Lecture No. 0112
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0112
Tape：3A 02:25 ~ 03:26
Date ：2019/04/25 ~ 04/28
Outline: Foundation
Topic: Prologue – Veneration at the beginning of the commentary
English Lamrim Vol. 1, Pg 33-34
Vol. 1 of Master’s discourse handbook P68-L2 ~ P68-L6
Let’s continue listening to the next paragraph.
[3A 02:25 ~ 03:26]
In another case: well, meditation practice actually should start from listening to the teachings, the practitioner indeed begin by listening to the teachings in a systematic manner. Originally, after listening to the teachings, one is expected to validate what one has learned by putting it into practice, which is the true purpose of listening to the teachings. Unfortunately, there is another common mistake: those who have heard the teachings do not apply [them] properly. Thus, it turns out that those who have heard a lot of the teachings are not “skilled in the key points of practice;” that is the scenario. Therefore, the result is that those who study much utter a lot of hollow words, while those yoga practitioners are practicing blindly and training aimlessly. This is very regrettable! [01′04″]
Take a look at this paragraph! Master said, actually where should one begin one’s cultivation/practice? From listening to the teachings. Take heed! The word “should” appear in front of the statement “start from listening to the teachings”. Let’s think it over again: where should cultivation begin? It starts from listening to the teachings. Is it a must to listen to the teaching? Yes, it is! Would that be enough? What else is needed? One’s listening to the teachings has to be in a systematic order, which suggests the knowledge of the “stages of the path” is also required. So, this is referring to listening to Buddha’s teachings, right? It means that if a practitioner wants to start cultivating, he must begin from listening to the Dharma, and “should” start from listening to Buddha’s teachings. Not only should one begin from listening to Buddha’s teachings, one must also follow the sequence of the stages of the path. After listening to the teachings, one must further validate what one has learned. Why? For this is the purpose of listening to the teaching. [02′15″]
What does it mean by “validating what one has learned”? Why “validate”? Pay attention! Brace up and ponder carefully: what does the word “validate” mean? Is it to internalise what one has learned by putting it into practice, to allow the corresponding capacity, similar to listening, to arise internally, or to realize what to cast aside and what to adopt? Is this what “validate” means? And Master continued to say: “that is the true purpose of listening to the teachings”. Hence, the reason we listen to Buddha’s teachings is to enable the use of our body and mind to put into practice what we have learned and to validate the benefits Buddha Dharma have on us. This is the proper way to apply the Buddha Dharma. [03′03″]
However, Master said: “Unfortunately, there is another common mistake!” From the word “unfortunately”, we are still able to sense the profound compassion Master had for us! Here is another pitfall. What kind of pitfall? That is, those who listened to the teachings do not practice accordingly, so those who have heard a lot of teachings could not fully comprehend the intended meaning. Thus, although the practitioner has heard a lot, Master said the practitioner is merely uttering hollow words. [03′34″]
For this aspect, we have already discussed the self-analysis in the previous discourse. In the previous discourse, Master said that this is a type of shortcoming – not putting what one has heard into practice, but just stop short there. What is the other type of shortcoming? That is, one does not apply what one has learned for self-examination but ‘specialise’ in minding others’ affairs. Under such condition, would the teaching one has learned be useful? Is there any efficacy? Wasn’t it applied? Wasn’t it applied to meddle in others’ affairs? Isn’t it so? Yes, it was applied, but how has it been applied? Master asked, is it very easy to apply the teaching in this way? It is actually quite easy. Because what really is the reaction of living beings since beginningless time? Master explained that due to our latent propensities from beginningless time, which we haven’t eliminated yet, we are very, very used to examining others and minding others’ business. [04′24″]
