3. Content of the Jewel Sutra:

With the two opening verses, the Buddha calls on all living beings everywhere, present where the Buddha is coming, whether in the lowest place on the ground or the highest place in the sky, to prepare carefully, that is, to pay attention, and have a peaceful and happy mind to listen to the words the Buddha is about to say, along with a message to the Devas and Non-humans who have received offerings and alms from the people in the city of Vaishali, to return to protect these people. After calling and giving instructions, the Buddha then begins his Dharma talk, which includes 15 verses, following the two opening verses. In total, the sutra consists of 17 verses.

The content of the sutra can be summarized through a few main ideas, then we will go into the details of each topic.

The title of the Treasure Sutra expresses the main idea of the sutra that the Buddha wanted to teach: any property, whether material or spiritual, most precious, most valuable, most excellent in this life, in the next life, in humanity or in the Heavenly world, cannot be more precious, more valuable and comparable to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. This is a truth that the Buddha proclaimed with the blessing that everyone will live happily with this truth.

The blessing expresses the boundless and great compassion of the Buddha. Because when he spoke the truth about the unparalleled value of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, he showed the path of liberation to save sentient beings from the sea of birth and death. Just understand the true value of Buddha Dharma Sangha, take refuge in Buddha Dharma Sangha and follow the path that Buddha Dharma Sangha shows, then you will have peace and happiness, not just the small and limited happiness in this life, but the happiness that is a hundred thousand times greater, not easy to have, not easy to find, the true and eternal happiness of tranquil Nirvana or of True Suchness, Buddha Nature. This is the most valuable, highest, most outstanding, priceless, first-class, rare Jewel, not something ordinary. Because we have to wait for who knows how many asamkhyeya kalpas for a Buddha to appear to show sentient beings the path to true happiness. And there is no certainty that those sentient beings will be born at the time when a Buddha appears.

Thus, the Three Jewels are truly the most wonderful Jewel that is incomparable. It is by relying on the Three Jewels, by the teachings of the Three Jewels that sentient beings can attain true and everlasting Happiness.

The Buddha Shakyamuni was invited to Vaishali to help the city defeat the epidemic, but through the Sutra, we do not see any magic or supernatural power performed. The Buddha only spoke the Sutra, like a sermon, speaking of the supreme value of the Three Jewels. The Buddha did not use the supernatural power of transformation, that is, the supernatural power of miraculous transformations, manifesting extraordinary things, but used the supernatural power of education, that is, the power to subdue sentient beings through preaching and teaching. The Buddha taught good things that made sentient beings take refuge. Thanks to the Dharma, the Jewel Sutra transformed the minds of the Devas and Non-humans, so that they returned to protect the people of Vaisali, no longer causing trouble with the epidemic.

In the Commentary, we see that a heavy rain fell to sweep away corpses and filth when the Buddha arrived in Vaisali. The Commentary does not clearly state who caused this rain, but because this heavy rain occurred at the same time as the solemn preparations to welcome the Buddha by the Kings, Devas and Dragon Kings, we can also understand that the rain that fell to clear the way for the Buddha's arrival in Vaisali was caused by these very beings.

Read:

The Devas all the way to the Akaniṭṭha realm (the ultimate form heaven) [and the Devas in the Pure Abodes] also paid homage to the World-Honored One from above. And Kambala and the Naga king Assanta and many others who lived in the waters of the Ganges also paid homage to the Buddha from below.

While the Blessed One was thus traveling on the Ganges for about a league with such solemn homage, he crossed the border of the Vesalians. Then, there performing twice as much homage to the Blessed One as King Bimbisāra, the Licchavi regents came to welcome the Blessed One and they stepped into the river until the water was up to their necks. At that moment, at that very moment, there arose a great cloud, the darkness of the cloud covered the vast sky overhead with thunder and lightning everywhere and it began to rain down in all directions. Then as soon as the Buddha had set foot [164] on the bank of the Ganges immediately a shower of lotus flowers fell; but only those who had been wet by the rain wanted to be wet, and no one who did not want to be wet got wet. Everywhere there was water up to the knees, up to the thighs, up to the waist, up to the neck, and all the corpses were swept into the Ganges. Until the ground was clean.

And the next passage:

That is why, while the Jewel Sutra, which was aimed at destroying the epidemic, was being proclaimed right at the city gate on the very day the Blessed One arrived in Vesālī, the Elder Ananda learned this sutra and then he recited it later as a ritual for peace. The Elder Ananda used the Blessed One's alms bowl to get water and proceeded to sprinkle it around the city. As soon as the words "it doesn't matter at all" (verse 3) were proclaimed by the Elder, all the non-human beings who had not yet fled fled and hid in dung heaps and behind the city walls and such places, they fled out of the city through the four gates. The city gate was not wide enough for them to escape, so some of them could not escape through the city gate and broke the city wall to escape. The diseases that appeared on people's hands and feet were cured.

Through the above commentary, we also see another event: Venerable Ananda recited the Jewel Sutra with the blessing "no matter what" and sprinkled water from the Buddha's alms bowl around the city of Vaishali and the non-humans fled, the diseases were eliminated.

So was there any supernatural power or magic performed here? Or was it thanks to the majesty, the Great Compassion of the Buddha and the Holy Monks that the disaster naturally dissipated?

We will try to find the answer in the following sections.

First, let's learn about the 3 topics: Buddha Jewel, Dharma Jewel and Sangha Jewel that the Jewel Sutra mentions.

A. Buddha Jewel.

In the entire Sutra with 17 verses, we only find 4 verses related to Buddha Jewel. That is verses 3, 12, 13 and 15. Let's read verse 3:

"Whatever property there is,
In this life or the next,
Or in the Heavenly world,
There is a wonderful jewel.
Nothing can compare,
With the Tathagata (Thien The),
Thus, in the Buddha,
Is a wonderful jewel,
Hope with this truth,
To live truly and happily."

