How to Deal With the People Who Are Stupid and Obsessed With Something?

 

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

 

Those who are our relatives and friends are not always intelligent persons are always living and around us, and cause us a lot of trouble and anxiety, even make us want to leave them and to abandon them. Some smart people say that we are not saviors and we don’t have to shoulder their heavy burden of mental problem and the caused anxiety. This is the normal and most peoples thinking in the world. But for those of us who have a mission, this may not be the case.

 

Those who are stupid and obsessed have some characteristics. Foolish obsessed with the material desire and its things are the common and most characteristics.   

 

One day, I felt so tired to get along with the people who are stupid and obsessed. As my observation for the people in the world, those who are stupid and obsessed have the following characteristics:

 

Their intelligence quotient is normal. Their expressive and comprehensible skills are normal, too. Some of them are highly educated. Even though some of them have no higher school education, they are smart people. However, there is some kind of intellectual disability in their mentality. That is because they always addict to the material desire and its things, such as money, wealth, woman, wife, children, famous car, or various power, etc. They make it the most important thing in life, and think that others should do the same. In a word, they strongly base personal achievement on material desires. On a material level, they are indeed doing well and proud of themselves. However, it is not ruled out that their income may also come from improper means. This is not necessarily illegal, and some may just be morally flawed, however, it does not make others feel good. They thus despise others and discriminate against others for being less intelligent than they are. Basically, they are lack of the motive to learn the knowledge in the spirit level. That is why they live with a closed minded and forget that any danger and accident might be happened to them. Moreover, they always want to pass on their closed thoughts to others, and even disturb others and hinder the development of other people's lives. Oddly enough, they think what they have done are helping others with good intentions.

 

Everyone has a different point of view that can be consulted and debated. However, if anyone misuses either point of view, it can do disastrous harm to humanity and to the world.

 

I find that the stupid and obsessed people as mentioned above exist everywhere, especially in countries that emphasize material life. That is why I am bothered and harassed. Therefore, I search the relative articles in the internet about how to get along with the stupid people. I read an article which title is “One's Success must Learn to Rely on Stupid People”. The content is also demonstrated the author’s logical thinking, and exists its discussing basis by quoting old classics, and it seems reasonable. I do not deny that some of his views in the content may be acceptable by people. For example, in the last paragraph, he kindly advises the readers who think they are stupid people not to be used and sacrificed vainly.

 

However, if people don’t have the ability of speculative, the training of logical thinking, and the edifying of the moral education, after they agree to this opinion about “One's Success must Learn to Rely on Stupid People” with paranoid minded, and after they pursue it as the principle of their career and life, they would mistakenly use it to inhibit the development of others people and purposely make them be stupid forever in order to fight, defeat and control them, so as to make themselves succeed. It is extremely dangerous and unfortunate for the public that such a person who believes the said idea may become a political leader by using politics in a wrong way to fool the masses or may become a leader of a religious group by distorting religious teachings to fool the masses. Such a leader controls the masses and therefore contents the leader’s own greedy desire. Unfortunately, such events are existed in the modern time. In my opinions, it's really the ignorant taking advantage of the most ignorant. The stupid and obsessed people bullies the most stupid and obsessed people. Even if many people are helplessly oppressed, it seems that this fact cannot be changed. Why?

 

People who are brainwashed by specious ideology usually lack flexibility and open thinking, tolerance for others and independent thinking ability, and they deliberately interfere, block and destroy people who question their opinions in a self-righteous way.

 

Firstly, these people’s brains are strongly washed and manipulated by plausible ideology and they stubbornly believe it and opinionatedly think it is right.

 

Secondly, when people question the brainwashed and plausible statements, or people are in the different opinion about their brainwashed belief, these manipulated people think that others people insult their leader, despise and attack their approbatory ideology. Therefore, these manipulated people use any unscrupulous means to suppress the voices and opinions of others, including purposely destroy someone else's social media account so as to let him shut up forever in the freedom and democratic country.

 

Thirdly, in their closed idea and environment, these brainwashed people by the plausible ideology strongly distribute their ideology in the social media, or they lure others into their organization at school or any group. This situation is also happened in the freedom and democratic country. This kind of harm to humans is gradual, like boiling frogs in warm water. However, people may ignore these phenomena for their own interests.

 

Fourthly, these brainwashed people by the plausible ideology have Stockholm Syndrome. Unfortunately, they don’t have such self-awareness. Furthermore, most people don’t have such knowledge, too. Even though this, they are still willing to make friends or do business dealings with these brainwashed people. For Stockholm Syndrome, please refer to Notes. In my opinions, no matter which kind of persons are mentioned above, they do encourage the ignorant behavior of the ignorant leaders and its closed environment as formed.

 

Educated and moral people do not achieve themselves at the expense of sacrificing stupid persons.

 

When I first read the article “One's Success must Learn to Rely on Stupid People”, I was so shocked by this idea, because it really violates our moral education and mainstream thinking in Taiwan. This makes me realize that someone else had this idea and lived in a different world from me. I do not rule out that someone is operating and trying to dominate the world with this kind of concept, and this person is also a person of high authority and influence in the world. At present, their influence is affecting us through Taiwan's free Internet and media. This kind of value that strongly prioritizes selfishness and utilitarianism as the correct idea often shocks and impacts my perception of traditional virtues. Fortunately, Taiwan is a society that emphasizes information disclosure, mutual tolerance, and good cooperation. It is also a society that emphasizes creating a win-win situation and sharing knowledge and wisdom for common prosperity. Basically, educated and moral people in Taiwan do not achieve themselves at the expense of sacrificing stupid persons.

 

For the stupid and obsessed people, the best advice is to give them wisdom.

