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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0182

Tape: -

Date: 2019-12-26 ~ 2019-12-29

Topic: Continue learning, become a qualified vessel for listening to The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment

English Lamrim Volume 1, page 34

Introduction of the Four Interwoven Annotations Vol. 1 P77-L6 ~ P78-LL5

Please turn to page 77 of the Introduction of the Four Interwoven Annotations [Chinese text], and read the blue and black prints in the middle of the page.

Now we are on the 3rd section of Master Miao Yin Xiao’s discourse topic outline, which is also the 3rd topic outlined in Venerable Ba Suo’s annotations. Both annotations have the same connotations: “exhorting those who are qualified vessels to listen attentively to the teaching”, meaning to advise those endowed with such qualifications to listen attentively to the teaching. And then the stanza continues to say: 

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.

May I ask, what is “partisanship”? Not understanding the key points of the encompassing teaching; fixed only on a partial view. Such is analogized as “darkness”. [01:09]

If covered by this darkness, such as having no light; the house is enshrouded in darkness, one actually sees nothing besides blackness. “Partisanship” is just like being covered by darkness. So by the same token, once the darkness is removed, the key points of the encompassing teaching of this path are completely revealed; that is the meaning of being “unobscured by the darkness of partisanship”. So, regarding the verse, “All those fortunate ones who are unobscured by the darkness of partisanship”, here Rinpoche [in the Introduction of the Four Interwoven Annotations] explained what “darkness” is and what “unobscured” means – the rectification of these faults. [01:45]

Then, “Who have the mental capacity to differentiate good and bad”; what is to be differentiated here? One should have the discerning wisdom to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. Have you noticed that virtuous and non-virtuous are linked to right and wrong? Why is this so? Does “good(virtuous)” mean “right” and “bad(non-virtuous)” mean “wrong”? Why? Because “good” will bring about happiness, and all living beings want to eliminate suffering and attain happiness, whereas “bad” will lead people to suffering. Hence, one needs to be equipped with the wisdom to distinguish between the causes of suffering and happiness and the effects of suffering and happiness, right? The mental capacity to differentiate good and bad. Those who wish to make meaningful this life of leisure should listen to this treatise with one-pointed attention! This is “exhorting those who are qualified vessels to listen attentively to the teaching.” Rinpoche followed by saying, “If the readers are not the qualified vessels, the author would not put it this way.” Apparently, this instruction is meant for those who qualify as vessels and can listen to this commentary. [02:59]

Next there is a question and answer, the question goes: does the phrase “those fortunate ones” refer to those who are qualified vessels? Rinpoche replied, “Yes. The phrase ‘those fortunate ones’ refers to those endowed with favorable conditions to study this commentary.” Pay attention! These later two words are “favorable conditions”. What kind of favorable conditions? It is the favorable qualifications to study this commentary; also the qualified vessels who can listen to this commentary, practitioners who are capable of being transformed by this commentary. What kind of practitioners are they? They are those who are free from the faults mentioned above. What kind of faults? Partisanship! Those who claim: “There are problems with the Mahayana teaching” or “this and that about the Hinayana teaching”, such signs of partisanship. [03:35]

Besides the good quality of being unobscured by the darkness of partisanship, what other qualifications are required?  The mental capacity to differentiate good and bad, and the favorable condition that wish to make meaningful this good life of leisure; only those who are endowed with the aforementioned good qualities can take the teaching to heart. Otherwise, the teaching would never resonate with them. Though it does not mean that they will not get to listen to the teaching, however with them being short on faith, lacking the qualifications of an approriate vessel, being obscured by partisanship and unable to distinguish between what is good and what is bad; even if someone explains to them the teaching, they won’t take it to heart, thus unable to reap the benefit from the teaching. Therefore, to be able to listen to Lamrim, one should be endowed with all these qualities. If one is fully equipped with these qualities, one can then benefit from the teaching. Why? Because they are the qualified vessels as well as the fortunate ones, right? [04:23]

Like some of our Lamrim classmates who have studied for 30 years. We have prepared those insignia pin, haven’t we? I have given out the insignia pin to those who have studied for 20 or 30 years. I have not presented them in Taiwan yet; I will give them out when I’m there in the future. Spending such a long time studying the Lamrim, continuously engaging in study, contemplation, and meditation practice. Are we the qualified vessels as what Master Tsong-kha-pa described here? Are we those who are able to listen to the Lamrim, study, contemplate, and meditate according to what the Lamrim teaches? Possessing these qualities. Endowed with all these qualities, we can reap the benefits from studying Lamrim, because we are the practitioners capable of being transformed through the teaching of Lamrim. [04:58]

So think of all lay disciples in the Lamrim classes, also the youth classes who are learning, students at the educational park are also learning, tertiary students who study Lamrim; to be endowed with virtuous roots to listen to the teaching on the stages of the path to enlightenment, what a great merit this is! Otherwise, they wouldn’t possibly do so. About this, without virtuous teachers earnestly pointing it out to us, we would consider this encounter like a stroke of serendipity: someone happened to introduce me to a Lamrim class, hence I came to listen. Upon hearing it, I liked it very much and cannot leave the Lamrim! Some would regret not having encountered it earlier, while others would feel they have found the refuge of their lives, it is absolutely great! However for these great things, it says here, practitioners who are qualified vessels; free from certain faults and endowed with these good qualities, are the fortunate ones who can benefit from the teaching, and who have the favourable conditions to listen to such teachings. [05:51]

Let’s think again: If it were not for the excellent teachers who have guided us life after life, and our parents who brought us up and helped us cultivate many capabilities, we would not have the means to learn. Recalling all the excellent teachers who are capable of maturing my virtuous roots to learn the Lamrim, our parents, and benefactors who cared for me, we pay gratitude to them altogether. [06:12]

Thus, being able to listen to Lamrim, able to amass the qualities to listen to the Lamrim, to have such virtuous roots, this definitely did not come by easily! Everyone must cherish this and listen attentively to the sublime teaching! That is also why Master Tsong-kha-pa exhorted those fortunate ones in the prologue, he said: 

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.

