Chapter 11: Giving meals turns to victory

(Chapter 11) 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 11: Giving meals turns to victory  

The Buddha said,” Giving hundred evil persons meals is not as good as giving one good person a meal;

giving thousand good persons meals is not as good as giving a meal for one person who obeys the five precepts;

giving meals to ten thousand persons who obey the five precepts is not as good as giving one Srotāpanna a meal;

giving one million Srotāpanna meals is not as good as giving one Sakridāgāmi a meal;

giving ten million Sakridāgāmis meals is not as good as giving one Anāgāmi a meal;

giving one hundred million Anāgāmis meals is not as good as giving one Arhat a meal;

giving ten hundred million Arhats meals is not as good as giving one Pratyeka-buddha a meal;

giving ten thousand million Pratyeka-buddha meals is not as good as giving one Three-World Buddha a meal;

giving one thousand trillion Three-World Buddhas meals is not as good as giving a meal to a person who is in the state of no thought, no dwelling, no practicing, and no proving.”             

Giving to the wicked is helping them do evil.

Giving meals to others turns to the victory; the victory is not over others, but is for self. If we give meals to one hundred evil persons, what we have done is to assistant them to do the evil things. It means that we do the evil things indirectly. It is not our victory, but our loss for life and spirit, even to waste our energy.

Donating food or money to good people is helping them to do good deeds.

On the contrary, if we give meals to one thousand good persons. What we have done is to assistant them to do the good things. That means that we do the good things directly. It is the victory to increase the bliss for our life and for our spirit. The above mentioned persons are the people who do not learn the Buddha and do not practice the Dao. But, it doesn’t mean that they are not good persons. Whether learning the Buddha and whether practicing the Dao or not, is not related to whether the person is a good person or not. If an evil person could repent his fault, has the heart of compassion, and wish to attain the Buddhahood, he could also learn the Buddha.

Good persons will obey Five Precepts automatically, but a wicked won't.

If one person would learn the Buddha, he would be taught to obey the five precepts in the fist classwork. Those who are Buddha-learner, but not Buddhist monk or nun are necessary to obey the five precepts. A good person does not necessarily obey such five precepts. Even though we are not the Buddha-learner, we could also obey the five precepts automatically. Then, what are five precepts? It is as follows:

Don’t kill others, and don’t kill self. 

Don’t steal things. It means not to take away any thing which is not allowed to give us. 

Don’t have sex in improperly ways. That is, don’t harm self and others. It is better to respect to each other. 

Don’t lie to self and others. 

Don’t take alcohol or illegal drug.

It is demonstrating that obeying the five precepts is the victory. As we know, such victory is not to compare to others, but, to ourselves. To offer meals to the person who obeys the five precepts is better than to offer meals to thousand good persons. It is the victory, too.

Why giving meals to ten thousand persons who obey the five precepts is not as good as giving one Srotāpanna a meal?

Srotāpanna, Sakridāgāmi and Anāgāmi are Sanskrit, and are some kind of rank noun. They are not limited in Buddhist monk or nun. That is, they are used to identify for the level of each Buddha-learner. They are also mentioned in different scriptures, and sometimes the explanation for them is different. In a word, in learning Buddha, they are still in different levels of self-saving.

Moreover, they have not yet been able to liberate themselves from the suffering, let alone to have the ability to save others to liberate from the suffering. Why? In the virtue, wisdom and bliss, what they have done and what they have gained is not enough. That is why they are saving themselves in effort, but not others.

Anyway, their degree of wisdom is better compared to the general good persons. That is because they have already the concept to liberate and save themselves and others, but the general good persons are not necessarily to have such concept. In other word, Srotāpanna, Sakridāgāmi and Anāgāmi have entered into the gate of emptiness and practice to abandon the greedy, hatred and stupid-obsession heart. However, the general good persons are not necessarily to have such concept. 

Why giving one hundred million Anāgāmis meals is not as good as giving one Arhat a meal?

It is also existed the difference in degree. The degree of Srotāpanna is less than Sakridāgāmi. And the degree of Sakridāgāmi is less than Anāgāmi. Even though this, in virtue, wisdom and bliss, they are better than the person who obey the five precepts. Why?

