Mr. Dharma, the founder of and the first generation-master of Chinese Zen.

Writer: Tao Qing Hsu

A legend person who lived 150 years

The name of Mr. Dharma in Sanskrit is बोधिधर्म and is named as Bodhidharma, who is born in south India about the year A.D. 382 and is dead in China about the year A.D. 535. According to the records, documents and the legend, he is a Buddhist monk and has the life for 150 years. When he is young, he is a prince and educated well by his family of Royal. When he arrives in China and begins to transmit the Zen-Law, it is the 67 years after the death of his teacher of Zen in India.

Therefore, we can speculate that he is already over 80 years old when he arrives in China. At that time, the average life expectancy of humans is less than 50 years. Mr. Dharma is indeed a longevity person. But, do you know why he lives so long? There are some stories about him and the documents recorded by his oral teachings, which can make us know why he lives so long.

It is not easy to understand Mr. Dharma's oral teachings.

His oral teachings are very valuable and important for us and could help us solve our puzzle in learning Buddha. To understand his oral teachings, we must have the basic concept and experience in practicing the Buddha’s teaching. However, if we want to realize his oral teachings, we even have to own the profound concept of Buddhism and deeply experience in learning Buddha.

Even though those who have the basic concept and experience in practicing the Buddha’s teaching, they may be unable to understand what Mr. Dharma has talked about and what he has taught. That is also why his oral teachings are unable to be spread widely in the environment of Buddhism in the history.

The wise is always alone.

Do you know? It is not easy to be a founder and transmitter of Zen in the oversea. Meanwhile, it is very lonely to experience the process of Zen-transmitting, because no one could understand what Mr. Dharma is doing and what is the purpose. Secondly, it is also not easy to find the like-minded people who are willing to follow him. But, why he wants to do that? It is because that he is authorized by his teacher to come with a mission.

The Chinese Emperor Liang Wu who devotes himself in Buddhism

When Mr. Dharma takes a boat and comes in China, he meets the Emperor Liang Wu, who believes in Buddhism and supports the Buddha’s teaching a lot. But, it ’s a pity that the Emperor Liang Wu doesn't know what Zen is. The Emperor Liang Wu is good at the poems and martial arts. He has ever been the Buddhist monk and is a vegan.

When he becomes the Emperor, he devotes himself in Buddhism, spends a lot of money to support the collation of literature, history and Buddhism. Meanwhile, he supports to build temples and statues of Buddhism, to copy scriptures and to offer things to numberless Buddhist monks (or nuns).

The wonderful conversation about merit in Buddhism

When he knows that Mr. Dharma learns Buddhism well, he asks him, "How much merit did I do for these things?" Mr. Dharma says, "No merit." The Emperor Liang Wu asks, "Why is there no merit?" Mr. Dharma says, "These things are the doing things, which are belonged to the blessing effect and repaying of human and heaven. It ’s not a real merit. ” The Emperor Liang Wu asks,“ How is the true merit? ” Mr. Dharma replies,“ The pure wisdom is the wonderful perfect. The body itself is empty and silent. Such merit could not be asked by us by means of the world. ”   

After hearing that, the Emperor Liang Wu is very unhappy. The host and guest are thus broken up. The unsuccessful meeting between Mr. Dharma and the Emperor Liang Wu does not make Mr. Dharma lose faith. Mr. Dharma decides to cross the river and goes toward the north to transmit the Zen-Law.

The legend by a reed to cross the river

It is getting late, and there are no boats on the vast river. Mr. Dharma faced the West with his palms closed, He murmurs: I come here from the west with deeply secret connotation. If the Zen-Law could not be born, I would sink into the river; if the Zen-Law could be prosperous, the god of heaven will help me too.

Then, Mr. Dharma picks a reed and throws it into the river, and immediately picks up the monk's robe, stands on the reed, and drives straight towards the heart of the river, floating across the river. Mr. Dharma crosses the river to Luoyang, enters the Shaolin Temple in Songshan, and seats quietly for nine years.

The founder of the Shaolin Kung Fu

According to the legend, Mr. Dharma is the founder of the Shaolin Kung Fu (the Chinese Kung Fu). The related documents and tips are preserved and transmitted for the following generations. These parts would help those (who learn Buddhism) strong their physical body to be healthy.

