Chapter 17: The brightness comes and the darkness disappears (Updated on January 3, 2022)

(Chapter 17) 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 17: The brightness comes and the darkness disappears

The Buddha said,” Those who see the Dao are as holding a torch into a dark room, where the dark is vanished immediately, yet only the brightness exists. Learning Dao and seeing truth, no-light is vanished immediately, yet the light always exists.”  

We have to use our own eyes to see the moon, not others eyes.

When we learn Buddha at different stages, the understanding of the Dao will be different. We have ever mentioned the different stages of the Dao in Chapter 14: Ask about the goodness and grandest.

What the Dao is, which has to be experienced by self. Fortunately, Buddha Sakyamuni has talked and taught us a lot according to his experience, and which gives us a direction to learn. We also have mentioned the Dao in many articles in this blog. Regarding the more profoundly meaning about the Dao, it is not yet mentioned in this blog.

In fact, the Buddhist scripture of 42 chapters said by Buddha is talking about the Dao. Of course, all of the Buddhist scripture is talking about the Dao. The Buddha Sakyamuni said that what he has talked and taught is as like outstretching the arm, and pointing at moon with finger. What it means? If we want to see the moon, the brightness, we have to use our own eyes, not the eyes of Buddha Sakyamuni. What he had done is to tell us where the moon is, why it is the moon, and what we can do to know the moon, when we can see the moon, and how bright it is.

Do you have ever thought why we want to learn or know about the Dao? Does it mean anything to us? If we don’t have any question about it, we would not be interested in that. Only when we have the basic concept about its meaning to us, it would be possible for us to open our mind and to learn Dao further.

The greatest Dao is the speechless. (The grandest Dao is no speech.)

In Buddhism and Daoism, the basic meaning of Dao is the same. Why? The basic meaning of Dao, that is the truth of Dao, is actually practiced and realized by the wise people themselves at the different places and the different time. The truth of Dao is practiced and realized through our experience, but not created by whom.

However, most people do not have such intelligence to realize the truth of Dao, because most of them are repressed by the suffering in life, such as hard working to raise children or to earn money. In ancient time, that is why those who want to seek the truth of Dao would leave their family, which is to give up their worldly life and the burden in life, so as to learn Dao.

Moreover, some of the masters in Buddhism ask their disciples not to read the news and not to contact the outer world, so as to focus their mind to learn Dao. But, in the modern time, I do not suggest you to do that, because the information exchange on the internet is easier to know and obtain, and the AI could replace of many labors, which is also helpful to us to learn Dao.

In fact, Dao is existed everywhere. And it is impossible to gain the Dao by self-excluded from the worldly life or from the outer world. Furthermore, the greatest Dao could not be express by words. That is the greatest Dao is the speechless. It is only when we actually practice, experience and realize the Dao, and the Dao could be seen in the current moment. 

  

The wise human beings in heaven also teach us the truth of Dao.

Except for the practice to learn Dao by self, it would be possible that the truth of Dao is taught and transmitted by the wise human beings in heaven. In other word, the wise human beings in heaven might be the teacher or professor. According to the historical records, there are a lot of different name to call them.

Whatever which name is called, that the wise human beings in heaven have the ability to teach and communicate with the wise persons who practice the Dao on earth is true. Such historical records could be found or read in Chinese Buddhist scripture or in the Chinese documents of Daoism, or any historical documents in Chinese. Such teaching is very positive and helpful to human life.

There is the evil spirits in heaven and is able to control human beings on earth.

In fact, no matter whether people learn Dao or not, the human beings in heaven are able to teach and communicate with them. However, the content what is taught might be different. And some of them might be not good for the human beings on earth.

According to the Chinese Buddhist scripture, the demon in heaven is able to spoil the Buddhism purposely. But, it maybe not be called demon. It is possible to be another name to be called. Such as the spy, we may not know who the spy is, what its real name is, and how it manipulates us. However, it may be around us, or to be our friend, or partner, or colleague.

