Lecture No. 0067
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0067
Tape no. -
Date
2018/11/19 ~ 11/21
Outline: Foundation
Topic: Opening Veneration – Veneration before commentary
Vol. 1 of Four Interwoven Annotations P56-LL7 ~ P58-LL6
It states in the prologue: “they emanate in innumerable vessels in Buddha realms”. With regards to this phrase “they emanate in innumerable Buddha realms”, if Master did not distinctly highlight to us in the previous page: “[Bodhisattvas] emanate through boundless space” in numerous physical forms in the previous teaching, we will not associate what we read, with the manifestation of numerous physical forms. Maybe we might imagine it as: Ah! Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can fly! And they fly from one world to another, shuttling around limitless worlds to liberate living beings. We would not visualize that he can manifest into countless physical forms simultaneously, and engage in the deeds of benefiting living beings in innumerable realms all in the same moment. We will definitely hold a sequential stance that thinks: this goes first, then that, and then followed by another. However, he “emanate in innumerable Buddha realms” all at the same time. [00′45″]
In this phrase, take note! Rinpoche explained the word “vessel” as mountains, rocks, and trees, while “sentient” are referred to as the beings that are versatile and agile [i.e. alive and moving], which is “various sentient and non-sentient beings.” We are able to comprehend that Bodhisattvas can manifest themselves into numerous sentient beings. For instance, they can appear in different physical forms, using these forms to liberate living beings. However, it seems unimaginable that they manifest themselves into vessels [non-sentient forms]. A quote within the Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds, have everyone memorized it before? It states: “May I become an island for those who seek one and a lamp for those who desire light.” That is, when you are in need of the lamp, Bodhisattva would manifest himself into a lamp. When you wish to have an island, he manifests himself into an island. Why do humans want lamps? Maybe they are seeking for light, warmth, or direction. How about wanting an island? There could be many reasons. All in all, Bodhisattvas will fulfil suchness: “May I become an island for those who seek one and a lamp for those who desire light”. Using the emanation of sentient and non-sentient beings forms to benefit all living beings. [01′55″]
Through various emanated forms in countless Buddha realms, what do Bodhisattvas wish to do? Fulfil the beneficial interest of living beings. And then, “conquering the four demons;”. “Four demons” here refers to: demon of afflictions, demon of five aggregates, demon of death, and demon of Mara. Having tamed all of the four demons within his mind stream, he becomes known as a sage, “Ajita”, which means invincible honoured one. Also, Maitreya Bodhisattva is also addressed as the “supreme heir,” which refers to the heir to the throne of Bhagavan Buddha, just as how Buddha became the main honourable lead of Tushita heaven in the past. The “supreme heir” is Ajita, also known as Maitreya Bodhisattva, who is the next-in-line to become Buddha. [02′40″]
Here, Master Tsong-kha-pa praised Buddha and his most supreme Dharma princes, because they emanate innumerable physical forms in countless Buddha realms, shouldering entirely Buddha’s deeds of benefiting sentient beings. Hence, Master Tsong-kha-pa paid homage to Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva. [03′04″]
