The Second Introduction to the Buddhist Scripture -- Scripture of Lotus Magnificence of Marvelous Law

Author: Tao Qing Hsu

This Buddhist scripture "Scripture of Lotus Magnificence of Marvelous Law" is classified as the classic scripture of great-boarding (great-vehicle).

This Buddhist scripture --Scripture of Lotus Magnificence of Marvelous Law, was taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni eight years before he was into Nirvana, which was about forty-two years after he had achieved the Buddhahood at his age of 30. That is, this Buddhist scripture was spoken at the Buddh’s age of 72. The Buddha Shakyamuni first taught little-boarding scriptures (Hinayana classics) after his enlightenment, and then gradually led to great-boarding scriptures (Mahayana classics). I use the word “boarding”, it may be strange for you, which the related explanation you can refer to the following link: "Board " means "save" in Buddhism.

Why I use the word Boarding and what the little-boarding mans in Buddhism. 

I further explain it here. A board, a river or any sea, or cross the river, or ferrying the river, or a cart is the metaphor in Buddhism. That is, it is able to carry only one person across a river or to take a ride for only one person from one place to another place and therefore which  can be taken for use is only a small board.

A river is comparing to be the suffering in a personal life. A person has used a small board to help him to cross the river from one shore to another shore. Taking use for such a board and safely crossing the river to attain the peaceful shore. Such  way and experience, it is called the saving and liberating the self from the suffering. I board on the small board to cross the river. Therefore, boarding on a small board in Buddhism is comparing to be the method or the way to save the self to liberate the personal suffering, which is called Hinayana. I use the word Little-Boarding to replace Hinayana or small-vehicle. For the word Little (or Small), it means to be lack of the capability in saving others. That is, those who learn the Buddha-Law of little-boarding (Hinayana) are lacking of the widely generous heart to save, reform and liberate others from the suffering of life and death. 

What the great-boarding means in Buddhism. 

The small board is so small which cannot carry the second people. However, the large board is different. The large board is not only can carry the self but also the others, so as to help the self and others cross the river. Boarding on the large board in Buddhism is comparing to be the method or the way or the path to save the self and the others so as to liberate themselves from their sufferings. We board on the large board to cross the river. That is why I use the word Great-Boarding to replace Mahayana or great-vehicle. For the word Great, it means those who learn the Buddha-Law of great-boarding (Mahayana) are full of the widely generous heart, and of great compassion and wisdom, and thus are capable to take use of any convenient, flexible and limitless methods so as to save, teach, reform the all beings and liberate them from the sufferings of life and death.

This is the basic concept to learn Buddhism. On this basis, you will learn more about the more deeply concept in learning Buddha. Especially, you can learn it from this Buddhist scripture. In Buddhism, there are some metaphors to describe how the self or the others to liberate the self or the others from sufferings, such as boarding on the small or large boat, a sheep cart or a bullock cart. Today now, we can image that there are a small or large electric car (bus) or a small or large cruise ship, or the small or large aircraft.

The basic concept of practicing, saving, influencing, reforming and liberating in Buddhism. 

No matter what it is, that is, no matter what the transportation is, it is all needed a board to carry the self or the others from one place of making the self or others feel suffered to another place which can make the self or others feel peaceful and safe. And we need to board on these boards so that we can arrive at any ideal destination. As we have mentioned, such the boarding and its process of transporting, and thus to attain any ideal destination are a metaphor to be some kind of vehicle or way in liberating the self and others from the sufferings of life and death. It is comparing to be the Buddha-Law (Dharma) what we learn and practice in learning Buddha.          

The used metaphor in the Buddhist scripture.

The similar concept is used in boarding on the animal's cart. When we board on the sheep cart, deer cart or bullock cart, it means that we choose to take use of the different vehicle or way. And when we take use for the different animal’s cart and sit on it and when it walks on the road, it is as if we go on the road. It is also described as vehicle or way in learning Buddha. It is also the metaphor and is called the method, the Path or Way what we learn in Buddhism. I use the word Dao to replace the word Path or Way.

