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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0105

Tape : 2B 27:08 ~ 28:07

Date : 2019/04/01 ~ 04/03

Outline: Foundation

Topic: Prologue – Veneration at the beginning of commentary

English Lamrim Vol. 1, Pg 33-34

Vol. 1 of Master’s discourse handbook P63-L6 ~ P63-LL1

Master said, “This could actually happen very easily”, it is easy to meddle in other people’s affairs. Would you think it is easy to meddle in other people’s matters? [00′11″]

First, let’s clear it up here. Do we get involved in other people’s affairs out of altruism? The reason we get involved in someone else’s business is that we want to help them. Then, why is showing care for others will turn into something meddlesome, rather than proper concern? Didn’t Master teach us to benefit others, to put ourselves in someone’s shoes? So doesn't meddle in others’ business suggest that we care for them? What exactly are the characteristic of behaviour and definition of meddling in others’ affairs? Everyone, please think about it. [00′50″]

From the context of Master’s teaching, if someone who does not have the know-how in cultivation starts to get involved in others’ business, or interfere with other people’s practice, then he has to use the magical mirror for revealing ‘demons’. Why? Why is that he doesn’t have a beautiful mirror of observe-merits-and-appreciate-kindness [OMAK]? That is because we haven’t made it a habit to apply the teaching in our cultivation. Thus the “OMAK mirror” is yet to be cultivated. Since the only mirror left is the magical mirror for revealing demons, we would look at other people with it. Will looking at others with such mirror help them lead a better life? Would they become better people because of this? [By applying the magical mirror], could we truly help them? If not, what will happen? The consequence is that with such a habit, we will lose our respect towards others and it is detrimental to ourselves as well. Hence, in terms of the goal and the aspiration for the betterment of self and others, we fail to reach such goal and fulfill such aspiration; instead, we waste our time and effort. Isn’t this meddling in other people’s affairs? [02′05″]

Why is it very easy to meddle in others’ business? “For it is how we sentient beings would normally behave.” There lies a profound, implicit meaning in this statement. Regarding “This could actually happen very easily”, what does “this” refer to? Does it refer to the fact that we don’t apply the teaching on ourselves, but rather we apply it specifically on meddling in other people’s affairs? This happens very easily, right? Master said, “This could actually happen very easily.” What does it mean by saying “this is how we sentient being would normally behave”? That is the way we are; we are not used to applying the teaching on ourselves, nor are we good at it. However, we have the habit of pointing out the faults of others far and near. [Why?] It is because we have not mastered the practice of examining inwardly and taming innately. [02′49″]

That is why Master said, “Often, with this latent propensity from beginningless time, we rarely make the effort to examine our mentality inwardly.” The latent propensity has been formed since beginningless time; how long is this beginningless time? What is the length of it? What is latent propensity? Throughout the long immeasurable eons till now, a period of time without a starting point, we immerse in such habitual tendencies, we are so familiar with them that we would react without awareness; we would respond and behave to any arising condition without any specific motivation; we just make it happen so easily. Make what happen? What is it? That is, not that easy to see ourselves [because of our habitual tendencies], but oddly enough, we “are very willing to point out the faults of others.” Do you all agree with these two statements? With so many years of practicing the teaching, say ten, twenty, or even up to thirty years, do you agree that it is not easy to examine ourselves, but very easy to point out the faults of others? Or do you find neither examining yourself nor pointing out the faults of others an easy thing to do? It is very easy to point out the faults of others, right? For instance, the shortcomings of others are so obvious that with only a glance we seem to spot them easily, right? And seem to understand well at second glance. But if we turn around and examine ourselves, do we find it hard to understand these selves of ours? Would we feel that we don’t understand ourselves at all? Would we regard ourselves as a complete stranger? Would we consider our mind to be a stranger too, it seems we have been walking along the same path with this “stranger” of ours for so many years. [04′28″]

Do you feel that it is not easy to understand yourself? In fact, if you analyze Master’s words closely, would you still feel it this way? Here lies the profound meaning I just mentioned earlier. Master said our normal behavior is to “meddle in other people’s affairs”, and we find it happens very easily. Why? Because that is the way we have been since beginningless time. Why is it so since beginningless time? Everyone can further explore into it. One of the reasons is that we blame others and the external world for all the sufferings we have in our lives. We would keep looking at others, hoping others to change and rectify themselves; if the adjustments are made from the external objects, we would be much happier in our minds and our lives. However, we have not realized that the mind has the power to attain enlightenment and awareness. The nature of the mind is luminous. Thus if we could realize that there is no intrinsic existence of the mind, we could then remove the cause of suffering and completely resolve the sufferings in life. Due to such confusion, we have been habituated to the existence of an intrinsic nature for long eons, and never have we understood our mind! [05′53″]