Demon is also one of the human beings in heaven. In other words, there are the evil spirits in heaven, who could manipulate the human beings on earth and teach them to do the evil things so as to spoil the harmony in the society or in the country of human beings on earth.

According to our experience, thinking, reasoning and judgment, could it be possible to be true? If it is true, what we should do and what we have the choice? And how we could get rid of the control from the demon in heaven?

How could we get rid of the control from the evil spirit in heaven?

In this part, Buddha Sakyamuni also teaches us a lot. In a brief, that is to learn Dao of Buddhism and keep the positive and right thinking as taught by Buddha Sakyamuni. Why? Do you think, could it be possible for evil spirit to control or manipulate emptiness or nothingness?

For example, if we have and persist in love and desire in our mind, it would be possible for us to be manipulated by anyone who makes use of the love and desire in our mind. If there is no love and desire in our mind, that is nothingness in mind, how could it be possible for demon to manipulate us by making use of the love and desire? That is also one of the reasons that Buddha Sakyamuni wants us to know that we could see Dao, if we could abandon the love and desire.

Understanding this and to abandon the love and desire, our heart of empathy and of equality for all sentient beings would be generated gradually. That is the true love for all sentient beings. The prospect of our life is thus actually lighted. That is true brightness in our life and future.

When people are willing to take time to realize and practice the truth of life or of the universe, that is to learn and practice the Dao, it would be possible for everyone to see the Dao someday. Therefore, the truth of Dao is not the patent which should be belonged to whom, but it could be gained by everyone. 

What is the difference between doing goodness and learning Dao?

Secondly, even the human beings in heaven, most of them do not know what the truth of Dao. In Buddhist scripture, Buddha Sakyamuni also teaches Buddhism for the human beings in heaven; that is to teach them to learn Dao. Why? A lot of human beings in heaven are reincarnated from the human beings on earth; that is because they have done a lot of goodness, but have not yet to learn Dao, let alone to know what the truth of Dao.

It is easier for us to do goodness, because it might let us have a good feeling for the value of our existence and might make us happy or to have the obviously feedback from any person who is helped by us. Moreover, we always have the concept that we could go into heaven to enjoy the bliss, if we could do goodness in current life.

Learning the Dao and practicing the Dao seems not to be the same thing, but, it is truly the same thing finally. If you have ever read the Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding, or you have ever read a lot of articles in this blog, you might have the basic concept about the truth of Dao.

Do you have ever thought what the difference between learning Dao and doing goodness would be? Many people think that doing goodness is learning Dao. I cannot say it is wrong, because doing goodness is the basic to learn Dao. But, the meaning of Dao is broader. 

Practicing the Dao is able to see the Dao, which makes our life brightness.

Furthermore, do you have ever thought what the true helpful to our real life, if we learn Dao or see the Dao? If it could not help our life in reality, why we learn Dao? If you have ever read a lot of articles in this blog, you might have the basic concept about why we learn Dao.

Many people think that it is useless to learn Dao, because they do not know how it could be helpful to their real life, such as to have a job to earn money or to have meals in life. This is a very real problem. Actually, it is the suffering in life. Buddha Sakyamuni had answered a lot to resolve such problem, and had blessing a lot for those people who are willing to learn Dao.

To learn and practice the Dao is to learn and practice the wisdom, especially to inspire the natural wisdom in our self. We have mentioned such concept in Chapter 15: Ask about the force and brightness. And there is the answer for this problem.

There is the shallow or the deep meaning for the Dao. No matter it is, once we have seen the Dao, it would light our life, even if it is only a slight light, which could become the great light someday and make our whole life in the present and future life be in the brightness.

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.

Chapter 12 ﹝5﹞: Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult

(Chapter 12 ﹝5﹞ ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha 

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

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

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

Chapter 12: List the difficulties and exhort to practice   

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

Chapter 12 ﹝5﹞: Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult

What is Buddha?

