Hi, strangely this is an article I just shared with Ruby_Jade
yesterday, because his signature was this:
"If you meet the Buddha, kill the
Buddha."
But Buddha has been dead for twenty-five centuries, where the heck
do I find him?!
Here's the article:
http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol7no4c.htm
All forms are illusions
Buddhism is truly detached from
idols
People who think that Buddhism is the worshipping of an image of
the Buddha, or that the Buddha is somebody whom we can appeal to
for favours, should know of two very profound verses from the
Diamond Sutra that contradict these popular beliefs. To the
intellectual, they can lay to rest the suspicion that Buddhism is
superstition. To those who are used to praying for divine
intervention, they can become self reliant through their own
virtuous karma.
It is stated in the
Diamond Sutra, He who sees me (Buddha) in forms or seeks me in
sounds is on a heterodox path and cannot see the Tathagata
(Buddha). It further states that, All forms are but illusions, in
seeing that all forms are illusory, one sees the Tathagata.
It is only when we have attained a certain advanced level in the
learning and practising of Buddhism that we will be able to
understand the profound meaning of these verses. If you were to
tell a person who has just started to learn Buddhism that learning
Buddhism is like these verses, then he would find them too
profound. He would not be able to make out what Buddha is like. Of
course, he knows what human beings are like and quite naturally he
will assume that only those who are similar in form to human beings
are Buddhas. We can say that this is correct, but we can also say
that this is wrong. For example, kindergarten teachers may use
drawings of an old man and old woman when teaching the young
children about grandfathers and grandmothers. Thereafter, when the
children see other old folks in such resemblance they know that
they are someone elses grandparents. But, to university students
it would be inappropriate for professors to use the same approach
when talking about such blood relationships.
It is the same in learning Buddhism. When we encourage a new
student of Buddhism to pay respect to the Buddha in the temple or
monastery, he will not be frightened when he sees that the Buddha
is the same as a human being. At the same time, when he sees that
the Buddha and Bodhisattva images are so dignified and
compassionate, it will give rise to a feeling of joy and reverence
and lead him to learn Buddhism.
Often we come across
people who have been learning Buddhism for a long time saying that
they saw this Buddha or that Bodhisattva in their dreams.
Initially, when we do not know about their level of understanding
of Buddhism, we may praise them by saying, Oh! You have such good
affinity with Buddha and Bodhisattva that you can even see their
images! But it is wrong if we always praise them like this. If
they report dreams like this for more then 3 times, you have to
tell them, The Mara is here, you have seen the Mara! All the Zen
masters advise to obliterate the Buddha when the Buddha appears,
and obliterate the Mara when the Mara appears [1]. We cannot
praise them any more because they have already developed an
attachment to forms.
In the same way, when we are dealing with people who are already
advanced in Buddhism, we should use the method of the Diamond Sutra
rather than the kindergarten method:
He who sees me (Buddha)
in forms or seeks me in sounds is on a heterodox path and cannot
see the Tathagata (Buddha).
All forms are but illusions, in seeing that all forms are
illusory, one sees the Tathagata.
At this level, people will realize that Buddhism is the only
religion that eradicates superstition and attachment to all
forms.
Critics often say that the Buddha image is an idol. They criticize
that Buddhism worships idols. In reality, the cross, the Jesus
Christ image and Mother Mary, they are also idols. In this sense,
is there a religion that does not worship idols? Therefore, we
cannot say that Buddhism is the only religion that worships idols.
The fact is that only Buddhism does not worship idols. The Diamond
Sutra states, All forms are but illusions, in seeing that all
forms are illusory, one sees the Tathagata.!
The essence of the Buddha, the Buddha Nature is omnipresent in the
space of the Dharma realm, and the Dharma Nature is omnipresent in
the space.
Notes:
1. To ignore and not to be attached to such forms;. Mara is the
Evil One, described as a murderer, hinderer, disturber, destroyer,
etc.