That is also because they have launched their compassionate heart and Bodhi heart. Meanwhile, they put the Buddha’s teaching into the practice. Their wisdom of emptiness-nature is thus grown. And their virtue and bliss is accumulated gradually, but has not yet proved the fruit of Dao. It means they have not yet proved the result of their natural wisdom. However, once they have proved the Dao as said and taught by Buddha, they become Arhat. In Buddhism, those who have liberated themselves from the suffering are called Arhat. In the degree of learning Buddha, the achievement of Arhat is better than Anāgāmis. Arhat is more near to the degree of Buddha. But, it has not yet perfected completely in enlightenment and practice of whole Buddh’s teaching.

Giving, sponsoring or offering meals to Arhat can bring us the virtue and bless. It is coming from the merit and virtue of Arhat. It would become the merit and virtue of giver someday. When we support Arhat to achieve the merit and virtue, it is as if we plant a good seed in the bliss farm, and the good seed will grow to be a large bliss tree and have many bliss fruit. It is not only we can enjoy it, but also we can share it with others.

Why giving ten hundred million Arhats meals is not as good as giving one Pratyeka-buddha a meal?

Arhat and Pratyeka-buddha have been liberated themselves from the suffering. That also means that they have more achieved in virtue, wisdom and bliss. But why giving ten hundred million Arhats meals are not as good as giving one Pratyeka-buddha a meal? If someone wants to achieve the degree of Arhat, they still have to depend on the wisdom-strength of and the compassion-strength of Buddha; moreover, they have to put the Dao into practice and then prove the fruit of Dao. It means that to be Arhat still have to hear the Buddha-law and be taught by Buddha. Arhat also has the ability to speak of Buddha-law.

But, those who achieve the degree of Pratyeka-buddha are depending on themselves to be enlightened. It means that they have attained the enlightenment of equality-wisdom, and the nature of Buddha. They are also in the state of no practicing and no proving. Being Pratyeka-buddha is not from hearing the Buddha-law from Buddha, and also not be taught by Buddha. They do not speak of Buddha-law. In the wisdom and virtue, their degree is more than the degree of Arhat. In other word, Pratyeka-buddha is in the stillness and emptiness.

So, offering a meal to Arhat or Pratyeka-buddha would connect with them, to nourish their body, and help them attain the Buddhahood. That would also help us sow the seed of wisdom, virtue and bliss in this life; and the fruits of wisdom, virtue, and bliss would be gained in our present life, and in our future life.

That is why the Buddhist is more willing to offer anything to the Buddha-learner, especially those persons who are enlightened in the nature of Buddha. But, it does not mean that the Buddhist does not offer anything to the poor. In Buddhism, there is the concept that those who become the poor are because they are not willing to generously offer anything to others in their past life. That is the past cause to make the present outcome.

In the perceiving of equality, the poor is also having the nature of Buddha, however, its nature of Buddha has not yet been enlightened. That is, its natural wisdom has still been covered, not been appeared. If our natural wisdom would be appeared, we would be very blissful, and would be full of wealth.

Why giving ten thousand million Pratyeka-buddha meals is not as good as giving one Three-World Buddha a meal?

   

There are two explanations for Three-World Buddha; it is about time and space. One is meant to the Buddha lived in the past world/time, the Buddha lived in the present world/time, and the Buddha lived in the future world/time. The other is meant to the Buddha Sakyamuni in the center world, the Buddha Amitabha in the western world, and the Buddha Pharmacist- glazed-light in the east world. 

The space and time are unified, are one, and are unlimited. So, any Buddha is in any time or in each space, they are one. This concept is hard to be understood, let alone to be experienced and proved by self, unless the concept for the existing boundary line and for the differentiation of anything have been broken and eliminated totally.

In our cognition, the Three-World Buddha is someone which should be respected by us. In the deep experience, the Three-World Buddha is not in our outside, but in our self-nature. When we respect the Three-World Buddha, it is also meant to respect ourselves. When we offer meals to the Three-World Buddha, it is also meant to offer anything to ourselves. The Three-World Buddha is unified with us. We are one.   

