HANDING DOWN
the
PRECIOUS SWORD
(GƯƠM BÁU TRAO TAY)
Tác giả: Bác sĩ Đỗ Hồng Ngọc
Dịch giả: Diệu Hạnh Giao Trinh
2. Handing down the precious sword
Subhuti, sitting among the assembled peers, suddenly leapt up: “It is very rare, World Honoured One! How well the Tathagata protects and thinks of all Bodhisattvas, how well He instructs all the Bodhisattvas!”
At this point, I was again more perplexed. Subhuti is no stranger! He is one of the ten great disciples of the Buddha, an arahant, famous for his delight in living alone, foremost in Emptiness. Nonetheless, he spoke as if… he was jealous of the Bodhisattvas… “You, Bodhisattvas, be ‘joyous’ for Lord Buddha has ‘favoured’ you and devoted his teachings to you this day!” “He minds you, protects and instructs you so earnestly as if He had never taught, entrusted, nor guided you, his greatest and closest disciples, before!” At first I was aghast, then it dawned on me that things were not as they seemed. Arahants, Worthy Ones, had attained the state of no-rebirth, how can they be jealous and give birth to such a mental affliction? Maybe here is an important teaching, dedicated especially to the bodhisattvas– enlightened beings who choose to remain sentient in this world, and who are ready to plunge into the world of suffering in order to provide salvation for others. Among the attendees are confirmed bodhisattvas, as well as some (religious or laymen/women) newly generated Bodhicitta who are not yet enlightened beings but are available to assist others attain enlightenment, and apply the Buddha’s teachings and doctrines in the process. They formed a new generation of Buddha’s disciples at the time He taught the Diamond Sutra. It was a formation of Bodhisattvas aspired and ready to engage as life saviours to those in need.
Was it like:
The Emperor, handing over his precious sword, at midnight calls for war and sets the day?
“Chín tầng gươm báu trao tay / Nửa đêm truyền hịch định ngày xuất chinh” (Đoàn thị Điểm)
