need to rely on man so that they can survive in the world. Those who have more scheming, and more selfish desire, know how to use the man who have power and money, and know how to compete with the other woman so as to achieve their goal. It is especially appeared in the family that a man has many wives. No matter which kind of women in such situation, they all suffer in the family.

     

In the ancient time of India, women generally have no chance to learn any knowledge, not to mention to listen to the teaching of Buddha. Even today, the women who are well educated from school are few. In some country and religion, women are even not allowed to be educated from the school. Such poor women are controlled by the ignorant, scheming and evil men, who treat women as a tool to generate food and children, even as a tool for their playing and enjoying. Such men even think that to harm women doesn’t make any crime. Women should not live like that. So, we know that the ignorant, scheming and evil men always have the vicious thought and treat women badly.

An enlightened man should have to eliminate the vicious thought, have the righteous thought, treat women well and regard them as the member of family.

 

Therefore, an enlightened man should have to eliminate the vicious thought, have the righteous thought, treat women well and regard them as the member of family, as if they are mother, sister or daughter, encourage them to learn knowledge and go to school, and let them live independently, at the same time, save and liberate them from suffering as capable as you can.

 

Of course, an enlightened woman should also eliminate the vicious thought, regard men as the member of family, as if they are father, brother, or son, help self to learn any knowledge and go to school, and be independent in life and work, and not rely on men to survive. It is better to save and liberate self from suffering so as not to controlled and harmed by any men any more.

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 28: A thought is as a horse, don’t indulge it.

(Chapter 28) 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 28: A thought is as a horse, don’t indulge it.     

The Buddha said,” Don’t trust your thought. Your thought is un-trusty. Be cautious not to meet the erotic. Meeting the erotic would instantly incur the disasters. Having gained the Arhathood, you thus can trust your thought.    

Each day and each moment, from our senses such as eyes, ears, nose, tongue or body, we absorbing stimuli from various situations and information from the outside world, everything of this kind will inspire our thoughts. At this time, each of the thoughts is like a wild and untrained horse galloping around and it is difficult for us to control it.

When we have not yet trained our thoughts well, most of our thoughts are some kind of illusion, and we indulge it and dream it. This does not allow us to recognize the facts. Meanwhile, a lot of misunderstanding and harmful things is thus incurred. Unfortunately, the person may not necessarily have such awareness.

For people who are hungry for the emotions of men and women, when they meet the object they like in their hearts, their inner thoughts will begin to speculate on the other's thoughts, and start some fantasies of love between men and women. Unfortunately, the other party may not have this thought. If at this time, we ourselves cannot control our thoughts and feelings, not only will we have troubles ourselves, but we may also involuntarily hurt each other physically or verbally. The worse would make us crime.

Some people greed for the erotic. However, some people greed for the money. No matter greed for erotic or money, their thoughts are not controlled by themselves. All illusion is occupied on their mind. For instance, they will feel good about themselves and think that they will have the great power to control everything. Such unreal feeling would make them bully others, seize the interests of others, and finally make them into the crime.

Mostly, the erotic and money would lead us to the crime, if we let ourselves indulge it. That is why the Buddha said,” Don’t trust your thought. Your thought is un-trusty. Be cautious not to meet the erotic. Meeting the erotic would instantly incur the disasters.”

Some evil people would use erotic or money to lure you into crime, which are generally existed in some evil organizations. They even wash your brain so as to make you be agreed with their evil ideology. Under the circumstance, you even think what your thought is right and you have the faith about it. But, in fact, your thought is un-trusty.

So, we should be cautious not to meet the erotic. Meeting the erotic would instantly incur the disasters, which we have seen a lot in the news and movies.

In the chapter 27, we have mentioned how to train our thought and mind by some convenient methods. The most important is to understand the reason. Why we should train and control our mind and thought, which have mentioned a lot in the sutra of 42 chapters said by Buddha. The essence of Buddhism is to control our own inner thoughts and desires and not to indulge them. This is the best protection for everyone. Meanwhile, it is not only to make us peaceful in mind, but is to make the society and world peace.

“Having gained the Arhathood, you thus can trust your thought.” Arhat is Sanskrit and means that a person experiences the long-term practice to train and control its heart and mind to be steady and make its heart and mind very clear, clean and pure. Meanwhile, there aren't any un-pure desire and illusion in their heart and mind. At the same time, their Bodhi heart is established well. Bodhi heart means the heart of becoming Buddha.

In the status of Arhathood, their hearts are not affected and turned by the outside world. Meanwhile, they can generate any positive, right and good thoughts on the basis of no-thought. At the same time, any negative, wrong and evil thoughts would be naturally eliminated and turned into the positive, right and good thoughts by their own power.

