Lecture No. 0024
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0024
Tape no.
1B 14:38 ~ 15:52
Date
2018/06/21-06/24
Outline: Foundation
Topic: The near and distant path to Buddhahood
Vol. 1 of Master’s discourse handbook P24-L4 ~ P24-LL3
One more question, there is a fast track and a slow route. May I ask who will take the slow route and who will take the fast track? To whom did Master reveal these two paths? They are revealed to us, right! So, who will take the fast path and who will take the slow one, who determines this? Is it up to others to determine my pace of eradicating suffering and attaining happiness, or do I get to make that decision for myself? If I am the one who can choose the pace, why should I endure so much suffering? [00′46″]
Thus, Master revealed [the following facts] in every aspect. Are we able to recognize that we need to be in control of our own mind stream? Speaking of being in control, it is not easy at all! Our minds are like runaway wild horses, very hard to control. That’s why we are continuously submerged in the ocean of sorrow, unable to be in control. Therefore, it is said Buddhism is not easy to learn; then what is so hard about it? It is hard when one tries to apply Dharma to reflect on the mind; one would not be as confident as when one heard the teaching and considered it as understood! This is because, first of all, one has to recognize what suffering is, come to realize that suffering is harmful to us, and then one will try to get away from it. [01′31″]
Take being in a bad mood for example. Sometimes when you wake up in the morning and feel blue with no specific reasons, it might be due to having nightmares, not feeling well, or other reasons, or having too many things on the to-do list today, or suddenly thinking of something that happened in the past. Anyway, you just feel blue. So, once you are in a bad mood, will such mood last for the rest of the day? Will this attitude impact whomever you meet? There is another type of person that pretends to be happy, but actually, the mental scar gets deeper and deeper. These are types of self-torturing. However, are we very used to such ways of thinking? Or are we used to spotting our own negative emotions and thoughts right away? Pay attention! What I mean by using the word “spot” is to stop them instantaneously upon the arising of the negative train of thought. Will this be the quickest way to remove suffering right away? To invert [the thoughts] on the spot! [02′20″]
Let me repeat it again. If one is able to decide on taking the fast or the slow path, then who would want to take the slow path? Then, why is it that we are not in control? Is it because we were not born with the ability to control, or is it due to our lack of training? How do people become martial art masters? They all had to go through a period of very tough training with their masters when they were young, right? In general, they would continue their training despite snow storms or under scorching summer heat, or get reprimanded by their masters for not picking up the training properly. They would think long and hard on the martial arts secret training materials; they underwent the arduous process and eventually, they became the master of martial arts. There is no other option! [03′04″]
