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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0177

Tape: 3B 07:41 ~ 08:24

Date: 2019-12-09 ~ 2019-12-11

Topic: The characteristics between listening with a careless attitude and listening with one-pointed attention

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 P84-L7 ~ P84-LL5 (NanPuTuo Version Vol 1 P84-L7 ~ P84-LL5)

Now, we are going to listen to the next paragraph. Prior to our listening, we still need to spur our motivation. We need to constantly remind ourselves this matter, don’t listen without specially spurring your motivation. We must make it a habit, when we start to listen to Dharma, we must have a Mahayana aspiration - to benefit immeasurable sentient beings who are like my mother, I must attain the ultimate enlightenment of Buddhahood, because only through this method will I have the ability to benefit all the sentient beings who are like my mother. [00:36]

After you mimicked such a Mahayana aspiration, it will become a  powerful traction, also a habitual tendency. One day, we will develop a genuine desire and admiration for this goal. We will feel that is something I must achieve, something that I have to do. It will become our personal life goal itself, very close to our heart and practical. It is like the schedule planning we do every day, from what time to what time doing something, from what time to what time to do something. I must walk the Mahayana path in my life, I must attain Buddhahood.  Using this kind of method to train my mind, to achieve the state of omniscience, so that I can help all sentient  beings who are like my mother and whom I am indebted to for their kindness. [01:23]

Well! Let’s listen to the original Lamrim commentary from Master.

[3B 07:41 ~ 08:24]

Listening to the teaching requires one more prerequisite; what is it? “One-pointed attention.” It means to concentrate and strive earnestly. Often, if we listen to the teaching with a careless attitude, it is useless, other than planting a virtuous root. In terms of planting virtuous roots, when will the effect come into fruition? It won't come into fruition until incalculable eons later; that is, not until one goes around in a big circle and waits for the seed to sprout eventually will one then attain [Buddhahood]. Therefore, upon hearing the teachings, one immediately follows by application. A casual attitude will not work; [instead,] one has to stay focused! After listening attentively, what else one needs to do? One needs to strive for it! To listen with “one-pointed attention”, one must concentrate and strive for applying the teaching. [02:15]

This paragraph is very short; Master emphasized that listening must have a criterion namely the two words, “one-pointed attention”. The text said, “those fortunate ones … should listen with one-pointed attention”; that is, one needs “to concentrate and strive earnestly.” Master said that, often the condition of our listening is with a careless attitude; may I ask, what is the state of a careless attitude? Please think about it yourself. Probably it is without full attention! We did not listen with our entire heart, nor did we put in any feelings, devote all our energy. With such a careless attitude, the impression is probably not strong right? Master said, “it is useless, other than planting a virtuous root.” Saying that it is useless is from certain perspective. It is useful for  planting virtuous roots. When will it become useful for planting virtuous roots? That is to wait for  a very, very long time later, for instance immeasurable eons, don’t know how much longer, after a big circle and finally this seed of virtuous roots sprouts, then one can attain Buddhahood. This is the state of listening with careless attitude: from the time of planting the seed of the virtuous roots, till one day it sprouts, blooms and bears fruits, the time experienced in between is way too long!  In the next paragraph, Master analyzed that, during this prolong period of time, where will we be, what will we be doing, will we be able to endure it? Thus, there will only be result after such a prolong period of time, is that the effect of listening with a careless attitude? Everyone should contemplate on it. [04:04]

Why can’t we listen with a careless attitude? A careless attitude will only show results after such a long, long period of time? Then, what is the state of mind if we don’t listen to the teaching carelessly? Master said, “Therefore, upon hearing the teachings, one immediately follows by application; a casual attitude will not work; one has to stay focused!” After hearing the teachings attentively, one should also work hard at it! It must have these two criteria. After you have really heard it, our effort must follow upon, immediately reflecting and taming ourselves from within. We will have a kind of yearning in our heart, yearning to transform ourselves into the teachings we have just heard, to be like that. So when we fully concentrate on listening, sometimes we can’t sense the time passing; you will not feel any disturbance, as if there is only Master's voice, as if ourselves did not exist at all! Actually, those time is very tranquil, there is  deep sense of serenity and focus, the worries in our mind are also being let go. [05:15]

During the period of full concentration, actually there will be a type of joy. This kind of joyous feeling can be experienced as long as we listen to the teaching with one-pointed attention; it is very easy to obtain. If we truly abide by Master’s instruction – constantly training ourselves to listen to the teaching with one-pointed attention, while listening to the teaching, remove such nonchalant or distracted attitude, feeling as though there is nothing especially precious that needs to be remediated. Every time when we listen to the teaching, we must think that the teaching is very precious and hard to come by, as Lamrim says one should listen with the five ideas in mind: the idea of illumination, the idea of being beyond reproach, and the idea of an eye…. [v.1 p.57] hence, we will have a feeling that the teaching is very, very precious , we do not want to waste  any second, do not want the voice of the Dharma teaching to go by without capturing it; we would not allow our attention to be drifted to other places, we want all attention to  listen to what Master is saying, what Lamrim is saying. [06:20]