What is Buddha? When someone has totally enlightened from the highly wisdom, liberated from the suffering, and known all truth, meanwhile, has no fear in heart any more, and can also use its grand power of kindness and sympathy to save all sentient beings, so as to let them liberate from the suffering in life and death, we call such person “Buddha” to respect it. In Chinese language, we call it “Fo” or "Fu", which is transliterated from Chinese word, and its original language is from Sanskrit.

Now, we have one question. The above mentioned that the Three-World Buddha is unified with us and we are one. Why we aren’t Buddha? That is not the problem of the Three-World Buddha, but ours. It is because that our inner heart is not in the realm of Buddha. It also means that we have not yet been attained the Buddhahood.  

So, giving meals to the Three-World Buddha is more victory; it is because it is hard for us to offer meals to them. If we have the chance to offer meals to them, it is also meant to have more chance to liberate self from the suffering, and to have chance to gain more virtue, wisdom and bliss, and have the chance to attain the Buddhahood, due to the Three-World Buddha would give us the wisdom and compassion, teach us the Buddhism and how to be enlightened. That is why to offer meals to the Three-World Buddha is a special victory.

Why giving one thousand trillion Three-World Buddhas meals is not as good as giving a meal to a person who is in the state of no-thought, no-dwelling, no-practicing, and no-proving?

It is already so special victory. Why to give thousand and thousand million Three-World Buddhas meals is not as good as giving a meal to a person who is in the state of no thought, no dwelling, no practicing, and no proving?

No-dwelling means not to attach to or not depend on anything. A person who is in the state of no-thought, no-dwelling, no-practicing, and no-proving, which we have ever mentioned and explained in the chapter 2 (Chapter 2)A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha.

Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding

The Buddha said, “Those who go out of the family, become the Sramana, cut off the desire, remove the love, recognize the source of their own heart, reach the profound principle of the Buddha, realize the law of no-doing, have nothing being gained inside, have nothing being demanded outside, not to fasten the Dao in heart, nor to collect the karma, have no thoughts, have the no-doing, are non-practicing, are non-proving, not to experience the successive levels, but reach the own loftiest state of all, are called the Dao.”

If we do not understand the Buddhism, we might mistakenly understand it, and think that such person is no useful or is a loser. No, it is absolutely not like this. In Buddhism, those who could be in the state of no-thought, no-dwelling, no-practicing, and no-proving are attaining the higher wisdom, are gaining the higher virtue and bliss. That is, their achievement is higher and almost near or in the top.   

We might think that those who are in the state of no-thought, no dwelling, no-practicing, and no-proving are someone else, because giving meals to them is better than giving meals to the Three-World Buddha. If we think so, it is totally wrong.

If all the giving as mentioned could not make us attain the Buddhahood, such giving is almost no meaning for us. Some unwise people offering meals to others just want to get more fortune. If we have such thought, the realm of our heart is very limited and very small.   

So, all the giving as mentioned above is to help us attain the Buddhahood. That is, it is the very important meaning for us. If we understand the Buddhism profoundly, we could find that all mentioned is not someone else, but ourselves. What the mentioned in Buddhism seems someone else. But, in fact, it means us.

Those who are in such state as mentioned are highest in virtue, wisdom and bliss. They are almost in the state of Buddha. However, such person is very rare in the world. If we could have a chance to offer a meal to them, it is the most special victory. Why? It is because such person has achieved the state of one, to unify with the Three-World Buddha.   

Meanwhile, it also means that if we could have a chance to offer a meal to them, we could have a chance to be in such state as them by connecting with them and learning from them. Moreover, we finally might be also the one in such state. To make ourselves attain the Buddhahood is very noble and worth to be respected by the all sentient being; that is why offering meals to such person is the most special victory.

In a word, offering meals to others is to offer meals to ourselves. Providing something to others is to support ourselves. This is the principle of equality in Buddhism. What the achievement, their virtue, wisdom and bliss which they have attained would help us be the same with them.

Chapter 10: Joyfully give and gain the bliss

(Chapter 10) 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 10: Joyfully give and gain the bliss 

The Buddha said,” See people giving Dao and help them joyfully; the gained bliss is very grand.” A Sramana asked “Does such bliss be ended?” The Buddha said,” Such as a torch-fire that many thousand and many hundred of people separately come to take the fire with their torch, to cook food and remove the dark, this torch-fire is still the same. The bliss is also the same like this. “

There is a saying,”Helping others is the source of happiness.” According to the research, those who like to help others in any ways are more healthful and happy, and have the longer life. Such people usually own the open mind, and do not require any feedback for what they have done in virtue.

