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.  

Why I am interested in learning Buddha?

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing) 

 

Why I am interested in learning Buddha? Because I have realized that the Buddha and I are equal in Buddha-nature. The relationship between us is balanced. From learning Buddha, I finally understand what is the really self-confidence. Such self-confidence is coming from what I have realized that all of us are equal in the Body of Emptiness, and that the causes what we have thought and what we have done are equal to the results which we have to bear. So, each thought, especially the first thought, is one cause which is very important and should be careful. The sixth founder of Zen, Master Hui Neng, said that each thought shall have no evil opinion.  

 

This self-confidence is not coming from the surface of phenomenon, intelligent, success or rich, because such things are impermanent and always changing. Success in fortune, career, even to overbearing in the politic, is that the worldly opinion about the self-confidence. But, eventually, such self-confidence is ego-arrogance. There is an ancient Chinese saying.” Once a General has success, ten-thousand human bones have been dried.”

Chapter 19: Perceive the fake and real at the same time (Updated on January 7, 2022 )

(Chapter 19) 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 19: Perceive the fake and real at the same time

The Buddha said,” Observe the sky and land, have a thought of the impermanence; observe the world, have a thought of the impermanence; perceiving the spiritual awakening is the Bodhi. Those who have such knowledge gain the Dao quickly.”    

To have the feeling about the impermanence is one of the most important teachings in Buddhism, because it is the basic concept to enter the gate of Buddhism. If we have no feeling about the impermanence in life, it would be hard for us to understand what is taught by Buddha. 

A story enlightens us to know the impermanence.

There are a lot of stories and news to enlighten us to know the impermanence. In the ancient India, there is a woman whose child died. This woman cries every day and feels very sad for losing her child. One day, she meets the Buddha Sakyamuni, and tells him, ”Could you use your spiritual and magical power to let my child to revive? The Buddha Sakyamuni tells her, ”You go and ask each family in this lane whether they have any family member not to die. If you could find a family which has no dead family member, I promise you to let your child to revive.”

This woman feels hopeful and asks each family in the lane, “May I ask you whether there is no dead family member in your family?” “No, my grandpapa is just past away.” The person replies to her. She finishes all asking and finds that each family has its own dead family members.

The woman disappointedly comes to the Buddha Sakyamuni and tells him what the outcome is. The Buddha Sakyamuni consoles her, “Now you know each family has ever the dead family member. The impermanence of life exists in the world, and also exists in each family and in each person. The dead family member is gone. Abandon the worry of missing and sadness in heart. Let your child go. He would be well in heaven.” 

I am also very consoled by this story. I have ever read some news that the person is too sad to die suddenly or to suicide, because of his loved family member dying. It is usually happened in those who have the more closed relationship with the dead family member. This is true. According to the psychological research, such emotion and feeling is normal. We would abandon such sadness gradually with our intellect, if we know that the impermanence of life exists in the world. However, it may be not for those who have no such concept. That is why they will feel more painful and sad. The worst is that some people use drug or wine to resolve their pain and sadness, and which makes their life bad.  

  

“Observe the sky and land, have a thought of the impermanence.”

From the sky, we observe the change of the climate, such as the strong wind, heavy rain, heavy snow or ice storm; from the land, we observe the change of earth crust. The severe earthquake, severe tsunami or volcanic eruptions always happened in seconds and without warning; and which always bring a lot of disasters and cause many damages, lost of fortune, and deaths of humans. What happened is in the twinkling of an eye. Under the circumstances, we do not know whether we are alive or death in the next moment.

Understanding such impermanence of the sky and land, we will humble ourselves to the sky and land, and know that we should get along well with the natural environment, and not destroy it too much when developing the original natural environment.

“Observe the world, have a thought of the impermanence”

We observe the impermanence of life. We also have observed the worldly impermanence, which include the impermanence of romantic love and marriage, and of the personal and others emotion and feeling, and of career, working, and of the friendship, planning, attending school and disease, even of the politic.

