Vast and Proper Energy
- Essay, Verse, and Commentary by the Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua
- From the 1986 October issue of Vajra Bodhi Sea
ESSAY: VAST AND PROPER ENERGY PERVADES THE DHARMA REALM. IT ENCOMPASSES THE MYRIAD THINGS, AND SHINES THROUGHOUT ALL TIME, ILLUMINING BOTH PAST AND PRESENT. IT IS THE MOTHER OF TRUTH, GOODNESS, AND BEAUTY, AND THE VANQUISHER OF FALSENESS, EVIL, AND UGLINESS. IF HEAVEN AND EARTH WERE WITHOUT IT, THEY WOULD NOT BE FIT TO BE HEAVEN AND EARTH. IF SAGES AND WORTHIES WERE WITHOUT IT, THEY COULD NOT BE CALLED SAGES AND WORTHIES.IF RULERS AND HIGH OFFICIALS ARE WITHOUT IT, THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO BE RULERS AND HIGH OFFICIALS. IF ORDINARY PEOPLE OBTAIN IT, THEY TURN INTO SAGES. IF SAGES AND WORTHIES INCREASE IN IT, THEY CAN BECOME BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS. THEREFORE, THIS VAST AND PROPER ENERGY IS THE STAIRWAY TO BUDDHAHOOD.
COMMENTARY:
VAST AND PROPER ENERGY PERVADES THE DHARMA REALM. "Vast" means so great there is nothing greater, and "proper" means not having any deviant energy. You should understand that vast and proper energy is free from all personal desires. If it has the least bit of personal desire or defiled thinking, fighting, greed, seeking, selfishness, self-benefiting, or lying in it, then it is deviant, not proper energy. Vast and proper energy is the incredibly great energy that sustains all between heaven and earth. A11 Sages, Worthies, and Buddhas come forth from this proper energy. Since it is not located either inside, outside, or in between, you could call it the human mind, or the soul of the myriad things which sustains everything. In Confucianism it is called vast and proper energy. One could call it the Buddha-nature, but most people would not understand what that means.
Vast and proper energy does not come from inside, or outside, or in between. It extends throughout the Dharma Realm, and is neither excessive nor deficient. Everyone has it, and no one lacks it. And no one has either more or less of it than anyone else. Sages do not have more of it than ordinary people. Its just that ordinary people are unable to use it, whereas Sages are able to use it. Consider a person who studies books. He is the same person whether he studies or not, but if he doesn't study, he won't have the same kind of wisdom he would have if he did learn how to use books.
Vast and proper energy is something you nurture. It develops from the Five Constants: Humaneness, rectitude, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. You start by practicing humaneness, rectitude, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, and by doing so you gradually nurture your vast and proper energy so that it is full and complete. That vast and proper energy connects with all the myriad existing things between heaven and earth, and so it pervades the Dharma Realm. The Dharma Realm itself is all-pervasive, and so is vast and proper energy.
IT ENCOMPASSES THE MYRIAD THINGS. AND SHINES THROUGHOUT ALL TIME, ILLUMINING BOTH PAST AND PRESENT. It includes everything, whether of proper or deviant energy. Even demonic ghosts and goblins have the vast and proper energy, but they can't use it properly, only improperly. If used properly, correctly, and appropriately, then it is vast and proper energy. Used incorrectly, it is deviant energy. That is how it encompasses the myriad existing things. Even demonic ghosts poses it, although they are unable to use it. Vast and proper energy is totally equitable, without the least bit of partiality or favoritism. Vast and proper energy is always luminous, its light pervading everywhere, and so the Buddha-nature illumines both past and present. If you can use vast and proper energy, then a kind of light is emitted. The light comes from humaneness, rectitude, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, which in turn are simply not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, and not taking intoxicants. Not killing is humaneness, not stealing is rectitude, not engaging in sexual misconduct is propriety, not lying is trustworthiness, and not taking intoxicants is wisdom. Humaneness, rectitude, propriety, and wisdom have their basis in the mind. They are developed from the mind, based on the mind, and exist within the human mind.
Vast and proper energy is very stern and unmoving. It is not the least bit casual in any situation or towards anyone, no matter who. There is absolutely no favoritism involved.