Giving is some kind of helping. In a brief, there are three kinds of giving as mentioned in Buddhism. That is as follows:

Giving the money to others; money also could be replaced by food, clothes, medicine and so on.

Giving the Buddha-law to others;

Giving the fearlessness to others. Make others don't fear anything. 

It is easy to understand to give the money to others and to give the Buddha-law to others. Then, we might have a question; how could we give the fearlessness to others? Do you know who the fearlessness-giver is? Pusa World-Sounds-Perceiving, which you can read the following article: Pusa World-Sounds-Perceiving in Universally Door Chapter or A Brief Talk about Pusa World-Sounds-Perceiving in Universally Door Chapter.

Do you know why Pusa World-Sounds-Perceiving is in the state of no fear? If you are interested in that, I suggest you to read the following article: The Scripture of The Supreme-Wisdom Heart or A Brief Talk about The Scripture of The Supreme-Wisdom Heart

According to the Buddha-law, there is always existed the cause and the effect. The above three kinds of giving is also classified as the cause. Then, what is the effect? So, when we give the money to others, we would gain the wealth; when we give the Buddha-law to others, we gain the wisdom; and when we give the fearlessness to others, we gain the longevity.

In a narrow sense, “giving the Dao” in this chapter is belonging to the second as mentioned above: giving the Buddha-law to others. Broadly speaking, the meaning of Dao or Buddha-law is not limited. That is, the all; those things which are good for people are belonging to Dao. In a word, it includes the three kinds of giving; and it also includes any kind of knowledge, ideologies, drama, music, and image or video production which is good for people in the world.

In the time of Buddha Sakyamuni, the Buddhist monk or nun begged for food. They did not require the money. When they had food from people, they speak of the Buddha-law for them. In other word, the Buddhist monk or nun played in the role of teacher or tutor. The life of the Buddhist monk or nun was maintained by such food so that they could nourish their life of wisdom by their body. When the people had heard the Buddha-law from the Buddhist monk or nun, they could thus have incurred the heart of compassion and wisdom, and their life of wisdom could have thus been inspired. In other word, this is a way of helping each other, and of benefiting each other. And it is also a way to connect to each other face by face in emotion and feeling.

So, the Buddha had ever mentioned that the Buddhist monk or nun is bliss-farm. Offering food to Buddhist monk or nun is like to sow seeds of bliss on the bliss-farm; the fruits of bliss would be gained finally. Why? The cause is equal to the outcome. If the cause is not equal to the outcome, it would violate the natural law. Such as if we sow the seed of apple, we would not gain the fruit of banana, but apple. Of course, the premise is that such Buddhist monk or nun should have purified in their heart. It is very important to know this point. 

However, the process of begging the food is not always smooth. Some people are in the stingy heart and dislike to see the Buddhist monk or nun. The worse is that they might rebuke or harm the Buddhist monk or nun with hatred heart or with despised. The Buddha had mentioned the outcome for such thing of rebuke and harm in the chapter 6,7 and 8.

The law of the cause and effect is always there. So, if we are fond of giving, we gain the bliss. The Buddha said,” See people giving Dao and help them joyfully; the gained bliss is very grand.” It encourages people to do good thing. Meanwhile, when we have seen someone doing the good thing, we could joyfully help them in any ways. Such effort is never in vain. The bliss that we could gain is very grand.

With the change of time, and the development of internet, we could find that people give their knowledge and wisdom to others on the internet by using website or blog; it is non-profit, so they accept the autonomous donation coming from the freely support of person or group on the internet. Now the group of or the person of Buddhism is also using such way. And we can read the scripture said and taught by Buddha in free on the internet. We also can find any article or video which the Buddhist monk or nun, or the Buddha-learner explained the Buddhism. I think it is very convenient and helpful for our life. The question is, are we lucky to find it and willing to read it?   

