DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

By Nhat Quan

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When he was still a practitioner, Medicine Buddha made 12 vows. One of the twelve vows is the fourth vow:

- I vow that in the future, when I attain the unsurpassed Bodhi, if there are sentient beings who practice evil ways, I will make them return to the right path; if there are people who follow the Two Vehicles, I will make them seek the Unsurpassed Enlightenment.

To understand why the Medicine Buddha mentioned terms such as 'evil views' and 'Two Vehicles' in the fourth vow, it is essential to recognize that the Buddha's teachings have only one path leading to the realization of the great wisdom of the Buddhas. But because those who receive and practice those teachings have many different capacities, high and low, Medicine Buddha has, according to each level of each sentient being, revealed different paths. That is the adaptability of Buddhism. Generally, there are two paths or two vehicles:

1- The small path or small vehicle that in the Buddhist community is often called the small vehicle. The so-called Hinayana is the path of self-liberation for those who are too bored with the impermanent, egoless, and suffering world, only wanting to quickly liberate themselves from the three realms, attain the status of Arhat or Pratyekabuddha, and then enter nirvana. This tendency later became one of the two major sects of Buddhism, often called Hinayana Buddhism, and spread to the countries in the South and Southeast of India, such as:

- Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, etc., so it is also called Southern Buddhism or Southern Transmission.

- The great path or the great vehicle is often called Mahayana: It is the path of those with great love and strong will, who strive to help themselves attain peace and liberation while also helping the world create happiness. They always practice and practice Bodhisattva conduct for all people and all species. Their goal is to complete the enlightenment of the Buddhas. This tendency later became one of the two major sects of Buddhism, historically known as Mahayana Buddhism, which was spread to the countries in the North and Northeast of India, such as Nepal, Tibet, China, Korea, Vietnam, etc., so it is also called Northern Buddhism or Northern Transmission.

On the other hand, the two paths or two vehicles are also used to refer to the two levels of Sravakas, fully called Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. The basic teachings of those who follow the path of Sravakas are the four truths, which are the Four Noble Truths, and their final fruition is Arhat. Meanwhile, those who follow the path of Pratyekabuddhas specialize in observing the cycle of cause and effect of the twelve causes and conditions, and then realize the truth and attain the fruition of Pratyekabuddhas. In the Mahaparinirvana Sutra (Chapter 22), the Buddha told Bodhisattva Vaidurya-raya:

- Do not think that I have heard the Dharma and then first saved myself, then will save others; first liberate yourself, then liberate others; ... First, you must be for others, then you must be for yourself. You should be for Mahayana, not for the Two Vehicles...

The word Mahayana here is used by the Buddha to refer to the Bodhisattva vehicle, and the word Two Vehicles refers to the vehicles of Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. So in this sense, both Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas are called Hinayana.

Although Hinayana and Mahayana have the same source of teachings, originating from the Buddha, due to different ways of guidance and propagation, they have been two opposing schools for the past two thousand years in the history of propagation and development of Buddhism. In fact, Hinayana or Mahayana only refers to the changing situation of Buddhist thought according to the need for the development of wisdom through historical periods. Today, Buddhism is no longer confined to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam, Japan, etc., but it is present like sunlight in all five continents and four oceans. The modern people's spirit of studying Buddhism is no longer bound by Hinayana or Mahayana. In Vietnam, for example, since the 1950s, Southern Buddhism has developed alongside Northern Buddhism in an official and harmonious way. Western countries have recently been accepting many different Buddhist schools from Tibet, Sri Lanka, China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, etc. Therefore, the extreme sense of distinction between Hinayana and Mahayana is no longer in the minds of practitioners in today's era.

