Lecture No. 0208
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0208
Tape: 3B 16:52 ~ 19:22
Date: 2020-03-26 ~ 2020-03-29
Topic: The pure authentic lineage of Nalanda Monastery
Prior to listening to the teaching, we still need to constantly spur our motivation, and be aspired to attain Buddhahood, a state where we will be totally free from all sufferings and all happiness are attained. Besides, such aspiration is not only for our personal benefit, but also for all motherly beings submerged in the cyclic existence like us, whom we are indebted to for their profound kindness; namely, to help them eliminate suffering and attain happiness, we pursue the ultimate goal of Buddhahood. And for such purpose, we are here to study the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. [00:29]
Today we are going to listen to the section on “The scholars of glorious Nalanda”. [00:37]
[3B 16:52 ~ 19:22]
The scholars of glorious Nalanda are said to have explained the teaching by way of three purities – the purity of speech of the master, the purity of mind of the disciple, and the purity of the teaching that will be explained.
The first lineage is Nalanda. It was considered the best place for studying Buddhism in ancient India. It was established shortly after Buddha went into his maha-parinirvana. Before the Islamic powers invaded India and completely destroyed Buddhism with political force around 1000 CE, Nalanda had been the renowned upholder of Buddhism, the crown jewel of Buddha Dharma. There were many eminent Bodhisattvas and great teachers in this lineage. According to the lineage of Nalanda, there are three prerequisites in terms of elucidating Buddha’s teaching, or composing a treatise. [01:43]
Speaking of Nalanda, we have to mention one prominent figure in Chinese history – the renowned Master Xuan-zang. When he went to India beseeching the Buddha Dharma, he received the best and the most extraordinary teaching from Nalanda. This supremacy of Nalanda was well acknowledged by the contemporaries in Master Xuan-zang's era, and such supremacy had been well established before his era and remained so afterwards. Why did Je Rinpoche mention Nalanda? Because many great scholars in Nalanda, through discerning wisdom, validated the explaining of the teaching and then passed down the essence of Buddha’s teaching! The way the eminent Masters explained the scriptures was by no means arbitrary; they had to meet three prerequisites, namely, the three purities. All of the three had to be pure. The word “purity” is of vital importance, very important! The purity means the Dharma teaching has to be perfectly accurate and authentic, without any defect. If there is any speck of flaw, practitioners like us will be led to deviate from the path. Take the food we consume for instance; if you handle the food in a slightly unsanitary way, sorry, the bacteria or food poisoning may kill you. Studying Buddha Dharma is the same; it is the same with learning the teaching. The worldly misconduct may bring you minor harm, whereas in terms of applying Buddhism, any speck of impurity will bring about serious consequences. [03:08]