What the voice-hearer means. 

To extend the notion as said above. When a person learned the Buddha by listening to Four Sage Truths spoken by the Buddha, and was thus enlightened, and was able to save and liberate the self from the sufferings of life and death, however, such a person was unable to save and liberate the others from the sufferings of life and death, in Buddhism, such a person was called voice-hearer.

That is, such a person was enlightened by hearing the sound of the Buddha. And such a vehicle or way or experience or outcome in learning Buddha was called the boarding of voice-hearer and was also called Buddha-law of the little-boarding (Hinayana). What this person was able to do is just to do the good thing for the self. However, it could not do the same good for the others. It is as if such a person is able to take use of a small board which only can carry this one to cross the river or to take use of the sheep cart which is only can carry this one so as to attain its destination. That is why it is called little-boarding (Hinayana) or small-vehicle.

What the Pusa-boarding (Pusa-vehicle; Bodhisattva-vehicle) and Buddha-boarding (Buddha-vehicle) means. 

When we take use of the analogous to the same concept, there are the boarding of Pusa and the boarding of Buddha (Pusa-vehicle and Buddha-vehicle). If a person chose the Pusa-boarding to practice, it would be as if it took use of the large board to cross the river, this large board carry the person to become Pusa, such as the large boat, large oxcart, etc., which is not only to save themselves but also to save others, so as to attain the destination together--to achieve the Buddhahood. That is, such a person practiced the profound and boundless Buddha-law and is capable to achieve the grade and state of Pusa. That is why it is called the great-boarding (Mahayana) and the Buddha-law of great-boarding. However, the grade and state of Pusa has not been completed to achieve the Buddhahood after all. Therefore, the Buddha encouraged the disciples to choose the great law of Buddha-boarding (Buddha-vehicle).

What the Fo-Dao and Pusa-Dao means in Buddhism. 

The boarding is also a metaphor to be similar to the path or way to learn Buddha, such as the Way of Bodhisattva (Pusa-way) or the Way of Buddha. In any articles and contents of this Blog about Buddhism, you can find that the word Dao is often appeared. The word Dao is transliterated from the Chinese. The word Dao generally means way, path, road in transportation field. In Buddhism, its meaning is extended to the method of practicing Buddhism, and to the direction that should be learned, and to the final state of proving and enlightenment. And its deep meaning is quite beyond that the humans can think in our common sense, worldly professional knowledge, or in any our worldly logical mind. Basically, the notion of the Boarding of Buddha is the same as the Dao of Buddha. (The Buddha-boarding (Buddha-vehicle) is similar to the Buddha-Dao or Fo-Dao.)

 

I use the word Dao to replace the word Way. That is because I hope you do not be limited in the explanation of any dictionaries. In Buddhism, the inner meaning of Dao (or Way) is more widely than the explanation in the dictionary. That is only when you profoundly learn and practice the Buddhism so that you are capable to understand it.

 

I usually use the word Pusa-Dao to replace the way of Bodhisattva, and the Fo-Dao to replace the Way of Buddha. And I use the word Pusa to replace the word Bodhisattva, and use the word Fo to replace the word Buddha. Only can you understand the meaning in Buddhism, you can choose what the characters you like to use or what the words you are used to. If you know the language of Chinese, you will be more easily to understand it. There is no regulation what kind of characters you have to use. Why?

 

The nature of all the phenomenon of any characters, words, and expressions is still and empty. 

All the phenomenon of any characters, words, and expressions is silent and eliminated in nature. That is, the nature is still and empty. That is taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni. On this basis, you can create any characters, words, and expressions. Meanwhile, any meaning of any characters, words, and expressions are countless and boundless. There are two Buddhist scriptures which are talked about these deep meanings of the characters. That is why if we research the origin of any languages, we can find them from nothing to become images, then they evolved into the literal notation we use now. 

The only-one-Buddha-boarding is the most core notion in this Buddhist scripture “Scripture of Lotus Magnificence of Marvelous Law” . 