As we know, the romantic love and any vows for the love are the myth. Many people finally quarrel, break up, and go their own way, because of any trivial matters in daily life. There is no forever romantic love. Romantic love can't bear the real challenge. If we can know it earlier, we will focus on how to cultivate our own noble character to love the humanity and have the ability to live in the reality, and not to count on the romantic love and the unreal opposite sex for living.

If we cannot face the impermanence of love and marriage, we can easily fall into hatred and desire to control the opposite sex. That is because we are afraid of betrayal, and we are addicted to love and marriage. This is why we cannot make our hearts free. In any case, there is the similar situation.

So, it doesn’t mean that there is no love in marriage. On the contrary, it makes us clearly know how we can properly deal with the relationship between lovers or spouses in love and marriage. In life and economic, the more independent and the more respect to each other will be better in love and marriage.

 

Most of the working and career is impermanent.

Working in a privately owned company does not guarantee that we can keep working until retirement, because any company may face the operational or failure risks. Secondly, we may also leave any company because of the personal factors, such as the health problems, or accidents. Even in the government institution, there are also a lot of changes and it may not guarantee that our career is always the same.

The risk of suicide due to unemployment exists in every country and society. However, what surprise me is that civil servants committed suicide because they were unable to adapt to the transfer of duties.

Knowing the impermanence of the working and career, we can prepare in advance, to save enough money, leave self a back lane for survival, or prepare another skill to survive for a runway switch in career. And we will be flexible when we face any impermanence in job.

The impermanence of emotion or feeling may affect and disturb our life steps.

Everyone has its own mood obstacle. Most people’s personal emotion or feeling is easy to be affected by others mood such as anger, anxiety, excitement or depression. Especially, in a family or in a group, the member’s mood may affect to each other. When the mood is negative, such as anger, hatred, complain, sad or anxiety, it may affect the member’s ability to learn anything and may result in the bad performance in studying or in career.

Of course, our personal mood may also affect the emotion of others. Some people’s mood is easy to come and go. For example, they may be in happiness at this moment, however, they may be in anger at next moment and thus to shock us.

Knowing the impermanence of joy and anger, we know that we should learn and train our minds and emotions to be stable and to keep our heart at peace. But, how can we do that? Learning Buddha is one way. Meditation-sitting and keep mindfulness is a good way. Doing so would also help us resist the negative effects from the other negative emotions.

It is possible for us to experience the impermanent friendship.

For the teenage, friendship is the very important in their life. Maybe you are experiencing the wonderful friendship or the worst relationship with friends. Whatever it is, it is the experience in life. As we work after graduating from school, any friendship seems to be diluted gradually. We have found that many friends are disappeared from our life, and we don’t contact to each other for a long time.

Then, we establish the new relationship with new friends in work. However, we have found that such friendship is no longer pure like what we owned in the time of school. The worst is that we may meet the villain. Don’t worry. The best is that we may meet the noble friends who support and help us a lot in many ways by his sincerely heart and ability.

Sometimes, we may do many things for our friends, but to receive the complaining from them. If we are cheated or betrayed by our friends, it may cause us angry and distrust them. Whatever it is, we find that the friendship is temporary. It seems hardly to keep the long term friendship, unless we cherish it very much.

So, the friendship is also impermanent. When it comes in life, we welcome it. When it goes away, we don’t keep it. At the moment, there will be no burden in our heart.

Planning has always not kept up with change.

There is a Chinese saying, ”Artificial calculations are not as good as those of heaven.” It also means that human calculations cannot keep up with heaven's calculations. That is, any planning about our life may not be as good as the arrangement for us from the heaven. It seems the destiny. But, it also tells to have the open-minded attitude and not to tangle in the stuck situation. It may be a good choice to turn around the way. And the light of our future may be there.

So, the planning is also impermanent. But, it doesn’t mean that we do not need to plan anything in our life. There is a saying, “The only constant thing in the world is change.” When we know the impermanence of change, we would have more flexibility in mind to deal with any change.

That all doing is impermanent is a law of generating and eliminating.

Because that all doing is impermanent, any barely force to pursue external things will bind our heart. When we do everything, we comply with any cause and condition naturally, but not climb up by social ladder by barely pursuing. Then, our heart will be free.