In the new perspective, Buddhism does not have a fierce contradiction between Hinayana and Mahayana, but only different methods of practice leading to different levels of cultivation and attainment, only different strengths and weaknesses of aspiration leading to different results of service. But because of attachment, there is a state of discrimination that eventually becomes a wrong prejudice, which later has the additional term of a heretical view of the Two Vehicles. According to the Brahma Net Sutra of Bodhisattva Precepts, translated from Chinese by monk Tri Tinh, there are precepts:

- Precept of not practicing Mahayana studies, 24th

If you have the Mahayana sutras and precepts, know the Buddha's right view, right nature, and true Dharma body, but do not diligently study and practice them, and apply them in daily life. Meanwhile, you study the books of the wrong views of the Two Vehicles, the externalists, and the secular world. In this way, you are a person who has lost the Buddha's seed, a cause and condition that hinders the path, and does not practice the Bodhisattva path.

- Precepts with the mind of rejecting the Mahayana Sutras and Vinayas No. 8

Suppose you intend to abandon the Mahayana Sutras and Vinayas that are always present, thinking that they are not spoken by the Buddha, and instead accept and uphold the sutras and precepts of the Two Vehicles of the Sravakas and the externalists with evil views. In that case, you are a person who commits a minor offense.

- Precepts of temporarily abandoning the Bodhi mind No. 34

If you, in the past, recited these Bodhisattva precepts day and night, six times a day, you should maintain the precepts in all your walking, standing, lying, and sitting, steadfast as a diamond, like wearing a buoy to cross the great ocean, like the Bhikshus tied with grass ropes. Always have good faith in the Mahayana. Knowing that you are not yet a Buddha, and that the Buddhas are already Buddhas, then generate the Bodhi mind and maintain it without turning back. But now, if you turn back, have a mind that tends to follow the Two Vehicles or the external path, then you commit a minor offense.

Through these sutras, the Two Vehicles in Buddhism are evaluated as the same as the heretical sects, the secular sects! Where does that reasoning lead you? You need to find out. To clarify this point, you need to know. First of all, the two vehicles of the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, including the 5 paths of practice and the 5 fruits of the Buddha Dharma:

- Srotapanna path, Srotapanna fruit.

- Sakrdagamin path, Sakrdagamin fruit.

- Anagami path, Anagami fruit.

- Arhat path, Arhat fruit.

- Pratyekabuddha path, Pratyekabuddha fruit

The corresponding causes and effects of the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas are also translated more clearly, like this:

- Stream-entry, Stream-entry fruit.

- Once-returner, Once-returner fruit.

- Non-returner, Non-returner fruit.

- Birthlessness, Birthlessness fruit.

- Pratyekabuddha, Pratyekabuddha fruit

Because the cause is to end the view of self, doubt, and attachment to precepts and prohibitions, you attain the Stream-entry fruit, which is the fruit that begins to enter the Holy lineage of the Buddhas. From there, you continue to practice the path and attain fruition. Instead of successively attaining higher fruitions, up to the final fruition of the Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha fruit. But the Two Vehicles only abide in the fruition they cultivate and attain, and the highest fruition of the Two Vehicles is Arhatship, and you do not progress further. The Two Vehicles' stopping at one place has many reasons, but whatever the reason, it is an obstacle, so the Medicine Buddha vows to assist anyone who has not yet developed the power of aspiration. The Medicine Buddha's vow, which is also the work of Shakyamuni Buddha, was carried out on the path of educating sentient beings. Those who followed evil ways were converted by the Buddha, such as:

- The Five Kaundinya Brothers

- Sariputra

- Maudgalyayana,

The Three Kasyapa Brothers, etc.

They were all leaders of an evil religion at that time. The Buddha informed them that these people had had a predestined relationship with the Buddha in many lives, and thanks to their good roots, they met the Buddha again, so they were able to transform quickly. Typical examples include:

- Shakyamuni Buddha, from a distant past life, in his previous life, Shakyamuni Buddha was a previous life practicing patience, like the chapter of the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging in the Lotus Sutra.

- Aya Kaundinya, in his previous life, was King Kaliyapa, who cut the Buddha's body, but could not kill him. Due to his predestined relationship with the Buddha in his past life, in this life, when Aya Kaundinya met the Buddha, he developed the mind to follow him to practice and study.

