That all doing is impermanent is a law of generating and eliminating.

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

 

Because that all doing is impermanent, any barely force to pursue external things will bind our heart. When we do everything, we comply with any cause and condition naturally, but not climb up by social ladder by barely pursuing. Then, our heart will be free.

 

Understanding, facing, and dealing with the worldly impermanence, and letting go of it after resolving it, nothing is occupied in our heart. Any impermanent change will not be regarded as frustration, failure or regret, but the wisdom growth of any experiences for us that enables us to face the change of life with our open-minded.

 

When Buddha Shakyamuni entered the Nirvana, he said the following verse:

That all doing is impermanent is a law of generating and eliminating. Generation and elimination are eliminated. Stillness and eliminating are joy.

 

Everything is impermanent is a law of generating and eliminating, which include to generate and eliminate a self thought, and thereafter to generate and eliminate any self behavior and attitude. After self-generation and elimination are completely self-eliminated, that is, after the mind of generation and elimination and the phenomenon of generation and elimination or after the mind of birth and death and the phenomenon of birth and death are completely eliminated, the Buddha nature of the self will not be destroyed. This is the happiness achieved by the quietness and cessation of self.

 

So, the whole thing is basically concerned about self perceiving and self reflection in heart. On the basis, we thereafter perceive and reflect the external world. However, some beginners of learning Buddha don’t perceive and reflect self, but to see and criticize the mistake of others and thus to cause others to feel bad and hate Buddhism. If we will learn Buddha, it is better for us to avoid such mistake.

Planning has always not kept up with change.

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

 

There is a Chinese saying, ”Artificial calculations are not as good as those of heaven.” It also means that human calculations cannot keep up with heaven's calculations. That is, any planning about our life may not be as good as the arrangement for us from the heaven. It seems the destiny. But, it also tells to have the open-minded attitude and not to tangle in the stuck situation. It may be a good choice to turn around the way. And the light of our future may be there.

 

So, the planning is also impermanent. But, it doesn’t mean that we do not need to plan anything in our life. There is a saying, “The only constant thing in the world is change.” When we know the impermanence of change, we would have more flexibility in mind to deal with any change.

Most of the working and career is impermanent.

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

 

Working in a privately owned company does not guarantee that we can keep working until retirement, because any company may face the operational or failure risks. Secondly, we may also leave any company because of the personal factors, such as the health problems, or accidents. Even in the government institution, there are also a lot of changes and it may not guarantee that our career is always the same.

 

The risk of suicide due to unemployment exists in every country and society. However, what surprise me is that civil servants committed suicide because they were unable to adapt to the transfer of duties.

 

Knowing the impermanence of the working and career, we can prepare in advance, to save enough money, leave self a back lane for survival, or prepare another skill to survive for a runway switch in career. And we will be flexible when we face any impermanence in job.

Chapter 38: Arising is to have the eliminating. (Updated on May 16, 2022 )(Happening is eliminating. When there is happening, there is eliminating.)

(Chapter 38) 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 38: Arising is to have the eliminating. (Happening is eliminating. When there is happening, there is eliminating.)

The Buddha asked the Sramana,” How long is the span between the human life? ” The Sramana answered and said,” It is between several days.” The Buddha said,” You have not yet known the Dao.” Then, The Buddha asked another Sramana again: ” How long is the span between the human life?” The Sramana answered and said,” It is between meals.” The Buddha said,” You have not yet known the Dao.” Then, The Buddha asked another Sramana again: ” How long is the span between the human life?” The Sramana answered and said,” It is between breathing.” The Buddha said,” Good! You have known the Dao.”

  

It is not easy to understand the Dao of Buddhism.

 

For the Sramana, who is willing to learn the Buddhism, the most important thing for him is to know the Dao of Buddhism, and to practice it in life. The Buddha had talked a lot about what the meaning of Dao of Buddhism is, by the way of space, time, fate, moral, ambition and method, and how to practice it in life in many Chapters. It is some kind of difficulty for the general people to understand and practice it. Even to the Sramana, who is called the Buddhist monk and the professional, it is still very difficult for him to understand and practice it.  

 

The Buddha examined his disciples how much they know about the Dao of Buddhism, and asked them the question,” How long is the span between the human life?” This question means that how long it is between the birth of and the death of life for humans. For the general people in the modern time, what we know about the lifespan of humans is very long. In Taiwan, the average lifespan is 80 years old. But, the average lifespan in the world is not the answer what we want to talk about in this chapter.

 

Cherish our life to learn the Dao of Buddhism

 

The purpose of this Chapter is to advise us that our life is existed in a moment. When a thought of us has been just arisen, it has been instantly covered and eliminated by our next thought. The arisen and eliminated of a thought is in a moment of life. It is   birth and death of life of one time. And we even don’t know whether we are living or not in the next moment. Our life maybe occurred and vanished in a moment. This thing may be just happened between our breathing. And it let us know the impermanent of life. It is also to encourage us to treasure our life, and grasp the current moment to do the meaningful things for ourselves and others. For the Sramana, he should cherish each moment of life to learn the Dao of Buddhism. If we are the Buddhist disciples, we should also treasure our life and time to learn the Dao of Buddhism. 