Understanding, facing, and dealing with the worldly impermanence, and letting go of it after resolving it, nothing is occupied in our heart. Any impermanent change will not be regarded as frustration, failure or regret, but the wisdom growth of any experiences for us that enables us to face the change of life with our open-minded.

When Buddha Shakyamuni entered the Nirvana, he said the following verse:

That all doing is impermanent is a law of generating and eliminating. Generation and elimination are eliminated. Stillness and elimination are joy.

Everything is impermanent is a law of generating and eliminating, which include to generate and eliminate a self thought, and thereafter to generate and eliminate any self behavior and attitude. After self-generation and elimination are completely self-eliminated, that is, after the mind of generation and elimination and the phenomenon of generation and elimination or after the mind of birth and death and the phenomenon of birth and death are completely eliminated, the Buddha nature of the self will not be destroyed. This is the happiness achieved by the quietness and cessation of self.

So, the whole thing is basically concerned about self perceiving and self reflection in heart. On the basis, we thereafter perceive and reflect the external world. However, some beginners of learning Buddha don’t perceive and reflect self, but to see and criticize the mistake of others and thus to cause others to feel bad and hate Buddhism. If we will learn Buddha, it is better for us to avoid such mistake.

Perceiving the spiritual awakening is the Bodhi.

What is the spiritual awakening and what is the Bodhi? Relative to awakening is sleeping. It is a kind of describing. When we don’t know our self Buddha-nature which is the serenity and stillness in mind and nothingness in heart, we are like sleeping in the dark room and we couldn’t see the brightness. Once we know our self Buddha-nature, it is as we are awakening from the sunshine and could see the brightness, which is also called enlightening. This is the simple and short explaining about spiritual awakening.

There could be a lot of explaining about Bodhi. According to the different degree of learning Buddha, Buddha Shakyamuni or the Master in Buddhism will offer the different meaning from shallow to deep. We will read the different meaning for Bodhi from the different Buddhist scripture. So, be wise and don't be bind by one meaning.

Bodhi is originally the Sanskrit and means a tree which names Bodhi. That is because Buddha Shakyamuni seat in meditation under a tree, where he is enlightened and prove the supreme-equality-wisdom by self. Then, this tree is called Bodhi tree. So, Buddha Shakyamuni uses the word “Bodhi” as “enlightenment” or “prove the supreme-equality-wisdom”. The masters in Buddhism usually explain Bodhi as compassion, wisdom, or becoming Buddha.

Perceiving the spiritual awakening is to have seen the self Buddha-nature and to enlighten and to prove the self natural wisdom, and then becoming Buddha, which whole experience is Bodhi.

How to perceive the spiritual awakening? There are three important methods. That is, to listen to Buddha’s teaching or to read the Buddhist scripture and its explanation, to think and to reason what the Buddha has taught, and to put Buddha’s teaching into practice. The spiritual awakening means to know self heart which is self nature, self Buddha nature.

Learning Buddha is to perceive the self spiritual awakening, not to worship Buddha Shakyamuni. For the masses, they may not have such knowledge. But, to worship Buddha will bring them hope and peace in heart. It is better for us to understand such situation with our empathy.

Pinch a flower and smile. Outside of teaching, other imparting, one heart to confirm the other heart.

When Buddha Shakyamuni is on the spirit-vulture mountain, he pinches a flower and shows to his disciples and the masses. All of them are silent, and do not understand what the meaning is. Only a Buddhist monk Mahakassapa comprehends about this with smiles. 

Then, Buddha Shakyamuni says, ” I have the correct-law-eye-treasure, Nirvana wondrous heart. The true phenomenon is without phenomenon. The wondrous law-gate, no text is established. There is the other imparting outside of teaching. These exhorts are imparted to Mahakassapa.”

This is the origin of Zen. “The correct-law-eye-treasure” is translated from Chinese into English. “Law” here means “Buddha-law”. “Correct law” means the whole Buddha law. “Eye” here means “to see and reflect the all things clearly.” “Treasure” here means “hiding the treasure to include the all things.”

