Happy New Year!
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Boom to gloom for fresh grads
Boom to gloom for fresh grads
Economic woes might leave youth more time for simpler joys in life
By Fiona Chan
FOR fresh graduates, 2008 was supposed to be a year full of promise.
Unemployment in Singapore had dipped to an all-time low last year and salaries were on the rise as the economy boomed.
There were small worrying signs that the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States was more insidious than it seemed, but economies around the world were still growing strongly in the first half of the year.
Then investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed in September, and everything fell apart.
Like falling dominoes, banks and companies worldwide found themselves reeling from the effects of the mortgage crisis, which turned into a credit crunch and then a recession that skirted the edges of depression. Forced to cut costs to survive, firms started freezing new hires, laying off workers and slashing wages.
Now, young people are finding themselves stuck with pay cuts and lower bonuses - that is, if they are lucky enough to be employed at all.
A friend who had worked at Lehman Brothers in New York for two years suddenly found himself out of a job in September. 'L is chill and relaxed,' his Facebook status read drily. 'No work tomorrow onwards.'
Another friend has been unable to find a job since he graduated from university in June, despite sending out dozens of applications and going for more than a few interviews.
A third friend planned to quit a career he hated this year and find something else more to his liking. But as job openings abruptly dried up, he resigned himself to staying on at the same job for at least another year.
In the past, a dearth of jobs prompted people to take a break and head back to school. But this time, paying for graduate school is becoming a less viable option as the world anticipates the worst recession in modern times next year, said The New York Times in a recent article.
Things on the economic front are not likely to improve for much of 2009.
The Singapore economy is officially predicted to grow between -1 per cent and 2 per cent next year, but many economists have even bleaker forecasts.
Still, as with every dark cloud, there is a silver lining.
The cost of living is expected to be lower next year, with inflation tipped at less than 1 per cent - from an alarming 6 per cent this year.
Food prices are easing and oil prices are plunging, making it cheaper to pump petrol, take public transport, buy air tickets and use electricity, among other things.
With shoppers staying at home and saving their money, retailers are also likely to start giving bigger discounts to draw customers back.
And as many sanguine commentators have noted, there is also a philosophical bright side to the downturn.
A recession, coming after years of excess, can be a time for reflection and re- evaluation.
Instead of working 60-hour weeks for a bigger pay packet that will not materialise next year, a good resolution for the New Year could be to simply spend more time with loved ones and be content with what we have.
fiochan@sph.com.sg
2008 is going out soon and 2009 will come, what do you think of the economy? Will it be better or worse?
What do you think?
-wong chee tat :)
Economic woes might leave youth more time for simpler joys in life
By Fiona Chan
FOR fresh graduates, 2008 was supposed to be a year full of promise.
Unemployment in Singapore had dipped to an all-time low last year and salaries were on the rise as the economy boomed.
There were small worrying signs that the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States was more insidious than it seemed, but economies around the world were still growing strongly in the first half of the year.
Then investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed in September, and everything fell apart.
Like falling dominoes, banks and companies worldwide found themselves reeling from the effects of the mortgage crisis, which turned into a credit crunch and then a recession that skirted the edges of depression. Forced to cut costs to survive, firms started freezing new hires, laying off workers and slashing wages.
Now, young people are finding themselves stuck with pay cuts and lower bonuses - that is, if they are lucky enough to be employed at all.
A friend who had worked at Lehman Brothers in New York for two years suddenly found himself out of a job in September. 'L is chill and relaxed,' his Facebook status read drily. 'No work tomorrow onwards.'
Another friend has been unable to find a job since he graduated from university in June, despite sending out dozens of applications and going for more than a few interviews.
A third friend planned to quit a career he hated this year and find something else more to his liking. But as job openings abruptly dried up, he resigned himself to staying on at the same job for at least another year.
In the past, a dearth of jobs prompted people to take a break and head back to school. But this time, paying for graduate school is becoming a less viable option as the world anticipates the worst recession in modern times next year, said The New York Times in a recent article.
Things on the economic front are not likely to improve for much of 2009.
The Singapore economy is officially predicted to grow between -1 per cent and 2 per cent next year, but many economists have even bleaker forecasts.
Still, as with every dark cloud, there is a silver lining.
The cost of living is expected to be lower next year, with inflation tipped at less than 1 per cent - from an alarming 6 per cent this year.
Food prices are easing and oil prices are plunging, making it cheaper to pump petrol, take public transport, buy air tickets and use electricity, among other things.
With shoppers staying at home and saving their money, retailers are also likely to start giving bigger discounts to draw customers back.
And as many sanguine commentators have noted, there is also a philosophical bright side to the downturn.
A recession, coming after years of excess, can be a time for reflection and re- evaluation.
Instead of working 60-hour weeks for a bigger pay packet that will not materialise next year, a good resolution for the New Year could be to simply spend more time with loved ones and be content with what we have.
fiochan@sph.com.sg
2008 is going out soon and 2009 will come, what do you think of the economy? Will it be better or worse?
What do you think?
-wong chee tat :)
Western Digital Caviar Green hard drive
I have purchased a hard drive for my PC recently from the well known Sim Lim square and I'm sure there are some people interested in its specifications and here are the specs (here).
According to some people, they said that the green hard drives (500Gb and up to 1Tb at the time of blogging) use less power and run quieter than other typical hard drives and thus, reduce your electric bills.
For me, the cost/Gb is okay and I need to increase my storage space, so I went ahead and got one.
- wong chee tat :)
According to some people, they said that the green hard drives (500Gb and up to 1Tb at the time of blogging) use less power and run quieter than other typical hard drives and thus, reduce your electric bills.
For me, the cost/Gb is okay and I need to increase my storage space, so I went ahead and got one.
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
Translated from Chinese into English by the Buddhist Text Translation Society,
Dharma Realm Buddhist University, City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas
Section 1
Leaving Home and Becoming an Arhat
The Buddha said, "People who take leave of their families and go forth from the householder life, who know their mind and penetrate to its origin, and who understand the unconditioned Dharma are called Shramanas. They constantly observe the 250 precepts, and they value purity in all that they do. By practicing the four true paths, they can become Arhats."
Section 2
Eliminating Desire and Ending Seeking
The Buddha said, "Those who have left the home-life and become Shramanas cut off desire, renounce love, and recognize the source of their minds. They penetrate the Buddha profound principles and awaken to the unconditioned Dharma. Internally they have no thing to attain, and externally they seek nothing. They are not mentally bound to the Way, nor are they tied to karma. They are free of thought and action; they neither cultivate nor attain certification; they do not pass through the various stages, and yet they are highly revered. This is the meaning of the Way. "
Section 3
Severing Love and Renouncing Greed
The Buddha said, "Shaving their hair and beards, they become Shramanas who accept the Dharmas of the Way. They renounce worldly wealth and riches. In receiving alms, they accept only what enough. They take only one meal a day at noon, pass the night beneath trees, and are careful not to seek more than that. Craving and desire are what cause people to be stupid and dull."
Section 4
Clarifying Good and Evil
The Buddha said, "Living beings may perform Ten Good Deeds or Ten Evil Deeds. What are the ten? Three are done with the body, four are done with the mouth, and three are done with the mind. The three done with the body are killing, stealing, and lust. The four done with the mouth are duplicity, harsh speech, lies, and frivolous speech. The three done with the mind are jealousy, hatred, and stupidity. Thus these ten are not in accord with the Way of Sages and are called the Ten Evil Deeds. To put a stop to these evils is to perform the Ten Good Deeds. "
.
Section 5
Reducing the Severity of Offenses
The Buddha said, "If a person has many offenses and does not repent of them, but cuts off all thought of repentance, the offenses will engulf him, just as water returning to the sea will gradually become deeper and wider. If a person has offenses and, realizing they are wrong, reforms and does good, the offenses will dissolve by themselves, just as a sick person who begins to perspire will gradually be cured. "
Section 6
Tolerating Evil-doers and Avoiding Hatred
The Buddha said, "When an evil person hears about your goodness and intentionally comes to cause trouble, you should restrain yourself and not become angry or blame him. Then the one who has come to do evil will do evil to himself. "
Section 7
Evil Returns to the Doer
The Buddha said, "There was a person who, upon hearing that I observe the Way and practice great humane kindness, intentionally came to berate me. I was silent and did not reply. When he finished abusing me, I asked, 'If you are courteous to people and they do not accept your courtesy, the courtesy returns to you, does it not? '
Section 8
Abusing Others Defiles Oneself
The Buddha said, "An evil person who harms a sage is like one who raises his head and spits at heaven. Instead of reaching heaven, the spittle falls back on him. It is the same with someone who throws dust against the wind. Instead of going somewhere else, the dust returns to defile his own body. The sage can not be harmed. Misdeeds will inevitably destroy the doer. "
Section 9
By Returning to the Source, You Find the Way
The Buddha said, "Deep learning and a love of the Way make the Way difficult to attain. When you guard your mind and revere the Way, the Way is truly great! "
Section 10
Joyful Charity Brings Blessings
The Buddha said, "When you see someone who is practicing giving, aid him joyfully, and you will obtain vast and great blessings. "
A Shramana asked, s there an end to those blessings? "
The Buddha said, "Consider the flame of a single torch. Though hundreds and thousands of people come to light their own torches from it so that they can cook their food and ward off darkness, the first torch remains the same. Blessings, too, are like this. "
Section 11
The Increase in Merit Gained by Bestowing Food
The Buddha said, "Giving food to a hundred bad people is not as good as giving food to a single good person. Giving food to a thousand good people is not as good as giving food to one person who holds the Five Precepts. Giving food to ten thousand people who hold the Five Precepts is not as good as giving food to a single Srotaapanna. Giving food to a million Srotaapannas is not as good as giving food to a single Sakridagamin. Giving food to ten million Sakri dagamins is not as good as giving food to a single Anagamin. Giving food to a hundred million Anaga mins is not as good as giving food to a single Arhat. Giving food to one billion Arhats is not as good as giving food to a single Pratyekabuddha. Giving food to ten billion Pratyekabuddhas is not as good as giving food to a Buddha of the three periods of time. Giving food to a hundred billion Buddhas of the three periods of time is not as good as giving food to a single person who is without thoughts, without dwelling, without cultivation, and without accomplishment. "
Section 12
A List of Difficulties and an Exhortation to Cultivate
The Buddha said, "People encounter twenty different kinds of difficulties: It is difficult to give when one is poor. It is difficult to study the Way when one has wealth and status. It is difficult to abandon life and face the certainty of death. It is difficult to encounter the Buddhist sutras. It is difficult to be born at the time of a Buddha. It is difficult to be patient with lust and desire. It is difficult to see fine things and not seek them. It is difficult to be insulted and not become angry. It is difficult to have power and not abuse it. It is difficult to come in contact with things and have no thought of them. It is difficult to be vastly learned and well-read. It is difficult to get rid of pride. It is difficult not to slight those who have not yet studied. It is difficult to practice equanimity of mind. It is difficult not to gossip. It is difficult to meet a Good and Wise Advisor. It is difficult to see one own nature and study the Way. It is difficult to teach and save people according to their potentials. It is difficult to see a state and not be moved by it. It is difficult to have a good understanding of skill-in-means."
Section 13
Questions about the Way and Past Lives
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What causes and conditions can I know my past lives and understand the ultimate Way? "
The Buddha said, "Purifying your mind and preserving your resolve, you can understand the ultimate Way. Just as when you polish a mirror, the dust vanishes and brightness remains, so too, if you cut off desire and do not seek, you then can know past lives. "
Section 14
Asking about Goodness and Greatness
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is goodness? What is the foremost greatness? " The Buddha said, o
practice the Way and uphold the truth is goodness. To unite your will with the Way is greatness. "
Section 15
Asking about Strength and Brilliance
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is the greatest strength? What is the utmost brilliance? "
The Buddha said, "Patience under insult is the greatest strength, because people who are patient do not harbor hatred, and they gradually grow more peaceful and strong. Patient people, since they are not evil, will surely gain the respect of others. Then the mind defilements are gone completely, so that it is pure and untainted, that is the utmost brilliance. When there is nothing, from before the formation of the heavens and the earth until now, in any of the ten directions that you do not see, know, or hear; when you have attained omniscience, that may be called brilliance. "
Section 16
Casting Aside Love and Attaining the Way
The Buddha said, "People who cherish love and desire do not see the Way. Just as when you stir clear water with your hand, those who stand beside it cannot see their reflections, so, too, people who are entangled in love and desire have turbidity in their minds, and therefore they cannot see the Way. You Shramanas should cast aside love and desire. When the stains of love and desire disappear, you will be able to see the Way. "
Section 17
When Light Arrives, Darkness Departs
The Buddha said, "Those who see the Way are like someone holding a torch who enters a dark room, dispelling the darkness so that only light remains. When you study the Way and see the truth, ignorance vanishes and light remains forever. "
Section 18
Thoughts and So Forth Are Basically Empty
The Buddha said, y Dharma is the mindfulness that is both mindfulness and non-mindfulness. It is the practice that is both practice and non-practice. It is words that are words and non-words, and cultivation that is cultivation and non-cultivation. Those who understand are near to it; those who are confused are far away, indeed. It is not accessible by the path of language. It is not hindered by physical objects. If you are off by a hairsbreadth, you will lose it in an instant. "
Section 19
Contemplating Both the False and the True
The Buddha said, "Contemplate heaven and earth, and be mindful of their impermanence. Contemplate the world, and be mindful of its impermanence. Contem-plate the efficacious, enlightened nature: it is the Bodhi nature. With this awareness, one quickly attains the Way. "
Section 20
Realize that the Self Is Truly Empty
The Buddha said, "You should be mindful of the four elements within the body. Though each has a name, none of them is the self. Since they are not the self, they are like an illusion. "
Section 21
Fame Destroys Life Roots
The Buddha said, "There are people who follow emotion and desire and seek to be famous. By the time their reputation is established, they are already dead. Those who are greedy for worldly fame and do not study the Way simply waste their effort and wear themselves out. By way of analogy, although burning incense gives off fragrance, when it has burned down, the remaining embers bring the danger of a fire that can burn one up. "
Section 22
Wealth and Sex Cause Suffering
The Buddha said, "People are unable to renounce wealth and sex. They are just like a child who cannot resist honey on the blade of a knife. Even though the amount is not even enough for a single meal serving , he will lick it and risk cutting his tongue in the process. "
Section 23
A Family Is Worse than a Prison
The Buddha said, "People are bound to their families and homes to such an extent that these are worse than a prison. Eventually one is released from prison, but people never think of leaving their families. Don?t they fear the control that emotion, love, and sex have over them? Although they are in a tiger jaws, their hearts are blissfully oblivious. Because they throw themselves into a swamp and drown, they are known as ordinary people. Pass through the gateway! Get out of the defilement and become an Arhat! "
Section 24
Sexual Desire Obstructs the Way
The Buddha said, "f all longings and desires, there is none as strong as sex. Sexual desire has no equal. Fortunately, it is one of a kind. If there were something else like it, no one in the entire world would be able to cultivate the Way. "
Section 25
The Fire of Desire Burns
The Buddha said, "Person with love and desire is like one who carries a torch while walking against the wind: he is certain to burn his hand. "
.
Section 26
Demons from the Heavens Try to Tempt the Buddha
The heaven spirit offered beautiful maidens to the Buddha, hoping to destroy his resolve. The Buddha said, What have you skin-bags full of filth come here for? Go away, I've got no use for you. "
Then the heaven spirit became very respectful and asked about the meaning of the Way. The Buddha explained it for him, and he immediately attained the fruition of Srotaapanna.
Section 27
One Attains the Way after Letting Go of Attachments
The Buddha said, "Person who follows the Way is like a floating piece of wood that courses along with the current. If it does not touch either shore; if people do not pluck it out; if ghosts and spirits do not intercept it; if it is not trapped in whirlpools; and if it does not rot, I guarantee that the piece of wood will reach the sea. If students of the Way are not deluded by emotion and desire, and if they are not caught up in the many crooked views, but are vigorous in their cultivation of the unconditioned, I guarantee that they will certainly attain the Way. "
Section 28
Don Indulge the Wild Mind
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to believe your own mind; your mind is not to be believed. Be careful not to get involved with sex; involvement with sex leads to disaster. After you have attained Arhatship, you can believe your own mind. "
Section 29
Proper Contemplation Counteracts Sexual Desire
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to look at women, and do not talk with them. If you must speak with them, be properly mindful and think, am a Shramana living in a turbid world. I should be like the lotus flower, which is not stained by the mud. ' Think of elderly women as your mothers, of those who are older than you as your elder sisters, of those who are younger as your younger sisters, and of very young girls as your daughters. Bring forth thoughts to rescue them, and put an end to bad thoughts."
Section 30
Stay Far Away from the Fire of Desire
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like dry grass: it is essential to keep it away from an oncoming fire. People who cultivate the Way look upon desire as something they must stay far away from."
Section 31
When the Mind Is Still, Desire Is Dispelled
The Buddha said, "There was once someone who was plagued by ceaseless sexual desire and wished to castrate himself. The Buddha said to him," o cut off your sexual organ would not be as good as to cut off your mind. Your mind is like a supervisor: if the supervisor stops, his employees will also quit. If the deviant mind is not stopped, what good does it do to cut off the organ? '"
The Buddha spoke a verse for him:
Desire is born from your intentions.
Intentions are born from thoughts.
When both aspects of the mind are still,
There is neither form nor activity.