A Sramana asked: “Does such bliss be ended?” The Buddha said,” Such as a torch-fire that thousand and hundred of people separately come to take the fire with their torch, to cook food and remove the dark, this torch-fire is still the same. The bliss is also the same like this.” Obviously, it means that such bliss is existed permanently. It would not be disappeared. In Buddhism, it is called as virtue karma which would be recorded by the Spirit who is always with us. Whether the bliss or not in our life would be depended on such virtue karma. According to the cause and the effect, I think it is reasonable.

Chapter 6: Endure the evil without hatred

(Chapter 6) 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 6: Endure the evil without hatred

The Buddha said,” When the evil person heard the good deeds and came to disturb you purposely, you should refrain by yourself and have no hatred and blame. He came to do the evils, yet do the evils by oneself to itself.”  

Spoiling people to do the good thing seems rarely being happened in our society in the modern time, because the information in internet is developed well and there are no conflicts of interest in those strangers. Mostly, we praise and support people who are doing the good thing.

However, when there are conflicts of interest in a group, such as a group of religion, those who are greedy for the fame, power and interest, that is, who have the more heart of selfishness, might purposely attack the person of good will, or spoil any good thing which will be done by the good person.

So, to understand the history of Buddhism and to image the situation in the time of Buddha Sakyamuni, we would realize why the Buddha Sakyamuni had said that. What he had said and taught is exactly what he had real experienced.

I tell a story about the history in a brief. The Buddha Sakyamuni had a cousin, whose name was Devadatta. He followed the Buddha Sakyamuni to be a Buddhist monk, a disciple of Buddha Sakyamuni. After the practice in Buddhism for many years, Devadatta had some achievements in the realm, and planed to replace the Buddha Sakyamuni to be a leader of the group. Then, he began to argue with the Buddha Sakyamuni. He always had the different opinions in the group. And finally, he brought some of the disciples to form another group.

Devadatta envied and hatred the Buddha Sakyamuni, and planed to harm him. There is one time, on the higher mountain, Devadatta and his disciples pushed a big stone, let the stone roll down the mountain, and would plan to kill the Buddha Sakyamuni, when the Buddha Sakyamuni walked on the road with his disciples and passed by there. Fortunately, only the feet of Buddha Sakyamuni is hurt.

Even though Devadatta planed to harm the Buddha Sakyamuni for many times, and went into the hell after his death of drowning, the Buddha Sakyamuni still granted Devadatta that he could attain the Buddhahood after his suffering in the hell through his many lives in many eons. Devadatta went into the hell, because he spoiled the harmony of the group of monk and would kill the Buddha.

From the aforesaid story, we know that Devadatta is the person who spoils the good thing which has done by the Buddha Sakyamuni. Does the Buddha Sakyamuni be angry with him? No. He doesn't. Does the Buddha Sakyamuni have the thought of revenge to Devadatta? No. He doesn't.

Remember the verse said by Buddha:

Even if through the hundred eons,

The evil karma does not be disappeared.

When the cause is met by the condition,

The person still has to bear its own retribution by oneself.

That is why the Buddha said,” He came to do the evils, yet do the evils by oneself to itself.”

The heart and mind of Buddha Sakyamuni is wide and unlimited. In the scripture of Buddhism, the Buddha Sakyamuni had said that he would save the Devadatta to liberate from the suffering and help him to attain the Buddhahood, when the retribution to Devadatta had been ended from the hell, and Devadatta was reborn to be human and the human of heaven.

We know that it is not worth for us to be angry, blame, or revenge to the person who has done the evil thing. If we do so, it is really waste our vigor. So, that is why we should refrain by ourselves when the evil person to spoil the good thing which has done by us.  

From the above mentioned, we realize the wisdom and compassion of Buddha Sakyamuni, and that is why it is worth for us to learn Buddha. The wisdom and compassion is really the immeasurable treasures.

Chapter 4: Understand the goodness and evil at the same time

(Chapter 4) 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 4: Understand the goodness and evil at the same time

The Buddha said, “For sentient beings, there are ten things as goodness and ten things as evil. What are the ten things? Three pertain to the body, four to the mouth, and three to the mind. Killing, stealing, and evil sex pertain to the body. Two tongues, malicious speech, lie, and frivolous speech pertain to the mouth. Envy, hatred, and infatuation pertain to the mind. Such ten things are named as ten evil deeds when not following the holy path. If such evils are stopped, they are named as ten virtuous deeds.”

