Why not Buddha’s Mother Tongue

Why not Buddha’s Mother Tongue

How did Buddhism sutra preserved so well in China? I mean, why did the early masters translate so many Buddhist texts into Chinese, more than that of any other language? Of all the languages in the world, why did they pick Chinese, not Sanskrit, a language used during Buddha’s time, Buddha’s mother tongue? For years, I pondered.

Then it come to my when I was reading “The Mother Tongue” by Bill Bryson, in which he commented on the a admirable quality of Chinese character (Kanji)- if Confucius is back to live today, though we cannot understand him verbally, we can still understand him through writing - a vital quality necessary to preserve the meaning and authenticity of Buddhist scripture.

Chinese is largely different from Sanskrit in the way it is written. Like English, Sanskrit is written in alphabets; Chinese is written pictographically and ideographically, that is Chinese characters are made up of pictures and ideas. As a result, the complexity of Chinese character allows you to express versatile ideas, feelings, and join hidden and intricate Buddhist ideas into just few syllables, which may require up twice of the amount in other language. For instance, in Sanskrit it is lengthy Tathagata; in Chinese it is ru lai, which means enlightened one.

Because of fewer syllables per word (in fact, one syllable per word) in Chinese, monks would have no trouble in memorizing the sutra by heart. This is also an advantage in teaching, where students can pick up the Sutra with speed. It is like the reason that law started with French, and Medicine and Physics with Latin in Europe. Chinese character is simply user friendly, succinct, clear when it comes to record Buddhist sutra.

Translating into Chinese also means that Buddhist Sutra is not affected and drifted because of regional dialects; and its center ideas are kept away from individual dialect’s influence and hence preserve its authenticity and originality. Dialect, a trouble in so many parts of European regions, hardly is trouble at all in China, because Chinese character is the same even if two dialects are vastly different. In Belgium, for example, you need to have two types of signage: French and Dutch; but for Spain and Portugal, although they have different ways to speak, their writing is essential the same and can read each other’s newspaper.

It also is clear that Chinese Buddhist Sutra can survive better than Sanskrit Sutra, because Sanskrit becomes obsolete today: although it was popularly used in Buddha’s time and generations later, no one uses it today even in India. According to Bill Bryson, author of "The Mother Tongue", Sanskrit is retained only in the sacred hymns of Vedas, which makes no discernable meaning today. In another word, if Buddhist sutras were recorded in Sanskrit two thousands years ago, no one would understand them today.

In short, for succinctness and clarity, or for educating and memorizing, Chinese is just a more reliable form of record for Buddhist Sutra.

Rabbi, Robber, and Rabbit Horn

Rabbi, Robber, and Rabbit Horn

To discern between Buddhism and quasi-Buddhism is like speaking in Singaporean English: it is not easy to discern the word “rabbi,” “robber,” and “rabbit.” That is my sentiment when I sighted a blog named Rabbit Horn, which includes a short excerpt of Shurangama Sutra.

The blog is quasi-buddhistic, that is, teaching with Buddhistic facade, because the author endorses nihilism and nil-nirvanaism, which Shurangama Sutra actually argues against. To believe in rabbi is OK, but to believe in a robber will certainly get most of Buddhism lovers in trouble. Buddhism is just not a “rabbit-horn” teaching about vain and futility, but quasi-Buddhism is. As excerpts from Shurangama Sutra attested:

“Now you say that because dharmas arise, every kind of mind arises. Wherever it comes together with things, the mind exists in response. But if it has no substance, the mind cannot come together with anything. If, having no substance, it can yet come together with things, that would constitute a nineteenth realm brought about by a union with the seventh defiling object, and there is no such principle.” 1:198

”If it does have substance, when you pinch your body with your hand, does your mind which perceives it come out from the inside or in from the outside? If it comes out from the inside, then, once again, it should see within your body. If it comes in from outside, it should see your face first.1:199

”Ananda, when all the things in the world, including blades of grass and strands of silk thread, are examined at their fundamental source, each is seen to have substance and a nature, even empty space has a name and an appearance. 1:258
How much the less could the clear, wonderful, pure bright mind, the essence of all thoughts, itself be without a substance? ”1:259

As a result, I reflect in a poem:

To be or not to be,
That is the question!
If wasn’t for women,
Men’s ding-dong* start to rust!

