A Brief Discussion on Morality and Law in Chinese History and about Buddhism

 

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

I remember I chose a law course at university because I wanted to explore whether I was capable or interested in studying law. One of the chapters talks about ethics and law. This chapter really impressed me. Why?

 

As we know, some people violate the law because they do not know the law. However, what makes us surprise is that those understand the law but violate the law, especially the lawyer or the Judge, or those who have graduated from the law school, such as president or the officer.

 

In traditional China and in the history of China, the morality is more stressed than the law. However, in the modern time, the law is more stressed than the morality. Law is the last line of defense to the morality. But, in my opinion, the law might be misused today. In some country, the law might be not corresponding to the morality or the human right.

 

The religion is concern about the morality. Buddhism is also concern about it. But, Buddhism is not the law, and is also not used to restrain the human behavior. So, Buddhism is never used to be the country law in the history of China. However, the emperor and the officer are deeply influenced by the Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius theory, because the concept of that the heaven and the human beings are combined to be the one is the supreme realm in rule.

 

In other words, the emperor and the officer request themselves to be mercy, compassion, like the Buddha, Bodhisattva, or the god, so to love the people in the country.

 

They also expect that the people in the country could be enlightened and have the mercy and compassionate like the Buddha, Bodhisattva, or the god, so the emperor or the officer support and promote the Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius theory in the country.

 

In other words, there is the concept that if everyone from the emperor to the ordinary people could be mercy and compassionate, and could control and correct their self-behavior automatically, such as no greedy heart, no hatred heart, no stealing and no killing, then the world and the society are naturally peaceful.

 

In Buddhism, there is the concept that if everyone does the evils, they themselves would be retributive back by their own evils. It may be not necessary to use the law to punish the evil persons.

 

In a word, that is the concept of no-doing but governing. That is also why the concept of law is not general in China of history. But, I think that the ancient people, the founder of the country, such as the emperor and the officer, are very wise.

 

The concept of law is to regulate others. The concept of law is quite different from the concept of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius theory, because the concept of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius theory is self-discipline, self-regulatory. Such concept is also different from the other religion. That is why other country might use the Christian or Islam as their country law, but not Buddhism. And that is also why the law is developed well in western country, but not in China of history.

 

Extending the concept, we might have another view why the foreign countries invade China. From my research on the history of China, I have found that the China is rarely to invade foreign countries, except for the civil war and resisting the foreign invasion.

 

You might find that the culture of traditional China is focus on the morality and self-regulatory. Even today, it is not easy to do so. The early law of Taiwan is in reference from the law of German and Japan. But, do you have found that these two countries had ever invaded China and the other countries? Why they want to invade other countries? Think about it. The dispute of law in Taiwan is always exist and changing all the time. Honestly, it is really not perfect.

Chapter 12 ﹝11﹞: Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult.

(Chapter 12 ﹝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 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

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

Chapter 12 ﹝11﹞: Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult.

Learning widely and researching extensively are difficult. It is the eleventh difficulty in the twenty difficulties said by Buddha Shakyamuni in this Chapter.

Why wide learning and extensive researching are difficult for us?

There are two main reasons. One is coming from own mind. The other is coming from the control and restrain from the outside, such as family, government or the religion.

According to my personal observation from the world, there is more than half of the population in the world, whose thought or mind is controlled and restrained by their family, government or religion. Under the circumstance, it is really difficult for them to do the wide learning and extensive researching. And they also have no self-perceiving that their mind is shortage and narrow.

In the year of 1988, when I am 17 years old, Taiwan goes into the free and democratic society, and thus opens the publishing industry and the freedom of comment. In other words, before that time, I have experienced that our thought and mind is controlled and restrained by the government.

Even though, we have the freedom to choose our belief in religion, however, the relative books, magazines, articles or videos are few. Therefore, in that time, we have misunderstood the Buddhism a lot and have shortage knowledge about Buddhism.