Motion and stillness are as one.

From the above mentioned, we may have the concept why Mr. Dharma has the longevity life. We could find that he focuses on the practice in mental and physical body. That is, the mental body is in the stillness. However, the physical body is in the motion. When the physical body moves to do anything, the mental body keeps peaceful.

The verse is left by Mr. Dharma.

Finally, Mr. Dharma transmits the Zen-Law to his disciple, the Zen-master Huike. The following verse is left by Mr. Dharma:

I originally come to this land,

For spreading the Zen-Law

To save those beings who lose the self-nature,

One flower blooms five leaves,

The result will be completed naturally.

This verse tells the purpose and also predicts the future of Chinese Zen, which is the prosperous of the Zen-Law.

The related articles:

The Origin of Zen

Why Zen can be developed and flourished well in the history of China, but not in India?

How to Improve Stress Resistance from Learning Buddhism

Author: Tao Qing Hsu

Children's inadequate thinking ability, coupled with inadequate life experience, cannot identify the source of negative emotions of parents or family members.

In life, we are faced with many phenomena. If we do not think positively, any of our emotions and thoughts will be easily affected by the facts. In Buddhist terms, they are transferred by the facts. For example, in a family, underage children are particularly susceptible to the negative emotions of parents or other family members. When they are inexplicably scolded or bullied by their family members, they even suspect their own fault or do it themselves Not good enough. Because children's inadequate thinking ability and lack of life experience, they cannot identify the source of negative emotions of parents or family members.

If these children do not have the ability, or have never reflected on these events to identify the cause of any negative emotions in their family members, they will spend their entire lives in this tragedy and ignorance affected by the negative emotions of their families. Some people are even used by their families and don't even know it. In other words, unless they have the ability to reflect consciously, or they are fortunate to be positively directed and influenced by others, even if they are adults, even in old age, they will be restrained by this family's negative emotions.

How to observe negative emotions of family members?

How to observe negative emotions of family members? There is an observed indicator, that is, accusations and complaints. Their attitude towards things is not their own self-review, self-learning and change. Instead, they achieve their desired goals by blaming, angering, and complaining about others. And people who usually take this negative way, what their ability to do things is usually insufficient. Unfortunately, such people exist not only in the family, but also in society and the country. In fact, a country or a society is a big family.

How can we not be affected by negative events?

If a family, a society, or even a country is full of people with these negative emotions, then if these numbers are accumulated, one can imagine the misery of a family, society, and country. This usually often happens in a self-closed family, society, and country.

So how can we not be affected by negative events? In other words, how can we not be dragged by negative events? How can we not be restrained by negative events? Or, how can we not be people with such negative emotions? That is to learn Buddha well. Three Buddhist Studies: disciple, the Power of Inner Stability, and Wisdom.

Buddhism is teaching us how to live a positive life

Buddhism is telling us why we should learn the disciple, the power of inner stability, and wisdom. In other words, Buddhism is teaching us how to live a positive life. To live a positive life can make us have enough resistance to our lives when facing various negative phenomena, so that we will not be affected by any negative phenomena.

So how can we improve the resistance to negative phenomena from the study of Buddha? That is, follow the Buddha's teaching well, internalize it into your own thinking, and implement it in your life.

Chinese: 如何从学佛中提升抗压性

Chapter 23: Wife is more than a prison

(Chapter 23) 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 23: Wife is more than a prison

The Buddha said, ”People are tied by wife and house, which is more than a prison. There is a date of the release for the jail. There is no thought of departure from the wife. Emotion and love about the erotic, how would they scare to offer the services? Even though the worry about the mouth of tiger exists, the heart is willing to be conquered. Throwing self into the mud and drowning self, that is why those people are called ordinary people. Those who can see through such door are the out-of-dust Arhat.

To have a wife is what a wonderful dream for each man. Many men are lost self in such dream. However, they awake in the suffering of marriage.

For the young man, that he thinks to have a wife is a normal thing. No one would question it. Even the old man, he also hopes to have a wife so that the wife can company with him and take care of him. To have a wife is what a wonderful dream for each man. Many men are lost self in such dream. However, they awake in the suffering of marriage. For the women, it is also the same. Marriage is like a siege. Those who are outside the siege hope to go into the siege. However, those who are inside the siege expect to escape from it.  

