Lecture No. 0174
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0174
Tape: 3B 05:42 ~ 07:41
Date: 2019-11-28 ~ 2019-12-01
Topic: Seizing the rare chance of having a human life of leisure and opportunity
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 Vol 1 P83-L7 ~ P84-L6 (2016 NanPuTuo Version: Vol 1 P83-L7 ~ P84-L6)
Very Well! Now let’s listen to the next paragraph.
[3B 05:42 ~ 07:41]
The reason why people don’t really understand [the true meaning of Buddha Dharma] and are not inspired in meditation practice is that they don’t understand Buddha’s teaching. Once they truly understand Buddha Dharma, everyone, without exception, [wants to avoid suffering and attain happiness]. Not only human beings but also all living beings in the three [desire, form, formless] realms are the same; take a small bug for example. The moment you approach it, it runs away. Why? It is afraid of getting hurt. It dreads suffering too. In other words, it also wants to avoid suffering. Any little insects will be attracted by tasty food even though they may run the risk of losing their lives. For instance, a mosquito will keep sucking your blood even though it may be swatted to death. Why? It is after happiness! There is no exception. [00:40]
In this short paragraph, Master said, “The reason why people don’t really understand [the true meaning of Buddha Dharma] and are not inspired in meditation practice is that they don’t understand Buddha’s teaching. Once they truly understand Buddha Dharma, everyone, without exception, [wants to avoid suffering and attain happiness].” Not only human beings, but all living beings in the three realms would also like to practice Buddha Dharma. Why? As discussed in the previous discourse, the purpose of Buddha Dharma is to eliminate suffering and attain happiness; all living beings are aspired to pursue this goal. However, before they understand Buddha Dharma, they would not know what it is for to study Buddha Dharma. [01:15]
Master gave another example here. From another perspective, is it true that whatever all living beings engage in is for the sake of eliminating suffering and attaining happiness? Is there ever time when they might do something aimlessly? Is it possible that they simply do whatever they feel like without any specific purpose? Master then illustrated it with an example, “a small bug.” The instant we approach it, it will quickly run away. Why would the small insect run away instinctively? We might have similar experience since young, right? When we approach a little insect suddenly, it would run away. Why would it run away? Master said, “It is afraid of getting hurt.” It is so tiny, but in contrast, we are enormously huge; as one may use his strength to bully the weak, so the weak one is afraid of getting hurt. Master said, “It dreads suffering too.” Even a tiny living being is afraid of suffering. “In other words, it also wants to avoid suffering.” The way for the little bug to rid of suffering is to run away when facing a huge creature! It wants to avoid suffering. [02:21]
“Any little insects”, say a fruit fly, being so tiny, yet it is able to distinguish the sweet smell of the fruit. Master said, “they will be attracted by tasty food, even though they may run the risk of losing their lives.” Here, Master illustrated with the mosquito as an example! Before we understand Buddha Dharma, we may simply swat it to death. What it needs is to suck a tiny drop of our blood, yet the mosquito pays the price with its life. Why? It seeks happiness! Thus, Master concluded, “There is no exception.” Whatever living beings do is all for the sake of avoiding suffering and attaining happiness; even a tiny living being, a little insect shares the same aspiration. [03:18]
Great! So, we will listen to the next paragraph.