Those classmates who have studied Lamrim for a long time all know about the Nalanda Monastery. How about the newer classmates, do you know about the Nalanda Monastery? Nalanda was an exceptional grand Monastery, built shortly after Buddha went into his maha-parinirvana. This will be covered in the Introduction to the Four Interwoven Annotations later. Around 1000 CE, the Nalanda Monastery was destroyed by the Islamic power. There were once many great practitioners resided in this Monastery, but now only the ruins remain – another exemplar of how impermanent the mundane world is! So we should earnestly cherish the chance that we encounter the teaching and excellent teachers! [03:47]
Master then mentioned Master Xuan-zang and the Nalanda Monastery which Master Xuan-zang studied at. Master explained that the Nalanda Monastery was the most supreme and exalted monastery in terms of Buddha Dharma in ancient India. Many eminent great scholars, through discerning wisdom, validated that the explaining of the teaching had to meet the three purities; abiding these criteria. All of the three had to be pure; the emphasis is on the word “purity”. Master said, “Purity is of vital importance… the Dharma teaching has to be perfectly accurate and authentic, without any defect.” First, in terms of the teaching, Dharma is the remedy for our afflictions. Thus, if the teaching is flawed, it is like the medicine is contaminated. As we are ill, to begin with, taking medicine is to cure such disease. However, if we take the wrong medicine, it will only worsen our health! So, Master said, “The worldly misconduct may bring you minor harm, whereas in terms of applying Buddhism, any speck of impurity will bring about serious consequences.” Hence, the purity of the source of the teaching is extremely important! Why? For we rely on the teaching to achieve our enlightened embodiment of wisdom. The teaching is like the life-saving medicine; if it is contaminated with poison, then the consequence is unimaginably serious! [05:06]
Many years ago, we have never heard of what “lineage” was, or did we have the slightest idea that giving sublime teaching would require such qualifications. Little did we know that such qualifications were passed down from the Nalanda Monastery. So what was the Nalanda Monastery like back then? We know that the eminent Master Xuan-zang went there, beseeching Dharma. How many great practitioners were there in the Monastery? Not sure how many of Buddhist students would like to find out on this? Nevertheless, these qualifications were thus passed down, after being validated by the Nalanda scholars and sages. Hence, the lineage passed down was very pure and authentic. [05:42]
Will you have this doubt, thinking, “Since the monastery was destroyed by the Islamic power, how was it possible that the lineage was preserved?” Yes, the lineage is kept intact! It is shifted to other locations. For example, Buddhism might thrive here for a period of time, and after a while, it is prosperous at another location. This is how the unbroken lineage was preserved till now. Thinking of this, we should be moved to tears with gratitude! Although the Monastery was destroyed, the lineage is not disrupted; and the required qualifications remain until this day. The lineage we are studying now was passed down from that time; the origin began from there. Think about it: such is the inconceivable power of Buddha Dharma; amazingly it was passed from that far back till now. Despite many setbacks and obstructions, Dharma is still clearly presented to you and me, here and now! Right at this precise moment, we are listening to the teaching from this lineage! [06:41]