Being born in the time of Buddha is difficult. This is the fifth difficulty said by Buddha Shakyamuni in this Chapter. Buddha Shakyamuni was lived in the year between 563 and 483 BCE and his living range was in the north India. “Buddha” is a title and means “the person who is awaken or enlightened, meanwhile, who is liberated from all suffering in life and death, and who also has the ability to help sentient beings liberate from all suffering in life and death.”

Brief description of Buddha Shakyamuni

The title “Buddha Shakyamuni” is called by the Buddhist disciples and the public. The worldly name of Buddha Shakyamuni is Siddhartha. Siddhartha was an ordinary person, just like you and me. He was a prince and educated well. He also had the marriage and a child, a boy. Before he left the family, he was expected by his parents to be a king.

He had found that being a king could not resolve the personal problem, that is the suffering in life and death, let alone to help the others resolve their personal problem, that is also the suffering in life and death. He had found that everyone could not avoid the four sufferings, that is, the suffering of life, of aging, of disease, and of death. Then, he sought for the methods to liberate himself from the sea of personal suffering. That is why he began to practice the Dao (the Dao of Buddha) and then proceeded with the course for speaking of Buddha-law and the teaching of Buddha-law during 49 years, after he had achieved the Buddhahood in his 31 years old.

Everyone has Buddha-nature and is equal to each other on this principle and basis.

In his teaching, he did not deify himself to be a god. Meanwhile, he did not control or harm others by the name of god. In other word, he did not rely on the strong to bully the weak. What he had told us is a truth, that is, everyone had the Buddha-nature which could let us become Buddha. In this point, everyone is equal to each other and is equal to Buddha. He had proved it by himself and had showed it to us. In other word, he wanted us to know that we could achieve the Buddhahood as him someday.  

What is the special about Buddha?

Then, we might have a question. What is the special about Buddha? Buddha owns the honor of bliss, virtue and wisdom at the same time, is the teacher of the human beings in heaven and on earth, and is also respected by them. There is no gender difference to become Buddha. In other word, woman or girl could also become Buddha.

The benevolent and smiled god of wealth, Buddha Maitreya.

There is a lot of Buddha in the universe, including the past and the future. Buddha Shakyamuni is not the only Buddha. He had mentioned that there is a lot of Buddha before and after his time. What the viewpoint of time from Buddha Shakyamuni, the time is very long and it is beyond our knowledge and understanding. He had mentioned that the next Buddha being born in this world is Maitreya. That would be after 56 hundred million years. In other word, the time from one Buddha being born to the next Buddha being born in the world, it is very long.

“Maitreya” is originally the Sanskrit and means benevolence, mercy and compassion. Buddha Maitreya has some of the different appearance which is created by the human’s imagination, and I think that is not what the really appearance of Buddha Maitreya. Anyway, do not be bound by any appearance of any Buddha, but to know the essence of Buddha's teaching.

In China and Taiwan, the outward appearance of Buddha Maitreya is a Buddhist monk with many smiles and relaxed sitting position. He has a little fat and upper body naked, and it is highlighting his round belly. Mostly, one of his hands holds a gold ingot and the other hand holds Buddhist-beads or wishful treasure. Meanwhile, he carries a fabric backpack on his back. So, he is also called Buddhist monk Fabric-backpack. There is a folk hymn to describe him:

The Big belly can tolerate things that are difficult to be tolerated for the world;

The mercy face often smiles and smiles to the ridiculous people in the world.

Secondly, such outward appearance of Buddha Maitreya as described above is always regarded as the god of wealth by the folk. And we can see such statues at the general stores. It means that the bosses of the stores hope to luckily have the wealth.

In Buddhist Scripture, the Buddha Shakyamuni said that the human beings are benevolence, mercy, compassion, wealthy and healthy, and have the longevity life to be 1000 years, in the time of Buddha Maitreya. Meanwhile, each one is happily interested in learning Buddha.  