The Buddha affirmed that the Tathagata himself is the wonderful jewel. Surely we must understand the meaning of the two words "Treasure" in an abstract, non-material way. It is not a precious object that we can hold in our hands or keep somewhere. Although the Buddha has actually appeared here, he is a human being of flesh and blood like all other human beings, but the value of the Buddha does not lie in his physical body. Even though he has 32 good features and 80 beauties, this body must still be destroyed. We cannot hold on to anything, even if we build a statue or draw a picture to preserve it. What we need to remember about the Buddha are the teachings that we must learn, understand, and practice. Therefore, when we see a Buddha image, bow, or recite the Buddha's name, it is to let our mind remember what has been taught. Teaching to follow, not just to worship and lose the noble meaning of the teaching.

This wonderful Treasure is the Tathagata. So who is the Tathagata? What does the Tathagata mean?

In some scriptures, the Buddha can be found using the word Tathagata to refer to himself or instructing his disciples to call him by that title. Let's read the following excerpt from the Zen Master Sayadaw's writings:

After his enlightenment, he spent seven weeks under the Bodhi tree, then went to the residence of his first five disciples (the group of five Kondanna) to preach to them the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. When these five saw the Buddha, they did not believe that he had become a Buddha, because they thought he had abandoned the ascetic practice that they believed was the right practice leading to enlightenment and liberation. So when the Buddha came, they did not show much respect, and they even called him by his first name in a friendly way. Seeing this, the Buddha said to them, “Bhikkhus, do not call the Tathagata by his proper name, do not call me a sage. The Tathagata is worthy of respect and is fully enlightened. Listen, I have attained the Deathless Dharma. Now I will guide you, I will teach you that Dharma.”

You can refer to more documents by Zen Master Sayadaw U Silananda https://theravada.vn/tai-sao-goi-nhu-lai-la-sayadaw-u-silananda/

We have other definitions that are very complete and rich.

The Tathagata is translated from the word Tathagata, a Pali word, which has eight meanings the same meaning of the two words Tathagata:

Tathagata means one who has arrived like other Buddhas, one who has gone by the path of wisdom, by the path of eliminating afflictions, like other Buddhas, one who has arrived, by the path of wisdom, by understanding the true nature of all things.

Tathagata is the one who has understood the Four Noble Truths, that is, the truth (noble truth) of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. The Buddha was the first to discover the Four Noble Truths and then transmitted them to the world.

Tathagata is the one who has clearly understood the truth of the law of dependent origination. Here, the word Tathāgata means the One who knows the truth, and the truth it refers to is the law of cause and effect or dependent origination, a law that states that everything is caused by causes or by some other phenomenon.

The Tathagata, the one who knows reality thoroughly, knows in all aspects.

Tathāgata means one who speaks only the truth, one whose words are always true.

Tathāgata means one who does what is true, that is, one whose actions are in accordance with his words and whose words are in accordance with his actions.

Tathāgata means one who rules the world by means of the true remedy (agada). The remedy in this context refers to both the skillfulness of the teaching and the accumulation of merit.

We also have the commonly used definition of the two words Tathagata, which can be easily understood as Thus Comes and Thus Goes. Of course, Coming from the pure, unpolluted Nature and Going is the same, Going does not bring pollution, leaving the worldly defilements, reaching a quiet place, which is nothing other than Nirvana, the True Nature, the Buddha nature.

But there are also difficult definitions such as "Coming from nowhere, going nowhere, so called Tathagata" (Vô sở tùng lai, diec vô số khu, co danh Tathagata) according to the Diamond Sutra. Through this article, we temporarily understand it in the simple and complete sense as the document of Zen Master Sayadaw mentioned above.

In the translation of the late Venerable Thich Minh Chau that we rely on to study, next to the two words Tathagata are the two words Thien The. If we read the sutra in Pali, we see that the word used is Tathagatena, not Tathagata, and the Commentary also translates it fully as Nhu Lai Thien The, that is, the one who has gone away, separated from the defilements of the world and entered the realm of tranquility, immortality, and purity of Nirvana. The Pali verse is as follows:

Yam kiñci vittam idha vā huram vā
Saggesu vā yam ratanam panītam
Na no samam atthi tathāgatena
Idam pi Buddhe ratanam panītam

Reading the following verse number 13, we can see more clearly the true noble value of a Buddha. Note that in this verse, the word Buddha is used, translated from Pali as Buddhe, not Tathagatena, please read:

Varo varaññū varado varāharo
Anuttaro dhammavaram adesayi
Idam pi Buddhe ratanam panītam
Etena saccena suvatthi hotu

Vietnamese translation:

"Noble, knowing the noble,
Giving, bringing the noble,
The unsurpassed one preaches the
noble and victorious Dharma.
Thus, in the Buddha,
Is a wonderful jewel.
May with this truth,
Live truly and happily."

Let's first understand the meaning of the word Buddha.

The Sanskrit and Pali root is budh, which means self-awareness, awakening. To see, to understand something by oneself. According to Buddhism, the word commonly used is Enlightenment. Enlightenment is related to the Dharma or Buddhism. Enlightenment of the Four Noble Truths, enlightenment of the Three Dharma Seals, enlightenment of the Dharma of Dependent Origination... Not understood in the ordinary sense of the world. And the person who is Enlightened of the above things is the Buddha, Buddha and all the Holy Monks. The first Buddha, in the present life that we know, who was enlightened to the above truths and taught them to humans, as well as to the Devas, is Buddha Shakyamuni.

According to the Buddhist Quang dictionary, (佛) Sanskrit, Pali: Buddha. Full name: Buddha, Huu Do, Phu Da, Phu Do, Phu Da, Mot Da, Bot Da, Bo Tha. Chinese translation: Giac Gia, Tri Gia, Giac. The person who is enlightened to the truth, that is, the Great Saint who is fully enlightened himself, enlightened others, and has perfected his actions, sees the true nature of all dharmas, and has attained the Supreme Enlightenment, which is the highest fruit of Buddhism.

In addition, we also distinguish between the Fully Enlightened Buddha and the Solitary Buddha.

