Showing posts with label practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label practice. Show all posts

March 04, 2023

The inequality and equality are existed in the body of Emptiness at the same time.

 


Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

  

The concept of Buddha’s teaching tells us that the equality is in the body of Emptiness. All of the inequality is occurred by the inner and outer causes and conditions. Such causes and conditions might be very complicated, or might be very simple, which is depending on how we look at it. Once the causes and conditions are returning to be disappeared, or to be nothing, or to be void, the inequality would not be existed. That is, all things return to the Emptiness. Nothing is existed, including the inequality. Then, that is the true equality.

 

The inequality and equality are existed in the body of Emptiness at the same time. The inequality is the change of situation and phenomenon, which is impermanent. The equality in the body of Emptiness is true permanent, because it is not the change of combining or disappearing of any causes and conditions. It is difficult for the ordinary people to put such concept of equality into practice, because most of them are stubborn in the inner complicated thought and are entangling in the outer complicated conditions, situation and phenomenon.    

 

If we understand the above mentioned, and thoroughly get rid of the stubborn in inner thought, and of the entangling in the outer conditions, ridiculous ideology, situation and phenomenon, it is not difficult for us in our heart to put the true equality into practice.  

February 18, 2023

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


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

 

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.

December 09, 2022

An Inspired Story--To Sweep Garbage Out Of Heart


The Chinese original author: unknow

Translator-editor: Tao Qing Hsu (A Buddhist at home;Taiwan; Since AD 1971-- ) 


In a Buddhist group, there is a little novice monk who decided to practice the Dao to follow the Buddha’s teaching and was assigned to sweep the floor in the courtyard. There were a lot of fallen leaves on the ground. The little novice monk always complained that there were endless fallen leaves every day and why the master assigned him to bear so much heavy work. Many years passed away, the little novice monk had grew to be a young man.

 

One day, he was still complaining while sweeping the floor. The master took a walk to beside him and watched him complaining. The master asked him, ”You have swept the floor for many years. Do you have swept “the garbage” out of the floor of your heart?” Then, the master smiled with mercy and went away. The young man felt confused and began to think what “the garbage” in the floor of heart is and why “the garbage” has to be swept out of the floor of heart. Then, the young man was thinking about this question while sweeping the floor every day.

 

Another day, there was a senior Buddhist monk who walked beside the young man and saw him take a rest under a tree. The senior blame him and said, “The sluggard! How dare you to be lazy. Why don’t you hurry up to sweep the floor clean? ” The young man was unhappy about this blaming and suddenly wanted to leave this group. After a period of time, the master came to beside him and saw the young man who was anxious while sweeping the floor with upset. The master advised him and said, ”Why don’t you “sweep” the worries out of your heart? ” Then, the master looked at him, smiled with mercy and went away. The young man suddenly seems to be inspired and began to diligently sweep the floor with the good mood.

 

Do you have been inspired from this story? Do you have swept “the garbage” from the floor of heart every day? What is “the garbage” in our heart? How to define “the garbage” in our heart? In a word, it means all the unpleasant things or all the worries which are resulted from our desire, love, greed, hatred or the stupid infatuation.  

August 08, 2021

Chapter 40: Practicing the Dao into heart.

(Chapter 40) 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 40: Practicing the Dao into heart.             

The Buddha said,” The Sramana practices the Dao, who is not like the grinding cow; although the body practices the Dao, the Dao of heart doesn’t be practiced. If the Dao of heart is practiced, why should it be necessary to practice the Dao?” 

 

To be a positive and creative person, not to be a passive and stubborn person, when we are learning something

 

Two thousand years ago, humans used millstones to grind grain. The millstones were too heavy to be pushed by humans. Therefore, humans thought of a way to let cow push the millstones. In order to drive the cow forward, humans hung a bunch of grass in front of the cow, and the cow instinctively walked forward in order to eat the grass. By the force of the cow, the millstones moved, so it began to grind. Therefore, the cow pushed the millstones and went round the stones in each day. If the cow didn’t move, the owner even whipped it with a rope. The cow even didn’t know why it had to push the millstones. We called it the grinding cow.

 

What the grinding cow has done in each day is an usual and fixed way of doing things and what it gives the humans the impression is passive, ignorant, stupid, rash and stubborn. Its heart is dim. There must be an incentive before the grinding cow so it is willing to move. Even though the body of the grinding cow is pushing millstones routinely and is working hard every day, but it is in vain and it has no clear goal.

 

The Sramana is Buddhist monk. The Buddha said that the Sramana who practice the Dao doesn’t be like the grinding cow, who only knows to do things routinely with the passive mind but without good intention and virtuous mind. That is why the Buddha said, “Although the body practices the Dao, the Dao of heart doesn’t be practiced.” Even though we are not the Sramana, it is also remind us to be a positive and creative person, not to be a passive and rash person, when we are learning something.

 

Practicing the Dao by forms and situations so as to practice the Dao of heart

 

As Buddhist monks (or nuns) and no matter they are junior or senior, they have a lot of basic works to do every day in the Buddhist group in order to learn Buddha and how to practice the path of Buddha (practice the Dao) in daily life. Meanwhile, there are also many routine works of life trivia.  