In a word, if we choose the Buddha-Law of Great-Boarding (Mahayana) to learn and practice, it is as if we choose to board on the large ship or large airplane, it is not only able to carry the self, but also able to carry others. Meanwhile, let us be altogether leaving the suffered place--the suffered situation, and arriving at the peaceful, safe and joyful place--the peaceful, safe and joyful situation. It means that we not only can save and liberate the self, but also can save and liberate the all sentient beings, such as our family members or the strangers. This Buddhist scripture “Scripture of Lotus Magnificence of Marvelous Law” is classified as the Buddha-Law of Great-Boarding (Mahayana). The only-one-Buddha-boarding is the most core notion in this Buddhist scripture. 

Chapter 13: Ask about the Dao and destiny

(Chapter 13 ) 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 13: Ask about the Dao and destiny  

   

A Sramana asked the Buddha: ”By what cause and condition could we know our destiny and understand it to reach the Dao?” The Buddha replied,” Purifying our own heart and obeying our own aspiration could understand and reach the Dao, such as grinding the mirror, the dirt is removed and the shine is kept; cutting off the desire and no demanding, we would surely gain the destiny.   

Sramana (श्रमण śramaṇa) is in Sanskrit. In Buddhism, Sramana means the Buddhist monk. The Sramana who asks the question has not yet reach the Dao and has not yet attained the Buddhahood. He is like the general people and eager to know his destiny.

Since ancient times, fortune telling has been around the world. Moreover, the method of fortune-telling is also diverse, and the question what has been cared is also very different. If we are not Sramana, how could it be possible for us to care about his question? But, I hope you know that his question and the reply of Buddha are really concerned about our destiny.

Everyone’s destiny is different with each other. Don't worry others destiny is not corresponding to our expectation. That is because everyone has its own life which must be experienced, no matter it is good or bad.

I have followed my interesting and have research the relatives' destiny for a while. I have found that everyone’s destiny is different. What is your destiny may be not what you have thought. What you expect someone’s destiny may be not what you expect.

Finally, I have an experience. Do not impose your dream, need and expectation on those who have their own dream and have their destiny, because your dream is not someone else’s dream. Your destiny is not the fate of others. As long as someone else does not do any harmful things to itself and others, just do not care or worry about someone else's destiny.

For example, someone’s mind just hopes its spouse to be a medical doctor so that they could have a steady and wealthy life. But, how do you know that your spouse would create a company and become a boss who owns the company valued more than 150 billion US dollars in the future.  

On the contrary, someone’s mind has a big dream and hopes its spouse to run a company so that they could earn a lot of money to raise their family. But, how could they know that there is no wealth in their destiny. And finally, they live a poverty life.

Please hold on our own dream if we think it is right to do, because our ideal destiny is waiting for us.

Similarly, what we want to do just follow our intuition and reasonable thinking, because we should be responsible for ourselves, and our dream and destiny is not someone else's dream and fate. So, please respect someone else’s dream, choice and its destiny. And please hold on our own dream if we think it is right to do, because our ideal destiny is waiting for us.

So, there is a Chinese saying, “It is hard to buy the earlier-knowing by thousand gold.” No matter what happened, we will go into our destiny.

No matter we are in the good or bad destiny, it is possible to change the destiny, from good to be bad, or from bad to be good.

If we are in the bad fate, we might have one question: can we change our destiny? The answer is yes. No matter we are in the good or bad destiny, it is possible to change the destiny, from good to be bad, or from bad to be good. Why? And How?

If the fortune-telling tells that we have a good destiny, we do not need to be happy too earlier. Because if we do not have an effort and do the good things in our life, how could it be possible for us to have a good destiny?

On the contrary, if the fortune-telling tells that our destiny may not be as good as we wish, we do not need to be upset every day. As long as we do the good things, especially the virtue things, such as to learn Buddha, the bad destiny absolutely would be changed by our effort in doing good things.

In Buddhism, the destiny is similar to consequences of some kind of retribution that someone would have to bear or enjoy.

