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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0093

Tape：2B 19:16 ~ 20:10

Date: 2019/02/18 ~ 02/20

Outline: Foundation

Topic: Prologue – Veneration at the beginning of the commentary

English Lamrim Vol 1, Page 33

Vol. 1 of Master’s discourse handbook P59-L4 ~ P59-LL6

Very well. Let’s listen to the next paragraph of Master’s recording. [2B 19:16 ~ 20:10]

Likewise, it also can be applied to our learning. In fact, each one of us has a different innate nature. If you can realize this point, your advancement will be the easiest and most complete. Those who lean toward wisdom should not neglect compassion; those who lean toward compassion should not neglect wisdom, either. Otherwise, it is obvious that applying too much skilful-means, in contemporary terms, “being too lax obviously will ruin your spiritual practice!” On the surface, [being too flexible in skilful-means] brings about sleaziness and appears to be a total mess, but the underlying truth is that it will lead to downfall. Despite your kind intentions to promulgate the Dharma and apply the teaching, after all the effort, you end up [being reborn] in the hell realm! In this case, it would be much better if you do not apply the teaching! Thus, it is very important to properly and skilfully balance the two [wisdom and compassion] at all times. [00′59″]

Speaking of innate nature, Master said that each one of us has different innate nature and the difference is between being sharp or dull. Some people are smarter while others are slow-witted. When it comes to studying Dharma, such difference is likely to manifest itself as being fast or slow in learning the teaching. If one is slow-witted but strives with all might, and persists in studying scriptures as extensively and deeply as possible, one might attain sharp faculty. Different innate nature requires different guidance. Different habitual tendency develops into different innate nature. All of us aspire to attain sharp faculty, but how are we able to leverage on very little effort and yet attain remarkable achievement? Everyone would crave for such kind of practice. However, sometimes one exerts a lot of effort, yet instead of progressing, one regresses. [01′50″]

Master said, “If you can realize this point, your advancement will be the easiest and most complete. Those who lean toward wisdom should not neglect compassion; those who lean toward compassion should not neglect wisdom, either.” Pay attention! He said, “If you can realize this point.” What does “this point” refer to? Which point is it? Did he mean that we should pay attention to our propensity toward our preference [for either compassion or wisdom]? But how do we recognize our propensity? If we are to examine ourselves, can we notice our preference clearly? For instance, we would easily notice that some people tend to have more mood swings than others. Which side are they leaning toward? It is hard to know; that is, sometimes their minds seem very disturbed, more susceptible to the influence of both suffering and happiness, is this right? This is one type of people. There is another type of people, whose emotions we cannot detect from their facial expressions. They look calm but would burst with anger someday, like the outbreak of mountain flash floods, very dreadful! It would surprise us that why such normally peaceful persons would all of a sudden lose control of emotions. Hence, what exactly is the tendency of a person? To recognize one’s tendency is not an easy task! So when we are analysing ourselves, several doubts may arise, and sometimes it may completely be beyond our comprehension. At this juncture, having guidance from an experienced person is so rare and precious! [03′20″]

Usually we need to consult virtuous teachers to precisely understand our own faults and bias. For instance, one may study very hard for a period of time and become quite pleased with the benefits gained from the teaching. However, after he verified what he learned with Master, Master might say, “Ah! This is overdoing!” And Master would continue, “You might need to start all over again with what you consider to be making progress, and you need to practice from another perspective.” So over here, Master told us again that on the path of spiritual training, we cannot be away from virtuous teachers, because virtuous teachers can identify and rectify the weakness lying underneath our innate nature and latent propensity. The reason is that we are not able to understand ourselves clearly, nor do we have the experience to guide ourselves. [04′09″]

If we rely on virtuous teachers, they will teach us how to cultivate; they are in a way like a mirror, constantly and repeatedly guiding us to observe whether our learning is inclined to a certain aspect, and thus neglect other parts of learning. As for the latent propensity, it is not easy for us to clearly identify what our own latent propensity is, what our weaknesses and strengths are, or even know how to improve ourselves. Thus in the beginning of our training, if we don’t have the guidance from an experienced teacher, chances are we will take the wrong medicine due to our own erroneous prescription. Therefore, it is definitely arduous for us to make the necessary adjustment from leaning toward a certain side and to become perfectly coordinated at any given moment. Without the guidance of a virtuous teacher, this is absolutely impossible! How could it be possible to achieve perfect coordination at any given time? [05′15″]

For instance, some are inclined toward caring about others’ feeling. It seems easier for them to empathize with the sufferings of others; they can identify others’ sorrow easily. However, if they have overly developed this attitude of sensing others’ suffering, is it possible that their principles will be compromised? Suppose there is someone who is addicted to drugs, and you are helping with his rehab. If you care too much about the suffering he may have during the process, you won’t be able to persist in your effort to help him out. For you could not bear to see him suffer. Then your attempt fail. So, this kind of caring is only temporary and passing; we overlook the fact that he has been tormented for a long time. So this type of care is short-lived and the understanding is tainted. In fact, this is not a true sense of understanding or caring, do you agree? [06′13″]