 

For example, some of them are assigned to cook or work in the kitchen, or to clean the toilet, or to clean the Buddhist hall or the courtyard, and so on. That is they must work together in the Buddhist group so as to run the Buddhist group well. In this group, they can't pick a job and they can’t have the heart of likes or dislikes about any job. That is because what the place of this group is the place for learning and practicing the Dao (the path of Buddha), not the place for running business. 

 

Except for the routine work of life trivia in each day, the Buddhist monks (or nuns) have to obey and keep the precepts, to chant the Buddhist scripture, and to recite the name of all Buddha, to bow to worship the Buddha so as to repent the self-fault or to pray the bliss for the self and the sentient beings, and to meditate at some fixed time. In addition, they have to attend the Buddhist class so as to listen to the teaching of Buddha by the Buddhist master or the senior Buddhist professor. They also do these things routinely in each day.  

 

If the Buddhist monks (or nuns) don’t understand the meaning for doing these things, although they work hard every day, what they are looked is like the grinding cow who pulls the millstones and wears out the cow's body shape. When they are unable to have the initiative to do anything, they will feel tired and bored, and think that it is meaningless for practicing the Dao (the path of Buddha).

 

An inspired story

 

There is a story which could inspire us. In a Buddhist group, there is a little novice monk who decided to practice the Dao to follow the Buddha’s teaching and was assigned to sweep the floor in the courtyard. There were a lot of fallen leaves on the ground. The little novice monk always complained that there were endless fallen leaves every day and why the master assigned him to bear so much heavy work. Many years passed away, the little novice monk had grew to be a young man.

 

One day, he was still complaining while sweeping the floor. The master took a walk to beside him and watched him complaining. The master asked him, ”You have swept the floor for many years. Do you have swept “the garbage” out of the floor of your heart?” Then, the master smiled with mercy and went away. The young man felt confused and began to think what “the garbage” in the floor of heart is and why “the garbage” has to be swept out of the floor of heart. Then, the young man was thinking about this question while sweeping the floor every day.

 

Another day, there was a senior Buddhist monk who walked beside the young man and saw him take a rest under a tree. The senior blame him and said, “The sluggard! How dare you to be lazy. Why don’t you hurry up to sweep the floor clean? ” The young man was unhappy about this blaming and suddenly wanted to leave this group. After a period of time, the master came to beside him and saw the young man who was anxious while sweeping the floor with upset. The master advised him and said, ”Why don’t you “sweep” the worries out of your heart? ” Then, the master looked at him, smiled with mercy and went away. The young man suddenly seems to be inspired and began to diligently sweep the floor with the good mood.

 

Do you have been inspired from this story? Do you have swept “the garbage” from the floor of heart every day? What is “the garbage” in our heart? How to define “the garbage” in our heart? In a word, it means all the unpleasant things or all the worries which are resulted from our desire, love, greed, hatred or the stupid infatuation.  

 

To hone our mind to be good and virtuous through forms and situations

 

All these things which are the routine works in the Buddhist group are situations, which are also some kind of forms. Since these forms and situations are temporary, these things could be changes in any time. The most important is to hone our mind to be good and virtuous through these forms and situations. That is to practice the Dao of heart (the path of heart), which means to walk in the path of good and virtuous heart. This is the most direct and simple meaning in learning Buddha.

 

Extending the meaning as said above, no matter what position we are in and what we are doing, the most important thing is to practice the Dao of heart (the path of heart). That is to practice the Dao of heart is more victory than to practice the Dao by doing any things in any form. (The Dao means the path.)

 

In other words, whatever we are employees or bosses, whatever we are scholars or entrepreneurs, or whatever we are the junior or the senior learners in any religion, what we are doing is the changes on the surface of any matters or circumstances. The most important is whether we are inspired from these changes of matters or the worldly routine jobs. This is to reflect the Dao of heart (the path of heart). Therefore, to reflect the Dao of heart is not limited in the form of learning Buddhism, but can be demonstrated and expressed in various professions of the worldly, even in the various religions.

 

What is the meaning about practicing the Dao of heart (the path of heart)?

 

It has the more broaden and deep meaning about practicing the Dao of heart in Buddhism. What is the meaning about practicing the Dao of heart? In a word, it is the wisdom, which exist the difference between the shallow and deep wisdom.

 

To learn the Dao and to practice the Dao are dependent on the heart. If the Dao of heart is not practiced, there is no dependent and no use to learn the Dao and to practice the Dao.

 

The Buddha said, “If the Dao of heart is practiced, why should it be necessary to practice the Dao?” It means that if the natural wisdom of the self is naturally flowing, practicing and functioning, any apparent ritual, form or situation in practicing the Dao is not necessary. That is why there is the Zen to be another hand down from the Buddha in addition to the whole Buddha’s teaching. The Zen completely throws off the conventional dogma in Buddhism and directly indicates the nature of mind. That is, the Zen is focus on practicing the Dao of heart and it doesn’t care about any ritual and form, but it doesn’t mean not to respect the self and others.  