The Solitary Buddha is also called the Pratyeka-buddha or the Pratyeka-buddha. The following definition is quite complete:

Pratyeka-buddha is also called the Solitary Buddha or the Solitary Buddha, which is a term used in Buddhism to refer to the concept of a Buddha who has attained Buddhahood through self-realization, but has not yet attained the powers such as the Omniscience (sarvajñatā) or the Ten Powers (daśabala) of a Samyak-sambodhi. The Solitary Buddha is considered to be in the fruition between an Arhat and a Buddha. Sometimes Pratyekabuddha is a title given to one who attains enlightenment during a time when no Buddha appears on Earth. Pratyekabuddha is one of the three vehicles (the Three Vehicles include Buddha, Sravaka, and Pratyekabuddha) to attain Nirvana. (https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%ADch-chi_Ph%E1%BA%ADt)

Another very detailed definition of Paccekabuddha is as follows:

Paccekabuddha is the one who has realized the truth of the Four Noble Truths by himself without a teacher, attained the Four Noble Paths, the Four Noble Fruits, Nirvana, eradicated all desires, all afflictions without any residue, and became an Arahant called Paccekabuddha.

Paccekabuddha does not create a language to preach the Dharma to help other sentient beings realize the truth of the Four Noble Truths according to the Buddha. Therefore, it is called Paccekabuddha.

Paccekabuddha can have many Buddhas appearing at the same time in the world during the period when there is no Samyaksambuddha. However, each Paccekabuddha realized the truth of the Four Noble Truths on his own without a teacher.

To become a Paccekabuddha, a Paccekabodhisatta needs to practice 20 paramitas: 10 lower paramitas and 10 middle paramitas.(https://theravada.vn/chuong-i-2-duc-phat-doc-giac-paccekabuddha)

And how can one be called a Fully Enlightened Buddha or Sammāsambuddha?

The Buddha himself spoke of himself as the Supremely Enlightened One:

I am above all, fully aware, no longer entangled, in all Dharmas, having cut off all, love destroyed, liberated, having attained by myself, who can teach me?

There is no teacher equal to me, I cannot be found, in the world of humans and gods, no one equal to me.

Because I am the Worthy One, the Supreme Teacher of this world, the Supremely Enlightened One, I am silent in Nirvana.

I go to the city of Kāsī, turning the wheel of Dharma, beating the drum of immortality, in the world of the blind. (https://budsas.net/uni/u-luat-daipham/dp-01a.htm)

And in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the Buddha also declared:

And monks, because my true knowledge of the three Wheels and twelve Aspects of the Four Noble Truths has been truly purified; monks, at that time I proclaimed the supreme Perfect Enlightenment:

Like a Pratyekabuddha, a Fully Enlightened One, a Fully Enlightened One, must also from the Bodhisattva level practice the complete Paramita virtues to become a Buddha. But once he has attained enlightenment, he teaches it to the Devas and humans, so he is also called the Self-Enlightened One, the Enlightened One, and the Perfectly Enlightened One. He has the Ten Titles and Ten Powers.

The Ten Titles of the Buddha are mentioned in a passage of the Mahāvagga Sutta, the Mahākhandakam chapter:

King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha heard: “Certainly the monk Gotama, son of the Sakya clan, from the Sakya clan, has gone forth, has come to Rājagaha and is staying in the Laṭṭhi forest, at the Suppatiṭṭha shrine. The good reputation of that Gotama has spread far and wide like this: That Blessed One is an Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One, perfect in knowledge and conduct, a Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Supreme, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Enlightened One, Blessed One. (https://budsas.net/uni/u-luat-daipham/dp-01b.htm)

The Ten Titles of a Buddha, according to the Nhat Hanh Sutra explained by Venerable Ho Tong:

1- Arahaṃ (Worthy of Offerings). The World-Honored One is called Arahaṃ because he has abandoned all sins, so his past physical and verbal disabilities are all perfect.

2- Sammāsambuddho (Rightly Enlightened One). The World-Honored One is called Sammāsambuddho because he has become a Fully Enlightened One, a Fully Enlightened One, who realized it himself without a teacher.

3- Vijjācaraṇasampanno (Enlightened and Accomplished in Conduct). The World-Honored One is called Vijjācaraṇasampanno, because he has completely attained the three enlightenments, eight enlightenments, and fifteen practices.

4- Sugato (Sugato). The World-Honored One is called Sugato, because he has reached the place of peace, immortality, and Great Nirvana.

5- Lokavidū (World-Knower). The World-Honored One is called Lokavidū, because he has understood the Three Realms.

6- Anuttaro (Anuttaro) The World-Honored One is called Anuttaro, because he has unparalleled virtue.

7- Purisadammasārathi (Tamer of Men). The World-Honored One is called Purisadammasārathi, because he is the one who saves those who are destined to save.

8- Satthā devamanussānaṃ (Teacher of Gods and Humans). The World-Honored One is called Satthā devamanussānaṃ, because He is the teacher of the gods and humans.

9- Buddho (Buddha). The World-Honored One is called Buddho, because He realized the Four Noble Truths and taught them to all living beings.

10- Bhagavā’ti (World-Honored One). The World-Honored One is called Bhagavā, because He has transcended the Three Realms, which means He will no longer reincarnate.

Note, we can find in other documents that the first title is Arhat, not Tathagata, or there are documents that Arhat is grouped into one title with Tathagata and means the one who is worthy of receiving offerings, receiving respect, but there are also documents that record two separate titles, Tathagata and Arhat. Just like the last two titles are Buddha, World-Honored One, in some places they are grouped into one. In general, there are still ten titles. Although the definitions are also different, they are We do not get too hung up on details, the differences only complement each other.

In addition, a Buddha also has Ten Powers, which are 10 powers of wisdom, which the Buddha uses to save sentient beings. Excerpt from the Buddha's Ten Powers Sutra:

1. The Tathagata is called knowing clearly as it really is everywhere, all unreal places are also known as it really is. Because of true knowing, that is the first Power of the Tathagata.

2. All sentient beings create karma. Whether it is the work or the place, the cause or the retribution, they all know as it really is. Because of true knowing, that is the second Power of the Tathagata: Wisdom knowing Karma.

3. The Tathagata is in the liberating meditations of Samādhi and Samādhi. Whether it is impure or pure, the location of the Dhyanas is known as it really is. Because of true knowing, that is the third Power of the Tathagata: Wisdom knowing Dhyanas.

