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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0178

Tape: 3B 07:41 ~ 08:24

Date: 2019-12-12 ~ 2019-12-15

Topic: Preparatory prior to listening is a worthy “investment”

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)

Why couldn’t we stay focused while listening to the teaching? Please think about it. We may say, “I have other engagements, or I don’t feel well….” There are many excuses. But in summary, it is probably because shaping of motivation is not properly done in the beginning. Therefore, to well prepare ourselves for listening to the teaching, we have to contemplate the benefits! While contemplating, we know the requirements for the learner to reap the benefits of listening to the teaching are abandoning the three faults of a vessel, and relying on the six ideas [v.1 p.58]. Although we have learned about these in Lamrim, does it mean we will value the importance of the preparatory prior to listening? If we cannot pay full attention to the actual listening, we wouldn’t reap any benefits of listening to the teaching until we circle around immeasurable eons in cyclic existence; it is so wasteful, so unworthy! However, if we spend a few minutes preparing ourselves for the listening of the teaching, such move will make each teaching meaningful, creating substantial benefits to our lives. I believe such investment in time is very worthy! [01:00]

So, prior to each and every session of listening to the teaching, it is necessary that we get mentally prepared for it! Because many things require preparation beforehand; unless you are very proficient with it, you should not hastily get started. Actually, the more proficient one is, the more emphasis one will put into the preparation. How does the proficiency come about? It comes from the extra effort one puts into preparation prior to listening to the teaching; thus after one becomes proficient [with the preparation], one will develop such a habit, which is to stress the importance of shaping one’s motivation, so as to adjust one’s attitude – primarily the state of mind – to a state in which one is very devoted, focused and highly cherishes the teaching.[01:37]          

If we listen cursorily – making no difference between listening to the teaching and listening to any other things, then we would overlook or disregard how precious Buddha Dharma is, which is our only reliance on eliminating suffering and attaining happiness, and which is like our eyes or the illuminating light. If we overlook this given opportunity to listen to the teaching, we will not cherish this rare-to-obtain virtuous roots that we have accrued, or treasure the causes and conditions for encountering this sublime teaching! We will not hold it dear! On the other hand, with a bit of effort put into shaping motivation, we would be able to recall that such leisure and opportunity of life is very precious as it is hard to obtain, yet very easy to lose and that impermanence can set in instantly. And moment by moment, we are heading swiftly toward aging and death. Despite all of these, during this process, surprisingly, I have encountered such magnificent and sublime teaching, and such a purified path to alleviating suffering and attaining happiness. So the approach for me to resolving the issue of birth, aging, illness and death is to start with listening to the teaching, and the requirement for such listening is to have one-pointed focus. [02:39]

Am I able to concentrate with one-pointed focus? Ever since kindergarten and elementary school, we have been trained to do this – be focus. So do we have one pointed focus while we are phubbing? With our eyes glued to the phone while walking, we will often bump into things and cannot even hear others if they call us; that is one-pointed focus. Why? We are so engrossed in the object that it draws our entire attention! Then, why is that the purified path to eliminating suffering and attaining happiness cannot draw our attention? Actually, this is what our entire being aspires to achieve! We would aspire to be liberated from aging and death, benefit self as well as others, and help all living beings that we care about to remove suffering. Deep in our heart, this is something we would like to do. Then why can’t we do it with one pointed focus? Does it mean that we have forgotten about it? Or is there always something else more important than listening to the teaching? We put this most important one-pointed focus on something else. At times where we should be fully focused on the teaching, but our minds are scattered; what is worse, we have not applied remedy for it! [03:42]         

It is important that we maintain vigilance when the improper state of listening to the teaching arises – be aware that I am distracted, notice that I am lethargic, or detect that I am dispirited. Take heed, this is the sign that we didn’t do our preparation properly. Never shall we overlook the preparation; it is like the run-up; all high jump or long jump athletes need to do run-up; without run-up, they cannot jump high or far. So the training for preparation prior to listening to the teaching is, in my opinion, a very critical step determining what effect we will reap in the entire session of listening to the teaching! And I think it is also like the rocket launcher – very, very critical and important! [04:20]         

I hope you do not ignore the preparatory work prior to listening to the teaching. You may open Lamrim and read the section on “abandoning the three faults of a vessel, relying on the six ideas”, as well as “listen with five ideas in mind.” [v.1 p.57~58] We should be very, very proficient with these concepts, such as why Buddha’s teaching is like the eyes. While reading, we may contemplate on what the eyes can see means. If one couldn’t see the road ahead, how sad one would feel! Buddha Dharma is like eyes to us; so we can discern which way is suffering and what path will lead to happiness. With such contemplation, the teaching is directly related to my state of mind. [05:02]       

We chase up lots of matters every day; over and over again our attention is constantly captured by things we come across. When external things capture our attention, our mind will be drawn to it, resulting in fixation, suffering and inverted views. When there are inverted views, what power do we rely on to rectify such erroneous perception and resume the normal state, transforming it into the aspiration for the three principal aspects of the path [renunciation, Bodhichitta, and wisdom of emptiness]? Hence, listening to the teaching on a daily basis becomes very essential! Because it serves as a wake-up call, catching our attention to let us know that there is a very important task in such hustle and bustle of everyday life: that is to listen to what the path to eliminating suffering and attaining happiness is, so as to follow along such path to rectify all my thoughts and conducts. This is the matter closely related to the suffering and happiness of my own as well as other living beings. Thus, it is an extremely important task! What do you all think? [05:54]