Speaking of paying homage to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Master often emphasized that we must contemplate on their good qualities. After contemplating the good qualities of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, our mental stream will experience some transformation. Take for example, heading to the altar and prostrating to Buddha, do we observe sincerity in each and every of our prostrations? Or become hasty after prostrating for some period of time, at times doing it hastily as if to get the job done so we can leave quickly after? Of course, even a hasty prostration is much better than not doing it at all once you get busy. However, since we already desire to prostrate to Buddha, it is best to cultivate concordance of our three karmic doors of body, speech, and mind, to be able to pay homage altogether. Why are we able to pay homage through our three karmic doors all at once while prostrating? It allows us to tame our mind and our ego. On top of this, says “one prostration to Buddha eliminates sins as numerous as river sand,” [we can accumulate] lots and lots of merits. [03′54″]
So if we can take some time out of an entire day, or even allocate a fair amount of time per day to prostrate to Buddha, cultivating such virtuous karma, it would be truly a very precious and rare significance concerning our life of leisure and opportunity. I hope that if you ever find these symptoms (during your prostrations): mind is scattered, difficulty in focusing, or feeling unmoved and do not experience any transformation within, i.e. there is no change in your mind stream before and after prostrating to Buddha, then, in this case, you may need to find some time to contemplate on Buddha’s good qualities. Because even by merely thinking about a single good quality of Maitreya Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva: the emanation of numerous physical forms in innumerable Buddha realms to liberate immeasurable living beings and assuming the deeds of Buddhas – we will be in awe. Now, when we put our palms together and venerate, be it the virtuous deed of a half prostration or full prostration, the merits accumulated from this veneration will be unparalleled to doing a prostration without prior contemplation. [05′03″]
This is the concept that was often mentioned by Master in the Lamrim commentary; to rely on the power of contemplation to transform our minds. What is the method that Master discoursed on how to enable a transformation of our mental stream? It is like pushing a rock; we have to contemplate the advantages of doing so and the faults of not doing so. One is the pulling force in front, while the other acts as a push from behind. Bouts of changes will develop in our minds when these two forces are combined, and this mental transformation is also the purpose of our Dharma practice. For instance, feeling nonchalant when we see images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and then carrying out our prostration to Buddha with an indifferent attitude. After prolonged prostration in this state of mind, where can we develop our practice? Probably the attitude of veneration will decline gradually and so will our progress. This actually means it is a regression, because initially when we come to prostrate to Buddha, we were very sincere and wholehearted. Hence, frequently when studying scriptures, such as Lamrim, supposedly at the chapter that teaches us about the good qualities of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas [v.1 p.181~187], you can even try to memorize the verses, constantly keep them in mind and recite them in front of Buddha. Recite while making prostrations. Previously, we learnt about the 35 Buddhas Repentance practice, it is an extremely wonderful practice if we can recite them as we make our prostrations to Buddha. [06′07″]