So, what Zen is imparted is the whole Buddha law which is reflected the all things and it could be seen by us. It is the treasure which could lead us into the Nirvana with our wondrous heart. What is the wondrous heart? It is to realize that the true phenomenon is without phenomenon. How can we go into the gate of such wondrous Buddha law? Its password and secret is the wondrous heart and no text. Such special and wondrous Buddha law is outside of the normal Buddha’s teaching and these imparting are delivered to Mahakassapa.

Mahakassapa is the first generation of India Zen. The word "Zen" is transliterated from Chinese. The system of Zen imparts from the first generation which is the only one, to the next generation which is also the only one. The method is one heart to confirm the other heart. In other word, at the same generation, the second person has no chance to gain the confirming from the Zen master. This rule continues until the sixth generation of Chinese Zen. After him, Zen is broadly imparted and delivered in China.

The India Zen is from Mahakassapa to Dharma. Dharma can speak and read in Chinese and he imparts Zen in China. He is respected as the first generation of Chinese Zen. In Zen, each Zen master will leave his verses as confirmation of enlightenment.   

There is no text. Why? That is because it is from one mind to communicate to the other mind in the emptiness. Where you can find the text? It is unless someone records it on the paper.

If someone could not perceive the self spiritual awakening, it is hardly for him to experience and prove the emptiness-nature, and to experience the communication from one mind to the other mind in the emptiness. It is hardly for us to be imparted and confirmed from Zen master in the emptiness, unless we are the top supreme wise person, and have the merit and virtue in learning Buddha.

In the worldly, there are golden-thread dresses and bowl to be used as Zen heritage tokens which is ceased to happen after Zen master Huineng who is the sixth generation of Chinese Zen.

Zen is not easy to be understood by the masses. That is why it is single imparting, and why the Zen is the mystery and puzzle for the masses, and why it is not publicly known in India.

Zen is publicly known by the masses since the Master Huineng, the sixth generation of Chinese Zen. His time is in A.D.638-713. The master Huineng imparts Zen for five disciples who are confirmed to be enlightened in Zen. Then, these five disciples develop Zen everywhere in China. And at the same time, Zen is also imparting to Japan and Korea.

The Zen master Huineng is illiteracy. As we know above, no text is established in Zen. That is what the interesting. The illiteracy doesn’t be the obstacle to be enlightened in wisdom. That is a special record in the Buddhist history. This record also lets us know that, whatever the language is spoken, it is not the obstacle for enlightening our natural wisdom. Why?

Any language is developed in a social group. As we have mentioned before, the grandest Dao is speechless. That is, our natural wisdom is speechless. Once we realize our natural wisdom, whether we are illiteracy or what language we speak is not so important. Any text or language is just to help us more easily understand what our natural wisdom is. In other word, any text and language itself is not the natural wisdom. When we want to enlighten our natural wisdom, we even have to abandon any text and language in the temporarily.

Then we know human appearance or color of skin is also not obstacle to enlighten our natural wisdom. As Buddha said, the true phenomenon is without phenomenon. Human appearance or color of skin is the phenomenon which could be changed in any time. And it is also the impermanence.    

Verses demonstrate whose natural wisdom is enlightened.

Zen master Hong Ren (A.D.601-674) was the fifth generation of Chinese Zen. He directed a large Zen temple where many disciples learned Zen from him. One of his disciples named Shenxiu was the chief professor who also taught Zen. However, his heart had not yet been confirmed by the heart of the Zen master Hong Ren.

All the disciples thought that the chief professor Shenxiu would be the sixth generation of Chinese Zen. And they expected it to be true. One day, Zen master Hong Ren asked his disciples to write down verses on the wall about what they have enlightened in wisdom. 

All disciples invited Shenxiu to write verses. Then, Shenxiu wrote verses:

The Body is Bodhi tree.

The heart is like a stand of the bright mirror,

Which have to be often wiped diligently, and

Do not make it provoked by dusts.

The dusts meant annoyance, trouble, or mistake. The verses meant that we should remove any annoyance, trouble and mistake. It looked reasonable. All disciples agreed with it cheerfully, and thought that everyone should follow the verses to practice. They all thought that the sixth generation of Chinese Zen must be Shenxiu.