 

It is not easy for the ordinary people to practice the Dao of heart. Therefore, to simultaneously both practice the Dao with ritual and form, and practice the Dao of heart, is necessary. For the senior learners, they can throw off any ritual and form, and singly practice the Dao of heart, when they are inspired and achieve the certain level in Buddhism.

 

Regarding to practice the Dao of heart, it is also mentioned a lot in the Sutra of 42 chapters said by Buddha. In a word, to practice the Dao of heart is the focus point and highlight in Buddha’s teaching. Then, what is it? It is to maintain the heart in the clear, pure and clean state and to let the natural wisdom of self to appear and flow naturally. When the Buddha was meditating in the sitting way and was enlightened under the Bodhi-tree, the Buddha said, “All sentient beings have the virtuous appearance of natural wisdom, but which cannot be proved by them because of their vain thinking and their cling.”  

 

The Dao of heart (The path of heart) is lively, flexible and creative

 

That is, our vain thinking and cling for anything is the obstacle to inspire our natural wisdom. In other words, our vain thinking and cling for anything is to hinder or to limit our virtuous destiny and to result in our frustration and bad fate. That’s why the Buddha had taught us the concept of no-thought, no-desire and no-doing through practicing the Dao of Buddhism, which really stabilizes our mind and makes us no demanding for anything, so as to prevent us doing anything wrong to harm the self and others. This is the nature of practicing the Dao of heart, which are lively, flexible and creative.

 

Those people who don’t learn and practice the Dao will easily generate the vain hope and cling to any wishful things, which makes them worry the gaining and losing. This situation makes them unease in mind, makes them limited in thinking and makes them have the sensitive feeling about the frustration and failure, when their attaching expectation is failed, which will easily makes them result in the hatred to the humans and the events, afterward hurt the self and others.        

 

Does the chasing for the personal great dream conflict with the Buddha’s teaching?

 

The concept for dropping out our vain thinking and cling seems to run in the opposite direction about bravely chasing the great dream. The American dream makes the America great. The personal great dream makes the individual great. In the past time, I often see the American movies. There is a feature for the American movies. That is to emphasize and encourage humans bravely chasing the personal great dream and the characters will finally achieve their goal after experiencing a lot of frustration and failure. It is really uplifting our mind.

 

I also find that this concept is quite different from our traditional education in Taiwan, including the traditional teaching of Buddha in Taiwan. The most difference is that the America encourages the humans to make dream, try it and bravely take the adventures through the cooperation with partners step by step. However, the traditional education in Taiwan encourages humans to keep themselves superior, excellent, obedient and safe through the individual competing strength in education and in career.    

  

Therefore, we might have one question. Do making dream, trying it and taking the adventures conflict with the teaching of Buddha? When we profoundly think about it and realize the Buddha’s teaching, we will find that there is no conflict between them. Meanwhile, we will acknowledge it is acceptable to abandon the vain hope and cling. There is no conflict for these concepts. Why?

 

The reasoning (the principle) and the event are perfectly integrated which makes each event without obstacle.

 

If you have read the Sutra of 42 chapters said by Buddha from chapter 1 to chapter 39, you might have the fundamental concept, that the emptiness and the existence (or the possessing) are one. That is, the meaning of the true and the meaning of the worldly are one. The emptiness is the true reasoning (the principle). The existence (or the possessing) is the worldly event. When we really have realized these concepts and practiced these concepts in daily life, we can perfectly integrate these concepts together and make the event or the dream (what we are doing) to be completed or realized in the condition without obstacle and limitation.

 

There is nothing to gain and nothing to lose for us, even the event or the dream is failed. That is because we have established the healthy mind through practicing the Dao as said above--abandon the cling for anything, let it go and let it be. That is called that the reasoning (the principle) and the event are perfectly integrated which makes each event without obstacle.

 

The concept of without obstacle is established on the mind, the self-nature and the emptiness. The event itself will certainly meet any changes of situations. However, there is no good and no bad about any changes of situations. That is because our mind is dwelling on the emptiness. In the emptiness, there is no good and no bad. Since our mind is dwelling on the emptiness, there is no obstacle in our mind. Since there is no obstacle in our mind, there is the mastery in our mind to communicate and achieve the subject or goal. In this state, it is the true mastery.

 

The appearance with illusion and disappearance with illusion based on the self-nature

 

Finally, we will find that there is no conflict between the natural wisdom and bravely chasing the great dream. Why? It is the appearance with illusion and disappearance with illusion based on the self-nature. Even though we are not the Sramana, there is no conflict and no obstacle between the true and the worldly, when we practice the Dao of heart and make or realize our great dream step by step and down to earth. This is the real practicing and the real proving about the Dao of heart (the path of, the virtue of and the merit of the heart).  

 

Where is the best place for us to practice the Dao of heart? When we understand the above mentioned concept about the perfect integration of reasoning and event, we will know that the worldly where we are is the best place for us to practice the Dao of heart.


Supplementary note: Dao is transliterated from Chinese, meaning way and method, deeper meaning as a system of learning or religion.

 

p.s. 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.

 

June 05, 2021

Chapter 36: Floundering gains the victory.

(Chapter 36) 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 36: Floundering gains the victory.          

