The Fifth Paragraph
Having known that the Buddha is within, not without,
you find it unnecessary to look outside for Him. Only when you forget your inner Buddha do you have to search outward for Him. Once realizing this Truth, you realize that
you are the Buddha Himself. Having heard a few Zen statements, you may feel like
you are strolling leisurely in your homeland, the true eternal Home. Reading sutras a few times, you feel as if
you were resting in the Kingdom of Tân-La.* Leading an ethical life and
practicing meditation, you have entered and lived in the realm of Sutras
(Dharma) and Patriarchs. Living beyond
all arguments, and immune to all forms and sounds, you can avoid getting lost in
the world of dense forests and wild flowers. Let’s pray to live close to the
Buddha for many and many lives, so that we may learn from His compassion. Let’s pray to King Nghiêu, ** who blessings and kindness
were tremendous, so that those who deny the world do not have to pay tax and tribute. Clothes and blankets are to keep
one warm during the cold season, and it doesn’t matter whether they are worn out and simple patchwork. Eating
rice or gruel is to fuel up your body; so never mind whether it is from
nutritious brown rice or leftovers.
Protect yourself from the eight types of perceptions (seeing,
hearing,….) to fight against the eight types of winds (self-interest, personal
loss, disgrace, honor, praise, criticism, suffering, happiness), but not to
suppress them. Try your best in
monastic life; prove your mastery of the three essentials (precepts/ethics,
meditation, and wisdom) by self-taming
and training. Even with a no-string lute, you can still play
the music of No Birth; even with a no-hole flute, you can play a song of Peace. Uprooting the tree just to find its
branches is a regrettable thing Câu Chi the old man*** did; turning one's back against the mirror to find one’s own image in it is the most hilarious thing Diễn
Nhã Đạt Đa**** tried to accomplish. Getting
through the ring of diamond does not scare heroes; swallowing the outer spiky skin
of the lật fruit does not make a brave man hesitate for fear of minor
scratches.
(to be continued)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tran_Nhan_Tong
http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%E1%BA%A7n_Nh%C3%A2n_T%C3%B4ng
http://thuvienhoasen.org/D_1-2_2-137_4-19440_5-50_6-2_17-68_14-1_15-1/#nl_detail_bookmark
*http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A2n_La
Silla was
established in 57 BC by Pak Hyŏkkŏse (69 BC - 4 AD)–Capital:
Seo(ra)beol. It was then one of the three kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje và Silla) in an East
Asian peninsular which is the Korean Peninsular nowadays.
**http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nghi%C3%Aau
King Nghiêu (2337 BC- 2258 BC), also called Đế Nghiêu or Đường Nghiêu (唐堯),
was a legendary king of ancient China.
He was an exemplary king with great talents and high moral. Under his leadership the Chinese people
enjoyed peace and prosperity.
*** These are stories in ancient oriental mythology. Câu chi the old man (Câu chi trưởng lão)
tried in vain to look for the branches of a stump by uprooting the remaining of
the tree. Diễn Nhã Đạt Đa mistakenly
thought he could see himself in the mirror if he turned his back against the mirror. These stories refer to human ignorance when they are trying in vain to search for something that does not exist.
Being able to get through a small ring of
diamond and to eat the rough and spiky skin of the lật fruit are not impossible
deeds to heroes and those who are determined and have the courage. This implies the strong will and determination of a Buddhist practitioner to achieve the ultimate goal in his/her spiritual life.