It is true that everyone, without exception, aspires to apply meditation practice. However, in spite of having the aspiration to do so, some living beings lack the prerequisites. Animals can’t do meditation practice; only human beings can. Yet, being a human is not good enough; there are still various necessary preconditions. Therefore, having a human form and being able to apply meditation practice are what we call a human life of leisure and opportunity. This is very hard to come by, very hard, extremely hard! Thus, in Buddhism we often say: this human form is hard to come by, which refers to a human life of leisure and opportunity. Now that we have obtained it, wow, we’d better hurry up [and practice]! If we’d like to capitalize on this opportunity to attain real happiness and eliminate true suffering, there is only one way out, and this is it. Thus, for those who are indeed endowed with the above-mentioned conditions, and are inspired to do meditation practice, as well as encountered the encompassing instructions, what should they do? They should listen attentively to the teaching. The aforementioned type of people refers to those endowed with virtuous roots, and such quality is hard to come by! Thus, for those who truly are endowed with virtuous roots, if they are inspired to do meditation practice, with the discerning ability to differentiate right from wrong, without obstructions, then they should make good use of this opportunity to listen attentively to the most supreme and encompassing teaching! [04:51]
Earlier we talked about the purpose of Buddha Dharma – to eliminate suffering and obtain happiness. Even though all scriptures within the Tripitaka and the twelve branches of the Buddhist canon are voluminous, the purpose of all these scriptures is very simple – to help us eliminate suffering and attain happiness. Since whatever activities all living beings engage in are also for the sake of eliminating personal suffering and attaining happiness. If so, then the purpose of Buddha Dharma and the intention of whatever we do coincide perfectly. Then everyone would like to apply meditation practice/cultivate - if they truly understand the purpose of Buddha Dharma. If one can carefully probe into the intention of Buddha’s teaching, then everyone would want to apply meditation practice/cultivate! [05:32]
In this paragraph we inquire further, “It is true that everyone, without exception, aspires to apply meditation practice. However, in spite of having the aspiration to do so, some living beings lack the prerequisites.” That is, we all want to attain happiness and avoid suffering, but there are certain prerequisites. First, “Animals can’t do meditation practice”! All living beings, whether living in the ocean, flying in the sky, or dwelling under the ground, can’t do meditation practice. Master said, “only human beings can. However, being a human is not good enough; there are still various necessary preconditions. Therefore, having a human form and being able to apply meditation practice….” If one has a human form and is able to apply meditation practice/cultivate, this is known as having a human life of leisure and opportunity. Hence, there is another prerequisite besides having a human form; the prerequisite is called “leisure and opportunity”. For this leisure and opportunity, Master said, “This is very hard to come by, very hard, extremely hard!” He repeated the word “hard” three times. Listen carefully! This is “very hard to come by, very hard“; (he said) with a sigh. Master followed by saying “extremely hard!” Then he continued, “Thus, in Buddhism we often say: this human form is hard to come by.” He repeated the word “hard" four times! Again: “This is very hard to come by, very hard, extremely hard!” And then “in Buddhism we often say: this human form is hard to come by.” This is about a human life of leisure and opportunity. [07:06]
