Lecture No. 0152
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0152
Tape: 3A 20:40 ~ 24:01
Date: 2019-09-12 ~ 2019-09-15
Outline: Foundation
Topic: Prologue – Veneration at the beginning of the commentary
English Lamrim Volume 1, page 34
Vol. 1 of Master’s discourse handbook P75-L8 ~ P76-LL2 (2016 NanPuTuo Version Vol 1 P75L11 ~ P76LL1)
Very well! Next, let’s listen to the Master's recording.
[3A 20:40 ~ 24:01]
Let me give you an example here. If I may ask, regarding present circumstances, chanting [Amitabha] Buddha’s name is the most widespread practice; in fact, this practice is the most expedient approach – a good fit for our present condition. In times of degeneration, this is the most expedient means we can use to be free from samsaric afflictions, and no other approach is better than chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name. Great masters told us that if ten thousand people take this approach, all of them will fulfill their wishes [of being reborn in the Pure Land], and this is absolutely true. However, why is that not everyone who takes this approach will be reborn in [the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss]? Isn’t this a cause for concern? There are definitely many reasons for this. Here, I will explain it briefly. What is the reason that we ordinary beings cannot make it there? It is because of our weighty karmic obstacles and insufficient wisdom merit. Therefore, we have to remove the karmic obstacles and accumulate merits; then we shall dedicate all the merits to [the cause of being reborn in the Pure Land]. Once we have accumulated enough provision, we should be able to be reborn in the Pure Land; this reason is very clear. [01′20″]
Let’s put other issues aside for the moment; in order to be reborn in the Pure Land, one single-mindedly chants Buddha’s name; this is great. However, another problem often arises; as we have just mentioned, currently we have not obtained the encompassing teaching yet. Besides, other than the approach we embrace, we barely know the practices of others but we would repudiate them. Such “repudiation” poses a very serious hindrance. [01′59″]
In this section, Master said, “chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name is the most widespread practice; in fact, this practice is indeed the most expedient approach – a good fit for our present condition… Great masters told us that if ten thousand people take this approach, all of them would fulfill their wishes [of being reborn in the Pure Land]. However, why is that not everyone who takes this approach will be reborn in [the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss?” Master said, “Isn’t it a cause for concern?” There are many reasons for that. Master mentioned one of the reasons being our weighty karmic obstacles and lack in merits of wisdom. If we can remove karmic obstacles and accumulate sufficient merits, using these to dedicate towards [the cause of being reborn in the Pure Land], naturally, we will be reborn in the Pure Land. He said, “This reason is very clear.” [02′40″]
However, this is an analysis concerning the reason why one can be reborn in the Pure Land or not, which points to the insufficient accumulation of merits and removing of obstacles to reach the Pure Land. Why are they insufficient? Master said in the following paragraph, “Let’s put other issues aside.” Over here, Master followed by illustrating an example of “repudiation”. What are we repudiating? After choosing the approach that we will delve into to learn the Dharma, we tend to repudiate other Dharma approaches. Master said this would bring about very serious hindrances. [03′14″]