4. The Tathagata with the Sentient beings. Whether themselves or others, all kinds of Roots are known as they really are. Because of true knowing, that is the Tathagata's 4th Power: Wisdom to know Roots.

5. Tathagata and all kinds of sentient beings, all believe and understand as they really are. Because of true knowing, that is the Tathagata's 5th Power: Wisdom to know and understand.

6. Tathagata and all kinds of Precepts, countless Precepts, all know as they really are. Because of true knowing, that is the Tathagata's 6th Power: Wisdom to know Precepts.

7. Tathagata and all places where there is great Dharma, all know as they really are. Because of true knowing, that is the Tathagata's 7th Power: Wisdom to know where there is great Dharma.

8. Tathagata and countless kinds of things, according to the memories retained in previous lives. … These things together with Dharma conditions in all directions, countless kinds, according to the memories retained in previous lives, all know as they really are. Because of true knowing, that is the Tathagata's 8th Power: Wisdom Wisdom according to the memory of previous lives.

9. The Tathagata's wisdom in the Heavenly realm is purer than human wisdom... In the place of good birth in the Heavenly realm, all such things are known as they really are. Because of true knowing, that is the 9th Power of the Tathagata: Wisdom to know the Heavenly realm.

10. The Tathagata has all afflictions completely gone, depending on the increase of unreal afflictions. Liberating the good mind, liberating good wisdom, seeing the Dharma like that, realizing wisdom will naturally attain fruition.... Because of true knowing, that is the 10th Power of the Tathagata: Wisdom to end afflictions.

Read More https://phatphapungdung.com/phap-bao/kinh-muoi-luc-cua-phat-165203.html

Please note, the Ten Powers mentioned above include the Six Supernatural Powers (Divine Powers, Divine Ear Power, Mind Reading Power, Past Life Power, Divine Eye Power, and Exhaustion of Asavas) and the Three Knowledges (Knowledge of Past Lives, Divine Eye Power, Exhaustion of Asavas) that the Buddha attained on the night of his enlightenment.

Next are the virtues and moral conduct that only a Buddha, the one whom Gods and Humans respect as their Teacher, has, and no one can be more perfect, only the Buddha can attain, which are the Four Fearlessnesses, the Four Fearless Wisdoms, the Eighteen Uncommon Dharmas, Great Compassion - Great Compassion, Wisdom of the Path - Wisdom of the Path.

Let's go into the details of each topic.

The Four Fearlessnesses are the four virtues of fearlessness. They are:

1. Absolutely Fearless wisdom. Buddha said: “I am the Omniscient One. Therefore, I am at peace and without fear.”

2. Fearless cessation of outflows. Buddha said: “I have exhausted all outflows, therefore, I am at peace and without fear.”

3. Fearless preaching of obstacles to the path. Buddha said: “I have attained the true Dharma, so that obstacles cannot obstruct my path, therefore, I am at peace and without fear.”

4. Fearless preaching of the holy path. Buddha said: “I have the holy path, transcending the world, causing those who practice my path to escape suffering, therefore, I am at peace and without fear.”

4 Fearless Wisdom

4 Fearless Wisdom is the wisdom that is not hindered:

1. Dharma-free wisdom: This is the wisdom that clearly knows all dharmas without any hindrance.

2. Meaning-free wisdom: This is the wisdom that clearly knows the meaning of all dharmas, clearly explains the meaning of all dharmas, without any hindrance.

3. Word-free wisdom: This is the wisdom that clearly knows all names and languages, without any hindrance.

4. The wisdom of unobstructed teaching: This is the wisdom that clearly knows the nature of living beings, so it is happy to teach the Dharma, never backsliding, without any hindrance.

Excerpt from the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, Volume II (Thich Nu Dieu Khong)

https://www.vnbet.vn/phap-bao/quyen-24-pham-thu-nhat-tiep-theo-thap-luc-10-luc/3/377/15758

The Eighteen Unshared Dharmas:

The Eighteen Unshared Dharmas are the Buddha's 18 merits that are not shared with the three vehicles (Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas), because the three This line does not have all 18 virtues like Buddha, so it is called a unique dharma:

1. Body without fault: Body without fault

2. Mouth without fault: Mouth without fault

3. Mind without fault: Thought without fault

4. No different thoughts: No different thoughts

5. No unsettled mind: Mind is not unsettled

6. No unknowing of things that have been abandoned: Not knowing that things have been abandoned.

7. Desire without extinction: Desire does not cease

8. Diligence without extinction: Diligence does not cease

9. Mind without extinction: Thought does not cease

10. Wisdom without extinction: Wisdom does not cease

11. Liberation without extinction: Liberation does not cease

12. Liberation without knowledge: Liberation without knowledge

13. All body actions are performed according to wisdom: All body actions are performed according to wisdom.

14. All speech actions are performed according to wisdom: All mouth actions are performed according to wisdom.

15. All mind actions are performed according to wisdom: All mind actions are performed according to wisdom.

16. Wisdom of knowing past lives without hindrance: Wisdom of knowing past lives without hindrance.

17. Wisdom of knowing future lives without hindrance: Wisdom of knowing future lives without hindrance.

18. Wisdom knowing the present world without hindrance: Wisdom knowing the present life without hindrance.

(According to the PHDS of Thich Nu Duc Tri)

It should be noted that in the 7th dharma, Desire for Non-Extinction is not the defiled desire of ordinary people but the desire of the Saints, aiming at liberation and enlightenment, which cannot be destroyed.

Learning further, we see that there are documents talking about these Eighteen Incomparable Dharmas according to the Southern scriptures such as the Mahavibhasa-sastra, volume 17; Abhidharmakośa-śāstra, volume 27... records that the 18 unique dharmas of the Buddha are the Ten Powers, the Four Intrepidities, the Three Foundations of Mindfulness, and Great Compassion.

http://chuavanhanh.free.fr/Tudien.php?title=&searchText=p&options=&lg=&lg2=&limit=0

Great Compassion - Great Compassion

Great Compassion and Great Compassion are two great virtues of Buddhas and Great Bodhisattvas.