In Buddhism, the destiny is similar to consequences of some kind of retribution that someone would have to bear or enjoy. That is because what have been done in its past life and which is as the reason. We call it karma, the strength of conduct and action. In the past life, if we had ever done the good karma, the strength of good conduct and action, we would have the good consequences of retribution to enjoy in the present life or in the future.

On the contrary, in the past life, if we had ever done the evil karma, the strength of evil conduct and action, we would have to bear the evil consequences of retribution in the present life and in the future life. We call it the fixed karma. So, in Buddha’s teaching, there are a lot of convenient methods to eliminate our fixed karma. Only completely eliminating our evil karma, it is possible for us to have the bliss in our future life. 

Most people have the good karma and evil karma at the same time. Only few people have the merely good karma or the exclusively bad karma. In Buddhism, whatever what we have done is good or evil would be recorded by our own Spirit-conscious. After we died and are in the different world, we would be judged by the king of hell who is some kind of god and actually it is Bodhisattva.

How could we be sure to know about our destiny? The reply of Buddha could give us a good suggestion and offer us a good reference.

We also have one question. Does what the fortune-telling tells is true? Not necessarily to be true. Mostly, we may be in the half belief and in the half doubt. So, how could we be sure to know about our destiny? The reply of Buddha could give us a good suggestion and offer us a good reference.

The Sramana wanted to learn Buddha. He wanted to do the virtue things. But, he had the question about his destiny and how to understand the Dao and how to reach it. Do you know? It is not everyone to have the chance and destiny to be a Sramana. If we have never done any good things in our past life, it is impossible for us to be Sramana.

Furthermore, if we had ever been a Sramana in our past life and we didn’t have vowed to be Sramana in our next life, it is impossible for us to be Sramana in this life.

Whether the chance and destiny is good or not, would be up to our one thought, what we have decided and what we have done. Good chance and good destiny would not be fall from the sky with no reason and with no condition.

Some of the Buddhist monks who practice the Buddhism well and have good karma would reincarnate to be king or to be son of rich man in their next life. That is called bliss of retribution or bliss-repaying, the result of good karma. Because they have good reason and good karma in their past life, so in the present life, they still have more chance and destiny to learn Buddha.

However, if they don’t seize the opportunity and destiny to keep learning Buddha, but indulge in the worldly enjoyment, it is possible for them to fall into and go into the three evil paths after their death. Actually, many of their current retribution are on the evil paths in the present life.

So, whether the chance and destiny is good or not, would be up to our one thought, what we have decided and what we have done. Good chance and good destiny would not be fall from the sky with no reason and with no condition. 

If we do not rely on the fortune-telling, how could we know our destiny? This question is quite similar to the question what the Sramana ask to the Buddha. What the difference is that the Sramana’s goal is to understand and reach the Dao, however, the goal of the general people is to understand and reach the worldly bliss.

The Dao has the great meaning for the Sramana. That is why one person wants to be Sramana, because he wants to reach the Dao through the practice in the Sramana's conduct, action, or thought. We might have one question. What is the Dao? In the Chapter 2, the Buddha had mentioned what is the Dao. It is as follows:

Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding

The Buddha said, “Those who go out of the family, become the Sramana, cut off the desire, remove the love, recognize the source of their own heart, reach the profound principle of the Buddha, realize the law of no-doing, have nothing being gained inside, have nothing being demanded outside, not to fasten the Dao in heart, nor to collect the karma, have no thoughts, have the no-doing, are non-practicing, are non-proving, not to experience the successive levels, but reach the own loftiest state of all, are called the Dao.”

The further explanation you can refer to and link to the following: Chapter 2: Cutting off the desire and no demanding, if you have not yet read this article.

The above-mentioned realm of Dao is similar to the realm of Buddha. It is one part of the Dao of Buddha. But, it is not completely the same. The supreme Dao is the Dao of Buddha, the path of Buddha. Such supreme Dao is really the goal which we want to reach if we sincerely learn Buddha.