Secondly, some of what I have learned about the history from the school is different from the fact. A lot of fact is gradually disclosed in the society of democracy and freedom. Then, I went back to understand the historical background of Taiwan, where are many scars, most people choose to be tolerant and forgiving, however, unfortunately, there are still a few people who choose to be hatred.

After the year of 1988, we also have a lot of chance to know the world, due to the freedom of information flow. I have found that there are a lot of countries also have the similar scars as Taiwan. That is the scourge of war.

The Buddhism flourish in Taiwan is since 1988, because most people finally have chance to know it from the free medium. But, unfortunately, there is still many countries reject it in the world and try to conceal the people. In a word, that is why learning widely and researching extensively about Buddhism are difficult, let alone the other knowledge, such as the history.  

The following I offer some of my personal experience about why I choose to learn Buddha in my life.

Even though I am a Buddhist teacher now, I had been baptized informally, read the bible, and went to the church, sang the saint song. I also prayed to the God before I went to bed. Do you know what I pray to the God? I pray to him that I hope that I am able to help people someday. In that time, I was a 16-years-old girl and I only had a little idea about Buddhism.

Meanwhile, I also have read a novel which is a story about an American nun of Christian, who does her best, and abandon her self-ego, so to help people and to take care of what the peoples need. And she is always misunderstood by another nun. I have forgotten the name and the detail of the novel. But, I remember that I was so moved by the drama. I think that what the nun has done is the virtue of human beings, which is not concerned about any belief or any religion.

 

The God for me is the Buddha; The Buddha is the God. 

One day I realize that my wish and what I have prayed to the God has come true. And the God never left me alone. In that time, I was already a 46-years-old woman and have trained in Buddhism. What you have known about the God might be different from what I have known. I tell you a truth that I do not know what the said in the bible. The God what I have known is very mercy and its mind is very open and inclusive the all. It absolutely would not reject any human beings who do not believe the God. The God for me is the Buddha; The Buddha is the God.

  

In Buddhism, the Buddha Sakyamuni also mentioned about the God who dominate one of the 33 heavens. And the God always guards and supports the Buddha Sakyamuni and his disciples, or any person who puts the Buddhism into practice. When I read the Buddhist scripture, I think it is reasonable according to my personal experience. God for me is not someone else, it is the Bodhisattva. The name-picture is emptiness. The essence of the Buddha-nature is true. It is not important about what the name is.  

  

A philosophy book influenced my decision to believe in Buddhism

When I was a student in the university, I was curious about the life and religion. In that time, Taiwan goes into the free and democratic society, and there are a lot of books and articles written or spoken by the Buddhist monks or nuns, or the persons who have the knowledge about the Buddhism. One of my classmates who buys many such books. When she has completed the reading, she sends those books to me and shares them with me. That is why I have a chance to know the Buddhism.

In general speaking, the content of those books is prose, which purpose is to convey the basic Buddhist idea for those people who obsess in material world, or to encourage the people who are in suffering. It is very helpful in our life, but it is not enough if we want to learn Buddha profoundly.

 

One day in a book store, I found a book which caught my attention, so I bought it and read. I translate the name of book as “The Lecture About The Philosophy Of Life”. The author is a professor of philosophy in Taiwan University, whose whole name is Fang Dong-Mei ( The year 1899-1977).

The content of this book is concerned about the same or the different parts in the religion of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, and how it might benefit our life, if we want to choose one of them as our belief in life. Of course, it is only mentioned about the whole concept, and is not mentioned about the details. He explained it from an objective perspective. I think it is reasonable that is why I can accept it. Philosophy pays attention to speculation, which is thinking, discerning, reasoning and debate, and should be logical, not blind faith. After reading this book, that is also why I can accept the Buddhism by the objective and rational perspective.

I have found that the supreme psychology is Buddha’s teaching, Buddhism.

When I am a young girl, I am very interested in psychology. I have read many books about psychology. I think it is also very helpful in our life. In the university, we have a course of psychology. The content of the professional book is mentioned a lot of psychological nouns and their definition. It’s helpful to increase our knowledge about life and our outside world. However, I always feel that the psychology cannot really touch my heart and cannot resolve my question about the life, even cannot help me get out of the pain in life.