Therefore, when we learn Buddhism and achieve the Arhathood, we thus can trust our thought. It also means that we will really do any positive, right and good thing to benefit self and others, when we are in such status.   

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 25: The fire of desires burns the body.

(Chapter 25) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha 

Co-translators in the time of Eastern Han Dynasty, China(A.D. 25 - 200) : 

Kasyapa Matanga and Zhu Falan (Who translated the said Scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese. )

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

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

Chapter 25: The fire of desires burns the body.  

The Buddha said,” For the people, the love and desire are such as holding a burning torch to walk against the wind, and which absolutely has the trouble of burning your hands.” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chapter 24: The erotic and desire hinder the Dao

(Chapter 24) 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 24: The erotic and desire hinder the Dao   

The Buddha said,” Love and desire is not more than erotic. The erotic as a desire is so large and there is no beyond it in the external. Fortunately, there is only such one. If there were the second one as the same, the people in the universal world would be incapable of acting the Dao.”   

Anything has two sides, one is positive and the other is negative. The erotic and desire may be the source of inspiration for artistic creation, but it is also the origin of criminal violence, and more is the source of crime. For a practitioner in religion, the prohibition of erotic and desire is one of the most basic precept and the most important precept on the way to practice the faith. Although we are not monks, controlling our erotic and desire can prevent us from embarking on the path of evil.

The Buddha said,” Love and desire is not more than erotic.” It also means that love and desire do not exceed erotic. In other words, the serious and harmful of erotic is more than that of love and desire.

If we profoundly analyze what is love, we will understand that the essence of love is desire. But, do you know why we would generate the emotion of love? In Buddhism, it is analyzed according to the roots of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, which is called as Six-Roots, and thus to generate Six-Awareness when the Six-Roots contact to the phenomena outside the body. Meanwhile, it will thus generate Six-Dust, which means the troubles, worries, or annoyances. The example and the explanation are as follows:  

1.     Eyes: When any hot girl or strong man is seen by our eyes, it will stir the inside desire and generate the feeling of love, and then will make us hope to own them. Anything which can cause our interests and thus stir our desires is seen by our eyes, a strong feeling of wanting to own them is happened. In other words, our mind is affected, controlled and tied up by what we have seen and by the generated desires. Under such circumstances, those who do not temper their desires will easily be lured into making the crime and violence.

2.     Ears: The sound quality will affect our feelings. If we hear the sound which will enjoy us and correspond to our interest, it will also stir our desire and thus is generated any thoughts, such as love. Meanwhile, it will stir any fantasy in our mind.

3.     Nose: Aroma is related to libido. Smelling the aroma by nose will stir the sexual desire. It is generally known by the masses. There are different body fragrances or body odors in every one, which will also incur any like or dislike in our mind.

4.     Tongue: Taste is produced through the tongue. Everyone has different feelings about taste. Some people are prone to inertia for certain tastes. Once any taste could not content them, any annoy will be generated. The desires to eat have to be stirred by the feeling of eyes and tongue. Unfortunately, many people are obsessed on the desires to eat and there is no self-restraint in eating.  

5.     Body: Touching any part of the body produces a sense of touch. The younger the skin is, the smoother it is, and it causes more peoples’ desires and makes them want to touch it. Meanwhile, it will stir the sexual desire.

6.     Mind: What have caused by the aforesaid roots connecting to any phenomena will generate any thoughts, feelings and awareness. Such mind is also the root of any desire.

In a word, if we mistakenly use these Six-Roots, it will bring us a lot of troubles. However, if we can correctly use these Six-Roots with positive attitude, it will bring us a lot of blessing. So, the Six-Roots are neuter. They are neither good nor bad. It is dependent on how we use it. The love and desire is the same thing.

There are five desires from human beings, which are the desire for money, erotic, fame, eating and sleeping. Because of these five desires, mankind has created a lot of bad karma. Among these five desires, the desire for the erotic is the most serious for hindering the practicing of faith and Dao. If a person thinks only with his lower body and not with his positive mind in upper body, it is really no different with the beast.

The erotic is full of love and desire and can cause a lot of harm to the self and the mankind. In fact, a lot of chaos in personality, in society and in international can find the cause coming from the erotic. Some people advocate sexual freedom and think that it is the personal freedom and human right. Unfortunately, they only think of the freedom, but do not think about what it might cause the harm. If we understand the harm, we will be careful about the desire for erotic.

