Comments On Buddhist Sutras P3 P1 P2 P4
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra 28th January 2000
In Buddhism and Hinduism, the scriptures spoke of the three worlds, namely the heavenly world, the human world and the world of hell. You do not have to worry about these three worlds because the final world is the human world, as all the others will have to come back for the final salvation for the next transformation which no one knows. The human world is the most important because the man when he cultivates self, he is also helping his dead ancestors to upgrade, whether in the heaven world or nether world. Keep this in mind, when you meditate and eat vegetarian food, you are not only helping yourself, but help your family and your line of ancestor up to the 9th generations.
This sutra is a bit long. I may skip some part. As I have said, a sutra is a sermon, so for the story in a sutra, I treat it as parable.
Ch 1- Ubiquitous Supernatural Powers of the Exalted Buddha at Trayastrimsa Heaven
Thus have I heard : At one time the World-Honored One sojourned at the Trayastrimsa or Tavatimsa Heaven and was preaching on His mother's behalf. At that time, innumerable Buddha and Maha-Bodhisattvas from infinite world-systems in the ten quarters of space convened harmoniously, admiring the fully Enlightened One, Sakyamuni, for His transcendental wisdom and Infinite powers in guiding erring beings to understand the dissimilarity between the basis of happiness and sorrow in the world. They all escorted their attendants to offer homage to the Honored One. ('Thus have I heard' is once upon a time; so it is telling you a story which is may be a parable. As Buddha was giving the sermon, so how can He be at Trayastrimsa Heaven? Use your brain, stupid!)
The Honored One smiled and radiated multi-radiant beams of infinite compassion, supreme wisdom, benevolence, etc., despatching forth into space sounds of the six paramitas; sounds of infinite compassion; sounds of charity; sounds of emancipation; sounds of bliss; sounds of transcendental wisdom; emitting lion-roars; emitting great lion-roars; emitting thunderous sounds; and a great number of other indescribable sounds. Many beings from the ten quarters of space in this world and additional worlds had assembled jointly at Trayastrimsa Heaven. They approached from celestial worlds such as the Catur-meharaja-kayikas --the four Heavens of the four deva king, Trayastrimsa Heaven, Tusita Heaven, Nirmamarati Heaven, Paranirmita-vasavartin Heaven, Brahmaparisadya Heaven, Brahmapurohitas Heaven, Mahabrahman Heaven and from numerous other Heavens.
All devas, spirits and dragons from the seas had combined together, as also beings from various worlds and this human world, such as spirits of the sea, storms, rivers, trees, hills, earth, springs, spirits of the fields, day, night, spirits of the empty spaces, the skies, of drink and food, spirits of the grass and woods, and all the other spirit. Likewise, there came beings from different worlds and the human one; such beings as great kings of pretas, asuras, succubus pretas, pretas spirits of sickness, the pretas of poison, the kings of the pretas of joy and prosperity, the kings of pretas of carnal love and prestige and many pretas and kings of pretas had gathered happily together.
At that time, Sakyamuni Buddha told Manjuri, Prince of the Dharma: "Now you perceive by mental vision all the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, devas, dragons, pretas and spirits from this and other worlds from this country including other lands are assembled together in this Trayastrimsa Heaven. Do you know the Precis number of them all?"
Manjuri told the Buddha, "O World Honored One, even though I have enormous powers developed through innumerable kalpas, I am not well acquainted with the exact number."
The Buddha told Manjuri, "Even though I behold through the eyes of a Buddha, I, too, am unable to disclose to you the accurate number of all these deities. They are all those whom Ksitigarbha has converted and capable guided from long, long ago. Some are to be received and directed by him in the future."
Manjuri told the Buddha, "O Honored of the World, I have long practiced meritorious deeds and long ago attained unobstructed wisdom. Undeniably, I will trust your words, but those who pursue the Arahat path, the path of Heavens, the worship of dragons, and many beings who will be born in future will be doubtful and reluctant to adopt what you have strongly emphasized as the truth. Devas, nagas, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, kinnaras, mahorags, and other of the eight classes with humans to be born in the future will be filled with suspense and hesitant although you have pronounced the truth most zealously. If you compel them to believe, they will instead seek to spread evil of the Teaching. Thereupon, I earnestly anticipate that the Honored of the World will narrate to us the original vows of this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva as he commenced his Bodhisattva career and how he labored to gain such inconceivable success and authority."
The Buddha told Manjuri, "Suppose that every blade of grass, wood, forest, paddy-field, hill, stone, dust-mote, every material thing -- though numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and though each sand-grain is one world and each dust-mote is one kalpa and all numbers are reversed into kalpas, that which he has done to accomplish the Dasablumi --(ten stages of the fifty two sections of development) even though they are more than can be manifested by words, they are surpassed by the deeds of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattvas in his Arahat and Pratyoka Buddha stages."
