Ngũ Minh Pháp

The Five Vidyas (NGŨ MINH PHÁP)

The five major vidyas in the Buddhist context represent the underlying principles of the universe. They are comprehensive and profound and totally encompass everything in the universe with life or without life, the spiritual and the material.

The five major vidyas are the craftsmanship vidya, the healing vidya, the sound vidya), causality or Buddhist logic vidya, and the inner realization vidya.

I. Inner realization vidya

The inner realization vidya includes metaphysics, psychology, or inner special philosophy (adhyatmavidya), which in this context means knowledge of the ultimate truths of the universe. Buddha pointed out all the directions to the Bo Tat. The Bo Tat needs these knowledge and skill sets in order to serve all living beings and societies. The Bo Tat also needs continuous learning, meditation, mindfulness and contemplation. Understanding the inner realization vidya means that one understands the Tripataka (Kinh - Luật - Luận) as taught by the Buddha and Buddhist Patriarchs who enlightened themselves.

II. Causality or Buddhist logic vidya

This vidya is often translated as “logic”, the logic of right and wrong, real and fake. It is the logic of the Law of Cause and Effect. Understanding this principle can enable you to see both past (causes) and future (effects). This logic of science is related to the root of the universe, earth, water, energy and air. In the past, this logic was limited and controlled by morals and philosophy, but now it points to all areas: mathematics, physics, chemistry, nuclear physics, computer science, and all basic logic used for mechanics and industries.

Buddha pointed to a lamp and explained that the darkness and lightness of this lamp creates different karmic reactions. There is one effect if the lamp is lit and another if it is turned off. When the lamp is in different positions, it also creates different effects.

We pick up a teacup and we already feel the cause and effect of drinking the tea. Taking the lid off a teacup is the cause. Vapor or steam arising from the tea is the effect. Taking the cup in our hand and bringing it to our mouth is the cause. Quenching our thirst is the effect.

Buddha has given many examples of how this principle works: from small causes that result in a single hair falling, to the collective karma of many people, resulting in great prosperity or disaster.

The causality vidya relates to all matters and all dharma, all levels of conditional and unconditional phenomena, the entire logical relationship among them, the relationship of cause and effect, and so on. What the causality vidya covers is countless.

III. The Sound vidya

A. Definition of Sound vidya:

1. Explaining grammar and assay in languages. This is a study of all communication methods: language, writing, modern technology like television, telephone, email e.g.

2. Sound vidya means communication: The Buddha recognized that communication was most essential; without it, we cannot study any other areas. Like today, communication in the past was written or verbal. The Buddha always encourages people to learn how to teach others. Therefore, we need to learn common languages in addition to our own to share ideas between nations and improve each other’s lives spiritually and materially.

B. Communication Techniques:

1. Verbal communication.

2. Written communication: The growth of the civilization depends upon those books from many generations from the past. Buddhism started from India, therefore, most of Buddha-Dharma was written in Sanskrit. Later on, the Buddha-Dharma was translated to Chinese. Currently, Vietnam’s Buddha Dharma is translated either directly from Sanskrit or Chinese.

3. Other ways of communication. For sure, there will be people who disagree that the Buddha’s ultimate true principle cannot be expressed by language, but if we are not using language then Buddha-Dharma will never spread. Even the Buddha’s ultimate truth is above and beyond configuration but we must use some kinds of configuration in order to present the Buddha’s idea. It could be presented by arts, sculpture, music and action similar to the Tibet Buddhists’. In meditation, the way of passing on the ultimate wisdom is through mind to mind. However, due to the different level of experiencing and understanding Buddha-Dharma, the language and actual visual communication are still the best and most effective ways to the majority of the Buddhist population.

IV. The Craftsmanship vidya

1. This vidya refers to art and mathematics, including the ability to create works of art like sculpture or painting, astronomy or geography, architecture or technological innovations at the Buddha’s living time. Nowadays, craftsmanship vidya expands to civil development, transportation, energy, business, and more.

2. It is also called industrial vidya. According to Professor Trieu Chan Giac, craftsmanship vidya used to refer to art and mathematics, but today it includes technology and mechanical sciences. Innovations in agriculture to grow better food, cotton for fabrics, city development, and the automobile industry to improve transportation, all belonging to craftsmanship vidya because they are necessary to our daily life. People used astronomy and geography to predict weather, which affects food growth. Math is used to calculate an amount of materials for cities and house construction. Building and structure are important to people’s life.

