小靜於林， 大靜於市，大大靜於正行(及正不行)。

External tranquility found in nature, inner tran

quility cultivated in city, ultimate tranquility realised in wise action (& inaction).

How much will you contribute to support yourself?  How much more would you contribute to support your family?  How much more will you contribute for your community, country and the world?   If we contribute 10 dollars, we can buy someone a meal; if we contribute 10 million dollars,   we can perhaps build a school; if we contribute 10 billion dollars, maybe we can establish a fund which feeds an organization or a small country.  What if we contribute the wealth of the entire world, in all potential worlds and  universes?  We would imagine that a lot could be done, which leads to infinite merit… Yet, according to the all knowing Buddha (who possesses 5 eyes which penetrate all truths in this universe), the merit of contribute all wealth of all universes, is not even comparable to the merit of studying, following, practicing, and sharing this Sutra.  Do you know why?  Do you believe?

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福智无比分第二十四

BLESSINGS AND WISDOM BEYOND COMPARE, TWENTY-FOUR

须菩提！若三千大千世界中所有诸须弥山王，如是等七宝聚，有人持用布施；若人以此《般若波罗蜜经》，乃至四句偈等，受持读诵、为他人说，于前福德百分不及一，百千万亿分，乃至算数譬喻所不能及。
“Subhuti, if (on the one hand) a man, in his practice of charity (dana) gives away the seven treasures piled up in a heap as great as all the Mounts Sumeru in the Universe put together, and (on the other hand) another man receives, holds (in mind) reads and recites even a four-line stanza of this Prajna-paramita Sutra, and expounds it to others, the merit resulting from the former’s dana will not be worth one-hundredth, one-thousandth, one-ten-thousandth and one-hundred thousandth part of that obtained by the latter, as no conceivable comparison can be made between the two.”

Diamond is the most precious material on earth. Besides of its scarcity, diamond is also the hardest material on earth.  Therefore it is adopted as the name of this Buddhist text.  The full name of this text is: “金刚般若波罗密经”.  “金刚” means hard/impenetrable;  “般若” means wisdom; “波罗密” means conducts leading to liberation; “经” means sutra/text.  Together it  means: The text on the impenetrable wisdom towards liberation and enlightenment.

In the 6 core practices of Mahayana Buddhism (others 5 being charity, precepts, diligence, endurance, and concentration); wisdom is the last and perhaps the most important one.  A clear and firm understanding and application of this impenetrable wisdom facilitates the practice of other 5, while the study and practice of other 5 does not necessarily results in arising of this wisdom.  Therefore, in the foundation study of Chinese philosophy and spirituality, the Diamond Sutra is selected as a core text to be studied together with Daoist Daodejing and Confucius Analects.

Those who understand others is wise, those who understand oneself is enlightened.

-> Externally we seek to understand others (e.g. our family, company, country); internally how many seek to understand our own “self”?  We might understand our personality, including strengths and weaknesses, but more fundamentally, what is this personality?  Where does it come from and how does it arise?  Can it last or is it temporary?  All in all, what am “i”?

Those who conquer others has force, whose who conquer oneself is strong.

-> In conquering others, we can use external force such as armies, allies and money.  In conquering our “self”, internal strength is needed: we need courage to face our “self” and the world, willlingness to work through habits and believe systems, acceptance of our limitations and short-comings, reason to contextualize and understand, kindness to love and to forgive, and humility to see and surrender our attachments and illusions.   Conquering others by force is temporary (as can be seen in world history), while internal mastery is forever.

Those who content is rich.

-> With spiritual maturation, we become more appreciative to the richness of life.  Those who are thankful are rich.

Those who preserve in advancing has will.

-> Cultivation is a life-long dedication, persistence is essential.

Those who stay with their root can last. Life beyond death is real longevity.

-> Our real root is not subjected to changes and the temporariness of physical life, when we realize our true nature which is beyond physical death, we reach real longevity.

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Chapter 33 Discussion:

This chapter starts by describing the different between external power and internal strength, that spiritual studies require one to direct our attention to within.  When we develop our internal strength, face life with gratitude, and dedicate our life to the fulfillment and upliftment of all (including ourselves), then our contentment with life expands.  Eventually we realize our everlasting root, beyond the limitations of physicality and changes, we are finally home.

Bilingual version of Ch33: https://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj11-3/

Reach the end of emptiness, abide in the end of stillness.  Things manifest, i see coming and going.

-> Emptiness here refers to reality beyond form.  Stillness here refers to reality beyond mind.  When one realizes this reality, one sees things coming and going, fully aware, but not affected by them.

Despite of diversity, things all eventually return to their root.  Returning to the root is stillness, is called answering to destiny.

-> Despite of diversity of forms, all things are manifested in cycles of birth-growth-wither-death. E.g animal, plants, species, planets, galaxy, etc.   Root here refers to the center that is beyond the cycle of birth-growth-wither-death.  Return to the root, or answering to destiny, means realizing and abiding in one’s center, which is beyond diversity and transitory of forms.

Answering to destiny is normal, knowing this normalness is wisdom.  Not knowing this normalness, is recklessly doing dangerous deeds.

->  Abiding in the center is normal.  Knowing, realizing, recognizing the center as normal is wisdom (ordinary people would properly think otherwise).   Where in fact, according to Laozi, not knowing this normalness and act selfishly, randomly, aimlessly, and ignorantly is reckless.

Knowing brings compassion, compassion brings impartiality, impartiality brings nobility, nobility becomes heavenly, heavenly is a quality of Dao, Dao is timeless, beyond physicality and cannot be endangered.

-> When we abide in the center and see all things come and go via this center, we can see equality of all (that we all arise from the same source), and therefore are in position to accept and be compassionate.  When we have respect, compassion, and value all equally (including one’s “self”), we can then live without personal bias and arrive impartiality.  When we live impartially ours actions and intentions are noble.  As the purification continues, ones life becomes heavenly, which is a quality of Dao (see Ch5: Impartiality and heavenly of the Dao).  This Dao is everlasting, and lasts even without form.  Therefore, when one realizes, one is freed from the attachments to, identifications with, and limitations of forms.

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Chapter 16 Discussion:

The first part of this chapter describes the difference between enlightened being vs. normal people.  Enlightenment is a state where life is lived in alignment with the everlasting center, while ordinary people are lost in the diversity of forms and cycles of life and death.  Enlightenment means one knows where one is from, ordinary people do not know its source and therefore are threatened by the changes and temporariness of forms.

The second part of this chapter describes the process of Dao cultivation:  study and know about the center, which provides basis for true compassion, which when cultivated and expanded leads to impartiality, nobility, heavenly, and finally to the realization of the Dao.  How to proceed?   We learn about the center, cultivate respect and compassion, let go of personal bias and attachments,  and follow the guidance of and the flow of the universe, instead of to one’s self.

.DDJ Chapter 16 bilingual text: https://www.lisiming.net/philosophy/chinese-philosophy/daoist/daoist-philosophy/dao-de-jing-core-33-chapters/ddj11-3/