The Buddha said that Sariputra had practiced for 60 Kalpa. When he developed the Bodhi mind, when he encountered an unsatisfactory situation, he immediately returned to the path of the Sravakas, and no longer practiced the Bodhisattva path. Understanding the difficulties of the Bodhisattva path, the Buddha used countless means to encourage those who had the conditions to bring joy to the world. They should not be satisfied with their own liberation, but have compassion and wisdom to give to many people. That is the Bodhisattva path, the path leading to the state of complete enlightenment like the Buddha.

This good connection, the Lotus Sutra calls it the pearl in the flap of the robe, meaning that those who planted the cause and effect with the Buddha in the past, in this life, will feel the heart of the Buddha and wholeheartedly practice... Because of that good root and developing the Bodhi mind, they have the pearl and practice, the Seven Great Elements body is considered as a torn robe, not cared about, but only concerned with developing the Dharma Body and the Reward Body, so the Dharma Body and Reward Body are developed quickly. Such people, at some point, just because of a moment of unconsciousness, follow the Evil Path, which is an evil path and has an incorrect perception, so it is called an evil view. An evil path is an incorrect path, contrary to the right path. There are eight right paths:

- Right view, Right thought, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right concentration.

There are also eight wrong paths:

- Wrong view, Wrong thought, Wrong speech, Wrong action, Wrong livelihood, Wrong effort, Wrong mindfulness, Wrong concentration.

The two paths, evil and right, one leads to the world and the other leads to Nirvana. For example: Wrong effort is diligence in cheating, stealing, lying, deceitful...; Right effort is diligence in practicing meditation, being kind, living a good life...

Wrong View is one of the eight wrong paths, leading to the eight wrong paths. If the Right view is 4 parts:

- Seeing the sufferings for sure.

- Seeing that greed is the cause of suffering.

- Knowing that Nirvana is the end of suffering.

- Knowing that the Noble Eightfold Path is the path to the end of suffering.

Then, Wrong views also have four corresponding parts:

- Seeing the world as joy.

- Seeing love and pleasure as the source of happiness.

- Seeing rebirth in the desired realms as satisfaction.

- Seeing that building fame, career, home, children, etc., is a wise way to live.

Therefore, the fourth vow of the Medicine Buddha says:

- If someone falls into the wrong path, the Medicine Buddha vows to convert them to the Right Path.

This vow the Medicine Buddha especially emphasizes, if they practice according to the Two Vehicles, the Medicine Buddha will make them seek Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. The reason is that, practicing according to the Two Vehicles, they only need to liberate themselves. The Medicine Buddha will make them develop a great mind to save others. Compassion for others is more important; the greater the altruism, the better the work. Through which the Buddha taught the Bhikkhus to save a little leftover rice in their bowls to feed the birds and fish, with a compassionate heart, they can share and give alms to them. Later, they can become fellow practitioners with you or not pour hot water on the ground, causing the insects to die. Having the Bodhi mind to save sentient beings, there are many things in life that anyone can do.

The goal of the Medicine Buddha's vow is to transform people's minds when they do not have enough conditions to live a life of celibacy, but when he has transformed their minds towards the Buddha Dharma, the good seeds have been planted in their minds, and have not yet come to fruition. But the seeds are already there, must wait for enough good conditions, and cannot be rushed. Seeing clearly the nature of things, to keep our mind pure, as well as to nurture the Bodhi seed

As mentioned in the wrong view, although the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas are not really as ignorant as the five wrong views, with the concept of self-cultivation and self-salvation, it is a concept that needs to be changed, stuck in selfishness, completely contrary to the Bodhisattva path. Therefore, if Buddhism is sometimes compared to an education, then:

- Humans and Devas are at the Primary level,

- Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas are at the Secondary level,

- Bodhisattvas and Saints are at the University level.

The purpose of studying the 5 vehicles is:

- Humans and Devas cultivate the blessings of the mundane world in the 3 realms,

- Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas cultivate to eliminate 2, that is, Misleading views and thoughts.

- Advanced Bodhisattvas cultivate to eliminate 2, that is: Delusion of dust and sand, and Ignorance.