This is Master Tsong-kha-pa’s teaching to us, and also the profound kindness from all lineage masters to us! So everyone please treasure the opportunity to study Lamrim., let’s strive to continue our learning! [06:54]

讲次 0182

标题 持续学习，成为听闻广论的具器者

音档 -

日期 2019-12-26 ~ 2019-12-29

广论段落 P2-L2 诸有偏执暗未覆……诸具善者专励听

手抄页/行 -

手抄段落 -

入门段落 第1册 P77-L6 ~ P78-LL5 第三、劝励具器人应听闻者……因为是具器者。

请把《四家合注入门》翻到 77 页，看中间的蓝字和黑字。

现在我们讲到妙音笑大师的第三个科判，从巴梭法王的科判来看它也是第三科，两个注释的内涵是一样的——“劝励具器人应听闻”，就是规劝具足这种根器的人要好好地听闻。那么接下来有一偈说：“诸有偏执暗未覆，具辨善恶妙慧力，欲令暇身不唐捐，诸具善者专励听。”请问什么是“偏执”呢？不了解圆满教法的扼要，只执持片面的，把这一点比拟为“暗”。 [01:09]

如果为这个暗所覆盖，比如没有灯，黑暗笼罩了这个房子的话，其实除了黑什么都看不到了，“偏执”就像黑暗覆盖一样。那么如同这样，去除黑暗后，就将此道的扼要完全地光显，就是“暗未覆”。所以“诸有偏执暗未覆”，这里边解释了“暗”是什么，“未覆”又是什么——去除了那个过失的。 [01:45]

那么“具辨善恶妙慧力”，就要具备辨别什么呀？正确与不正确的清晰慧力。大家有没有注意到，善恶和正确、不正确连在一块儿了，为什么呢？那么善的是正确的否？恶的是不正确的否？为什么呢？因为善的会达到快乐，所有的众生都希望离苦得乐，恶的会让人痛苦，所以要具备能够辨别什么是苦乐的因、苦乐的果，对吧？辨别善恶妙慧力。欲令贤善的所依暇身具义而不唐捐的这些具善缘的人们，对于此论应该专一、励力地听闻！这个就是“劝励具器人应听闻”。后面仁波切讲一句：“如果不是器，就不会这样说。”很显然是对于具器的人、能听闻此论的人说的。 [02:59]

下面有一个问答，他的问题是说：“具善”就是指具器吗？然后仁波切说：“是的。‘具善’就是指具有修习此论的善缘。”注意！它后两个字是“善缘”。什么样的善缘呢？就是具有修习此论的善缘，也就是此论的具器者、此论的所化机。什么样是此论的所化机呢？就是指远离前面所讲述的那个过失的人。什么过失啊？偏执一方啊！他就会说：“大乘有问题”、“小乘又怎么怎么样”这种偏执。 [03:35]

具足没有被这类黑暗蒙蔽的功德，还要具足什么呀？分辨善恶妙慧力；还有那个欲令暇身不唐捐的善缘者，拥有上述功德的人才能将法听进耳朵里。不是这样的人，根本听不进去。虽然不是不能听，但是不具信心、不具器、有偏执、又不具备分辨善恶慧力的人，即使讲给他们听也听不进去，无法利益到他们。因此，听闻《广论》应该具备这些功德，能具足这些就能有所饶益。为什么？因为是具器者、具善者，对吧？ [04:23]

像有的同学学《广论》都三十年了，我们不是有那个徽章吗？我给二十年、三十年的都发了那个徽章——还没有去台湾发，以后去台湾发。这么长时间持续地学习《广论》，持续地闻、思、修。我们是不是大师在这里边指出的所谓具器者呢？能够听闻《广论》的，能够按照《广论》闻、思、修的这样的人呢？具备这些。那么具备这些就会被《广论》饶益到，因为是《广论》的所化机。 [04:58]

所以想一想广论班的那些所有的居士，还有青少年班有在学，园区也在学，大专班这些所有的同学们，能够具足这样的善根听闻道次第，这是一个多么大的福报！不然的话，是没法听的。这件事，没有善知识这样认真地告诉我们的话，我们也会觉得好像随随便便地就遇到了，有人介绍我就来听了；一听很欢喜，就离不开《广论》了！有的人会相见恨晚，有的人会觉得找到了一生的皈依，简直是太好了！但这一切，这里边说——具器人，远离了某些过失、具足了这些功德的人，才能够受用这样的法，才能够有善缘听闻这样的法。 [05:51]

那再想一想：如果善知识不是生生世世地引领我们，还有我们的父母亲要不是把我们养大，让我们拥有很多很多的能力，我们也没法学习。想一想能够成熟我具足能够听闻《广论》的善根的所有善知识、父母亲，还有我的恩人，也就一并地感恩他们。 [06:12]

所以能听闻《广论》、能具足听闻《广论》的条件、能具有这样的善根，确实是来之不易的！大家要好好地珍惜、好好地听闻！所以宗大师才在〈皈敬颂〉里边劝励具器人能够听闻，说：“诸有偏执暗未覆，具辨善恶妙慧力，欲令暇身不唐捐，诸具善者专励听。”这是宗大师对我们的教诲，也是所有的传承上师对我们的深恩！所以大家好好地珍惜学习《广论》的机会，一起努力学下去！ [06:54]