The Buddha said,” After people depart from the Evil Path, it is difficult for them to become the human beings. Since they have become the human beings, it is difficult for them to remove the female body but to be the male body. Since they have become the male body, it is difficult for them to completely have the Six Roots. Since they completely have the Six Roots, it is difficult for them to be born in the central part of a country. Since they have been born in the central part of a country, it is difficult for them to encounter the world of Buddha. Since they have encountered the world of Buddha, it is difficult for them to encounter the Dao. Since they have encountered the Dao, it is difficult for them to raise the confidence. Since they have raised the confidence, it is difficult for them to initiate the Bodhi-heart. Since they have initiated the Bodhi-heart, it is difficult for them to be no-practicing and no-proving.                

 

If a person had done the evil thing in the world of humans in the past life, this person would be reborn in the world of the Evil Path after the death. What this chapter mentioned is that, after the suffering was ended in the Evil Path and this person finally had departed from it, it was difficult for this person to have the blessings. If this person was lucky to be humans, it was still not easy for this person to have any fortune. If this person was fortunate to have the worldly blessings, it was difficult for this person to encounter the teaching of Buddha. When this person had the opportunity to encounter the teaching of Buddha, it was also difficult for this person to have the confidence to learn the Dao in Buddhism. Even though this person had the confidence to learn the Dao in Buddhism, there would be a lot of self-obstacles which are required this person to overcome. In a word, it is mentioned that it is not easy to be human body in perfect and thus to learn the Dao in Buddhism. If we have the auspicious to know this blog and encounter the teaching of Buddha, it is the lucky and blessed for us and we should know to cherish our human body to learn the Dao in Buddhism.  

 

In Buddhism, there are worlds of six Paths in a wheel, which the humans would take turns and rebirth in the world of the six Paths, according to the person's karma. That is, what this person had done in the past life would decide which world of future this person would rebirth, which is like the wheel continued to rotate, humans' birth and death are rotating in the wheel of fate, and humans could not get rid of such rotating fate, unless the person had enlightened and proved the Dao by self, and become the Buddha. Then, this person would get rid of the rotating wheel of fate forever.

 

There are the worlds of Good Path for three and the worlds of Evil Path for three. The Evil Path means the path of animal, the path of hungry ghost, and the path of hell. Humans’ path is not belonged to the path of animal, but one world of Good Paths. Heaven path are also one world of Good Paths. All of these paths include the concrete form and the phantom. It is also some kind of world in the person’s spirit, which would be demonstrated in the person’s heart or brain, which is like the dream or phantom and would make the person feel so real.

 

When a soul has done the good things, it will be existed in the world of Good Path. However, when a soul has done the evil things, it will be existed in the world of Evil Path. What is the difference between them are the form and appearance, and whether to be blessed or to be suffering. Mostly, what a soul of humans has done will demonstrate what kind of world in its current life and whether it is good or evil. That is, the retribution of what it has done in life is appeared in its current life. 

 

The Buddha said,” After people depart from the Evil Path, it is difficult for them to become the human beings.”

 

When a soul takes its whole life to be suffering in the world of Evil Path and it is to be ended finally, this soul immediately departs from the world of Evil Path. That is, the form of body of this soul died in the world of Evil Path, and will be reborn in another world with another new form of body. However, it is difficult for this soul to be reborn in the world of humans’ path with a new form of human body. Then, in which world this soul could be with a new form of body, if it is difficult to become human beings?

 

It is possible for this soul to be reborn in the world of heaven path and of Asura path. Both of them are belonged to the Good Path. There are the worlds of heaven path for thirty-three and some of them does not exist the teaching of Buddha. That is, there is no Buddhism and no Buddha. Asura is similar to the heaven humans. The world of Asura path is full of the hatred and they always fight with another heaven humans. Even though Asura has the chance to listen to the teaching of Buddha, however, Asura has the severe hatred heart so as to make Asura unable to learn Buddha well.       

 

One of the thirty-three worlds of heaven is named as longevity heaven. That is, in the longevity heaven, the beings have the life of longevity. Longevity heaven is regarded as one of the eight difficulties in Buddhism. Once the soul is there, its minded will be in the state of deep stability and does not think or care about anything, until the life in the longevity heaven is ended. Under the circumstance and during this time, this soul does not care about the teaching of Buddha. That is, the beings in longevity heaven have no chance to learn wisdom and to be enlightened. That is why it is difficult for the beings in longevity heaven to learn Buddha.

 

There are some beings in the world, who do not do any evil things, but obey the precept what they believe, keep their mind in the state of stability, and thus hope to be reborn in the blessed place. They even do not know what the teaching of Buddha is. It is possible for such beings to be reborn in the world of longevity heaven and enjoy the blessing life in there.

 

In Buddhism, the world of humans’ path is regarded as the best world for beings to learn Buddha. That is because there is the Buddhism and the teaching of Buddha in this world. The beings in the world of Evil Path are too suffering to listen to the teaching of Buddha. Even in the world of humans’ path, there are also a lot of humans who are suffering and have no opportunity to encounter the Buddhism. Meanwhile, there are also a lot of places in this world, where does not exist the Buddhism. To sum up above, when the beings depart from the Evil Path, they only have little chance to encounter the Buddhism. The Buddha said,” It is hard to have the body of humans. And it is hard for humans to listen to the teaching of Buddha.“ Therefore, it is so lucky for us to be the humans and have the chance to encounter the Buddhism and to listen to the teaching of Buddha. We should cherish it well.