 

The verse spoken by Buddha

 

There is a verse which was talked by Buddha. It is translated by me as follow. Meanwhile, I explain it in more detail so as to make you easier to understand the profound meaning.

 

All actions are not permanent,

Which are the laws of appearance and disappearance.

The appearance and disappearance are already disappeared.

The state of stillness and disappearance is joyfulness. (Note: This refers to the state of one's own thoughts and heart.)

All actions are temporary,

This is the law of appearance and extinction.

Appearance and disappearance gone.

The state of silence and extinction is joy.  (Note: This refers to the state of one's own thoughts and heart.)

We must deeply think of this verse so that we can profoundly understand the meaning. All actions are included the birth of life, the death of life, and what happened, what have done, what have talked and what have experienced during the time of life. The processes are included the intercourse between a life and another life, and then to become the phenomena. Meanwhile, all actions are also contained the changes of our environment, such as the changes of weather, earth crust and astrology in the universe. These actions, processes and phenomena are mingled to become the complicated world which is appeared in front of our eyes and is what we have lived and what we are living now. In this chapter, what we want to talk is about the changes of our life.

 

The no-brightness in the Twelve Causality and Condition

 

The Buddha had deeply perceived the phenomena of a life and its changes, and then offered us the concept of Twelve Causality and Condition, which is also called Twelve Dependent Factors, or Twelve Dependent Origination. The Buddha was in the opinion that the origin of all action is the no-brightness of the self. The no-brightness is not necessarily equivalent to the ignorance which means to be lack of knowledge or intelligence. Regarding the concept of no-brightness, we have talked about its meaning in the chapter 37. In a word, the no-brightness means the mind of the greed, hatred, stupid infatuation, arrogance or suspicion. Such mind is nothing about how the education is, how the social status is, and how the intelligence is. That is, even a person who is in the high education, high social status and high intelligence, meanwhile, who has the professional knowledge, this person maybe has the mind of no-brightness. That is why the criminals are included those persons who are in the high education and high social status, and has the professional knowledge.

 

How to distinguish the difference between the ability of the intelligence quotient and the ability of wisdom in Buddhism?

 

In Buddhism, the ability of the intelligence quotient is not necessarily equivalent to the ability of wisdom. The meaning of intelligence is more about the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills or to have opinions based on reason. However, the meaning of wisdom is the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments. For example, when we have to let go of unpleasant experience, what we need may not be the intellectual ability, but the ability of wisdom.

 

A person with the ability of high intelligence quotient may have the serious hatred to the society, or may have the serious greedy for the resources of the country. However, a person with the ability of high wisdom has absolutely no hatred and no greed, or only has subtle hatred and greed. Those who have the ability of intelligence quotient don’t mean that they have the ability of wisdom. The ability of the intelligence quotient is prone to the worldly clever. However, the ability of the wisdom is some kind of more than worldly clever and  experience. This is what we have to know if we want to learn more about Buddhism. For example, in "The Universal Door of Avalokitesvara", it is mentioned that Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva's thirty-two incarnations and its supernatural powers play samadhi in the Saha world. This is the supreme wisdom ability that transcends worldly clever and experience.

 

Without phenomena, then without argument.

 

The Buddha said that it is very difficult for those with the highest intelligence quotient to learn Buddhism, because they are good at thinking, reasoning and debating, meanwhile, they are proud of such ability to think they are better than others. However, if we want to experience the wisdom of Nirvana—the state of stillness and emptiness, we must even temporarily abandon the ability of thinking, reasoning and debating. That is because we are in a state of no-thought, no-doing, no-desire, and no-demanding, we are in a state of stillness of Nirvana. When we are in this state, we don’t need to think of, reason and debate anything. However, this does not mean that we do not have intelligence and wisdom.

 

Only when there is any condition, situation, and phenomena in front of our eyes, so that there is the subject and object for us to think of, reason and debate. However, if all of them are disappeared in front of our eyes, what can we think of, reason and debate? That is why there are no-phenomena, there is no-argument. All argument, fighting, and binary opposition are arisen from cling to the phenomena. However, any phenomena begin at any actions, which are impermanent, and are the laws of appearance and disappearance.

 

The Buddha said that all actions and all phenomena begin at a thought of no-brightness of humans. This is the beginning of the Twelve Causality and Condition. That is, all the changes of phenomena are based on the Twelve Causality and Condition. Only when Twelve Causality and Condition is disappeared, all phenomena and actions pertaining to us are disappeared at the same time.

 

What is Twelve Causality and Condition?