It is like an old oil peddler, well! The oil peddler was extremely skilful. He put a copper coin on the brim of the bottle, and then poured the oil into the bottle through the hole of the copper coin. There was a square hole in the center [of an ancient Chinese copper coin]. And the rim of the copper coin was not greased; isn’t that impressive? People asked the old oil peddler, “This is overly remarkable! How did you do it?” The old oil peddler replied, “Nothing to it! Just a matter of practice!” There’s nothing special about that, I am just proficient at it! [03′44″]
Hence, to eradicate suffering and attain happiness, one must start from this given moment; don’t allow negative mood, negative emotion, or negative thought to hinder you. Instead, one must quickly get rid of them and stay away from them! Honestly speaking, when afflictions arise, we need to shake them off as if they were snakes in our embrace, yet how many people would view their negative emotions as snakes in their embrace? Can it be that scary? Usually, when bad emotions arise, we just stay put, lean against [something], and get soaked up there with eyes half closed; with no perception, no awareness, and no introspection. Thus, we continue to sink in deeper and deeper. By the time when we realize it is very deep, wow, we feel it’s hard to breathe! By then, it will take a great deal of effort to get out of it. Thus, speed, speed matters! We have to first recognize the negative mental momentum, and then reverse it. [04′41″]
So, the word “speed”, isn’t it a very crucial concept for us in this lesson? Usually, we learn about speed too! But what is the speed to eradicate suffering and attain happiness? It is for us to quickly recognize what our mind is up to. If it is in the midst of suffering, churning afflictions, then one needs to stop it! [05′03″]
Are you listening? Still listening? One needs to try gaining some authority to take one’s own initiative in handling suffering and happiness; one needs to try to manoeuvre the direction. Those very accomplished eminent monks achieved their practices through a lot of training with diligence and perseverance! Master depicted such relentless exercises in every entry of his diary! That is, it all comes down to the exercise of the mind, rather than lamenting that it is hard to learn Buddhism! Everyone should strive hard! [05′35″]
Well, Master pointed out two paths through both [Array of Stalks Sutra and Lotus Sutra] sutras; a fast route and a slow path, or the shortcut and the detour. Let me ask you all one question. What is the shortest distance from here to somewhere else? When we ask for directions, whom will we go to? Will we ask those who have already taken the path, or those who haven’t? We will definitely ask those who have already taken it before and are very familiar with it. And the response from that person will be, “My house is right there! It is so close; you may take this route!” All of us must have the experience of asking for directions since we were young. When asking for directions, have you ever encountered someone who would say, “Go straight ahead, turn left, and turn right! Then go for a few more blocks, turn left, and turn right!” Then, after a few turns you would definitely be lost, not knowing your direction. However, we might also meet someone who is quite good at giving directions. After the explanation, if he finds you are still confused, he would say, “Let me take you there!” At this juncture, some might follow him, while others might be afraid of being taken to unknown places. However, it is Buddha who has imparted these two sutras to us. He has already thoroughly removed suffering and attained ultimate happiness. In addition, he would like to help us because of his compassion. His approach is accurate, thus, asking Buddha what is the fast track or the detour to attain Buddhahood should be the best. [06′54″]