Having read this statement [“This could actually happen very easily”], how can we apply it to adjust ourselves? Actually, we can deliberate over it: when getting up in the morning, do I pay more attention to my three karmic doors and the deeds I engage in? Or do I behave as what Master said, with both eyes looking outwardly, checking on others doing such and such, totally watching outwardly? It is very easy for our six sensory faculties to speed through the six external sensory objects [v.1 p.102]; it is very difficult to bring our mind within. Even if some do manage to bring their mind within, but the next moment they let go of it. Once the mind is composed inwardly, sometimes we can’t even see anything [wrong about ourselves.] So, this is the first issue; from beginningless time, is it our latent propensity that makes observing ourselves hard, yet it is very easy for us to point out the faults of others? [06′40″]

讲次 0105

科判 道前基础

主题 〈皈敬颂〉造论宗旨

音档 2B 27:08 ~ 28:07

日期 : 2019/04/01 ~ 04/03

广论段落 P1-LL1 今勤瑜伽多寡闻……复乏理辩教义力

手抄页/行 第1册 P63-L6 ~ P63-LL1　( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P63-L7 ~ P63-LL1 )

手抄段落 那么说：好、好、好！ ......这个是非常严重的事情！

师父说：[这个事情的的确确很容易]，管别人闲事很容易，大家会认为管别人闲事很容易吗？ [00′11″]

首先我们可以区分一下，管别人闲事是不是出于利他心？我是因为想帮忙别人才管别人的，那为什么管别人成了闲事而不是正事呢？师父不是教导我们要利他吗？要代人着想？那管别人闲事是不是关心别人？管别人闲事的行相和定义到底是怎样的？大家可以想一想。 [00′50″]

从师父讲的上下文看来，如果一个不会修行的人管别人闲事，如果一个不会修行的人管别人修行，必须用到照妖镜，为什么呢？为什么没有一个美丽的观功念恩的镜子呢？因为我们未曾惯修，那个镜子还没有修出来，只有照妖镜，所以只好用照妖镜照别人。用这样的镜子照了别人之后，别人的生命会变美好吗？别人会因此变善良吗？真的能够帮忙到别人吗？如果帮不到，会怎样呢？反而以这样的习惯伤害了自己对他人的恭敬心，自己也害了。所以从令自他都变美好这样一个目标和愿望来看，这个目标和愿望根本没有达成，浪费了时间、浪费了心力，是不是就成了管别人闲事呢？ [02′05″]

为什么管别人很容易呢？因为[我们众生的常态。]这句话有一个很深的、很深的玄机。说：[这个事情]，请问这个事情是什么事情？是不是自己不修，还专门管别人闲事？这很容易吧？说：[的的确确很容易]。我们众生的常态是什么意思？就是我平常就是这样子的，我们不习惯也不善于修行自己，却习惯到处看别人毛病，因为向内观察、向内调伏的功夫还没有学会。 [02′49″]

所以说师父说：[平常我们哪，这个任何一个人，因为无始以来我的习气在，所以看自己不大容易。]无始劫来的习气，无始劫来多长？多长时间呢？什么叫习气？没有开始，经过长劫无法计算的时间一直到现在，我们泡在一种习惯中，这种习惯是那么熟练，习惯到自己都没有发觉就可以做、可以想，习惯到自己不用特别策励，就轻而易举地那样做出来的。哪样做呢？就是什么？看自己不大容易，然后奇怪了！ [看别人很容易。]这两句话大家在心里可以认可吗？修行这么多年了，十年了、二十年了，有的三十年了，会觉得看自己不容易、看别人容易吗？还是你们觉得看自己也不容易、看别人也不容易？看别人很容易，对不对？比如他有什么问题，就好像一目了然的样子，对不对？看两眼就觉得好像看懂了。然后看自己，看自己会看不懂吗？会觉得我们看不懂自己吗？你会觉得你是自己的陌生者吗？你会觉得你的心是一个陌生的人，好像你跟一个陌生的人同路走了这么多年一样？ [04′28″]

会觉得看自己不容易吗？其实你认真地去抉择师父的话，你会觉得是这样吗？我说的玄机即在此处，师父说我们的常态就是[爱管别人闲事]，而且很容易就管了，为什么呢？因为无始劫来就这样。无始劫来为什么这样？大家可以好好地去参究一下。其中有一个理由，我们会认为我们生命的痛苦都是别人和环境造成的，会一直看着别人，希望别人能够改正，从境那方面调整，我们的心、我们的生命可能就快乐了。我们没有意识到心有明而觉知的力量，心的本性是光明的，如果能够在心上明了无自性，去除心中的苦因，就能够彻底地解决生命的痛苦。我们就是因为迷惑此点，长劫串习自性执，不曾明了自心啊！ [05′53″]

如果看了这句话的话，我们怎样拿这句话来修正自己呢？其实可以想一想：我早晨一起来，我是把所有的注意力更关注在我的三业、我所造作的业的观察上？还是像师父说的。眼睛都长在外面看别人怎样怎样、都看外面？很容易，我们的六根驰于外境——六尘，很难收摄内心；有的就算收摄了，一会又放出了；一收摄的时候甚至是什么也看不到。所以这是第一个问题，无始劫来我们的习气是不是很难看到自己？看到别人很容易。 [06′40″]