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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0054

Tape no.

2A 12:41 ~ 13:40

Date

2018/10/04 ~ 10/07

Outline:

Foundation

Topic:

Prologue – Veneration at the beginning of the commentary

English Lamrim Vol 1, Page 33

Vol. 1 of Master’s discourse handbook P40-LL6 ~ P40-LL1

Let’s listen to the next paragraph of Master’s recording.

[Master Jih-Chang’s commentary book 1, tape 2A on page Prologue 5~6]

What aspiration do we living beings have? [The answer] is very simple; [we want] to attain the ultimate happiness. The happiness in the mundane world is contaminated; [it is] tainted! A speck of [contaminated] happiness will lead to great suffering. [The ultimate happiness] is truly what we should aspire for, and we should never forsake [it] to trade for trivial provisional gain. This is the way it should be. Often, when we speak, our speech is either in jest or in dispute; whereas Buddha can fulfill not just the aspiration of one person, not only the aspiration for himself but all sentient beings’ [aspirations]. Ah! How incredible! If he is able to fulfill all sentient beings’ [aspirations], he himself must be totally fulfilled! Thus, his physical form is endowed with these auspicious qualities, and his speech is bestowed with such truthful content. [01′03″]

What is the aspiration do we living beings have? Master said, “[The answer] is very simple: [we want] to attain the ultimate happiness!” Do we feel that our aspiration is very simple?  We have had so many wishes from our younger days until now, it is very complicated! However, with each passing day, we will realize that maybe the type of happiness we want isn’t those of hype and madness, but rather we just want peace.  Peace becomes our definition of happiness; so does the absence of calamities and illness.  And also the getting along with family members and so forth. Some claim that, “I am contented if I get a good night’s rest.” While those who are suffering from an illness will say, “I will be contented if I can walk normally again.” Simple as that! At certain moments, our wishes are simple. Take for example, wishing to be at a warmer place when it is -50 degree Celsius. In such moments, our wish for happiness becomes very simple. [02′14″]

However, what Master stated was that all living beings’ simple aspiration is to attain the ultimate happiness. Pay attention! This term “ultimate” is used to describe happiness. How happy can this be? Usually, we may feel that happiness has its boundaries, and beyond it will be suffering. However, ultimate happiness here refers to inexhaustible and boundless happiness. [02′31″]

Then Master followed by saying, “The happiness in the mundane world is contaminated”. He repeated this twice. As per earlier explanations, “contaminated” happiness means suffering. Why is that happiness [considered as] suffering? Master elaborated, “A speck of [contaminated] happiness will lead to great suffering”. In other words, this happiness is intertwined with suffering – in fact, even those which appear as happy things, are suffering too. “[The ultimate happiness] is truly what we should aspire for”; it is achieving the ultimate happiness that is the true and actual aspiration within us. [03′00″]

I have asked a few people, “Do you feel that there is a possibility of achieving ultimate happiness in life?” Not many have thought about this aspiration and said, “As a human being with a mind, dealing with tons of life issues, big and small, how can I have a wish for ultimate happiness to appear amidst my life?” The kind of happiness that is totally free from any affliction, it seems completely unthinkable and beyond imagination because no one feels that it possibly exists. How is it possible that there is no suffering? Some even said, “It is due to suffering that happiness appears to be precious.” In truth, the best answer should be: why should suffering serve as a companion to happiness? Why should we need to attribute darkness with light? Isn’t it good to have light all the time? Why does one need to go through fear in order to obtain a peace of mind? Isn’t it better to always have peace? [03′57″]

Here, Master repeatedly encouraged our aspiration, saying, “[The ultimate happiness] is truly what we should aspire for”, which is to bravely pursue the state of ultimate happiness in our lives, and in the near future. We should never forsake/trade this aspiration for provisional gains and be contented just with those. Not forgetting that Master mentioned earlier with regards to this aspiration – “is very simple!” We may feel, “Ah! Is such an aspiration for the ultimate happiness simple? It is extremely challenging! Because it takes great effort in order to remove just a tiny bit of affliction; how could it become totally free from suffering? Master asserted, focus! The aspiration is ultimate happiness; it is clear and not that complicated! [04′47″]