So, what is the basic prerequisite for taking the fast track or the slow path? Who knows whether this is a fast track or slow path? It must be the one who has experienced it. So, you may ask, for the one who took the path before, this person must have already taken the slow path to recognize it is the slow one? Must one be burned in order to find out that fire can burn us? Seeing the fire burn from a distance should be a good indication, right! You would not assume that those who can recognize poison have to be poisoned to death before recognizing it. It does not work this way! We learn from our parents, our teachers, or from scientists that this is poisonous; thus we don’t go near to it. [07′34″]
Let’s not talk about this topic for now. Let me ask you one more time, who knows the [difference between] fast track and the slow path? If the person who knows it decides to take us on the shortcut, do we want to follow him/her? When we travel afar, when we don’t know the directions, do we need a guide? If this guide reaches out to us with his/her compassionate hands, are we willing to extend our hands and follow him/her? [08′02″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0024】
讲次 0024
科判 道前基础
主题 成佛远近二路
音档 1B 14:38 ~ 15:52
日期 2018/06/21-06/24
手抄页/行 1册 P24-L4 ~ P24-LL3 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P24-L4 ~ P24-LL3 )
手抄段落 有这样的因……在这两部经上面说得清清楚楚。
再问一个问题：有一条快路、有一条慢路，请问谁将走上慢路，谁将走上快路？这两条路是给谁展示的？是我们，是吧！那么谁将走快路、谁将走慢路，是谁在决定？是别人决定我离苦得乐的快慢，还是我自己决定的？如果我自己能够决定快慢的话，我何必受那么多苦呢？[00′46″]
所以师父处处都在揭示：我们是否能够明了我们要主宰自己的身心？谈主宰太不容易！我们的心就像一匹脱缰的野马，很难控制，所以才会在悲伤的海里不停地沉沦，主宰不了。所以才说佛法难，难就难在哪儿？开始对付心的时候，就没有像听懂感觉那么好了！因为最先遭遇的就是先要认识到这个痛苦、这个痛苦对自己是有伤害的，接下来你要想离开它。[01′31″]
比如说坏心情，早晨起来你就莫名其妙地心情不好，由于作了恶梦、或者身体不舒服、或者其他的原因、或者今天的事情多等等，或者你突然想起了一段事情，总之就心情不好。那么心情不好之后，是否延续一天？是否把这种态度带给遇到你的所有的人？还有一种就是假装很快乐，其实心里那伤口越来越深，都是一种自我折磨的方式。但是我们是不是很习惯这种方式？还是习惯发现了自己的负面情绪和负面的思路──注意！我说“发现”两个字──思路一出现的时候赶快停止它，这是不是最快速的当下离苦？当下转！[02′20″]
我再说一遍：如果能够主宰快和慢的话，谁愿意走慢路？那么为什么不能够主宰？是天生不能够主宰，还是缺乏训练？武林高手是怎么出现的？小的时候都有一段跟着师父非常艰辛的训练过程，对不对？一般都出现什么大雪的时候也练、酷暑的时候也练、被师父修理、什么都学不会，然后冥思苦想武功秘笈…经历那个过程，最后就练成武林高手了。没有什么其他别的东西！[03′04″]
就像一个卖油翁，哎呀！那个卖油的人特别厉害，他在那个瓶口上放上一枚铜钱，然后他就把油从那个铜钱的孔──古式铜钱的孔，四方的那种，就透过那个孔，倒到买油人的瓶子里去。然后那个铜钱的边缘是不会沾上油的，厉害吧！有人问了那个卖油翁说：“这太了不起了！这是怎么练出来的？”那个卖油翁说：“无他，唯手熟尔。”没有什么其他的，只是我熟练罢了！[03′44″]
所以离苦得乐之路要从当下开始练起，不要让坏心情、坏情绪、坏的思路牵绊你，一定要快点把它斩断，快点离开它！真正地说，当烦恼生起的时候，我们要像抖逃跑进怀里的蛇一样，可是有多少人把自己的坏心情看成是进入怀里的蛇呀？有那么害怕吗？通常坏心情生起的时候，我们就待着、就靠着、就瞇着眼沉在里边；没有觉察、没有觉知、没有觉照，所以就越沉越深。沉到很深的时候发现：哇！透不过气来！再想跑出来，费尽了辛苦。所以速度，速度！最先觉知──看到它，然后扭转它。[04′41″]
所以“速度”这两个字，是不是我们这节课学的非常重要的一个概念？平常也学速度啊！但是离苦得乐的速度是什么呀？就是要我们对我们的心快速地了知它在干什么。如果它在痛苦的话、在搅烦恼的话，那要停！[05′03″]
有在听吗？有在听吗？要试着在苦乐上去获得稍微一点的主动权，要试着去操纵这个方向。那些修炼地非常非常成功的高僧大德，就是勤苦练习呀！师父在他的日记里，每一篇都是勤苦地练功夫啊！所以在心上练功夫即是，不要慨叹佛道难啊！大家一定要好好地努力哦！[05′35″]
好，师父举了这两部经典说有两条路，就是快路和慢路、近路和远路。那问大家一个问题：从这儿到某地某地，怎么走是近的呀？我们去问路的时候会问谁呢？是问走过的，还是问没走过的？一定是问走过而且很熟练的。他说：“我家就在那边！就这么近，你朝这条路走吧！”我们从小到大一定都问过路，问路的时候，有没有遇过那种指路给你指说：“一直往前走，左拐、右拐！再向前走，再左拐、右拐！”拐拐你就迷失了，你就不知道怎么走了。但是有的碰到好的指路的，他就给你讲，讲完他发现你一脸困惑之后，他说：“那我带你走吧！”这个时候可能有人会跟着走，可能有人会害怕不知道被带到哪去。但是给我们讲这两部经典的是佛陀，他已经究竟地离苦和究竟地得乐，而且他有慈悲心要帮我们，他的方法是正确的，所以跟佛去问怎么样成佛是快路、是远路，应该是最好的。[06′54″]
所以走上快路和慢路最根本的那个条件是什么呢？谁知道此路快、谁知道此路慢？一定是走过的人。那你说走过的人，他一定是走过了慢路，才知道那条慢路吗？一定要被火烧到，才知道火会烧人吗？远远地看着它烤就可以了吧！认知毒药的人，你不能说被毒死了所以才认知，不是这样的！因为听爸爸妈妈说、听老师说、听科学家说这是有毒的，所以就不靠近。[07′34″]
姑且不讨论这个。再问一遍：谁是知道近和远的人？如果那个知道近路和远路的人，决定要带我们走近路的话，我们要跟着走吗？当我们远行、当我们不知道路，我们需要向导吗？如果这个向导对我们伸出了慈悲的手，我们愿意把手伸出去，跟着他吗？[08′02″]