Lecture No. 0103
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0103
Tape: 2B 26:40 ~ 27:08
Date: 2019/03/25 ~ 03/27
Outline: Foundation
Topic: Prologue – Veneration at the beginning of commentary
English Lamrim Volume 1, Page 33-34
Vol. 1 of Master’s discourse handbook P63-L2 ~ P63-L5
So next, what kind of arising conditions are we facing? For instance, when faced with an arising condition/situation, how could we uphold the teaching and apply it accordingly? How should we respond to the arising condition in terms of our three karmic doors; namely, our body, speech, and mind? Why should we respond in this way? Based on what kind of reasoning? Why would we choose this approach? What would be the consequences? Then, Master said, “that is for sure to take place!” It means such effect will definitely happen. If we follow the guidance, especially when we reach a certain level of practice, the corresponding effect will arise. Hence, it is not true that our assiduous efforts would yield nothing; that is not the case. Rather, it should be this: after planting the cause and upholding the teaching accordingly, the corresponding effect will definitely arise. [00′44″]
So what exactly is the effect we yearn for in terms of our meditation practice? We’d like to become a Bodhisattva, to be liberated from the cycle of rebirth, and even to achieve the peerless Buddhahood; these are the effects we yearn for. Hence, we have to talk about the current circumstances such as birth, aging, illness, and death which all of us have to face, right? Six types or eight types of sufferings are what we would face as well; virtuous teachers and the Three Jewels are also the arising conditions we need to face, so are scriptures, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, etc. Are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas considered the arising conditions that we are facing? When we have faith, we would feel, “Ah! For sure I can develop faith and be touched by conditions such as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, so I will receive the blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. ”[01′31″]
Now we are studying the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, composed by Master Tsong-Kha-Pa. While learning the sublime teaching, which is like the nectar exuding from the Bodhisattva’s mental stream, inevitably we will face two arising conditions: one can trigger our contaminated habitual tendencies while the other can inspire us to advance further. Even though the objects are the Teachers and the Three Jewels, chances are we might commit negative karma if we don’t have faith in them. Hence, whether the conditions/objects are sublime or not, the key point is: does the veneration exist in our mind or not? Whether we have laudable beliefs or not, and why we choose to apply the most laudable faith to the conditions/objects we are facing, there must be a reciprocal effect that is closely related to the actual suffering and happiness in our lives. [02′24″]
Therefore, speaking of doing the calculation with an abacus, as we all know, the bookkeepers in the old [Chinese] movies often would do the calculation using an abacus. Nowadays nobody uses abacus anymore. While we are calculating very thoroughly whether the effects are suffering or happiness using the abacus in our mind, we need to be fully aware that every action will lead to its corresponding effect; by acting this way, it commits to that specific corresponding effect. One must be clearly aware of how it is calculated in one’s mind. And the reason why we could gain a clear distinction is that we have listened to the laws of cause and effect taught by Buddha – what is the cause of suffering and the effect of suffering, as well as what is the cause of happiness and the effect of happiness. After we have repeatedly contemplated this teaching, we choose to plant virtuous causes to reap happy effects, and as for negative causes and effects, we apply antidotes. Hence, it comes down to what Master said, “that is for sure to take place!” This is guaranteed and there is no doubt about it! [03′18″]
Next, let’s listen to the last portion of the preceding paragraph.