To be or not to be,
That is the question,
Whether faith in vanitat,
Or to blind faith to so called God?

To be or not to be,
That is the question,
If here no nirvana,
Many *ding-dong vainly rust!

The end-of-dharma period supposedly started around this decade- 45 years for proper-dharma period, during which Buddha was alive, 2500 years of mimic-dharma period, and who knows how long is the end-of-dharma period - and doomed of dharma will start with demise of Shurangama Sutra, either lost, lost in translation, twisted in explanation.

p.s. Please inform me if I offend anyone! *This poem just tries to illustrate that if there is no nirvana, then the Buddhists celibacy is irrational and pointless.

The Voyage for the Mind

The Voyage for the Mind

The hearty dialogue between Buddha and Ananda is actually a voyage for mind. It is not lengthy, but its complexity oblige me to share more of it with you; because one of my friend stuck on the third quest for the mind; because it can be illustrated with simpler clarification; because it can be analyzed scientifically and systematically, and because the Shurangama Sutra is so intricate that I cannot finish elaboration as a summery discussed previously.

Ananda firstly argued mind is inside our body. In fact, if Ananda is a neurologist today, he will argue that mind is actually inside our brain: our mind is nothing more than electrical impulses and chemical synopsis trapped along the vast neural network, yet the simplicity of Buddha’s argument daunted us: if mind is inside one’s flesh, surely one will be able to see the anatomical structures surrounding the mind before seeing objects outside, starting with cornea, lens, retina, optic nerve, and even part of visual cortex.

Neurologist will further argue that vision is facilitated by retina; we will lose our vision if our retina is damaged. Again, Buddha would demonstrate that even a retina-detached patient can still see darkness in front of him; that is, he does not lose his ability to see even the retina is gone, similar scenario will occur if a person had deficit in his optic nerve or visual cortex. This implies that mind’s ability to see is retained regardless the deficit along the visual plexus anatomically, but how about our ability to think?

A recent Nun Study also support that lesion of brain does not impede our ability to think. For instance, Sisiter Mary, a 101 years old nun with neurofibrillary and senile plaques, a classic histological signature of Alzheimer’s disease, still retain her high cognitive ability. In another word, Sister Mary still think well even her brain suffered from structural lesion, which suppose to alter and in fact lower her level of reasoning and mental processing. The ramification: our brain is not where our true mind is.

Where is the true mind then?

This is Buddha’s answer from Shurangama Sutra:

”The primary misconception about the mind and body is the false view that the mind dwells in the physical body. 2:54
”You do not know that the physical body, as well as the mountains, the rivers, empty space, and the great earth are all within the wonderful bright true mind. 2:55
”It is like ignoring hundreds of thousands of clear pure seas and taking notice of only a single bubble, seeing it as the entire ocean, as the whole expanse of great and small seas. 2:55
”You people are doubly deluded among the deluded. Such inversion does not differ from that caused by my lowered hand. The Thus Come One says you are most pitiable.” 2:56
”You should know that the space created in your mind is like a wisp of cloud that dots the vast sky. How much smaller must all the worlds within that space be! 8:12 ”If even one person among you finds the truth and returns to the source, then all of space in the ten directions is obliterated. How could the worlds within that space fail to be destroyed as well? 8:13

To elaborate in more succinct sentences, I tried to re-translate forth mentioned passage :

“Confused, deluding to reside in one’s flesh, not realizing even the mountain, river, space and earth that are just part of one’s sacred true mind, it is like giving up vast ocean and lingering on a small drifting bubble, worst, treating the bubble as ocean.” 2:55-2:55
“You should know that even the space is created in your own mind like a dot of white cloud in the vast blue sky, not to mention that all the worlds, which are engulfed inside the space. “8:12

This notion is also shared by Maitreya Bodhisattva! Check it out if you don't believe me!