The Buddha said, his verse was spoken by the Buddha Kashyapa. "
Section 32
Emptying out the Self Quells Fear
The Buddha said, "People worry because of love and desire. That worry then leads to fear. If you transcend love, what worries will there be? What will be left to fear? "
Section 33
Wisdom and Clarity Defeat the Demons
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like a soldier who goes into battle alone against ten thousand enemies. He dons his armor and goes out the gate. He may prove to be a coward; he may get halfway to the battlefield and retreat; he may be killed in combat; or he may return victorious. Shramanas who study the Way must make their minds resolute and be vigorous, courageous, and valiant. Not fearing what lies ahead, they should defeat the hordes of demons and obtain the fruition of the Way. "
Section 34
By Staying in the Middle, One Attains the Way
One evening a Shramana was reciting the Sutra of the Teaching Bequeathed by the Buddha Kashyapa. The sound of his voice was mournful as he reflected remorsefully on his wish to retreat in cultivation. The Buddha asked him, "In the past when you were a householder, what did you do? " He replied, "I was fond of playing the lute. " The Buddha said, "What happened when the strings were slack? " He replied, "They didn't sound. " What happened when they were too tight? " He replied, "The sounds were cut short. " What happened when they were tuned just right between slack and tight? " He replied, "The sounds carried. " The Buddha said, "It is the same with a Shramana who studies the Way. If his mind is harmonious, he can attain the Way. If he is impetuous about the Way, his impetuousness will tire out his body; and if his body is tired, his mind will become afflicted. If his mind becomes afflicted, then he will retreat from his practice. If he retreats from his practice, his offenses will certainly increase. You need only be pure, peaceful, and happy, and you will not lose the Way. "
Section 35
When One Is Purified of Defilements, the Brilliance Remains
The Buddha said,"People smelt metal by burning the dross out of it in order to make high quality implements. It is the same with people who study the Way: first they must get rid of the defilements in their minds; then their practice becomes pure. "
Section 36
The Sequence that Leads to Success
The Buddha said, "It is difficult for one to leave the evil destinies and become a human being.
Even if one does become a human being, it is still difficult to become a man rather than a woman.
Even if one does become a man, it is still difficult to have the six sense organs complete and perfect.
Even if the six sense organs are complete and perfect, it is still difficult for one to be born in a central country.
Even if one is born in a central country, it is still difficult to be born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world.
Even if one is born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world, it is still difficult to encounter the Way.
Even if one does encounter the Way, it is still difficult to bring forth faith.
Even if one brings forth faith, it is still difficult to resolve one mind on Bodhi.
Even if one does resolve one mind on Bodhi, it is still difficult to be beyond cultivation and attainment. "
Section 37
Staying Mindful of Moral Precepts Brings Us Close to the Way
The Buddha said, "My disciples may be several thousand miles away from me, but if they remember my moral precepts, they will certainly attain the fruition of the Way. If those who are by my side do not follow my moral precepts, they may see me constantly, but in the end they will not attain the Way. "
Section 38
Birth Leads to Death
The Buddha asked a Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " He replied, few days. " The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way. "
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " The reply was, he space of a meal. " The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way. "
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " He replied, he length of a single breath. " The Buddha said, "Excellent. You have understood the Way. "
Section 39
The Buddha Instructions Are Not Biased
The Buddha said, "Students of the Buddha Way should believe in and accord with everything that the Buddha teaches. When you eat honey, it is sweet on the surface and sweet in the center; it is the same with my sutras. "
Section 40
The Way Is Practiced in the Mind
The Buddha said, "Shramana who practices the Way should not be like an ox turning a millstone. Such a one walks the Way with his body, but his mind is not on the Way. If the mind is concentrated on the Way, what further need is there to practice? "
Section 41
A Straight Mind Gets Rid of Desire
The Buddha said, "One who practices the Way is like an ox pulling a heavy load through deep mud. The ox is so extremely exhausted that it dares not glance to the left or right. Only when it gets out of the mud can it rest. The Shramana should regard emotion and desire as being worse than deep mud; and with an undeviating mind, he should be mindful of the Way. Then he can avoid suffering. "
Section 42
Understanding that the World Is Illusory
The Buddha said, "Look upon royalty and high positions as upon the dust that floats through a crack. I look
upon treasures of gold and jade as upon broken tiles. I look upon fine silk clothing as upon cheap cotton. I
look upon a great thousand-world universe as upon a small nut kernel. I look upon the waters of the
Anavatapta Lake as upon oil used to anoint the feet. "
- wong chee tat :)
Translated from Chinese into English by the Buddhist Text Translation Society,
Dharma Realm Buddhist University, City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas
Section 1
Leaving Home and Becoming an Arhat
The Buddha said, "People who take leave of their families and go forth from the householder life, who know their mind and penetrate to its origin, and who understand the unconditioned Dharma are called Shramanas. They constantly observe the 250 precepts, and they value purity in all that they do. By practicing the four true paths, they can become Arhats."
Section 2
Eliminating Desire and Ending Seeking
The Buddha said, "Those who have left the home-life and become Shramanas cut off desire, renounce love, and recognize the source of their minds. They penetrate the Buddha profound principles and awaken to the unconditioned Dharma. Internally they have no thing to attain, and externally they seek nothing. They are not mentally bound to the Way, nor are they tied to karma. They are free of thought and action; they neither cultivate nor attain certification; they do not pass through the various stages, and yet they are highly revered. This is the meaning of the Way. "
Section 3
Severing Love and Renouncing Greed
The Buddha said, "Shaving their hair and beards, they become Shramanas who accept the Dharmas of the Way. They renounce worldly wealth and riches. In receiving alms, they accept only what enough. They take only one meal a day at noon, pass the night beneath trees, and are careful not to seek more than that. Craving and desire are what cause people to be stupid and dull."
Section 4
Clarifying Good and Evil
The Buddha said, "Living beings may perform Ten Good Deeds or Ten Evil Deeds. What are the ten? Three are done with the body, four are done with the mouth, and three are done with the mind. The three done with the body are killing, stealing, and lust. The four done with the mouth are duplicity, harsh speech, lies, and frivolous speech. The three done with the mind are jealousy, hatred, and stupidity. Thus these ten are not in accord with the Way of Sages and are called the Ten Evil Deeds. To put a stop to these evils is to perform the Ten Good Deeds. "
.
Section 5
Reducing the Severity of Offenses
The Buddha said, "If a person has many offenses and does not repent of them, but cuts off all thought of repentance, the offenses will engulf him, just as water returning to the sea will gradually become deeper and wider. If a person has offenses and, realizing they are wrong, reforms and does good, the offenses will dissolve by themselves, just as a sick person who begins to perspire will gradually be cured. "
Section 6
Tolerating Evil-doers and Avoiding Hatred
The Buddha said, "When an evil person hears about your goodness and intentionally comes to cause trouble, you should restrain yourself and not become angry or blame him. Then the one who has come to do evil will do evil to himself. "
Section 7
Evil Returns to the Doer
The Buddha said, "There was a person who, upon hearing that I observe the Way and practice great humane kindness, intentionally came to berate me. I was silent and did not reply. When he finished abusing me, I asked, 'If you are courteous to people and they do not accept your courtesy, the courtesy returns to you, does it not? '
Section 8
Abusing Others Defiles Oneself
The Buddha said, "An evil person who harms a sage is like one who raises his head and spits at heaven. Instead of reaching heaven, the spittle falls back on him. It is the same with someone who throws dust against the wind. Instead of going somewhere else, the dust returns to defile his own body. The sage can not be harmed. Misdeeds will inevitably destroy the doer. "
Section 9
By Returning to the Source, You Find the Way
The Buddha said, "Deep learning and a love of the Way make the Way difficult to attain. When you guard your mind and revere the Way, the Way is truly great! "
Section 10
Joyful Charity Brings Blessings
The Buddha said, "When you see someone who is practicing giving, aid him joyfully, and you will obtain vast and great blessings. "
A Shramana asked, s there an end to those blessings? "
The Buddha said, "Consider the flame of a single torch. Though hundreds and thousands of people come to light their own torches from it so that they can cook their food and ward off darkness, the first torch remains the same. Blessings, too, are like this. "
Section 11
The Increase in Merit Gained by Bestowing Food
The Buddha said, "Giving food to a hundred bad people is not as good as giving food to a single good person. Giving food to a thousand good people is not as good as giving food to one person who holds the Five Precepts. Giving food to ten thousand people who hold the Five Precepts is not as good as giving food to a single Srotaapanna. Giving food to a million Srotaapannas is not as good as giving food to a single Sakridagamin. Giving food to ten million Sakri dagamins is not as good as giving food to a single Anagamin. Giving food to a hundred million Anaga mins is not as good as giving food to a single Arhat. Giving food to one billion Arhats is not as good as giving food to a single Pratyekabuddha. Giving food to ten billion Pratyekabuddhas is not as good as giving food to a Buddha of the three periods of time. Giving food to a hundred billion Buddhas of the three periods of time is not as good as giving food to a single person who is without thoughts, without dwelling, without cultivation, and without accomplishment. "
Section 12
A List of Difficulties and an Exhortation to Cultivate
The Buddha said, "People encounter twenty different kinds of difficulties: It is difficult to give when one is poor. It is difficult to study the Way when one has wealth and status. It is difficult to abandon life and face the certainty of death. It is difficult to encounter the Buddhist sutras. It is difficult to be born at the time of a Buddha. It is difficult to be patient with lust and desire. It is difficult to see fine things and not seek them. It is difficult to be insulted and not become angry. It is difficult to have power and not abuse it. It is difficult to come in contact with things and have no thought of them. It is difficult to be vastly learned and well-read. It is difficult to get rid of pride. It is difficult not to slight those who have not yet studied. It is difficult to practice equanimity of mind. It is difficult not to gossip. It is difficult to meet a Good and Wise Advisor. It is difficult to see one own nature and study the Way. It is difficult to teach and save people according to their potentials. It is difficult to see a state and not be moved by it. It is difficult to have a good understanding of skill-in-means."
Section 13
Questions about the Way and Past Lives
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What causes and conditions can I know my past lives and understand the ultimate Way? "
The Buddha said, "Purifying your mind and preserving your resolve, you can understand the ultimate Way. Just as when you polish a mirror, the dust vanishes and brightness remains, so too, if you cut off desire and do not seek, you then can know past lives. "
Section 14
Asking about Goodness and Greatness
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is goodness? What is the foremost greatness? " The Buddha said, o
practice the Way and uphold the truth is goodness. To unite your will with the Way is greatness. "
Section 15
Asking about Strength and Brilliance
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is the greatest strength? What is the utmost brilliance? "
The Buddha said, "Patience under insult is the greatest strength, because people who are patient do not harbor hatred, and they gradually grow more peaceful and strong. Patient people, since they are not evil, will surely gain the respect of others. Then the mind defilements are gone completely, so that it is pure and untainted, that is the utmost brilliance. When there is nothing, from before the formation of the heavens and the earth until now, in any of the ten directions that you do not see, know, or hear; when you have attained omniscience, that may be called brilliance. "
Section 16
Casting Aside Love and Attaining the Way
The Buddha said, "People who cherish love and desire do not see the Way. Just as when you stir clear water with your hand, those who stand beside it cannot see their reflections, so, too, people who are entangled in love and desire have turbidity in their minds, and therefore they cannot see the Way. You Shramanas should cast aside love and desire. When the stains of love and desire disappear, you will be able to see the Way. "
Section 17
When Light Arrives, Darkness Departs
The Buddha said, "Those who see the Way are like someone holding a torch who enters a dark room, dispelling the darkness so that only light remains. When you study the Way and see the truth, ignorance vanishes and light remains forever. "
Section 18
Thoughts and So Forth Are Basically Empty
The Buddha said, y Dharma is the mindfulness that is both mindfulness and non-mindfulness. It is the practice that is both practice and non-practice. It is words that are words and non-words, and cultivation that is cultivation and non-cultivation. Those who understand are near to it; those who are confused are far away, indeed. It is not accessible by the path of language. It is not hindered by physical objects. If you are off by a hairsbreadth, you will lose it in an instant. "
Section 19
Contemplating Both the False and the True
The Buddha said, "Contemplate heaven and earth, and be mindful of their impermanence. Contemplate the world, and be mindful of its impermanence. Contem-plate the efficacious, enlightened nature: it is the Bodhi nature. With this awareness, one quickly attains the Way. "
Section 20
Realize that the Self Is Truly Empty
The Buddha said, "You should be mindful of the four elements within the body. Though each has a name, none of them is the self. Since they are not the self, they are like an illusion. "
Section 21
Fame Destroys Life Roots
The Buddha said, "There are people who follow emotion and desire and seek to be famous. By the time their reputation is established, they are already dead. Those who are greedy for worldly fame and do not study the Way simply waste their effort and wear themselves out. By way of analogy, although burning incense gives off fragrance, when it has burned down, the remaining embers bring the danger of a fire that can burn one up. "
Section 22
Wealth and Sex Cause Suffering
The Buddha said, "People are unable to renounce wealth and sex. They are just like a child who cannot resist honey on the blade of a knife. Even though the amount is not even enough for a single meal serving , he will lick it and risk cutting his tongue in the process. "
Section 23
A Family Is Worse than a Prison
The Buddha said, "People are bound to their families and homes to such an extent that these are worse than a prison. Eventually one is released from prison, but people never think of leaving their families. Don?t they fear the control that emotion, love, and sex have over them? Although they are in a tiger jaws, their hearts are blissfully oblivious. Because they throw themselves into a swamp and drown, they are known as ordinary people. Pass through the gateway! Get out of the defilement and become an Arhat! "
Section 24
Sexual Desire Obstructs the Way
The Buddha said, "f all longings and desires, there is none as strong as sex. Sexual desire has no equal. Fortunately, it is one of a kind. If there were something else like it, no one in the entire world would be able to cultivate the Way. "
Section 25
The Fire of Desire Burns
The Buddha said, "Person with love and desire is like one who carries a torch while walking against the wind: he is certain to burn his hand. "
.
Section 26
Demons from the Heavens Try to Tempt the Buddha
The heaven spirit offered beautiful maidens to the Buddha, hoping to destroy his resolve. The Buddha said, What have you skin-bags full of filth come here for? Go away, I've got no use for you. "
Then the heaven spirit became very respectful and asked about the meaning of the Way. The Buddha explained it for him, and he immediately attained the fruition of Srotaapanna.
Section 27
One Attains the Way after Letting Go of Attachments
The Buddha said, "Person who follows the Way is like a floating piece of wood that courses along with the current. If it does not touch either shore; if people do not pluck it out; if ghosts and spirits do not intercept it; if it is not trapped in whirlpools; and if it does not rot, I guarantee that the piece of wood will reach the sea. If students of the Way are not deluded by emotion and desire, and if they are not caught up in the many crooked views, but are vigorous in their cultivation of the unconditioned, I guarantee that they will certainly attain the Way. "
Section 28
Don Indulge the Wild Mind
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to believe your own mind; your mind is not to be believed. Be careful not to get involved with sex; involvement with sex leads to disaster. After you have attained Arhatship, you can believe your own mind. "
Section 29
Proper Contemplation Counteracts Sexual Desire
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to look at women, and do not talk with them. If you must speak with them, be properly mindful and think, am a Shramana living in a turbid world. I should be like the lotus flower, which is not stained by the mud. ' Think of elderly women as your mothers, of those who are older than you as your elder sisters, of those who are younger as your younger sisters, and of very young girls as your daughters. Bring forth thoughts to rescue them, and put an end to bad thoughts."
Section 30
Stay Far Away from the Fire of Desire
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like dry grass: it is essential to keep it away from an oncoming fire. People who cultivate the Way look upon desire as something they must stay far away from."
Section 31
When the Mind Is Still, Desire Is Dispelled
The Buddha said, "There was once someone who was plagued by ceaseless sexual desire and wished to castrate himself. The Buddha said to him," o cut off your sexual organ would not be as good as to cut off your mind. Your mind is like a supervisor: if the supervisor stops, his employees will also quit. If the deviant mind is not stopped, what good does it do to cut off the organ? '"
The Buddha spoke a verse for him:
Desire is born from your intentions.
Intentions are born from thoughts.
When both aspects of the mind are still,
There is neither form nor activity.
The Buddha said, his verse was spoken by the Buddha Kashyapa. "
Section 32
Emptying out the Self Quells Fear
The Buddha said, "People worry because of love and desire. That worry then leads to fear. If you transcend love, what worries will there be? What will be left to fear? "
Section 33
Wisdom and Clarity Defeat the Demons
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like a soldier who goes into battle alone against ten thousand enemies. He dons his armor and goes out the gate. He may prove to be a coward; he may get halfway to the battlefield and retreat; he may be killed in combat; or he may return victorious. Shramanas who study the Way must make their minds resolute and be vigorous, courageous, and valiant. Not fearing what lies ahead, they should defeat the hordes of demons and obtain the fruition of the Way. "
Section 34
By Staying in the Middle, One Attains the Way
One evening a Shramana was reciting the Sutra of the Teaching Bequeathed by the Buddha Kashyapa. The sound of his voice was mournful as he reflected remorsefully on his wish to retreat in cultivation. The Buddha asked him, "In the past when you were a householder, what did you do? " He replied, "I was fond of playing the lute. " The Buddha said, "What happened when the strings were slack? " He replied, "They didn't sound. " What happened when they were too tight? " He replied, "The sounds were cut short. " What happened when they were tuned just right between slack and tight? " He replied, "The sounds carried. " The Buddha said, "It is the same with a Shramana who studies the Way. If his mind is harmonious, he can attain the Way. If he is impetuous about the Way, his impetuousness will tire out his body; and if his body is tired, his mind will become afflicted. If his mind becomes afflicted, then he will retreat from his practice. If he retreats from his practice, his offenses will certainly increase. You need only be pure, peaceful, and happy, and you will not lose the Way. "
Section 35
When One Is Purified of Defilements, the Brilliance Remains
The Buddha said,"People smelt metal by burning the dross out of it in order to make high quality implements. It is the same with people who study the Way: first they must get rid of the defilements in their minds; then their practice becomes pure. "
Section 36
The Sequence that Leads to Success
The Buddha said, "It is difficult for one to leave the evil destinies and become a human being.
Even if one does become a human being, it is still difficult to become a man rather than a woman.
Even if one does become a man, it is still difficult to have the six sense organs complete and perfect.
Even if the six sense organs are complete and perfect, it is still difficult for one to be born in a central country.
Even if one is born in a central country, it is still difficult to be born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world.
Even if one is born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world, it is still difficult to encounter the Way.
Even if one does encounter the Way, it is still difficult to bring forth faith.
Even if one brings forth faith, it is still difficult to resolve one mind on Bodhi.