So then, why do we repudiate others in our hearts? Master said, “currently we have not obtained the encompassing teaching yet; besides, other than the approach we embrace, we barely know the practice of other schools but we would repudiate them. Such ‘repudiation’ poses a very serious hindrance.” Thus, the initial cause for repudiation, as concluded by Master, is because we lack the encompassing teaching. One would focus their attention on the approach they have chosen; and would hardly know about the other schools. Secondly, due to such ignorance, it leads them to repudiation. Such repudiation will pose very serious hindrances. [04′03″]
So why did Master talk about the “repudiation” here, and followed by saying that it will create a very serious hindrance? Could it be that such repudiation will cause an obstruction against one’s rebirth? Will it be a hindrance to being reborn in the Pure Land? If that is the case, this is indeed a very serious problem! Let’s continue to listen to Master. [04′25″]
Buddha expressed explicitly that to help all sentient beings, he beseeched all kinds of approaches. All of them are expedient means to resolve the suffering of all living beings. Buddha Dharma sees no difference between the Mahayana tradition and the Theravada tradition; the key purpose of Buddha Dharma is to [provide expedient means] that fit the capacities of individual practitioners. It took Buddha incalculable eons, making sacrifices of his physical forms, to accumulate what he realized – Buddha Dharma; understandably, the Dharma is incredibly precious. Now if we unmindfully refute and denigrate it, we unknowingly create karmic obstacles. As practitioners, we all understand what the Sutras have taught us; if we commit the five heinous crimes [v.1 p.389 #195] and ten non-virtuous deeds, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have ways to help us repent the sins and thus purify the obstacles. However, as for denigrating Dharma, I regret to say that it is beyond help. Now, if we the practitioners denigrate Dharma, what are the consequences? We increase our own obstructions that are extremely difficult to purify! Even though we exert great effort to chant Buddha’s name, we might not obtain the merits. However, if we unmindfully repudiate the practices of others, we have created tremendous karmic obstacles. With such scanty merits, how can we assure that we can be reborn in the Pure Land? Actually, not only will we not able to go [to the Pure Land], we also have accumulated a lot of transgressions. So about this point, I just elaborate more on it. [05′56″]
We mentioned earlier that our “repudiation [of other Schools]” originates from our lack of encompassing teaching; other than our own practice, we have no idea about other Buddhist practices and even repudiate them. What is the extent of this repudiation? In this section, Master directly extended his explanation to the denigration of Buddha Dharma, an extremely serious issue. Senior Lamrim students would all know that denigrating Dharma is a very horrifying transgression. Why is that so? Because “Buddha expressed explicitly that to help all sentient beings, he beseeched all kinds of approaches. All of them are expedient means to resolve the suffering of all living beings. Buddha Dharma sees no difference between the Mahayana tradition and the Theravada tradition; the key purpose of Buddha Dharma is to [provide expedient means] that fit the capacities of individual practitioners.” This is what Master just said. [06′50″]