"Manjuri, this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, his vows and his powers, are indeed inconceivable. If beings, both male and females, to be born in the future, shall listen to and hail the name of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, institute homage to Ksitigarbha by chanting his name, communicating offerings to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and draw or carve his image or make likenesses of him, (this gives the impression it is honorable, but it is of the lower class of self cultivation.) all these beings shall be born for one hundred births into a special heaven, this is the Indra Trayastrimsa Heaven, the second of the six Heavens of formation, and shall never descend into the three evil states forever."
"Manjuri, this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had been the son of a respected elder of unaccountable kalpas ago. At the time when he established his first resolve there was a Buddha by the name of Lion-Power. The youth examined with awe on the majestic appearance of the Buddha and questioned what he had conducted as a Bodhisattva and what vow he had performed to accomplish such a divine appearance. The Buddha imparted to the youth, 'If you want to gain such an appearance, you must attempt your utmost to relieve the sufferings of all sorrowful beings and continue this practice for a long, long time.'" Then the Sakyamuni Buddha told Manjuri that the Buddha Lion-Power had counseled the youth to decide on a vow, as follows --"I now determine to relieve the sufferings of beings in the six realms of suffering and sorrow, skillfully leading them to Salvation through innumerable kalpas, before I myself attain Buddhahood." By the youth disciplining such a strong vow before the Buddha Lion-Power, thereupon, for unaccountable kalpas, he has remained in the Bodhisattva stage. (You have to understand, before Buddhism came, all the Vedics literatures in India were on Hinduism. So which Hindu Gods or sages Sakyamuni Buddha was referring to? You are stupid if you cannot understand this. The reference is only a parable.)
Again, there was another Buddha, at a time inconceivably long ago, who was named Buddha of Flower of Meditation and Enlightenment and who survived to a very great age of millions of kalpas. There are three stages for discharging respect to a Buddha: a) to the Buddha incarnate, [the Buddha innate (mark) in the self, not what the Tibetans belief in Dalai Lama (this is the first class of cultivation and by meditation only)] b) to his image (the second class of cultivation, to me it is the third class) and c) a declaration of faith and respect. (this should be the second class if you do not pray to images of Buddha and others.) At the second stage of offering respect to a Buddha, there was a Brahman girl who had in past ages practiced great benevolences. Apart from being respected and honored by people, she had also been bestowed with relief and protection from devas ever since the beginning of her career of charity. But her mother refused to respect the truth of the Dharma and always uttered evil against the Triple-gems. Although the 'Sacred Daughter,' as she was called, subjected herself to excessive persuasion over her mother to embrace Right Understanding, the mother was thickly prejudiced against her daughter's counsel and guidance.
When the mother died, she was reborn in the Avici Hell (hell of unceasing sufferings), the last of the eight hot Hells where punishment continued without intermission. The Brahman girl was fully aware that her mother did not accord to the Doctrine of Cause and Effect and committed many evils in her life; by such bad deeds, therefore, she would surely sink into evil birth in the lower Hells of intense sufferings. Conscious of this Karma, the daughter parted with all her property and belongings by the offering of flowers and other forms of offering at the temple or pagoda of the Buddha of Flower of Meditation and Enlightenment. The image of the Buddha therein was magnificently carved and was to be admired in all appearances. She insinuated deep respect to this Buddha and sought reasoning solely by herself, 'This Buddha is fully enlightened and all-pervading in wisdom. If he were still embodied in this world of manifestation, I would request of him where my mother has been cast. I feel sure He would know the exact realm of her person.' After such a thought, she knelt before the Buddha's image and was in a most tearful disposition for a considerable length of time.
Suddenly, she contacted a voice from outer space, addressing her thus, "Sacred Girl, whimper not so sorrowfully. I will impart to you where your mother has gone." The Brahman girl clasped her hands in deep respect and replied to the voice, "What divine being will relieve me of my worries and apprehensions? Since my mother's death, I have been remembering her from day and night in prayers but fail to discover where she is being reborn." Then the voice responded to her filial love. "I am the Buddha whom you are now leading your Faith to and I am aware of your devotion to your mother which is quite different from that of other children; thereby, I am here to enlighten you about her." When the Brahman girl took heed of this, she fell to the ground and again wept bitterly in an almost endless state. She feared that she would soon perish from the human world and implored the Buddha to avail her anxiety as to where her mother had been reborn. The Buddha replied, "Sacred Girl, after your offering, return home early, be seated down and compose yourself in meditation, then concentrate on my name quietly and you will then cherish the idea of associating where your mother is."