Even if one does resolve one mind on Bodhi, it is still difficult to be beyond cultivation and attainment. "
Section 37
Staying Mindful of Moral Precepts Brings Us Close to the Way
The Buddha said, "My disciples may be several thousand miles away from me, but if they remember my moral precepts, they will certainly attain the fruition of the Way. If those who are by my side do not follow my moral precepts, they may see me constantly, but in the end they will not attain the Way. "
Section 38
Birth Leads to Death
The Buddha asked a Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " He replied, few days. " The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way. "
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " The reply was, he space of a meal. " The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way. "
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " He replied, he length of a single breath. " The Buddha said, "Excellent. You have understood the Way. "
Section 39
The Buddha Instructions Are Not Biased
The Buddha said, "Students of the Buddha Way should believe in and accord with everything that the Buddha teaches. When you eat honey, it is sweet on the surface and sweet in the center; it is the same with my sutras. "
Section 40
The Way Is Practiced in the Mind
The Buddha said, "Shramana who practices the Way should not be like an ox turning a millstone. Such a one walks the Way with his body, but his mind is not on the Way. If the mind is concentrated on the Way, what further need is there to practice? "
Section 41
A Straight Mind Gets Rid of Desire
The Buddha said, "One who practices the Way is like an ox pulling a heavy load through deep mud. The ox is so extremely exhausted that it dares not glance to the left or right. Only when it gets out of the mud can it rest. The Shramana should regard emotion and desire as being worse than deep mud; and with an undeviating mind, he should be mindful of the Way. Then he can avoid suffering. "
Section 42
Understanding that the World Is Illusory
The Buddha said, "Look upon royalty and high positions as upon the dust that floats through a crack. I look
upon treasures of gold and jade as upon broken tiles. I look upon fine silk clothing as upon cheap cotton. I
look upon a great thousand-world universe as upon a small nut kernel. I look upon the waters of the
Anavatapta Lake as upon oil used to anoint the feet. "
- wong chee tat :)
The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra
Thus I have heard, at one time the Buddha dwelt at Shravasti, in the Jeta Grove in the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Forlorn, together with a gathering of Great Bhikshus, twelve-hundred fifty in all, all Great Arhats well-known to the assembly: Elders Shariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Mahakasyapa, Mahakatyayana, Mahakausthila, Revata, Suddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ananda, Rahula, Gavampati, Pindola-Bharadvaja, Kalodayin, Mahakaphina, Vakkula, Aniruddha, and others such as these, all Great Disciples, together with all the Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas: Manjushri, Prince of Dharma; Ajita Bodhisattva, Gandhastin Bodhisattva, Nityodukta Bodhisattva, and others such as these, all Great Bodhisattvas, and together with Shakra, Chief among Gods, and the numberless great multitudes from all the heavens.
At that time, the Buddha told the Elder Shariputra, From here, passing through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands to the West there is a world called Utmost Happiness. In this land a Buddha called Amitabha right now teaches the Dharma.
Shariputra, why is this land called Utmost Happiness? All living beings of this country never suffer, but enjoy every bliss. Therefore it is called Utmost Happiness.
Moreover, Shariputra, this land of Utmost Happiness is completely surrounded by seven tiers of railings, seven layers of netting, and seven rows of trees, all formed from the four treasures, and for this reason called Utmost Happiness.
Moreover, Shariputra, in the land of Utmost Happiness are pools of the seven jewels, filled with the waters of eight meritorious qualities; the bottom of each pool is pure, covered with golden sands. On the four sides climb stairs of gold, silver, lapus lazuli, crystal, mother-of pearl, rubies, and carnelian.
In the pools bloom lotuses as large as carriage wheels with colors of green light, red light, yellow light, and white light, subtle, rare, fragrant, and pure. Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these.
Moreover, Shariputra, in this Buddhaland heavenly music always plays, and the ground is made of gold. In the six periods of the day and night a heavenly rain of mandarava flowers falls, and throughout the clear morning, each living being of this land offers sacks filled with myriads of wonderful flowers to the hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas of the other directions. At mealtime they return to their own countries and after eating they walk about. Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these.
Moreover, Shariputra, in this country there are always rare and unusual birds of many kinds and colors: white geese, cranes, peacocks, parrots, egrets, kalavinkas and two-headed birds. In the six periods of the day and night the flocks of birds sing forth harmonious and elegant sounds. Their clear and joyful calls proclaim the Five Roots, the Five Powers, the Seven Limbs of Bodhi, the Eightfold Path of Sages, and dharmas such as these. When living beings of this land hear their calls they are altogether mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha.
Shariputra! Do not say that these birds are born as retribution for their sins. And why not? Because in this Buddhaland the three evil paths do not exist. Shariputra, even the names of the three evil paths are unknown in this Buddha's land; how much the less could they actually exist! Wishing to proclaim the Dharma's sound far and wide, Amitabha Buddha created these multitudes of birds by transformation.
Shariputra, in that Buddhaland when the gentle winds blow, the rows of jewelled trees and jewelled nets reverberate with fine and wondrous sounds, as a symphony of one hundred thousand kinds of music played in harmony. All who hear these sounds are naturally mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha. Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these.
Shariputra, what do you think? Why is this Buddha called Amitabha? Shariputra, the brilliance of that Buddha's light is measureless, illumining the lands of the ten directions everywhere without obstruction. For this reason he is called Amitabha.
Moreover, Shariputra, the lifespan of that Buddha and that of his people extends for measureless, limitless asamkhyeyas of kalpas. For this reason he is called Amitayus. And, Shariputra, since Amitabha became a Buddha, ten kalpas have passed.
Moreover, Shariputra, that Buddha has measureless, limitless asamkheyas of Sound-Hearer disciples, their number incalculable. So too is the assembly of Bodhisattvas. Shariputra, that Buddhaland is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these.
Moreover, Shariputra, the living beings born in the Land of Utmost Happiness are all avaivartika. Among them are many who in this very life will dwell in Buddhahood. Their number is extremely many; it is incalculable. And only in measureless, limitless asamkyeyas of kalpas could they be counted.
Shariputra, those living beings who hear of this should vow: I wish to be born in that country. And why? Because those who are born there assemble in one place with people whose goodness is unsurpassed. Shariputra, if one has few good roots, blessings, and virtues, one cannot be born in that land.
Shariputra, if there is a good man or good woman who hears of Amitabha and holds his name whether for one day, two days, three, four, five days, six days, as long as seven days with one mind unconfused, when this person nears the end of life, before him will appear Amitabha and all the Assembly of Holy Ones. When the end comes, his mind will not be utterly confused, and in Amitabha's Land of Utmost Happiness he will quickly be reborn. Shariputra, because I see this benefit, I speak these words; and, if living beings hear this teaching they should make the vow: I wish to born in that land.
Shariputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable benefits arising from the merit and virtue of Amitabha, so too in the East does Akshobya Buddha, Sumeru Likeness Buddha, Great Sumeru Buddha, Sumeru Light Buddha, Wonderful Sound Buddha; all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all the Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, in the Southern World, Sun-Moon Lamp Buddha, Sumeru Lamp Buddha, Celebrated Light Buddha, Great Radiant Shoulders Buddha, Sumeru Lamp Buddha, Measureless Vigor Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, in the Western World, Measureless Life Buddha, Infinite Features Buddha, Measureless Curtain Buddha, Great Light Buddha, Great Clarity Buddha, Jewelled Likeness Buddha, Pure Light Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, protecting and bearing it in mind.
Shariputra, in the Northern World, Radiant Shoulders Buddha, Most Glorious Sound Buddha, Invincible Buddha, Sun-Birth Buddha, Luminous Net Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, in the World Below, Lion Buddha, Well-Known Buddha, Celebrated Light Buddha, Dharma Buddha, Dharma-Curtain Buddha, Upholding Dharma Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, in the World Above, Pure Sound Buddha, Constellation King Buddha, Superior Fragrance Buddha, Fragrant Light Buddha, Great Radiant Shoulders Buddha, Varicolored Jewels-Adorned Body Buddha, Sala Tree King Buddha, Jewelled Flower of Virtue Buddha, Discerning All Meanings Buddha, Like Sumeru Mountain Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, what do you think? Why is it called Sutra which all Buddhas protect and bear in mind? Shariputra, if a good man or good woman hears this sutra and upholds it, and hears the names of all these Buddhas, this good man or good woman will also be one whom all Buddhas protect and bear in mind, and will attain non-retreat from anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Therefore, Shariputra, all of you should believe and accept my words and the words all Buddhas speak.
Shariputra, if there are people who have already made the vow, who now make the vow, or who will make the vow, I wish to be born in Amitabha's country, these people, whether born in the past, now being born there, or to be born there in the future, will all attain non-retreat from anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Therefore, Shariputra, all good men and good women who believe should make the vow, I wish to be born in that country.
Shariputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable merit and virtue of all Buddhas, all those Buddhas also praise my inconceivable merit and virtue, saying these words: Shakyamuni Buddha can accomplish extremely difficult and rare deeds in the Saha Land during the evil time of the Five Turbidities: during the time turbidity, the views turbidity, the affliction turbidity, the living beings turbidity, and the lifespan turbidity. He can attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi and for the sake of living beings proclaim this Dharma, which the whole world finds hard to believe.
Shariputra, you should know that I, in the evil time of the Five Turbidities, perform these difficult deeds, attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi, and for the entire world proclaim this Dharma which is difficult to believe, extremely difficult!
After the Buddha spoke this Sutra, Shariputra, all the Bhikshus, and the entire world of gods, humans, asuras, and others, hearing what the Buddha had said, joyously delighted in it, faithfully accepted it, bowed and withdrew.
End of the Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra
-http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/AmitabhaSutra.htm
- wong chee tat :)
At that time, the Buddha told the Elder Shariputra, From here, passing through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands to the West there is a world called Utmost Happiness. In this land a Buddha called Amitabha right now teaches the Dharma.
Shariputra, why is this land called Utmost Happiness? All living beings of this country never suffer, but enjoy every bliss. Therefore it is called Utmost Happiness.
Moreover, Shariputra, this land of Utmost Happiness is completely surrounded by seven tiers of railings, seven layers of netting, and seven rows of trees, all formed from the four treasures, and for this reason called Utmost Happiness.
Moreover, Shariputra, in the land of Utmost Happiness are pools of the seven jewels, filled with the waters of eight meritorious qualities; the bottom of each pool is pure, covered with golden sands. On the four sides climb stairs of gold, silver, lapus lazuli, crystal, mother-of pearl, rubies, and carnelian.
In the pools bloom lotuses as large as carriage wheels with colors of green light, red light, yellow light, and white light, subtle, rare, fragrant, and pure. Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these.
Moreover, Shariputra, in this Buddhaland heavenly music always plays, and the ground is made of gold. In the six periods of the day and night a heavenly rain of mandarava flowers falls, and throughout the clear morning, each living being of this land offers sacks filled with myriads of wonderful flowers to the hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas of the other directions. At mealtime they return to their own countries and after eating they walk about. Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these.
Moreover, Shariputra, in this country there are always rare and unusual birds of many kinds and colors: white geese, cranes, peacocks, parrots, egrets, kalavinkas and two-headed birds. In the six periods of the day and night the flocks of birds sing forth harmonious and elegant sounds. Their clear and joyful calls proclaim the Five Roots, the Five Powers, the Seven Limbs of Bodhi, the Eightfold Path of Sages, and dharmas such as these. When living beings of this land hear their calls they are altogether mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha.
Shariputra! Do not say that these birds are born as retribution for their sins. And why not? Because in this Buddhaland the three evil paths do not exist. Shariputra, even the names of the three evil paths are unknown in this Buddha's land; how much the less could they actually exist! Wishing to proclaim the Dharma's sound far and wide, Amitabha Buddha created these multitudes of birds by transformation.
Shariputra, in that Buddhaland when the gentle winds blow, the rows of jewelled trees and jewelled nets reverberate with fine and wondrous sounds, as a symphony of one hundred thousand kinds of music played in harmony. All who hear these sounds are naturally mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha. Shariputra, the Land of Utmost Happiness is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these.
Shariputra, what do you think? Why is this Buddha called Amitabha? Shariputra, the brilliance of that Buddha's light is measureless, illumining the lands of the ten directions everywhere without obstruction. For this reason he is called Amitabha.
Moreover, Shariputra, the lifespan of that Buddha and that of his people extends for measureless, limitless asamkhyeyas of kalpas. For this reason he is called Amitayus. And, Shariputra, since Amitabha became a Buddha, ten kalpas have passed.
Moreover, Shariputra, that Buddha has measureless, limitless asamkheyas of Sound-Hearer disciples, their number incalculable. So too is the assembly of Bodhisattvas. Shariputra, that Buddhaland is crowned in splendor and virtues such as these.
Moreover, Shariputra, the living beings born in the Land of Utmost Happiness are all avaivartika. Among them are many who in this very life will dwell in Buddhahood. Their number is extremely many; it is incalculable. And only in measureless, limitless asamkyeyas of kalpas could they be counted.
Shariputra, those living beings who hear of this should vow: I wish to be born in that country. And why? Because those who are born there assemble in one place with people whose goodness is unsurpassed. Shariputra, if one has few good roots, blessings, and virtues, one cannot be born in that land.
Shariputra, if there is a good man or good woman who hears of Amitabha and holds his name whether for one day, two days, three, four, five days, six days, as long as seven days with one mind unconfused, when this person nears the end of life, before him will appear Amitabha and all the Assembly of Holy Ones. When the end comes, his mind will not be utterly confused, and in Amitabha's Land of Utmost Happiness he will quickly be reborn. Shariputra, because I see this benefit, I speak these words; and, if living beings hear this teaching they should make the vow: I wish to born in that land.
Shariputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable benefits arising from the merit and virtue of Amitabha, so too in the East does Akshobya Buddha, Sumeru Likeness Buddha, Great Sumeru Buddha, Sumeru Light Buddha, Wonderful Sound Buddha; all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all the Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, in the Southern World, Sun-Moon Lamp Buddha, Sumeru Lamp Buddha, Celebrated Light Buddha, Great Radiant Shoulders Buddha, Sumeru Lamp Buddha, Measureless Vigor Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, in the Western World, Measureless Life Buddha, Infinite Features Buddha, Measureless Curtain Buddha, Great Light Buddha, Great Clarity Buddha, Jewelled Likeness Buddha, Pure Light Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, protecting and bearing it in mind.
Shariputra, in the Northern World, Radiant Shoulders Buddha, Most Glorious Sound Buddha, Invincible Buddha, Sun-Birth Buddha, Luminous Net Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, in the World Below, Lion Buddha, Well-Known Buddha, Celebrated Light Buddha, Dharma Buddha, Dharma-Curtain Buddha, Upholding Dharma Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, in the World Above, Pure Sound Buddha, Constellation King Buddha, Superior Fragrance Buddha, Fragrant Light Buddha, Great Radiant Shoulders Buddha, Varicolored Jewels-Adorned Body Buddha, Sala Tree King Buddha, Jewelled Flower of Virtue Buddha, Discerning All Meanings Buddha, Like Sumeru Mountain Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far-reaching sound that pervades the threefold, great, thousand-world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living beings should believe in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its inconceivable merit and virtue, a sutra they protect and bear in mind.
Shariputra, what do you think? Why is it called Sutra which all Buddhas protect and bear in mind? Shariputra, if a good man or good woman hears this sutra and upholds it, and hears the names of all these Buddhas, this good man or good woman will also be one whom all Buddhas protect and bear in mind, and will attain non-retreat from anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Therefore, Shariputra, all of you should believe and accept my words and the words all Buddhas speak.
Shariputra, if there are people who have already made the vow, who now make the vow, or who will make the vow, I wish to be born in Amitabha's country, these people, whether born in the past, now being born there, or to be born there in the future, will all attain non-retreat from anuttarasamyaksambodhi. Therefore, Shariputra, all good men and good women who believe should make the vow, I wish to be born in that country.
Shariputra, just as I now praise the inconceivable merit and virtue of all Buddhas, all those Buddhas also praise my inconceivable merit and virtue, saying these words: Shakyamuni Buddha can accomplish extremely difficult and rare deeds in the Saha Land during the evil time of the Five Turbidities: during the time turbidity, the views turbidity, the affliction turbidity, the living beings turbidity, and the lifespan turbidity. He can attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi and for the sake of living beings proclaim this Dharma, which the whole world finds hard to believe.
Shariputra, you should know that I, in the evil time of the Five Turbidities, perform these difficult deeds, attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi, and for the entire world proclaim this Dharma which is difficult to believe, extremely difficult!
After the Buddha spoke this Sutra, Shariputra, all the Bhikshus, and the entire world of gods, humans, asuras, and others, hearing what the Buddha had said, joyously delighted in it, faithfully accepted it, bowed and withdrew.
End of the Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra
-http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/AmitabhaSutra.htm
- wong chee tat :)
THE BUDDHA SPEAKS OF AMITABHA SUTRA
THE BUDDHA SPEAKS ABOUT AMITABHA SUTRA
Translated from Sanskrit to Chinese by
the Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva at Yao Ch'in
Thus I have heard, at one time time Buddha dwelt at Sravasti in the Jeta grove in the garden of the Bene-factor of Orphans and the Solitary together with a gathering of great Bhiksus, 1250 in all, all great Ar-hats whom the assembly knew and recognized: Elders Sari-putra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Mahakasyapa, Mahakatyayana, Mahakausthila, Revata, Suddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ananda, Rahula, Gavampati, Pindola-bharadvaja, Kalodayin, Mahakaphina, Vakkula, Aniruddha, and others such as these, all great disciples; together with all the Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas: Dharma Prince Manjusri, Ajita Bodhisattva, Gandhastin Bodhisattva, Nityodyukta Bodhisattva, and others such as these, all great Bodhisattvas; and to-gether with Sakra, chief among gods, and the numberless great multitudes from all the heavens.
At that time the Buddha told the Elder Sariputra, "Passing from here through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands to the West, there is a world called Ultimate Bliss. In this land a Buddha called Amitabha right now teaches the Dharma. Sariputra, for what reason is this land called Ultimate Bliss? All living beings of this country endure none of the suf-ferings, but enjoy every bliss. Therefore, it is called 'Ultimate Bliss'.
Moreover, Sariputra, this Land of Ultimate Bliss is everywhere surrounded by seven tiers of railings, seven layers of netting, and seven rows of trees, all formed from the four treasures and for this reason named 'Ultimate Bliss'.
Moreover, Sariputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss has pools of the seven jewels, filled with the eight waters of merit and virtue. The bottom of each pool is pure, spread over with golden sand. On the four sides are stairs of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal; above are raised pavilions adorned with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-or-pearl, red pearls, and carnelian.
In the pools are lotuses as large as carriage wheels: green colored of green light; yellow colored of yellow light; red colored of red light; white colored of white light; subtly, wonderfully, fragrant and pure.
Sariputra, the realization of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is thus meritoriously adorned.