The Buddha said,” The erotic as a desire is so large and there is no beyond it in the external.” In other words, the erotic as a desire is the largest in our inside. Except for this, any desire for anything in our inside and outside couldn’t exceed it.

How to eliminate or avoid the desire to the erotic? There is a method which is called as perceiving and thinking about the white bone. Before using such method, it is better for us to have the concepts of generating, dwelling, changing and eliminating, and the concepts of forming, dwelling, corrupting and emptying. Such concepts are the change in any situation and mental state.

The method is as follows:

Suppose there are a young and beautiful woman with long hair and smooth skin. Her smile is so sweet. And she has captured your eyes and attracts your attention and interest. Your love and desire for her has generated. Then, you close your eyes and meditate in sitting. The figure of this girl is appeared in your third eye, that is, in your mind. Then, use your imagination. Image that she is aging and her appearance become ugly with messy hair. Now she is totally an elder woman and death. Her body begins to rot. In the end, only white bones are left. Then, ask yourself, why you want to love an ugly and dying woman?  

Perceiving and thinking about the white bone is completed. Such method should be used for many times, even to be used for a whole life. Until you are no longer obsessed on the love and desire for woman, you can thereafter abandon such method. No matter the object is, and whatever they are male or female, we can use this method flexibly to help us give up our attachment to anyone or anything.

Such method is very useful and helpful in practicing of faith in Buddhism. Meanwhile, it is also very helpful for us to generate wisdom and avoid going on the evil way.  

The Buddha said,” Fortunately, there is only such one. If there were the second one as the same, the people in the universal world would be incapable of acting the Dao.” It means that the erotic is the largest in the love and desire. There is no second one which could be as largest as the erotic. In other words, other things such as love and desire for money, fame, eating and sleeping, obstacle to the practice of Dao are not as large as erotic. Why?

If we can correctly use money, fame, eating and sleeping with positive attitude, such things would help the practice of Dao and the development of faith in Buddhism. However, the erotic is the abyss of desires’ indulgence. It hardly helps any positive development of faith and Dao's practice.

No matter what our role is, and no matter what aspiration we want to achieve, to restraint the love and desire to the erotic will have a positive help for us.

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 23: Wife is more than a prison

(Chapter 23) 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 23: Wife is more than a prison

The Buddha said, ”People are tied by wife and house, which is more than a prison. There is a date of the release for the jail. There is no thought of departure from the wife. Emotion and love about the erotic, how would they scare to offer the services? Even though the worry about the mouth of tiger exists, the heart is willing to be conquered. Throwing self into the mud and drowning self, that is why those people are called ordinary people. Those who can see through such door are the out-of-dust Arhat.

To have a wife is what a wonderful dream for each man. Many men are lost self in such dream. However, they awake in the suffering of marriage.

For the young man, that he thinks to have a wife is a normal thing. No one would question it. Even the old man, he also hopes to have a wife so that the wife can company with him and take care of him. To have a wife is what a wonderful dream for each man. Many men are lost self in such dream. However, they awake in the suffering of marriage. For the women, it is also the same. Marriage is like a siege. Those who are outside the siege hope to go into the siege. However, those who are inside the siege expect to escape from it.  

No matter man or woman, they hope to survive by relying on the marriage. Especially in the unfair society and the society of despising woman, if the women want to survive well, they have to depend on the capability, power and wealth of husband and his family. In other word, the women obtain the wealth and what she needs in life through marriage.

This is the controlled society by the males in order to maintain their power of control to the society. However, what they don’t know is that, they are also restraint by their own greed and desire, and to put them in the “jail” of marriage.

What urging men into the marriage are not their personal responsibility, but are their erotic desire.

   

Mostly, what urging men into the marriage are not their personal responsibility, but are their erotic desire. In the Asia, it is even the responsibility of their parents. That is because their parents want their son to increase the family's population, especially to have a boy, so that they can inherit the big family's interests.

Under such bias thought, the man is tied by the personal erotic desire and is led away and turned by his wife. The female knows how to use her advantage to control the man and to survive under such circumstance. It is thus formed as the shapeless jail for the man. 

Unfortunately, many people do not want to bear the big family’s responsibilities and the generated obligations, but want to enjoy the big family’s interests. So, we find a problem. In the family, the erotic desire and the greedy for fortune are existed in the husband and wife.

The husband would be conquered by his erotic desire and eager for his wife, and is thus willing to be a servant and slaver of his wife, even to be a “prisoner” in the siege of marriage.

If the wife focuses on money and values her own property too over, she would use her erotic to tie her husband so as to obtain any money and property. Then, the situation would become the arguing and fighting for her interests in the big family or in their own marriage. That is because that the wife wants to content her own greedy heart.

