One of the Ten Titles about Buddha—Supreme-Scholar

 

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

 

The definition and explanation of Supreme-Scholar

 

The Title Supreme-Scholar—its Sanskrit is anuttara-- is based on and derived from the title World-Understanding. The link is One of the Ten Titles about Buddha—World-Understanding.

 

In The Scripture of the Ten Titles Said by Buddha, it is mentioned that:

Moreover, all the two-legged, four-legged, many-legged and no-legged in the other world, the all heavens of desire and color, the heavens of thoughts and no thoughts, the heavens of neither thinking nor non-thinking, and supposing to be the mortal or the sage, in all these sentient beings, only the Buddha was the first, the most supreme and no grade. It was thus named the Supreme-Scholar.

 

This paragraph “All the two-legged, four-legged, many-legged and no-legged in the other world, the all heavens of desire and color, the heavens of thoughts and no thoughts, the heavens of neither thinking nor non-thinking, and supposing to be the mortal or the sage, in all these sentient beings” means the Three Realm and Six Paths – the Desire Realm, the Color Realm and the Colorless Realm. The Related introduction and explanation you can refer to the link: One of the Ten Titles about Buddha—World-Understanding. The meaning “no grade” you can refer to the link: Let heart in peace, no fear and affliction any more (Updated on 2019/07/11). The content what the link is very abundant, it needs to take time and patient to read and understand it.

 

Realizing the emptiness in the void of heart makes our heart beyond the world.

 

When we realize the emptiness in the void of heart, we will realize there is no grade, no comparison, no binary opposition, no confrontation, no fight, no argue, no competitive and no accusation in our true self-nature. It makes our heart beyond the world. Meanwhile, we will realize that the grade, comparison, binary opposition, confrontation, fight, argue, and competitive, any accusation and any definition are caused by any outside and inside conscious, mind and phenomena, even are to be manipulated by people with intention or cunning smart or scheming mindset. 

 

No matter the mortal or the sage was, in all these sentient beings, only the Buddha was the first, the most supreme and no grade. It was thus named the Supreme-Scholar.

 

Beyond the worlds, there is no grade in the vast, silence, emptiness and void. However, the Buddha was also one of the beings, his heart did not leave the worlds and was able to enter in and go out the worlds freely. Therefore, if we compare what the level of the mortal or the sage in any realm was, such as the ability of saving the self and others, and the blessing, wisdom, empathy, and sympathy, etc., the Buddha was the first and the most supreme. Then, we understand that the first and the most supreme are also meant to no grade. That is because there is no highest rather than it and there is no comparing to each other in the realm of the vast, silence and emptiness.

 

The Buddha’s mind is unattached, as pure and untainted as the void.

 

The Buddha can truly understand that the world of the Three Realms and Six Paths in which is the thought and non-thought, non-perception and non-non-perception, non-boundary and non-non-boundary, non-boundless and non-non-boundless, Buddha-law and non-Buddha-law (Dharma and non-Dharma), permanent and non-permanent, constant and non-constant, non-going and non-non-going, grade and non-grade, non-grade and non-non-grade, etc., and he also knows all transcendental Buddha-law (Dharmas) that it is beyond the worlds of the Three Realms and Six Paths. The Buddha’s mind is unattached, as pure and untainted as the void.

 

How to understand the word Supreme-Scholar?

 

The word Supreme-Scholar also can be understood or replaced by the word Supreme-Gentler, Supreme-Lady, or Supreme-Nobler. We can understand it by the metaphor of the Doctor or Master. For example, those who have graduated from a doctoral program in a university are respectfully called Doctor, and those who have graduated from Buddhist studies and learning Buddha are respectfully called Supreme-Scholar. How to learn Buddha and how to know the basic knowledge of learning Buddha, you can refer to the following link of various articles:

Talk about and Comment on Buddhist Scripture

 

What the wealth and noble the humankind have pursued and owned is visible and obvious, and is the impermanent.

Pursuing to graduate from a well-known university, engaging in an enviable job, earning a lot of money, having a good income, or having the prosperity and the high status in the career, it belongs to the visible wealth and noble. All of these things are impermanent and like floating clouds and bubbles which are easily disappeared at any time. Unfortunately, many people fall from the clouds into the abyss because of greedy and unjust in heart or because of unlucky fate caused by lacking of the good knowledge, wisdom and compassion.

Achieving the Buddhahood is the invisible and hidden wealth and noble, and is the permanent.

When we graduate from the examination of studying Buddhism and learning Buddha, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the sky and the void will show up and come to confirm us. That is, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who have appeared in the ten-direction worlds and beyond the worlds, these graduates, these senior brothers and sisters, will come to confirm us and congratulate us. At this time, we will be conferred the title of Supreme-Scholar. Then, we have the qualify to engage in the vocation of Buddha. Graduating from studying Buddhism and learning Buddha and engaging in the vocation of Buddha is an invisible and hidden wealth and noble. The Buddha indeed owned the huge wealth and noble. It is the permanent. Few people know this. If you are lucky to know it at present, it is good for you to cherish the opportunity to learn Buddha. There is a historic Chinese verse and I translate it from Chinese into English as follows:

 

All in heaven and on earth is not like Buddha,

The ten-direction worlds are also incomparable,

Everything in the world I have seen fully,

There is nothing which is like Buddha.

 

I hope we are able to learn Buddha together, be blessed by all Buddhas in ten directions and go on the path of Bodhi hand by hand, in our each life of the present and future.