As such, Master would often lament, “The scriptures are hard to come by. Don’t take them for granted!” We can study the scriptures because many translators made strenuous efforts and many great masters in the past sacrificed their lives to preserve them. Therefore, the passing down of the lineage from the ancient times up till now is a very arduous undertaking! The way that we can show our veneration and cherish the lineage is this: when the teaching is presented in front of me, can we commensurately, wholeheartedly, venerate the teaching with sincere respect and deep appreciation? Maintain full focused on listening to the teaching for fear that we might miss any word. This is probably the least appreciation we can show to all great masters in the lineage! [07:33]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0208】
讲次 0208
标题 那兰陀寺的清净传承
音档 3B 16:52 ~ 19:22
日期 2020-03-26 ~ 2020-03-29
广论段落 P2-L6 ~ P2-L7 胜那兰陀诸智论师……圣教盛行，
手抄页/行 第1册 P88-LL2 ~ P89-LL2 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P88-LL2 ~ P89-LL2 )
手抄段落 胜那兰陀诸智论师……这留下来的是问题重重。
00:00
在听法之前，我们还是要再再地策励自己的动机，要去希求一个所有的痛苦都远离、所有的快乐都完备那样的佛果。而且不仅仅是为了自己的利益要得到这个，是为了所有跟我淹没在轮回里的这些如母有情、深恩的有情，为了他们能够离苦得乐，我们去希求最究竟的佛果，为了这样的一个目标才来学习《菩提道次第广论》。 00:29
今天我们要听的是“胜那兰陀诸智论师”这一小段。 00:37
胜那兰陀诸智论师，许由三种清净门中，诠释正法。谓轨范语净，学者相续净，所说法清净。
第一个就是那兰陀寺。那兰陀寺那是当年印度最了不起的一个地方，修学佛法的。佛涅槃没多久就开始建立，一直等到公元一千年左右，那个回教势力入侵的时候，由政治势力把佛教摧毁为止，始终是执印度佛教牛耳的、最顶端的一个佛法的中心。那个地方的很多这种了不起的菩萨、祖师，他说在解说佛法的时候、造论的时候，要有三个条件。 01:43
这个那兰陀寺顺便提一下，我们中国历史上有一位了不起的玄奘大师，玄奘大师当年到印度去的时候，学到最好、最精采的就是在那兰陀寺。那个时候是这样、以前是这样、以后也是这样。为什么要说那兰陀寺呢？换句话说，印度的整个佛法的最高的，经过了这么多了不起的成就的人抉择以后，剩下来的精华都这个样的！他们解释这个经论不是随便的哟，他要几个条件，三个，就是三门清净，三方面都要清净了。这“清”两个字很重要、很重要！就是说这个清净的话，这个法本身绝对正确，没有一点点问题，假定说的有一点问题的话，我们学的人就出问题了。像吃东西一样，你稍微弄得不干净啊，对不起，细菌乃至于毒，就把你吃死了；佛法也是如此的、佛法也是如此的。世间只是教你受一点小小伤害，佛法的话，你如果说有一点点不干净摆在这里的话，这留下来的是问题重重。 03:08
老学员都知道那兰陀寺了，新的同学是不是知道那兰陀寺？那兰陀寺是非常伟大的一座寺院，在佛涅槃没多久就开始建立。在《四家合注入门》的时候会再讲一下。到公元一千年左右，那个时候被回教的势力破坏掉了。有那么多大成就者驻锡过的寺院，现在就只剩下遗址了，所以世事无常啊！当我们遇到教法的时候、遇到善知识的时候，千万要好好地珍惜！ 03:47
接着师父就讲了玄奘大师，玄奘大师就在那兰陀寺学习。接着师父说：那兰陀寺是整个印度佛法最高的地方，经过了这么多了不起成就的人抉择之后，它有三种清净门诠说正法，它的轨则是这样的。三个条件，三个条件都着重在“清净”两个字上。师父说：清净很重要，这个法本身要正确、没有一点点问题。先说了这个法，因为法是治我们的烦恼病的，如果法有问题就好像药有问题──本来有病，吃了药，药本身还不对，那就会病上加病！所以师父说世间的我们会受一点儿小小的伤害，要是佛法的话，有一点不干净的在里边，留下来的可就不是一点点伤害。所以法的清净就变得尤为、尤为地重要！因为我们是靠这个成就法身慧命，就像救命的药一样，如果救命的药掺杂了毒药的话，那是不可想像的！ 05:06
在很多年前我们还不知道传承是什么，也不知道讲说正法还有这样的规矩，也完全不了解这样的规矩居然是从那兰陀寺传来的。那么那兰陀寺是什么样呢？我们知道玄奘大师是很了不起的，去那儿求法。有多少成就者在那里呢？不知道多少学佛的同学会想去了解？那是许多许多的成就者和智者抉择下来的这个轨则，它的传承是极为清净的，从那个时候传下来的。 05:42
那你们现在会不会有一个问题：“最后那个寺院被回教的势力给破坏了吗？那传承还在吗？”还在呀！会挪到其他的地方。比如说佛法在这个地方鼎盛，过一段时间又在那个地方鼎盛，到现在传承未断，就是我们最最感激涕零的一件事吧！虽然寺院是被破坏了，但是传承是没被破坏的，轨则就留到现在。现在我们听的就是那个时候传承下来的，渊源是从那儿开始的。想一想喔！佛法不可思议的这种力量，居然可以从那么远的时光传到现在；几经波折，它依然可以清晰地传到你我的面前，就是此时此刻！此时此刻我们就在听着这样的传承！ 06:41
所以师父常常慨叹说：“不要把经典当容易看哪！”它是很多的译师呕心沥血，还有很多祖师大德不惜身命把法留下来的。所以想一想，传承延续到现在是一件不容易的事情！我们能对传承恭敬、珍惜的方式，就是当它来到我眼前的时候，我是否能够拿出对等的──哪怕只有能够跟这个传承的重量对等──那样殷重的、恭敬的、万分珍惜的心？生怕漏掉一个字，全部注意力在听，这可能才是对所有的传承祖师的一点点报答吧！ 07:33