Lecture No. 0150
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0150
Tape: -
Date: 2019-09-05 ~ 2019-09-08
Outline: Foundation
Topic: Prologue – Veneration at the beginning of commentary
English Lamrim Volume 1, page
Greetings to all! It is time for us to discuss Lamrim again. Lately, I am wondering if all of you are still reciting the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Prajnaparamitta Sutra) persistently? Do you have time to prostrate to the 35 Buddhas? Even if you don’t have time to prostrate, can at least recite it once each day? Do you often bow in front of Buddha’s statue? Are you mindful of being filial to your parents? It would be nice if you can call on your parents or attend to their needs every day. If your parents have passed on, you can recite sutras and dedicate the merits to them. In gist, every day in our life is very precious; we should engage in more virtuous deeds while we are still alive so that we can accumulate merits that will greatly benefit us in the present life as well as in the future lives. [00′48″]
We discussed a topic in the previous teachings; when things happen, and we feel disturbed or displeased; when such afflictions arise, is it easier to change the external conditions, or to transform our minds from within? Out of habit, we would expect others to change, and it is easy for us to spot other people’s faults. Why? Because we are so used to thinking in this way; we can spot immediately where others make the blunders, or what they say is wrong, and thus we feel disgruntled or think that they are not cooperative. It appears that as long as others didn’t say this, didn’t do that, or if certain things didn’t happen today, then I would have a good day; at least I wouldn’t feel so frustrated. It seems all the causes of suffering in this world come from other people and external conditions. Therefore, since beginningless time, we have developed such a habit of finding fault with others, getting tangled up in the external conditions and unable to get over it. We never reflected upon ourselves that in the thick of arising afflictions, what kind of responsibilities we should take. [02′08″]
In Santideva’s the Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds [Chapter 5, #8], he wrote:
All are but the offspring of the sinful mind,
This the mighty Sage has said.
Throughout the triple world therefore
There is no greater bane than mind itself.
What is the most appalling thing within cyclic existence? Is it those fiercest beasts, the venomous insects, the catastrophe caused by human beings, or natural disasters, etc.? Of course, all of these are very horrifying. However, in the Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds, Santideva Bodhisattva said, the most dreadful one is, in fact, our mind! Out of the three worlds [desire, form, and formless realms, also known as the cyclic existence], our mind is the greatest bane! [02′43″]
Although many of you have read Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds and have also memorized it, have we spent enough time seriously contemplating on its meaning? Why is that the Bodhisattva regarded our “mind” as the most dangerous root cause? Is such a view correct? Any basis? Why did Santideva Bodhisattva say so? Because every single day, we are wary of the external world, wary of possible harms from others, and even cautious about the weather condition. Cautious about all sorts of matter. However, if the most horrifying is our own mind, then will we be wary of it? [03′29″]
