Lecture No. 0081
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0081
Date: 2019/01/07 ~ 01/09
Outline: Foundation
Topic: Opening Veneration – Veneration before commentary
English Lamrim Vol 1, Page 33
Vol. 1 of Master’s discourse handbook P58-LL5 ~ P59-L8
Greetings to all! It is time for us to study Lamrim together again! I have read some of your feedbacks. Some classmates listened to the Global Lamrim II while taking the high-speed rail and some while traveling on the road. It seems that all of you are listening to the Global Lamrim II wherever you are, at your respective locations. I really rejoice with every one of you for listening with such joyous perseverance. [00′23″]
If we all try to make time out of our busy schedule to listen to Master’s recorded teaching every day, this can serve as our daily motivation shaper. [Why?] Because we are very susceptible to matters, big or small, happening in our lives. Suppose we might think, “Well! Let’s see what my schedule is for tomorrow?” Then we would turn on our cell phones and check if anyone texts or there is anything that requires immediate attention. Thus, it seems that our daily schedule is led by the messages we receive in the cell phones; that is, how we spend our day is determined primarily by the text messages we receive in our cell phones. [00′58″]
In fact, most of the messages on our cell phones are sent by others, but how do we want to spend our day? What we should do first thing in the morning is to establish a proper mindset, thinking something like “How truly fortunate I am to have another day of leisure or quasi-leisure life to live today.” Accordingly, we should uphold the Mahayana aspiration, cherish every minute and every second that we have as if they are precious gold, and engage in kind deeds that comply with the sublime teaching, gurus, and the Three Jewels. Because such kind deeds will not only bring about great benefits to our present lives but also our future lives. And only by engaging in such karmic deeds, we can eradicate suffering and attain happiness. However, if we don’t establish a proper mindset and engage in proper contemplation when we wake up in the morning, we would be engulfed by many messages coming from various parts of the world. In fact, it requires quite an effort and consumes a lot of time just to catch up with all these messages; [that’s not the end of it,] there will be almost about the same numbers of messages coming through again tomorrow! [01′56″]
Then, what exactly are the things that we should do in our lives? We must prioritize them! Actually, we have covered this topic in the earlier Global Lamrim II discourses - the matter that requires our immediate attention should be something that is directly related to the issue of how to eradicate suffering and attain happiness. Since there are so many things to do, and so many goals [we would like] to accomplish in this life, in order to arrange the order and priority properly we have to uphold proper mindset. For instance, mindfulness of death will help us realize no matter how many possessions we have in this life, we have to let go once it’s time for us to depart. Understandably, it is not worth the effort to hold strong attachment [to our possessions] or hostility [toward others]; instead, we must have a lifelong plan for our lives. [02′40″]
If we can practise mindfulness of death the first thing in the morning, and cultivate a strong aspiration and take refuge when the fear of falling into the miserable realms arises, our mind can thus be transformed. Even though it only takes a few minutes, that moment [of transformation] is very valuable to our entire day! The commentary on Lamrim which Master imparted, will serve as a reminder every day, prompting us to explore the question - Whom should we go for refuge while facing the fast approaching matters, the swift passing of yesterday, the previous moment quickly turning into the present moment, the quick disappearance of the next moment and such impermanence [happening around us]? We would respond, “Take refuge in the guru, and in the Three Jewels!” Hence, what is the most essential thing to do after taking refuge in the guru and in the Three Jewels? That is, we need to vigilantly watch out for our three karmic doors [namely, body, speech, and mind] and knowing what to reject and what to adopt. [03′27″]
Then, why should we strive so hard to stay minutely vigilant over what to reject and what to adopt? That is because non-virtuous deeds lead to suffering while virtuous deeds will bring about happiness. And such sense of happiness and suffering affect us physically and mentally! Accordingly, we can’t overlook this issue, knowing about it yet pretending otherwise, or sometimes totally forget about it. Or at other times, under the influence of some afflictive tendencies, we commit an act on purpose because we are not able to make a timely decision. All of these require us to have our minds properly trained during the process of listening to the teachings. After we keep practicing, training and drilling for a while, the wilderness of our mind can be harmonized and gradually tamed through acting in accordance to Buddha’s teachings; that is, we can control our minds instead of the other way around. Until then, we are truly in charge physically and mentally. [04′14″]
Indeed, to take full command of one’s body and mind would surely require some efforts. Is there anything that you can achieve without putting in any effort? Everything in life does require some effort, even for our livelihood, nothing comes without effort! Even if it seems that good things happen out of nowhere, actually, they are the ripening of our virtuous karma from past eons. Everything that arises must be from a cause; nothing comes to us adventitiously. Since everything requires effort, and for a matter as crucial as alleviating suffering and attaining happiness, we should take the ultimate responsibility and exert our best endeavours, for this is worthy of our efforts! [04′50″]
I am very pleased that we are able to study Global Lamrim II together every day, especially in such a huge classroom! Before listening to the teaching, I still hope everyone can examine your mental continuum, and adjust it to the Mahayana motivation - for the sake of liberating the immeasurable motherly beings from the sufferings in cyclic existence, we must achieve Buddhahood. Only when we become a Buddha, we can fully benefit ourselves and others [with complete methods and wisdom]. Upholding such an aspiration to listen to the “Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment”, we then can accord with this commentary as well as align with the effort put in by Master to guide us. [05′31″]
Are you ready? If you are, let’s begin! Today we are going to study the “Introduction of the Four Interwoven Annotations”; everyone please turn to page 58 [the Chinese text]. Let’s go through the section with the red, black and blue wordings:
I bow to the feet of Nagarjuna Bodhisattva [so named as he is equivalent to Naga and Arjuna] and Asanga Bodhisattva, known as the two trailblazers respectively, Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and Asanga Bodhisattva.