The Buddha Shakyamuni also said that the world what we have been now are more evil and more trouble. And the people in this world are not easy to be taught. In other word, those who are willing to learn Buddha and could learn it well are few. In the history of China, there are some Buddhist monk who learn Buddha well and vows to reborn in the time of Buddha Maitreya and to encounter him, so as to have the chance to keep learning Buddha and to follow the path of Buddha Maitreya, and to support him to continue the teaching of Buddha.

If we could be born in the time of Buddha, we would have the chance to meet the Buddha and be taught by the Buddha. That is also to mean that we have a lot of chance to be saved by the Buddha and to liberate ourselves from our suffering, such suffering includes the suffering of reincarnation.

But, I have to tell you that the above speaking is one of the teachings from Buddha Shakyamuni. Such speaking is for the beginners in Buddhism and is to hope them to cherish their human body and time to learn Buddha. Therefore, they would be willing to learn Buddha well in the present, and to have more chance to be born in the time of Buddha and to encounter them.

The human beings in heaven still keep learning Buddha.

In the viewpoint of Buddha, doing the good for going to the heaven and enjoying the bliss in there could not really liberate the personal suffering. In the teaching of Buddha, Buddha Shakyamuni had mentioned that, even the human beings in heaven, they would have to meet the suffering of aging and of death. The human beings in heaven might be reincarnated into hell after the ending of their enjoyed bliss and their death, if they did not have the chance to hear the teaching of Buddha.

Buddha Shakyamuni also had mentioned that, there are thirty-three heavens and which could be classified into three, which are the realm of desire, the realm of material-form, and the realm of no material-form. What we have known about the god in the Greek and Roman Mythology might be the human beings in heaven in the realm of desire.  

Buddha Shakyamuni had also mentioned that, some of the human beings in heaven in the realm of desire also have the heart and mind of hatred. Such human beings of heaven would fight with the other human beings of the other heaven. So, there is also the war in some heavens. Such human beings have the great bliss. However, they still have not yet liberated themselves from the suffering. They have to go into hell after the ending of their life in heaven someday. The amount of human beings in heaven which is mentioned by Buddha Shakyamuni is countless more than the human beings on earth. Even though we might not feel their existence, it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. For example, do you think that the all ants could feel the existence of human beings on earth?  

Don't kill self and others is one of the basic teachings of Buddha.

In the Scripture of Buddha, there is rare to mention about the war. That is, in the time of Buddha and in the living range of Buddha, the world is more peaceful. Even today, there are some people who are living in the war; and there is almost not existed the Buddhism in those place. In the history, we could find that most of those people to attack others, to bully others, and to fight to the other country’s people are not Buddhists. Why? It is because that don't kill self and others is one of the basic teachings of Buddha. But, Buddhists will also defend themselves in support of Buddhism without being destroyed.

Being human beings born in the world is difficult.

In the Scripture of Nirvana, Buddha Shakyamuni had said that, being human beings born in the world is difficult; encountering the Buddha-world is difficult; it is so difficult such as in the big sea, a blind turtle meets a hole floating on the sea. In other word, this is a small chance.

We could image that a blind turtle swims in the big sea, meanwhile, there is a hole floating on the sea in the other side. The blind turtle and the hole are respectively floating or sinking with the wind and the waves in the different realm. If the head of the blind turtle wants to meet into the hole, the probability is very low.

Being human beings born in the world and encountering the Buddha-world is like the head of the blind turtle to meet into the hole, the chance is very small. That is also to tell us that, to obtain the body of human beings is difficult and to hear the Buddha-law is also difficult, even though we are not born in the time of Buddha. If we have the chance to obtain the body of human beings, we should cherish our body to hear the Buddha-law. That is to cherish our Buddha-nature and to learn Buddha well. 

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.