When the Brahman girl had finished paying homage, she went home and did as she had been instructed. After meditating for a day and night, (meditation is stressed here and it was 24 hours) she suddenly found herself on a great shore. She beheld many fierce iron-skinned animals hurrying back and forth, up and down, East and West in a boiling sea. She also saw thousands and millions of men and women emotionally moving among the waves of the sea, attempting to escape from the cruel monsters with iron skins. Moreover, she attested Yaksas (demons on earth, or in the air, or in the lower planes which are malignant, violent and carnivorous. They have many feet, eyes and heads and have sword-like teeth). These Yaksas were driving the poor men and women angrily. The sight was so dreadful that the girl dared not prolong her gaze although by the power of the Buddha, she was not struck with any fear for herself. At that time, there existed a king of the sea-devils named "King No-poison" (the poison caused by either actions, words and thoughts) who revealed his hospitality to her and entertained her saying, "Sacred Girl, you are a good Bodhisattva, why do you venture to come to such a place like this?" The Brahman girl then requested for the name of the place. The poison-less Devil King told the girl, "This is Mahachakravala (the first great sea in the West). The girl replied, "I was directed that there is a Hell in the interior of this great circular iron enclosure. Is this true?" King No-poison replied, "Yes, this is true." Then the girl asked, "Why is it that I have come to Hell?" King No-poison interpreted that it was either through the power of the Buddha or through her own good Karmic power as otherwise she would never be able to have a visit to Mahachakravala. The girl then queried why the water of the great ocean was boiling and with so many sinners and fierce animals within.
29th January 2000
Then King No-poison answered, "Those sinners are the new Deaths from the human world. After having passed away for forty-nine days with no descendents to do good deed to relieve them from their sufferings and as a result of their having raised nothing for the benefit of humanity during their life-time but that of only committing sins in one way or other, their first punishment is to cross this Sea of Suffering which extends ten million miles eastwards. there is another Sea, where sinners suffer double punishments. East of this latter Sea in view is yet another Sea of Suffering where sinners suffer extreme tortures. The above three Seas are called Seas of Sufferings. Those who have committed sins through actions, words and thoughts, are cast into these Seas to be punished as they should be, for their evil deeds."
The Sacred Girl asked King No-poison, "Where is Hell?" King No-poison answered, "Within the three Seas of Sufferings, there are thousands of varieties of Hell. There are eighteen great Hells and five hundred smaller ones where sinners have to undergo boundless punishments. Also, there are thousands of others where leniency is bestowed on all those who have not committed too serious offences during their life-time."
The Sacred Girl said to King No-poison, "My mother has passed away recently. I am anxious to know where she has been sent to." King No-poison questioned the Sacred Girl, "What have your mother done during her life-time?" The Sacred Girl replied, "My mother, during her life-time, had envious views of the Triple-gems and had spoken evil against them. Many a time, she did strive to embrace Faith in the Exalted Buddha, but was insufficiently firm over it. She expired only a few days ago, and I have no idea where she is at the moment."
King No-poison asked, "What is your mother's name?" The Sacred Girl responded, "Both my parents were Brahmans. The name of my father was Sila Sen-sen and the name of my mother was Yuet Tee-li."
King No-poison answered the Sacred Girl with clasped hands and said, "My Sacred Girl, pray do not feel distressed and return home with a joyful heart as your mother has ascended to Heaven just three days ago. It was your earnest and filial devotion of making offering to the Buddha of Flower of Meditation and enlightenment that your mother was relieved. Not only did your mother receive deliverance from Hell, but all sinners of the Avici Hell also benefited from it for they ascended to Heaven on the same day." After intimating to the sacred Girl of her mother's Salvation, the King of the Devils retreated with clasped hands. With this enlightening message about her mother, the Sacred Girl felt that her earlier fears were unfounded. She then knelt before the Buddha of Flower of Meditation and Enlightenment and expressed this strong vow, "I shall exercise my best to relieve people of their suffering forever in my future lives of kalpas to come."
Sakyamuni Buddha then told Manjuri Bodhisattva that the King of the Devils, No-poison, is now the Bodhisattva of Wealth and that the Sacred Girl has been named Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The above stories tell us to cultivate ourselves in order to uplift the spirituality of our ancestors. There is no need to pray to ancestors at home or at the cemetery. It is best to cremate the dead bodies and throw the ashes in the sea or over land as land-fills. The three seas of Hell and triple-gems are indicative of our eyes and the mark in between, just like Amita Buddha with two Bodhisattvas at the sides. When you meditate with a thoughtless mind, you will be at the happy world of the West. If your mind thinks of evil, you are in the Seas of Hell. Heaven and Hell are the manifestation of our mind.