Due to I have a high scour in the learning total score of psychology and English, I have a job in university and have a chance to study further. But, I finally choose to keep learning Buddha, because I have found that the supreme psychology is Buddha’s teaching, Buddhism. There is no concrete degree certificate in learning Buddha. Do we have ever heard that the Buddha Sakyamuni is issued any degree certificate by any school or university, because he is learning well in Buddhism? And so he is certificated that he is Buddha? Why? And think about it. You might find the answer in any article of this blog.

Understanding the history of Buddhism helps us learn Buddhism.

In learning Buddha, my teacher tells us to study the history of Buddhism. I am interested in history, so I lend a book about the history of Buddhism from library. It helps me to know the source, causes and affect of Buddhism.

Learning Buddhism helps us analyze and understand morality and law, and at the same time cultivate our noble character and avoid crimes.

I remember I chose a law course at university because I wanted to explore whether I was capable or interested in studying law. One of the chapters talks about ethics and law. This chapter really impressed me. Why?

 

As we know, some people violate the law because they do not know the law. However, what makes us surprise is that those understand the law but violate the law, especially the lawyer or the Judge, or those who have graduated from the law school, such as president or the officer.

 

In traditional China and in the history of China, the morality is more stressed than the law. However, in the modern time, the law is more stressed than the morality. Law is the last line of defense to the morality. But, in my opinion, the law might be misused today. In some country, the law might be not corresponding to the morality or the human right.

 

The religion is concern about the morality. Buddhism is also concern about it. But, Buddhism is not the law, and is also not used to restrain the human behavior. So, Buddhism is never used to be the country law in the history of China. However, the emperor and the officer are deeply influenced by the Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius theory, because the concept of that the heaven and the human beings are combined to be the one is the supreme realm in rule.

 

In other words, the emperor and the officer request themselves to be mercy, compassion, like the Buddha, Bodhisattva, or the god, so to love the people in the country.

 

They also expect that the people in the country could be enlightened and have the mercy and compassionate like the Buddha, Bodhisattva, or the god, so the emperor or the officer support and promote the Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius theory in the country.

 

In other words, there is the concept that if everyone from the emperor to the ordinary people could be mercy and compassionate, and could control and correct their self-behavior automatically, such as no greedy heart, no hatred heart, no stealing and no killing, then the world and the society are naturally peaceful.

 

In Buddhism, there is the concept that if everyone does the evils, they themselves would be retributive back by their own evils. It may be not necessary to use the law to punish the evil persons.

 

In a word, that is the concept of no-doing but governing. That is also why the concept of law is not general in China of history. But, I think that the ancient people, the founder of the country, such as the emperor and the officer, are very wise.

 

The concept of law is to regulate others. The concept of law is quite different from the concept of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius theory, because the concept of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius theory is self-discipline, self-regulatory. Such concept is also different from the other religion. That is why other country might use the Christian or Islam as their country law, but not Buddhism. And that is also why the law is developed well in western country, but not in China of history.

 

Extending the concept, we might have another view why the foreign countries invade China. From my research the history of China, I have found that the China is rarely to invade foreign countries, except for the civil war and resisting the foreign invasion.

 

You might find that the culture of traditional China is focus on the morality and self-regulatory. Even today, it is not easy to do so. The early law of Taiwan is in reference from the law of German and Japan. But, do you have found that these two countries had ever invaded China and the other countries? Why they want to invade other countries? Think about it. The dispute of law in Taiwan is always exist and changing all the time. Honestly, it is really not perfect.

Recite and learn from Buddha to eliminate the evil karma and become one with Buddha

I remember that in the early time of Taiwan, when we are in the serious disease and in the bad fate, the elder Buddhist monk or nun would advise us to worship the Buddha or Bodhisattva, or the god, so as to eliminate the personal evil karma, which includes to save the hatred relative and the creditor, who was established the link with us in this life due to our evil relationship with each other in the past life. Then, after eliminating the personal evil karma, our pain would be released, our disease would be healed, and our fate would be changed to be good.    