Take the Loving-Care Education for example. Some people asked me, “If we are all to focus on Loving-Care Education, what about the guiding principles?” Actually, the answer I have in mind is, without caring, how can we talk about the principles? Caring in itself is also a principle. “Caring” means to care about their present and future goals in life; love shares the same meaning as loving compassion, namely, to remove others’ suffering and bring them happiness. Hence, as for caring about others’ life goals, we need to establish a lifelong supreme goal, a proper path to remove suffering and attain happiness; that is, to build up proper perceptions. During the course of the establishment, one needs to understand the difficulties the students face, and to accompany them to work out an approach to overcome them, so that they can eliminate the suffering and walk on the bright and promising path ahead. [07′03″]

Only through caring for one person with undivided attention, you will then be able to convey fundamental guiding principles, rather than imposing those principles on him to make him accept the guidance. So Loving-Care Education is the first step. However, some students mistook it for being permissive and lenient, as if the teachers are easier on them and they could get away with more. Actually, such kind of caring and love is not the care and love that I meant; it could be a menace! This kind of edification is not education, either; it has lost the essence of education. [07′35″]

Education to me shares the same characteristic as loving compassion; namely, it is to provide happiness and remove suffering. It is to provide what kind of happiness and remove what kind of suffering? The ultimate suffering and happiness should not be judged by temporary sensation. Temporary happiness does not represent true happiness or lasting happiness, and it is not necessarily the cause of happiness either. The ultimate happiness has to be faultless, and such happiness would not bring residual side effect. And virtuous teachers will direct us to this kind of happiness. Master said, “As long as we don’t give up, he will accompany us all the way to the end of the journey [to achieve our Buddhahood].” Actually, this is the commitment of a Bodhisattva! I noticed many, many disciples are encouraged by this commitment from Master. Whenever we are lacking the strength to advance, feeling trapped by all sorts of afflictions, almost on the verge of giving up, it is these encouraging words from Master that give us tremendous support to stand up from where we fall, and continue to advance! Master taught us to stop non-virtuous deeds and engage in virtuous ones, with clear guiding principles to follow. To mistake caring and love for being lenient with one’s bad habits is wrong. Likewise, if we only talk about principles without understanding others, or not putting ourselves in someone’s shoes, it also would make the learning process very arduous, or even to the point of wanting to give up. Hence, how can we combine the guiding principles of life with the touching care and love? Fusing them perfectly together require our constant and persistent training. [09′01″]

讲次 0093

科判 道前基础

主题 〈皈敬颂〉论前皈敬

音档 2B 19:16 ~ 20:10

日期 2019/02/18 ~ 02/20

广论段落 P1-L7 摄二大车善传流……敬礼持彼燃灯智

手抄页/行 第1册 P59-L4 ~ P59-LL6　( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P59-L4 ~ P59-LL6 )

手抄段落 同样地，我们学的时候也是如此......这是很重要的。

好，那我们再听下一段。 　　

同样地，我们学的时候也是如此，是，我们每个人有我们的不同的根性，可是假定说你在这个地方，你能够注意到这一点的话，你这么走上去的话，最省事、最圆满。偏重智慧的人，是不要忽视这个方便；偏重方便慈悲的人，也不可以忽视智慧。要不然我们很容易地了解，你讲处处方便，现在的话叫[方便出下流]，完了！到外面来看，出下流的话，看得一团糟，实际上呢对我们来说的话，这结果是堕落。尽管你一番好心，说我要弘扬佛法，我要修持佛法，修了半天到地狱里去了！那不修还好耶！所以，任何时候要把这两样东西圆满地配合，这是很重要的。 [00′59″] 　

提到根性，师父说我们每个人有我们不同的根性，根性有利钝的差别——有人比较聪慧，有人比较愚钝。体现在学法上，可能就会有快慢之分。但万一他愚钝，但是他拼命用功，不停地广泛学习教典，深入经藏，也可​​能变成利根。不同的根性，需要不同的引导；不同的习性，造就了不同的根性。我们所有的人都希望自己能够变成利根，如何能用很少的力气，就能够达到很高的成就？没有人不想要这样修行，可有的时候用了很大的力气，恰恰是反而倒退了。 [01′50″]