 Although the order of practice and study is different, the five vehicles of Buddhism are inherently the same source of wisdom; they do not contradict each other, but on the contrary, they support each other; they are all means to guide sentient beings of the Buddhas of the ten directions and three periods. But the reason why, in the fourth vow, the Medicine Master said:

- When attaining the unsurpassed Bodhi, if there are sentient beings who practice the wrong path, I will make them return to the right path; if there are people who follow the Two Vehicles, I will make them seek the Unsurpassed Enlightenment.

Like in the world, if you want to have a good job, you must study from elementary school to university. Just like graduating from university with a degree, having a good job with a high salary, and living a leisurely life, the same is true of practice and study. If you, the Two Vehicles, want to escape suffering but do not continue to practice, and only want to stay in the small achievements you have, then you will never be able to end suffering.

As you know, Buddhist teachings aim to guide people to have a happy life and enlightenment, so the concepts:

- Non-attachment, non-discrimination, equality, emptiness, falsehood ... are concepts often used in Mahayana Buddhism, even in the Theravada Buddhist doctrine system.

Because the common goal of human beings is to seek happiness. How that happiness is defined depends on the habits and understanding of each individual. That is why there are differences between the views of each person and each group in society; this difference is expressed through lifestyle, thoughts, feelings, political views, and beliefs. After all, the purpose of starting a family is a way to find happiness; going to work to earn money is also a way to find happiness; buying toys for children is also a way to find happiness; going to the temple to worship Buddha is also a way to find happiness; …. Of course, every way of life, every point of view has its own meaning and happiness, even beggars and thieves have their own reasons and happiness. The difference between one way of life and another is simply a difference in morality, more or less, short-term or long-term. The cause of that difference is determined by the difference in perception. If the perception is correct, it will give you long-term, reasonable happiness; if that perception comes from a wrong understanding, of course, the result is meaningless, short-lived happiness. That is why the fourth vow reminded by the Medicine Buddha is not beyond this meaning.

Humans are one of the creatures, but the difference between humans and other creatures is understanding, knowing how to distinguish between right and wrong, between good and evil, thanks to which humans have a higher life than other animals. The Noble Eightfold Path is a Mahayana doctrine that talks about the right path, from right view to right concentration. It is a doctrine that speaks to the human being, of course, a normal person with understanding, not a crazy person or someone who disregards the role of intelligence. Those who want to understand the value of this doctrine, the basic thing is to use understanding, that is, the human characteristic, to learn about the Buddha's teachings.

The Noble Eightfold Path is also one of the 37 factors of enlightenment, the basic practice of Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, any monk must clearly understand this doctrine, because it is the compass, the practice method for monks, or more correctly, for those who want to have this kind of happiness of being free from desire, free from unwholesome dharmas, you must know how to look at it from two angles:

1- First, see the Buddhist doctrine as the true dharma. When you call the Buddhist doctrine the true dharma, you must talk about the doctrine: Dependent origination, impermanence, and non-self. Dependent origination and impermanence are the natural laws or nature of dharmas. The doctrine of non-self is the human perception of the natural world.

All dharma is formed by the combination of causes and conditions. Thus, anything formed by the combination of causes and conditions has no self-nature and cannot exist independently. Thus, the nature of dharmas is impermanence; anything that is impermanent and changing, humans cannot control, so it is called non-self. Thus, dependent origination, impermanence, and non-self are the nature of life; anyone, regardless of religion or party, must follow this law and must perceive it like that, cannot do otherwise.

Thus, these three doctrines are the truth, the basic doctrine system of Buddhism, so it is called the true dharma. Because it is the true dharma, anyone who wants to become a Buddha, a saint, or a human must rely on this to practice, so it is also called the Mahayana doctrine. However, the level of the sentient beings' foundations and faculties is different, some low, some high, so the Buddha, based on this principle, depending on the different foundations, formed different teachings, which is why in Buddhism there are many scriptures, many different sects. The difference is only a difference in form, but the content of its thoughts can be found in any scripture, so any scripture that does not carry this meaning is not the Buddha's teaching.