An "iron" face is shown to all, with no courtesies or polite talk, no fussiness or demeaning behavior. If riches and honor vast cannot make you decadent, you and proper energy. If poverty and lowliness cannot change you, you have vast and proper energy. If force cannot make you succumb, you have vast and proper energy. The ability to remain undebauched while wealthy and honored, and happy although poor and of low station, is sustained by vast and proper energy. As the saying goes:
- Undebauched by wealth and honor;
- Happy though poor and lowly;
- A man even to the point of death-a true hero.
Nurturing this vast and proper energy, then, starts from practicing humaneness, rectitude, .propriety, and wisdom. From them develop beauty, greatness, sageliness, and spirituality. Mencius said:
- Humaneness, rectitude, propriety, and wisdom have their bases in the mind.They produce a coloration that appears on the face, can be seen from the back, and extends throughout the four limbs.
If you are full of humaneness, rectitude, propriety, and wisdom, your face will naturally have an air of kindness and compassion, of wholesomeness and goodness. It will show on your entire body, and your four limbs will speak without words. Without your having to say anything, everyone will understand.
IT IS THE MOTHER OF TRUTH, GOODNESS, AND BEAUTY, AND THE VANQUISHER OF FALSENESS, EVIL, AND UGLINESS. Truth, goodness, and beauty come from vast and proper energy. If you have vast and proper energy, then you will have truth, goodness, and beauty, and so it is their mother. If you do things in a phony, untrue way, you are being false. If others are good but you do evil, or if you do evil and make trouble within the good you do, you may think you are going to become famous and rich, but actually you are being very ugly, and people recognize it. As soon as they see the way you are, they are sure to look down on you. They know you completely fail to understand the Dharma and are only using effort on the surface. If you have vast and proper energy, you won't have falseness, evil, and ugliness; and if you have falseness, evil, and ugliness, you won't have vast and proper energy.
IF HEAVEN AND EARTH WERE WITHOUT IT, THEY WOULD NOT BE FIT TO BE HEAVEN AND EARTH. Lacking vast and proper energy, heaven and earth would not be adequate to being heaven and earth. IF SAGES AND WORTHIES WERE WITHOUT IT, THEY COULD NOT BE CALLED SAGES AND WORTHIES. If Sages and Worthies lacked this vast and proper energy, they would not deserve to be called Sages and Worthies. IF PROPER AND SUPERIOR PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT IT, THEY WOULD NOT BE PROPER AND SUPERIOR PEOPLE. If the ordinary proper or superior person lacked vast and proper energy, then he would not really be a proper or superior person. He would simply be cheating the world and stealing a false reputation. IF RULERS AND HIGH OFFICIALS ARE WITHOUT IT, THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO BE RULERS AND HIGH OFFICIALS. If the leaders of countries-the chiefs of state and high-ranking ministers and officials -lack vast and proper energy, they are harming people. That is because without proper energy they are only concerned with benefiting themselves and achieving position and fame.
IF ORDINARY PEOPLE OBTAIN IT, THEY CAN TURN INTO SAGES. If ordinary, everyday people understand this vast and proper energy, they can become Sages, reversing the ordinary so that it becomes sagely. IF SAGES AND WORTHIES INCREASE IN IT, THEY CAN BECOME BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS. If people who are already Sages and Worthies can go on to increase their vast and proper energy by tending and nurturing it further, they can become Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Someone who does nothing all day but chatter and gossip will never achieve Sagehood. Such a person does not understand vast and proper energy, but is full of deviant energy. THEREFORE, THIS VAST AND PROPER ENERGY IS THE STAIRWAY TO BUDDHAHOOD. If you want to become a Buddha, you first must have vast and proper energy. To have vast and proper energy is the foundation for going to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, or for recognizing your original face.
THE VERSE SAYS:
- VAST AND PROPER ENERGY NURTURES CHYAN AND KWUN.
- FROM PAST TO PRESENT, AT HOME AND ABROAD, ONLY THIS IS TRUE.
- IT IS GREAT AND SOLID TO THE UTMOST, NURTURED AND NOT HARMED.
- IT ILLUMINES HEAVEN, ILLUMINES EARTH, AND ESTABLISHES ALL CREATURES.
- IT FILLS THE SIX DIRECTIONS, SPREADING TO WORLDS MANY AS GRAINS OF SAND.