No matter man or woman, they hope to survive by relying on the marriage. Especially in the unfair society and the society of despising woman, if the women want to survive well, they have to depend on the capability, power and wealth of husband and his family. In other word, the women obtain the wealth and what she needs in life through marriage.

This is the controlled society by the males in order to maintain their power of control to the society. However, what they don’t know is that, they are also restraint by their own greed and desire, and to put them in the “jail” of marriage.

What urging men into the marriage are not their personal responsibility, but are their erotic desire.

   

Mostly, what urging men into the marriage are not their personal responsibility, but are their erotic desire. In the Asia, it is even the responsibility of their parents. That is because their parents want their son to increase the family's population, especially to have a boy, so that they can inherit the big family's interests.

Under such bias thought, the man is tied by the personal erotic desire and is led away and turned by his wife. The female knows how to use her advantage to control the man and to survive under such circumstance. It is thus formed as the shapeless jail for the man. 

Unfortunately, many people do not want to bear the big family’s responsibilities and the generated obligations, but want to enjoy the big family’s interests. So, we find a problem. In the family, the erotic desire and the greedy for fortune are existed in the husband and wife.

The husband would be conquered by his erotic desire and eager for his wife, and is thus willing to be a servant and slaver of his wife, even to be a “prisoner” in the siege of marriage.

If the wife focuses on money and values her own property too over, she would use her erotic to tie her husband so as to obtain any money and property. Then, the situation would become the arguing and fighting for her interests in the big family or in their own marriage. That is because that the wife wants to content her own greedy heart.

The husband would be thus conquered by his erotic desire and eager for his wife, and is thus willing to be a servant and slaver of his wife, even to be a “prisoner” in the siege of marriage. When the husband is in such situation, he even doesn’t care about his responsibility and obligations to his parents and his big family, even to the society and country. Then, the husband is lost self in his marriage, even to weaken his own intelligence. 

In the traditional society, the wife has no chance to work outside the family and earn her own money. How she survives is to get the money and property from his marriage. Even today, in the modern society, the wife who has the low ability to earn money would also use the way to control her husband so as to get the money and her property.

From a small prison (the marriage and family) to be a big prison (the unfair society)

And this also extends a problem. How a small house and the small property could content the husband’s and his wife’s desire? In the society, the husband is thus earning the more money to content his own and his wife’s desire. He occupies the important and special resources of the country and society, and even creates the unfair society or system through the decorated ideology, and even thus bullies others with the ridiculous reasons to make others people to be his servant and slaver.

Then, it becomes from a small prison (the marriage and family) to be a big prison (the unfair society). Many husbands want to content their own emotion and love to the erotic desire in the marriage. They have to thus become the “prisoners” in the unfair society, and to survive in the evil situation. Even to risk in life, to die, to go into the jail, they just only desire to earn more money.

That is why the Buddha said,” Even though the worry about the mouth of tiger exists, the heart is willing to be conquered.” That is, even though the erotic desire in the marriage and the evil in working environment are so dangerous as if the husbands are almost eaten by the mouth of tiger, they are also willing to risk it and to be the servant to offer any services for his wife.

What we have done and what we have thought would result in what the consequence which we have to bear.

How they scare about it? They don't scare it. The erotic desire is really to weaken those husbands’ intelligence and judgment. In other word, the erotic desire covers their natural wisdom, and affects their ability of thinking and reasoning. 

So the Buddha said that they are as throwing self into the mud and drowning self. What their erotic desire is the case to put them in danger, even to make them to die. What they have done and what they have thought would result in what the consequence which they have to bear. Thanks to they could not understand the reasons and the dangers as said above, that is why those people are called ordinary people.

However, once they could understand the reasons and dangers as said above, and could leave their erotic desire and such wife, they could get rid of any troubles and liberate self from any suffering, thus are the out-of-dust Arhat.

The dust here means troubles or suffering. Out-of-dust here means to get rid of or without of troubles and sufferings. Arhat is Sanskrit. It means one of the grades of learning Buddha.   

The most phenomena about emotion and love to the erotic in the marriage are belonged to and are concerned to the desire and the three poisons.