So the phrase “that fit the capacities of individual practitioners” is to match the tendencies and mental capacity of each living being. In order to fit a person’s capacity, Buddha obtained each piece of Dharma through immeasurable eons, countless kalpas! Everyone should know how long the immeasurable eons are! What was Buddha doing in such a long duration? Buddha was “making sacrifices of his physical forms, to accumulate what he realized – Buddha Dharma.” The immeasurable Dharma was thus accumulated one by one; “understandably, the Dharma is invaluably precious.” Buddha sacrificed his life for the attainment of such precious Dharma; not just with one lifetime, but incalculable lifetimes! However, due to our lack of understanding of the encompassing teaching, we consider other approaches worthless; we merely value the one approach that we are studying now, perceiving the rest to be of little value. We have forgot that what others are studying is also obtained by Buddha at the expense of his physical forms throughout countless eons. Pay attention to the few words that Master used here: “Now if we...” take notice! Listen well! Don’t be distracted! “Now if we unmindfully…” Master used the word “unmindfully”, and then he continued saying, “unmindfully refute and denigrate it.” Pay attention! “Unmindfully”! What a casual and careless attitude; so unmindful that we commit it almost spontaneously; our gaze, our mentality, and our thoughts, all unmindfully and heedlessly refute the precious Dharma that Buddha obtained by sacrificing his life. What Buddha obtained using his entire life form, we denigrate and refute it casually and mindlessly. [08′33″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0152】
讲次 0152
科判 道前基础
主题 〈皈敬颂〉造论宗旨
音档 3A 20:40 ~ 24:01
日期 2019-09-12 ~ 2019-09-15
广论段落 P2-L1 故离智者欢喜道……故我心意遍勇喜
手抄页/行 第1册 P75L8 ~ P76LL2 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P75L11 ~ P76LL1 )
手抄段落 我现在随便说一个例子......在这一点我只随举一例。
好！下面我们就听师父的带子。
我现在随便说一个例子。我请问，譬如说我们目前来说，这个念佛是最多，实际上呢也的的确确适应我们目前的机，是最善巧的一个法门。在末法的时候，我们要想解脱这个苦恼的最善巧的法门，莫过于念佛是千真万确，但是祖师告诉我们说这是万修万人去，这也是千真万确的事实，为什么我们修了半天修不去？这不是一个大问题吗？当然这个原因很多，那么，这个地方我简单地说明一下。说我们所以为凡夫不能去的原因是为什么？因为我们业障很重，而我们的智慧资粮不够，所以我们要把业障净除，然后呢资粮积聚了，那么然后你拿这个功德回向，如果够的话，你就能够往生，这是很明白的一个道理。 [01:20]
现在我们其他的不谈，说现在为了要求念佛，然后我就单单念佛，这个好。可是我们往往产生一个问题，因为刚才说的，眼前事实上面大家没有圆满的教授，所以往往啊除了自己走自己的这个一门以外，往往彼此间哪不能互相认识，乃至于排斥。 [排斥]，这事情是有非常严重的障碍的。 [01:59]
师父在这一段说：念佛是很多的，实际上的的确确适应我们目前的机，但是祖师说这是万修万人去的千真万确的事实，为什么我们修了半天没去？师父说：[这不是一个大问题吗？]原因是很多的。师父举了其中的一个原因，就是业障重、智慧资粮不足。如果业障能够净除、资粮积聚了的话，拿这个功德回向，自然就能够往生了，说：[这是很明白的一个道理。][02:40]
可是这是对于不能往生、不能去的原因的分析，就是去的功德和净化的业障不够，所以拿来回向的话不够往生极乐世界。那么为什么不够了呢？师父在下一段说：[其他的不谈。]在这里边列举了一个[排斥]。排斥什么了呢？自己要走一门深入的这个法门之后，排斥其他的，师父说这是会产生严重障碍的。 [03:14]
那么为什么内心里会排斥呢？师父说：[眼前事实上面大家没有圆满的教授，所以往往啊除了自己走自己的这个一门以外，往往彼此间哪不能互相认识，乃至于排斥。『排斥』，这事情是有非常严重障碍的。]所以他那个起因，师父归结为：因为没有得到圆满的教授，自己就走自己的这个门，其他的都不认识。第二步，因为不认识，乃至于排斥，排斥是有很严重的障碍的。 [04:03]
那么到底为什么在这里提出了[排斥]，然后提出了这个严重的障碍？难道是排斥会造成往生的障碍吗？去极乐世界的障碍吗？如果这样的话，问题就太大了！所以接着大家往下听。 [04:25]
佛说得清清楚楚，他为了帮助一切众生，所以啊求各式各样的法门。所有的法门它无非是解决一切众生的种种方便的这个法，法无大小，本身最主要的应机、应机。而每一个法都经过佛无量劫舍头目脑髓，这样积聚起来的，所以它有它的无比的价值在。我们现在随便轻轻易易地否定它、毁谤它了，不知不觉当中造成功这个谤法的障碍。我们修学佛法的人都应该了解，佛经里面告诉我们，你造五逆十恶，诸佛菩萨有办法帮忙你啊忏悔解除，你谤了法，对不起！没有办法。结果我们现在修行的人自己谤了法了，请问这个是什么？增加无比的障碍！你说辛辛苦苦地念佛，念佛的功德不一定得到；你随随便便排斥别人，产生了绝大的障碍，你这样的一点点你就能去了吗？不但不能去啊，而且是积累了很多罪过，所以在这一点我只随举一例。 [05:56]
刚才说[排斥]是源于没有圆满的教授，除了自己这个一门深入之外，彼此都互相不认识，甚至产生了排斥。那么排斥到什么程度呢？师父在这一段里就直接引申到谤法这个非常非常严重的问题。学了《广论》的老同学都知道谤法是非常非常恐怖的，为什么呢？因为[佛说得清清楚楚，他为了帮助一切众生，所以啊求各式各样的法门。所有的法门它无非是解决一切众生的种种方便的这个法，法无大小，本身最主要的应机。]这是师父刚才讲的。 [06:50]
那么[应机]，就是适应各种众生的根机、心量。为了应机，每一个法都是经过佛无量劫，无量劫！大家要知道无量劫有多长的时间！多长的时间做什么呢？ [舍头目脑髓，这样积聚起来的。]就是一个一个积聚起来的无量法门。 [所以它有它的无比的价值在。]佛陀是用生命换来的，不是用一生的生命，是用多少生、多少世的生命换来的这么一个珍贵的法！可是由于我们不了解它的缘故，就认为它没有价值，只有我现在学的有价值，其他人学的都没有价值；忘记了其他人学的，也是佛陀无量劫来用头目脑髓换来的。注意！师父在这里边用了几个字：[我们现在]，注意听喔！注意听，不要走神！ [我们现在随便]，师父用了[随便]，然后[轻轻易易地否定它、毁谤它了。]注意！ [随便]，何等轻松的、不在意的一个态度；[轻轻易易地]，几乎就是顺口就来了，眼神啊、心态呀、念头上，就非常非常轻松地否定了佛陀用生命换来的这么珍贵的法。用整个生命换来的东西，轻轻地、随随便便地就毁谤了、否定了它。 [08:33]