However, nowadays the practitioners talk about the application without knowing the reasoning. May I ask, without understanding the reasoning – this reasoning supports the application – without it, how do they apply the teaching? It is like they are building a cart behind closed doors [referring to teaching #35]. In fact, they are overly subjective and disregard the outside world; [to give them their due] at least they are making some progress! Yet, [this type of practitioners] are spinning wheels and going nowhere; not only do they waste their lifetime, but they have also made fruitless effort for eons. This is a pity, very unfortunate! [03′58″]
Next Master explained the phenomenon of “nowadays those making effort at yoga have studied few [of the classic texts]”. Master said, “they talk about the application without knowing the reasoning.” Yet, the assiduous practitioner may not consider that he does not know the reasoning; on the contrary, he would consider that he already got it, so he began his meditation practice right away. And Master continued, “May I ask, without understanding the reasoning – this reasoning supports the application – without it, how do they apply the teaching?” From the perspective of the disciple, he would claim that he got it so he just sat there meditating! However, what exactly did he get? The following discussion is about what exactly he got. I think if Master was sitting in front of us imparting the teaching, I would raise a question, “a practitioner like this one would not consider he didn’t know the reasoning; quite the contrary, he would think he got it.” Hence, juxtaposing what Master said, “without understanding the reasoning,” and [we would like to know] what the practitioner meant by claiming he got it. What he claimed, from the perspective of a virtuous teacher, may reveal that he actually didn’t understand or had only a smattering of knowledge. Whether one truly “got it” or not, it takes a person with a discerning eye to know the difference. Otherwise, whatever we claim we understood may be wrong. [05′13″]
I remember the time when I attended school at a very young age, I thought why was that the numeral 3 always stood upright? The numeral 3 should be written like “m” shape so that it is lying down. Why? Because in this way the numeral 3 gets to rest; otherwise the numeral 3 would be standing all the time! Since all the numeral 3 in the notebooks were standing vertically, I should have them lie down on the paper. I believed this was the right thing to do; even right after the teacher had corrected what I wrote, I still insisted that the way I wrote was right. And then the teacher asked me, “Why is that after I have corrected your writing so many times, you still want to write 3 in that way?” I replied, “Because the numeral 3 is tired!” There is no such thing as claiming that the numeral would get tired. However, that was how a child thought; that was from a child! And it totally made sense. Every numeral 3 I wrote would be marked with a cross in red ink; every 3 got a cross mark. If a page [in my notebook] happened to have a lot of numeral 3, then that page would be covered with lots of red crosses. As we all know, as a student, if your notebook is covered with lots of red crosses, this is very embarrassing. However, I was very determined, believing that the numeral 3 needed to rest. So what kind of reasoning was that? [06′22″]