About minding others’ business, even though we tried very hard to turn minding others’ business into minding for the sake of benefiting others, most of the time we do it because we dislike others, right? Their minds are afflicted, so we need to subdue them; or we feel uncomfortable with them around, so we try to stop them from bothering us. Thus, how much of our help is out of the compassion toward others, or we truly want to benefit others? This is something we should examine inwardly. [04′49″]
Hence, Master said we follow our latent propensity from beginningless time to find fault with others instead of examining ourselves inwardly. So, how come this latent propensity from beginningless time is not the other way around? Why are we not examining ourselves daily, and don’t look at others, yet we are looking at others, not at ourselves? Instead of pointing out others’ faults every day, but why is that we examine others instead of ourselves? Why do we have such a tendency? Would you bring up such a strange question? What is your answer? [05′12″]
While I was trying to come up with an answer to this question, Master said it is easy to see the faults of others, but it is very difficult to see our own faults. We are so familiar with this habit of seeing the faults of others. It is hard for us to break this habit, even though we have heard lots of teachings. In fact, listening to lots of teachings is to reflect on ourselves; it should be the more we learn, the more clearly we can spot our flaws, it gets easier to identify and the faster we can react to it. What should we change that habit of seeing the faults of others into? To see our own faults spontaneously. However, we have not applied the reasoning we have learned to examine ourselves more clearly. Instead, we continue to reinforce the karmic deed of “easily seeing the faults of others;” we did not invert the direction of such observation. [05′54″]
Do you still remember [in teaching #104] Master mentioned: “For worldly beings, the standards are based upon the worldly level and everyone can be very careless.” However, once we have studied Buddha Dharma, the standard is raised; the result is we will apply a very high standard to measure everyone. Once this happens, what did Master say? Still remember? “This is not good!” That is harmful! It not only “harms” others but also “harm” us! [06′22″]
When we first heard these expressions from Master, I wonder if you were all surprised? Master said it is like the demon-revealing mirror. Everyone can think about it: we were fine listening to the teaching, but why is it like a demon-revealing mirror when we apply the teaching on others? To what extent does this demon-revealing mirror reflect? Master said, “Take a look at it! Everyone would be revealed as a goblin or demon; no one is decent.” If that were the case, what would the world look like? That is, it is almost like a total denial and hardly anyone is decent! Who is the only one that is left out? Master pointed out precisely and incisively that we fail to see our own faults! Then Master followed by saying: “this is a pretty serious matter!” “Just like that; this is a pretty serious matter!” Why is it a very serious matter? In the previous paragraph, it said: “This is not good”, is it a very serious self-detrimental behaviour? One has benefited neither self nor others. Thus, it is indeed a very serious matter. After hearing Buddha Dharma, we do not apply it on improving ourselves. Instead, we use it as a yardstick to measure others; when we discover that others do not meet the measured standards, we develop very strong afflictions. Sometimes we may even look down on others with very strong arrogance! [07′41″]