3. It not only includes the ability to create works of art, like sculpture or painting, or technological innovations, but also any expression of yourself, from your frown or smile to the makeup and clothes you wear.

4. The craftsmanship vidya is much more than merely painting. If it was merely a craft like painting, then shouldn’t Yun Sculpture not be part of the craftsmanship vidya? Should artistic sculptured landscape scenes also not be part of the craftsmanship vidya? Should the alteration and tailoring of clothing likewise not be part of the craftsmanship vidya? All of these are in fact part of the craftsmanship vidya.

Everything that is beautiful and artistic is included within the craftsmanship vidya. Whatever brings enjoyment and happiness to people is part of the craftsmanship vidya. Sitting in a dignified manner, as straight as a bell, totally conforming to the appearance of a member of the sangha, is also part of the craftsmanship vidya. The craftsmanship vidya contains the manifold changes. In short, things that embody that which is good and things of art are all part of the craftsmanship vidya.. You are smiling with your mouth lightly closed. At this time, your expression is part of the craftsmanship vidya. The falseness or trueness of what you express outwardly and feel inwardly are all part of the craftsmanship vidya. If you did not have a certain inner feeling, then you would not be smiling with your mouth lightly closed. In your heart or mind, you lack art. You only know to smile. Thus, you lack craftsmanship. The craftsmanship vidya represents the two aspects of our outward expression and our spirit. Our spirit is included in the craftsmanship vidya. Take, for example, the case where someone’s spirit is full. How is it full? Such a person is very self-confident. He feels that the expression of his spirit is very beautiful. This is also part of the craftsmanship vidya. Some actors in plays have stage fright. Although on the surface they very much appear to have craftsmanship, their spirit lacks craftsmanship. When some people take the stage, not only do they appear well, they are full of spirit. They think that they will certainly be the best. Their spirit is very full. This spirit is part of the craftsmanship vidya. This is extremely profound.

V. The Healing vidya

1. This vidya refers to medical technology and medicine. During the Buddha’s time, this vidya included medical treatments, internal medicine, and basic illness prevention. Today, healing vidya includes biology, pharmacy, surgery, psychology e.g., that both mentally and physically treat illness.

2. This vidya is listed as medicine or the healing vidya and includes all aspects of what we normally think of as medicine like the diagnosis of illnesses and the healing. It also includes taking anything that is coarse or rough and then refining or correcting it – whenever something goes from a bad state to a better state. The healing vidya includes all activities that improve a situation or thing. For example, revising a draft manuscript, repairing a clock, or any other revision, repair, alteration, or activity that raises the quality of something is part of this vidya. Anything that is refined or changed to be good is considered part of the healing vidya in this ancient way of understanding universal principles. Your taking notes on this discourse are one example. When you go back and refine your notes to produce this web page–that’s the healing vidya. If you give a discourse on these notes you will use your mastery of the sound vidya to deliver the discourse.

VI. Conclusion

The five vidyas in the Buddhist context represent the underlying principles of the universe. They are comprehensive and profound and totally encompass everything in the universe with life or without life, the spiritual and the material. Everything–all dharma–is contained in the five vidyas. All form and formless, active and inactive phenomena in the entire universe are expressed in the five vidyas. It is essential that they be understood and mastered, if one is to obtain the full power of the Buddha-dharma.

These five vidyas truths are not Buddhist truth principles or truths that belong to Buddhism. They are the underlying principles of truth and the original nature of all phenomena. They represent the entire interrelated Truth of the Universe. These five vidyas were not created or changed or altered by the arrival of the Buddha but it is why Buddha’s Holiness has told us that it is heresy to refer to the five vidyas as merely five sciences or areas of knowledge.

Every Huynh Truong must clearly understand the five vidyas, especially the inner realization vidya because it is the hardest vidya to understand and also is unique in Buddhism. As a Huynh truong, we are not only learning Buddha-Dharma but need to apply and practice these teaching into our day-to-day life in order to gain self proficiency in all of these areas. The five vidyas must be understood and mastered by each Huynh truong in order to guide our youth to achieve the goal of ending suffering.

Adapted from The Xuanfa Five Vidyas University by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III