Understandably, it takes tremendous efforts for virtuous teachers to convince us, to make us realize that we are actually opinionated. Master mentioned, “building a cart behind closed doors…[to give them their due,] at least they are making some progress;” What about us? We are spinning wheels and going nowhere; namely, without knowing the reasoning, we apply the teaching erroneously! Besides, not only this life is wasted, but also we have made fruitless effort for many eons. Master said, “This is a pity, very unfortunate!” [06′51″]
Upon reading this paragraph, would we take it as that we are not the pitiful fruitless practitioners? Because we put a lot of emphasis on listening to the teaching, right? I have attended every Lamrim group study session; moreover, I even attend 6 or 7 classes at times; I do care very much about listening and contemplating! So, after all these years of listening, have we understood the reasoning for meditation practice? Or are we still spinning wheels and going nowhere? In regard to such a reminder from Master, we still need to scrutinize ourselves. [07′21″]
To apply meditation practice, one must listen to the teaching, and meditate what one has learned along the line of the reasoning. If one strives very hard in practicing but overlooks the listening part, this is a very serious mistake, which is berated by all virtuous teachers in the Dharma scriptures. There is a commentary named Compendium of Hevajra Garland. In the book, a statement reflects what Master said, “Those who lack wisdom would equally lack listening of the teaching; lack of listening is lack of contemplation. Being apart from the two, there would be no yoga [spiritual adjustment]; without yoga, it is impossible to have achievement!” Hence, it looks like only a very wise person can focus on listening to the teaching. I hope all of the practitioner-wannabes would strive hard to enter the broad avenue of listening and make one’s mind follow all proper stages on the path and abide by the teaching in practice. Never let this life goes by wastefully, nor even have it squandered for many eons. If so, this would lead to more than just a minor tribulation! [08′29″]
So, in the previous paragraph, we talk about the objective and purpose of composing this text. It serves as an awakening call to remind those who strive so hard in practicing and think of themselves as true practitioners! Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have compassion for us, so they impart such reasoning to us. As for us, should we have faith in those experienced practitioners and listen to them? If we don’t, it is very likely that our practice would be of no avail, or err all the way from the beginning to the end, but we would not even be aware of it. Worse still, we consider ourselves attaining a certain state of achievement. We would erroneously consider that we have achieved a certain effect. It is because we do not have the proper teaching as our reflection mirror, or a yardstick to measure our state of accomplishment. We are totally submerged in our personal feeling and consider that is the way it should be, claiming having accomplished such or reached that meditation level…. That is totally a personal feeling instead of the principals stated by Buddha and Bodhisattvas in the scriptures. Yet our sense can most likely be submerged in the factor of feeling [the 7th factor of the 12 dependent arising v.1 p.318]. We might feel great, but it may not be necessarily so. [09′33″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0103】