 

The Twelve Causality and Condition is the theory proved by Buddha when he meditated in sitting under the Bodhi tree. The Twelve Causality and Condition is based on the soul and the individual as the main subject. What is Twelve Causality and Condition? The Twelve Causality and Condition respectively continue as the no-brightness, actions, consciousness, the name and the material, the six-senses-entering, the touching, the feeling, the love, the taking, the possessing, the birth, the aging and the death.

 

The no-brightness of the individual is the original cause, which generate actions. Actions as the condition, it is therefore generated the consciousness. The consciousness as the condition, it is therefore generated the name and the material. The name and the material as the condition, it is therefore generated the six-senses-entering. The six-senses-entering as the condition, it is therefore generated the touching. The touching as the condition, there is therefore the feeling. The feeling as the condition, it is therefore generated the love. The love as the condition, it is therefore generated the taking. The taking as the condition, it is therefore generated the possessing. The possessing as the condition, it is therefore generated the birth. The birth as the condition, there is afterward the aging and the death.

 

When the cause is appeared, the condition has the dependent and is then generated. However, when the cause is disappeared, the condition has no dependent and is then naturally eliminated.

 

When the no-brightness has been eliminated, the actions are then naturally destroyed. When the actions have been destroyed, the consciousness is then disappeared. When the consciousness has been disappeared, the name and the material are then naturally eliminated. When the name and the material have been eliminated, the six-senses-entering is then vanished. When the six-senses-entering has been vanished, the touching is no longer existed. When the touching has been no longer existed, the feeling is then disappeared. When the feeling has been disappeared, the love is then no longer existed. When the love has been no longer existed, the taking is then vanished. When the taking has been vanished, the possessing is then eliminated. When the possessing has been eliminated, the birth is then disappeared. When the birth is disappeared, the aging and the death is then disappeared.

 

Twelve Causality and Condition is the cause of reincarnation.

 

Regarding Twelve Causality and Condition, it is “When one cause or condition is arisen, the other cause or condition is thus dependent on it and is then appeared. When one cause or condition is eliminated, the other cause or condition is no longer dependent on it and is then disappeared.” 

 

In Buddhism, to cut off or to break the no-brightness—that is to eliminate the cause of reincarnation, it is the major concept to end the suffering of reincarnation. And it is also very important for the Buddhist disciples to practice it in life. That is because all suffering of reincarnation begins at the no-brightness. For Theravada Buddhism, there is a lot of story talked by Buddha to teach the sentient beings how to eliminate the cause of no-brightness. There are a lot of concepts as the same in these 42 chapters. These are the basic concepts in learning Buddhism. It is like the foundation of the house, which should be established well, so that we can continuously build a sturdy and practical house. 

 

In Mahayana Buddhism, there is the different concept about no-brightness. Such concept should be learned based on the concept as said above. You will know what it is when you keep following the teaching of Buddha.

 

The circulated of and vanished of Twelve Causality and Condition

 

The Twelve Causality and Condition is the mutual cause and effect, which are the laws of generation depending on cause and condition. Meanwhile, it is the laws of the occurred and eliminated. Its phenomena are impermanent. At the same time, the time of what happened is from a moment to years. This circulation is continuous and uninterrupted. It makes humans soul circulating in the sea of suffering of life and death. To birth in here because of death in there, to die in here and then to birth in there, it is circulated continuously. A soul is able to get out from this circulation after any one of Twelve Causality and Condition has been cut off and Twelve Causality and Condition is vanished instantly.

 

The Further Interpretation for Twelve Causality and Condition

 

When a soul is in the state of no-brightness, it means this soul is unable to understand the clear, pure, clean and bright Buddha-law, so that there is a lot of any negative thought, complicated emotion or stupid idea. This state makes this soul generate a lot of vexation. That is why it is called the ignorance.  

 

Then, this soul has done something dependent on its no-brightness. The no-brightness is such as greed, hatred and stupid infatuation or any thought accordingly. Actions with no-brightness from body, mouth and mind are therefore generated and formed. It may be the good deed or may be the evil. No matter what it is, it is able to form shapeless power to affect the self and its future fate. It is called Karma in Buddhism.

 

Dependent on the actions in the past life—that is the Karma of the past life, this soul enters the mother's body for conception. Its consciousness is generated at the same time. And this soul begins its present life. The consciousness can understand, know and distinguish what happened around it. That is, the consciousness has the function of recognition, holding and control from heart to face the environment and phenomena.  

 

Dependent on the consciousness, the embryo begins to take shape and develop. The name and the material is thus generated and formed. The name pertains to the mental—the laws of heart, such as the shapeless heart, mind or thought. The name here means the laws of the abstract and intangible heart. The material pertains to the body. The material means substance and which can be really felt, seen or touched by the six senses. The material also means the body with six senses. Therefore, the material also means that the phenomena of substance, sound, fragrance, taste and touching.    

 

Dependent on the name and the material, the six senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, are grown and completed. The function of these six senses begins to work. The baby is born and its six senses can begin to aware the surroundings and phenomena. All the changes of its surroundings and phenomena will enter this baby’s mind and body through the six senses systems. That is why it is called the six-senses-entering. These contacts, feelings and the changes form the life realm and world pertaining to this baby.