Ch 2 - The Assembly of the Transformation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Just at that time, an unaccountable number of transformations of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva from Hells of numerous universe assembled at Trayastrimsa heaven under the Ubiquitous Supernatural Powers of the Exalted Buddha and an unaccountable number of others who being spared of their sufferings, also came to the same place holding flowers and joss-sticks in their hands to pay homage to the Honored of the World. These beings had at the time been suffering endlessly, from kalpas to kalpas, in the ocean of birth and death. Through the great compassion and strong vows of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, they were converted by him and thus attained Buddha-hood. They all assembled at the Trasyastrimsa Heaven and conveyed their fullest respect and admiration to the Honored of the World by gazing at him attentively.
Sakyamuni Buddha extended His golden arms to bless the unaccountable transformations of the Ksitigarbha and said, "You are truly to be commended for having successfully converted so many human beings to real Salvation. In fact, I have adapted myself to innumerable transformations to lead all beings, either intelligent or ignorant, to righteousness and truth by all means. Although I have tried my utmost to convert the erring ones from this world of sufferings, I could see that there might be one or two out of ten who are still sinful. I ask you to seek transformations of other Buddha to convert them in all possible ways and means. There are without doubt intelligent ones who are likely to be converted after my preaching and attain Buddha-hood by my persuasion to practice good deeds, but unintelligent wrong doers can only be converted after a lengthy period of preaching. For the stubborn ones, it is useless to expect any respect or faith from them. In spite of all the obstacles, I had endeavored to convert these miserable creatures and lead them to real Salvation by performing different transformations. I performed transformation as males, females, devas, spirits, devils, mountains, forests, streams, rivers, pools or anything to bring benefit upon human beings and to convert them all without any exception. Again, I transformed into Kings or Emperors of Heaven, Brahmans or Rulers of Continents, followers of the Buddha, Kings of countries, Prime-ministers, officials of high ranks, Bhikkhus or Bhikkhunis, Upasakas, Upasikas, Saravakas, Arahats, Pacceka Buddha or Bodhisattvas to convert mankind. (These two sentences can only mean all the sutras' stories. If you take it as face value, you are stupid.) Not only did I convert people in the form of the Buddha, but you should recollect how strenuously I have lived from kalpas to kalpas (will you be able to know this truth?) with unremitting toil to convert even stubborn beings to Salvation. Stubborn ones can still be found, and if they are cast into Hell for punishment you should remember how I request you to work earnestly to lift them [this means all human beings whether good or evil (so we are all going to be saved)] to Buddha-hood and Enlightenment till the next Buddha, by the name Maitreya Buddha, (the prediction of the coming One, could be me) will be born to this world."
The other chapters are mostly secondary as they stressed more on paying homage to images of Buddha, Bodhisattvas etc., chanting mantras, giving alms etc. These forms of cultivation are of the lower classes. I would like to quote some sentences to stress some important points.
From chapter 3 -- At the time Queen Maha Maya, mother of the Buddha, asked Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva respectfully with clasped hands. (The mother of Sakyamuni Buddha died when He was borne. So how can she be at the gathering? This could be only a parable.)
From chapter 7 -- I hope the Honored of the world, devas, dragons, asuras, pretas, mahorages, humans and sub-humans will all endeavor to persuade the dwellers in Jambudvipa not to commit sin by killing or any other deed of evil, such offering living sacrifices to spirits or gods on behalf of their departed ones.
Why should you not kill? Because your deed of offering blood-sacrifice will not give even the smallest benefit to the deceased, but will actually increase their sufferings. Their future woe will be more severe as the result of this bloodshed. If the deceased have done some good deeds during life that would help them to a heavenly birth or again as a human, but the evil acts performed on their behalf by relatives will act against their welfare and delay their progress towards liberation. (Many Chinese are so stupid to place slaughtered pig, chick, duck and fish etc before their deceased coffins as respect to them. This idiotic practice should be abolished.)
From chapter 8 -- After the interesting discourse, the Devil-king, who is in charge of the longevity of people's lives, rose up from the assembly and spoke to Sakyamuni Buddha, "My Honored of the World, it is my duty to be in charge of the longevity of human beings in the human world, either during their life-time or after their death. It is my earnest wish to bring benefit and happiness to human beings, but I observe with sadness that many of the human beings do not realize my intention to relieve them. As a result, evil ones are not at peace during their life-time or after death. When people in the human world are expecting birth of a boy or girl, they should practice meritorious deeds, for such good deeds bring benefit and happiness to the family. My followers and spirits of that place will not only protect both the mother and the newly born child, but will bestow upon them and their relatives great peace and happiness joyfully. For this reason, when a child is born to a family, it is desirable not to kill any animals as supplement for any tonic to the mother or to invite friends or relatives in the child's honor by offering or entertaining them with wine, meat and music. Such ways of celebrating the birth of a child will never bring happiness to both the mother and the child. ETC (Another stupid practice by Chinese and others.)