I urge everyone to etch in our minds the two supreme Dharma princes and remember their deep kindness toward us on our journey of Dharma practice, their elaborate discourse of Buddha’s teaching in great detail. Otherwise, Buddha’s pronounced teaching such as the Prajnaparamita Sutra will not be understood by us without going through great difficulties, should we not have these inconceivable great Bodhisattvas to expound the teachings for us. If we attempt to speculate the Buddha’s intended meaning relying solely our own perception, it is probable what we comprehend is very far from the Buddha’s intent. Maybe even at directly opposite directions from the very beginning. Thus, the kindness [of the two Dharma princes] is too deep to repay and is worthy of our remembrance and diligent practice, in accordance. So, prostrate wholeheartedly with all of our body, speech, and mind to “the supreme heirs of the unequalled teacher [the Buddha]. Having assumed the burden of all the Conqueror’s deeds, they emanate in innumerable Buddha realms.” - Manjusri Bodhisattva and Maitreya Bodhisattva. [06′59″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0067】
讲次 0067
科判 道前基础
主题 〈皈敬颂〉论前皈敬
音档 -
日期 2018/11/19 ~ 11/21
广论段落 P1-L5 是无等师最胜子……礼阿逸多及妙音
入门段落 第1册 P56-LL7 ~ P58-LL6 其次，此论所示深广二道中……阿逸多及妙音两位菩萨。
说：“现化种种情器游戏无量土”，在原文里说：“现化游戏无量土”，如果师父没在上一篇中清晰地标示出“化现无量无边的身体”，其实我们看到“现化游戏无量土”，不会想到化现那么多身体的。我们可能会想像说：啊！佛菩萨，会飞呀！然后会飞到一个世界又一个世界，在无量的世界里飞来飞去，然后度脱有情。我们不会想到他同时会化现无量的身体，在无量的世界同时做着利生的事业，我们肯定会有先后的，先这个、再那个、再那个，但是他是同时“现化种种情器游戏无量土”。 [00′45″]
这里边，注意！ “器”，仁波切解释说青山、岩石、树木；“情”就是指屈伸俯仰的有情，这就是“种种情器”。菩萨会显现变化种种情，我们是可以理解的，比如说化现不同的身体呀，有不同的化身去度脱有情；但是如果说化成器的话，就好像很难想像。但是在《入行论》里，大家还背过吧？说“求岛即成岛，欲灯化为灯”。就是你想要灯的时候他就化现成灯、希求得到岛的时候他就化成岛。那么人们为什么要灯呢？可能是想要光明、想要温暖、想要方向。为什么想要岛呢？可能有很多理由。总之，会“求岛即成岛，欲灯化为灯”。用这种种情器，来游戏度脱有情。 [01′55″]
那么用各种化身游戏无量的佛土，到底要做什么？成办有情的利益。然后“战胜四魔”，这个“四魔”，就是指烦恼魔、五蕴魔、死魔，还有天子魔。因为消灭了自己相续中的一切四魔，所以称之为胜者，“阿逸多”就是不败尊的意思。另外，对弥勒还有一个尊称叫“绍胜尊”，是指成为佛薄伽梵的继位者，就是如同往昔导师世尊成为兜率天的主尊那样，绍胜尊就是阿逸多，也是弥勒，会是下一尊佛。 [02′40″]
在这里边，宗大师赞美佛陀和他最殊胜的法王子，因为在无量的佛土化现无量的身度脱有情，荷担了佛陀所有的利生事业，因此礼敬文殊菩萨和弥勒菩萨。 [03′04″]
在谈到礼敬佛菩萨这一点，师父其实常常强调一定要去思惟佛菩萨的功德，思惟佛菩萨的功德之后，我们的内心会有所转变。比如说去佛前礼佛的时候，是不是每一礼我们都是发自内心的顶礼？还是礼佛礼久了，有的时候匆匆地像完成一件事一样，赶快去礼佛，礼佛完就离开了？当然匆匆礼佛一下比一忙起来就不礼佛要好的多，但是既然都礼佛了，最好养成到佛前身语意三全都能恭敬。为什么身语意三全都能立刻恭敬礼佛呢？要调伏自心、调伏我慢；另外，说：“礼佛一拜，罪灭河沙”，有很多很多的功德！ [03′54″]
所以如果能在二六时中、每天抽出时间，甚至一天抽出好多时间去礼拜佛菩萨的话，修习这样的善妙之业，对我们的暇满来说，也真是难能可贵的。希望每一次大家去礼佛的时候，如果你发现心很散乱、很难专注，或者心里在拜佛的时候没有一种感动，或者没有一种转变——拜佛前、拜佛后没有转变，这样的话，可能需要稍稍抽点时间思考一下佛陀的功德。因为像弥勒菩萨和文殊菩萨，只要就其中的一项功德，比如说化现无量的身，在无量的佛土、无量的一切世界度脱有情，荷担了佛陀这样的事业，其实单单想一下，我们还是会很震撼的。这个时候，我们合掌一礼，或者小礼拜，或者大礼拜所累积的善业，应该是比那种不思考马上去佛前拜佛不知道要大的多少呀！ [05′03″]
这就是师父在《广论》里常常讲到的，用思惟力转变内心。师父说怎么能让我们的内心开始转变呢？就像推一个石头一样，思惟它的胜利和思惟不这样做的过患，一个是前面的拉力，一个是后面的推力，这两个力加起来，就会令我们的内心产生转变，而修行也就是让我们内心转变。比如说见到佛菩萨很麻木、完全没有感觉，这样去礼佛，礼久了之后，那修行从何建立呢？可能慢慢没有感觉了，而没有感觉、没有进步，其实就会倒退，因为最初我们来礼佛的时候，还是很虔诚的。所以常常在学教典的时候，比如说学《广论》，在讲到佛菩萨功德的时候，甚至你把这个偈子背会了，常常念一下，就到佛前的时候念一下，一边念、一边顶礼。以前我们讲过三十五佛，去礼佛的时候一边念、一边顶礼，这都是非常非常美好的一个修行。 [06′07″]
请大家要铭记这两位殊胜的法王子，在我们的修行生涯中对我们的深恩啊！就是为我们详尽地解释佛陀的教法，否则佛陀的语教，比如说《般若经》到底在讲什么，没有这些不可思议的大菩萨为我们讲解，我们是很难很难明白的。用自己的心去揣测佛的意思，可能都相差十万八千里，甚至一出门方向完全是反的。所以对我们的深恩，非常地难以回报，值得我们好好的修行、铭记在心！所以以一切的身语意至心地顶礼“是无等师最胜子，荷佛一切事业担，现化游戏无量土”的文殊菩萨和弥勒菩萨。 [06′59″]