Master continued to bring up a few instances, our current state of being in jest or in dispute. In contrast, Buddha fulfils the aspiration of not just one person or his own, but the aspiration of all sentient beings. And what is the aspiration of limitless beings? The ultimate happiness; Buddha is able to fulfil this aspiration of the limitless beings! [05′10″]

Master continued with praises for the Buddha, “How incredible! If he is able to fulfil all sentient beings’ [aspirations], he himself must be totally fulfilled!” What does this statement mean? Think about it, what does the phrase “he himself must be totally fulfilled” mean? What is being fulfilled? Is it attaining ultimate happiness? Because if he had not arrived at the state of ultimate happiness, how would he have the capability and experiential knowledge to guide us there? Would he think that’s possible? Thus with this, Master made an inference: [Buddha] has totally fulfilled his aspiration for ultimate happiness! [05′48″]

Then, Master continued saying Buddha’s “physical form is endowed with these auspicious qualities and his speech is bestowed with such truthful content.” The word “truthful” is a rather eye-catching term, why did Master choose to use it? Could it be that our words are usually not of truth? Is a jest truthful? Sometimes even during a dispute with others, we do it in a deluded state of mind! For various reasons such as misunderstandings and holding views of limited scope, we are led into tussles and debates. Hence, in these disputes, they contain many wrong views and blind spots that we are unable to detect. [06′28″]

As such, what appears to our perceptive mind is not necessarily the true nature of the matter. We are often mistaking the way phenomenon is manifested, for true nature. This overlook causes us to deviate from the true nature of reality. On the other hand, Buddha teaches only truthful content, which is universal across boundary and time, non-deceiving, unmistaken and is rid of errors. So the powerful impact of this word “truth” will create a vivid imprint in our minds. Why is everything spoken by the Buddha considered to be true? Are my words on a flipside: erroneous and mistaken? [07′13″]

When we are able to reflect these within our hearts, we might hold back rebuts during a dispute or our participation in jests. Due to our recollection of Buddha’s excellent qualities of speech, we are reminded that only a Buddha’s speech is fully endowed with truth. Since I have yet to attain complete enlightenment at this current moment, maybe I will prefer to refrain from furthering my plans to win an argument and becoming over-zealous in the process? Or even be trapped in the momentum of jests, unable to extricate myself from it? Can it be called to our minds that: an argument or jest is not very meaningful, or that there is lack of substantial truth in them. I should instead redirect my life to pursue something of greater meaning, significance and satisfaction, which moreover, is endowed with absolute good qualities and merits! [08′02″]

讲次 0054

科判 道前基础

主题 〈皈敬颂〉论前皈敬

音档 2A 12:41 ~ 13:40

日期 2018/10/04 ~ 10/07

广论段落 P1-L3 ~ P1-L4 俱胝圆满妙善所生身……于是释迦尊主稽首礼

手抄页/行 第1册 P40-LL6 ~ P40-LL1　( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P40-LL6 ~ P40-LL1 )

手抄段落 我们众生什么愿望啊？ ……有这样的真实的内容。

听师父下面这一段。

我们众生什么愿望啊？简单极了，就是要得到极乐！这个普通世间的快乐有漏的，有漏的！一点点快乐带来很大痛苦，只有这个才是，这个才是我们真正应该所愿之处，我们绝对不是得到眼前一点点小小的利益，这样。而我们平常开口的，不是戏论就是诤论；佛陀却能够满足不但一个人、不但他自己，所有一切众生都能够这样。啊，了不起呀！试想他能够圆满一切人，他哪有自己不圆满的！所以这个地方就身体有这样好的殊胜的功德，开起口来是有这样的真实的内容。 [01′03″]

我们众生的愿望是什么呀？师父说：“简单极了，就是要得到极乐！”我们会觉得我们的愿望简单吗？我们从小到大有好多、好多愿望，很复杂、很复杂！但是随着时光的流逝，我们会发现也许我们并不想要那种很张狂的快乐，我们只想要平静。平静就是乐，没有灾祸就是乐，没有病苦就是乐，亲人和睦就是乐，很多、很多......。还有有的人说：“如果晚上能睡着的话，我就满足了。”还有经历病苦的人，他会说：“哎呀！如果我能正常地走路，我就满足了。”简单极了！到某种时刻会简单。甚至在特别特别冷的时候，比如说零下五十度，我们会想：“哇！现在只要到一个暖的地方，我就满足了！”那个时候对快乐的希求就变得特别简单。 [02′14″]