Moreover Sariputra, in that Buddhaland there is always heavenly music, and the ground is yellow gold. In the six periods of the day and night a heavenly rain of mandarava flowers falls, and throughout the clear morning each living being of this Land, with sacks full of the myriads of wonderful flowers, makes offerings to the hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas of the other directions. At mealtime they return to their own country, and having eaten, they stroll around,
Sariputra, the realization of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is thus meritoriously adorned.
Moreover Sariputra, in this country there are al-ways rare and wonderful varicolored birds: white cranes; peacocks, parrots and egrets ; kalavinkas and two-headed birds . In the six periods of the day and night the flocks of birds sing forth harmonious and elegant sounds. Their clear and joyful sounds proclaim the five roots,29 the five powers the seven Bodhi shares, the eight sage-ly way shares,30 and dharmas such as these. When living beings of this land hear these sounds, they are alto-gether mindful31 of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha.
Sariputra, do not say that these birds are born as retribution for their karmic offenses. For what reason? In this Buddhaland there are no three evil ways of re-birth.32 Sariputra, in this Buddhaland not even the names of the three evil ways exist, how much the less their actuality! Desiring that the Dharma sound be widely proclaimed, Amitabha Buddha by transformation made this multitude of birds.
Sariputra, in that Buddhaland, when the soft wind blows, the rows of jewelled trees and jewelled nets give forth subtle and wonderful sounds, like one hundred thousand kinds of music played at the same time. All those who hear this sound naturally bring forth in their hearts mindfulness of the Buddha, mindfulness of the Dharma, and mindfulness of the Sangha.
Sariputra, the realization of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is thus meritoriously adorned.
Sariputra, what do you think? Why is this Buddha called Amitabha? Sariputra, the brilliance of that Buddha's light is measureless, illumining the lands of the ten directions everywhere without obstruction; for this reason he is called Amitabha.33
Moreover Sariputra, the life of that Buddha and that of his people extends for measureless limitless asankhyeya kalpas; for this reason he is called Amitayus.34 And Sariputra, since Amitabha realized Buddhahood, ten kalpas have passed.
Moreover Sariputra, that Buddha has measureless limitless "sound-hearer" disciples,35 all Arhats, their number incalculable; thus also is the assembly of Bodhi-sattvas.
Sariputra, the realization of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is thus meritoriously adorned.
Moreover Sariputra, those living beings born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss are all avaivartika.36 Among them are many who in this very life will dwell in Buddhahood.37 Their number is extremely many, it is incalculable and only in measureless, limitless asankhyeya37 kalpas could it be spoken.
Sariputra, those living beings who hear should vow, 'I wish to be born in that country.' And why? Those who thus attain are all superior and good people, all coming together in one place. Sariputra, one cannot have few good roots, blessings, virtues, and causal connections to attain birth in that Land.
Sariputra, if there is a good man or good woman who hears spoken 'Amitabha Buddha' and holds the name, whether for one day, two days, three, four, five days, six days, as long as seven days, with one heart uncon-fused, when this person approaches the end of life, be-fore him will appear Amitabha Buddha and all the assem-bly of Holy Ones. When the end comes, his heart is without inversion; in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss he will attain rebirth. Sariputra, because I see this benefit, I speak these words: If living beings hear this spoken they should make the vow, 'I will be born in that land.'
Sariputra, as I now praise the inconceivable bene-fit from the merit and virtue of Amitabha Buddha, thus in the East are also Aksothya Buddha,38 Sumeru Appearance Buddha,39 Great Sumeru Buddha,40 Sumeru Light Buddha,41 Won-derful Sound Buddha,42 all Buddhas such as these, number-less as Ganges' sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, every-where covering the three thousand great thousand worlds,43 and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue44 of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'45
Sariputra, in the Southern world are Sun Moon Lamp Buddha,46 Well-Known Light Buddha,47 Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha,48 Sumeru Lamp Buddha,49 Measureless Vigor Buddha,50 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'
Sariputra, in the Western world are Measureless Life Buddha,51 Measureless Appearance Buddha,52 Measureless Curtain Buddha,53 Great Light Buddha,54 Great Brightness Buddha,55 Jewelled Appearance Buddha,56 Pure Light Buddha,57 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'
Sariputra, in the Northern world are Blazing Shoulders Buddha,58 Most Victorious Sound Buddha,59 Hard to Injure Buddha,60 Sun Birth Buddha,61 Net Brightness Buddha,62 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'
Sariputra, in the world below are Lion Buddha,63 Well-Known Buddha,64 Famous Light Buddha,65 Dharma Buddha,66 Dharma Curtain Buddha,67 Dharma Maintaining Buddha,68 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'
Sariputra, in the world above are Pure Sound Buddha,69 King of Past Lives Buddha,70 Superior Fragrance Buddha, 71 Fragrant Light Buddha,72 Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha,73 Vari-colored Jewels and Flower Adornment Body Buddha,74 Sala Tree King Buddha,75 Jewelled Flower Virtue Buddha,76 Vision of all Meaning Buddha,77 Such as Mt. Sumeru Buddha,78 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.
Sariputra, what do you think? Why is it called Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective? Sariputra, if a good man or good woman hears this Sutra and holds to it, and hears the names of all these Buddhas, this good man or woman will be the Mind-ful One of whom all Buddhas are protective, and will irreversibly attain to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. There-fore, Sariputra, all of you should believe and accept my words, and those which all Buddhas speak.
Sariputra, if there are people who have already made the vow, who now make the vow, or who are about to make the vow, 'I desire to be born in Amitabha's Country', these people whether born in the past, now being born, or to be born in the future, all will irreversibly attain to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, Sariputra, all good men and good women, if they are among those who have faith, should make the vow, 'I will be born in that country.'
Sariputra, just as I am now one who praises the merit and virtue of all Buddhas, all those Buddhas equally praise my inconceivable merit and virtue saying these words, 'Sakyamuni Buddha can complete extremely rare and difficult deeds. In the Saha Land, in the evil time of the five turbidities,79 in the midst of the kalpa turbidity, the view turbidity, the affliction turbidity, the living beings turbidity, and the life turbidity, he can attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi and for the sake of living beings, speak this Dharma which in the whole world is hard to believe.'
Sariputra, you should know that I, in the evil time of the five turbidities, practice these difficult deeds, attain anuttara-samak-sambodhi and for all the world speak this dharma, difficult to believe, extremely difficult!"
After the Buddha spoke this Sutra, Sariputra and all the Bhiksus, all the gods, men, and asuras, and others from all the worlds, hearing what the Buddha had said, joyously welcomed, faithfully accepted, bowed and withdrew.
END OF THE BUDDHA SPEAKS OF AMITABHA SUTRA
- http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/amitabha.htm
- wong chee tat :)
Translated from Sanskrit to Chinese by
the Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva at Yao Ch'in
Thus I have heard, at one time time Buddha dwelt at Sravasti in the Jeta grove in the garden of the Bene-factor of Orphans and the Solitary together with a gathering of great Bhiksus, 1250 in all, all great Ar-hats whom the assembly knew and recognized: Elders Sari-putra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Mahakasyapa, Mahakatyayana, Mahakausthila, Revata, Suddhipanthaka, Nanda, Ananda, Rahula, Gavampati, Pindola-bharadvaja, Kalodayin, Mahakaphina, Vakkula, Aniruddha, and others such as these, all great disciples; together with all the Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas: Dharma Prince Manjusri, Ajita Bodhisattva, Gandhastin Bodhisattva, Nityodyukta Bodhisattva, and others such as these, all great Bodhisattvas; and to-gether with Sakra, chief among gods, and the numberless great multitudes from all the heavens.
At that time the Buddha told the Elder Sariputra, "Passing from here through hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhalands to the West, there is a world called Ultimate Bliss. In this land a Buddha called Amitabha right now teaches the Dharma. Sariputra, for what reason is this land called Ultimate Bliss? All living beings of this country endure none of the suf-ferings, but enjoy every bliss. Therefore, it is called 'Ultimate Bliss'.
Moreover, Sariputra, this Land of Ultimate Bliss is everywhere surrounded by seven tiers of railings, seven layers of netting, and seven rows of trees, all formed from the four treasures and for this reason named 'Ultimate Bliss'.
Moreover, Sariputra, the Land of Ultimate Bliss has pools of the seven jewels, filled with the eight waters of merit and virtue. The bottom of each pool is pure, spread over with golden sand. On the four sides are stairs of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal; above are raised pavilions adorned with gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-or-pearl, red pearls, and carnelian.
In the pools are lotuses as large as carriage wheels: green colored of green light; yellow colored of yellow light; red colored of red light; white colored of white light; subtly, wonderfully, fragrant and pure.
Sariputra, the realization of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is thus meritoriously adorned.
Moreover Sariputra, in that Buddhaland there is always heavenly music, and the ground is yellow gold. In the six periods of the day and night a heavenly rain of mandarava flowers falls, and throughout the clear morning each living being of this Land, with sacks full of the myriads of wonderful flowers, makes offerings to the hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhas of the other directions. At mealtime they return to their own country, and having eaten, they stroll around,
Sariputra, the realization of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is thus meritoriously adorned.
Moreover Sariputra, in this country there are al-ways rare and wonderful varicolored birds: white cranes; peacocks, parrots and egrets ; kalavinkas and two-headed birds . In the six periods of the day and night the flocks of birds sing forth harmonious and elegant sounds. Their clear and joyful sounds proclaim the five roots,29 the five powers the seven Bodhi shares, the eight sage-ly way shares,30 and dharmas such as these. When living beings of this land hear these sounds, they are alto-gether mindful31 of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Sangha.
Sariputra, do not say that these birds are born as retribution for their karmic offenses. For what reason? In this Buddhaland there are no three evil ways of re-birth.32 Sariputra, in this Buddhaland not even the names of the three evil ways exist, how much the less their actuality! Desiring that the Dharma sound be widely proclaimed, Amitabha Buddha by transformation made this multitude of birds.
Sariputra, in that Buddhaland, when the soft wind blows, the rows of jewelled trees and jewelled nets give forth subtle and wonderful sounds, like one hundred thousand kinds of music played at the same time. All those who hear this sound naturally bring forth in their hearts mindfulness of the Buddha, mindfulness of the Dharma, and mindfulness of the Sangha.
Sariputra, the realization of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is thus meritoriously adorned.
Sariputra, what do you think? Why is this Buddha called Amitabha? Sariputra, the brilliance of that Buddha's light is measureless, illumining the lands of the ten directions everywhere without obstruction; for this reason he is called Amitabha.33
Moreover Sariputra, the life of that Buddha and that of his people extends for measureless limitless asankhyeya kalpas; for this reason he is called Amitayus.34 And Sariputra, since Amitabha realized Buddhahood, ten kalpas have passed.
Moreover Sariputra, that Buddha has measureless limitless "sound-hearer" disciples,35 all Arhats, their number incalculable; thus also is the assembly of Bodhi-sattvas.
Sariputra, the realization of the Land of Ultimate Bliss is thus meritoriously adorned.
Moreover Sariputra, those living beings born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss are all avaivartika.36 Among them are many who in this very life will dwell in Buddhahood.37 Their number is extremely many, it is incalculable and only in measureless, limitless asankhyeya37 kalpas could it be spoken.
Sariputra, those living beings who hear should vow, 'I wish to be born in that country.' And why? Those who thus attain are all superior and good people, all coming together in one place. Sariputra, one cannot have few good roots, blessings, virtues, and causal connections to attain birth in that Land.
Sariputra, if there is a good man or good woman who hears spoken 'Amitabha Buddha' and holds the name, whether for one day, two days, three, four, five days, six days, as long as seven days, with one heart uncon-fused, when this person approaches the end of life, be-fore him will appear Amitabha Buddha and all the assem-bly of Holy Ones. When the end comes, his heart is without inversion; in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Ultimate Bliss he will attain rebirth. Sariputra, because I see this benefit, I speak these words: If living beings hear this spoken they should make the vow, 'I will be born in that land.'
Sariputra, as I now praise the inconceivable bene-fit from the merit and virtue of Amitabha Buddha, thus in the East are also Aksothya Buddha,38 Sumeru Appearance Buddha,39 Great Sumeru Buddha,40 Sumeru Light Buddha,41 Won-derful Sound Buddha,42 all Buddhas such as these, number-less as Ganges' sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, every-where covering the three thousand great thousand worlds,43 and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue44 of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'45
Sariputra, in the Southern world are Sun Moon Lamp Buddha,46 Well-Known Light Buddha,47 Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha,48 Sumeru Lamp Buddha,49 Measureless Vigor Buddha,50 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'
Sariputra, in the Western world are Measureless Life Buddha,51 Measureless Appearance Buddha,52 Measureless Curtain Buddha,53 Great Light Buddha,54 Great Brightness Buddha,55 Jewelled Appearance Buddha,56 Pure Light Buddha,57 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'
Sariputra, in the Northern world are Blazing Shoulders Buddha,58 Most Victorious Sound Buddha,59 Hard to Injure Buddha,60 Sun Birth Buddha,61 Net Brightness Buddha,62 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'
Sariputra, in the world below are Lion Buddha,63 Well-Known Buddha,64 Famous Light Buddha,65 Dharma Buddha,66 Dharma Curtain Buddha,67 Dharma Maintaining Buddha,68 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.'
Sariputra, in the world above are Pure Sound Buddha,69 King of Past Lives Buddha,70 Superior Fragrance Buddha, 71 Fragrant Light Buddha,72 Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha,73 Vari-colored Jewels and Flower Adornment Body Buddha,74 Sala Tree King Buddha,75 Jewelled Flower Virtue Buddha,76 Vision of all Meaning Buddha,77 Such as Mt. Sumeru Buddha,78 all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges sands. In his own country each brings forth the appearance of a vast and long tongue, everywhere covering the three thousand great thousand worlds, and speaks the sincere and actual words, 'All you living beings should believe, praise, and hold in reverence the inconceivable merit and virtue of this Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective.
Sariputra, what do you think? Why is it called Sutra of the Mindful One of Whom All Buddhas Are Protective? Sariputra, if a good man or good woman hears this Sutra and holds to it, and hears the names of all these Buddhas, this good man or woman will be the Mind-ful One of whom all Buddhas are protective, and will irreversibly attain to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. There-fore, Sariputra, all of you should believe and accept my words, and those which all Buddhas speak.
Sariputra, if there are people who have already made the vow, who now make the vow, or who are about to make the vow, 'I desire to be born in Amitabha's Country', these people whether born in the past, now being born, or to be born in the future, all will irreversibly attain to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, Sariputra, all good men and good women, if they are among those who have faith, should make the vow, 'I will be born in that country.'
Sariputra, just as I am now one who praises the merit and virtue of all Buddhas, all those Buddhas equally praise my inconceivable merit and virtue saying these words, 'Sakyamuni Buddha can complete extremely rare and difficult deeds. In the Saha Land, in the evil time of the five turbidities,79 in the midst of the kalpa turbidity, the view turbidity, the affliction turbidity, the living beings turbidity, and the life turbidity, he can attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi and for the sake of living beings, speak this Dharma which in the whole world is hard to believe.'
Sariputra, you should know that I, in the evil time of the five turbidities, practice these difficult deeds, attain anuttara-samak-sambodhi and for all the world speak this dharma, difficult to believe, extremely difficult!"
After the Buddha spoke this Sutra, Sariputra and all the Bhiksus, all the gods, men, and asuras, and others from all the worlds, hearing what the Buddha had said, joyously welcomed, faithfully accepted, bowed and withdrew.
END OF THE BUDDHA SPEAKS OF AMITABHA SUTRA
- http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/amitabha.htm
- wong chee tat :)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
Translated from Chinese into English by the Buddhist Text Translation Society,
Dharma Realm Buddhist University, City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas
Section 1
Leaving Home and Becoming an Arhat
The Buddha said, "People who take leave of their families and go forth from the householder life, who know their mind and penetrate to its origin, and who understand the unconditioned Dharma are called Shramanas. They constantly observe the 250 precepts, and they value purity in all that they do. By practicing the four true paths, they can become Arhats."
Section 2
Eliminating Desire and Ending Seeking
The Buddha said, "Those who have left the home-life and become Shramanas cut off desire, renounce love, and recognize the source of their minds. They penetrate the Buddha profound principles and awaken to the unconditioned Dharma. Internally they have no thing to attain, and externally they seek nothing. They are not mentally bound to the Way, nor are they tied to karma. They are free of thought and action; they neither cultivate nor attain certification; they do not pass through the various stages, and yet they are highly revered. This is the meaning of the Way. "
Section 3
Severing Love and Renouncing Greed
The Buddha said, "Shaving their hair and beards, they become Shramanas who accept the Dharmas of the Way. They renounce worldly wealth and riches. In receiving alms, they accept only what enough. They take only one meal a day at noon, pass the night beneath trees, and are careful not to seek more than that. Craving and desire are what cause people to be stupid and dull."
Section 4
Clarifying Good and Evil
The Buddha said, "Living beings may perform Ten Good Deeds or Ten Evil Deeds. What are the ten? Three are done with the body, four are done with the mouth, and three are done with the mind. The three done with the body are killing, stealing, and lust. The four done with the mouth are duplicity, harsh speech, lies, and frivolous speech. The three done with the mind are jealousy, hatred, and stupidity. Thus these ten are not in accord with the Way of Sages and are called the Ten Evil Deeds. To put a stop to these evils is to perform the Ten Good Deeds. "
.