- IT INCLUDES THE MYRIAD THINGS, PERVADING KSHETRAS MANY AS MOTES OF DUST.
- TEND AND IRRIGATE IT WELL; IT IS THE SEED OF BODHI.
- DO NOT NEGLECT OR HELP IT; IT IS ULTIMATELY WITHOUT A TRACE.
COMMENTARY:
THE VERSE SAYS: VAST AND PROPER ENERGY NURTURES THE CHYAN AND THE KUN./ Chyan and faun can mean men and women, and in general refer to the yang and yin, which produce heaven, earth, and the myriad things, as well as Worthies, Buddhas, and Sagely people. They all come forth from vast and proper energy. FROM PAST TO PRESENT, AT HOME AND ABROAD, ONLY THIS IS TRUE./ At home and abroad" could also mean "inside and outside". Anything lacking vast and proper energy will not last. Only what has vast and proper energy endures. Whatever has it can remain forever in the world. If you are in the world but lack vast and proper energy, it would be better for you to die fast, since your deviant energy harms the world. You are here just doing things for your own advantage, always looking for benefit for yourself. Believing in the Buddha is in order to benefit other people, not only to benefit oneself and gain advantage for oneself.
IT IS GREAT AND SOLID TO THE UTMOST, NURTURED AND NOT HARMED./ Mencius said, "I well nurture my vast and proper energy." Vast and proper energy is what allows one to be fearless, not fearing heaven, not fearing earth, and not fearing the ghosts and spirits. With vast and proper energy, one has no fear of demonic ghosts and goblins. There is nothing greater or stronger, nothing more dynamic. However, you must nurture it well. Don't let the least bit of personal desire remain within it. Don't be selfish and looking for a way to benefit yourself. If you can't stand the least bit of hardship, can't stand the tiniest amount of suffering, can't bear to be even slightly hungry or thirsty, then your Vast and proper energy goes flat. A popular Manchurian term for people like this is "flattened egg-plants". You should tend and nurture your vast and proper energy. If you have deviant energy, than you lack vast and proper energy, and that is what is meant by harming it.
IT ILLUMINES HEAVEN, ILLUMINES EARTH, AND ESTABLISHES ALL CREATURES./ If you nurture it well, it will emit light which shines throughout heaven and earth, and can benefit all living beings, all your fellow creatures. IT FILLS THE SIX DIRECTIONS, SPREADING TO WORLDS MANY AS GRAINS OF SAND./ This vast and proper energy fills the entire Dharma Realm, extending throughout worlds as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River. IT INCLUDES THE MYRIAD THINGS, PERVADING KSHETRAS MANY AS DUSTMOTES./ Vast and proper energy is everywhere; it's just that you are unable to use it. TEND AND IRRIGATE IT WELL, IT IS THE SEED OF BODHI./ Vast and proper energy is the Buddha-nature, and you need to tend and cultivate it. DO NOT NEGLECT OR HELP IT; IT IS ULTIMATELY WITHOUT A TRACE. You shouldn't forget about it, but you also shouldn't assist it, like the man of Sung who pulled up his sprouts, trying to get them to grow faster. That won't work either. Don't neglect it, but don't try to get it to grow quickly. It is very natural, without any traces. A11 you have to do is get rid of your deviant energy, rid yourself of selfishness and self-benefiting attitudes and your shameless behavior, and that will be sufficient. That is why it is ultimately without a trace. There is no deliberate application of effort involved. It is what Mencius was talking about when he said:
- Fullness of truth is beauty; Fullness of truth conjoined with radiance is greatness;
- Greatness that can transform is Sageliness;
- Sageliness which cannot be known is spirituality.
His "fullness of truth" refers to fullness of essence, energy, and spirit, which makes one a beautiful Person. "Fullness of truth conjoined with radiance is greatness." If your essence, energy, and spirit are full and complete, and in addition you can emit light, then you have some vast and proper energy and are a great person. "Greatness which can transform is sageliness." If you are great and also have the wonderful functioning of spiritual penetrations, then you are a sagely person. "Sageliness which cannot be known is spirituality." If you reach the point that even Sages do not know, then you are a spiritual person. Vast and proper energy is the foundation for that.