讲次 0103
科判 道前基础
主题 〈皈敬颂〉造论宗旨
音档 2B 26:40 ~ 27:08
日期 2019/03/25 ~ 03/27
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-L2 ~ P63-L5 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P63-L2 ~ P63-L6 )
手抄段落 但是现在那些修行的人……这个很可惜！
那么接下来，什么境界是我们所对的呢？在对到这样的境界的时候，我们应该怎样去行持？身语意三要怎么样作意？为什么要这样作意？根据什么样的道理？为什么要选择这种作法呢？以及这种作法会产生什么样的结果？所以师父后来讲了：[一定的！]就是一定会产生那样的结果。如果你那样做了之后，尤其是等到我们修行到什么程度的时候，就会有那样的结果。所以这不是用了很多功然后结果什么都没出现，不是这样一件事情，是说造了那个因、修了之后，一定会出生这样的结果。 [00′44″]
那么我们修行所要得到的结果到底是什么呢？我们想要成为菩萨，脱离生死，甚至想要成就无上的佛果，这就是我们期待的果。那么就要讨论一下我们所面对的状况，比如说生老病死一定是我们所面对的，对不对？六苦、八苦都是我们要面对的，上师三宝也是我们要面对的境界，经典也是、佛菩萨......。佛菩萨是我们所对的境界吗？当我们有信心的时候，我们会觉得：啊！我一定能够对佛菩萨这样的境界生起信心、生起感动，所以我就会得到佛菩萨的加持。 [01′31″]
我们现在在学习宗大师写的《菩提道次第广论》，在学习菩萨的心续里流淌出来的这些甘露正法，很显然会对到两种境，一种境是能够让自己的染污习气生起来的；一个是让我们往上走的这样一个境界。虽然境是上师三宝这样一个境，但是如果内心没有信心的时候，也会对他造恶业。所以不论境界上殊不殊胜，我们的内心殊不殊胜才是最根本的道理。而我们的内心殊不殊胜，为什么会选择去胜解作意？这里边还是有一个结果，这个结果就关乎到我们生命真实的苦乐问题。 [02′24″]
大家都知道帐房先生，在老的电影里边都是在打算盘的，现在没人打算盘了。我们在计算是苦还是乐的这个算盘，要在内心里计算得非常非常清楚的：我如是做就会得到如是的结果，这一点自己在心里边要算得清清楚楚的。那么我们为什么能够把它算清楚的原因，就是因为我们听了佛陀讲的业果的道理——如何是苦因和苦果，如何是乐因及乐果；我们对这样的道理反覆思择之后，选择去种善因、结乐果，对治恶因、苦果。所以还是师父说的那句话——这是确定的，不用怀疑！ [03′18″]
下面我们再听前面那一小段的后一部分。
但是现在那些修行的人，他要讲修行啊但是不懂道理。请问：你不懂道理，这个道理是告诉你怎么修行的，你怎么修法？我们现在变成闭门造车。实际上闭门造车，多多少少造了一点哪！但是他在门外空转，转了半天是原地踏步，不仅仅是忙一生，多生多劫这么空忙，这个很可惜，这个很可惜！ [03′58″]
接下来这一段，就讲了[今勤瑜伽多寡闻]的这个现象。师父在这里边说：[他要讲修行但是不懂道理。]那个非常努力修行的那个人，他可能不会认为他不懂道理，他会认为他已经懂了，所以马上就开始修了。然后师父就说：[请问：你不懂道理，这个道理是告诉你怎么修行的，你怎么修法？]如果是那个弟子的话，就会说他已经懂了，所以才坐那儿修呀！那么懂了什么呢？接下来就讨论懂了什么。我在想如果师父坐在面前给我们讲的话，我就会提一个这样的疑问说：那样修行的人他不会认为他不懂道理，他认为他懂了。所以这里边师父说的[不懂道理]，和那个学的人他认为他懂了，他懂的东西到底是什么呢？他懂的东西在善知识看来恰恰是不懂，或者说一知半解。这个懂与不懂之间，要有明眼人看你懂了才可以，不然我们了解的东西可能就是错的。 [05′13″]
就像我小的时候刚上学，我认为：写 3 为什么要站着呢？ 3 应该写个[m]形，就是都趴在地上。为什么呢？因为这样 3 可以休息，不然 3 要一直站着呢！所有作业本上的 3 都站着，我应该让它趴在纸上。我认为这是对的，所以老师把我的 3 字改了之后，我还认为我写的是对的。然后老师问我说：[为什么给你改了这么多次之后，你这个 3 还要这么写呢？]我说：[因为 3 累了！]天下哪有这样的道理呢？说数字累了。但是一个小孩就是那样想的，一个小孩！而且会觉得特别有道理。每次 3 字一定会被老师用红笔打一个叉，逢 3 就是叉，如果那一页上 3 字很多，我就全是红色的叉字。大家都知道上学的时候如果你的本上都是红色的叉字，这是一件很丢脸的事情。但是我都非常坚持，因为 3 要休息。所以哪有道理呢？ [06′22″]
所以要说服我们自以为是的道理，善知识真的要花一番苦口婆心的力量。师父这里边说：闭门造车还多多少少地造了一点，我们是什么？是门外空转，是完全不懂道理，都修错了！而且他不是这一生浪费了，是多生多劫都在这儿空忙。师父说：[这个很可惜，这个很可惜！] [06′51″]
看到这一段的时候，大家会不会觉得我们不是那个很可惜的人，因为我们非常重视听闻，对吧？每一节广论班的课程我都参加，而且有的时候会参加六、七个课程，我是很重视闻思的！那么，到底听了之后懂不懂修行的道理，到底是不是在门外空转？对师父讲的这样的一个提醒，还是要向内心仔细地观察。 [07′21″]
修行一定要听闻，沿着听闻的道理修行。如果拼命用功而忽视了听闻，这是一个非常大的错误，这是在经典里被所有的善知识所呵责的。像有一本论叫《喜金刚释难花鬘》，这里边有一句话就是师父这句话的写照，说：[没有智慧的人，就没有听闻；没有听闻，就没有思惟；远离了这两者，就没有瑜伽；而没有瑜伽，就没有成就！]所以看起来是很有智慧的人才能够重视听闻。希望所有想修行的人都能够趣入努力听闻的广大门径，使自己的心沿着正确的道次第好好地行持，不要一生空忙，甚至多生多劫都空忙。这不是一般的悲惨喔！ [08′29″]
所以在前一小段说造论的宗旨，说为什么要造这本论，就是为了点醒这样用功又自以为在修行的人呢！佛菩萨悲悯我们，所以才给我们讲这样的道理。那对我们自己来说，要不要信受、要不要听闻过来人的经验呢？因为如果不去听的话，可能修不出来东西，或者一开始是错的，到最后都错的，自己都不知道，还以为自己修到什么什么地步了。因为我们没有拿一个正确的教理作为我们的一面镜子，或者一把尺，去丈量我们到了什么地步。我们完全跌落在自己的感觉里，自以为是的，比如说修出来这个啦、修出那个......，完全是自我的感觉，而不是佛菩萨在经典里告诉我们的那样的原则。而我们感觉很好，但是未必是很好的。 [09′33″]