 

Dependent on the six-senses-entering, two-to-three years-old baby begin to develop the curiosity and is fond of touching everything. The baby will explore everything by touching spontaneously.

 

Dependent on the touching, the child after six or seven years old can aware and distinguish the feeling about pain and happiness to things or situation. The Buddha mentioned about three kinds of feelings. That is the feeling of suffering, happiness and no-suffering-and-no-happiness.

 

Dependent on the feeling, the teenage after fourteen or fifteen years old will generate the strong feeling about love. The love and desire are strongly generated. The love here also means craving everything.

 

Dependent on the love, the adult with stronger love and desire will seek and chase all condition, situation and phenomena, and will take and demand anything what it wants.

 

According to vexation of the love and the taking, the adult has done various things, which means Karmas and will decide the adult’s fate in the next life. The possessing means to have Karmas, which pertains to the Karma of current life.

 

According to possessing Karma—the Karma of current life, it decides the birth of the soul in its next life. The birth is therefore generated. Because of the birth, there is the aging and the death in the next life.

 

Regarding Twelve Causality and Condition, it is included the past causes, the current causes, the current effects and the future effects. The causes are also the effects. The past cause will become the current effect. The future effect could become the past cause. That is, the effect could be the cause. Meanwhile, the causes could be overlapping with the effects. Because it is circulations, there is no start and no end. The circulation will never stop, unless anyone of the Twelve Causality and Condition is cut off or eliminated. When the circulation stop, a soul will have the chance to get rid of the torture and suffering of this circulation.

 

In these 42 chapters, you will find that the Buddha was always advising the Sramana how to cut off or eliminate any cause and effect in the Twelve Causality and Condition. Now we have the concept about perceiving the Twelve Causality and Condition as mentioned above. We know it is impermanent which can be happened in a moment or for a long life.

 

The four kinds of perceiving

 

The Buddha also taught us about four kinds of perceiving. That is, to perceive that the heart is impermanent, to perceive that the law is impermanent, to perceive that the thought is impermanent, and to perceive that the body is impermanent. 

 

The heart means the mind, the mental and any function accordingly, which includes the emotion, such as joy, anger, or sad. For example, someone was smiling one second before, and the next second he was furious about something trivial. The law means the changes or the principles of any situation, condition, environment or phenomena in the universe, such as the war, natural disasters or the epidemic. There is a verse in Buddhist scripture:

 

All law is generated by cause and condition.

All law is eliminated by cause and condition.

That the cause and condition have been eliminated is the Dao.

This is said by the grand Master. 

The thought means the idea which burst from our mind suddenly and continuously. The first thought which is just appeared is immediately covered by the next thought, and then the first thought is disappeared. The second thought is covered by the third thought. This situation is happened continuously and uninterrupted. Each thought is appeared and then disappeared immediately. The body includes the instant death and birth of cell, and the aging of body at each moment.

 

All disappeared, the joyfulness of Buddha-nature won’t be disappeared.

 

Why the heart, the law, the thought and the body is impermanent? These four things are related to the Twelve Causality and Condition, and are also the laws of generated and eliminated, or the laws of appearance and disappearance. The Buddha said, when all appearance and disappearance are already disappeared, the stillness-disappearance is joyfulness. Why? It let us know the impermanent of life and death, and the impermanent of actions, through these four kinds of perceiving. It also makes us not cling to anything through this experience of perceiving. When all generated and eliminated are disappeared, there is nothing that we can crave and attach. In the state of stillness and emptiness, the true peace and joyfulness will be appeared in mind naturally. 

It does not mean that we do not need to care about the public issue. On the contrary, we will care about the public issue with the wisdom and the peaceful and joyful mind. If you are interested in the public issue or the political issue, this knowledge, wisdom and joyfulness will help you to participate in the campaign, and it would be very blessed for yourselves and the public. If you are the general citizen, this knowledge, wisdom and joyfulness would help you have the different and new concept and attitude to face your life, study, work, classmates, colleagues, or family members. It is really a blessing for you and those people around you.      

 

The life and death is fleeting like meteor. When we know about the impermanent of life and death which is between the breathing, the impermanent of all actions, the impermanent of four perceptions as said, and the suffering of life and death because of Twelve Causality and Condition, we will cherish our human body to learn Dao of Buddhism, and will cherish our Buddha-nature. Why? I have another verse which is some kind of the difference with the verse said by Buddha as mention above, and is to correspond to the verse said by Buddha.

 

All Actions are impermanent,

Which are the laws of appearance and disappearance.

The appearance and disappearance are already disappeared,

The Buddha-nature will not be disappeared.

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 18: The root of thoughts is equal to the Emptiness. (Updated on January 5, 2022)

(Chapter 18) 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 18: The root of thoughts is equal to the Emptiness.

