To tolerate the Se and desire is difficult.

(Chapter 12 ﹝6﹞ ) A Brief Talk about The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha (updated 2019/11/24)

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 

To tolerate the Se and desire is difficult. This is the sixth difficulty said by Buddha Shakyamuni in the Chapter 12 (6). This is the updated translation and writing.

“Se” is transliterated from Chinese. There are many different meanings for the character “Se” in Chinese. When I want to translate it into English, I have tried many words. Last time, I use the word ”erotic”. However, I always think, it could not completely representative the Chinese word ”Se”.

This time, I decide to get rid of what views from others, and to translate and express it by my own views and knowledge. So, I decide to use the original word “Se” instead of “erotic”. What is the connect about these two words ”Se” and “erotic”?

What is the meaning of “Se”?

The original meaning of“Se” in Chinese is the impression that light emitted and reflected by an object produces through vision. On this basis, it is extended to be many different meanings. All of any object, any material or any substance, which could be seen by our eyes or could be touched by our hand or body, is included in the word “Se”.

Let’s explore the original meaning of “Se”. We could find that if we want to form the word ”Se”, it has to be combined by light, emitting, reflection, object and our eyes. In other words, the light, emitting, reflection, object and our eyes are conditions to form the word “Se”. If there is lack of any one of the said conditions, it is impossible to form the word “Se”.

Extending the meaning of “Se” and translating it into English, it would be the meanings of color, tint, hue, look, appearance, countenance, expression, scene, description, kind or quality. In the Chinese meaning, it would include the meanings of erotic, lust or sexual desire. And mostly, when the Buddhist monks teach Buddhism, they prefer to use the meanings of erotic, material or substance to express the meaning of “Se”.

Why tolerating the Se and desire is difficult?

Why tolerating the Se and desire is difficult? That is because our mind and eyes are always following the changes of colors, hue, look, appearance, countenance, expression, scene and description. If we thus see what we like or what would content our mind, our desire for them is therefore generated. That is, our heart is always turning with the changes of external realms. In Buddhism, that is called un-stability of heart.

For Buddhist monk or nun, to cut off or to abandon the love and desire is the basic discipline. That the eyes and mind stop following the changes of external realms is to train the mind and heart to be stable. However, it is very difficult to do that, let alone to tolerate the changes of external realms.    

Most people prefer to follow the erotic. To stop following the erotic is one of the most difficulties. And mostly, the erotic is concerned about the money or fortune. For some people, it is even connecting the poison. Such thing becomes the temptation and is possible to draw in people to make crime. Such people indulge in the enjoyment in the current moment. That is why it is difficult for people to tolerate the erotic and desire. Unfortunately, they do not think about any consequence. That is, the suffering or pain is coming after the enjoyment.  

For the male, they prefer to follow the beautiful and glamorous woman. For the female, they prefer to follow the handsome and sturdy man. Their eyes see the woman or man, and the romantic love illusion and dream are generated in mind. The desire for the woman or man is generated at the same time. The mind and heart is thus no longer clear and pure, but turbidity. Then, they could not see the self of clear and pure, let alone to see the Dao.     

Regarding to tolerate the Se and desire, how could we put it into practice in life?

This is one of the examples. For the younger, they might indulge in or follow the video game. In fact, there is no good or bad in the external realm. But, what is the problem? Once we are stupid and stubborn to obsess in the external realm, our mind and heart is easier to be dull or be fooled by the changes of external realm.

In other word, once our mind and heart are no longer stable, clear and pure, it is difficult for us to think or understand anything independently. If our mind and heart are in the state of un-stability, our thinking are easier to be kidnapped and it is easier for us to make sin by any lure, threaten, or kidnapping.

To blindly repress our desire about the Se is not a good idea. Regarding to tolerate the Se and desire, how could we put it into practice in life? When we understand the principle of what said above and know that all of the things or external realms is combined with different reasons and conditions, we would try to dismantle the reasons and conditions one by one, and then we could see the truth, and think and reason anything independently. Under the circumstance, it would not be difficult for us to tolerate the Se and desire. 

Chapter 3: Cut off the love and remove the greed

(Chapter 3) 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 3: Cut off the love and remove the greed

The Buddha said, “Those who shave their hair and beard to become the Sramana and accept the Dao-law should renounce worldly possessions, be content to beg for alms, and take only what is needed. Eat one meal before noon a day, pass the night beneath trees, and be cautious not to desire more, for love and desire are what makes people foolish and concealing.”

The said rules are set by Buddha for his disciples, Sramanas. Such rules inspire and remind us, to be content what we have, and not to greedy more, because love and desire are what makes people foolish and concealing.

As we have mentioned in the aforesaid chapter, the definition of love and desire here is narrower, which motive is based on the personal-ego and selfishness. That is why the love and desire makes people foolish and concealing.

There is a saying,” To love would cause the dying tragically.” Why? It is involved the personal factor and the factor of the other side. Someone could not accept to be betrayed or broken up in love, and its hatred heart and its mind of revenge would thus be arisen to become the factual action. When they are in such state, their mind would lose reason and their action would be out of control, and thus to do the harmful thing. We call such person as horrifying lover. In generally, such person is lack of confidence and self-esteem. Even though this, they still want to control their lover. In the viewpoint of Buddha, such person is foolish and pitiful.

Someone use the love or sexual desire as excuses and means to have the fortune, especially, the young woman with beautiful appearance and good shape of body to attract the elder-rich man. Then, they would have the fortune by the means of divorce or of broken up. Sometimes we call such person as love-liar. The rich man attaches the lust of love and he is thus concealed by the infatuation.

Most people are following their own hormone of body and their visual sense, but, not following their mind of reason, to find their love. When the second person is shown up, they would be interested in such person by following their own sexual desire and visual sense. We call such thing as illusion and infatuation. In such state, the fact would not be found. So, there is a saying,” The lovers are falling in love because they do not understand each other. The lovers break up because they finally understand each other.”    

In the fiction or drama, the love is always created as romantic story. But, in fact, it is not true in our daily life. In the relationship of love, it is more related to the responsibility, tolerance, respecting to each other, sweet burden and honesty. Unfortunately, most people do not understand it, especially, the young male and female.

When people love and desire someone, something or to do something, they might conceal others for some reasons. Or they might be concealed by others. Then, to lie is happened. The evil karma is formed. The evil future might be waiting there.

The love and desire as mentioned here is the evil cause. Having cut it off, the evil result would not be happened certainly.

Extending the meaning of love and desire, human can love or desire the fame, power, fortune, food, and career. No matter love or desire, fame or power, fortune, food or career, their essence are not sin. Why? If we understand the deep meaning of Buddhism, we would know that those essences are emptiness. Since those essences are emptiness, they are not related to the sin or non-sin. Then, we might have a question. What is the problem or the trouble about the love or desire in such thing? 

As we know, there are two viewpoints in one thing. That is positive viewpoint and negative viewpoint. When we misuse our love and desire for such things, those would cause the bad result in our life. For example, there is a saying,” Human is afraid of fame; Pig is afraid of fat.” Why? When a person attaches the fame, jealous and attack in speech is followed. When a pig is fat, it would be killed to be as food. 

However, good fame would be helpful for the people of world. Such person is aim to benefit the people of world, and good fame therefore follows him (or her). Other things can be deduced by analogy.