 

The Buddha said,” Since they have become the human beings, it is difficult for them to remove the female body but to be the male body.”

 

In the age of information closed in ancient times, the female of humans is more severe despised by the family and the society, and is treated in a severe unfair way. The status of the female is very low. Furthermore, the female body is weaker than the male body. Some families do not like the female infants, and thus abuse the female, even to kill them mercilessly. That is why being the female is more suffering than the male and the female has the less chance to learn Buddha. Even today, the problem of inequality between men and women still exists in many countries. There are a lot of places without Buddhism, and the females are still suffering severely in those places.

 

Therefore, when the beings depart from the Evil Path and are lucky to be human beings, the beings have more chance to be the females than to be the male, because they have to continually suffer in life. In the reality, it is indeed difficult to change the female body to become the male body, unless to accept the sex reassignment surgery. But, in Buddhism, there is a concept for removing the female body to be male body.

 

In the concept of Buddhism, the concept of male body has the symbol meaning. It thinks that the male body are more strong, has the more blessed, the more chance to learn the Dao in Buddhism, and thus to shoulder the responsibility to save the sentient beings to be liberated from the suffering.

 

If a female is willing to listen to the teaching of Buddha, to learn the Dao in Buddhism, to practice it in daily life, and to shoulder the responsibility to save sentient beings to be liberated from the suffering, she is thus no difference with the male body, and she can certainly achieve the Buddhahood in the future. In Buddhism, that is the meaning to remove the female body to become the male body.

 

Therefore, if you are a female, you have to know not to despise yourself, because everyone has the Buddha nature. Whatever you are male or female, it is all equal in the emptiness of Buddha nature. Even a female, she can become Buddha in the future.  

 

The Buddha said,” Since they have become the male body, it is difficult for them to completely have the Six Roots.”

 

If the beings have departed from the Evil Path, and are lucky to have become the male body of humans, it is difficult for them to completely have the Six Roots. In Buddhism, the Six Roots means the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. To completely have the Six Roots means those function are normal and can be used well. That is, there is no blindness, no deaf, no dumb, no mutilated hands and feet, and no mental retardation or no mental disorder.

 

In the scripture of Buddhism, the Buddha had said that, those who have departed from the Evil Path and are reborn to become humans are either to have the short-lived life or to have the low and humble status. They are either to be slavers or to be often called to do things. Some of them even to have no complete Six Roots and even their life are abused to die.

 

In other words, those who have done a lot of evil things, and thus to be reborn in the world of Evil Path are suffering every moment. When they have ended the life in the world of Evil Path and to be reborn in the world of humans, even they have become the male of humans, they still have to be tortured in their life and to be suffering until they died again, and to be reborn in the world of Evil Path once more. They are experiencing such pain of reincarnation again and again until they have a thought to think of the Buddha and please Buddha to save them to be liberated from the suffering. They accordingly have the chance to get rid of such pain of reincarnation, and to have a chance to be a good people and have a good life so as to accept the teaching of Buddha.

 

The Buddha neither despises these beings nor ignores their suffering. The Buddha had said that, such beings will become Buddha someday, after they had ended their suffering by themselves. However, during this time and before they become Buddha, they had to endure the consequence which was deriving from what they had thought and what they had done. Since these beings had the evil thought and had done the evil things, the bitter consequences certainly had to be endured by themselves. No one needs to take any responsibility for them or to endure any bitter consequences for them. Now, we understand such relationship between the cause and the consequence. If we are wise, we better to be cautious for our each thought, our behavior, and what we have done, which is not to harm self and others. 

 

The incomplete and any failure of eyes, ears, nose and body are easy to be found and felt by the self and the public. Such self-subject can obviously feel the suffering. And they can get the help from the masses. However, the incomplete and any failure of mind are not like that. That is because it is not easy to be felt and thus to be improved and healed.  

 

Some people have the complete eyes, ears, mouth, nose and body, which functions are normal. They also have a job, a marriage and a family. Their intelligence is normal, too. And their interpersonal relationship seems normal. But, they have the severe problem of mood disorder or mental disorder, which they themselves and their family members do not feel it, and just regard it as the problem of personality. No matter the self-subject or their family members, their emotion, life and work are severely affected by the mood disorder of the subject. However, they do not think it is some kind of problem, and just think that they encounter the unlucky fate. They even do not know that they are suffering from it and do not have a thought to please Buddha to help them get rid of such pain. It is also impossible for them to have a thought to inquire the doctor to help them. There are many people with psychological problems like this. However, there are few people who have the self- perceiving to these problems.

 

Those who have the problem of mood disorder are easy to harm others through the verbal violence, physical violence or mental violence. Meanwhile, they are easy to harm themselves by bad diet, drug abuse, alcohol addiction or smoking addiction so as to escape the mental stress. They also have the destructive behavior. They even kill others or suicide in an irrational situation because of their emotional storm. Such problem is more severe for the male of humans than for the female of humans. 