The Sutra of Forty-Two Sections 14th Feb 2000
When the World-honored had become Enlightened, he reflected thus:--"To abandon desire and rest in perfect quietude is the greatest of victories. To remain in a state of complete abstraction is to overcome the ways of all the evil ones." In the Royal Deer Park, he expounded the Doctrine of the Four Noble Truths, converting Kaundinya and four others, and thus manifesting the fruit of the Way. There were frequently monks who voiced their doubts and asked the Buddha to resolve them, so the World Honored taught and commanded them, until, one by one, they became Enlightened and, bringing their hands together in respectful agreement, prepared to follow the sacred commands.
1. The Buddha said: "Those who, taking leave of their families and adopting the homeless life, know the nature of their minds and reach to what is fundamental, thus breaking away (from the phenomenal and attaining to) the un-phenomenal, are called Sramanas. They constantly observe the two hundred and fifty precepts, entering into and abiding in perfect quietude. By working their way through the four stages of progress, they become Arhans, who possess the powers of levitation and transformation, as well as the ability to prolong their lives for many aeons and to reside or move about anywhere in heaven or earth. Below them come the Anagamins who, at the end of a long life, ascend in spirit to the nineteen heavens and become Arhats. Then come the Sakridagamins who must ascend one step and be reborn once more before becoming Arhans. There are also the Srota-apanas who cannot become Arhans until they have passed through nine more rounds of birth and death. One who has put an end to his longings and desires is like a man who, having no further use for his limbs, never uses them again."
This first section is no more practical. Only those who still want to have spiritual powers can do so. Now is the period of family cultivation. You need not have to leave your wife and children to become a monk. You cultivate for your family and country, not like the monk who only thinks of himself.
2. The Sramana who, having left home, puts an end to his desires and drives away his longings, knowing the source of his own mind, penetrates to the profound principles of Buddha-hood. He awakes to the non-phenomenal, clinging to nothing within and seeking for nothing from without. His mind is not shackled with dogmas, nor is he enmeshed by karma. Pondering nothing and doing nothing, practicing nothing and manifesting nothing, without passing through all the successive stages, he (nevertheless) reaches the loftiest of all. This is what is meant by "The Way."
You will be considered a Buddha in an instance by doing those verses I underline. "The Way" or Truth is to know the Self; the method is meditation and faith.
3. The Buddha said: "He who has shorn his locks and beard to become a Sramana and has accepted the Doctrine of the Way, abandons everything of worldly value and is satisfied by the food he obtains by begging, eating but once a day. If there is a tree under which to rest, he desires nothing else. Longings and desires are what make men stupid and darken their minds."
4. The Buddha said: "There are ten things by which beings do good and ten by which they do evil. What are they? Three are performed with the body, four with the mouth and three with the mind. The (evils) performed with the body killing, stealing and unchaste deeds; those with the mouth are duplicity, slandering, lying and idle talk; those with the mind are covetousness, anger and foolishness. These ten are not in keeping with the holy Way and are called the ten evil practices. Putting a stop to all of them is called performing the ten virtuous practices."
5. The Buddha said: "If a man has all kinds of faults and does not regret them, in the space of a single heart-beat retribution will suddenly fall upon him and, as water returning to the sea, will gradually become deeper and wilder. (But), if a man has faults and, becoming aware of them, changes for the better, retribution will melt away into nothingness of its own accord, as the danger of a fever gradually abates once perspiration has set in."
6. The Buddha said: "If an evil man, on hearing of what is good, comes and creates a disturbance, you should hold peace. You must not angrily upheld him; then he who has come to curse you will merely harm himself." (cause and effect)
7. The Buddha said: "There was one who heard that I uphold the Way and practice great benevolence and compassion. On this account, he came to scold me, but I remained silent and did not retort. When he had finished scolding me, I said, 'Sir, if you treat another with courtesy and he does not accept it, does not the courtesy rebound to you?' He replied that it does and I continued: "Now you have just cursed me and I did not accept your curses, so the evil which you yourself did has now returned and fallen upon you. For a sound accords with the noise that produced it and the reflection accords with the form. In the end there will be no escape, so take care lest you do what is evil." (cause and effect)
8. The Buddha said: "An evil man may wish to injure the Virtuous Ones and, raising his head, spit towards heaven, but the spittle, far from reaching heaven, will return and descend upon himself. An unruly wind may raise the dust, but the dust does not go elsewhere; it remains to contaminate the wind. Virtue cannot be destroyed, while evil inevitably destroys itself."