Section 5
Reducing the Severity of Offenses
The Buddha said, "If a person has many offenses and does not repent of them, but cuts off all thought of repentance, the offenses will engulf him, just as water returning to the sea will gradually become deeper and wider. If a person has offenses and, realizing they are wrong, reforms and does good, the offenses will dissolve by themselves, just as a sick person who begins to perspire will gradually be cured. "
Section 6
Tolerating Evil-doers and Avoiding Hatred
The Buddha said, "When an evil person hears about your goodness and intentionally comes to cause trouble, you should restrain yourself and not become angry or blame him. Then the one who has come to do evil will do evil to himself. "
Section 7
Evil Returns to the Doer
The Buddha said, "There was a person who, upon hearing that I observe the Way and practice great humane kindness, intentionally came to berate me. I was silent and did not reply. When he finished abusing me, I asked, 'If you are courteous to people and they do not accept your courtesy, the courtesy returns to you, does it not? '
Section 8
Abusing Others Defiles Oneself
The Buddha said, "An evil person who harms a sage is like one who raises his head and spits at heaven. Instead of reaching heaven, the spittle falls back on him. It is the same with someone who throws dust against the wind. Instead of going somewhere else, the dust returns to defile his own body. The sage can not be harmed. Misdeeds will inevitably destroy the doer. "
Section 9
By Returning to the Source, You Find the Way
The Buddha said, "Deep learning and a love of the Way make the Way difficult to attain. When you guard your mind and revere the Way, the Way is truly great! "
Section 10
Joyful Charity Brings Blessings
The Buddha said, "When you see someone who is practicing giving, aid him joyfully, and you will obtain vast and great blessings. "
A Shramana asked, s there an end to those blessings? "
The Buddha said, "Consider the flame of a single torch. Though hundreds and thousands of people come to light their own torches from it so that they can cook their food and ward off darkness, the first torch remains the same. Blessings, too, are like this. "
Section 11
The Increase in Merit Gained by Bestowing Food
The Buddha said, "Giving food to a hundred bad people is not as good as giving food to a single good person. Giving food to a thousand good people is not as good as giving food to one person who holds the Five Precepts. Giving food to ten thousand people who hold the Five Precepts is not as good as giving food to a single Srotaapanna. Giving food to a million Srotaapannas is not as good as giving food to a single Sakridagamin. Giving food to ten million Sakri dagamins is not as good as giving food to a single Anagamin. Giving food to a hundred million Anaga mins is not as good as giving food to a single Arhat. Giving food to one billion Arhats is not as good as giving food to a single Pratyekabuddha. Giving food to ten billion Pratyekabuddhas is not as good as giving food to a Buddha of the three periods of time. Giving food to a hundred billion Buddhas of the three periods of time is not as good as giving food to a single person who is without thoughts, without dwelling, without cultivation, and without accomplishment. "
Section 12
A List of Difficulties and an Exhortation to Cultivate
The Buddha said, "People encounter twenty different kinds of difficulties: It is difficult to give when one is poor. It is difficult to study the Way when one has wealth and status. It is difficult to abandon life and face the certainty of death. It is difficult to encounter the Buddhist sutras. It is difficult to be born at the time of a Buddha. It is difficult to be patient with lust and desire. It is difficult to see fine things and not seek them. It is difficult to be insulted and not become angry. It is difficult to have power and not abuse it. It is difficult to come in contact with things and have no thought of them. It is difficult to be vastly learned and well-read. It is difficult to get rid of pride. It is difficult not to slight those who have not yet studied. It is difficult to practice equanimity of mind. It is difficult not to gossip. It is difficult to meet a Good and Wise Advisor. It is difficult to see one own nature and study the Way. It is difficult to teach and save people according to their potentials. It is difficult to see a state and not be moved by it. It is difficult to have a good understanding of skill-in-means."
Section 13
Questions about the Way and Past Lives
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What causes and conditions can I know my past lives and understand the ultimate Way? "
The Buddha said, "Purifying your mind and preserving your resolve, you can understand the ultimate Way. Just as when you polish a mirror, the dust vanishes and brightness remains, so too, if you cut off desire and do not seek, you then can know past lives. "
Section 14
Asking about Goodness and Greatness
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is goodness? What is the foremost greatness? " The Buddha said, o
practice the Way and uphold the truth is goodness. To unite your will with the Way is greatness. "
Section 15
Asking about Strength and Brilliance
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is the greatest strength? What is the utmost brilliance? "
The Buddha said, "Patience under insult is the greatest strength, because people who are patient do not harbor hatred, and they gradually grow more peaceful and strong. Patient people, since they are not evil, will surely gain the respect of others. Then the mind defilements are gone completely, so that it is pure and untainted, that is the utmost brilliance. When there is nothing, from before the formation of the heavens and the earth until now, in any of the ten directions that you do not see, know, or hear; when you have attained omniscience, that may be called brilliance. "
Section 16
Casting Aside Love and Attaining the Way
The Buddha said, "People who cherish love and desire do not see the Way. Just as when you stir clear water with your hand, those who stand beside it cannot see their reflections, so, too, people who are entangled in love and desire have turbidity in their minds, and therefore they cannot see the Way. You Shramanas should cast aside love and desire. When the stains of love and desire disappear, you will be able to see the Way. "
Section 17
When Light Arrives, Darkness Departs
The Buddha said, "Those who see the Way are like someone holding a torch who enters a dark room, dispelling the darkness so that only light remains. When you study the Way and see the truth, ignorance vanishes and light remains forever. "
Section 18
Thoughts and So Forth Are Basically Empty
The Buddha said, y Dharma is the mindfulness that is both mindfulness and non-mindfulness. It is the practice that is both practice and non-practice. It is words that are words and non-words, and cultivation that is cultivation and non-cultivation. Those who understand are near to it; those who are confused are far away, indeed. It is not accessible by the path of language. It is not hindered by physical objects. If you are off by a hairsbreadth, you will lose it in an instant. "
Section 19
Contemplating Both the False and the True
The Buddha said, "Contemplate heaven and earth, and be mindful of their impermanence. Contemplate the world, and be mindful of its impermanence. Contem-plate the efficacious, enlightened nature: it is the Bodhi nature. With this awareness, one quickly attains the Way. "
Section 20
Realize that the Self Is Truly Empty
The Buddha said, "You should be mindful of the four elements within the body. Though each has a name, none of them is the self. Since they are not the self, they are like an illusion. "
Section 21
Fame Destroys Life Roots
The Buddha said, "There are people who follow emotion and desire and seek to be famous. By the time their reputation is established, they are already dead. Those who are greedy for worldly fame and do not study the Way simply waste their effort and wear themselves out. By way of analogy, although burning incense gives off fragrance, when it has burned down, the remaining embers bring the danger of a fire that can burn one up. "
Section 22
Wealth and Sex Cause Suffering
The Buddha said, "People are unable to renounce wealth and sex. They are just like a child who cannot resist honey on the blade of a knife. Even though the amount is not even enough for a single meal serving , he will lick it and risk cutting his tongue in the process. "
Section 23
A Family Is Worse than a Prison
The Buddha said, "People are bound to their families and homes to such an extent that these are worse than a prison. Eventually one is released from prison, but people never think of leaving their families. Don?t they fear the control that emotion, love, and sex have over them? Although they are in a tiger jaws, their hearts are blissfully oblivious. Because they throw themselves into a swamp and drown, they are known as ordinary people. Pass through the gateway! Get out of the defilement and become an Arhat! "
Section 24
Sexual Desire Obstructs the Way
The Buddha said, "f all longings and desires, there is none as strong as sex. Sexual desire has no equal. Fortunately, it is one of a kind. If there were something else like it, no one in the entire world would be able to cultivate the Way. "
Section 25
The Fire of Desire Burns
The Buddha said, "Person with love and desire is like one who carries a torch while walking against the wind: he is certain to burn his hand. "
.
Section 26
Demons from the Heavens Try to Tempt the Buddha
The heaven spirit offered beautiful maidens to the Buddha, hoping to destroy his resolve. The Buddha said, What have you skin-bags full of filth come here for? Go away, I've got no use for you. "
Then the heaven spirit became very respectful and asked about the meaning of the Way. The Buddha explained it for him, and he immediately attained the fruition of Srotaapanna.
Section 27
One Attains the Way after Letting Go of Attachments
The Buddha said, "Person who follows the Way is like a floating piece of wood that courses along with the current. If it does not touch either shore; if people do not pluck it out; if ghosts and spirits do not intercept it; if it is not trapped in whirlpools; and if it does not rot, I guarantee that the piece of wood will reach the sea. If students of the Way are not deluded by emotion and desire, and if they are not caught up in the many crooked views, but are vigorous in their cultivation of the unconditioned, I guarantee that they will certainly attain the Way. "
Section 28
Don Indulge the Wild Mind
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to believe your own mind; your mind is not to be believed. Be careful not to get involved with sex; involvement with sex leads to disaster. After you have attained Arhatship, you can believe your own mind. "
Section 29
Proper Contemplation Counteracts Sexual Desire
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to look at women, and do not talk with them. If you must speak with them, be properly mindful and think, am a Shramana living in a turbid world. I should be like the lotus flower, which is not stained by the mud. ' Think of elderly women as your mothers, of those who are older than you as your elder sisters, of those who are younger as your younger sisters, and of very young girls as your daughters. Bring forth thoughts to rescue them, and put an end to bad thoughts."
Section 30
Stay Far Away from the Fire of Desire
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like dry grass: it is essential to keep it away from an oncoming fire. People who cultivate the Way look upon desire as something they must stay far away from."
Section 31
When the Mind Is Still, Desire Is Dispelled
The Buddha said, "There was once someone who was plagued by ceaseless sexual desire and wished to castrate himself. The Buddha said to him," o cut off your sexual organ would not be as good as to cut off your mind. Your mind is like a supervisor: if the supervisor stops, his employees will also quit. If the deviant mind is not stopped, what good does it do to cut off the organ? '"
The Buddha spoke a verse for him:
Desire is born from your intentions.
Intentions are born from thoughts.
When both aspects of the mind are still,
There is neither form nor activity.
The Buddha said, his verse was spoken by the Buddha Kashyapa. "
Section 32
Emptying out the Self Quells Fear
The Buddha said, "People worry because of love and desire. That worry then leads to fear. If you transcend love, what worries will there be? What will be left to fear? "
Section 33
Wisdom and Clarity Defeat the Demons
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like a soldier who goes into battle alone against ten thousand enemies. He dons his armor and goes out the gate. He may prove to be a coward; he may get halfway to the battlefield and retreat; he may be killed in combat; or he may return victorious. Shramanas who study the Way must make their minds resolute and be vigorous, courageous, and valiant. Not fearing what lies ahead, they should defeat the hordes of demons and obtain the fruition of the Way. "
Section 34
By Staying in the Middle, One Attains the Way
One evening a Shramana was reciting the Sutra of the Teaching Bequeathed by the Buddha Kashyapa. The sound of his voice was mournful as he reflected remorsefully on his wish to retreat in cultivation. The Buddha asked him, "In the past when you were a householder, what did you do? " He replied, "I was fond of playing the lute. " The Buddha said, "What happened when the strings were slack? " He replied, "They didn't sound. " What happened when they were too tight? " He replied, "The sounds were cut short. " What happened when they were tuned just right between slack and tight? " He replied, "The sounds carried. " The Buddha said, "It is the same with a Shramana who studies the Way. If his mind is harmonious, he can attain the Way. If he is impetuous about the Way, his impetuousness will tire out his body; and if his body is tired, his mind will become afflicted. If his mind becomes afflicted, then he will retreat from his practice. If he retreats from his practice, his offenses will certainly increase. You need only be pure, peaceful, and happy, and you will not lose the Way. "
Section 35
When One Is Purified of Defilements, the Brilliance Remains
The Buddha said,"People smelt metal by burning the dross out of it in order to make high quality implements. It is the same with people who study the Way: first they must get rid of the defilements in their minds; then their practice becomes pure. "
Section 36
The Sequence that Leads to Success
The Buddha said, "It is difficult for one to leave the evil destinies and become a human being.
Even if one does become a human being, it is still difficult to become a man rather than a woman.
Even if one does become a man, it is still difficult to have the six sense organs complete and perfect.
Even if the six sense organs are complete and perfect, it is still difficult for one to be born in a central country.
Even if one is born in a central country, it is still difficult to be born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world.
Even if one is born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world, it is still difficult to encounter the Way.
Even if one does encounter the Way, it is still difficult to bring forth faith.
Even if one brings forth faith, it is still difficult to resolve one mind on Bodhi.
Even if one does resolve one mind on Bodhi, it is still difficult to be beyond cultivation and attainment. "
Section 37
Staying Mindful of Moral Precepts Brings Us Close to the Way
The Buddha said, "My disciples may be several thousand miles away from me, but if they remember my moral precepts, they will certainly attain the fruition of the Way. If those who are by my side do not follow my moral precepts, they may see me constantly, but in the end they will not attain the Way. "
Section 38
Birth Leads to Death
The Buddha asked a Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " He replied, few days. " The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way. "
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " The reply was, he space of a meal. " The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way. "
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " He replied, he length of a single breath. " The Buddha said, "Excellent. You have understood the Way. "
Section 39
The Buddha Instructions Are Not Biased
The Buddha said, "Students of the Buddha Way should believe in and accord with everything that the Buddha teaches. When you eat honey, it is sweet on the surface and sweet in the center; it is the same with my sutras. "
Section 40
The Way Is Practiced in the Mind
The Buddha said, "Shramana who practices the Way should not be like an ox turning a millstone. Such a one walks the Way with his body, but his mind is not on the Way. If the mind is concentrated on the Way, what further need is there to practice? "
Section 41
A Straight Mind Gets Rid of Desire
The Buddha said, "One who practices the Way is like an ox pulling a heavy load through deep mud. The ox is so extremely exhausted that it dares not glance to the left or right. Only when it gets out of the mud can it rest. The Shramana should regard emotion and desire as being worse than deep mud; and with an undeviating mind, he should be mindful of the Way. Then he can avoid suffering. "
Section 42
Understanding that the World Is Illusory
The Buddha said, "Look upon royalty and high positions as upon the dust that floats through a crack. I look
upon treasures of gold and jade as upon broken tiles. I look upon fine silk clothing as upon cheap cotton. I
look upon a great thousand-world universe as upon a small nut kernel. I look upon the waters of the
Anavatapta Lake as upon oil used to anoint the feet. "
- wong chee tat :)
Translated from Chinese into English by the Buddhist Text Translation Society,
Dharma Realm Buddhist University, City Of Ten Thousand Buddhas
Section 1
Leaving Home and Becoming an Arhat
The Buddha said, "People who take leave of their families and go forth from the householder life, who know their mind and penetrate to its origin, and who understand the unconditioned Dharma are called Shramanas. They constantly observe the 250 precepts, and they value purity in all that they do. By practicing the four true paths, they can become Arhats."
Section 2
Eliminating Desire and Ending Seeking
The Buddha said, "Those who have left the home-life and become Shramanas cut off desire, renounce love, and recognize the source of their minds. They penetrate the Buddha profound principles and awaken to the unconditioned Dharma. Internally they have no thing to attain, and externally they seek nothing. They are not mentally bound to the Way, nor are they tied to karma. They are free of thought and action; they neither cultivate nor attain certification; they do not pass through the various stages, and yet they are highly revered. This is the meaning of the Way. "
Section 3
Severing Love and Renouncing Greed
The Buddha said, "Shaving their hair and beards, they become Shramanas who accept the Dharmas of the Way. They renounce worldly wealth and riches. In receiving alms, they accept only what enough. They take only one meal a day at noon, pass the night beneath trees, and are careful not to seek more than that. Craving and desire are what cause people to be stupid and dull."
Section 4
Clarifying Good and Evil
The Buddha said, "Living beings may perform Ten Good Deeds or Ten Evil Deeds. What are the ten? Three are done with the body, four are done with the mouth, and three are done with the mind. The three done with the body are killing, stealing, and lust. The four done with the mouth are duplicity, harsh speech, lies, and frivolous speech. The three done with the mind are jealousy, hatred, and stupidity. Thus these ten are not in accord with the Way of Sages and are called the Ten Evil Deeds. To put a stop to these evils is to perform the Ten Good Deeds. "
.
Section 5
Reducing the Severity of Offenses
The Buddha said, "If a person has many offenses and does not repent of them, but cuts off all thought of repentance, the offenses will engulf him, just as water returning to the sea will gradually become deeper and wider. If a person has offenses and, realizing they are wrong, reforms and does good, the offenses will dissolve by themselves, just as a sick person who begins to perspire will gradually be cured. "
Section 6
Tolerating Evil-doers and Avoiding Hatred
The Buddha said, "When an evil person hears about your goodness and intentionally comes to cause trouble, you should restrain yourself and not become angry or blame him. Then the one who has come to do evil will do evil to himself. "
Section 7
Evil Returns to the Doer
The Buddha said, "There was a person who, upon hearing that I observe the Way and practice great humane kindness, intentionally came to berate me. I was silent and did not reply. When he finished abusing me, I asked, 'If you are courteous to people and they do not accept your courtesy, the courtesy returns to you, does it not? '
Section 8
Abusing Others Defiles Oneself
The Buddha said, "An evil person who harms a sage is like one who raises his head and spits at heaven. Instead of reaching heaven, the spittle falls back on him. It is the same with someone who throws dust against the wind. Instead of going somewhere else, the dust returns to defile his own body. The sage can not be harmed. Misdeeds will inevitably destroy the doer. "
Section 9
By Returning to the Source, You Find the Way
The Buddha said, "Deep learning and a love of the Way make the Way difficult to attain. When you guard your mind and revere the Way, the Way is truly great! "
Section 10
Joyful Charity Brings Blessings
The Buddha said, "When you see someone who is practicing giving, aid him joyfully, and you will obtain vast and great blessings. "
A Shramana asked, s there an end to those blessings? "
The Buddha said, "Consider the flame of a single torch. Though hundreds and thousands of people come to light their own torches from it so that they can cook their food and ward off darkness, the first torch remains the same. Blessings, too, are like this. "
Section 11
The Increase in Merit Gained by Bestowing Food
The Buddha said, "Giving food to a hundred bad people is not as good as giving food to a single good person. Giving food to a thousand good people is not as good as giving food to one person who holds the Five Precepts. Giving food to ten thousand people who hold the Five Precepts is not as good as giving food to a single Srotaapanna. Giving food to a million Srotaapannas is not as good as giving food to a single Sakridagamin. Giving food to ten million Sakri dagamins is not as good as giving food to a single Anagamin. Giving food to a hundred million Anaga mins is not as good as giving food to a single Arhat. Giving food to one billion Arhats is not as good as giving food to a single Pratyekabuddha. Giving food to ten billion Pratyekabuddhas is not as good as giving food to a Buddha of the three periods of time. Giving food to a hundred billion Buddhas of the three periods of time is not as good as giving food to a single person who is without thoughts, without dwelling, without cultivation, and without accomplishment. "
Section 12
A List of Difficulties and an Exhortation to Cultivate
The Buddha said, "People encounter twenty different kinds of difficulties: It is difficult to give when one is poor. It is difficult to study the Way when one has wealth and status. It is difficult to abandon life and face the certainty of death. It is difficult to encounter the Buddhist sutras. It is difficult to be born at the time of a Buddha. It is difficult to be patient with lust and desire. It is difficult to see fine things and not seek them. It is difficult to be insulted and not become angry. It is difficult to have power and not abuse it. It is difficult to come in contact with things and have no thought of them. It is difficult to be vastly learned and well-read. It is difficult to get rid of pride. It is difficult not to slight those who have not yet studied. It is difficult to practice equanimity of mind. It is difficult not to gossip. It is difficult to meet a Good and Wise Advisor. It is difficult to see one own nature and study the Way. It is difficult to teach and save people according to their potentials. It is difficult to see a state and not be moved by it. It is difficult to have a good understanding of skill-in-means."