A Hearty Dialogue with Buddha

A Hearty Dialogue with Buddha

Chapter one of Shurangama Sutra is a debate between Buddha and his disciple/cousin Ananda: it aims to elucidate where the true heart is, where the true mind is. As result I name chapter one’s summary “ A hearty dialogue with Buddha.”

It all started with Ananda’s close call to break his precept with a gorgeous and licentious Matangi mistress while out food begging, and it ended with Ananda’s bewilderment on where his true mind is, after undergoing a scrupulous and strenuous dialogue with Buddha (very hearty indeed).

As a flesh pumped by perpetuating tons of testosterone, haplessly and helplessly doomed by lust, handsome Ananda, once upon fulfilling the digestive desire and fully charged, was lured by the sexual desire of Matangi mistress, and following his biological calling; the small head took over, big head forgotten. Luckily, Manjushri, on Buddha’s request swiftly come to the rescue and bring them both to Buddha.

To knock Ananda back to his senses, Buddhist pursued Ananda where his mind is; after all, mind is the perpetrator of the deeds and eye the abettor. Ananda speculated vainly and heartily: within the flesh, outside, in the visual organ, the darkness inside, drifting with phenomenon, between sensory organ and environment, and even nowhere, with each of Buddha’s rebukes and remarks, Ananda’s self-confidence shriveled - he was mortified, petrified, and stupefied.

Buddha did not leave Ananda any room to ponder; he further explained the two reasons for our endless life-death drifting and suffering: we took the attached thought to be the true mind; and we mistook the byproducts of our essence with immaculate essence itself.

Finally, Buddha disclosed a startling secret: the universe, its habitant, atoms, and law of causality are nothing but the manifestation and creation of our one’s immaculate mind. Buddha further argued that if the mind is nothing but a collective hybrid of discernment, senses, observation and awareness, surely when we don’t discern, sense, and aware, our mind will cease to exist; but this is not true.

At this moment, let us pose and ponder: where is our true mind? Is Buddha’s argument and disclosure still infallible under the modern scientific scrutiny?

To be continued…in The Voyage for the Mind

Intro to Shurangama Sutra

Intro to Shurangama Sutra

Of all the Buddhist texts, Shurangama Sutra is the last to be translated into English, and the least known sutra in the West; yet the mostly praise the highest amongst Buddhist monks. Although few scholars, both Chinese and Japanese, deem it as forged text from the eighth century, it is highly regarded and guarded by many venerable masters, such as His Holiness, Venerable Master Xuan Hua, who devote most part of his life preaching, teaching, and translating this sutra in US.

It is said that this sutra arrived in China in the most devious manner: Shurangama Sutra was considered so sacred that it was actually banned by the Indian official to be sent aboard and neither to be translated, as result Shramana Polamiti sliced his forearm open, implanted a piece of waxed silk scroll written with sutra, sutured it up, and traveled to China after his forearm had healed. Of course, taking it out is just as ghastly as putting it in and one will hope USB memory stick was invented by then. Shramana Polamiti, after finishing the translation, went back to India and took full responsibility for smuggling. We owe him gratitude.

The story did not end there: after having the scroll taken out, it is impossible to discern the writing on the scroll from the bloodstain. Fang Rong, the governor responsible to translate the sutra at the time, was distressed until his daughter suggested to wash off the bloodstain with milk. The washing, of course, was evidently a success.

It was also the most anticipated and seek-after sutra: before the arrival of Shurangama Sutra, upon on hearing it’s existence, Venerable Master Zhi Zhe had to pray to Buddha daily for it’s soon arrival, consecutively for eighteen years, hoping to see the sutra arrived China in his lifetime. He didn't. It was not in vain; now that everyone can access Shurangama Sutra with ease, and freely, even in English.