9. The Buddha said: "Listen avidly to and cherish the Way. The Way will certainly be hard to reach. Maintain your desire to accept it humbly, for the Way is mighty indeed."
10. The Buddha said: "Observe those who bestow (knowledge of) the Way. To help them is a great joy and many blessings can thus be obtained." A Sramana asked: "Is there any limit to such blessing?" The Buddha replied: "They are like the fire of a torch from which hundreds and thousands of people light their own torches. The (resulting) light eats up the darkness and that torch is the origin of it all. Such is the nature of those blessings."
11. The Buddha said: "To bestow food on a hundred bad men is not equal to bestowing food on one good one. Bestowing food on a thousand good men is not equal to bestowing food on one who observes the five precepts. Bestowing food on ten thousand who observe the five precepts is not equal to bestowing food on one Srota-apana. Bestowing food on a million Srota-apana is not equal to bestowing food on one Sakrdagamin. Bestowing food on ten million Sakrdagamins is not equal to bestowing food on one Anagamin. Bestowing food on a hundred million Anagamins is not equal to bestowing food on one Arhan. Bestowing food on a thousand million Arhans is not equal to bestowing food on one Pratyeka Buddha. Bestowing food on ten thousand million Pratyeka Buddha is not equal to bestowing food on one of the Buddha of the Triple World. (These are living Buddha and they are not worth more than the Mark on our forehead.) Bestowing food on a hundred thousand million Buddha of the Triple World is not equal to bestowing food on one who ponders nothing, does nothing, practices nothing and manifests nothing." (The Mark on the forehead. It is not worth praying to a living Buddha, what more to Buddha made of wood, stone, metal, paper and cloth etc.)12. The Buddha said: "There are twenty things which are hard for human beings:-- It is hard to practice charity when one is poor. It is hard to study the Way when occupying a position of great authority. (talkingabout politicians) It is hard to surrender life at the approach of inevitable death. It is hard to get an opportunity of reading the sutras. It is hard to be born directly into Buddhist surroundings. It is hard to bear lust and desire (without yielding to them). It is hard to see something attractive without desiring it. It is hard to bear insult without making an angry reply. It is hard to have power and not to pay regard to it. (abuse of power) It is hard to come into contact with things and yet remain unaffected by them. It is hard to study widely and investigate everything thoroughly. It is hard to overcome selfishness and sloth. It is hard to avoid making light of not having studied (the Way) enough. It is hard to keep the mind evenly balanced. It is hard to refrain from defining things as being something or not being something. (like parable) It is hard to come into contact with clear perception (of the Way). It is hard to perceive one's own nature and (through such perception) to study the Way. (most are stupid) It is hard to help others towards Enlightenment according to their various needs. It is hard to see the end (of the Way) without being moved. It is hard to discard successfully (the shackles that bind us to the wheel of life and death) as opportunities present themselves."13. A Sramana asked the Buddha: "By what method can we attain the knowledge of how to put a stop to life (in the phenomenal sphere) and come in contact with the Way?" The Buddha answered: "By purifying the mind and preserving the will (to struggle onwards) you can come in contact with the Way just as, when a mirror is wiped, the dust falls off and the brightness remains. By eliminating desires and seeking for nothing (else), you should be able to put a stop to life (in the phenomenal sphere)."
14. A Sramana asked the Buddha: "What is goodness and what is greatness?" The Buddha replied: "To follow the Way and hold to what is true is good. When the will is in conformity with the Way, that is greatness."
15. A Sramana asked the Buddha: "What is great power and what is the acme of brilliance?" The Buddha answered: "To be able to bear insult (without retort) implies great power. He that does not cherish cause for resentment, but remains calm and firm equally (under all circumstances), and who bears all things without indulging in abuse will certainly be honored by men. The acme of brilliance is reached when the mind is utterly purged of impurities and nothing false or foul remains (to besmirch) its purity. When there is nothing, from before the formation of heaven and earth until now or in any of the ten quarters of the universe which you have not seen, heard and understood; when you have attained to a knowledge of everything, that may be called brilliance."
16. Men who cherish longings and desires are those who have not perceived the Way. Just as, if clear water be stirred up with the hand, none of those looking into it will perceive their reflection, so men in whose minds filth has been stirred up by longings and desires will not perceive the Way. You Sramanas must abandon longings and desires. When the filth of longings and desires has been entirely cleared away, then only will you be able to perceive the Way."
17. The Buddha said: "With those who have perceived the Way, it is thus. Just as, when one enters a dark house with a torch, the darkness is dissipated and only light remains, so, by studying the Way and perceiving the truth, ignorance is dissipated and insight remains for ever."