As a human with the physical and mental body, we can do the evil thing, and we can do the good thing. No matter the evil or good thing, we can choose what we want to do. What we have chosen is the basic cause to affect the result of our life.

The invisible Spirit with higher wisdom and virtue is called bright Spirit, who is indeed to exist in our daily life, being beside or behind every one, to record the good deed or evil deed of every one. No matter we are a king or a beggar, the bright Spirit is always there with us.

Unfortunately, most people do not believe such thing, and some of them ignorantly do the evil thing with no shame. I tell a story to you. I am deeply moved by this story when I have learned the Buddha for more than three years.

There is a Bhikkhu who moves and takes a walk complying with the practice of scripture along the poolside of lotus in the forest. He smells the aroma of lotus, feels joyful, and likes it very much. The lotus-pool spirit tells him,” Why you abandon the seat with clean Zen under the forest but steal the aroma of my lotus? All of the annoyance is arisen because of attaching the aroma.”

 

Then, the Bhikkhu sees a man who goes into the pool of lotus, picks a lot of lotuses, and leaves the pool of lotus after trampling and ruining it. The lotus-pool spirit keeps silence without talking.  

 

The Bhikkhu says to the spirit of lotus pool,” This person has spoiled your pool of lotus and takes your flowers. You do not say anything. I just walk along the poolside and you scold me that I steal your aroma.”

 

The lotus-pool spirit says,” An evil person of world is often in the dirty droppings of sin, without clean and without brain. I do not talk with him. You are a good person with the practice of Zen. However, you have broken your good behavior because of obsessing the aroma. That is why I scold you. Such as a black-dirty thing on a clean-white cloth, people would see it and try to clean it. An evil person is such as black ink sprinkled on black clothes, which cannot be seen by people, and who would care and ask about this person?”

This story advise us that it is a good thing and lucky that someone would remind us about our shortcoming. Only when someone cares about us, it would spend its time and energy to criticize us.

   

There are a lot of people who are atheist. Even though they are atheist, it doesn’t mean that they would do the evil thing. Unfortunately, some of the people who are atheist have done the evil things, but they do not think that they do the evil things, such as to bully others. Would the bright Spirit tell them not to do the evil things? As we know from the aforesaid story, it wouldn't. But, I tell you a secret. By many ways, such as Buddhism, the bright Spirit has taught people not to do the evil things. Unfortunately, some of people still do not believe it. 

There is a saying,”Put down the butcher’s knife and stand on the ground to become the Buddha.” It is to advise people not to do the killing, and not to collect the evil karma. Once give up the mind of killing, the mind would be transformed to be the heart of Buddha immediately. 

I tell you a story about stealing. This story impressed me and moved me a lot. 

There was a Buddhist monk who was very poor and lived in a small temple on a mountain. At midnight one day, a thief sneaked into this temple, looked around in everywhere, and could not find any worth. Finally, he had to but stole the clothes of the Buddhist monk and thought to sell it for getting some money. When he prepared to go out, he ran into the Buddhist monk.

The Buddhist monk had seen his clothes in the hand of thief. The Buddhist monk knew that this person was a thief, and he might become a thief because of some hardship in life. So he did not scold him. On the contrary, he told the thief that he is willing to give the clothes to him, and told him that he did not steal his clothes because the clothes was given by the Buddhist monk.

The thief was very moved and felt shame. The Buddhist monk looked at the thief’s back to leave. Then, the Buddhist monk looked at the full moon and said,” I really hoped to give the bright-clean moon to him at the same time.”

After few months, the thief came to the temple and knelt before the face of the Buddhist monk, to repent his fault, to ask for the forgiving by the Buddhist monk, and to ask for the Buddhist monk to recruit him as a disciple. The Buddhist monk had felt his sincerity and finally accepted his repent and agreed to accept him as his disciple.

Evil sex is involved in lewdness, unusual sexual acts, sexual harassment, sexual abuse and sexual violence. Extending the meaning of evil sex is included homosexual love and the sexual relationship outside the husband and wife.