The Buddha said,” My law (Buddha-Law; Dharma) is about thinking of the no-thought thought, acting the no-doing action, talking about the no-talking talk, and putting the no-practice into the practice. Those who understand what as said are approach it. Those who feel confused about what as said are far from it. The Dao of words and talks is cut off. It can not be bound by things. The difference of millimeter or centimeter would cause the mistake in a moment.

This chapter is very difficult to understand for the beginners who learn Buddhism, not to mention those who have not yet learned Buddha. If we want to completely understand the content of this chapter as said by Buddha, we might at least have to learn Buddhism for more than ten years and to prove the wisdom of Bodhisattva by self. There are many people who could not understand the content as said by Buddha, even though they might have learned or researched Buddhism in their whole life. Therefore, if we have not yet learned Buddhism and not yet prove the wisdom of Bodhisattva, it is better for us not to criticize the content as said by Buddha, so as to avoid showing our ignorance.    

Because I do not know the readers' degree of learning Buddhism in this blog, I have to explain it by more details, so as to avoid the reader to mistakenly understand the content as said by Buddha. 

To untie and to cut off the abstract rope linking between our mind and heart and any phenomenon and situation would make our heart truly free.

Most people could not realize the pure state of Buddha. That is because their six conscious are chasing the outside phenomenon, are tangling in the inner situation, and are turning with the outer situation and its changing. Meanwhile, they are too obsessing with the material life.

Therefore, if the phenomenon or any situations and its changing could not content to their mind, they are easy to generate the five-poison heart. Only when the phenomenon and any situation and its changing are contented to their mind, they are thus to generate the heart of happiness. Anyway, their heart and mind are occupied by the outside phenomenon, and any inner or outer situation and its changing. That is why they could not understand the meaning of emptiness as said by Buddha.

The Buddha Sakyamuni often used the word “tied” or “fastened” or “bind” to express that our mind, heart or thought is tied, fastened or bind by any aspect of phenomenon or any situations. In other word, that is, what we are doing is what we have thought. And what we have thought and done is tied, fastened or bind by any phenomenon, concept, ideology, theory or any situation. However, no matter what our thought is, the birth of one thought is the death of the other thought in our mind. Our previous thoughts are different from the latter thoughts. Each thought of us is like the river and it is always moving and flowing. And it is always such changing. That is why it is impermanent.  

Obsessed with any phenomenon would cover our natural wisdom.

That is why the Buddha Sakyamuni had said, ”All doing is like dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows, like dew and lightning, so we should perceive it like this.  (All promising practices, methods, teachings and the situations presented is like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, like dew and lightning, so we should visualize them like this.)” This is the famous verse in the Diamond Sutra.

From the describing, we could understand that all of the doing phenomenon is unreal, but is formed by reasons and conditions, and is temporary, is attached to another phenomenon, and could be disappeared in any time. That is why the Buddha Sakyamuni always advised us not to obsess with any phenomenon. If we obsess with any phenomenon, such obsessing and phenomenon will hinder our natural wisdom.

Secondly, the Buddha Sakyamuni advised us not to obsess with any doing and thinking, even not to obsess with Buddhism or learning Buddha. Why? That is because stubborn in any doing and thinking is one of the reasons to cause the problem and suffering. Even to stubbornly persist in Buddhism or in learning Buddha, itself would become the obstacle to learn Buddhism, to learn Buddha.

Anyway, the Buddha’s teaching is always to break or smash our stubbornly persisting and obsessing mind step by step, no matter what we persist in or obsess with. If we only know about the Theravada Buddhism or about chanting Amitabha so as to be reborn in the pure land, and we strongly stick to such things, our mind would be limited and any argument might thus occur; and we might be thus not interested in Buddhism, when we have seen such situation; once we are facing any frustration in life, we might easy to have the rollback from the faith in Buddhism.

Those who promote Theravada Buddhism or Amitabha might not talk about the 42 chapters said by Buddha, especially this chapter. That is because this chapter is very difficult to express, teach and understand. This chapter is not suitable for those who are the beginner in learning Buddha and those who have only the little root of wisdom.

As a teacher and professor in Buddhism, we always encourage everyone to learn Buddhism, to learn Buddha. Who dares to tell you not to persist in learning Buddhism, not to persist in learning Buddha? However, if you have read each article in this blog, I believe that you might have any concept about it and have known about why.

To think what it means about the no-thought and why the no-thought is.

Let’s return to the subject. Why the Buddha said that my law is thinking of the no-thought thought? Does it confuse you? The law here means the Buddha-law, the Dharma, which also means the Buddha’s teaching and any phenomenon.

One thought is about the generation and the elimination for anything. And that is even to concerned about the birth and death of any life. Therefore, when one person is in the state of no-thought, there is no emerging and no eliminating for anything. Meanwhile, this person in the state of no-thought would jump out the constraint from the birth and death of life. In other word, it jumps out the limitation of fate.