18. The Buddha said: "My Doctrine implies thinking of that which is beyond thought, performing that which is beyond performance, speaking of that which is beyond words and practicing that which is beyond practice. Those who can come up to this, progress, while the stupid regress. The way which can be expressed in words stops short; there is nothing which can be grasped. If you are wrong by so much as the thousandth part of a hair, you will lose (the Way) in a flash." (individual experience. If you don't meditate, you cannot experience it.)
19. The Buddha said: "Regard heaven and earth and consider their impermanence. Regard the world and consider its impermanence. Regard spiritual awakening as Bodhi. This sort of knowledge leads to speedy Enlightenment."
20. The Buddha said: "You should ponder on the fact that, though each of the four elements of which the body is made up has a name, they none of them (constitute any part of) the real self. In fact, the self is non-existent, like a mirage."
21. The Buddha said: "There are people who, following the dictates of their feelings and desires, seek to make a name for themselves, but, by the time that name resounds, they are already dead. those who hunger for a name that shall long be remembered in the world and who do not study the Way strive vainly and struggle for empty forms, just as burning incense, though others perceive its pleasant smell, is itself being burnt up, so (desires) bring the danger of fire which can burn up your bodies in their train.
22. The Buddha said: "Wealth and beauty, to a man who will not relinquish them, are like a knife covered with honey, even before he has had the pleasure of eating the honey, cuts the tongue of the child that licks it."
23. The Buddha said: "People who are tied to their wives, children and homes are worse off than prisoners. A prisoner will be released sooner or later, but wives and children have no thought of betaking themselves off. Why fear to rid yourselves immediately of the longing for physical beauty? (Otherwise), you are tamely submitting to the jaws of a tiger and deliberately allowing yourselves to drown in the quicksand into which you have fallen, thus meriting the name of 'simple fellows.' If you can reach the point (of abandoning such things), you will rise from the dust and become Arhans." (not practical now)
24. The Buddha said: "Of all longings and desires, there is none stronger than sex. Sex as a desire has no equal. Rely on the (universal) One-ness. No one under heaven is able to become a follower of the Way if he accepts dualism." (Cultivation in a family, you cannot abandon wife, so when your wife does not ask for sex, you have come very near to Spiritual Self.)
25. The Buddha said: "Those who (permit themselves) longings and desires are like a man who walks in the teeth of the wind carrying a torch. Inevitably, his hands will be burnt.
26. The gods bestowed the jade girl upon me, hoping to shake my determination. I said: 'O skin bag, full of every kind of filth! For what have you come here? Go! I do not need you.' Then the gods paid me profound reverence and, as they asked me to expound the Way, I enlightened them and they became Srota-apanas as a result."
27. The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like a piece of wood in the water, which floats along, touching neither bank, and which is neither picked up by men, intercepted by the gods, hindered by floating scum, nor rots upon the way. I am prepared to undertake that such a piece of wood will certainly reach the sea. If those who study the Way are not misled by their feelings and desires, not disturbed by any sort of depravity, and, if they earnestly advance towards the un-phenomenal, I am prepared to undertake that they will certainly attain to the Way."
28. The Buddha said: "Be careful not to depend on your own intelligence--it is not to be trusted. Take care not to come in contact with physical attractions--such contacts result in calamities. Only when you have reached the stage of Arhan can you depend on your own intelligence."
29. The Buddha said: "Take care to avoid looking on the beauty of women and do not converse with them. If you do (have occasion to) converse with them, control the thoughts which run through your minds. When I was a Sramana and came in contact with the impure world, I was like the lotus which remains unsullied by the mud (from which it grows). think of old women as of your mothers, of those older than yourselves as of your elder sisters, of those younger than yourselves as of your younger sisters, and of the very young ones as your daughters. Dwell on thoughts of Enlightenment and banish all evil ones."
30. The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like straw which must be preserved from fire. A follower of the Way who experiences desire must put a distance between himself and (the object of his) desire."
31. The Buddha said: "There was one who indulged his sexual passions unceasingly but who wished, of his own accord, to put an end to his evil actions. I said to him: 'To put a stop to these evil actions will not be so good as to put a stop to (the root of the evil) in your mind. The mind is like Kung Ts'ao. If Kung Ts'ao desists, his followers will stop also. If mental depravities continue, what is the use of putting an end to evil actions?' I then repeated this verse for him: "Desire springs from your thoughts, thought springs from discernment (of matter). When the two minds are both stilled, there is neither form nor action.' I added that this verse was first spoken by Kasyapa Buddha." (How to put a stop? By meditation!)
32. The Buddha said: "The sorrows of men come from their longings and desires. Fear comes from these sorrows. If freedom from desire is attained, what (cause for) grief and fear will remain?"