So, where do Buddhas and Bodhisattvas think that all kinds of sufferings in the cyclic existence arise from? Obviously, they all arise from our minds. Arising from what kind of mind? All afflictions arise from a disturbed mind. Because we have not tamed our minds, we developed fear. Then, what can we do to remove fear from both our present and future lives? We must remove the causes of suffering from our minds. However, because we have not mastered the ways to tame our minds, when facing the arising condition for the 1000th or 10,000th times, we would still be fixated at the thought that it is (due to) the faults of the external conditions and others. We wasted all our precious time this way, as a result, we don’t have time to examine the faults on our part, nor do we have time for self-introspection. Because the mental continuum from beginningless time has been flowing like a waterfall, we can’t stop such habits of blaming the external conditions even for a single moment. Thus, we wasted a lot of precious time, which could have been used to examine and restrain our mind. [04′37″]
From this perspective, if various sufferings arise due to our afflictions and all sorts of obstacles, then the answer is clear! In the face of arising afflictions, should we tame the external conditions or our own mind? It depends on where the root cause lies. If the root of suffering cause comes from the external conditions, then we shall resolve external issues; if the root of suffering cause comes from the ignorance, afflictions, and various obstacles in our mind, then we should resolve those obstacles from within. In this way, suffering can be removed. [05′10″]
Hence, all adversities or in other words, all sorts of suffering, if we investigate thoroughly, arise from our untamed mental continuum. If we can establish such a perception firmly in our mind and constantly drill on it… will we forget it? Yes, we will! If so, just pick it up again. Throughout each day, all sorts of big and small matters occur, and it will always remind me,“Such suffering arises from my untamed mind.”Hence, is it sufficient to have such an intention? [No!] We still need to transform our train of thought! When a given condition arises, we would notice that our tendency to stay at the external condition is very strong; rarely would we be able to bring ourselves back and examine what went wrong with our thoughts or what went wrong with our latent propensity, or what is wrong with our intention. [Why?] Because we put all of our energy and attention to find faults with others and the external conditions, we would not have time for self-introspection.[06′16″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0150】
讲次 0150
科判 道前基础
主题 〈皈敬颂〉造论宗旨
音档 -
日期 2019-09-05 ~ 2019-09-08
广论段落 P2-L1 故离智者欢喜道……故我心意遍勇喜
大家好！又到了我们一起研讨《广论》的时间了。最近想问大家《般若经》有没有坚持诵啊？有没有时间拜《三十五佛忏》？就算没有时间，可以每天念一遍吗？有没有在佛前常常地顶礼？有没有注意到孝顺父母啊？每天要问候或者承事父母亲；如果父母不在的话，也可以诵经回向给他们。总之，生命对我们来说每一天都很珍贵，要用自己的存活之际多造善业，这样的话，对现生和来世都有无量的利益。 [00:48]
前两天我们有讨论到一个主题：当有事情发生，内心开始不寂静或者不痛快、生烦恼的时候，到底是转外境容易，还是转内心容易呢？我们习惯性地都是希望别人能改，会非常轻松地看到别人的过失。为什么呢？因为这个习惯太熟悉了，一下子就会看到别人哪里错了，或者没有配合我，所以让我心里不舒服。看起来只要让别人不这样说、不这样做，或者今天不要发生某种事情，就会过得很舒心，至少不会这么挫败。似乎世界上痛苦的原因，都是在他人、在境界那方面。所以我们无始劫来养成的习惯，就是观察他人的过失，在境界上纠缠、过不去，没有去反省自己在烦恼发生的过程之中到底要负一些什么样的责任。 [02:08]
寂天菩萨在《入行论》里有这样说：[佛说彼一切，皆由恶心造。是故三界中，恐怖莫甚心。]在三界中最恐怖的到底是什么呢？是那些猛兽、是毒虫、是他人造作的灾难，还是自然灾害等等？当然这些都是很恐怖的，但是在《入行论》里寂天菩萨说：最恐怖的，实际上是自己的心！在三界中，心是最恐怖的！ [02:43]
虽然很多人都读过《入行论》、也背过《入行论》，但是我们是否有足够的时间认真地去思考一下：为什么菩萨把最恐怖的因素或者说那个根本列为[心]呢？这样的看法是正确的吗？有什么依据吗？为什么他要这样讲呢？因为我们每天都小心着外面、小心着他人对我们的伤害，甚至小心着气候呀，小心着各种各样的问题。但是如果最恐怖的是自己的心的话，我们会小心自己的心吗？ [03:29]
所以佛菩萨都认为生死轮回的各种痛苦到底是出自于哪里呢？说显然是出自于内心。出自于什么样的内心呢？就是不调伏的内心。因为内心不调伏的缘故，就会产生怖畏。那么我们怎样才能够去除现生以及未来世的怖畏呢？就是要把心中的苦因拿掉。但是由于我们没有熟练地掌握调伏内心的办法，所以在对到境界的时候会第一千次、第一万次地去寻觅境界的过失，会一直着在他人的过失上；时光都浪费了，没有时间看自己内心的过失、没有时间检查自己。因为无始劫来的续流真的是像瀑布一样，一刻都不停地去观察境那方面的问题，所以我们就虚度了很多可以检束内心的珍贵光阴。 [04:37]
从这点上来看，如果由于我们内心有烦恼、有各种障碍的缘故，产生了种种痛苦，那么问题的答案就出现了！到底苦恼来的时候是调伏境，还是调伏心呢？那就要看看痛苦的根本在哪里？如果痛苦的根本在境上，那就去解决境；如果痛苦的根本是心上的无明和烦恼、各种障碍，那么就应该去解决内心的障碍，这样就不会痛苦了。 [05:10]
所以一切不顺的，或者说各种各种痛苦，追根究柢都是来自于我们未驯服的这个心续。如果我们对这样的一个见解能够在内心中确立，并且常常去串习的话——会不会忘？会忘！忘了再提起来——那么每天之中大大小小、林林总总的事情，总是在提醒我：[这种痛苦是源于我未驯服的心。]那么这样的作意就可以了吗？还要转念！当有一件事情发生之后，我们会发现内心着在境那方面是很严重的，很少会把那个力量抽回来，看看自己内心的念头出了什么问题，或者说自己的等流有什么问题，或者动机有什么问题。因为全部的时间都在计较他人的问题和境界上那方面的问题，就是没有时间来反省的。 [06:16]