Furthermore, when one person no longer persists in or obsesses with any phenomenon, or it has realized the truth of no-phenomenon, it would thus be in the state of no-thought. In other word, if there is any phenomenon in front of us, there is thus emerged one thought from our mind; if there is no phenomenon in front of us, how could any idea be emerged from our mind? Anyway, no-thought means to empty our mind or heart.

Any trouble and any suffering are coming from any phenomenon and its corresponding thought and feeling. Once any phenomenon and its corresponding thought and feeling have gone, any trouble and any suffering have disappeared at the same time.

One thought will cause a situation. This occurred situation will cause another thought. Thoughts and situations are such cycling, continued and endless, which forms any phenomenon. If any first thought is evil, whatever what it is and where it comes from, meanwhile, the corresponding situation makes us not comfortable at all, we are suffering anyway. Under this circumstance, we keep our mind with no-thought, our mind will be still and peace and then we can observe the situation in our inside and outside with the objective way.  That is the function and application of no-thought.  

Escaping any phenomenon and situation is not a good idea.

Some people want to escape any trouble and any suffering. They therefore choose to escape the phenomenon what might be happened. The Buddha never taught us to escape any phenomenon. On the contrary, the Buddha taught us to face it, to understand that the nature of any phenomenon is emptiness; that is because all of phenomenon is formed by any reasons and conditions.

Meanwhile, one of reason of phenomenon is self, a thought emerged from self. In other word, we are one of the reasons for any phenomenon. Once the reason regarding self, that is a thought emerged from self, has never appeared, or is already gone, any phenomenon would not be formed, and any trouble and suffering would be gone together.

For example, if we have a thought to pursue the love and to really do that, the phenomenon of love is formed. Any happiness, trouble or suffering regarding the love would be appeared continually. On the contrary, if we don’t have a thought about pursuing love, any phenomenon regarding the love would not be formed.

Understanding the nature of any phenomenon and any situation would make us wise.

Such concept is really hard to be understood, not to mention to put it into the practice in reality. Then, we might have one question. How to train us to be in the state of no-thought? Some Buddhist monk or nun to train their mind to be in the state of no-thought is to close self and refuse any news from the world, then, to chant Amitabha or Buddhist scripture everyday. They don’t care about what happened in the world. 

In other word, they refuse the outside phenomenon, any situation and its changing. Maybe that is one method to train a mind to be in the state of no-thought. But, it is not the only method. The Buddha Sakyamuni did not use such way to train his mind to be in the state of no-thought.

Then, what is the way used by the Buddha Sakyamuni? It is to really understand and realize the nature of any phenomenon, any situation and its changing, that what we have met. The nature as said is emptiness. Any phenomenon, any situation and its changing are emerged from the emptiness. Any phenomenon, any situation and its changing are really formed by the combining from any reasons and conditions.

Such emptiness is able to appear anything and what appeared from the emptiness is always changing and changing. Once our hearts are chasing the changes that are said every moment, every day, every year, how tired and painful we will be. It is to keep thinking the no-thought thought, to keep stable in mind, and to keep clear in heart. No matter what phenomenon or situation is happened in front of us, we always clear to know that the nature is emptiness. We then have a proper and wise thought emerged from no-thought to face and deal with the phenomenon or situation. 

Put down any obsessing with any phenomenon and situation.

Then, we might have one question. Whether the Buddha Sakyamuni has a thought or not? Actually, he is in the state of one-thought and of no-thought. And this thought is to be focus on thinking of no-thought. His mind is always in the state of no-thought. That is how he faces the phenomenon, any situation and its changing. He didn’t close self to escape the phenomenon, any situation and its changing.

That is, each thought is dwelled on the right thought, to understand and realize that, the nature of phenomenon, situation and its changing, is emptiness and nothingness; and since it is emptiness and nothingness, there is no reason and it is not necessary to appear any thought for the emptiness and nothingness, let alone to appear any evil thought. No matter how changeable about the phenomenon, situation and its changing, once any thought is thus to be generated, it is violating the clear and pure mind-the state of the stillness in heart. 

Therefore, the more profoundly understanding is that, even a thought for thinking of the no-thought thought, which should be abandoned. Even such thought, it should have no chance to occupy in our mind. To abandon any thought until there is nothing to be abandoned. It is the true nothingness and stillness.

Acting the no-doing action makes our mind to be rest and at ease.

What is the meaning of acting the no-doing action? It also means to do the no-doing doing. If we have the basic concept about no phenomenon as said above, what we should do when we face the no phenomenon? There is nothing to do. Similarly, if we face the no phenomenon and have thus no thought, what we should do? There is also nothing to do. Then, we might have one question. If there is nothing to do, what is the meaning for us? Does it make any sense for us?

It really makes our mind to be rest and at ease. In such state, we would thus actually perceive the peace in our mind. So, we might have another question. Does the Buddha Sakyamuni do nothing all the time? No. Actually, he will always do something, to do the no-doing doing. Do you thus think that he was a lazier or escapist? No. Neither is. Actually, he taught the Buddhism and spoken of the Buddha-law (the Dharma) for 49 years; and he inspired the wisdom of human beings and left the treasure of wisdom for the human beings more than 2500 years, and would keep going on.