33. The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like one who has to fight ten thousand and who, putting on his armor, steps out of the gate. His thoughts may be timorous and his resolution weak, or he may (even) get half-way to the battle-ground and then turn round and flee. Again, he may join battle and be slain. On the other hand, he may gain victory and return. The Sramana who studies the Way must have a resolute mind and zealously build up his courage, fearing nothing that lies before him and destroying all the demons (of temptation that stand in his way), that he may obtain the fruit (of diligently studying) the Way."
34. One night, a Sramana was intoning "The Sutra of the Teaching Bequeathed by Kasyapa Buddha." The sound of his voice was mournful, for he thought repentantly of his back-sliding, born of desire. The Buddha asked him: "What did you do before you became a monk?" "I used to like playing the lute," he replied. "What happened," said the Buddha, "when you loosened the strings?" "They made no sound." "And when you pulled them taut?" "The sounds were brief." "And how was it when they were neither taut nor loose?" "Then all the sounds were normal," replied the Sramana. To this the Buddha said: "It is the same with a Sramana studying the Way. If his mind is properly adjusted, he can attain to it, but if he forces himself towards it, his mind will become weary and, on account of the weariness of his mind, his thoughts will become irritable. With such irritable thoughts, his actions will retrogress and, with such retrogression, evil will enter his mind. But if he studies quietly and happily, he will not lose the Way."
35. The Buddha said: "If a man smelts iron until all impurities have been eliminated (before proceeding to) make implements with it, the implements will be of fine quality. If one who studies the Way first purges his heart of all foul influences, his actions will then become pure."
36. The Buddha said: It is hard for one to leave the grosser forms of incarnation and be born a human being. It is harder for such a one to escape being a woman and be born a man.(man is superior over woman) It is hard for such a one to be born with all his organs in perfect condition. It is hard for such a one to be born in China (or Middle Kingdom).(Chinese, you are lucky.) It is hard for such a one to be born directly into Buddhist surroundings. It is hard for such a one to come in contact with the Way. It is hard for such a one to cultivate faith in his mind. It is hard for such a one to attain to the Bodhi-heart. It is hard for such a one to attain to (the state where) nothing is practiced and nothing manifested.37. The Buddha said: "A disciple living thousands of miles away from me will, if he constantly cherishes and ponders on my precepts, attain the fruit (of studying) the Way; but one who is in immediate contact with me, though he sees me constantly, will ultimately fail to do so if he does not follow my precepts."
38. The Buddha said to a Sramana: "How long is the span of a man's life?" "It is but a few days," was the answer. The Buddha said: "You have not understood," and asked another Sramana, who replied: "It is (like) the time taken to eat (a single meal)." To this the Buddha replied in the same way and asked a third: "How long is the span of a man's life?" "It is (like) the time taken by a (single) breath." was the reply. "Excellent," said the Buddha, "You understand the Way."
39. The Buddha said: "Those who study the Way of the Buddha should believe and follow all that is said by the Buddha. Just as, when you eat honey (you find that), every drop of it is sweet, so is it with my words."
40. The Buddha said: "A Sramana studying the Way should not be as an ox turning the millstone which, though it performs the necessary actions with its body, does not concentrate on them with its mind. If the Way is followed in the mind, of what use are actions?" (ceremonies are useless. Meditation is best.)
41. The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like an ox bearing a heavy load and walking through deep mud. It feels so weary that it does not care to look to left or right and, only on emerging from the mud, can it revive itself by resting. A Sramana should regard feelings and desires more seriously than (the ox regards) the mud. Only by controlling his mind and thinking of the Way can he avoid sorrow."
42. The Buddha said: "I look upon the state of kings and princes as upon the dust which blows through a crack. I look upon ornaments of gold and jewels as upon rubble. I look upon garments of the finest silk as upon worn-out rags. I look upon a major chiliocosm as upon a small nut. I look upon the Anavatapta as upon oil for smearing the feet. (On the other hand), I look upon expedient methods (leading to the truth) as upon spending heaps of jewels. I look upon the supreme vehicle as upon a dream of abundant wealth. I look upon the Buddha's Way as upon all the splendors which confront the eye. I look upon dhyana meditation as upon the pillar of Mount Sumeru. I look upon Nirvana as upon waking at daybreak from a night's sleep. I look upon heresy erected as upon six dragons dancing. I look upon the universal, impartial attitude (of a Buddha) as upon the Absolute Reality. I look upon conversion (to the Way) as upon the changes undergone by a tree (due to the action of the ) four seasons. (The Way is the splendors (colors) which confront the eyes when you gaze at the nose tip. The nose is equivalent to Mount Sumeru, so meditation is looking at its pillar.)
Edited on 10th June 2008