 

Those who incompletely have the Six Roots have more suffering in their life. When they have the chance to encounter the teaching of Buddha in their present life, what they can learn is very limited. There are a lot of obstacles for them to learn Buddhism because of their incompletely Six Roots. That is also because the relationship between their personal cause and consequence has not yet approached to the state of perfect. There are a lot of people who seems to have the normal life and the normal appearance, and have the mood disorder or mental disorder in the world. In fact, there are a lot of problem in their work and in their relationship about the family. But, they do not think there is any problem about themselves.

 

Observing the humans in the world, especially the male of humans, there are few people who have the complete Six Roots. The mind of the sixth Root is usually malfunctioned. That is because most people have the problem in mood disorder or in emotional distress. Usually, there will be one to three family members who have such problems in a family, because their conditions would affect each other. However, this problem is easy to be ignored by the masses. Especially, the males of humans are easy to ignore these problems and do not know how to ask for the help and cure.

 

This kind of suffering in the heart is hard to perceive by the self. If the condition of mood disorder is minor, it can be improved through healthy diet, exercise, and positive thinking. To learn Buddhism is also helpful. However, if the situation is very serious, it is better to inquire the doctor how to make it healed.

 

If we want to learn Buddhism and wish to achieve the Buddhahood, it is one of the conditions to have the complete Six Roots.

 

The Buddha said,” Since they completely have the Six Roots, it is difficult for them to be born in the central part of a country.”

 

The central part of a country is usually an area with better cultural and economic development. It is also usually the main center of dissemination of knowledge and culture. It is also relatively tolerant of all kinds of knowledge. Those who are born in this place will be easy to absorb any kind of knowledge and to have the relatively broad knowledge. All of these would help them to have the good economic ability and to live a better life. In other words, it is a blessed place and those who are lucky to be born in the place would be the blessed persons. 

 

There is not every country to have Buddhism. In the center of a country, there is the knowledge of Buddhism and the teacher to teach Buddhism is not much in the world. Those who are born in these places would be more chance to know the knowledge of Buddhism and to encounter the said teacher. That is, they are lucky to have the more opportunity to relieve their suffering. 

 

In this world, those who completely have the Six Roots and are born in the central part of a country are not much in proportion. Therefore, it is also difficult for those who have departed from the Evil Path and become the humans to have such blessing. In the place of extreme hunger and hardship, there is almost no Buddhism. Some people say that it is the purgatory on earth.

 

Even today, there are a lot of poor place, people live there without computer and internet. They are shortage of information and knowledge, and are suffering in the war. They have never even heard of Buddhism, and then they die. In some countries, even if people have computers and internet, a lot of information is blocked. Even the information is not blocked, those who have the chance to encounter the Buddhism and have the will to learn it are not so much.

 

Advances in technology have made it easier for us to learn any knowledge. Whether we were born in the center of a country or not is relatively less important. No matter where you are, if you have ever read any article about Buddhism in this blog, learn the knowledge from it, have the belief in heart, and practice it in daily life, you are really a blessed person.  

 

The Buddha said, “Since they have been born in the central part of a country, it is difficult for them to encounter the world of Buddha.”

 

There are three meanings for the world of Buddha. The first meaning is the time which Buddha Shakyamuni is living, or the time which the other Buddha mentioned in Buddhist scripture is living. For example, the world of Buddha Maitreya is the time which Buddha Maitreya is living. Buddha Shakyamuni instructs that the next Buddha will be born in the world is Maitreya.   

 

The second meaning is the time which the Buddhism is existed. It is also included the places where the Buddhism is existed. The Buddha said that, when people read the Buddhist scripture, it is as if they face the teaching of Buddha. That is, where there are the Buddhist scriptures, there are Buddhas. When you read the Buddhist scripture in this blog, it is as if you face the teaching of Buddha.

 

The third meaning is the time which a Dao-practitioner who is truly proving the fruit of Dao in Buddhism and achieves the Buddhahood is living. For example, in the history of China, the first-generation to the sixth-generation Zen master created the world of Buddha.

 

In the space, when souls departs from the Evil Path and become males of humans with complete Six Roots, and are luckily born in the central part of a country, where is existed the prosperity of culture and economic, it is still difficult for them to be born in the time which the Buddha is living. What the world of Buddha is as mentioned above. Now we know, there will be such difficult processes for the beings to suffer after they have done the evil things to harm others.

 

The Buddha said that, no matter what people’s race is and what people’s belief is, there will be a god of recording things to be born with them and to record what they have done. Those who know such things and are willing to believe it is very few in the world. If people have done the evil things and which are recorded by the god, it is certainly difficult for them to be born in the blessed place and in the world of Buddha.     

 

According to the record in Buddhist scripture, those believers who were born in the Buddha's world and followed the Buddha's practice were once the dependents of Buddha Sakyamuni in the heaven. They were born in the world following Buddha Sakyamuni to protect Buddhism. In other words, these people own the supreme virtue and bless. And there are the good purposes for them to come to the earth. That is why they can be born in the world of Buddha.