When I am a young girl and only have a little knowledge about Buddhism, I don't understand it totally, let alone to accept it. In that time, I think that it is bullshit and blind faith, meanwhile, I also doubt about the IQ and knowledge of the Buddhist monk or nun, because they said those things. Why? Because I have studied in the nurse school and have been trained by the modern medical knowledge. In my opinions, if we have any diseases, of course, we have to go to the hospital and ask the doctor to heal us. 

However, after I deeply research the Buddhism and put it into practice, I finally understand why the Buddhist monk or nun talks about that, which I can explain it by a whole article. Here, I tell you in a brief about the highlight, the Buddha is the great-medical king. When we don’t understand the Buddhism, the Buddha and the great-medical king is someone else, so we worship them to help us, however, when we understand the Buddhism, the Buddha and the great-medical king is not someone else, it is really in our heart and it is no different from us, which means that we are one. 

Recite and learn from Buddha to heal our mental disease. 

 

In modern medical knowledge, it is emphasize the technical treatment and use the researched medicines. In other word, it pays attention to heal the body. That is what we need, when we are sick. Don’t disregard it. Mostly, it is necessary by this way to treat our disease. However, we might find that it is not enough.

Buddhism is emphasizing on the mental body or the psychological realm, even it is talked about the super-natural experience. In this realm, we might be healed in a different way, if we are sick. It could be as the special power of assistance.

Of course, we would find that some weird religion or national belief would use such method to help people to treat their disease. I don’t recommend you to accept those religions, because most of those religions are based on the personal greedy and desire about fortune and sex. Even Buddhism, some of the evil persons would misuse it or by its name to cheat ignorant people.  

Only extensive study can help you understand Buddhism

For more than twenty years, I read variety books related Buddhism written from different authors and heard the variety speech from different Buddhist mentor. In the beginning, I really have no idea about what they have written and what they have talked about. With the time passed by and the experience in life, I think of the meaning as they mentioned and then I gradually understand what they have talked.

But, I still have an idea that people's potential is unlimited, but unfortunately, people's knowledge is limited. So, when we want to learn Buddha, it is better for us to reference the variety Buddhist teaching. Everything is worth to widely learn and to extensively research.

It is also worth for you to question about what I have taught in Buddhism. One day when you really realize what I have taught in Buddhism, your life would be totally changed and you would find that it is really worth to learn Buddha in our life.

There is not only one method to teach Buddhism. There is not only one method to be enlightened. Some methods of Buddha’s teaching used by one Buddhist mentor might not be suitable for you, or might be very suitable for you, that is depending on whether you could accept it or not. I have found that every Buddhist mentor has its own style to teach the Buddhism. The Buddhist mentor what I have said include the person who is not monk, and who is not nun.

The "voice" from the void

About the knowledge in astronomy, physics and science, I am lack of such knowledge. So, I can not explain the Buddhism by this realm. However, I can mention a little thing that still can not be researched or proved by science.

In Buddhism, the communication by mind to mind is generally mentioned in the Buddhist scripture. For example, a Bodhisattva might heard “sound ” from the air, from the emptiness, from the sky.

Such sound is not a meaningless voice. On the contrary, it is a meaningful guides, instruction, teaching or explaining. It comes from a sense mind, but seems without concrete body. And such sound could be identified clearly by our mind and it could be questioned or thought by us. Furthermore, we can “talk” with them by our mind. Such ability exists in everyone, but, only few people could experience it and understand its existence. According to my practical experience, it is truly no concern about any religion and it is also not any miracle.   

If a psychologist or a psychological doctor has no practical experience in Buddhism, they will treat it as a schizophrenic or a psychology disorder. The gods not necessarily talk with everyone, such as we are not talking to everyone. That is the same. Sometimes, we even do not talk with the stupid people. We think it wastes our time. So, do you think the god would talk with the stupid people? Not necessarily, right?

We, human beings, would talk to someone who we choose. Sometimes, it is existed some purpose in our mind. The Buddha, Bodhisattva, God, and gods are the same with us at this point. It is very interesting.