GREAT COMPASSION is the great virtue of loving-kindness, always thinking of all living beings, helping and bringing joy to them all sentient beings,

GREAT COMPASSION is the great compassion, pitying all sentient beings, saving all sentient beings from suffering, helping sentient beings escape from the prison of the three realms.

The following teaching expresses the Great Compassion of the Buddha:

"Bhikkhus, travel for the happiness of all sentient beings, for the peace of all sentient beings, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, for the happiness, for the peace of gods and humans" (Samyutta Nikaya I, 128).

And through this teaching, taken from the Threefold Knowledge Sutra, we can affirm the Great Compassion of the Buddha:

“If the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One appears in the world, with all ten titles, up to the Four Dhyanas, right in this life, he enjoys peace and happiness. Why? It is because of diligence, mindfulness, not forgetting, liking to live alone in a quiet place, not being careless. With the mind of loving-kindness pervading one direction; the other directions are also the same, widely without boundaries, without duality, immeasurable, without hatred, without harmful thoughts, playing with that mind and enjoying peace. With the mind of compassion, joy, and equanimity pervading one direction, the other directions are also the same, widely without boundaries, without duality, immeasurable, without hatred, without harmful thoughts, playing with that mind and enjoying peace. (https://thuvienhoasen.org/a11214/26-kinh-tam-minh)

The Way of Wisdom - The Seed of Wisdom

According to the Great Wisdom Treatise, the sutra teaches, “Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas who want to attain the full path of wisdom and the seed of wisdom must practice the Prajna Paramita. They want to use the path of wisdom to attain the full path of wisdom and the seed of wisdom. must practice Prajna Paramita… The Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas only have Omniscience, because they only know a part of the dharmas, not all of them, only know the general characteristics but not all of the particular characteristics of the dharmas. Only the Buddha knows all dharmas, so only the Buddha can be called the One with All-Knowing Wisdom". (Excerpt from the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom. Thich Nu Dieu Khong)

We can understand: to have Wisdom to understand all the different paths of practice, also known as the Path, the Dharma, the Bodhisattva must practice according to the Prajna Paramita.

So what is Paramita?

Paramita is the transliteration of the Sanskrit term pāramitā, also abbreviated as Ba-lamita. Ba-lamita is translated as Reaching the Other Shore, Infinite Degree, Degree, Salvation, the common meaning is "reaching the other shore" (reaching the other shore).

Bodhisattvas according to Northern Buddhism only practice the Six Paramitas, 6 Dharma practices, including Generosity, Precepts, Patience, Diligence, Meditation and Wisdom. According to Nam According to Buddhism, Bodhisattvas must practice and achieve the 30 Paramitas, the basis of which is the Ten Perfections, the ten methods: Generosity, Precepts, Renunciation, Wisdom, Diligence, Patience, Truthfulness, Determination, Loving-kindness, and Equanimity with three levels: Lower, Middle, and Higher. (https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba-la-m%E1%BA%ADt-%C4%91a)

And what is Prajna Paramita?

The word Prajna, transliterated from Sanskrit as Prajna, means Wisdom. Wisdom in Buddhism does not have a worldly meaning. Wisdom has understood the Dharmas of Impermanence, Suffering, Non-self, Dependent Origination, the Four Noble Truths... Wisdom can help one reach the other shore, the shore liberation, leading to enlightenment, then cannot be entangled, attached to anything, even attainment. Prajna wisdom transcends both ego-attachment and dharma-attachment.

The Heart Sutra summarizes all the noble, profound meanings of Prajna wisdom through the last sentence, called the Mantra:

Yết Đế Yết Đế, Para Yet Đế, Para Tăng Yết Đế, Bodhi Svaha. The phonetic translation from Sanskrit is Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha and means Go, go, go to the other shore, completely go to the other shore, then there is Bodhi. He spoke skillfully like that.

https://quangduc.com/a31015/bat-nha-ba-la-mat-da-tam-kinh-thich-tri-thu

The late Venerable Thien Chau translated it as Liberation, Liberation, having been liberated, completely enlightened.

Thus, Going to the other shore is synonymous with Liberation, Enlightenment.

The Mantra should be understood as a True Word, spoken by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, completely truthful, without lies, uttered with a truly earnest and sincere heart, without any mystical meaning. It is only mysterious because it is not translated from the original Sanskrit but converted according to sound, into Vietnamese or Chinese, when read aloud it has no meaning at all. And translating according to sound cannot be completely close to the original Sanskrit, but still conveys the necessary strength and energy of a True Word, calling it the Divine Power emanating from the Mantra is what is important. The The power relies on Sound, carrying both tones and syllables, emitted from words and language, which affects the mind. A fearful mind becomes peaceful, a wavering mind becomes calm, a deluded mind becomes clear.

With scientific research and modern medicine, everyone recognizes that the Mind influences the Body, can help cure the Body's illnesses, or at least stabilize the Body, slow down the spread or destruction of malignant cells.

The meaning of words and phrases is no longer important when the Mantra is emitted. Sounds, Syllables, and Sounds have done what the Mantra aims for: transforming the Mind. Thanks to a calm mind, a sincere and honest mind, there is a connection with the Mind of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. At this point, only Mind transmits Mind, sound and language are just means to lead into the world of Mind. The "duty" of sound and language is to calm the Delusional Mind so that the True Mind can be revealed. Living With a deluded mind, we only bring trouble and suffering. We continue to create karma, continue to drift in the cycle of birth and death.

Here, we understand the benefits that Mantras bring.