The essence of Buddhism is to enlighten the self natural wisdom.

The essence of Buddhism is to enlighten the self natural wisdom, not worship Buddha or Bodhisattva. To worship Buddha or Bodhisattva is by means of their wonderful and spiritual power-their strength of mercy and might, to help us to be in the virtue path-to do the goodness, and thus to finally enlighten our natural wisdom.

Therefore, no matter to worship Buddha or Bodhisattva, or to do the goodness, it is a convenient method and process to help us go to the final goal; and what the final goal is to prove the self natural wisdom by self. However, because everyone's intelligent and situation is different, what the used methods could be more than 84000 methods; and such methods could be generated and eliminated at any time. That is, it might be appeared in one day and might be disappeared in another day. Such methods are impermanent, because it is the change according to any phenomenon and situation.

For instance, the statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva are created everywhere. Some people hate the statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva and destroy those statues purposely. That is because that they do not understand the wisdom said by Buddha Sakyamuni. The phenomenon about the statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva is impermanent. It is only one method to help the human beings to inspire their natural wisdom. The true wisdom is soft power, no-phenomenon, and is permanent. Any phenomenon is the temporary changing. There are no statues of Buddha or Bodhisattva in our natural wisdom. Such true wisdom is existed in everyone, no matter what our faith is. But, do you know that you have such natural wisdom? Does your natural wisdom have been enlightened? Does such true wisdom could be destroyed?

Just by means of our little intelligent, it is really difficult for us to understand the grand wisdom of Buddha. If we always attach to any phenomenon, we might do any stupid things and seek the trouble and suffering by self. On the contrary, if we could be away from any phenomenon, we would do anything with our natural wisdom. One of such natural wisdom is to do the no-doing doing. To do so is really able to be away from the self subjective idea, or to be away from the subjective influence from others mind.

What we have done is really do something. And we know that any trouble and any suffering will be gone after leaving any phenomenon and any situation. We therefore jump out the frame and circle of any phenomenon and situation, and then to have the right thought to do the right thing.

The Buddha is always to break and smash what our stubbornness heart is.

In the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha Sakyamuni said, “What the Buddha-law said by Tathagata (Buddha) could not be taken, could not be spoken, is the non-Buddha-law, and is no non-Buddha-law. So, what it is? All the sage and saint are different from the masses by the Buddha-law of no-doing.”

The Buddha-law means Dharma, Buddha’s teaching, principle, worldly method, method to learn Buddhism, the change of mind and heart, any thought, any phenomenon, situation and its changing. The meaning of Buddha-law is very wide. It also includes the no-thought, no-doing, no-talking, no-practicing, and no-phenomenon.

The wisdom included in the Buddha-law said by Buddha is very broad and profound. It is not what we could think of by our worldly intelligent. Secondly, the true wisdom almost could not be obtained by debating with the logic. That is because the true wisdom is unable to be talked, but could be obtained by practically meditating and experience. The true wisdom is really incredible.

The Buddha Sakyamuni advised us not to take what said by Tathagata, and not to talk about what said by Tathagata, because what said by Tathagata is not phenomenon, but is also not no-phenomenon. Why the Buddha said that? That is because that we would be tied, fasten or bind by the phenomenon what said by Tathagata. If we take what said by Tathagata, and talk about what said by Tathagata, we would also be tied by what the Buddha talked about no-thought, no-doing, no-talking and no-practicing.

So, if we have some concept about what the Buddha had taught, we know that he is always to break and smash our stubborn in anything, even to what we are stubborn in doing the no-doing. Then, what we should do? When we really understand and realize Buddha’s teaching, such content including not to harm others and not to harm self, not to cause troubles to others and not to cause troubles to self, and also containing the cause and effect (Do good things will gain good repay. Do evil things will gain evil repay.), we could do everything what we like to do in our free will. It is thus the truly freedom in our life.

Why are the sage and saint different from the masses? The sage and saint understand and realize the true wisdom, prove it in daily life, and do everything upon the no-doing. 

The true wisdom is speechless.

The true wisdom is speechless. Why? Any speech about any phenomenon or event is including the personal bias. Do you think that any speech about no-phenomenon would not be including personal bias? Maybe not. That is why the Buddha said that he did not say a word in 49 years. If we do not understand what he said, we would not gain the Dao. Why?

The Dao is originally speechless. Leaving phenomenon, speechless. That is also why he said that Buddha-law is talking about the no-talking talk. The Dao is no-talking, speechlessness. What the Buddha had talked is to show us methods and the direction to the goal and to the Dao, not the Dao itself. The Dao itself should be meditated and experienced by our self. If we always attach to the phenomenon of what the Buddha had said, what we gain is not the true natural wisdom, but the knowledge insights.