Thoroughly renowned throughout the three levels,
Through demonstrating the two [vast and profound] meanings became the Ornaments of Jambudvipa, which was named after the Jambudvipa tree , who individually wrote exact commentaries on the original intent of the Buddha:
The Mother of, who is able to produce three types of sages and Conquerors,
[like] the sutra says, “It is difficult for anyone to fathom its meaning no matter how you explained ;” so difficult to fathom the utmost [main] essence of all Buddha’s teachings. [06′29″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0081】
讲次 0081
科判 道前基础
主题 〈皈敬颂〉论前皈敬
日期 2019/01/07 ~ 01/09
广论段落 P1-L6 如极难量胜者教……我礼龙猛无着足
入门段落 第1册 P58-LL5 ~ P59-L8 又，其后礼赞二大车者……[极难量]就是在说明这一点。
大家好！又到了我们一起学习《广论》的时间了！我有看你们给我写的一些回馈，有一些同学是在高铁上听的；还听到你们在旅途中、在各自不同的地方听全广。很随喜大家这样努力精进地听闻。 [00′23″]
在每一天的时光中，如果能抽出一段时间来听师父的带子，对我们这一天来说都是一个意乐的提策。因为我们非常非常容易被眼前发生的这些大大小小的事情牵着走，比如说：[欸！看看明天有什么事呢？]就把手机打开看一看有谁发短信了，好像有什么事情就赶快处理一下。这种样子看起来，就是手机上的信息会指导我们一天的行程，我们会根据手机决定怎么过这样一天。 [00′58″]
但实际上很多手机上的信是别人发给自己的，而自己到底要怎样度过这一天呢？早晨起来应该提一个正念，比如说：很幸运，我又能用暇满或暇满的随顺这样度过今天，那么应该以一个大乘的发心，惜时如金，用每一分、每一秒的时光，多对正法、对上师三宝造作一些非常良善的业。因为这种业对我们的现世及来生都有莫大的好处，也唯有这种业才能够帮助我们离苦得乐。可是如果早晨不去提正念、作意思惟的话，我们就会被旋转在世界各地的这些信息包围。其实光是把这信息读完就要花很多时间，而且明天可能还有这么大量的信息又来了！ [01′56″]
那么到底在我们的生命中，什么事情是非做不可的，一定要排一个次序！这个在全广前面都讲过了：有一件事情非做不可的，而且那件事情直接关乎于我们离苦得乐。因为我们会发现每天都有太多事情要做，而且此生有太多的目标要完成，那么它的次第到底是怎样的，我们要每天提正念才能够排序好。比如说修念死无常，才知道我们此生无论拥有多少，到了那一天都要放手；这样的话，太强烈的贪、瞋对我们来说就很不划算，因为我们必须对生命有一个长远的打算和规划。 [02′40″]
一旦我们早晨起来思惟一下念死，由怖畏恶趣而生起强烈的皈依心，能够转动心意的话，哪怕只有几分钟，对我们的这一天的生命都是非常难能可贵的！而师父讲的《广论》，就会每天提醒我们，面对现在迅速迎面而来的这些事情、迅速消逝的昨天，乃至前一刹那迅速地又成为现在一刹那、后一刹那这样迅速消逝的这个无常，到底我们的心要皈依谁？我们说：皈依上师三宝！那么皈依上师三宝，最重要的事情是什么？就是时时刻刻要警醒自己的三业舍恶取善。 [03′27″]
为什么要这么专精地舍恶取善呢？因为恶业会带来痛苦，善业会带来快乐，而那个感受快乐和痛苦的就是我们的身心啊！所以我们是不能对这件事知道了却忽略它，或者有的时候全忘了，甚至有的时候是明知故犯，被一些烦恼习气所牵引，无法在境界面前做得了主。像这些都要在听法的时候好好地训练自己的心，训练久了、训练久了，调伏这个狂心，让它慢慢地沿着佛陀的教诫被驯服——让它去哪里，它就去哪里；不让它去哪里，它就不去哪里。这样的话，我们对自己的身心才能做得了主。 [04′14″]
当然要达到这样的自主身心，确实要花上一番功夫。但是做什么事不花功夫呢？就算是在世间赚钱，哪有事情不花功夫就可以天上掉下来的！如果从天上掉下来的那个好事情，正好掉在自己面前，也是往昔劫自己努力的结果，没有无因生的、突然而出现的东西。既然什么事情都要经过努力，那么对于离苦得乐这么关键的一件事情，我们应该也责无旁贷地付出我们的努力，因为这是非常非常值得做的事情！ [04′50″]
特别特别开心在每天学习全广的时候，我们能在这样一个大课堂里一起学习！在听闻之前，还是希望大家能够观察一下自己的相续，把自己的相续调整到一个大乘的意乐——为了无穷无尽的如母有情能够从苦难的轮回里脱离出来这个目标，我们必须去成佛，成佛才能究竟地自利利他圆满。怀着这样的一个意乐来听闻《菩提道次第广论》，才能和这一本论典相应，也才能和师父教导我们的这个心相应。 [05′31″]
你们都准备好了吗？如果准备好了的话就开始了！今天我们是要学《四家合注入门》，请大家把书翻到五十八页，看下面有红字、黑字，还有蓝字的那个部分：