Lecture No. 0170
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0170
Tape: New Version 02 45:21 ~ 46:40
Date: 2019-11-14 ~ 2019-11-17
Topic: The will to persevere despite arising strenuity from the yearning/wish for Dharma/virtues
English Lamrim Volume 1, page 34
【All those fortunate ones who are unobscured by the darkness of partisanship,
Who have the mental capacity to differentiate good and bad,
And who wish to make meaningful this good life of leisure
Should listen with one-pointed attention.】
Master’s discourse Feng Shan Si Version Vol 1 P53-L9 ~ P54-L4
We can listen to the next paragraph [from Master’s newer version of Lamrim commentary recording] again.
[Newer version 02 45:21 ~ 46:40]
Those of you sitting here; take our classmates in the preparatory [program of the study of the Five Great Treatises] for example. They are devoted to reciting, memorizing, and practicing handwriting [as well as calligraphy]. Although all of these tasks are strenuous, they are willing to do them because of their yearning for virtues and the objective they set for themselves. Thus, they pull weeds in the backyard, or clean the toilets; they all feel the need to accumulate merits, so they would do the tasks earnestly. All these are driven by the aspiration for virtues, and such aspiration is indispensable! For the same reason, the further we delve into our practice in the future, the more this aspiration for virtue is required. So, the various undertakings we are carrying out now are to train our willpower. With this realization, [while facing any task,] we would never drag our feet, thinking: when it is time to call it a day, I will just leave it there; [how it is done or whether it is done] is not my concern. Actually, such a mentality is detrimental to us. Because once we have developed such a slacking habit, when we are serious about applying the meditation practice in the future, it will be absolutely impossible for us to advance on the path! For this point, I just bring it up in passing. Hence, it is either “I don’t do it” or “I do it wholeheartedly” mentality. If we could develop such a mindset to deal with these minor and simple tasks now, we will have stronger willpower when we delve into our practice in the future. Furthermore, not only do we need such willpower, but we also need enough energy and stamina, so that we can accomplish something remarkable. Thus, I briefly elaborate on the word “wish” here. [01:26]
In this paragraph, Master mentioned that classmates in the preparatory program have to recite, memorize, and practicing handwriting [as well as calligraphy]; all these tasks are strenuous. However, “they are willing to do them because of their yearning for virtues and the objective they set for themselves.” Take reciting and memorizing the texts for example. Over 100 monastics in our monastery have completed memorizing the entire Essence of True Eloquence. After completing the task, they would be granted a pilgrimage trip [to the Great Hall of Maitreya Dharma Bliss, Gomang Monastery in China, free of charge]. At that time, there was a young student who did not finish memorizing the text before the pilgrimage trip. He saw me on one occasion after the delegation returned from the trip. He said that even though the pilgrimage was over, he still wanted to complete the memorizing of the entire text. Actually, he could have also gone on the pilgrimage, just that his parents had to pay for the fare of his trip. The monastery would help to bear the costs for those who had finished the memorization; otherwise, the parents had to cover the expense for the entire trip. He said he did not want to add financial burden to his parents. Upon hearing that, I was very touched. I said [to him], “[Go ahead;] you then proceed to finish this memorizing [assignment]!” A few months later, one day he came to update me, “I have finished memorizing the entire Essence of True Eloquence!” I indeed rejoiced with his [efforts and accomplishment] very much! He finished memorizing such a thick book just like that. [Since he] completed the memorizing, I gave him a bag of gifts brought back from the pilgrimage; he was very, very happy, smiling exceptionally radiantly! This left me with a very strong impression, that is, he [managed to] finish memorizing the Essence of True Eloquence with a very strong aspiration and firm determination. [02:52]