          2- Second, in addition to this meaning, in Buddhism, the word "Chief" is defined as being in accordance with reality. It means that what people think about is the morality of the object they consider, and consciousness and reality are consistent with each other, and are called "Chief". The educational purpose of Buddhism is to aim at enlightenment and liberation. Enlightenment is to see the truth or the principle of life. Liberation is thanks to enlightenment that the practitioner is liberated; without enlightenment, there is no liberation, just as without light, there is no seeing. Thus, enlightenment is the cause, liberation is the result, the result is born from the cause; there cannot be a result without a cause, nor can there be an evil cause and a good result, cause and effect must be compatible. This is the doctrine of cause and effect in Buddhism. Likewise, if someone wants to be enlightened and liberated, he cannot take selfish ignorance as a way of behaving, but enlightenment and liberation must come from altruistic practice. Knowing that this path is the path that leads to happiness and peace, and that path is the path that brings suffering. If you only know how to be satisfied with the small fruit of the Sravaka and Pratyekabuddha you have achieved and stop there, then happiness cannot come naturally, suffering cannot come naturally. Therefore, regarding happiness and peace, in the Sutta of the Turning the Wheel of Life, the Buddha always reminds you through the way the Buddha tells the Bhikkhus:

- Bhikkhus, light the lamp of the Dharma yourself. Take refuge in your own Dharma, do not light another lamp, do not rely on another Dharma

Bhikkhus, if you light the lamp of the Dharma yourself, take refuge in your own Dharma, do not light another lamp, do not rely on another Dharma, then you can seek to learn, gain immeasurable benefits and blessings.

The meaningful content of this passage, Buddha advises you, be the master, master yourself, do not have the idea of ​​relying, especially relying on ideas is really dangerous, because whoever is enlightened is liberated, whoever is ignorant is suffering, no one can replace anyone, help anyone, so Buddha advises:

- Rely on your own dharma, do not light another lamp, do not rely on another dharma.

If you want not to rely on others, the necessary condition is to know the truth, or to put it simply, the way of life, which was enlightened by Buddha. Then he told it for you to understand, for that reason, Buddhism is also called the truth. Truth is the principle of life; anyone living in this life must follow that principle, whether Saint or ordinary, official or citizen, male or female, all are the same.

In short, in this life, there is only one truth; there cannot be two truths, two ways. That doctrine is the doctrine for all; there is no this, that, me, or you, which is why it is also called the Mahayana doctrine. Of course, it does not mean praising yourself and criticizing others, thinking you are right and others are wrong. But when not practiced correctly, it will certainly lead to wrong results, which is why Buddhas in general, Medicine Buddha in particular, made a vow:

- When attaining the unsurpassed Bodhi, if there are sentient beings who practice evil ways, I will make them return to the Right Path; if there are people who follow the Two Vehicles, I will make them seek Unsurpassed Enlightenment.

Medicine Buddha is the Teacher, showing you clearly which path leads to happiness and which path leads to suffering. If you want to reach a state of peace and happiness, you must make an effort to follow that path. This effort is the meaning of right effort in the Eightfold Path. The effort of Buddhism is not the effort to find happiness through the path of enjoying desires, but the effort to eliminate the causes of suffering, the effort to practice so that unwholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen do not arise, and those that have arisen are eliminated; wholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen immediately arise, and those that have arisen grow even more. The Mahayana teachings give you awareness; it is a process of transforming consciousness, transforming ignorance into enlightenment, transforming ordinary people into saints, transforming suffering into peace and happiness.

You are disciples of the Buddha and are supported by the Medicine Buddha. Whoever practices, lives in accordance with the truth, uses wisdom as a sharp sword to cut off ignorance and afflictions, then the Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to wisdom, to the supreme Bodhi fruit.

Therefore, when reading and practicing the Medicine Sutra, especially the fourth vow, you must verify through your own life, the sufferings and troubles you have encountered, all come from petty and selfish thoughts, all come from ignorance and wrong views. It is because he wants you to be free from suffering and live a happy life that the Medicine Buddha made a vow:

- If there are people who follow the Two Vehicles, I will make them seek Supreme Enlightenment.

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