So, we might have one question, why we can “talk” with the Buddha, Bodhisattva, God, and gods by mind to mind? Or why they can “talk” with us by mind to mind? What? You never have such experience, let alone to think about this question.  

On Youtube, we can find many such video to discuss such object or theme about the talking by mind to mind. So, I have found that it is not a secret. Even the aliens also have such ability. In modern science, the scientists have invented a chip which could be planted in our head so we can “talk” with others by mind and without true voice. But, actually we do not need such chip because we already have such natural ability. I can not explain its principle to you because the shortage of my scientific knowledge.

The source of human beings in the concept of Buddha

In Buddhism, the Buddha Sakyamuni have mentioned about the source of human beings and the world. He mentioned that the source of human beings is coming from the human beings in light-sound heaven. Such human beings can light from their body and talk with each other by "sound" from mind to mind. And they can fly to every where because their weight of body is very light. However, they are greedy to eat the delicious food on earth, so their body is getting heavier, and can not fly to their home, the light-sound heaven.

According to the modern knowledge, someone thinks that the source of human beings is the alien. The Buddha Sakyamuni also mention about many Buddha or Bodhisattva living in different world. Some of their body is very huge and big. According to their view, our body, the human beings on earth, is so small like an ant if we stand in front of them. Even we are so small before them, they also know that they should not bully us, such as someone tell us not to kill the ants. It is very interesting, doesn't it? The unknown world is very broad and large, and is beyond our knowledge and experience.

The time and the space is zero in the concept of Buddha.

In Buddhism, the Buddha Sakyamuni had mentioned a concept that the time and the space is zero. But, he did not use such words, so the people hardly understand what he had said. Even we said that the time and space is zero, it is few people who could understand it. Such as we use the communication software, we communicate with each other from Taiwan to America, the gap of time and space is almost zero. Extending this concept, we might understand what the Buddha Sakyamuni had said.  

Realizing the Buddha-nature is the important concept in learning Buddha

 

The Buddha Sakyamuni always teaches us that he would not want us to worship him, he hopes us to be like him to know the Buddha-nature in our own heart, which we do not need to look for it from outside. But the knowledge from the outside world could help us to know our own heart, the Buddha-nature. It is necessary for us to know and is very important concept in learning Buddha. It is worth to explore our own heart by research the Buddhism and put it into practice. If we want to know it completely, it might need us the time more than at least ten years, even our whole life time. But, if we will, learning widely and researching extensively is worth and this may be not difficult 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 9: Return to the root and understand the Dao

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

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

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

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

Chapter 9: Return to the root and understand the Dao 

The Buddha said,” Extensively hearing and liking the Dao, the Dao is certainly hard to be understood; obeying our own aspiration and keeping the Dao, such Dao is very grand.”

Dao is Tao, which is transliterated from Chinese character; its original meaning is path, road and way. Then, the meaning of Dao is extended more widely and its meaning has become more broadly with the change in time and space, such as talking, saying, method, law, doctrine, morality, skillfulness, capability, and the thought system of religion or education. The thought system of religion or education includes the aforesaid meanings.

In the history and in the time of war in China, the literati, the scholarship, intellectuals, and some of them in seclusion, they liked to study and talk about the Dao, and some of them would put what they have studied about the Dao into practice. Then, they concluded the concepts and created their own group, to teach their disciples. Such situation is also happened in ancient India, in the time of Buddha Siddhartha. In the modern time, especially in recently 300 year, there are also different concepts or dogmas being created.

A lot of concepts or dogmas are created from the ancient to the modern time. But, it doesn’t mean that the concepts itself are right or wrong. The problem is how it is applied properly by human and to benefit others. So, any concept or dogma is some kind of Dao. But, mostly, we think that Dao is lean to the positive concept which could benefit people and make people live a good life, including in the material and mental areas.

Any concept or doctrine itself has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, how do we delimit it? In any concept or doctrine, some advantage might be a disadvantage for others. And, some disadvantage being thought might be an advantage for others. That is, the advantage what you have thought or the doctrine is advantage to you might be the disadvantage to us.

