Lecture No. 0160
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0160
Tape: -
Date: 2019-10-10 ~ 2019-10-13
Outline: Foundation
Topic: Prologue – Purpose of composing the Treatise
English Lamrim Volume 1, page 34
Introduction of the Four Interwoven Annotations Vol. 1 P70-L4 ~ P74-L3
Since there were two types of scenarios; now let’s look at page 70 [of the Chinese text of the Introduction of the Four Interwoven Annotations]. It says: “Therefore, having seen that they lack the path pleasing to the wise, the entirety of the encompassing teachings, I was thoroughly inspired to explain this path of the great trailblazers.” The instruction from the Bhagavan Buddha is the teaching of both the scriptural knowledge and the experiential knowledge; “therefore, having seen that they lack the path pleasing to the wise”; that is to obtain the great teaching of the gist of the complete scriptural and experiential knowledge. This kind of teaching is the wonderous path that all wise persons are very happy about. What kind of wondrous path? It is the great teaching of the gist of the complete scriptural and experiential knowledge. Hence, even though it is such a beautiful path, a wonderful path that pleases the wise, those practitioners mentioned earlier were unable to notice it. Take heed! They lacked the ability to notice it; they wanted to see it, but their ability is insufficient. Therefore, Great Master (Je Tsong-kha-pa) wanted to explain the path of the great trailblazers, which is also the great teaching of the gist of the complete scriptural and experiential knowledge It is the most sublime teaching as well as the wondrous path pleasing to the wise. Upon noticing the flaws of the practitioners mentioned earlier, Lama Tsong-kha-pa was inspired to compose this treatise. [01′21″]
Please turn to page 73 [of the same Chinese text]. Listed here are some questions that I asked Rinpoche. While listening to Rinpoche’s teaching, I was struggling to find out what does this “yoga” mean exactly. I was pondering: Why a similar form of yoga could be considered yoga? Yoga - the sequence and quantity of meditative serenity and insight are very clear. how can a similar form of yoga be categorised under yoga? So I kept asking Rinpoche about this. On page 73, we can see Rinpoche’s explanation. Again he mentioned: “nowadays those making effort at yoga have studied few [of the classic texts]”; in Tibetan “nowadays those making effort at yoga” refers to those practitioners who practised very hard, it was not mentioned that they are full-fledged yoga practitioner, they have not yet obtained it. But they are working hard and they are interested in it, so they are in the process of practising. In Tibetan meaning, “nowadays those making effort at yoga”, what are they making effort in? They are putting effort into yoga. Then what do they want to achieve? They wanted to achieve yoga , it is very clear in the original text. Look! Rinpoche again said: “It is very clear, those practitioners who want to put in effort at yoga practice; that is what it means.” Rinpoche repeated it again! [02′56″]
However, the explanation in the annotation refers to trending towards an approximation of the union of meditative serenity and insight, it is not fully endowed with the union of meditative serenity and insight; these practitioners strived hard for the samadhi and the meditative serenity. “Approximation” indicates it was not done wrongly. Besides, most of them had studied few, indicating many practitioners were like that: in the beginning, they don’t emphasize on learning the tenet and Buddha’s instructions, they don’t emphasize on learning. For some, after they studied the scriptures, while beginning to practise, they were not able to integrate. In the process of practice, there were many mistakes in their methods. These were the problems that occurred at that time. After Lama Tsong-kha-pa noticed such situations, he was inspired to explain the teachings of the great trailblazers. [03′41″]