In Buddhism, we don't look at superficial phenomena. We also don’t look at the decorative and impermanent phenomenon. That is because that, behind of any phenomena, such as any negative phenomena in the marriage, is hidden the desire and the three poisons, even the five toxins. The three poisons are the invisible poisons, which is the heart of greed, hatred or resentment, and the stupid obsession.

The most phenomena about emotion and love to the erotic in the marriage are belonged to and are concerned to the desire and the three poisons. Such negative energy may be used to incur a lot of harm to self and others. The Buddha had carefully perceived it and always advised us to understand what the harm it would bring to us, and advised us not to indulge in the erotic desire and better to abandon it as possible as we can.

Only when we can reduce or abandon the self erotic desire, we can be a no-selfish person and think about others needs or troubles. When we help others people, it is also to help us at the same time. 

In Buddhism, no matter male or female, there are scholars or learners who not only have a marriage, but also learn Buddha well.

42 Chapters Said by Buddha is to teach the Buddhist monk how to liberate self from the suffering. The concept of chapter 23 is therefore on the stand of Buddhist monk and of the male. Even though we are not Buddhist monk, it is still valuable for us to understand and learn it.

The Buddha actually said a lot of concept to enlighten the wisdom of human beings. Chapter 23 is only one of them. Therefore, I hope that you do not be limited by the concept of this chapter. In Buddhism, there is also the scholar or learner who is not Buddhist monk. Those scholars or learners not only have a marriage, but also learn Buddha well. They are Bodhisattva, too. Such concept is also mentioned in many Buddhist Scripture.

Any concept in Buddhism, it is still applied to gender role substitutes. If the wife is more than a jail, the husband is too, which means the bad family makes people not free in mind and body. Of course, it is only the one concept from the many concepts. As a woman, I have to say, there is also a lot of virtue woman and wife who create a good family and make a good contribution to the society and country. They are deserved to discuss the issue of the society and country and to participate in politics. They would bring the society and country the more equal and peaceful social environment. 

Why Zen can be developed and flourished well in the history of China, but not in India?

Writer: Tao Qing Hsu

The origin of Zen is in India. Why Zen is not popular and not developed in India? If we do not understand the profoundly meaning of Zen, we would never know the answer.  

Zen is not equal to the meditation-sitting.

Some people think that Zen is equal to the meditation-sitting. This is to mistakenly understand the Zen. In fact, meditation-sitting is one of many ways to go into the gate of Zen. Furthermore, if we stubbornly persist in the name of Zen, we also mistakenly understand the Zen.  

When Buddha Shakyamuni was alive, he said that Buddhism will flourish in China. If we reference the culture of India to compare to the difference of culture of China, we will be easy to know why.

Caste System limits one’s mind and freedom.

In the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, Caste System has been existed in India. Even today, Caste System is still in India to affect everyone’s life. Caste System is a strongly class system. It has the strongly exclusivity. The same class can be intermarried. Different classes cannot be intermarried.

The lowest classes and the poorest persons cannot change their fates under the restraint of such social system. They and their future generations will be in the hereditary poverty. No matter what class they are, their mind and life is stubbornly tied by the concept of Caste System. 

The concept of the class opposition does not belong to the profoundly meaning of Buddhism.

In other word, Caste System made the society exist the mood of hostile and the contemptuous environment. Such strongly control system and the generated atmosphere as said could not empty and free their mind. The greedy mind is strongly existed in the rich people. And the hatred mind to the rich people would be strongly existed in the poor.

Under the circumstance, no matter which class they are, there is no flexibility and creation in their mind. In such society, there will be strongly existed the class opposition. The concept of the class opposition does not belong to the profoundly meaning of Buddhism. The profoundly meaning of Buddhism is to break the concept of any class opposition.

   

In the history of China, scholar, farmer, worker and businessman, these four classes can flow with each other.

In the history of China, there are four classes and which is classified by career. That is, scholar, farmer, worker and businessman. These four classes can flow with each other. Most scholars worked in the government and some of the scholars become the tutor. If people want to be the scholar, they have to pass the examination set by the government. Scholars are most respected by the public. The family background of scholars may come from any one of the four classes as said.