There are more than one hundred theories, concepts, principles, dogmas or doctrine in ancient China, let alone in India, in European, or in other place. Those mentioned above are some kind of Dao. Even though a person who has the spirit of learning motivation and has learned a lot of knowledge, honestly, it is barely impossible for him to comprehend the all, let alone some concepts might be never heard or seen by people, such as this scripture. To have the knowledge of Dao is one thing; to put the knowledge of Dao into practice is another.

In the chapter 2, the Buddha had defined the Dao for their disciples. 

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.”

Such Dao is also suitable for all people. But, it is hard to most people to understand, let alone to practice it. For most people, they think that such Dao is no useful for their life. But, if you could understand it deeply, you could find it is very useful for our life, even though we are not disciples of Buddha. If you are interested in the content of chapter 2 that I had explained, you can find here(Chapter 2)A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha.

“Extensively hearing and liking the Dao, the Dao is certainly hard to be understood. “ Here, the first Dao means a lot of doctrine. The second Dao means the Dao which is explained by Buddha. It also means that it would not help us specialize in the truth, if we extensively hear and like a lot of doctrine. But, I think that it would help us open our mind and increase our knowledge. And it also help us to judge and choice what kind of doctrine is suitable for us.

All the teachings of Buddha include the philosophy, psychology, ethics, medicine, sociology, economics, science, physics and politics. If we widely involved such knowledge, and we have the fundamental concept of Buddhism, we would find that. Of course, the Buddhism is not classified in those respectively academic. The Buddhism is not used for researching in any academic, but for researching to our inner heart and practicing it in our real life. Then, we would find that the truth is in our heart, not from any research of academic, and also not from any outside supreme Spirit. That is the truth that the Buddha wants us to know.       

When we are lack of knowledge and are thus ignorant, we are easy to be bounded by and attach to one doctrine, especially, those persons who are poor and are oppressed by the pressure of life. For them, the Dao explained by Buddha is almost useless.

In the history, unfortunately, there is always the people to use the doctrine what they think it is right, to use it as their faith, and use the military power or the other means to force others people to obey their doctrine. The more worse is that they constrain the other doctrine to be transmitted and oppress or kill the people who practice these doctrines.

From the history, we can find that the Buddhism in the beginning is accepted by those people who are more educated, own more knowledge, and are in the high status, such as the emperor, or the prime minister. Ordinary people barely have the chance to hear or read The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapter Said by Buddha, except for being a Buddhist monk or nun. Most people just know to pray the Buddha to bless them to have a good and peaceful life. But, they do not know, to have a good and peaceful life is based on what they do in compassion and wisdom, and in knowledge. That is why the Buddhism was ever regarded as blind faith. Fortunately, those noble persons protect the Buddhism.

So, the Buddha said,” Extensively hearing and liking the Dao, the Dao is certainly hard to be understood.” In a word, it means that we could understand the truth, only when we profoundly realize the Dao and put it into practice intently.

The Buddha said,” Obeying our own aspiration and keeping the Dao, such Dao is very grand.” Even though these words are said to disciples of Buddha, it is also good for us. We might be curious about what the aspiration for the disciples of Buddha is, and why Buddha had said that.  

In the deep contemplation under the Bodhi tree, The Buddha had perceived that there are three kinds of sentient beings about their root of wisdom. He had classified them as higher root, intermediate root and lower root in wisdom. Why is it called the root of wisdom? The root of wisdom could bear the fruits of Buddha. And he also had used the container as a metaphor to describe how the degree is that the sentient beings could accept the teaching of Buddha, and how the degree is that they could achieve the goal. He also had classified it as large container, middle container and small container.

If people are compared and described as the large container, it means such people could accept the deep doctrine said by Buddha. On the contrary, if people are compared and described as the small container, it means such people could not accept the deep doctrine, and could only accept the simplistic doctrine.