Mantras are often chanted by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at the end of a Sutra or Verse to summarize the long meaning of the Sutra or Verse that was said before, so the Mantra has a very clear meaning, not at all ambiguous. This concluding sentence carries a power, emitted from the speaker. We ordinary people only repeat the Mantras of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Depending on the level of sincerity, wholeheartedness, sincerity, majesty and virtue, and blessings of that person, the power will spread and radiate further, can affect the object that the Mantra wants to direct to, can transform the body, mind and surrounding phenomena. It is often a blessing for the wish, aspiration or good thing to be achieved, or to dispel bad things. Therefore, the last two words of The commonly seen Mantra is Ta Ba Ha, a transliteration from Sanskrit called Svaha, which has many meanings such as Achievement, Auspiciousness, Disaster Relief, Increase of Blessings, Nirvana, No-abode, Respectful Enlightenment, Buddhas testify to merit. (Doan Trung Con Dictionary)

You can read more here https://phatgiao.org.vn/y-nghia-cua-cau-ta-ba-ha-o-cuoi-cac-cac-cau-than-chu-d42470.html

It is thanks to the intense power of a sincere and honest heart that the Mantra becomes a Divine Mantra, with the power and majesty to make it effective, effective, reaching the goal, achieving success a wish, a fulfillment of a blessing, a blessing.

So let us pay attention, through the Jewel Sutra, right from the opening verse when the Buddha called on sentient beings to pay attention to the words the Buddha was about to speak, he had a blessing, a blessing "Hope that sentient beings, will be pleased and pleased". And then in the following verses, until the end of the sutra, there is always a blessing, a blessing "Hope with this truth, to live truly and happily". These words are the Mantra that Buddha Shakyamuni spoke with a pure mind, having attained Great Samadhi, Great Compassion, so this Mantra is considered a Mantra with the power of prayer, to eliminate disasters, eliminate obstacles and achieve good fortune for all sentient beings. The Mantra is not a Secret Language, a Secret Word whose meaning we cannot understand. Let me repeat, the Mantra conveys a word, a very clear and transparent idea. And as explained above, if the Mantra is only translated according to the Sound, it also has its own effect of it.

The blessings or blessings in the Jewel Sutra also have the meaning of Ta Ba Ha, or Toa Ha, which is a phonetic translation of the word Svaha, which means accomplishment, perfection.

Recalling the words of Ananda when he chanted the Jewel Sutra and sprinkled water around the city of Vaishali, "nothing is a problem" is a Mantra, a blessing, a blessing that has been accomplished perfectly. This is not magic but is due to the power, blessings, and a truly pure and sincere heart that the wish becomes reality. A kind heart attracts kind things.

According to the Jewel Sutra in the Theravada Buddhist Chanting Ritual, the blessing at the end of each verse is translated as:

May this mantra
Achieve all happiness.

The entire Jewel Sutra, consisting of 17 verses, ends with this mantra in 15 verses, in Pali: Etena saccena suvatthi hotu. If we put all our mind, energy, and sincerity into reciting this mantra, we are just reciting the Mantra. And if we do not want to read in the original Pali, and do not read according to the translated meaning but read the translated Vietnamese, Chinese, or Tibetan, or any other language, we all have the same Mantra. So we should not think that the Mantra has no meaning or is a Secret Meaning, only Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can understand it.

Commonly chanted mantras such as Shurangama, Great Compassion, Medicine Master... all have clear meanings from Sanskrit origin.

If we accept that the Mantra is the True Word spoken by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with all the good and noble meanings, carrying a heavy heart of compassion, caring for others, praying for their well-being, and the impact of the Mantra on the mind, transforming the mind, settling the mind in Samadhi, no longer doubting that the Mantra is beyond language, speech, not following the Delusional Mind, pointing directly to the True Mind, Buddha Nature, Self Nature, directing the Mind to transmit the Mind, the mind of ordinary people connecting with the Buddha Mind, the response is unthinkable, then there is no reason to reject the Mantra.

In this article, we do not discuss the Mantra of evil ways, using evil minds to harm people.

We Buddhists also have good wishes for others, but the wishes of ordinary people do not have the energy of a pure mind, do not have the power of Samadhi, do not have the mind of Great Compassion and are not sincere enough, so they cannot become True Words.

We wish someone good health, luck, happiness, but we must include a sincere, honest, and pure heart in that wish to make a wish, a wish, or a desire come true.

Moreover, we Buddhists can only repeat the Mantras of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but the power of the Mantras, the power of a pure mind, a calm mind, a compassionate mind (not to mention Great Compassion and Great Mercy) to turn the Mantras into Mantras emitted by us ordinary people is very weak, insignificant, almost non-existent. So we must understand that when we chant Sutras, chant Verses, and Mantras, they are all Mantras, but if we do not see any achievements, we must reexamine ourselves and be more diligent in our practice.

Understanding this way will help us not make the mistake of blaming, I have chanted all these Sutras, those Verses, and that Mantra, but Buddha and Bodhisattvas did not help me! Sometimes we even lose faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha just because our wishes are not fulfilled. This is also related to the Fruit of Different Ripening, which the Buddha taught as one of the four Inconceivables. (Samyutta Nikaya I, Chapter Four Dharmas) So let's calmly accept the Karma that we must bear, without blaming, and especially not lose faith.

Considering this Jewel Sutra alone, many Buddhists do not believe that this sutra can eliminate epidemics, but think that it is due to the care of good doctors or medicine at that time! If that were the case, why would the King of Vaisali need to invite the Buddha? This very Sutra was spoken by the Buddha when Vaisali was hit by an epidemic, after the Buddha personally came to Vaisali and Ananda recited this sutra, circumambulating the city three times. The epidemic was truly eliminated. The Buddha himself declared and this is truly a Mantra:

“When the Jewel Sutra is proclaimed in the city of Vesālī, that Safety will spread throughout the entire Ten Thousand Great Thousand Worlds and when the proclamation of that Sutra ends, up to eighty-four thousand living beings will attain the Dharma.

It should be understood that it was from the golden mouth of Shakyamuni Buddha when he was still alive that the Jewel Sutra was spoken, as well as Ananda, a great disciple, a holy monk who repeated the sutra. Their majesty, blessings, and supernatural powers are hard to imagine, how much they surpass us ordinary people. Today, we also recite and repeat the Sutra but do not bring any results. As mentioned above, we must examine ourselves.