In the traditional education in China, to have the broad-minded and to accept the different human race is the important thought in the nobility. Even the farmer, the poor or the beggar, once they have any ability to be admired and create any merit to the country, they have the chance to be the nobility and to own the fortune someday.  

Rich people will not exceed three generations. The poor may step one into the sky.

In other word, it is possible for the rich or the poor to be changed at any time. The poor may become a rich person by running the business, defeating the enemy of the country or by passing the government examination and thus working in the government. If the rich people do the evil thing, it would become the poor at one night. That is why there is a saying, ” Rich people will not exceed three generations. The poor may step into the sky.”

Therefore, no matter in the political, literary, or in the industrial, there is a lot of flexibility and creation in the peoples’ mind in the history of China. Meanwhile, the Chinese people believe that they can change their fate by personal’s effort. Of course, the traditional Chinese politic and culture also provide such environment.

Such thought is very corresponding to the meaning of Buddhism. That is, as long as we will do the good thing, we will get the good repay from the god of heaven. However, once we do any evil thing, we could not avoid any punishment or evil retribution from the god of heaven.  

To empty and free the personal’s mind and to break the concept of class opposition is the profoundly meaning of Zen.

Therefore, in the history of China, it is possible to break the class opposition according to the personal’s effort. That is why it is possible for Chinese people to empty and free the personal’s mind and to break the concept of class opposition.

In a word, if there is a thought of binary opposition, it is impossible for us into the profoundly meaning of Zen. From comparing the different culture between India and China, we understand why Zen can be developed and flourished in the history of China, but not in India.

To self close the path of self-wealth is the result of self-injustice.

Writer: Tao Qing Hsu

There is a Chinese saying, ”There is the justice in the heaven and land. ” Since the ancient time of China, no matter the emperor or the citizen, once they can obey the justice of heaven and land to treat people, they believe that the god of heaven and land would not bring disaster to them. But, if they cannot obey the justice of heaven and land, it is impossible for them to avoid any disaster and punishment from the god of heaven and land.

Therefore, most people believe that, when we do the good thing, we will get the good repay from the heaven and land. However, if we do the evil thing, we will have the evil retribution. Even the nobility, the emperor, the officer, the boss and the businessman, they don’t dare to bully people. Once they own the evil heart to bully people, it is also the time to close their wealth, even to close their life.

The most Chinese people respect the heaven and land. That is because they believe that the gods of heaven and land represent the sentient beings. Meanwhile, the Chinese traditional virtue is the mercifulness. The Chinese people also believe that the gods of heaven and land are unified with human beings. Therefore, to respect the heaven and land is to respect the sentient beings. It is also meant to respect self. Such virtue is corresponding to the Buddhism. That is also one of the reasons that Buddhism can be developed well in the history of China.

Some people complain that why the god treats them unfairly or why they cannot get rid of the poverty. If we observe these people carefully, we can find that there is the self-injustice existed in their heart. Even though they use a lot of methods or words to cover it, or they decorate any phenomenon happened by the self-injustice, what they have done by self-injustice existed in their heart still can't escape heaven's eyes. To close the path of wealth is not from the god, but from the self. That is, to close the path of self-wealth is the result of self-injustice. We should be alert to this.

The Origin of Zen

Author: Tao Qing Hsu

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 smiles with comprehend about this.

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 imparting are delivered 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 “to include the all things”.

The true phenomenon is without phenomenon.

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 essence of Zen is speechless and no text.

The Indian Zen is from Mahakassapa to Dharma, which is totally imparted 28 generations. Dharma can speak and read in Chinese and he imparts Zen in China. He is respected as the first generation of Chinese Zen. From the first generation to the sixth generation in Chinese Zen, there is only one person who can be confirmed as the next enlightened Zen master in each generation. 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.

One flower with five leaves. The result is completed naturally.

In the worldly, there are golden-thread dresses and bowl to be used as Zen heritage tokens which stops to deliver by 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.

Our natural wisdom is speechless.

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.

Chapter 22: Money and erotic incur the affliction

(Chapter 22) 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 22: Money and erotic incur the affliction

The Buddha said,” That money and erotic for people can not be abandoned are such as honey on the blade of one knife which is not enough to be the perfect of one meal; when a child licks them, it would cause the trouble of cutting tongue. ” 

Personal ignorance and greed bring the harm and trouble to the self and others.