The husband would be thus conquered by his erotic desire and eager for his wife, and is thus willing to be a servant and slaver of his wife, even to be a “prisoner” in the siege of marriage. When the husband is in such situation, he even doesn’t care about his responsibility and obligations to his parents and his big family, even to the society and country. Then, the husband is lost self in his marriage, even to weaken his own intelligence. 

In the traditional society, the wife has no chance to work outside the family and earn her own money. How she survives is to get the money and property from his marriage. Even today, in the modern society, the wife who has the low ability to earn money would also use the way to control her husband so as to get the money and her property.

From a small prison (the marriage and family) to be a big prison (the unfair society)

And this also extends a problem. How a small house and the small property could content the husband’s and his wife’s desire? In the society, the husband is thus earning the more money to content his own and his wife’s desire. He occupies the important and special resources of the country and society, and even creates the unfair society or system through the decorated ideology, and even thus bullies others with the ridiculous reasons to make others people to be his servant and slaver.

Then, it becomes from a small prison (the marriage and family) to be a big prison (the unfair society). Many husbands want to content their own emotion and love to the erotic desire in the marriage. They have to thus become the “prisoners” in the unfair society, and to survive in the evil situation. Even to risk in life, to die, to go into the jail, they just only desire to earn more money.

That is why the Buddha said,” Even though the worry about the mouth of tiger exists, the heart is willing to be conquered.” That is, even though the erotic desire in the marriage and the evil in working environment are so dangerous as if the husbands are almost eaten by the mouth of tiger, they are also willing to risk it and to be the servant to offer any services for his wife.

What we have done and what we have thought would result in what the consequence which we have to bear.

How they scare about it? They don't scare it. The erotic desire is really to weaken those husbands’ intelligence and judgment. In other word, the erotic desire covers their natural wisdom, and affects their ability of thinking and reasoning. 

So the Buddha said that they are as throwing self into the mud and drowning self. What their erotic desire is the case to put them in danger, even to make them to die. What they have done and what they have thought would result in what the consequence which they have to bear. Thanks to they could not understand the reasons and the dangers as said above, that is why those people are called ordinary people.

However, once they could understand the reasons and dangers as said above, and could leave their erotic desire and such wife, they could get rid of any troubles and liberate self from any suffering, thus are the out-of-dust Arhat.

The dust here means troubles or suffering. Out-of-dust here means to get rid of or without of troubles and sufferings. Arhat is Sanskrit. It means one of the grades of learning Buddha.   

The most phenomena about emotion and love to the erotic in the marriage are belonged to and are concerned to the desire and the three poisons.

In Buddhism, we don't look at superficial phenomena. We also don’t look at the decorative and impermanent phenomenon. That is because that, behind of any phenomena, such as any negative phenomena in the marriage, is hidden the desire and the three poisons, even the five toxins. The three poisons are the invisible poisons, which is the heart of greed, hatred or resentment, and the stupid obsession.

The most phenomena about emotion and love to the erotic in the marriage are belonged to and are concerned to the desire and the three poisons. Such negative energy may be used to incur a lot of harm to self and others. The Buddha had carefully perceived it and always advised us to understand what the harm it would bring to us, and advised us not to indulge in the erotic desire and better to abandon it as possible as we can.

Only when we can reduce or abandon the self erotic desire, we can be a no-selfish person and think about others needs or troubles. When we help others people, it is also to help us at the same time. 

In Buddhism, no matter male or female, there are scholars or learners who not only have a marriage, but also learn Buddha well.

42 Chapters Said by Buddha is to teach the Buddhist monk how to liberate self from the suffering. The concept of chapter 23 is therefore on the stand of Buddhist monk and of the male. Even though we are not Buddhist monk, it is still valuable for us to understand and learn it.

The Buddha actually said a lot of concept to enlighten the wisdom of human beings. Chapter 23 is only one of them. Therefore, I hope that you do not be limited by the concept of this chapter. In Buddhism, there is also the scholar or learner who is not Buddhist monk. Those scholars or learners not only have a marriage, but also learn Buddha well. They are Bodhisattva, too. Such concept is also mentioned in many Buddhist Scripture.

Any concept in Buddhism, it is still applied to gender role substitutes. If the wife is more than a jail, the husband is too, which means the bad family makes people not free in mind and body. Of course, it is only the one concept from the many concepts. As a woman, I have to say, there is also a lot of virtue woman and wife who create a good family and make a good contribution to the society and country. They are deserved to discuss the issue of the society and country and to participate in politics. They would bring the society and country the more equal and peaceful social environment. 