More than two thousand five hundred years later, we also recite the Jewel Sutra. More than two years have passed, and the epidemic has not been completely eradicated. We We should not say that the Sutra is not effective or be pessimistic and think that the Buddha only saves those with affinity and cannot do anything when karma has come and must be paid, but we should blame ourselves for not reciting the Sutra with a sincere, honest mind, with a calm mind, with a pure mind, with a compassionate mind. We Buddhists have listened to the Dharma, studied the Dharma, and practiced the Dharma under the guidance of the Sangha, so we have planted a seed of affinity with the Buddha. We should also remember that Karma can change. Cause and effect are not completely immutable. Creating good karma, planting good karma, cultivating merit, repenting, not continuing to commit sins, can also change bad karma. And do not forget that when you meet someone in a miserable situation, try to help them without reasoning that they are paying off karma, then let them pay off their karma!

It is true that the Buddha did not advocate using supernatural powers to educate, nor did he forbid his disciples from using supernatural powers, but that does not mean that there were cases where the Buddha had to use supernatural powers. Looking up the Sutra on the Power of Buddha, we see that the Buddha used supernatural powers to convert the murderer Angulimala who later became his disciple:

Ang Gu Li Ma La
Fanatic and elite
Killed someone and cut off their fingers
Worn them into a necklace
Held a sword to kill the Buddha
Three yojanas long journey
The Buddha saved the murderous man
With miraculous supernatural powers
Due to the boundless power of the Buddha
Achieved all happiness

https://budsas.net/uni/u-nghithuc-tung/nthuc21.htm

( Buddha Power Sutra )

Just because of the fear of abusing supernatural powers to commit illegal acts, harm people and animals, for fame and profit, falling into evil paths that the Buddha had to prevent in advance, not allowing the disciples to use supernatural powers. To reiterate, through the Jewel Sutra, the Buddha used the Divine Teaching Power. The Divine Teaching Power is the most valuable.

After studying the Buddha Jewel with its full noble, profound, extraordinary, not ordinary, not easily obtained, and extraordinary meaning, no matter who practices diligently, they can attain the abilities, virtues, morality, and even Wisdom mentioned above, but no one can achieve the perfect, ultimate, and complete Compassion and Wisdom that can be compared to the Buddha, the Tathagata. Therefore, we understand why the Buddha taught that the Buddha himself is the Wonderful Jewel, this is a truth and this truth brings true happiness. And we should also understand that the Buddha speaking here refers to all Buddhas, whether in the past, present, or future. Not just Shakyamuni Buddha. Any Buddha is the Wonderful Jewel.

Continue come, through the 12th and 13th verses, we see the Buddha repeat the truth declared in the 3rd verse: The Buddha is a wonderful Jewel. So let's read those two verses together.

Beautiful are the forest trees,
With flowers on the top,
In the hot summer month,
In the first days of summer,
The sublime Dharma preached,
Is like that.
The Dharma leading to Nirvana,
The Dharma of supreme happiness,
Thus, in the Buddha,
Is a wonderful jewel,
May with this truth,
Live in true happiness.

The noble know the noble,
The noble give the noble,
The Supreme One preaches,
The sublime Dharma,
Thus, in the Buddha,
Is a wonderful jewel,
May with this truth,
/>To live a truly happy life.

Through the two verses above, we see that because the Buddha preached the Dharma that leads to Nirvana, that Dharma is likened to the beautiful flowers blooming at the beginning of the hot summer, that Dharma is considered the Supreme Happiness, therefore the Buddha is the Wonderful Jewel.

The Dharma that brings the Ultimate Happiness is also called the Sublime because it is the First, the best, the most excellent, the most outstanding, the most precious, the most sublime Dharma. The Supreme and the most Sublime Dharma must be attained by the Supreme One, understood and taught to Heaven and Humans so that they can all attain the Ultimate Happiness, therefore the Buddha is the Wonderful Jewel. The Buddha continues to affirm this as a truth with the blessing that we have learned above and consider this sentence as a Mantra "May with this truth, live a truly happy life."

Just proclaiming the Dharma that teaches sentient beings to be happy, thanks to this merit, from the person proclaiming, that is, practicing Dharma giving, peace and happiness will spread to the recipient of the Dharma. Such is the supreme merit of Dharma giving.

The Commentary clarifies the meaning of the two words Noble, translated from the word Varo. According to the Pali and English dictionary, Varo means: Excellent, best, precious, noble https://dictionary.sutta.org/browse/v/varo/

Thus, Noble, translated as Supreme, is understood as optimal, excellent, above all, outstanding, supreme, precious, noble. But according to the Commentary, it is understood as follows:

“The one who brings glory to the world.” He is called “the one who brings glory” because the glorious Dharma is brought to light by Him [through His meritorious deeds]. He is the one who knows glory through His wisdom, He is the one who gives glory through His gift of the means to attain the state of Fully Enlightened Buddhahood to those who seek it, and He is the one who brings glory through His gift of the means to attain the state of Pratyekabuddhahood to those who seek it. The two words Glory open up for us a bright horizon of Enlightenment. Enlightenment is light, in contrast to Ignorance which is darkness. Glory is also the light of Wisdom that dispels ignorance and confusion. Glory is also the victory of ordinary people to become Saints and Buddhas. Glory is also Sublime because the Buddha did not keep the state of Buddhahood for himself alone. He transmitted all that He had attained to Heaven and Man so that they could become like Him, no different. This is also said clearly in the Brahma Net Sutra, Bodhisattva Mind Ground Chapter:

The assembly should firmly believe:
You are Buddhas who will become
I am a Buddha who has already become
Always have such faith
The precepts are now complete
All those with a mind
Should protect the Buddha realm
That is to say, they are in the ranks of Buddhas.
They are equal to the Great Enlightened Ones
They are truly children of Buddhas (24)
The assembly should all be respectful,
Wholeheartedly listen to my recitations. https://thuvienhoasen.org/images/file/VJBYcJ1G0QgQANZt/kinhphamvong-thichtritinh.pdf

Here we see the similarity between the Southern and Northern traditions regarding the attainment, enlightenment, Nirvana or Buddhahood. The Buddha taught that anyone who wants to practice according to the path that the Buddha taught can achieve perfection like the Buddha himself.

The meaning of the two words Cao Thuong is found in the Commentary and in the Brahma Net Sutra. Glory also comes from this Noble quality.

Just with the above words, we can clearly see how the Buddha is the Wonderful Jewel.