What is the difference between the Dao mentioned in Chapter 2 and the supreme Dao of Buddha? In a word, the Dao mentioned in Chapter 2 is only for self-saving and self-liberation. Such energy is just used for self-help. However, the supreme-Buddha Dao is on the basis of completely self-saving and self-liberation, and of the compassion and joy, so as to have the capability to save and liberate the sentient beings from the suffering. So, such energy is not just for self-help, but also could help others. 

As we have mentioned in Chapter 12 (20)《 (Chapter 12 ﹝20﹞ ) : Good at understanding the convenience is difficult.》, each Buddha has its own convenient methods to save and liberate the sentient beings from the suffering. Such methods are quite diverse and some of them are beyond our mind. It is very flexible and creative, even to be incredible. If you have ever met them, you might want to burst out, ”What a crazy man. ”

Everything what we have met has the good meaning for us, if we know how to learn something from it.

You might have one question. If we are not Sramana and we are not interesting in learning Buddha, what is the meaning of Dao for us? Actually, everything what we have met has the good meaning for us, if we know how to learn something from it.

The Buddha replied,” Purifying our own heart and obeying our own aspiration could understand and reach the Dao, such as grinding the mirror, the dirt is removed and the shine is kept; cutting off the desire and no demanding, we would surely gain the destiny.

In a word, what the Buddha said is to calm our mind and to let our heart be in the stillness and clearness. Don’t fall into the abyss of desire, because once we fall into the abyss of desire and are in the black hole, how could we climb up to the wide land, see the bright sun and keep going to our goal, so as to obey and complete our own aspiration?

The Sramana’s aspiration is self-saving and then to have the ability to save others. That is to attain the Buddhahood. And what is your aspiration?

Our heart is like the magic crystal ball or the magic mirror which could appear anything and prophet our future. 

If we have more desire, we would have more demands. Such greedy heart would let us make crime unconsciously. It would be like the dirt which would pollute our heart and cover the light of the heart. 

Our heart is like a mirror. We call it heart-mirror. Such heart-mirror would shine by itself. It is like the magic crystal ball or the magic mirror which could appear anything and prophet our future. It is not fairy tale, but is true.

“Magic mirror! Magic mirror! Tell me who is the most beautiful woman in the world?”

“Magic crystal ball! Magic crystal ball! Show me where is the gold-treasure to be hidden? ”

Ha! Ha! It is ok to ask our own heart-mirror.

Some people call it the third-eye which can see what cannot be seen by our naked eyes. That is also the self-nature in every one. The self-nature is also like the treasure-pearl which could obedient to our own wish. Such treasure-pearl could light our life and our future. It is so precious.

Our un-meaningful and endless desires and demands would not only disturb and poison our stillness-clearness heart, but also cover the light shined by the heart. Once the heart is like a mirror to be contaminated by thick dust, that is the endless desires and unnecessarily demanding, the shine of heart is disappeared. In the dark, how could we see anything from our own heart-mirror?

Stop greedy and have no unnecessarily demanding in inter and outer physical and mental body, our heart would be shine again and we could see anything concerning about us from our own heart-mirror. Then, we surely know our destiny by ourselves.

So what should be cut off are the un-meaningful and endless desires which could birth our greedy, let us do harmful things to others, and make us to be a sin person. To harm others is really to harm self. So to stop greedy and have no unnecessarily demanding in inter and outer physical and mental body, our heart would be shine again and we could see anything concerning about us from our own heart-mirror. Then, we surely know our destiny by ourselves.

For the Sramana, to cut off desires and no demands are very important practice in learning Buddha. It can't go into the sky by only one step. Our heart is so easy to be affected by any outer or inter reasons and conditions. So the heart is very easy to be moved (or shaken) and thus in the chaos. Once our heart is moved(or shaken), we cannot see and judge anything clearly. That is why to cut off desires and no demands is like to grind mirror which should be done in step by step.

To cut off desires and no demanding would be helpful for our life. Even though we are not a Sramana, we also have learned something from the Buddha’s teaching.

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.