It is very difficult to obtain a human form, but one still needs to have a human form of leisure and opportunity to study Buddha Dharma. Only those having this leisure and opportunity can [they study Buddha Dharma to] eliminate suffering and attain happiness; pay attention to this prerequisite. After we obtain such hard-to-come-by opportunity/condition, Master said, “wow, we’d better hurry up [and practice]!” Master said, “we’d better hurry up!” What should we really try to obtain once we have this-hard-to-come-by opportunity? Happiness. It is because right now we are endowed with this rare and hard-to-come-by opportunity/condition to eliminate suffering and attain happiness; thus this is the time to speed up so as to attain real happiness and remove the true suffering. For “there is only one way out, and this is it”! That is, we should study Buddha Dharma and put what we have learned into practice! [07:53]
While those endowed with the above-mentioned qualifications/conditions are inspired to apply meditation practice, pay attention! They still need to have encompassing instructions on applying meditation practice. Hence, if they are endowed with the human life of leisure and opportunity, aspire to apply meditation practice, and with encompassing instruction, what should they do at this juncture? The next step is, “They should listen attentively.” Who are the people with all the aforementioned conditions? They are “those endowed with virtuous roots, and such quality is hard to come by!” Take notice of the words: “hard to come by”! Master had used the word “hard” four times, and here is another one, “hard to come by!” [08:35]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0174】
讲次 0174
标题 把握获得暇身的难得机会
音档 3B 05:42 ~ 07:41
日期 2019-11-28 ~ 2019-12-01
音档 3B 05:42 ~ 07:41
广论段落 P2-L2 诸有偏执暗未覆……诸具善者专励听
手抄页/行 第1册 P83-L7 ~ P84-L6 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P83-L7 ~ P84-L6 )
手抄段落 所以，普通人之所以不了解......最殊胜圆满的教授啊！
好！现在我们来听下一段。
所以，普通人之所以真的不了解，也不想修，是不了解佛法，你究实了解了佛法，可以说没有一个人例外的。不但是人哪，乃至于三界的一切有情，比如随便一个小虫，哦，你跑过去它马上躲掉了。为什么？怕受伤害呀！它也怕苦的，换句话说，它也要去掉苦。随便一个小虫，有好吃的东西，它马上来了，哪怕冒生命的危险，像蚊虫，明明叮着你啊，一巴掌打死了，它还要吃你，它要求快乐嘛！没有一个例外的。 [00:40]
在这一小段里，师父说：“普通人之所以真的不了解，也不想修，是不了解佛法，你究实了解了佛法，可以说没有一个人例外的。”不但是人，所有的有情，三界的一切有情都会想修行。为什么呢？前面那一段讲，因为佛法的目的就是离开痛苦、得到快乐，那么所有的生命都是想要这个目标；但是不了解佛法的时候，不知道学佛法要做什么。 [01:15]
这里边师父又举了一个例子：从另一个角度说，真的是所有的有情做的一切事情都是为了离苦得乐吗？没有盲无目的的时候吗？不管是什么都没有目标，没有那种时候吗？师父就举了：“随便一个小虫”，我们跑过去看有小虫，它就赶快逃跑了。然后师父会探究小虫为什么会逃跑？从小到大我们应该都经历过吧？一个小生命你突然靠近它，它会逃跑。为什么它会逃跑呢？答案是：“怕受伤害。”因为它那么小，我们那么大，以强凌弱，怕被伤害。说：“它也怕苦的”，包括那么小一个生命也是怕苦的。 “换句话说，它也要去掉苦。”它去掉痛苦就是从这个这么大的一个庞然大物面前逃开啊！所以它要去掉苦。 [02:21]
“随便一个小虫”，比如说果蝇，那么小，它有分辨出水果香气的能力，说：“有好吃的东西，它马上来了，哪怕冒生命的危险”，师父这里面就举了蚊虫，就叮人啊！普通人不了解佛法的时候，就一巴掌下去把它打死了，它只是为了吸我们一小滴血，就付出了生命的代价。为什么？要快乐！所以师父结论：“没有一个例外的。”所有的有情做所有的事情，都是为了离苦得乐，哪怕是这么小的生命，随便一个小虫都是为了这个。 [03:18]
好！那么我们再听下一段。
但是尽管没有一个人例外的都想修行，但是啊想修行是修，能修行的条件不具足，畜生不可能！只有人。就算得到的人哪，他还是不行，还要种种条件，所以得到了人身而能修行的这一个，叫作暇满的人身。这个好难得、好难得啊！非常难得！所以我们平常常常说，佛法里面叫人身难得，这是讲这个暇满的人身。现在我们得到了以后啊，哎呀，赶快呀！要想趁这个机会得到真正快乐，去掉真正痛苦的，只有一个办法，就是这个！所以具足上面这种条件的人哪，他那个时候要想修行，而又有圆满的修行的教授，那么那个时候怎么办呢？应该要好好地听。像上面这种人，这是具足善根的人，这好不容易哦！所以真正具足上面这种善根的人哪，你要想修行吧，你又能够辨别是非、又没有障碍，那么那个时候要好好地，这地方听闻这个最殊胜圆满的教授啊！ [04:51]
前面讲到佛法的目的，就是要离开痛苦、得到快乐，尽管三藏十二部的教典浩如烟海，但它的目的极为单纯，就是离开痛苦、得到快乐。那么所有众生做所有的事情，也是为了自己能够离开痛苦、得到快乐。如果是这样的话，佛法的目的和我们所有有情做所有事情的目的，都是完全吻合的。那么就变成没有一个人不想修行的——如果了解了佛法。如果能够深入、仔细地探究了佛法的目的是这个，没有人不想修行！ [05:32]
接着这一段探讨到：“尽管没有一个人例外的都想修行，但是啊想修行是修，能修的条件不具足”，说我们都想要得到快乐、去掉痛苦，但是这是要有条件的。首先，“畜生不可能！”海里的、空中飞的、土里的那些有情没有办法。师父说：“只有人。就算得到的人哪，他还是不行，还要种种条件，所以得到了人身而能修行的”，要能得到一个能修行的人身，就叫暇满的人身，所以这个人身的前面是有条件的，这个条件叫“暇满”。那么这个暇满，师父说：“好难得、好难得啊！非常难得！”连着三个。看喔！这个“好难得、好难得啊！”一个感叹。又接着说：“非常难得！”然后接着：“所以我们平常常常说，佛法里面叫人身难得”，这四个了。四个“难得”喔！ “这个好难得、好难得啊！非常难得！”然后，“佛法里面叫人身难得。”说这是讲暇满人身。 [07:06]
能得到一个人身就很困难了，还要得到一个暇满的人身才能够修学佛法，能够具足在得到暇满的时候离开痛苦、得到快乐的——注意——这个条件。那么这么难得的得到了以后，师父就说：“哎呀，赶快呀！”接着是这三个字：“趕快呀！”要趁这个机会得到真正的什么呀？快乐。因为你现在就是非常不容易地具足了离开痛苦、得到快乐的那个条件了，那么这个时候要赶快喔！去得到真正的快乐、去掉真正的痛苦。因为“只有一个办法，就是这个！”就是修学佛法呀！ [07:53]
所以具足上面的条件的人，他这个时候想要修行，注意！还得要有圆满的修行的教授。那么具足了能够修行的暇满人身，要想修行，还要有圆满修行的教授，那个时候怎么办呢？又下一步，“应该要好好地听。”说像上面列举具足这些条件的人，就是什么呀？ “具足善根的人，这好不容易哦！”又来一个，“好不容易喔！”四个难得，接着师父又说：好不容易啊！ [08:35]