Section 13
Questions about the Way and Past Lives
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What causes and conditions can I know my past lives and understand the ultimate Way? "
The Buddha said, "Purifying your mind and preserving your resolve, you can understand the ultimate Way. Just as when you polish a mirror, the dust vanishes and brightness remains, so too, if you cut off desire and do not seek, you then can know past lives. "
Section 14
Asking about Goodness and Greatness
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is goodness? What is the foremost greatness? " The Buddha said, o
practice the Way and uphold the truth is goodness. To unite your will with the Way is greatness. "
Section 15
Asking about Strength and Brilliance
A Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is the greatest strength? What is the utmost brilliance? "
The Buddha said, "Patience under insult is the greatest strength, because people who are patient do not harbor hatred, and they gradually grow more peaceful and strong. Patient people, since they are not evil, will surely gain the respect of others. Then the mind defilements are gone completely, so that it is pure and untainted, that is the utmost brilliance. When there is nothing, from before the formation of the heavens and the earth until now, in any of the ten directions that you do not see, know, or hear; when you have attained omniscience, that may be called brilliance. "
Section 16
Casting Aside Love and Attaining the Way
The Buddha said, "People who cherish love and desire do not see the Way. Just as when you stir clear water with your hand, those who stand beside it cannot see their reflections, so, too, people who are entangled in love and desire have turbidity in their minds, and therefore they cannot see the Way. You Shramanas should cast aside love and desire. When the stains of love and desire disappear, you will be able to see the Way. "
Section 17
When Light Arrives, Darkness Departs
The Buddha said, "Those who see the Way are like someone holding a torch who enters a dark room, dispelling the darkness so that only light remains. When you study the Way and see the truth, ignorance vanishes and light remains forever. "
Section 18
Thoughts and So Forth Are Basically Empty
The Buddha said, y Dharma is the mindfulness that is both mindfulness and non-mindfulness. It is the practice that is both practice and non-practice. It is words that are words and non-words, and cultivation that is cultivation and non-cultivation. Those who understand are near to it; those who are confused are far away, indeed. It is not accessible by the path of language. It is not hindered by physical objects. If you are off by a hairsbreadth, you will lose it in an instant. "
Section 19
Contemplating Both the False and the True
The Buddha said, "Contemplate heaven and earth, and be mindful of their impermanence. Contemplate the world, and be mindful of its impermanence. Contem-plate the efficacious, enlightened nature: it is the Bodhi nature. With this awareness, one quickly attains the Way. "
Section 20
Realize that the Self Is Truly Empty
The Buddha said, "You should be mindful of the four elements within the body. Though each has a name, none of them is the self. Since they are not the self, they are like an illusion. "
Section 21
Fame Destroys Life Roots
The Buddha said, "There are people who follow emotion and desire and seek to be famous. By the time their reputation is established, they are already dead. Those who are greedy for worldly fame and do not study the Way simply waste their effort and wear themselves out. By way of analogy, although burning incense gives off fragrance, when it has burned down, the remaining embers bring the danger of a fire that can burn one up. "
Section 22
Wealth and Sex Cause Suffering
The Buddha said, "People are unable to renounce wealth and sex. They are just like a child who cannot resist honey on the blade of a knife. Even though the amount is not even enough for a single meal serving , he will lick it and risk cutting his tongue in the process. "
Section 23
A Family Is Worse than a Prison
The Buddha said, "People are bound to their families and homes to such an extent that these are worse than a prison. Eventually one is released from prison, but people never think of leaving their families. Don?t they fear the control that emotion, love, and sex have over them? Although they are in a tiger jaws, their hearts are blissfully oblivious. Because they throw themselves into a swamp and drown, they are known as ordinary people. Pass through the gateway! Get out of the defilement and become an Arhat! "
Section 24
Sexual Desire Obstructs the Way
The Buddha said, "f all longings and desires, there is none as strong as sex. Sexual desire has no equal. Fortunately, it is one of a kind. If there were something else like it, no one in the entire world would be able to cultivate the Way. "
Section 25
The Fire of Desire Burns
The Buddha said, "Person with love and desire is like one who carries a torch while walking against the wind: he is certain to burn his hand. "
.
Section 26
Demons from the Heavens Try to Tempt the Buddha
The heaven spirit offered beautiful maidens to the Buddha, hoping to destroy his resolve. The Buddha said, What have you skin-bags full of filth come here for? Go away, I've got no use for you. "
Then the heaven spirit became very respectful and asked about the meaning of the Way. The Buddha explained it for him, and he immediately attained the fruition of Srotaapanna.
Section 27
One Attains the Way after Letting Go of Attachments
The Buddha said, "Person who follows the Way is like a floating piece of wood that courses along with the current. If it does not touch either shore; if people do not pluck it out; if ghosts and spirits do not intercept it; if it is not trapped in whirlpools; and if it does not rot, I guarantee that the piece of wood will reach the sea. If students of the Way are not deluded by emotion and desire, and if they are not caught up in the many crooked views, but are vigorous in their cultivation of the unconditioned, I guarantee that they will certainly attain the Way. "
Section 28
Don Indulge the Wild Mind
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to believe your own mind; your mind is not to be believed. Be careful not to get involved with sex; involvement with sex leads to disaster. After you have attained Arhatship, you can believe your own mind. "
Section 29
Proper Contemplation Counteracts Sexual Desire
The Buddha said, "Be careful not to look at women, and do not talk with them. If you must speak with them, be properly mindful and think, am a Shramana living in a turbid world. I should be like the lotus flower, which is not stained by the mud. ' Think of elderly women as your mothers, of those who are older than you as your elder sisters, of those who are younger as your younger sisters, and of very young girls as your daughters. Bring forth thoughts to rescue them, and put an end to bad thoughts."
Section 30
Stay Far Away from the Fire of Desire
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like dry grass: it is essential to keep it away from an oncoming fire. People who cultivate the Way look upon desire as something they must stay far away from."
Section 31
When the Mind Is Still, Desire Is Dispelled
The Buddha said, "There was once someone who was plagued by ceaseless sexual desire and wished to castrate himself. The Buddha said to him," o cut off your sexual organ would not be as good as to cut off your mind. Your mind is like a supervisor: if the supervisor stops, his employees will also quit. If the deviant mind is not stopped, what good does it do to cut off the organ? '"
The Buddha spoke a verse for him:
Desire is born from your intentions.
Intentions are born from thoughts.
When both aspects of the mind are still,
There is neither form nor activity.
The Buddha said, his verse was spoken by the Buddha Kashyapa. "
Section 32
Emptying out the Self Quells Fear
The Buddha said, "People worry because of love and desire. That worry then leads to fear. If you transcend love, what worries will there be? What will be left to fear? "
Section 33
Wisdom and Clarity Defeat the Demons
The Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like a soldier who goes into battle alone against ten thousand enemies. He dons his armor and goes out the gate. He may prove to be a coward; he may get halfway to the battlefield and retreat; he may be killed in combat; or he may return victorious. Shramanas who study the Way must make their minds resolute and be vigorous, courageous, and valiant. Not fearing what lies ahead, they should defeat the hordes of demons and obtain the fruition of the Way. "
Section 34
By Staying in the Middle, One Attains the Way
One evening a Shramana was reciting the Sutra of the Teaching Bequeathed by the Buddha Kashyapa. The sound of his voice was mournful as he reflected remorsefully on his wish to retreat in cultivation. The Buddha asked him, "In the past when you were a householder, what did you do? " He replied, "I was fond of playing the lute. " The Buddha said, "What happened when the strings were slack? " He replied, "They didn't sound. " What happened when they were too tight? " He replied, "The sounds were cut short. " What happened when they were tuned just right between slack and tight? " He replied, "The sounds carried. " The Buddha said, "It is the same with a Shramana who studies the Way. If his mind is harmonious, he can attain the Way. If he is impetuous about the Way, his impetuousness will tire out his body; and if his body is tired, his mind will become afflicted. If his mind becomes afflicted, then he will retreat from his practice. If he retreats from his practice, his offenses will certainly increase. You need only be pure, peaceful, and happy, and you will not lose the Way. "
Section 35
When One Is Purified of Defilements, the Brilliance Remains
The Buddha said,"People smelt metal by burning the dross out of it in order to make high quality implements. It is the same with people who study the Way: first they must get rid of the defilements in their minds; then their practice becomes pure. "
Section 36
The Sequence that Leads to Success
The Buddha said, "It is difficult for one to leave the evil destinies and become a human being.
Even if one does become a human being, it is still difficult to become a man rather than a woman.
Even if one does become a man, it is still difficult to have the six sense organs complete and perfect.
Even if the six sense organs are complete and perfect, it is still difficult for one to be born in a central country.
Even if one is born in a central country, it is still difficult to be born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world.
Even if one is born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world, it is still difficult to encounter the Way.
Even if one does encounter the Way, it is still difficult to bring forth faith.
Even if one brings forth faith, it is still difficult to resolve one mind on Bodhi.
Even if one does resolve one mind on Bodhi, it is still difficult to be beyond cultivation and attainment. "
Section 37
Staying Mindful of Moral Precepts Brings Us Close to the Way
The Buddha said, "My disciples may be several thousand miles away from me, but if they remember my moral precepts, they will certainly attain the fruition of the Way. If those who are by my side do not follow my moral precepts, they may see me constantly, but in the end they will not attain the Way. "
Section 38
Birth Leads to Death
The Buddha asked a Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " He replied, few days. " The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way. "
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " The reply was, he space of a meal. " The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood the Way. "
He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " He replied, he length of a single breath. " The Buddha said, "Excellent. You have understood the Way. "
Section 39
The Buddha Instructions Are Not Biased
The Buddha said, "Students of the Buddha Way should believe in and accord with everything that the Buddha teaches. When you eat honey, it is sweet on the surface and sweet in the center; it is the same with my sutras. "
Section 40
The Way Is Practiced in the Mind
The Buddha said, "Shramana who practices the Way should not be like an ox turning a millstone. Such a one walks the Way with his body, but his mind is not on the Way. If the mind is concentrated on the Way, what further need is there to practice? "
Section 41
A Straight Mind Gets Rid of Desire
The Buddha said, "One who practices the Way is like an ox pulling a heavy load through deep mud. The ox is so extremely exhausted that it dares not glance to the left or right. Only when it gets out of the mud can it rest. The Shramana should regard emotion and desire as being worse than deep mud; and with an undeviating mind, he should be mindful of the Way. Then he can avoid suffering. "
Section 42
Understanding that the World Is Illusory
The Buddha said, "Look upon royalty and high positions as upon the dust that floats through a crack. I look
upon treasures of gold and jade as upon broken tiles. I look upon fine silk clothing as upon cheap cotton. I
look upon a great thousand-world universe as upon a small nut kernel. I look upon the waters of the
Anavatapta Lake as upon oil used to anoint the feet. "
- wong chee tat :)
THE SUTRA OF THE FORTY-TWO SECTIONS
THE SUTRA OF THE FORTY-TWO SECTIONS.
At this time, the world-honoured one having perfected reason, considered thus in his mind:--"The banishment of lust (or desire), resulting in a state of perfect rest and quietness, this is the very first and most excellent standing ground, the great means of subduing all the wiles of Mara (or of overcoming all the followers of Mara or the way of Mara)." So now he began to turn the wheel of the law for the purpose of giving deliverance to all men (or all sentient beings) in the midst of the garden of the park of deer (Mrigadava, Jul. sub voce); and (particularly) on account of Chin-ju and his four companions (viz. A.swajit, Bhadrika Mahanama, Da.sabala Kachyaha, and the one mentioned, i.e. Ajuata Kanudenya, vid. Jul. ii. 364, n.) did he turn the wheel of the law of the four great truths (arya satyani, vid. Jul. ii. 443), and so enabled them to arrive at the accomplishment of the paths. It was then that those Bikshus who had any doubts as to what had been spoken, requested Buddha to confirm their faith and confidence in his doctrine; on which the world-honoured one proceeded to instruct and answer them, opening their understanding on every point, as each one stood, with closed hands, in a reverent posture, attentively listening to, and receiving the instruction of their master. At this time the world-honoured one spoke this exact Sutra, containing forty-two sections.
1. "Buddha said: The man who leaves his family, quits his p. 340 house, enters on the study of supreme reason, searches out the deepest principle of his intelligent mind, (so as to) understand the law which adroits of no active exertion,--this man is called a Shamun {sic}. Such an one, ever practising the 250 rules (viz. those contained in the book of the "four divisions"), following in the four paths, aspiring to and attaining a state of perfect rest and purity, completes in himself the condition of a Rahat.
2. Buddha said: The Rahat is able to fly, change his appearance, fix the years of his life, shake heaven and earth. The successive steps (towards this condition) are: A-na-hom (Anagami), which is the condition that allows a man at the end of his life to mount in soul above the nineteen heavens, and in that region of bliss to attain the condition of Rahat; next (is the condition) of Sz'-to-hom (Sakradagami), in which after one birth and death more, a man becomes a Rahat: next (is the condition of) Sü-to-hun (i.e. Sowan), in which, after seven births and deaths more, a man may obtain the state of a Rahat. These are they who have entirely cut off their passions of love and desire, which like severed branches of the tree are now useless (and dead).
3. Buddha said: The Shaman, who has left his family, separated himself from lust, banished his sensual affections, examined the true source of his individual mind, searched out the hidden wisdom of Buddha, understood the unselfish nature of the Buddhist religion, who finds nothing within to obtain, or without to seek after, whose heart is not too much attached to the pursuit of reason (or the accomplishment of the paths), nor yet involved in the web of Karma (i.e.--the cause which is followed by an effect--as the life of a tree by the fruit), in whom there is all absence of all unquiet thought, an absence of all active exertion, an absence of an anxious preparation, an absence of an fixed direction of purpose, who without passing through the successive stages of advance has yet attained the highest personal (individual) dignity (of being)--to attain this state is (indeed well) named: "to accomplish reason."
4. Buddha said: He who shaves his head and beard in order to become a Shaman and receive the law of Buddha, (must) forego all worldly wealth, and beg a sufficiency of food for his support, eating one meal in the middle of the day, and occupying one abode beneath a tree, and desire nothing more! That which causes a man to become foolish and blind, is nothing more than lust and desire!
5. Buddha said: Living creatures by ten things attain virtue, p. 341 and by ten things become vile; what are these ten things? There are three pertaining to the body, four to the mouth, three to the thoughts; the three pertaining to the body are the slaughter of living creatures, theft, lust; the four belonging to the mouth are double-tongueness, slandering, lying, hypocrisy (or glozy conversation); the three evils of the thought are envy, anger, and wandering thoughts (chi). Disbelief in the three precious ones is the true source of all this evil. But the yan-po-sat (upasamandi) who observes the five rules untiringly, and advances to the ten, he must obtain reason.
6. Buddha said: A man guilty of many crimes, not repenting himself, does but confirm the sinful principle within his heart, and necessitate his return to the world in a bodily form, just as the water returns to the sea. But when he has personally fulfilled, as far as possible in his circumstances, the destruction and relinquishment of evil, understanding the character of sin, avoiding crime, doing what is right,--this man, the power of guilt destroyed, may obtain reason.
7. Buddha said: A man foolishly stating or considering that I do that which is not right, will obtain no other refutation from me but that which proceeds from the exercise of my four qualities of love (?), so the more evil he brings against me, the more good will proceed from me; the influence of this resting on me, the effect of that returning to him. A foolish man once hearing Buddha explaining this doctrine came and blamed him on account of it. Buddha was silent and answered not, pitying the folly of the man which caused him to act thus. At length, when he ceased, Buddha asked, saying, When one man (an inferior) visits another as a matter of politeness, and finds him away from home, what is the expression used to him who pays the visit? They say "chi kwai." [This passage is very difficult, perhaps a better translation would be this: "What is the polite expression to use to an inferior who, in paying a visit or making a present to another, has not observed the rules of propriety? They say 'keep--return' (i.e. do not trouble yourself, allow me to return you your own)."] So now this follower of mine abusing me, I decline also to receive his abuse, and so it will return to himself, a source of misery. For as sound belongs to the drum, and shadow to the substance, so does misery attach itself to the evil doer.
8. Buddha said: A wicked man who abuses the good one, is like one looking upwards and spitting against heaven; his spittle does not soil the heavens, but returns on himself. Or, when the p. 342wind is contrary, like one who aims dust at another, the dust does but return against him who threw it. You cannot injure the good man, the misery will devolve on yourself.
9. Buddha said: A man who distributes alms from a principle of private affection or violent pity, has not much merit; but he who bestows alms with no private end, but from fealty to the principle of supreme reason, his merit is great indeed! So he who beholds another engaged in almsgiving, and from a principle of reason approves of what he does, and rejoices at it, this man shall also share in the merit of the action itself. It may be asked if the merit of the first is hereby decreased? Buddha (in answer to this) says, Like as many men lighting a fire for cooking rice from one torch, diminish not the light of that one, so is it in this case of merit.
10. Buddha said: To feed a hundred learned men is not equal in point of merit to feeding one virtuous man; feeding a thousand virtuous men is not equal in merit to feeding one man who keeps the five precepts; feeding ten thousand such is not equal in merit to feeding one Sz'-to-hom (Sakradagami); feeding ten million such is not equal to feeding one Oh-na-hom (anagami); the merit of feeding one hundred million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Rahat; the merit of feeding ten thousand million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Pi-chi [Pasé, (Pratyeka)] Buddha; and the merit of feeding one hundred thousand million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Buddha, and learning to pray to Buddha, desiring him to save mankind. The merit of feeding virtuous men is much greater indeed than the matters which occupy the attention of mere worldly wise men; and the matters of heaven and earth, spirits and demons, are not equal in point of importance to the reverence due to parents; our parents are indeed the most divine of all the gods.