 

Therefore, we know that the stupid and obsessed people not only exist in the love and marriage relationship, the family relationship, and the friendship, but also exist in the politics and religious group. Basically there are people like this everywhere in the world. And the number is too numerous to count. There are close and distant relationships between people. For the stupid and obsessed people, the best advice is to give them wisdom. More precisely, it is to understand the situation and provide them with helpful, beneficial and open knowledge and wisdom according to their actual needs and what knowledge they actually lack. At this time, it is more important to educate them on morality and compassion. That is the wisdom includes the mercy.

 

Various kinds of knowledge and wisdom what we have given to the stupid and obsessed people must be built on virtue, compassion and empathy. These things must be done simultaneously.

 

Various kinds of knowledge and wisdom what we have given must be built on virtue, compassion and empathy. That is to teach them to have virtue, compassion and empathy. These things must be done simultaneously. Remember that helping others must base on the wisdom. If we only give them knowledge (or high technology; technology is one kind of knowledge) and we don’t give them wisdom and compassion, we encourage them to interfere, harass, suppress and hurt others even more. Stupid and obsessed people as said are stupid and obsessed because of their stubborn nature. If we only tell them about virtue, they will not listen. That's why we have to give them the various kinds of knowledge so as to arouse their interest, and then guide them.

 

When we firstly give them the various knowledge and wisdom, we'd better stop and see if they absorb and accept these knowledge and wisdom, and see if they have compassion and empathy for the beings. Based on my personal observation and experience, the chances of them being able to accept any knowledge and wisdom and change themselves are almost zero. This is because they are still alive in their self-righteous state of mind. Let's not give up at this time. We can still try to do it, observe it, and make adjustments at the same time.

 

Based on our relationship with the stupid and obsessed people and on their causes and conditions, we decide whether to abandon them.

 

At this time, it is based on our relationship with them and on their causes and conditions to decide whether to abandon them. If they are our close family members, and we find they still have the good nature, we should take time to save them by patiently providing them with knowledge and wisdom. Usually this takes some time. However, if they don't have the good nature, we abandon them, reduce interaction with them, or even stay away from them, and let them eat the fruits of what they have done. They are toxic-minded people. Leaving and abandoning them can ensure our safety and health in physical body and mental state, and make sure ours longevity. After observing their state, we wait for the opportunity to educate them and save them, if there are causes and conditions.

 

Severely stupid and obsessed people usually blind their good nature and use bad deeds as a means to achieve their goals. If we are not aware and vigilant enough, we become victims of their stupidity. If we are wise, we know that we should leave them as soon as we can. Of course, this premise is that we must be aware of those people who are foolish obsessed with something and it may hurt us.

 

Usually this kind of persons will end up in serious crimes such as violence, sexual assault, greed for property, etc. If they are powerful dictators, they may even launch aggressive wars or any terrible attack. This is beyond the ability of ordinary people to face and deal with. At this time, it is still necessary for the governments to take out both the punishment from the stick and the moral persuasion to let them choose. This also takes some time. 

 

If we want to ensure our own physical and mental health and longevity, we really need to have a deep understanding of stupid and obsessed people and how to deal with them.

 

Stupid and obsessed people usually have paranoid thoughts. If anything violates their selfish desire, they even generate the hatred minded to others. They can even be emotional blackmailers if they want to satisfy their own selfish desires. These narrow minds will not only make them lose their focus on bright, open, and positive things, but even make them tense and anxious, filling them with negative energy to hurt others, or even commit suicide. This kind of harm to people is no less than that of people who are greedy or hatred. Unfortunately, most people are unaware and not alert to such people. They don't even know why until they die because of it. This is a human tragedy, but we have become accustomed to it. If we want to ensure our own physical and mental health and longevity, we really need to have a deep understanding of stupid and obsessed people and how to deal with them.

 

Finally, I would like to remind readers that if you find someone else is a stupid and obsessed person, don't say it bluntly in front of him. We just need to know it in our hearts. This is to avoid unintentionally offending this person and being punished by him in a vengeful manner. Keep that in mind.

Note 1.: Stockholm Syndrome (Stockholm Syndrome), or hostage complex, refers to the victim's feelings for the perpetrator, and even agree with the perpetrator's point of view, which in turn helps the perpetrator's complex.

 

Stockholm syndrome (English: Stockholm syndrome; Swedish: Stockholmssyndromet) is also known as hostage complex and hostage syndrome. thoughts, and even a complex of helping the perpetrator in turn.

 

Stockholm Syndrome can be regarded as a kind of trauma bondage, which does not necessarily only happen to hostages, as long as the perpetrator harasses the victim, the victim may have strong emotions towards the perpetrator. According to Freud's theory, Stockholm Syndrome is a self-defense mechanism. When victims believe in the perpetrator's ideas, they will feel that they are no longer threatened. Stockholm syndrome is not an official term for mental illness. Stockholm Syndrome tends to be a hypothetical state that people use to cover up that they don't want to discuss issues.

Citations and Reference Links:

以愛之名控制人要小心！醫曝「斯德哥爾摩症候群」8症狀…別當愛情俘虜 https://health.ettoday.net/news/1708180#ixzz7y3uFmlq3

Stockholm syndrome https://zh.wikipedia.org/

Note 2.: I do not rule out the fact that a victim of a closed group becomes the leader of the closed group because of the "Stockholm Syndrome" and then becomes the perpetrator.

Note 3.: I add here another point. I do not rule out that there are people who are only foolishly attached to the spirit and its affairs alone and misuse it, for example, some kind of ideology in the realm of spirit. However, this is another topic. It is not in the discussion of this article. Their possible situations can also be deduced from the discussion in this article. This is a similar reason, which can be speculated and referenced.

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.