I recall an analogy in the Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment; it describes what it is like when one listens to the teaching with one-pointed attention; “like a wild animal suddenly hearing thunderclap-like sounds;” a small animal roaming in the wilderness, all of a sudden, heard a loud thunderbolt; it would listen with full attention, totally paying no attention to anything else but to that sound. So this is what listening with “one-pointed attention” is like, and that is the state we need to achieve. In comparison, most of the time, we probably are not there; well, how we listen to the teaching makes all the difference in the world. So what should we do? We should not allow such careless attitude to worsen day by day, remediate it! [07:07]

讲次 0177

标题 “浮泛听闻” 与“专励听闻”的行相

音档 3B 07:41 ~ 08:24

日期 2019-12-09 ~ 2019-12-11

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 P84-L7 ~ P84-LL5　( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P84-L7 ~ P84-LL5 )手抄段落

听闻这东西的话......一定要这两个条件。

现在我们要听下一段。在听闻之前，大家还是要策励一下自己的动机，这件事要常常提醒自己，不要没有特别策励发心就听。养成习惯，当我们开始要听闻佛法的时候，一定要一个大乘的发心——为利益无穷无尽的如母有情，我必须去证得正等觉的佛果，因为只有那样我才会有能力去饶益一切如母有情。 [00:36]

当这样造作的大乘发心发下去之后，成为一个强烈的牵引力，也是一个习气，有一天我们就会对这个目标产生真实的渴仰，会觉得那是我一定要得到、一定要那样做的一件事，变成自己的生命计画本身，非常地亲切、务实。就好像我们每天做的行程规划一样，几点到几点做什么、几点到几点做什么；我的生命一定要走大乘、一定要去证得佛果，用这样的修心的方式，去得到正遍知这样的一个果位，来帮助对我有恩的所有如母有情。 [01:23]

好！那我们就接着听旧版的师父讲的《广论》。

听闻这东西的话，还要一个条件，要怎么办？ “专、励”，要专心、要努力。平常的时候我们听哪，浮浮泛泛的话，这个听没有用，种一个善根。就种善根来说，有用的，用在什么时候呢？等到无量阿僧祇劫以后，转了一个大圈子，最后还是要等到这个种子起现行的时候成就。所以真正地听到了，马上紧跟着一步上去的话，这个浮浮泛泛不行，要专心！专心听完了以后，还要什么？努力！一定要这两个条件。 [02:15]

这一小段很短，师父强调了听闻要有一个条件，就是那两个字叫“专、励”，说：“具善者专励听”，“要专心、要努力。”师父说平常我们的听闻状态浮浮泛泛，请问浮浮泛泛是一种什么状态呢？要自己想一下。应该是没有全神贯注吧！没有用自己全部的心去倾听，也没有投入情感、投入全部的力量。浮浮泛泛的，应该印象不深刻吧？师父说：“这个听没有用，种一个善根。”没有用是就某个角度说的，种善根是有用的，种善根什么时候有用呢？就是等到特别特别漫长的时间之后，譬如无量阿僧祇劫以后，不知道多久多久的时间，转了一个大圈子，最后种这个善根的种子起现行的时候就成就了。这是浮浮泛泛听的一个状况——他从种下善根的种子到有一天发芽、开花、结果，中间经历的时间实在是太过漫长！那么在下一段，师父会分析这漫长的时间我们都在哪里、都在做什么，能不能承受？所以这么漫长的时间才有收获，就是浮浮泛泛地听闻感得的结果吗？大家要思考一下。 [04:04]

为什么不能浮浮泛泛地听呢？浮浮泛泛就那么长、那么长的时间才有收获吗？那么不是浮浮泛泛的状态是什么样呢？师父说：“真正地听到了，马上紧跟着一步上去的话，这个浮浮泛泛不行，要专心！”专心听完了之后，还要努力！一定要这两个条件。说真正听到了之后，我们的心力就要跟上去，就是马上要向内调伏。我们的内心会有一种渴望，渴望我的心成为我所听闻的法，变成那个样子。所以当自己用全神贯注的注意力在听闻的时候，有的时候感觉不到时光的流逝，你感觉不到有什么东西打扰自己，仿佛只有师父的法音，好像自己都不存在了！其实那样的时光是很澄澈的，有深度的宁静和投入，我们心里的诸多牵挂也都放下了。 [05:15]

在全神贯注的时候，其实是会有一种愉悦。这种愉悦感只要专心致志听法就能得到，是非常容易得到的，如果我们真正地按照师父的要求去做的话——永不停息地训练自己要专心闻法，在听法的时候要断除不在意的、散乱的，觉得好像没有什么特别珍贵的那些需要被对治的心态；每一次听闻的时候，要产生极其稀有的、难可值遇的，就像于正法听闻作五想：光明想、无罪想，还有眼目想......，所以内心里会产生一个非常非常大的珍惜的感觉；每一秒钟都不想让它空过，都不想让法音空过，都不想让自己的注意力流散在其他地方，想全部地注意倾听师父在讲什么、《广论》在讲什么？ [06:20]

记得《略论释》总是有一个譬喻，说全神贯注地听法的状态是什么呢？ “犹如野兽乍闻声”，走在旷野里的一个小动物，突然听到一个霹雳，它整个都全神贯注在听，什么其他的注意都没有，只有听到那个声音。所以“专励”，专心励力这样的一个听闻状态，就是我们要达到的一个状态。那么现在对比那样的状态，可能很多时候我们是有参差的，甚至有很大的参差、很大的一个距离。怎么办呢？就是不要让这种不专心的状态一天比一天严重，要去对治！ [07:07]