While I was asking Rinpoche some questions, Rinpoche mentioned those flaws: although they liked to practise, they do not value the importance of studying tenets and Buddha’s instructions; they don’t value studying. Actually, such phenomena are also quite common now; everyone can observe. If we had not listened to the Stages of the Path, if Master had not explained Lamrim in such great details to us, we would not realize that studying the tenets and Buddha’s instructions is of such vital importance. Today, we are able to listen to the tenets in this way, able to have such virtuous roots, and persist in listening to the teaching joyfully – just like those of “you” who are listening now – we should all be grateful to Master’s profound kindness. [04′32″]
Now, I’d like to ask you a question: why would someone who yearns for meditation practice, fall into the phenomena of not valuing study vastly? Why people who want to practise don’t value listening? Why is it that when we mention meditation practice we will not pay attention to the scriptural learning? Everyone can think about it. When we speak of person who is a skilled practitioner, what kind of image will appear in our mind? Is it an image of someone in seated meditation ? This is a very interesting phenomenon; why is it that when we say someone is a skilled practitioner, he would be in seated meditation? Rather than him studying tenets? It seems like we feel that very skilled practitioners are seated there in meditation and he can arise meditative serenity. We might not have the idea of realizing emptiness in the meditative stabilization; we think that as long as meditative serenity arises, that person is a proficient practitioner. [05′48″]
We can examine ourselves, observe our definition towards practice. Seated meditation - many people are practicing meditative serenity. Then, during the seated meditation session, do we notice that it is for the purpose of being liberated from cyclic existence that we need to study the wisdom of emptiness, selflessness, as well as many stages prior to reaching the realization of the wisdom of emptiness? Following this train of thought, then we would notice that while we are thinking of meditation practice, we think of only partial parts? Or, are we thinking of complete stages of the path? [06′19″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0160】
讲次 0160
科判 道前基础
主题 〈皈敬颂〉造论宗旨
音档 -
日期 2019-10-10 ~ 2019-10-13
广论段落 P2-L1 故离智者欢喜道……故我心意遍勇喜
手抄页/行 -
手抄段落 -
入门段落 第1册 P70-L4 ~ P74-L3 「故离智者欢喜道……就是这个意思。
再翻到 73 页，这后面有一些我问仁波切的问题。在听的时候我就一直纠结这个[瑜伽]到底是什么？在想相似的瑜伽为什么可以归结为瑜伽里边？瑜伽——这个止观的次第、量都是非常明晰的，相似的为什么还可以归到瑜伽里边？所以一直在问仁波切这个事情。在 73 页看到仁波切讲的那段。又说一遍：[今勤瑜伽多寡闻]，在藏文里[今勤瑜伽]就是指他在这方面非常努力的修行，没有说完全就是一个瑜伽者，还没得到，但想在瑜伽方面努力的这些人对此有兴趣，尚在修行过程中。藏文中[今勤瑜伽]，对于什么精勤呢？对[瑜伽]精勤。那么他们想要得到什么呢？他们想得到的就是瑜伽，原文上也是很清楚的。看！仁波切又说一句：[是很清楚的，想向瑜伽努力的这些修行人，意思就是这样。]又说一遍！ [02:56]
而注解是指趣向于随顺止观双运这点，并非完全具足止观双运，但在内三摩地、止的部分努力的修行人。 [随顺]是表示没有做错。而且他们大多数都寡闻，这说明很多人就是这样，刚开始的时候，不重视学习佛教的教理、教言，不重视学习；有的是学到以后，开始修的时候，学修不能结合，在修的过程中方法也有很多错误。这些都是当时出现的一些问题，宗大师看到了这些情况之后，他想把大车轨这个道讲出来。 [03:41]
当时在跟仁波切请问的时候，仁波切讲了一下出现的问题：虽然很乐于修行，可是却不注重学习佛教的教理和教言，不注重学习。其实这种现象现在应该也是满普遍的，大家可以观察、观察。如果没有听闻道次第，没有师父这样给我们详细地讲解《广论》，我们并没有发现学习佛教的教理和教言会是这么重要的一件事情。我们今天能对这样的法义进行听闻，能有这样的善根，还有欢喜心坚持听闻——比如现在正在听的[你]——都要感谢师父的深恩。 [04:32]
现在我想提一个问题：为什么想要修行的人，他会落入这种不重视多闻的现象呢？为什么想修行的人不重视多闻呢？为什么提到修行的时候会不重视学习教理呢？大家可以想一想。当我们说到一个人非常有修行的时候，我们的心里会出现一个什么样的影像呢？是不是会出现他在打坐？你们是出现他在打坐吗？这是一个非常有趣的现象，为什么说一个人非常有修行就是他在打坐呢？而不是他在学教理呢？好像我们认为非常有修行的人就是在那儿端坐，能够生起禅定。甚至能够在禅定中证悟空性这样的想法可能都没有，只要生起禅定就是很有修行。 [05:48]
我们可以观察一下自己的心，观察一下自己对于修行的定义。打坐——很多人就是在修禅定。那么修禅定的时候，有没有注意到是为了解脱生死要修习空性、修习无我，还有前面达到空性的很多次第？所以就可以发现当我们想到修行的时候，我们想到的是片段呢？还是全圆的道次第呢？ [06:19]