Shurangama sutra is also the most logically and scientifically coherent piece of writing in Buddhism. Despite the controversy of it’s historic origin, it provides careful scrutiny and analysis of the mind, to such a degree that one will think it is not a Buddhist-only text; it is a discourse for any one who are willing to read, contemplate, explore and meditate; it unlocks the secret nature of mind-material relationship- the very essence that allow you to move your body, to watch, to feel, and to think- which evidently needs to be verified by anyone but you- the reader, through reading and training.

Prophecy from Doom of Dharma Sutra (also known as The Buddha Speaks the Ultimate Extinction of the Dharma Sutra) tell us the Shurangama Sutra will also be the first sutra disappeared on earth, in a period when dharma will start to vanish, and in a period without reasons and common sense, a period of barbarity, chaos and gullibility.

Today, Master Xuan Hua and his team successfully translate the text and explanation of Shurangama Sutra in a total of gigantic eight volumes. Yet, I have found that it is tough to get the flavor of the sutra across the Chinese-English-cultural barrier; it is like transforming “Transformer” from a Japanese cartoon into a sophisticated Hollywood blockbuster without losing its content and originality.

So here I sit, embark on a journey, and endeavor to translate Shuranagama Sutra again with the help of my predecessor, into English with meaning neither lost nor changed and its translation being as tantalizing as its original text.

No1 Quintessence of A Physician

No1 Quintessence of A Physician

The absurdity of doctor as a profession always fascinates me when I was little. You are sick; you go to doctors; you wait patiently (maybe that is where the word “patient” come form) with agony, thinking when is it ever going to start? And when they do see you, they cut you, bleed you, and pierce you; you start to think: when is this torment ever going to end? At end of the day, you pay them and thank them for the pain with a kindness on your face, hoping you will never see them again. Yes, they may occasionally spare you a candy, hoping you will stay quite the next time you go to their clinic.

In 1998, Patch Adams, the movie or at least the person portrayed in movie, change my view about doctors completely.

Dr. Patch Adams inspired me the kind of person I want to be. He has passion, guts, kindness, and persistent strife to the best of his ability to attend to patient’s comfort. Medicine to him is not just statistics, hierarchy, and mechanical routine. Dr. Patch Adams believed in “humanistic medicine” − more than a sense of hope, but a sense of dignity and caring that I would want for my families in hospital when they are ill.

By masking himself as clown and entertain the patients, he believes it is one of the best ways to serve his patients. As the Dr. Patch Adams explained in his speeches:
“(Deep down) You can say that is fake performance because you are really hurting; so what is true in the formula I am talking about is the intention that is true, and performance is serving the intention.”

But I also believe that there are countless true passionate doctors out there who serve tirelessly with mask and share the same do-good-intention, in surgery, in anesthesia, in oncology, and even in abortion and euthanasia. They too, just in different kind of disguise, giving fake performance to hide the fact they are hurting; and the fact they are powerless, frustrated and helpless in battling against ethical dilemma, disease and futility of death and staggering cut of funding, regardless of their gender, age and their level of obstinacy. Not one doctor who is not compassionate and kind, I genuinely believe, is willing to go through the grueling years of medical schooling and hospital training, starting with painstaking gamsat or umat and interview.

But good intention without an objective is futile. I believe to be a doctor you need more than just do-good-intention, ambition, obligation, commitment; a doctor above all others need to have an intrinsic passion and intuitions to serve patient as you would like how your families to be served, because personalities and abilities alone do not provide a doctors’ explanation to your own existence and motivation. The qualities mentioned above are merely the basic attributes of doctor to facilitate them to do a proper job and in fact to do any other job, which coming even with practice and training: social worker with good intention, politician with ambition; police with obligation; and even thief with commitment (if you think it is a job). An answer to explain the rationality of doctors’ role is of importance and greatly needed before any one who wish eagerly to become one.

See, we all will die one day; and doctors are not curing-death-almighty; and all death is inevitable and imminent. So why doctors? Why would I even want to become one?

This can only be explained by this code: how we perceive we are treated in the hospital is really something special; something that I would genuinely like to offer to future patients, as of what I would like to offer to my family, with a fake smile on my face and a true intention. This is my No.1 quintessence of physician.