11. Buddha said: There are twenty difficult things in the world, viz.: being poor to be charitable; being rich and noble, to learn supreme wisdom; to risk one's life and yet escape death; to gain sight of the Buddhist scriptures; to be born in the age of a Buddha (or, in the world of a Buddha); to repress lust and banish desire; to see an agreeable object and not covet it; having power, not to be supercilious; not to be angry when insulted; to be passive amidst all worldly influences; to understand completely the end of learning; not to despise the ignorant; to eradicate selfishness; to unite virtuous conduct with learning; to observe one's nature, and at the same time pursue the study of supreme reason; having p. 343attained one's end, not to be moved (by exultation); to explain satisfactorily the nature of final deliverance; to pass through various forms of being to deliver men; to have a heart enlightened and unmoved in action; to avoid positive and disputatious assertions.
12. There was a Shaman who asked Buddha "By what influences is supreme reason engendered, and what are its characteristics?" Buddha replied: "Supreme wisdom has no form or qualities; so that to seek a knowledge of it is profitless. If you desire to possess it, guard well your mind (or active powers of will) and conduct. It may be compared to the polishing of a mirror; the dust and dirt disappearing, the brightness of the mirror is at once produced; so it embraces in itself, as it were, the power of beholding that which has form; so separate (yourself) from lust, guard well the passionless (empty) nature of your mind, then you will perceive reason and understand its characteristics."
13. Buddha said: What is active virtue but to practise the dictates of reason? What is morality (or virtue), but the highest agreement of the will with the requirements of reason? What is magnanimity, but the untiring exercise of patience under injury? He who bravely bears injury undeserved is a man indeed! And what is a sage (or the wisdom of a sage) but a man whose heart is enlightened and free from stain, all evil conduct destroyed, calm and pure within, without blemish? To combine a complete knowledge of what was before either heaven or earth existed with what happens to-day, a knowledge of the universe when as yet nothing existed, so that there is nothing unknown, unseen, unheard,--to possess this transcendant knowledge is true enlightenment.
14. Buddha said: A man who cherishes his passions, unable to discern (the beauty of) supreme reason is like (a vase of) impure water in which objects of variegated colours are placed; (such a vase) being shaken up with violence, men coming and looking over the water can perceive none of the objects which ought to be reflected in it. So in the heart lust and passion cause obscurity, so that supreme reason is darkened and hid. But if a man gradually understands and repents of his sins, growing in knowledge, the foul water, losing its obscurity, will become pure, and calm, and clear, reflecting in itself the forms around. So fire placed under a pot, the water in it boiling and bubbling, nothing within it below the surface can be perceived;--so the three moral evils which naturally rage in the heart, causing the five chenk (skandha) to combine with that which is without, in the end p. 344reason is obscured. It is by the banishment, therefore, of these influences that our spiritual nature is perceived; we leave the trammels of life and death, and ascend up to the land of all the Buddhas, where virtue and reason abide.
15. Buddha said: A man who cultivates supreme reason is like one who takes a burning torch and enters a dark house; the darkness which dwelt within is immediately dissipated, and lo! light ensues! He who still continues the pursuit of wisdom, and fathoms the systems of true philosophy,--his follies and mistakes all destroyed, there must be perfect illumination!
16. Buddha said: In religious exercises, in conduct, in language, even in philosophizing, I never forget (the necessity of founding all on the basis of) supreme reason.
17. Buddha said: To behold heaven and earth, and reflect on their impermanency, so also the mountains and rivers, and all created things, the changes and productions of nature, all fleeting and impermanent; but the heart, relying on this as constant, how quickly reason may be attained!
18. Buddha said: During an entire day to reflect and act according to the dictates of supreme reason, and in the end to obtain the root of firm faith,--this happiness is indeed immeasurable!
19. Buddha said: Never tire of reflecting on that which is yourself! Remember that the four elements composing your body, which are sometimes considered as real existences, are, in fact, all mere names, without personality, and that the so-called "I" is but a passing guest, a thing of a moment; all things around us are only illusions!
20. Buddha said: A man following the dictates of his passions, seeking those so-called sweets of indulgence (flowers), is just like the burning incense, the fragrance of which men may perceive, but the incense itself in those very fumes is self-consumed! So the foolish man, exalting the character of the vulgar enjoyments found in selfish pleasures, and not guarding the treasure of his reason,--the only true source of happiness,--endures both the misery of his past gratification (i.e., of its being passed) and also the bitterness of after repentance!
21. Buddha said: The man who rudely grasps after wealth or pleasure, is like a child seizing a knife (to cut honey),--the sweet delight of the first taste of the honey is scarcely lost before he perceives the pain of his tongue cut with the knife!
22. Buddha said: The man enthralled by the deceitful pleasures of concupiscence (marriage), suffers misery greater than the collars p. 345 and chains which bind the inmates of the infernal regions; for from these pains there is remittance, but the desire for the indulgence of sensual passion (wifeage), though it have the misery of the tiger's mouth, still, by its sweetness of appearance, fascinates the heart. The guilt of such indulgence, how can it be remitted?
23. Buddha said: Of all the passions (lit., lusts and desires) the greatest is love of women. Besides this,--so great is it,--there is no other. Were there two of the same sort, no mortal would be able to attain supreme reason.
24. Buddha said: Passion governing a man is like one seizing a torch and rushing with it alight against the wind. The foolish man who does not drop it must have the pain of a burnt hand. So the poisonous root of covetousness, lust, anger, envy, planted in the body of the foolish man, and not early overpowered by the exercise of reason, must necessarily bring calamity and woe, as the hand of this foolish man who desires to carry the torch is burnt.
25. On a certain occasion a Deva presented a woman of pleasure to Buddha, desiring to tempt him. Buddha thought, I will display the wisdom of Buddha (to this being.) So he said, "For weeds and filth there is a receptacle! What then would you do? Why talk to me of such foolish vulgar things (as sensual desires)? Surely it would be difficult to excite passion in one who has for ever banished the means (tung) by which these things are gratified." The Deva, overpowered with awe, reverently desired Buddha to explain the subject of supreme reason, which doing, he immediately became a Su-to-hun (Sowan).
26. Buddha said: Those who practise the acquirement of supreme reason are like a piece of wood which floats down with the tide of a stream, neither touching the left bank nor the right, not detained by any worldly scheme nor misled by spiritual theories (that which concerns spirits, i.e., hope of attaining the condition of a Deva), nor caught in the whirl of the tide to stop and rot;--I will secure that this man enters the sea! So the man who practises reason, not held by the hallucinations of passion, nor the false notions which distinguish the wicked,--this man progressing and banishing doubt, shall under my protection arrive at supreme wisdom.
27. Buddha said to a Shaman: Beware of placing trust in your thoughts, or they in the end will destroy the groundwork of all belief. Beware of mixing yourself up in worldly matters (? shik), for what are these but the cause of all misery? But the Rahat may trust his thoughts.
p. 346
28. Buddha thus addressed all the Shamans: Beware of looking on a woman! if you see one, let it be as seeing her not! Beware of words with a woman; but if you speak with one, with pure heart and upright intention say, "I am a Shaman, necessarily in this impure world; but let me be as a lotus, which grows pure though in the mud." Is she old? Regard her as your mother. Is she honourable? Consider her as your elder sister. Is she of small account? Consider her as a younger sister. Is she a child? Treat her politely according to the usages of society. Above all, consider in your reasoning that what you see is only the external appearance, within that body what vileness and corruption! So, thinking thus, your evil thoughts will be all banished!
29. Buddha said: A man practising reason, and (wishful to) expel his lusts, ought to behold himself (or them ?) as stubble awaiting the fire which will come at the end of the world (Kalpa). He would then certainly be earnest in removing these desires and lusts.
30. Buddha said: There was a man (or there being a man) who, afflicted with sensual lusts which he could not repress, was sitting on sharp knives in order to destroy the members which ministered to his passion (or in order to eradicate his passions or senses); on which Buddha addressed him thus:--"If you should succeed in removing those lustful members, what is this in comparison with the removal of the (lustful) heart? It is the heart which is the workman (at the bottom of all); if you rightly compose this, then all these evil thoughts will be dissipated. But the heart not composed, what profit can arise from removing the member? What is this but mere bodily death?" Buddha said: So it is the world commonly mistakes on these matters.
31. There was a certain lewd woman who had made an engagement to meet a certain man. When she came not he began to repent himself (of his wickedness), and said: "Lust is but the offspring of my own thought. There being no thought, lust cannot be born." Buddha passing by and hearing this, said to the Shaman: "I recollect this as a saying of Kasyapa Buddha, and it now has become common in the world." Buddha said: "Man by lustful desires engenders sorrow; from sorrow springs apprehension (of evil); there being no lust, then there is no sorrow and no apprehension."
32. Buddha said: A man practising reason (aiming at the attainment of supreme reason) may be compared to a single warrior fighting against ten thousand. Whilst other soldiers, armed for the battle, rush from the gate, desirous to fight, he yet fears in p. 347his exhausted state that victory would be difficult, and so retreats from the field. When half way he returns to the conflict resolved to fight and die. This man, having attained the victory, and returning to his country, will (deservedly) be raised to high rank. So the man who is able to hold to the same mind, and, persevering against all obstacles, advances in his work (or profession), uninfluenced by any worldly follies or enticements, his evil desires destroyed, his wicked acts at an end, he must attain perfect wisdom.
33. There was a Shaman who during a night kept reciting his prayers (the Sutra, or book containing the words of Buddha), the sound of his voice piteous, and worn with fatigue, desiring (by so doing) to bring himself to repent of his sinful thoughts (of returning to the world). Buddha addressing the Shaman, said: "When you were living in the world as a member of a household, what was your particular pursuit?" He replied: "I was constantly practising the lute." Buddha said: "The strings being slack, what then?" He replied: "There would be no musical sound." "And the strings too tight, what then?" He said: "The sound would be over-sharp." "But if they were tuned to a just medium between the slack and over-tight, what then?" He replied: "All the sounds would be concordant and harmonious." Buddha addressed the Shaman: "The way of supreme learning is even so. Only keep your heart in harmony and union, so you will attain perfect knowledge."
34. Buddha said: A man practising the attainment of reason is as the place where (or the mode in which) they found metals, gradually dropping down and separating from the dross; the vessel made from this will be good. The way of wisdom (in like manner, is) by gradually ridding away the corruption of the heart, with earnest perseverance to go on, and thus complete perfect knowledge. If any other way be tried, it is only the cause of weariness to the body, this causes vexation of mind, this transgression in life, and this is only to practise the way of the wicked (or, and this the accumulation of guilt).
35. Buddha said: A man who is aiming to attain supreme reason has many sorrows, like him that is not engaged in this pursuit; for, considering a man's experience from the time of his birth to his old age, from this period to the time of his sickness, and from this to his death,--what countless sorrows does he endure! But the heart laden with regrets, guilt stored up, endless life and death,--these sorrows how difficult to speak of!
p. 348
36. Buddha said: For a man to avoid the three evil ways of birth (viz., beast, demon, or in hell), and to be born a human being, is difficult; being so, to be born a man and not a woman, is difficult; being so, to have the six passions all well arranged (? to have perfect mind and body, "mens sana in corpora sano"), is difficult; being so, to be born in the middle country (India ?) is difficult; being so, to attain to the knowledge of Buddha's doctrine is difficult; being so, to become eminent in the knowledge of Buddha is difficult; being so, to be born in the family of a Bosat is difficult; being so, to be born in the age of a Buddha, and heartily to believe in the three precious ones (Buddha, the Law, and the Community) is difficult.
37. Buddha asked all the Shamans, "What is the time of a man's life (or in what does a man's life consist)?" One replied, "(in) a few days (only)." Buddha said, "Son, you are not yet able to attain supreme wisdom." Again he asked a single Shaman the same question, who answered, "The time of a meal (or of taking a meal)." Buddha answered, "Son, you are not yet capable of attaining supreme reason." Again he asked the same question of another Shaman, who replied, "Man's life is but a breath, a sigh!" Buddha answered, "Well said, son! you are able to speak of attaining supreme wisdom."
38. Buddha said: A disciple removed from me by a distance of several thousand lis, yet thinking on me and keeping my commandments (nim = observing by recollection), must in the end obtain supreme wisdom. Whilst another who dwells with me, and yet allows rebellious thoughts and does wickedly, he shall in the end not attain supreme reason. Truth of profession resides (or is exhibited) in correct conduct. If a man consorting with me does still not conform to my commandments in his conduct, what benefit will ten thousand precepts be to him?
39. Buddha said: A man who is practising the attainment of reason, is like one eating honey, which is sweet throughout. So my Scriptures (Sutras) are likewise sweet: the system advocated in them is altogether a source of pleasure. Those who practise it shall attain supreme knowledge.
40. Buddha said: A man practising the attainment of supreme wisdom, and able to extirpate the root of his lusts and desires, is like one who strikes the suspended gem. (The allusion is either to striking a temple bell, for the assembly or dispersion of the congregation, or it may be to the act of striking or grinding a substance in a mortar, ex. gr.). At every stroke the collection of people, p. 349 (or the compact substance), is broken up (i.e., for the purpose of resorting to worship). So when all a man's wicked desires are broken up and dispersed, he will attain supreme wisdom.
41. Buddha said: All the Shamans who are engaged in the practice of religion ought to regard themselves as oxen carrying loads, and going through the mud; tired with their burdens, they dare not look (or wander) an inch (the least portion) to the right or the left; desiring above all things to get out of the mud, they go straight on, in order that they may obtain some ease and repose themselves. So a Shaman, regarding his lusts and passions as more troublesome than that mud, with a steadfast purpose bending his mind to (the attainment of) reason, will be able to avoid all sorrow.
42. Buddha said: I regard kings, princes, as to their dignities, only as patches of dust; gold, jewels, as to their value, only as clay fragments; dresses of silk and sarsnet, only as playthings (? pai-pak); the great chiliocosm as the letter 'a'; the four barren or weedy seas (? nan-shui) only as a miry road (?); the system of complete deliverance, only as a boat for carrying treasure; the highest vehicle (referring, probably, to the Mahayana), only as the gilt sheen of a dream; seeking the wisdom of Buddha only as a flower (which appears in fancy) before the eye; seeking any inferior standing ground, only as (su-ni-chiio ?); seeking Nirvana, as a dead sleep; arriving at rest, as the dancing of the six dragons (?); the state of perfect equanimity, as the one true standing point; the power of endless transformation, as the trees and flowers of the four seasons;--all these things are thus great in comparison only. To hear the law of Buddha is the chief source of joy.
- wong chee tat :)
At this time, the world-honoured one having perfected reason, considered thus in his mind:--"The banishment of lust (or desire), resulting in a state of perfect rest and quietness, this is the very first and most excellent standing ground, the great means of subduing all the wiles of Mara (or of overcoming all the followers of Mara or the way of Mara)." So now he began to turn the wheel of the law for the purpose of giving deliverance to all men (or all sentient beings) in the midst of the garden of the park of deer (Mrigadava, Jul. sub voce); and (particularly) on account of Chin-ju and his four companions (viz. A.swajit, Bhadrika Mahanama, Da.sabala Kachyaha, and the one mentioned, i.e. Ajuata Kanudenya, vid. Jul. ii. 364, n.) did he turn the wheel of the law of the four great truths (arya satyani, vid. Jul. ii. 443), and so enabled them to arrive at the accomplishment of the paths. It was then that those Bikshus who had any doubts as to what had been spoken, requested Buddha to confirm their faith and confidence in his doctrine; on which the world-honoured one proceeded to instruct and answer them, opening their understanding on every point, as each one stood, with closed hands, in a reverent posture, attentively listening to, and receiving the instruction of their master. At this time the world-honoured one spoke this exact Sutra, containing forty-two sections.
1. "Buddha said: The man who leaves his family, quits his p. 340 house, enters on the study of supreme reason, searches out the deepest principle of his intelligent mind, (so as to) understand the law which adroits of no active exertion,--this man is called a Shamun {sic}. Such an one, ever practising the 250 rules (viz. those contained in the book of the "four divisions"), following in the four paths, aspiring to and attaining a state of perfect rest and purity, completes in himself the condition of a Rahat.
2. Buddha said: The Rahat is able to fly, change his appearance, fix the years of his life, shake heaven and earth. The successive steps (towards this condition) are: A-na-hom (Anagami), which is the condition that allows a man at the end of his life to mount in soul above the nineteen heavens, and in that region of bliss to attain the condition of Rahat; next (is the condition) of Sz'-to-hom (Sakradagami), in which after one birth and death more, a man becomes a Rahat: next (is the condition of) Sü-to-hun (i.e. Sowan), in which, after seven births and deaths more, a man may obtain the state of a Rahat. These are they who have entirely cut off their passions of love and desire, which like severed branches of the tree are now useless (and dead).
3. Buddha said: The Shaman, who has left his family, separated himself from lust, banished his sensual affections, examined the true source of his individual mind, searched out the hidden wisdom of Buddha, understood the unselfish nature of the Buddhist religion, who finds nothing within to obtain, or without to seek after, whose heart is not too much attached to the pursuit of reason (or the accomplishment of the paths), nor yet involved in the web of Karma (i.e.--the cause which is followed by an effect--as the life of a tree by the fruit), in whom there is all absence of all unquiet thought, an absence of all active exertion, an absence of an anxious preparation, an absence of an fixed direction of purpose, who without passing through the successive stages of advance has yet attained the highest personal (individual) dignity (of being)--to attain this state is (indeed well) named: "to accomplish reason."
4. Buddha said: He who shaves his head and beard in order to become a Shaman and receive the law of Buddha, (must) forego all worldly wealth, and beg a sufficiency of food for his support, eating one meal in the middle of the day, and occupying one abode beneath a tree, and desire nothing more! That which causes a man to become foolish and blind, is nothing more than lust and desire!
5. Buddha said: Living creatures by ten things attain virtue, p. 341 and by ten things become vile; what are these ten things? There are three pertaining to the body, four to the mouth, three to the thoughts; the three pertaining to the body are the slaughter of living creatures, theft, lust; the four belonging to the mouth are double-tongueness, slandering, lying, hypocrisy (or glozy conversation); the three evils of the thought are envy, anger, and wandering thoughts (chi). Disbelief in the three precious ones is the true source of all this evil. But the yan-po-sat (upasamandi) who observes the five rules untiringly, and advances to the ten, he must obtain reason.