At that time, Huineng passed by there from kitchen where he worked and felt curious what they were talking about. A colleague told him what verses Shenxiu had written.

Hearing that, Huineng had verses in heart and asked his colleague to assist him to write down the verses on the wall:  

There is no tree in the Bodhi originally.

The bright mirror is also not a stand.

There is nothing in the original.

Where the dust could be provoked?

All disciples read these verses curiously, did not understand what they meant, and were all stunned.

Zen master Hong Ren came here and had read the verses on the wall. He knew that Huineng had enlightened his natural wisdom. At the midnight, Zen master Hong Ren spoke Diamond Sutra for Huineng and imparted the Zen to him, including the golden-thread dresses and bowl. From the moment, Huineng was confirmed by Zen master Hong Ren and became the sixth generation of Chinese Zen. That is because his self spirit was awakened naturally.    

Those who have such knowledge gain the Dao quickly.    

Basically, there is no wrong for the two verses. But, do you know the difference of the verses said above between Shenxiu and Huineng? Shenxiu has not yet seen his self nature. However, Huineng has already seen his self nature. The self nature is the Buddha nature. That is what the difference between them, and such difference has decided their different destiny and future.

What is the difference? In a word, it is the difference of the general person and the Bodhisattva. It is also the difference of distinguishing wisdom and no-distinguishing wisdom. It is only the difference by a thought. It is so simple. However, it is very hardly to be understood by the masses.

What is the difference between distinguishing wisdom and no-distinguishing wisdom? For the general people, they are good at the distinguishing intellect, especially the elite. The ability of analysis, research and debating is the distinguishing intellect. But, it is not the no-distinguishing wisdom.

The distinguishing wisdom could help us distinguish what is the true virtue and what is the true evil, and we know that we should do the true virtue and not do the true evil. So, to have the distinguishing wisdom is a good thing. For the general people, they may have the distinguishing wisdom. But, it is not enough, if we want to learn Buddha.  

To learn Buddha, we must realize the no-distinguishing wisdom on the basis of distinguishing wisdom. Only we are in the state of no-distinguishing wisdom, we will realize the wisdom without binary opposition. That is the top supreme wisdom.

If we want to realize such wisdom, we have to realize the emptiness nature. However, it is hardly to realize it for anyone. So, Shenxiu may have the distinguishing wisdom. But, he does not have the no-distinguishing wisdom. That is why he cannot be the leader of the sixth generation of Chinese Zen.

 

For the masses, some people even do not have the distinguishing ability to distinguish what is good and what is evil, let alone to have the distinguishing wisdom. That is why they do the evil things and even do not have the feeling of shame.

Perceiving the sky, land and the world, to have a thought of the impermanence, it would lead us to realize these natures and essences are emptiness. The essences of the impermanence is the emptiness nature. The changing of phenomenon is the impermanence,  this is like the illusion, and is not real, and this is the perceive of fake. The essences of the impermanence is the emptiness, this is the real and permanence, and this is the perceive of truth. From that, we extend to realize that the nature and essence of our spiritual awakening is also emptiness. Then, what they mean for us? It is the wisdom of no obstacle, and which is the all wisdom, including the distinguishing wisdom and the no-distinguishing wisdom. The changing of phenomenon and the corresponding impermanence are belonging to the distinguishing wisdom.  The essences of the impermanence is the emptiness, this is the truth and permanence, and is belonging to the no-distinguishing wisdom.  The essences of all of them are the wisdom of emptiness nature. That is, the fake and the real are one, the illusion and the truth are one. Huineng realize it and that is why he can be the leader of the sixth generation of Chinese Zen.

If we have such knowledge as said above, we gain the Dao quickly. What the next we should do is to practice it, realize it and confirm it. In the Heaven and in the world, no one is as superior and wondrous as Buddha. The merit and virtue of Buddha is deep as sea. Life is short and it is difficult to gain our human body. If we have the chance to read this article, it is better for us to cherish our Buddha nature to learn Buddha. 

p.s. Dao is Tao, which is transliterated from Chinese. The original meaning of Dao is the way and it is extended to be the truth of life that we can learn and practice in our lives.

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

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.