Homosexual love has already existed since the ancient time. In the Chinese article at the ancient time, it has ever been mentioned. In the modern time, homosexual love is always the controversial social issue. According to my knowledge from the scripture of Buddha, the Buddha does not agree to the homosexual love. No matter we are the homosexual love or not, no indulging in the love and desire is the right thing.

In the viewpoints of Buddhism, after dying of doing the evil sex, the retribution of doing the evil sex is in the animal path, such as to be the bird, pig, camel or donkey, not in the human path. It means that being the animals are foolish and ignorant, and they would have rare chance to hear the teaching of Buddha. 

“Two tongues” means that someone instigates something on purpose in order to alienate and spoil the harmony relationship of two persons or a group by the vicious remark, and thus causes the suspicious of each other or the un-peace of a group.

“Malicious speech” exists in our daily life, such as to bully others by words or to curse people, which we can find that in the community of Internet or in the response to the news or articles on Internet. We also can find some malicious speech in newspaper or in some post on social media, which is in specific position, especially, in political consciousness or political purpose. In the country of free speech, any malicious speech is tolerated, even if it’s not like malicious speech.

Why people have the malicious speech? If we think it deeply, we can find that those who have the malicious speech are the ignorant person and self-fear in mind. In fact, they are pitiful and foolish. But, do we have thought how we help them not to do such stupid thing? Do you know? Some of them are in the high education and position and their malicious speech is very “elegant” and seems very “reasonable.” What a pitiful is that a lot of people who are in the high education and position are also persuaded by the malicious speech. This kind of harm and disaster to the whole world is more beyond the personal bully.

You know that the evils would back to the evildoers.

In the Chapter 7 of this scripture: the Buddha said,” Someone heard that I obey the Dao and put the grand benevolence into practice, so to scold the Buddha. The Buddha keeps silence, doesn’t respond to him, while the rebuke stopped, and asks: if you bring a gift to someone, who doesn’t accept it, does the gift return to you?” A disciple replies:” It would be returned.” The Buddha said,” Today you scold me, I do not accept it. You have disasters by yourself to let them return to you! Such as an echo responds to a sound, a shadow follows a shape, it is finally unable to be avoided and departed. Be cautious not to do the evils.”

What a surprise me is that those who tells a lie have the higher education and position, and their motive is to protect their own personal advantage in life and in position. Sometimes we can find that these persons who tell a lie are no different from the poor who tells a lie. And we also have found that these persons usually fall down badly from the top of their good life and good career.

According to the research for the character of the global leader from the ancient time to the modern time, honesty and not to tell a lie is one of the qualities of a good leader. In the Business, we can find that the quality of the billionaire boss or leader is honesty. If they dare to deceive the client or consumer, how could it be possible for them to be the Billionaire? So the thinking and our attitude would decide whether we are a rich or a poor.

What is the meaning of the frivolous speech? Mostly, it means that someone speaks of something without using its brain and the content of spoken is no advantage for people’s life. Furthermore, it is also means that someone uses the sweet words or rhetoric to deceive or lure people in order to achieve its personal purpose or advantage.

Most people would meet the frivolous speech at least one time in the whole life. The lucky people would leave with no harm. However, a lot of people might be harmed in physical or mental body, or the lost in wealth.

Then, we might have a question. Why those people want to do the frivolous speech? It is also related to the following three evil deeds, and the greedy mind. If people are due to the mind of envy or hatred, they might use the frivolous speech to destroy the counterpart. If people are due to the mind of infatuation or greedy, they might use the frivolous speech to achieve their personal purpose or advantage. 

Now, to think about it, are we the people who do the frivolous speech or the people who is harmed by the frivolous speech? No matter which one we are, it is pitiful. But, if we are the people who are harmed by the frivolous speech, let us be strong in heart now, and forgive those pitiful people as possible as we can.

As the aforesaid, the mind of envy, hatred and infatuation, would cause the harm to the people. And finally the disaster would back to itself. About the mind of envy, the story of Snow White is impressed me.

If such ten evils are stopped, they are named as ten virtuous deeds. In Buddhism, to do the ten evils would collect the evil karma and go to the path of hell, hungry ghost and animal after dying. To stop doing the ten evils would collect the good karma and go to the heaven after dying. As we know, there is the retribution in present life. Of course, there is the good repay in present life if we collect the good karma.