[Another instance,] many students in our monastery have memorized the entire Lamrim text; this is because when some of them had finished memorizing it, students from the subsequent classes would follow suit. Therefore, once the senior students started to memorize the Essence of True Eloquence, the later classes would then do it as a matter of routine in our monastery. Such practice passes on from [one class to another]. [Besides,] virtuous teachers also [remind] us, “After finish memorizing the text, you should keep revising so you won’t forget it!” It is said that one can attain the wisdom of emptiness by reciting this commentary for one thousand times. So far, there are monastics in our monastery who have already recited the text for almost 200 times. [03:23]
We all know that to recite the text once means to repeat [the whole book/commentary] one more time, which takes up a lot of time. Memorizing texts demands one to spend a great deal of time. Whether you are in a good mood or not, regardless of your health condition today, when it’s time for the text memorization class, you just have to do it; otherwise, you will fall behind schedule. Another [example] is that while learning Pointing the Way to Reasoning – Compendium of Debates, a lot of the monastics [actually] memorize the entire text. Understandably, it is a very challenging [task] that requires one’s unrelented perseverance. It is also an endeavour made by the monastics to absorb and internalize the sublime scripture knowledge into their mindstream, which requires a lot of perseverance and persistence as well as a joyful attitude. Thus, Master said here, “they are willing to do them because of their yearning for virtues and the objective they set for themselves.” What is definitely indispensable is the aspiration for virtues! [04:08]
Next, Master further [elaborated] by providing examples of pulling the weeds and cleaning the toilets. Speaking of cleaning and maintaining sanitation, many of our monastics have been doing that quietly in private [without disclosing], because they take it as a way to repent, or as a way to accumulate merits. Sometimes one person would clean up several toilet stalls, but keep it all to herself/himself, just accumulating merits in silence, not wanting others to notice. Besides, some other monastics aspire to protect living beings, such as picking up earthworms [from the driveway]; they would safeguard those tiny living beings on that driveway, whether there is a hurricane or it is raining. Rain or shine, they would firmly stand by that driveway removing those tiny creatures [from being run over by cars]. This is a remarkable commitment! [04:56]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0170】
讲次 0170
标题 有了善法欲，纵使辛苦也愿意坚持
音档 新版 02 45:21 ~ 46:40
日期 2019-11-14 ~ 2019-11-17
广论段落 P2-L2 诸有偏执暗未覆……诸具善者专励听
手抄页/行 凤山寺版：第1册 P53-L9 ~ P54-L4
手抄段落 譬如说我们在座的......我在这里简单地说一下。
大家可以再听新版的下一段。
譬如说我们在座的，譬如说预科班的同学，大家去背书、写字，它虽然满辛苦，可是我有我的善法欲，我有我的理念，所以我愿意去做。我们后面去拔草，乃至于去打扫厕所，我觉得必须要做积聚资粮，我就很认真地去做。那个都是善法欲，而且也是必不可少的！同样的，将来越深入，这种越是需要，所以眼前很多事情是锻炼我们意志的。当我们了解了这一点，我们就绝对不愿意出去的时候拖拖拉拉的；反正时间到了以后，我就不管、不去管它了，那个完全是伤害自己。你养成功偷懒的习惯，你将来要想真正修行的时候，你绝对不可能走得上去！这一点我顺便在这个地方一谈。所以要嘛不做，要做我就全部精神去做。那现在这种小的是简单的事情，你有了这个能力了，将来越深入，你才能够有这种强盛的意志力量。然后呢，不但呢内心当中有这种意志力量，而且你这个精力、体力都够，你才能够做这种最了不起的伟大的事情。所以这个“欲”，我在这里简单地说一下。 [01:26]
在这一段里师父讲到预科班的同学，像背书、写字，满辛苦的，“可是我有我的善法欲、我有我的理念，所以我愿意去做”。比如说背书这件事，我们寺院有一百多个同学背完了《辨了义不了义》，背完了之后他们可以去寺院参访朝礼。当时有一个小朋友，到了朝礼的时间他没有背完。很多同学朝礼完寺院回来之后，有一次他见到我，就跟我说虽然朝礼寺院已经过了，但是他想把它背完。其实他当时也是可以去的，但是他的父母要帮他出路费，因为你要是背完了寺院就可以帮你出路费，如果没背完父母要出路费，他说他不想让他父母有负担。我听了是满感动，我说：“那你就把它背完吧！”结果过了几个月，有一天他就来跟我说：“《辨了义不了义》全部都背完了！”我真的是非常非常随喜他！那么厚的一本书就背完了。背完了，我就把寺院参访的一袋礼物送给他，他真的是特别特别开心，露出了非常灿烂的微笑！这件事给我的印象是满深的，他就是用一个很强的心把《辨了义不了义》背完了。 [02:52]
像我们寺院有很多同学《广论》背完了，因为开始有人背完了，所以后面的班的同学就都有人要去背。所以一开始有高班的同学在背《辨了义不了义》，后来我们寺院背《辨了义不了义》也是一种习惯，就是会往下传。然后善知识们也说：“背完了之后要复习，不要忘记了！”这一部论据说背一千遍就可以证悟空性，现在我们寺院有出家人已经背到快两百遍了。 [03:23]
大家都知道背一遍就是串一遍，是要花很多时间的。背书就是要砸下时间，到那个时间不管你心情好还是坏、今天的健康状况怎么样，到了背书课的时间你就要去背，不然就没有进度。还有学《摄类学》的时候，有很多同学是《摄类学》整本背的，所以它是一个非常挑战的、持之以恒的坚持，这也是出家人对教证法能够纳入心续的一个努力，它需要很多很多毅力和坚持，还有欢喜心。所以师父在这里边说：“我有我的善法欲，我有我的理念，所以我愿意去做。” 绝对不可以缺少的，就是善法欲！ [04:08]
接着师父又举了一个去拔草、打扫厕所的例子。其实打扫卫生这件事，我们寺院有很多很多出家人在参与。像是扫洗手间这件事，很多同学是默默地扫、偷偷地扫的，因为当作忏悔，或者当作集资粮。有的时候一个人扫好多洗手间，但是他都不讲，他会偷偷地累积这个资粮，还不让人看见。还有同学发心护生啊、捡蚯蚓啊，保护那些小生命，不管是刮风、下雨，他都是风雨无阻一直坚守在那条路上，把那些小生命移开，这都是一个了不起的坚持！ [04:56]