Chapter 22: Money and erotic incur the affliction

(Chapter 22) 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 22: Money and erotic incur the affliction

The Buddha said,” That money and erotic for people can not be abandoned are such as honey on the blade of one knife which is not enough to be the perfect of one meal; when a child licks them, it would cause the trouble of cutting tongue. ” 

Personal ignorance and greed bring the harm and trouble to the self and others.

There is no one who does not like money. There is no man who does not like erotic. For seeking and obtaining money and erotic, people do not care about morality and justice. They even do not care about their responsibility for their family members, the public, the society, or the country. Such things can be observed from the history and the news, even around our daily life.

The worse is that such things would cause the chain structure of accomplice. And people may use the legislation or protocol to hide their intention. And such legislation or protocol even is made between one country and the other country.

The evil retributions because of harming others through money and erotic are also truly existed.

What we have observed and seen is that those who want to maintain their own money and erotic always threaten A and bully B, even to lie and twist the facts. What surprise us is that someone is also willing to cooperate with those persons in order to maintain theirs own money and erotic, too.

For those people, they do not know and even do not think that doing so would bring them the trouble. That is because they indulge in the illusory enjoyment of the moment and forget any danger after the enjoyment.

When I am young, I do not understand why such things can be existed in the world. And most good people can not do anything to change it. There is also unbalance emotion in my mind in that time. But, when I deeply observe the history and news, even to my daily life, I find that the retributions for such things are also actually existed.

Many people are suffering because of tangling in chasing money and erotic.

Why the money and erotic incur the affliction? It can be spoken in two parts. One is the retribution in the present life. And the other is the retribution in the next life.

Many people are suffering because of tangling in chasing money and erotic, and they may thus harm others purposely. But, they may not have such self perceiving. Some people may lose job unwillingly, become poorer or go into the jail, even to die. Even though they have a life, they still have to suffer in their life.

Before their dying, they may have ever experienced threatening and panic, even to violence. That is the retribution in their present life. Unfortunately, they even do not know they would be died for such reasons. Once they have dead, their souls directly goes into one of the three evil ways and are suffering there. That is the retribution in their next life.

The fortune and nobility are pursued in the danger.

There is a Chinese saying, ”The fortune and nobility are pursued in the danger. ” Which means that, if people want to pursue the wealthy and noble life, they must have the preparing to lost their life and job, even to take the risk to make crime. Even though they may know that, they still will to risk it.

Why? In the history, the population in China is very large, the unfair is always existed in the society, and the generated wealth and the authority are so attractive. If they want to be the top or the wealthy person from the large population, it is not count on their merit and virtue, but any risk in life. And the money and erotic is the best tool to get the wealth and the authority.  

Money and erotic is sweet as honey. Everyone would like to taste it. However, most people do not know that the honey is on the blade of one knife and can not let us eat enough. Those persons are like the ignorant children to lick the knife's honey and let their tongue to be cut. In other word, they many become the stepping stones of those who desire to be the top and wealthy person.

Pursuing money and erotic is coming from the greedy nature and heart.

No matter the persons become the stepping stones or the persons who have step on the stones to be the top or wealthy one, pursuing money and erotic is coming from the greedy nature. Greedy nature is one of the three poisons which can harm the self and others.

Some evil people not only indulge in such poison but also use such poison to control or threaten others. And its spread damages are beyond our imagination, for example, the biochemical weapon damage. Such damage is global. It not only causes the large death of human beings, but also causes the huge economic loss. It is the Invisible poison and its harm is more beyond than the tangible poison.

In a country, the government may arrest suspect or held accountable who make a mistake because of greedy nature. But, in the international politic, there is no international law which can punish those who cause any large disasters and economic loss in the world because of their greedy nature.

What the Buddha has seen is the mind and true heart inside, not the decorated phenomenon.

The Buddha also observed about this. Any artificial law or agreement may be twisted, despised, fake, bias, or fraud. However, in Buddhism, the retribution through personal reasons and conditions are impossible to be twisted, bias or fraud. Why? That is because what the Buddha has seen is the mind and true heart inside, not the phenomenon which is decorated.

When we understand it, we know that we would not violate our good nature to do evil things. When we do not lie to self, we do not lie to the Buddha and the public.

The ignorant person may lie to the world. But, it can not lie to the Buddha. So, it is better for us to be a wise person and be humble front the Buddha.

When we have such common sense, we would not be bind in following money and erotic, and would not use them to do the evil things, and would never be exploited, controlled or threatened by others. Under the circumstances, we would be the true free person and make sure that our destiny is on the bright way.