We continue to study verse number 15:

"In this world,
There are living beings gathered,
Or on this earth,
Or in the middle of space.
Let us pay homage to the Buddha,
Who has come here as it really is,
To be worshipped and made offerings by gods and humans.
May with this practice,
All beings be happy!"

This verse belongs to the last part of the Jewel Sutra. According to the Commentary, these sentences were spoken by the Lord of Heaven, the king of the gods. The content of the verse is to instruct the Devas and Non-humans who are present to listen to the Buddha's words to pay homage and make offerings to the Buddha because the Buddha has "come here as it really is".

The Commentary explains as follows:

In this regard, the Blessed One is called "Tathagata" (tathāgata - perfect) because He has come like that (tathā āgata) [with such a purpose] so what has been brought to those who perform actions to bring benefit to this world, [198] and because He has gone like that (Tathagata) what needs to be gone by Them, and because He has known like that (tathā ājānana) what needs to be known by Them, and because He has only announced the truth (yam...tathaṃ, tassa gadanato). And then He has been respectfully paid homage by Devas and humans with flowers and incense. etc…

The Tathagata came like this and went like this, said what needed to be said to bring benefits to the world and He only spoke the truth. He came as it really is. Of course, bowing and making offerings to Him to show respect and gratitude is something that Gods and Humans must know and practice. To repeat, we should always remember that when we talk about the Buddha, we are referring to all Buddhas of the three times: past, present and future. Not just Shakyamuni Buddha, the Buddha who is teaching the Jewel Sutra. Therefore, our reverence for the Buddha Jewel is reverence for all Buddhas who have become, are becoming and will become. When we bow to and make offerings to a Buddha, we also bow to and make offerings to all Buddhas.

To conclude the study of the Buddha Jewel, let's read the two verses of the Introduction to the Jewel Sutra according to the Rituals of Theravada Buddhism:

Venerable Ananda
With boundless compassion
Recited the Jewel Sutra
Throughout the entire long night
Three rounds around the city of Vesali
Remembering all the virtues
Of the great power of the Tathagata
The ten paramitas
The ten superior paramitas
The ten victorious paramitas
The five great dharmas of giving
Three vows to save living beings
In the last life of being born into the world
Renunciation to seek liberation
Austerities to experience the mysterious path
Victory over the great demon army
Attained all kinds of wisdom
Attested to the nine extraordinary dharmas
The gods in all realms
Ten millions of worlds
All joyfully receive

Here we have finished learning about the Buddha Jewel. Please make an appointment for the next part to learn about the Dharma Jewel.

Namo Sakyamuni Buddha

Nhat Duyet LKTH

Notes on Terms in the Introductory Verse:

10 Paramitas

According to the Southern School, Bodhisattvas must practice and achieve 30 Paramitas, the basis of which are the Ten Paramitas, the ten dharmas: Generosity, Precepts, Renunciation, Wisdom, Diligence, Patience, Truthfulness, Determination, Loving-kindness, and Equanimity with three levels: Lower, Middle, and Upper.

5 Great Giving (mahādāna)

1- Not killing is called great giving. Because the person who does not kill is the one who gives the safety of life to all living beings, whether small or large; is the one who gives the gift of no harm, no injustice; is the one who gives happiness to all living beings.

2- Not stealing is called great giving. Because the person who does not steal is the one who gives the safety of everyone's private property, as well as the common property of society, the nation and people; is the one who gives the gift of no harm, no injustice; is the one who gives happiness to all people.

3- Not committing adultery is called great giving. Because the person who does not commit adultery with another person's spouse is the one who gives the safety and respect for the happiness of another person's family; is the one who gives the gift of no harm, no injustice; is the one who gives happiness to all people.

4- Not lying is called great giving. Because the person who does not lie to others is the one who gives the gift of truth, bringing trust to everyone; is giving the gift of no harm, no injustice; is giving happiness to all people.

5- Not drinking alcohol and intoxicants, people easily forget themselves, this is called great giving. Because people who do not drink alcohol and intoxicants, are people with memory, wisdom, know that they do not commit evil deeds such as: killing, stealing, adultery, lying... are people who give the gift of safety to all living beings; are giving the gift of no harm, no injustice; are giving happiness to all living beings.

These five great givings have great rewards of being complete in all things such as: not being harmed, not being wronged, no one causing suffering to you....

(According to Bhikkhu Ho Phap)

3 Vows to Save Living Beings

Self-salvation, Saving others and Perfect Enlightenment. Also:

Three Buddha deeds (Buddhacariyā):

1. The practice of benefiting the world (Lokatthacariyā). The Buddha always has great compassion for living beings. Those who have affinity with Him, whether they are far or near, rich or poor, will be saved by Him to attain enlightenment and liberation, or will be helped to achieve blessings.

2. The practice of benefiting relatives (Ñātatthacariyā). The Buddha is always a shade for relatives, but He does not help relatives with worldly wealth, but He gives relatives the immortal Dharma, the path to nirvana.

3. The practice of Buddha's work (Buddhatthacariyā). The Buddha performed the five duties of the Buddhas every day, during the 45 years of propagating the Dharma without missing a single day.

These three practices were also practiced during the time when he was still a Bodhisattva (Bodhisatta), but they must be understood as follows:

A Bodhisattva who benefits the world means that he always encourages and guides the congregation to practice good dharma, to follow the good path.

A Bodhisattva who benefits his relatives means that he always provides a safe refuge for his relatives, protects his relatives.

A Bodhisattva who benefits enlightenment means that he diligently creates good dharma for the purpose of enlightenment and liberation for himself.

9 Supermundane Dharmas

Nine supermundane dharmas (Lokuttaradham-ma), including:

1-4 Four Paths (Magga)

5-8 Four Fruits (Phala)

9. Nibbana (Nibbana)

The Four Paths and Four Fruits are the supramundane mind, still belonging to the Conditioned Dharma (Sankhatadamma)

Nibbana is the Unconditioned Dharma (Asankhatadamma) or the Unconditioned Realm (Asankhatadhatu)

(According to the Treasury of Dharma Studies. Bhikkhu Bodhisattva)