Some persons want to demonstrate what they have been enlightened from the Buddhism, so they do not talk anything all the day. Do you have found something wrong from that?

Even though we have been enlightened about the true wisdom from the Buddhism, it doesn’t mean that we do no talk anything all the day. If we do not talk anything all the day, we would fall into the stupid stubborn about no-talking. The Buddha Sakyamuni never did that. On the contrary, he had talks every day. What he had talked is about the wisdom and event of no-talking.

The Buddha-law is for curing our abstract heart in illness.

The Buddha said what the Buddha-law is? It is putting the no-practice into the practice. Why he said that? All the Buddha-law said by Buddha is aiming at curing the abstract sick heart of humans. If there is no sick heart, why the Buddha-law should be needed?

The heart here means the abstract sick heart, the mind and the thought. To practice the Buddha’s teaching also includes the meaning of correcting our behavior, our mind or our thought. But, why we should correct our behavior, mind or thought? When we pursue in or attach to any phenomenon, event, concept, ideology, belief, or knowledge, any abstract heart is thus generated, for instance, the heart of greedy, hatred, obsession, arrogance or suspicion.

When we have heart such as greedy or hatred, it means that attaching to the phenomenon makes us sick and unhappy. The Buddha uses the Buddha-law to cure our disease heart. That is why we need to put the Buddha-law and the Buddha's teaching into the practice. It is such as we need to eat the medicine to cure our disease.

When we have realized the truth is without phenomenon, the nature of phenomenon is the nothingness and the emptiness, what else could make us to attach to and what else could make us generate any heart? Even the greedy heart, or the hatred heart, it is unable to be generated.

The truth is that there is nothing which could be attached and any heart is unable to be generated, when we face the emptiness. The only thing which could be attached to is the emptiness. In such state, the heart without a thought is healthy and stability. Then, what else should we put into the practice? There is already nothing that we need to put it into the practice. It is also not necessary for us to need the Buddha-law. It is such as we no longer need the medicine, because we have already been in healthy from the disease. It is the meaning of no-practice.    

So, whether putting the no-practice into the practice is the practice or the no-practice? Both are. When we stubborn in and obsess with any phenomenon or anything, we put the Buddha-law into the practice, so as to cure our disease heart. When we no longer stubborn in and obsess with any phenomenon or anything, we put the no-practice into the practice.

The Buddha said,” Those who understand what as said are approach it. Those who feel confused about what as said are far from it. “ So, whether we understand it or not, it is only between a thought. If we understand what as said, we approach the Dao, the truth, and the natural wisdom. If we still feel confused about what as said, we are far from the Dao, the truth and the natural wisdom. 

The truth of Dao, speechless.

“The Dao of words and talks is cut off. It can not be bound by things. The difference of millimeter or centimeter would cause the mistake in a moment. “

As we have talked above, the Dao can not be expressed by words and talks. If the Dao is expressed by words and talks, it is as if to be tied by ropes. Such Dao and such heart are thus restricted. We have to cut off the abstract ropes of words and talks, because any words and talks are attached to things. And it would let the Dao and our heart lose the truth. Only when any words and talks are cut off-that also means to put down any words and talks, our heart and the Dao can not be bound by things, and we then can see the truth of Dao and the truth of all things in our mind and in a free heart.

The difference of millimeter or centimeter would cause the mistake in a moment.

“The difference of millimeter or centimeter” means very subtle difference. It also means a little mistakenly understanding or a subtle misunderstanding. It would cause the mistake in learning Buddha, in learning Buddhism, in a very short time.

Why? Some people have heard the no-thought, no-doing, no-talking and no-practice. They then subjectively think that they have been enlightened and do not need to do anything in learning Buddhism. Meanwhile, they thus increase the self-arrogance.

Any Buddha and Bodhisattva, who have been enlightened and prove the truth, the Dao, and the natural wisdom, always do something to enlighten the sentient beings and save them to liberate from any suffering. What they have done is called doing something in a dream. It means that they actually do the things, but they do not stubborn in those things. 

 

Secondly, the person, who is before becoming Buddha or Bodhisattva, must think a lot about what the Buddha had talked and taught, do a lot of things to repent his fault, to correct his behavior and attitude, to clear his heart, to empty the negative mind, and put the Buddha’s teaching into the practice every day.

Furthermore, this chapter is to express the practice about without-merit and without-application, and the proving what the without-proof is. This is the natural wisdom and no hypocrisy and pretentiousness. It is the degree and phase of Bodhisattva, not that of those who have not yet learned the Buddhism. 

To become Buddha or Bodhisattva is not an easy thing. It must experience the learning in Buddha’s teaching completely by personal countless times of life. If you are lucky to read this article, I hope that you could cherish this chance to learn Buddha, to learn Buddhism. In the current world, those who have the chance to read this chapter is very few, let alone to understand it. Even those who have learned Buddhism, they might never read this chapter translated in Chinese. This chapter is really very rare and very valuable. It is very helpful to enlighten our natural wisdom.