讲次 0178

标题 听闻前行是非常划算的投资

音档 3B 07:41 ~ 08:24

日期 2019-12-12 ~ 2019-12-15

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。

為什麼聽法的時候會不專心呢？大家想一想。說：我有事情啊、我身體不舒服啊......，有諸多的理由，但是總歸起來大概就是前行沒做好。那麼前行就要思惟聞法勝利呀！思惟的時候，對一個聽聞者想要得到聽聞勝利的那個要求，比如斷器三過、具六種想，這些雖然我們都聽聞過《廣論》了，但是是否特別特別重視聽聞前行？因為如果在正聽的時候我們無法全神貫注，就會無量阿僧祇劫之後轉了一個大圈才收穫聽聞的結果，那豈不是太冤枉嗎？如果我們用幾分鐘的時間做一做聽聞前行，而使所有的聽聞具有非凡的意義、對我們的生命產生那麼強而有力的饒益的話，我認為這筆時間的投資還是非常划算的！[01:00]

所以在每一次、每一次聽佛法之前，做一個心理準備是很必要的！因為做很多事情之前都需要準備，沒有準備、倉促上陣，除非是你已經非常熟練。但是越是熟練的人，有的時候他越會注意準備。因為那個熟練是怎麼來的？就是非常注意聽法前行的準備來的，所以他熟練之後會有這個習慣，就是特別重視聽法之前策勵自己的發心，把自己的狀態——主要是狀態——調整到一個非常虔誠、專注、對法很珍惜的這樣一個狀態。[01:37] 

一旦我們浮浮泛泛地聽——跟聽其他事情沒什麼差別，那麼佛法珍貴的意義，我們離苦得樂的唯一的依靠，如眼目、如明燈一樣，這樣的作用，在當下的時候我們的心就會忽略、就會輕視，輕視到眼前的這個聞法的機會；我們不會那樣稀有地珍惜自己善根，珍惜值遇到教法的這個因緣、這種時機啊！不會珍惜！可是稍作策勵的話，我們就會想到暇滿很珍貴，因為難得、易失，無常這麼迅速，剎那不停地向老死奔去。在這個過程中，我居然能夠值遇到如此絢麗的教法，如此清淨的離苦得樂之道，那麼我解決生死痛苦的辦法，下手處就是聽聞，而聽聞要求的條件就是全神貫注。[02:39]

我會全神貫注嗎？從小學、幼兒園的時候，上學就訓練這個——全神貫注。那麼我們平常滑手機的時候全神貫注嗎？通常滑手機走路都撞東西，別人叫你也聽不到，那就是全神貫注。為什麼？我們全被這個目標吸引，被那個全部吸引了！那麼我們的心為什麼不能被清淨的離苦得樂之道吸引呢？因為那就是我全部的身心想要的一切呀！想解脫老死，想能夠自利，也想能夠利人，能夠幫助所有我關注的生命不要受苦。就是我從心髓裡要做的一件事情，那為什麼不能全神貫注呢？難道我忘記了嗎？還是永遠都有其他的事情比聞法更重要？我把我最重要的全神貫注都投注給其他的，而在最該全神貫注的時候卻任精神流散，而且還沒有對治！[03:42]

當不如法的聽聞狀態出現的時候，最重要的是要覺察——發現走神了，或者發現自己在昏沉，或者發現自己提不起心力來。注意，前行沒做好！千萬不要忽略前行，就像助跑一樣，像那種跳高、跳遠的運動員都要助跑，沒有助跑的話肯定是跳不高、也跳不遠。所以這個聽聞前行的訓練，是整節的聽聞到底會產生什麼樣的作用非常關鍵的一步！它又像火箭的發射器一樣，非常非常重要！[04:20]

希望大家能夠不要忽略聽聞前行，把《廣論》的書打開看一看“斷器三過、具六想”，還有“以五想聽聞正法”。這些要非常非常地熟練，比如說聽聞佛法為什麼是眼目？我們看到那兒可以想一想：是看什麼的眼目？如果一個人看不到路，那該有多痛苦！可是聽聞佛法像眼睛一樣，讓我們能夠抉擇哪裡是苦、哪裡是樂。這樣想一想，它就跟我的內心發生非常直接的關聯。[05:02]

每天生活追著事項跑，我們的心不停地被遇到的事情綁住，一次一次地綁住，綁住的時候就會發生執著、發生痛苦、發生顛倒的認知。當顛倒的認知出現的時候，我們用什麼力量讓我的顛倒再恢復正常，變成是希求三主要道呢？所以每天的聽聞就變得非常必要！因為它會醒覺我們的注意力，讓我們知道在這所有所有的奔忙中，有一件非常非常重要的事情，就是聽聞何種是離苦得樂之道，而且讓我的心沿著那樣的離苦得樂之道去修正我所有的思想和行為。這件事就攸關乎我自己的苦樂，乃至他有情的苦樂，是非常重要的一件事情！大家覺得呢？ [05:54]