 

Nowadays, we know that, if we do the good things, it would be easier for us to be born in the world of Buddha. If we are lucky to be born in the world of Buddha, we know that we should cherish it well. 


The Buddha said,” Since they have encountered the world of Buddha, it is difficult for them to encounter the Dao.”

 

Many people exist in the same time and space as the Buddha world, but unfortunately they don't know the existence of Buddha. Since they don't know the existence of Buddha, naturally they don't know the existence of Dao.

 

Even today, the Buddhist scriptures in Chinese are existed in the world. Some of them are translated from Chinese into English. We can find those scriptures in the Internet. Unfortunately, many people still do not know to find it and to learn it.  

 

Human beings would rather spend a lot of money to develop high-tech weapons, kill each other, or intimidate each other, than spend time learning Buddha's wisdom, improve each other's intelligence level, and improve human intelligence and quality of life. This is a pity thing. Even though the humans have the high-tech products and enjoy the convenience of the application, including the information exchange to broaden their knowledge, many people have the mental illness. Those people who have the serious mental illness usually have the physical illness, too. And their income is usually relatively low and their life span is usually relatively short.  

 

Learning Buddha's wisdom can benefit self and others. It can help us to know the true self and the truth of the world, which can help us to improve our stubborn idea, adjust the way in our life, so as to improve the quality of our life and increase our lifespan. On this basis, we have the ability to benefit and help others. This is an intangible asset, but it is often overlooked by the general public.

 

Many countries use GDP to measure the national strength of a country. In fact, this is a biased concept. The real strength of a country should be in the soft power of wisdom. The intelligence, wisdom and quality of the people can truly determine the strength of a country.

 

In this Buddha world, many people own the confortable material life. Unfortunately, they do not have the heart to know the Buddhism and how to learn the Dao in Buddhism. That is also because they do not have the chance to encounter the person who practices the Dao in daily life and the Dao in Buddhism.

 

There are two meanings for “The Dao”. The first meaning is the Dao in Buddhism.

 

The second meaning is the person who practices the Dao in daily life and has the wisdom because of the enlightenment in heart, and who can teach the knowledge of Dao in Buddhism to the public so as to enlighten their wisdom. For example, the Buddhist monk, the Zen master, the Bodhisattva, and the Buddha are this kind of persons.   

 

Even those people who live in the world of Buddha, it is difficult for them to encounter the persons as said above. If you are lucky to encounter such persons, it is worth for us to respect them and to learn Buddhism from them. That is, you are lucky to encounter the Dao, because under their guidance, one day you will realize what Dao is.  

 

The meaning of Dao has the narrow, shallow meaning, and the broad, deep meaning. According to the extent of a person's wisdom, the teacher will give them different instructions. The different meaning of Dao is already included in these 42 chapters. As long as you finish reading these 42 chapters, you will have a basic understanding of the concept of Dao.

 

The Buddha had said that, the sentient beings must be extremely blessed before they can meet Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, then they can meet the Buddhist scriptures, and then they can meet the Buddha's Path.

 

The Buddha said,” Since they have encountered the Dao, it is difficult for them to raise the confidence.”

 

In this world that values material life but deliberately ignores spiritual life, even if people are lucky enough to encounter the Dao in Buddhism-the Buddha’s Path, it is difficult for them to develop confidence in it.

 

In the process of studying Buddhism, many people once aroused an idea and began to doubt their own lives. This is how their confidence in studying Buddhism began to waver. That is also because their soft power of wisdom and stabilizing is not enough.

 

It is very important to have the confidence in learning the Dao in Buddhism. It will help you keep learning Buddhism. Learning Buddhism is to alleviate your troubles in life. If you learn a lot of troubles to hinder yourself in the process of studying Buddhism, it is because your own wisdom is not enough. This will naturally affect your confidence in learning Buddhism and will also cause you to leave Buddhism.

 

Any noun, term, words and expressions are just a code name. It just helps us understand everything. Therefore, in the process of learning Buddhism, don’t be bound by those code names. This is very important. Only when we can get rid of the shackles of those code names so that we can truly enter the core of learning Buddhism. We thus can really establish our firm confidence in learning Buddhism. This is to avoid the obstacles caused by the subjective concept of the code.

 

Many people study Buddhism in the form of academic research. I do not recommend that you use this method to study Buddhism, because Buddhism is not used for academic research. No matter how reputable a university in which you study Buddhism, you get what the relevant academic certificates of Buddhism, which cannot guarantee that you can become a Buddha. On the contrary, this may be an obstacle to your Buddhahood. Academic research is only to help us understand and increase the knowledge of Buddhism. It is only a part of learning Buddha. If we want to become a Buddha, we even have to get rid of the knowledge of Buddhism.

 

What the Dao is. The Dao itself is clean, pure and still. That is our heart and living.


The Buddha said, “Since they have raised the confidence, it is difficult for them to initiate the Bodhi-heart.”