师父说如果在这个地方能够注意这一点的话，那么你走上去就变成最省事、最圆满。偏重智慧的人，不要忽略方便；偏重慈悲的人，也不可以忽视智慧。注意！他说：[假定在这个地方，能够注意到这一点的话。]这一点是哪一点啊？哪一点啊？是不是偏重这样的要注意？但是如何能知道自己是偏重哪一方面的？我们自己看自己，会不会看得很清楚我是偏重哪一方面呢？比如说有一些人，我们会很明显地看见他好像情绪起伏比较大，情绪起伏较大是偏重什么的？也不知道，就是看到有的时候会好像心里不太平静，容易痛苦、也容易欢喜，对吧？有这种类型的。还有喜怒不形于色的，看似平静，有一天突然山洪暴发，吓人呀！我们觉得这个人一向平和，怎么会突然变成这样？所以到底一个人的习性是怎样的，认识自己的习性，并非易事！所以当我们观察自己的时候，还有诸多疑惑，有时甚至完全看不明白的。这个时候，一个过来人的指导，对于我们是多么地难能可贵啊！ [03′20″]

我们自己有一些什么样的偏失，通常都是要去请问善知识才会更精确地了解。比如这一段时间自己努力、很用功，然后很开心，好像对法有很多受用的样子，但是到师父那儿一问，有可能师父会说：[啊！已经过头了！]然后师父说：[自己觉得很高兴的事情，可能要把它拆掉，去做另一件事情。]所以这个地方就再再地显示了修行的路上是不能离开善知识的，因为善知识就会校正我们的根性还有习性上的一些弱点；因为自己是看不明白自己，我们对于自己引导自己是没有经验的。 [04′09″]

亲近了善知识，善知识就会告诉我们到底要如何修行自己，就像一面镜子，让我们不停地、不停地看清楚自己到底有哪方面的偏重、有哪方面的忽略。习性，想了解自己的习性，自己给自己下定义，自己知道什么地方不足、什么地方超胜，又知道如何改变，其实这并不是一个容易的过程。一开始如果没有过来人指导，很容易自己给自己开药全开错了。所以怎样能够从偏重某一方面调整过来，变成是圆满的一个调配，而且是任何时候都是圆满地配合，这是相当有难度的。没有善知识的指导，绝无可能！怎么可能在任何时候都能够做到圆满的配合呢？ [05′15″]

比如说他偏重于在乎别人的感觉，好像比较容易理解别人的痛苦，比较容易看到别人难过的那一点；但是他过分地发展了这个心——体谅别人的痛苦之后，是否会疏忽原则呢？比如一个吸毒的人，你帮他戒毒的时候，如果你太在乎他毒瘾发作的痛苦，一发作了，你就受不了了，无法坚持，最终还是帮不上他戒毒的这件事。所以，这种在乎，是在乎他一时感觉上的痛苦，却忽略了长久以来被恶习折磨的痛苦，所以这种在乎是短视的，这种所谓的体谅是带有毒性的，并不是真正意义上的体谅和关心，大家认为呢？ [06′13″]

比如说关爱教育，有人就问我说：[如果都讲关爱教育，原则怎么办？]其实我心里的答案是：如果不关爱，谈何原则呢？关爱本身也是原则。关——关注他的眼前和未来的方向；爱——与慈悲同义，拔除他的痛苦，给予欢乐。所以关心生命的方向，要建立崇高生命的理想、正确的离苦得乐之路，其实也就是正知见的建立。在建立的过程之中，去体谅学生的难处，陪他一起找方法、突破难关、离开痛楚，走上康庄之路。 [07′03″]

你只有对一个有情特别特别地关注之后，你才能把一些底线性的、原则性的东西输送给他，而不是强加给他，让他能够接受。所以关爱教育是第一步。可是，有一些同学就把关爱教育弄成是可以无底线地纵容，或者好像给别人很多方便，这样的关爱其实已经不叫关爱了，可能叫祸害！这样的教育也不是教育，它已经失去了教育本身。 [07′35″]

因为所谓的教育，我觉得跟慈悲的特质是一样的，是给予欢乐、拔除痛苦。给什么样的欢乐，拔什么样的痛苦呢？究竟的苦和乐不能只从一时的感觉来判断，一时快乐，并不代表是真正的快乐、以后都快乐，也并不一定是快乐的因。究竟的快乐一定是无罪的快乐，不会产生后患的欢乐，善知识给予我们的就是这种快乐。师父说：只要我们不放弃，可以陪我们走完最后一程。其实这就是一个菩萨的誓言啊！我发现很多很多弟子被师父的这个誓言所鼓舞，当我们无力前行，被境界的苦楚逼迫，濒临退心的时候，都是师父的这句话给了我们自己莫大的援助，跌倒了再爬起来，不停地向上！师父教导我们舍恶取善，原则要非常清楚，纵容恶习的所谓关爱是错误的；只讲原则而没有去体谅他人、为他人着想，也会让学的人非常地辛苦，甚至退心。所以，如何将生命的原则和动人的关爱完美地融合，真的是一种长久的修链。 [09′01″]