但是师父说众生的愿望是很简单的，就是得到极乐。注意！它乐前面有个“极”，有多快乐呢？通常我们会觉得极限式的快乐后面就是痛苦，但这里边的极乐是无穷无尽的快乐。 [02′31″]

师父接着又提到了：“普通世间的快乐是有漏的”，师父说两遍“有漏的”。 “漏”前面解释了——痛苦的。为什么那个快乐是痛苦呢？师父说：“一点点快乐带来很大痛苦”，就是它苦和乐是交杂的，甚至你觉得快乐的事情，实际上是痛苦的。 “只有这个才是”，得到极乐才是，这个才是我们真正所愿之处。 [03′00″]

其实我曾经问过一些人：你会觉得生命可以达到极乐吗？其实很多人没有想这愿望，说：“怎么可能我生为人，然后我有这样一颗心，我要面对林林总总人生中大大小小的事情，我怎么可能希求在我的生命中会出现极乐呢？”就是没有一丝丝痛苦那样的快乐，人们不敢想、没有能力想，因为觉得不存在、怎么可能没有痛苦呢？还有人说：“正因为有痛苦，所以快乐才显得珍贵。”其实最佳的答案应该是：为什么要痛苦去陪衬快乐？为什么要黑暗去陪衬光明？全是光明不好吗？为什么一定要恐惧才会得到心安？全是心安不好吗？ [03′57″]

所以师父在这里再再地鼓舞我们的志向，说：“这个才是我们真正应该所愿之处”，就是要去勇敢地希求极乐的生命状态、生命的明天，我们绝不能得到眼前一点小小的利益就满足了，我们要希求一个极乐。而且极乐这个愿望，别忘了师父前面有讲说：“简单极了！”我们会觉得：啊！这样一个极乐的愿望简单吗？非常、非常不简单！因为要去除一点点痛苦，我们都要费好大好大的力气，怎么可能达到完全无苦的地方是简单的？师父说，注意！愿望就是极乐，非常简单，没有那么复杂！ [04′47″]

接下来师父再再地提到，戏论和诤论就是我们的现状，而佛陀却能够满足不单是一个人、不单是他自己，是所有的一切众生，都能够满足无边众生希愿。而无边众生的希愿是什么？是极乐，佛陀可以满足无边的众生这样的希愿！ [05′10″]

然后接着师父赞美呀，说：“了不起呀！试想他能够圆满一切人，他自己哪有不圆满的！”这句话什么意思呢？想一想，什么叫“他自己哪有不圆满的”？圆满什么了？是不是极乐呀？因为如果他不达到极乐的状态，他怎么可能有能力、有经验引导我们去达到极乐呢？他会认为这是可能的吗？所以师父由这个推断——哪有不圆满的！ [05′48″]

接下来师父又说：“佛陀身体有这样殊胜的功德，开起口来有这样真实的内容。”“真实”这两个字比较醒目，师父为什么用了“真实”的内容这两个字？难道我们平常讲的都不真实吗？戏论真实吗？诤论有的时候也在幻觉中诤论啊！由于误会而诤论、由于自己没有看到全面的东西而诤论，所以是有很多颠倒梦想在里边的，有很多自己看不到的误区在里边的。 [06′28″]

所以，显现的东西和它的本质并不是像事情本来的那样。我们常常会把显现的状态当成是事物的本质，因为忽略了事物的本质，我们就会远离真实。而佛陀的语言所讲述的，是真实的内容、是谛实语、是不打诳语的，是没有弄错的、没有误会的一个状态。所以这个“真实”两个字非常地有力，会在我们心目中留下很深刻的印象——为什么他说的都是真实的？难道我讲的都是颠倒的、错乱的吗？ [07′13″]

我们但凡有这样的疑问来面对自心，我们跟别人戏论和诤论的时候，可能就会停一下。因为想到佛陀的语功德，他开起口来才有真实的内容，而我可能不是这样，那我是不是现在不要再胸有成竹、气势汹汹地去诤论？甚至跌在戏论的那个续流中，根本就不能自拔？是否可以现起：实在没有太大意思，或者这没有什么真实的内容，我应该让我的生命去追逐这非常非常有意义的、有乐趣的，而且是绝对真实的这种功德！ [08′02″]