There is no one who does not like money. There is no man who does not like erotic. For seeking and obtaining money and erotic, people do not care about morality and justice. They even do not care about their responsibility for their family members, the public, the society, or the country. Such things can be observed from the history and the news, even around our daily life.

The worse is that such things would cause the chain structure of accomplice. And people may use the legislation or protocol to hide their intention. And such legislation or protocol even is made between one country and the other country.

The evil retributions because of harming others through money and erotic are also truly existed.

What we have observed and seen is that those who want to maintain their own money and erotic always threaten A and bully B, even to lie and twist the facts. What surprise us is that someone is also willing to cooperate with those persons in order to maintain theirs own money and erotic, too.

For those people, they do not know and even do not think that doing so would bring them the trouble. That is because they indulge in the illusory enjoyment of the moment and forget any danger after the enjoyment.

When I am young, I do not understand why such things can be existed in the world. And most good people can not do anything to change it. There is also unbalance emotion in my mind in that time. But, when I deeply observe the history and news, even to my daily life, I find that the retributions for such things are also actually existed.

Many people are suffering because of tangling in chasing money and erotic.

Why the money and erotic incur the affliction? It can be spoken in two parts. One is the retribution in the present life. And the other is the retribution in the next life.

Many people are suffering because of tangling in chasing money and erotic, and they may thus harm others purposely. But, they may not have such self perceiving. Some people may lose job unwillingly, become poorer or go into the jail, even to die. Even though they have a life, they still have to suffer in their life.

Before their dying, they may have ever experienced threatening and panic, even to violence. That is the retribution in their present life. Unfortunately, they even do not know they would be died for such reasons. Once they have dead, their souls directly goes into one of the three evil ways and are suffering there. That is the retribution in their next life.

The fortune and nobility are pursued in the danger.

There is a Chinese saying, ”The fortune and nobility are pursued in the danger. ” Which means that, if people want to pursue the wealthy and noble life, they must have the preparing to lost their life and job, even to take the risk to make crime. Even though they may know that, they still will to risk it.

Why? In the history, the population in China is very large, the unfair is always existed in the society, and the generated wealth and the authority are so attractive. If they want to be the top or the wealthy person from the large population, it is not count on their merit and virtue, but any risk in life. And the money and erotic is the best tool to get the wealth and the authority.  

Money and erotic is sweet as honey. Everyone would like to taste it. However, most people do not know that the honey is on the blade of one knife and can not let us eat enough. Those persons are like the ignorant children to lick the knife's honey and let their tongue to be cut. In other word, they many become the stepping stones of those who desire to be the top and wealthy person.

Pursuing money and erotic is coming from the greedy nature and heart.

No matter the persons become the stepping stones or the persons who have step on the stones to be the top or wealthy one, pursuing money and erotic is coming from the greedy nature. Greedy nature is one of the three poisons which can harm the self and others.

Some evil people not only indulge in such poison but also use such poison to control or threaten others. And its spread damages are beyond our imagination, for example, the biochemical weapon damage. Such damage is global. It not only causes the large death of human beings, but also causes the huge economic loss. It is the Invisible poison and its harm is more beyond than the tangible poison.

In a country, the government may arrest suspect or held accountable who make a mistake because of greedy nature. But, in the international politic, there is no international law which can punish those who cause any large disasters and economic loss in the world because of their greedy nature.

What the Buddha has seen is the mind and true heart inside, not the decorated phenomenon.

The Buddha also observed about this. Any artificial law or agreement may be twisted, despised, fake, bias, or fraud. However, in Buddhism, the retribution through personal reasons and conditions are impossible to be twisted, bias or fraud. Why? That is because what the Buddha has seen is the mind and true heart inside, not the phenomenon which is decorated.

When we understand it, we know that we would not violate our good nature to do evil things. When we do not lie to self, we do not lie to the Buddha and the public.

The ignorant person may lie to the world. But, it can not lie to the Buddha. So, it is better for us to be a wise person and be humble front the Buddha.

When we have such common sense, we would not be bind in following money and erotic, and would not use them to do the evil things, and would never be exploited, controlled or threatened by others. Under the circumstances, we would be the true free person and make sure that our destiny is on the bright way.