So, we connect the word ”root” and “container” to be “root-container”. We can explain it as that the container could storage the root; the large container could hold the large root; the small container could only hold the small root of wisdom. The Buddha then had classified sentient beings as large root-container, which means it has the large wisdom; middle root-container, which means that it has the intermediate wisdom; and small root-container, which means it only has the little wisdom.

No matter the wisdom is large or little, it is unrelated to the academic experience, social status, age, IQ, and illiteracy. So, it is very important to give up the prejudice and the restriction coming from any concept. 

Those who are in poor have no chance to accept the teaching of Buddha. do you know how many they are in the world? They are more than half of the world's population. So, if you have ever read The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha, you are really lucky and blissful. Why? First, you might be in the wealth so you can use the smartphone or computer to read this chapter. Second, you might be healthful so you have the energy to read this chapter. Third, you have time and brain to study this chapter. Be positive thinking is always good for life.   

Now, we return back to the question what the aspiration for the disciples of Buddha is. Do you know how many disciples there are? According to the records in the history, there are 2500 disciples to follow the Buddha. As we have mentioned above, the disciples of Buddha are classified as large root-container, middle root-container, and small root-container.

So, according to the difference of root-container, what the Buddha had taught to them is also different. There is a saying,” Teaching in accordance with the aptitude of student”. The teaching of Buddha is very enlightened, that is Q&A, and there is a lot of “why” or "by what the cause and condition is" coming from the inquiry of disciples. If you have ever read any scripture in Buddhism, you would find it.

Of course, according to the difference of the root-container, there is about the deep question or the shallow question, so their aspirations are different. Then, what is the difference of their aspirations?

Those who are small root-container could little understand what the Buddha had taught, but, at least, could be carefully not to make any mistakes, just ask for not go to the hell, and wish that after dying, it is better to have the chance to go to the heaven or the pure land created by Buddha Amitabha. In there, they still have the chance to accept the teaching of Buddha and to learn the Buddha.

Those who are middle root-container could not realize the real Dao said by Buddha, could be enlightened a bit, and put it into practice in life at times, but, not completely. They also obey the precepts and further do the good thing, to save sentient beings to liberate from suffering. They also could teach and explain what the Buddha had taught, but, just according to the words to explain the meaning, not from their real practice and also not from their personal enlightenment. Even though this, they have wished to become Buddha in future life and to go to the pure land created by Buddha after their dying.

Those who are large root-container could realize the real Dao said by Buddha, could be enlightened, and put it into practice in real life. They could teach and explain what the Buddha had taught based on their real practice and their personal enlightenment. What they taught is very alive, and not be bounded to the words. Furthermore, it is very possible for them to attain the Buddhahood, to become Buddha, in the present life. They would create the pure land in heart by themselves. Where to go after their dying? Just be there.    

These three kinds of persons have one common basis, that is, their minds have been inspired by Buddha and they thus have wished to attain the Buddhahood, to become Buddha, in the future. This is the first and very important aspiration which has been obeyed. On the basis, they could learn the Buddha and accept what the Buddha had taught, and thus to keep the Dao. Keeping the Dao to become Buddha is their final goal. Why it is very grand? The all Buddha-law is completely understood and achieved, and the all virtue is solemn, after becoming Buddha. That is why such Dao is very grand for them.

Then, we might have a question. What is the Buddha-law? In generally speaking, the Buddha-law includes the all, the positive thing and the negative thing, and whether it is positive or negative which are judged by the human subjective consciousness. But, in the concept of Buddha-law, the delimited things sometimes might be broken, because the fact might be not what we have seen and what we have thought.

Furthermore, if we can properly apply the Buddha-law with our wisdom in our life, it could make our life alive and live well. But, if we could not apply the Buddha-law properly, we might “die” in the Buddha-law, which means no elasticity and no creation in our life.   

So, we have understood that, whether such Dao is very grand or not, is not concerned about others, also not concerned about you and me, but concerned about the person who has wished to attain the Buddhahood, to become Buddha.

As mentioned before, Buddha is a substantive noun given by people. It means a state of Emptiness and Non-Emptiness, which include the peace, the wisdom, compassion, and the soul of kindness.