 

The term “Bodhi” is in Sanskrit. “Bodhi” is originally the name of the tree. Since the Buddha Shakyamuni was meditating in sitting and enlightened under the Bodhi tree,  the term “Bodhi” is used to mean the enlightenment. Buddha Shakyamuni usually used the term of “Bodhi” as the meaning of “enlightenment”.

 

Therefore, the term of “Bodhi-heart” usually means the enlightened heart and the heart to become the Buddha. The Bodhi-heart is Bodhicitta. The term “Bodhicitta” is in Sanskrit. To initiate the Bodhi-heart means to wish the self to be enlightened and to become the Buddha someday. For the beginner to learn Buddhism, to initiate the Bodhi-heart is as to set a goal for the self and what they wish to achieve it. Such heart would spontaneously drive the self to learn Buddhism seriously and hardly.  

 

Some beginners subjectively think that practicing and learning Buddhism is a very hard work, and becoming a Buddha seems to be a very remote thing for them, and they think that as long as they have a good relationship with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, they can cultivate blessings. it’s good if there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to protect themselves to be safe and peaceful.

 

In other words, they only ask for the blessing, safe and peace in the current life. They do not have the additional mind and the firm will to attain the Buddhahood. To initiate the Bodhi-heart is like to vow to become Buddha someday. For the general people, it is difficult for them to have such vow, unless they have the very good blessings.   

 

A Buddhist master would lead the beginner to initiate the Bodhi-heart. Through such initiation of the Bodhi-heart, the beginner would understand the meaning of Buddhism by the leading of the Buddhist master.

 

Not only do we have faith in Buddhism, we must also develop Bodhi-heart, if we have a strong interest in learning Buddhism.

 

 

Since they have initiated the Bodhi-heart, it is difficult for them to be no-practicing and no-proving.

 

When the said people have developed the Bodhi-heart (bodhicitta), they immediately receive the compassionate blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. That is because it is not easy to achieve such a motivation, and they did it.

 

Since that time, the said people would have a lot of homework to do, when they accept the teaching of Buddha and the teaching from the Buddhist master. All these homework would be different according to the different teaching from the Buddhist master. What kind of teaching you can accept and can inspire your wisdom, which is the best teaching for you.

 

You must clearly understand that the teachings you have received can indeed lead you to enlightenment and Buddhahood. If you have doubts in your heart, you may wish to pause and wait for a while. If you are sure that the teacher has led you astray, you must find a way to leave as soon as possible.

 

It is not easy to encounter a teacher who is truly accomplished in spiritual practice. His actions may also make you questionable. At this time, you may also wish to stop and observe more. If you are sure that the teacher's actions are acceptable, don't doubt it in your heart. Following the teacher's teaching, one's own practice will advance forward.

 

Usually, when teachers lead the masses to practice, they will focus on universal teaching methods, which are teaching methods that the general public can understand and accept. And this universal teaching is true in all religions. However, the deeper teachings of Buddhism will transcend all of this. If you are not deeply wise, you will not be able to understand this part.

 

In a word, the universal teaching methods are some kind of doing method with skill. But, the deep teaching methods are some kind of no-doing method without any skill. Neither method should be biased towards either side. In other words, don’t cling to any method.

 

For those people who have developed the Bodhi-heart (bodhicitta) for a long time and are working hard to practice the Buddha-law (Dharma), it is very difficult for them to let go of the Buddha-law (Dharma). That is, it is difficult not to practice it and not to prove it. That is because they have already cling to practice the Buddha-law (Dharma ) and working hardly to prove it. However, such thought and action also have to be broken. That is to break the cling to the Buddha-law (Dharma). Only when doing this, the true wisdom could be truly inspired.

 

If you have read the articles from the first chapter to this chapter, you will find that there are a lot of chapters which mentioned about how to put the Buddha-law (Dharma) into the practice. Putting the Buddha-law (Dharma) into the practice and proving it are the basis of no-practicing and no-proving. The wisdom of no-practicing and no-proving begins at the practicing and proving.  

 

Therefore, if someone did not have experienced the practicing in Buddha-law (Dharma) and said that he was in the state of no-practicing and no-proving and was in the Buddhahood, we now know that it is impossible. If people did not experience the practicing in Buddha-law (Dharma), such as doing the good thing, giving, or removing the desire of erotic, and said that his wisdom had been inspired and directly was in the Buddhahood, we know that it is self-deception, and it's also deceiving others.    

 

If we really experience the practice in Buddha-law (Dharma) and our wisdom are truly inspired, our thought, mind and life will be free and easy, but it’s not without rules, principle or respect. Whatever we are sleeping or working, or doing anything, our thought are in the state of clear, pure and peaceful. Any negative minded, or any idea intending to harm others, it is impossible to be existed. If we have any idea to be emerged, we only think about how to help people to be liberated from their suffering. That is because we have experienced the training and practicing in Buddhism for a long time period and it has made our mind achieved to the state of steadily. In this state, it is assure us to be in the path of Buddha or Bodhisattva in our each life of present and future.


To sum up, when one soul have departed from the Evil Path, it is necessary for this soul to experience a lot of examination in morality and wisdom, and to struggle a lot in its each life, so that it is possible for this soul to overcome itself and then gains the final victory-to achieve the Buddhahood.      


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.