One of the Ten Titles about Buddha -- Should-Make-Offerings

 

Author: Tao Qing Hsu

  

The Meaning of Should-Make-Offerings

The word Should-Make-Offerings means that the completely practicing and enlightened Tathagata is full of complete virtue and merit, and thus is full of the ability to teach, save and reform the all beings which are included the beings in heaven, so as to liberate all beings from sufferings of life and death. That is, Tathagata is qualified and adequate to hold the Buddha-vocation and that is why the Tathagata is worth to be made offerings by all beings. Therefore, it means that all beings should make offerings to the Tathagata. This all beings include the heavenly beings and the worldly humans.

Why it was called Should-Make-Offerings

Why it was called Should-Make-Offerings. The Buddha said. In the past, when I was in the cause rank, the good laws, solemn and majestic appearance, and the classified of precepts were practiced. The strength of the ten good roots was cultivated so as to make it increased. Thus consummately practicing and learning to attain the ultimate rank. When achieve the Nirvana, cut off and end all worries. To make the body, mouth and mind clean and untainted. Forever destroy worries. Such as to break the head-root of Tala tree, make it never sprout buds. Furthermore, due to ending the worries of greed, anger, and obsession, all the toward-going would never produce the fruition and generate. It was beyond the law of bitter fruitions of the four difficulties of birth (living), aging, illness and dying. The two seeds of confusion and suffering would never be produced. It was established the name of Should-Make-Offerings. Furthermore, make all the clothes, bedding, food and drink, soups and medicines, banners, flags, precious canopies, fragrant flowers, lamps and fruits in the world, and the highest thing in heaven and earth be offered to the Buddha. Obtain the blessing of supreme wealth and auspiciousness. It was the name of Should-Make-Offerings.

 

Make offerings with the heart of respect and sincerity to the Buddha.   

When all beings make offerings to the Tathagata, they should have a heart of respect and sincerity to the Buddha and should have the voluntary will to do that, and there should not be such things of manipulation, coercion and intimidation or the any similar bad things. If there are some religious communities which makes you feel uncomfortable to make offerings to anyone or to be generous to the group, you should alert that there has been existed some problems and it must be something wrong in their inner group. In Buddha’s teaching, there are rightful and good notions of giving and being generous to all beings and to the Buddha. You will understand it by reading more the translated Buddhist scripture or following this blog. In a word, that we respect the Buddha is to respect yourself. 

To make offerings to the Tathagata is to make offerings to the all beings and to the self.

Eventually, in the deep teaching and meaning, to make offerings to the Tathagata is to make offerings to the all beings. At the same time, it is to make offerings to the self. That is any good repay will finally return to the self, including the invisible good things, such as healthy in mind and body, and keep harmony relationship with the family members, etc. Why? In the chapter 11 of Buddhist scripture” The Scripture of Forty-Two Chapters Said by Buddha”, I had ever explained the similar notion. The link is as followed if you are interested in understanding it: Chapter 11: Giving meals turns to victory

There is no Binary Opposition in mind for a person who has completely achieved the Buddhahood. 

 

In the profound teaching of Buddha, when a person has completely achieved the Buddhahood, there is no Binary Opposition in its mind. It is because that it has been enlightened and realized that its heart, all Buddhas’ heart and all beings’ heart are the one. That is, their nature is the same and is the one. What is the nature? It is the emptiness and silence. What the different is the appearance, the languages and form of their outside. Meanwhile, what the different is the time and process of the reincarnations, and the experience of life and death.

The Starting Point is to help all Beings to become Buddhas and the final purpose is to help us to achieve the Buddhahood.

 

When we practice the giving and being generous to others with the great compassionate and wisdom, we also practice to be no Binary Opposition with others. That is, we practice to realize what the nature of the self and the others is. At the same time, we practice to be the one with all Buddhas and all beings. That is, the starting point is to help all beings to become Buddhas and the final purpose is to help us to achieve the Buddhahood. This is to cultivate our great and generous mind. 

When we are learning Buddha, if we don’t understand this meaning, it would make us feel weird and feel that we are enforced to practice the giving. In a word, this is the more profoundly teaching of Buddha. Generally, for the beginner, the senior Master won’t tell you this point. Furthermore, many of junior Masters and the Master of little-boarding (Hinayana) even don’t understand this point.

In Buddhism, there is the personal cause and condition and outcome, which is rely on your own choice of a thought and your action, not rely on the manipulation from others and any ignorant people.

 

In Buddhism, the different master will take use of the different explanation to guide and teach you how to practice the giving. No matter what it is, you think it is reasonable, you can accept it and you do it, which is your choice. If you don’t accept it, it is also your choice. No one has the right to punish you if you choose to reject to give. If a good or upright Master teaches you to give alms, but you refuse it, it is only your personal choice of cause and effect, and it means that if you hope to become a Buddha, it is far away. That is, it needs to take you long time and your many worlds of lives to finally become a Buddha. 

If someone says that if you refuse to give, you will receive the retribution of bad karma and go to hell, which you have to be alert because there is an element of manipulation involved. In Buddhism, there is the personal cause and condition and outcome, which is rely on your own choice of a thought and your action, not rely on the manipulation from others and any ignorant people. When we learn the Buddha’s teaching, that is what we have to know. 

In Conclusion

Practicing the giving is the first and basic learning in Buddhism. Without this basic practicing, it is hardly for us to achieve the Buddhahood. Therefore, it is very important to understand the multiple meaning of giving in Buddhism and then to practice it actually.