6. Buddha said: A man guilty of many crimes, not repenting himself, does but confirm the sinful principle within his heart, and necessitate his return to the world in a bodily form, just as the water returns to the sea. But when he has personally fulfilled, as far as possible in his circumstances, the destruction and relinquishment of evil, understanding the character of sin, avoiding crime, doing what is right,--this man, the power of guilt destroyed, may obtain reason.
7. Buddha said: A man foolishly stating or considering that I do that which is not right, will obtain no other refutation from me but that which proceeds from the exercise of my four qualities of love (?), so the more evil he brings against me, the more good will proceed from me; the influence of this resting on me, the effect of that returning to him. A foolish man once hearing Buddha explaining this doctrine came and blamed him on account of it. Buddha was silent and answered not, pitying the folly of the man which caused him to act thus. At length, when he ceased, Buddha asked, saying, When one man (an inferior) visits another as a matter of politeness, and finds him away from home, what is the expression used to him who pays the visit? They say "chi kwai." [This passage is very difficult, perhaps a better translation would be this: "What is the polite expression to use to an inferior who, in paying a visit or making a present to another, has not observed the rules of propriety? They say 'keep--return' (i.e. do not trouble yourself, allow me to return you your own)."] So now this follower of mine abusing me, I decline also to receive his abuse, and so it will return to himself, a source of misery. For as sound belongs to the drum, and shadow to the substance, so does misery attach itself to the evil doer.
8. Buddha said: A wicked man who abuses the good one, is like one looking upwards and spitting against heaven; his spittle does not soil the heavens, but returns on himself. Or, when the p. 342wind is contrary, like one who aims dust at another, the dust does but return against him who threw it. You cannot injure the good man, the misery will devolve on yourself.
9. Buddha said: A man who distributes alms from a principle of private affection or violent pity, has not much merit; but he who bestows alms with no private end, but from fealty to the principle of supreme reason, his merit is great indeed! So he who beholds another engaged in almsgiving, and from a principle of reason approves of what he does, and rejoices at it, this man shall also share in the merit of the action itself. It may be asked if the merit of the first is hereby decreased? Buddha (in answer to this) says, Like as many men lighting a fire for cooking rice from one torch, diminish not the light of that one, so is it in this case of merit.
10. Buddha said: To feed a hundred learned men is not equal in point of merit to feeding one virtuous man; feeding a thousand virtuous men is not equal in merit to feeding one man who keeps the five precepts; feeding ten thousand such is not equal in merit to feeding one Sz'-to-hom (Sakradagami); feeding ten million such is not equal to feeding one Oh-na-hom (anagami); the merit of feeding one hundred million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Rahat; the merit of feeding ten thousand million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Pi-chi [Pasé, (Pratyeka)] Buddha; and the merit of feeding one hundred thousand million such is not equal to the merit of feeding one Buddha, and learning to pray to Buddha, desiring him to save mankind. The merit of feeding virtuous men is much greater indeed than the matters which occupy the attention of mere worldly wise men; and the matters of heaven and earth, spirits and demons, are not equal in point of importance to the reverence due to parents; our parents are indeed the most divine of all the gods.
11. Buddha said: There are twenty difficult things in the world, viz.: being poor to be charitable; being rich and noble, to learn supreme wisdom; to risk one's life and yet escape death; to gain sight of the Buddhist scriptures; to be born in the age of a Buddha (or, in the world of a Buddha); to repress lust and banish desire; to see an agreeable object and not covet it; having power, not to be supercilious; not to be angry when insulted; to be passive amidst all worldly influences; to understand completely the end of learning; not to despise the ignorant; to eradicate selfishness; to unite virtuous conduct with learning; to observe one's nature, and at the same time pursue the study of supreme reason; having p. 343attained one's end, not to be moved (by exultation); to explain satisfactorily the nature of final deliverance; to pass through various forms of being to deliver men; to have a heart enlightened and unmoved in action; to avoid positive and disputatious assertions.
12. There was a Shaman who asked Buddha "By what influences is supreme reason engendered, and what are its characteristics?" Buddha replied: "Supreme wisdom has no form or qualities; so that to seek a knowledge of it is profitless. If you desire to possess it, guard well your mind (or active powers of will) and conduct. It may be compared to the polishing of a mirror; the dust and dirt disappearing, the brightness of the mirror is at once produced; so it embraces in itself, as it were, the power of beholding that which has form; so separate (yourself) from lust, guard well the passionless (empty) nature of your mind, then you will perceive reason and understand its characteristics."
13. Buddha said: What is active virtue but to practise the dictates of reason? What is morality (or virtue), but the highest agreement of the will with the requirements of reason? What is magnanimity, but the untiring exercise of patience under injury? He who bravely bears injury undeserved is a man indeed! And what is a sage (or the wisdom of a sage) but a man whose heart is enlightened and free from stain, all evil conduct destroyed, calm and pure within, without blemish? To combine a complete knowledge of what was before either heaven or earth existed with what happens to-day, a knowledge of the universe when as yet nothing existed, so that there is nothing unknown, unseen, unheard,--to possess this transcendant knowledge is true enlightenment.
14. Buddha said: A man who cherishes his passions, unable to discern (the beauty of) supreme reason is like (a vase of) impure water in which objects of variegated colours are placed; (such a vase) being shaken up with violence, men coming and looking over the water can perceive none of the objects which ought to be reflected in it. So in the heart lust and passion cause obscurity, so that supreme reason is darkened and hid. But if a man gradually understands and repents of his sins, growing in knowledge, the foul water, losing its obscurity, will become pure, and calm, and clear, reflecting in itself the forms around. So fire placed under a pot, the water in it boiling and bubbling, nothing within it below the surface can be perceived;--so the three moral evils which naturally rage in the heart, causing the five chenk (skandha) to combine with that which is without, in the end p. 344reason is obscured. It is by the banishment, therefore, of these influences that our spiritual nature is perceived; we leave the trammels of life and death, and ascend up to the land of all the Buddhas, where virtue and reason abide.
15. Buddha said: A man who cultivates supreme reason is like one who takes a burning torch and enters a dark house; the darkness which dwelt within is immediately dissipated, and lo! light ensues! He who still continues the pursuit of wisdom, and fathoms the systems of true philosophy,--his follies and mistakes all destroyed, there must be perfect illumination!
16. Buddha said: In religious exercises, in conduct, in language, even in philosophizing, I never forget (the necessity of founding all on the basis of) supreme reason.
17. Buddha said: To behold heaven and earth, and reflect on their impermanency, so also the mountains and rivers, and all created things, the changes and productions of nature, all fleeting and impermanent; but the heart, relying on this as constant, how quickly reason may be attained!
18. Buddha said: During an entire day to reflect and act according to the dictates of supreme reason, and in the end to obtain the root of firm faith,--this happiness is indeed immeasurable!
19. Buddha said: Never tire of reflecting on that which is yourself! Remember that the four elements composing your body, which are sometimes considered as real existences, are, in fact, all mere names, without personality, and that the so-called "I" is but a passing guest, a thing of a moment; all things around us are only illusions!
20. Buddha said: A man following the dictates of his passions, seeking those so-called sweets of indulgence (flowers), is just like the burning incense, the fragrance of which men may perceive, but the incense itself in those very fumes is self-consumed! So the foolish man, exalting the character of the vulgar enjoyments found in selfish pleasures, and not guarding the treasure of his reason,--the only true source of happiness,--endures both the misery of his past gratification (i.e., of its being passed) and also the bitterness of after repentance!
21. Buddha said: The man who rudely grasps after wealth or pleasure, is like a child seizing a knife (to cut honey),--the sweet delight of the first taste of the honey is scarcely lost before he perceives the pain of his tongue cut with the knife!
22. Buddha said: The man enthralled by the deceitful pleasures of concupiscence (marriage), suffers misery greater than the collars p. 345 and chains which bind the inmates of the infernal regions; for from these pains there is remittance, but the desire for the indulgence of sensual passion (wifeage), though it have the misery of the tiger's mouth, still, by its sweetness of appearance, fascinates the heart. The guilt of such indulgence, how can it be remitted?
23. Buddha said: Of all the passions (lit., lusts and desires) the greatest is love of women. Besides this,--so great is it,--there is no other. Were there two of the same sort, no mortal would be able to attain supreme reason.
24. Buddha said: Passion governing a man is like one seizing a torch and rushing with it alight against the wind. The foolish man who does not drop it must have the pain of a burnt hand. So the poisonous root of covetousness, lust, anger, envy, planted in the body of the foolish man, and not early overpowered by the exercise of reason, must necessarily bring calamity and woe, as the hand of this foolish man who desires to carry the torch is burnt.
25. On a certain occasion a Deva presented a woman of pleasure to Buddha, desiring to tempt him. Buddha thought, I will display the wisdom of Buddha (to this being.) So he said, "For weeds and filth there is a receptacle! What then would you do? Why talk to me of such foolish vulgar things (as sensual desires)? Surely it would be difficult to excite passion in one who has for ever banished the means (tung) by which these things are gratified." The Deva, overpowered with awe, reverently desired Buddha to explain the subject of supreme reason, which doing, he immediately became a Su-to-hun (Sowan).
26. Buddha said: Those who practise the acquirement of supreme reason are like a piece of wood which floats down with the tide of a stream, neither touching the left bank nor the right, not detained by any worldly scheme nor misled by spiritual theories (that which concerns spirits, i.e., hope of attaining the condition of a Deva), nor caught in the whirl of the tide to stop and rot;--I will secure that this man enters the sea! So the man who practises reason, not held by the hallucinations of passion, nor the false notions which distinguish the wicked,--this man progressing and banishing doubt, shall under my protection arrive at supreme wisdom.
27. Buddha said to a Shaman: Beware of placing trust in your thoughts, or they in the end will destroy the groundwork of all belief. Beware of mixing yourself up in worldly matters (? shik), for what are these but the cause of all misery? But the Rahat may trust his thoughts.
p. 346
28. Buddha thus addressed all the Shamans: Beware of looking on a woman! if you see one, let it be as seeing her not! Beware of words with a woman; but if you speak with one, with pure heart and upright intention say, "I am a Shaman, necessarily in this impure world; but let me be as a lotus, which grows pure though in the mud." Is she old? Regard her as your mother. Is she honourable? Consider her as your elder sister. Is she of small account? Consider her as a younger sister. Is she a child? Treat her politely according to the usages of society. Above all, consider in your reasoning that what you see is only the external appearance, within that body what vileness and corruption! So, thinking thus, your evil thoughts will be all banished!
29. Buddha said: A man practising reason, and (wishful to) expel his lusts, ought to behold himself (or them ?) as stubble awaiting the fire which will come at the end of the world (Kalpa). He would then certainly be earnest in removing these desires and lusts.
30. Buddha said: There was a man (or there being a man) who, afflicted with sensual lusts which he could not repress, was sitting on sharp knives in order to destroy the members which ministered to his passion (or in order to eradicate his passions or senses); on which Buddha addressed him thus:--"If you should succeed in removing those lustful members, what is this in comparison with the removal of the (lustful) heart? It is the heart which is the workman (at the bottom of all); if you rightly compose this, then all these evil thoughts will be dissipated. But the heart not composed, what profit can arise from removing the member? What is this but mere bodily death?" Buddha said: So it is the world commonly mistakes on these matters.
31. There was a certain lewd woman who had made an engagement to meet a certain man. When she came not he began to repent himself (of his wickedness), and said: "Lust is but the offspring of my own thought. There being no thought, lust cannot be born." Buddha passing by and hearing this, said to the Shaman: "I recollect this as a saying of Kasyapa Buddha, and it now has become common in the world." Buddha said: "Man by lustful desires engenders sorrow; from sorrow springs apprehension (of evil); there being no lust, then there is no sorrow and no apprehension."
32. Buddha said: A man practising reason (aiming at the attainment of supreme reason) may be compared to a single warrior fighting against ten thousand. Whilst other soldiers, armed for the battle, rush from the gate, desirous to fight, he yet fears in p. 347his exhausted state that victory would be difficult, and so retreats from the field. When half way he returns to the conflict resolved to fight and die. This man, having attained the victory, and returning to his country, will (deservedly) be raised to high rank. So the man who is able to hold to the same mind, and, persevering against all obstacles, advances in his work (or profession), uninfluenced by any worldly follies or enticements, his evil desires destroyed, his wicked acts at an end, he must attain perfect wisdom.
33. There was a Shaman who during a night kept reciting his prayers (the Sutra, or book containing the words of Buddha), the sound of his voice piteous, and worn with fatigue, desiring (by so doing) to bring himself to repent of his sinful thoughts (of returning to the world). Buddha addressing the Shaman, said: "When you were living in the world as a member of a household, what was your particular pursuit?" He replied: "I was constantly practising the lute." Buddha said: "The strings being slack, what then?" He replied: "There would be no musical sound." "And the strings too tight, what then?" He said: "The sound would be over-sharp." "But if they were tuned to a just medium between the slack and over-tight, what then?" He replied: "All the sounds would be concordant and harmonious." Buddha addressed the Shaman: "The way of supreme learning is even so. Only keep your heart in harmony and union, so you will attain perfect knowledge."
34. Buddha said: A man practising the attainment of reason is as the place where (or the mode in which) they found metals, gradually dropping down and separating from the dross; the vessel made from this will be good. The way of wisdom (in like manner, is) by gradually ridding away the corruption of the heart, with earnest perseverance to go on, and thus complete perfect knowledge. If any other way be tried, it is only the cause of weariness to the body, this causes vexation of mind, this transgression in life, and this is only to practise the way of the wicked (or, and this the accumulation of guilt).
35. Buddha said: A man who is aiming to attain supreme reason has many sorrows, like him that is not engaged in this pursuit; for, considering a man's experience from the time of his birth to his old age, from this period to the time of his sickness, and from this to his death,--what countless sorrows does he endure! But the heart laden with regrets, guilt stored up, endless life and death,--these sorrows how difficult to speak of!
p. 348
36. Buddha said: For a man to avoid the three evil ways of birth (viz., beast, demon, or in hell), and to be born a human being, is difficult; being so, to be born a man and not a woman, is difficult; being so, to have the six passions all well arranged (? to have perfect mind and body, "mens sana in corpora sano"), is difficult; being so, to be born in the middle country (India ?) is difficult; being so, to attain to the knowledge of Buddha's doctrine is difficult; being so, to become eminent in the knowledge of Buddha is difficult; being so, to be born in the family of a Bosat is difficult; being so, to be born in the age of a Buddha, and heartily to believe in the three precious ones (Buddha, the Law, and the Community) is difficult.
37. Buddha asked all the Shamans, "What is the time of a man's life (or in what does a man's life consist)?" One replied, "(in) a few days (only)." Buddha said, "Son, you are not yet able to attain supreme wisdom." Again he asked a single Shaman the same question, who answered, "The time of a meal (or of taking a meal)." Buddha answered, "Son, you are not yet capable of attaining supreme reason." Again he asked the same question of another Shaman, who replied, "Man's life is but a breath, a sigh!" Buddha answered, "Well said, son! you are able to speak of attaining supreme wisdom."
38. Buddha said: A disciple removed from me by a distance of several thousand lis, yet thinking on me and keeping my commandments (nim = observing by recollection), must in the end obtain supreme wisdom. Whilst another who dwells with me, and yet allows rebellious thoughts and does wickedly, he shall in the end not attain supreme reason. Truth of profession resides (or is exhibited) in correct conduct. If a man consorting with me does still not conform to my commandments in his conduct, what benefit will ten thousand precepts be to him?
39. Buddha said: A man who is practising the attainment of reason, is like one eating honey, which is sweet throughout. So my Scriptures (Sutras) are likewise sweet: the system advocated in them is altogether a source of pleasure. Those who practise it shall attain supreme knowledge.
40. Buddha said: A man practising the attainment of supreme wisdom, and able to extirpate the root of his lusts and desires, is like one who strikes the suspended gem. (The allusion is either to striking a temple bell, for the assembly or dispersion of the congregation, or it may be to the act of striking or grinding a substance in a mortar, ex. gr.). At every stroke the collection of people, p. 349 (or the compact substance), is broken up (i.e., for the purpose of resorting to worship). So when all a man's wicked desires are broken up and dispersed, he will attain supreme wisdom.
41. Buddha said: All the Shamans who are engaged in the practice of religion ought to regard themselves as oxen carrying loads, and going through the mud; tired with their burdens, they dare not look (or wander) an inch (the least portion) to the right or the left; desiring above all things to get out of the mud, they go straight on, in order that they may obtain some ease and repose themselves. So a Shaman, regarding his lusts and passions as more troublesome than that mud, with a steadfast purpose bending his mind to (the attainment of) reason, will be able to avoid all sorrow.
42. Buddha said: I regard kings, princes, as to their dignities, only as patches of dust; gold, jewels, as to their value, only as clay fragments; dresses of silk and sarsnet, only as playthings (? pai-pak); the great chiliocosm as the letter 'a'; the four barren or weedy seas (? nan-shui) only as a miry road (?); the system of complete deliverance, only as a boat for carrying treasure; the highest vehicle (referring, probably, to the Mahayana), only as the gilt sheen of a dream; seeking the wisdom of Buddha only as a flower (which appears in fancy) before the eye; seeking any inferior standing ground, only as (su-ni-chiio ?); seeking Nirvana, as a dead sleep; arriving at rest, as the dancing of the six dragons (?); the state of perfect equanimity, as the one true standing point; the power of endless transformation, as the trees and flowers of the four seasons;--all these things are thus great in comparison only. To hear the law of Buddha is the chief source of joy.
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, December 25, 2008
How to re-create the Show desktop icon on the Quick Launch toolbar in Windows XP
How to re-create the Show desktop icon on the Quick Launch toolbar in Windows XP
To re-create the Show desktop icon yourself, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type notepad in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Carefully copy and then paste the following text into the Notepad window:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
3. On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the file to your desktop as "Show desktop.scf". The Show desktop icon is created on your desktop.
4. Click and then drag the Show desktop icon to your Quick Launch toolbar.
- wong chee tat :)
To re-create the Show desktop icon yourself, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type notepad in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Carefully copy and then paste the following text into the Notepad window:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop
3. On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the file to your desktop as "Show desktop.scf". The Show desktop icon is created on your desktop.
4. Click and then drag the Show desktop icon to your Quick Launch toolbar.
- wong chee tat :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)