New Way Of Approach In Buddhist Studies

Author(s): Hajime Nakamura
Publisher: Hajime Nakamura

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26) A NEW WAY OF APPROACH
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his heart is at rest and full of joy, for he suffers not from repentence; he receives the opening flower of his reward and the fruit that ripens from it. Hard it is to understand: By giving away our food, we get more strength, by bestowing clothing on others, we gain more beauty; by founding abodes of purity and truth, we acquire great treasures”. (Fosho-hing-tsan-king 1516–1517) In Paul's charge to the elders, he asserted: “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said. It is more blessed to give than to receive". (Acts XX, 35)
* The act of giving is compared to sowing seeds on soil. "Charity bestowed upon those who are worthy of it is like good seeds sown on a good soil that yields an abundance of fruits. But arms given to those who are yet under the tyrannical yoke of the passions are like a seed deposited in a bad soil. The passions of the receiver of the alms choke, as it were, the growth of merits." (The Life or Legend of Gautama, by P. Bigandet, p. 211) The Order or holy personalities were called Fields of Merit (punnakkhetta), for planting seeds of merit in them, i.e. doing good to them, is a source of future compensation to the benefactor. Christ also told a similar parable.-A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit an hundredfold. The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruits to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard-the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. (St. Luke VIII, 4–15. cf. Matth. XIII, 24–27) The similarity between these two parables strikes us astonishingly. There seeds signify charity, here the word of God. However, the Buddha did not want to mention any word of God. He did not assume any absolute existence nor supernatural personality. The truth universal to all mankind should be good will, benevolence, to others, and charity is nothing but a form of its manifestation. There is no need of the word of God.