Actually, this section of the teaching can benefit us tremendously for the rest of our life; the lasting benefit can even extend to the infinite future, life after life. [The tendency of seeing the faults of others] is definitely a negative habit of ours from beginningless time! That is, with what we have heard, if we do not apply it in proper practice accordingly, we would easily apply it the other way around. Apply it to what? That is, we would apply the teaching to evaluate other people, and judge them with a very high standard. When we, standing on high grounds and use a very high standard to judge others, does that attitude imply that we have already mastered Buddha Dharma? Have we truly mastered the teaching? If we are not at that level, yet criticize others by that standard; in fact, we have not even mastered the most fundamental practice of Buddha Dharma! [08′29″]
What is the most fundamental practice? It is to reflect the Dharma mirror on ourselves, apply the standards that Buddha established for us to measure ourselves, to examine ourselves – thus understanding how many flaws we have, and rectify them upon reflection. The more one has reflected, the more flaws one would notice; that is how Buddha Dharma should be applied, and that is the exact opposite of our latent propensity from beginningless time. [09′00″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0112】
讲次 0112
科判 道前基础
主题 〈皈敬颂〉造论宗旨
音档 3A 02:25 ~ 03:26
日期 2019/04/25 ~ 04/28
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 P68-L2 ~ P68-L6 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P68-L1 ~ P68-L6 )
手抄段落 那么另外一种呢......这个非常可惜的事情！
我们接着听下一段。
那么另外一种呢，说，啊！原来修行哪它必须要从听闻佛法开始，所以他，是的，就依照着次第做听闻。本来听闻了以后，应该进一步把所了解的，紧跟着去如何验证，这个才是真正听闻的目的。不幸又犯了错误，说听闻的人哪，他又不好好地去修行，所以广闻的人又不能认真善巧了解这个道理，这样。结果这么一来的话呢，广闻的人就变成功空口说白话，修行的人就变成功盲修瞎链，这个非常可惜的事情！ [01′04″]
看这一段喔！师父说：原来修行它必须要从哪里开始？听闻佛法开始。注意！ [从听闻佛法开始]前面有[必须]两个字。可以再想一下，修行必须从哪里开始呢？要从听闻佛法开始。听闻佛法一定是必须的吗？是必须的！这样就够了吗？还有什么？要依着次第做听闻，还要知道[道次第]。所以这是在说听闻，对吧？在说一个修行人他要修行的话，那一定要从听闻佛法开始，而且[必须]要从听闻佛法开始；不仅仅是必须要从听闻佛法开始，还要依照次第听闻。听闻之后，就应该进一步把所了解的紧跟着去验证，为什么呢？因为这是听闻佛法的目的。 [02′15″]
那么什么叫[验证]呢？何为验证？注意！提起精神来，仔细考虑一下：什么叫验证？是不是把所听来的教理在内心中去实践，在内心中去生起如听闻那样所说的一个量，或者进行那样的取舍修，叫验证？然后师父说：[这个才是真正听闻的目的。]所以我们听闻佛法是为了能够用自己的身心实践佛法、验证佛法在我们身心上的饶益。正常状态是这样的。 [03′03″]
但是师父说：[不幸又犯了错误！][不幸]这两个字，还是可以感受到师父对我们深深的悲悯吧！又犯了错误了。犯了什么错误呢？就是听闻的人啊，不好好地去修行，广闻的人又不能认真善巧地了解这个道理。所以虽然听了很广，师父说就变成空口说白话了。 [03′34″]
这个在上节课已经有一个对自我的观察。师父在上节课说这是一种毛病，听了之后没有拿它来实修，就只是停在那里。还有一种毛病是什么呢？就是自己不修，还专门管别人闲事。这个时候，所听到的有没有用呢？有没有用？不是用了吗？不是用来管闲事了吗？对不对？用了，是怎么用的呀？师父说这样用容不容易？是很容易的。因为众生无始劫来的常态到底是什么呢？师父说平常我们任何一个人，因为无始来的习气，无时无刻在内心中都没有去掉它，所以我们非常非常地习惯看别人、管别人。 [04′24″]
这里边的管别人，我们极力地想把它变成好像是为了利益他人而管的，但是大多数的是看别人不顺眼吧！内心里有烦恼，所以要制伏他一下，或者说使他不要在旁边碍眼，心里很不舒服。到底有几许是出自于对他人的悲悯心，或者真挚的一种饶益他人的心而去管的呢？这个自己可以观察。 [04′49″]
所以师父说我们顺了无始劫来的习气，就是看别人、不看自己。那么为什么无始劫来我们的习气不是反的呢？我们为什么不是天天看自己、不看别人，而是看别人、不看自己呢？为什么我们有这样的习气呢？大家会提这样奇怪的问题吗？你们的答案是什么？ [05′12″]
当我心里想这个答案的时候，师父说因为看别人很容易，看自己很困难。就好像非常非常熟悉看别人这样一个习惯，听了很多法之后，这个习惯还是没有改。听了很多，实际上是要看自己，而且要看自己越来越清楚、越来越容易、越来越快速，是要这样的。应该把[看别人容易]变成什么？看自己容易。可是我们听来的道理没有用来看自己越来越清晰，而是继续加深[看别人容易]这样的业，没有扭转观察的方向。 [05′54″]
还记得上节课师父说：那么世间的人，他那个标准本来就是世间的标准，大家都马马虎虎的。可是一旦学了佛法之后，那个标准提高了，结果我们就会用一个非常高的标准去看待所有的人。这样一看的时候，接着师父说了三个字，什么？还记得吗？ [那害了！]害了！ [害」人的害、[害]己的害。 [06′22″]
刚开始大家听到师父说这几个字的时候，不知道你们会不会被吓一跳？说像照妖镜一样。大家可以想一想：我们听得好好的，去照别人的时候，为什么居然像个照妖镜一样呢？这照妖镜照到什么程度？说：[这一看哪！世间所有的人都是妖魔鬼怪，没有一个像样的。]如果是这样的话，这样看出去的世界还能看吗？就是几乎全否了，几乎没有一个像样的人哪！然后只有谁没看到？师父就非常非常一针见血地告诉我们说：我们自己没有看到！然后师父接着说：这是一个非常严重的事情！ [就是这样，这个是非常严重的事情！]为什么这是一个非常严重的事情？前面说：[害了]，是个非常严重的自害行为吗？自己没有利益到自己，也没有利益到他人，所以这是个大事情。听完了佛法之后没有拿来修行自己，然后拿了这个标准到处去衡量别人，发现别人不够这个标准之后就生猛烈的烦恼，甚至有时候会看不起别人，生起了很强的慢心吧！ [07′41″]
其实这一段我们可以终身受用，乃至生生世世受用无穷的。这确实是我们无始劫来的一个恶习呀！就是我们听了之后，一旦没有拿来修行的时候，它就会被反过来用。用去干什么了呢？就是去评价别人、去评判别人，然后会站在一个很高的标准。当自己站在一个很高的标准上去评判别人的时候，那种感觉仿佛自己对法已经了解了吗？当站在那个标准上看的时候，好像自己已经跟那个标准合一了吗？真的合一了吗？如果自己也不是那个标准，只是拿那个标准去评判别人的话，实际上连最初的佛法的修链都没有学会呀！ [08′29″]
最初的就是什么呀？就是要拿这面镜子看自己，拿佛陀为我们建立的标准来衡量自己、来看自己——看我自己有多少过失，看了之后要去改。看自己是越看越多、越看越多，是这样的一个方式，正好是跟无始劫来很容易的那个习惯是反的。 [09′00″]