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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0198

Tape: -

Date: 2020-02-20 ~ 2020-02-23

Topic: Contemplate the excruciating suffering of the miserable realms, seek refuge in the Three Jewels sincerely

Let’s take a closer look at the suffering of beings in the animal realm have to endure, like being born as a dog, or a crab, or cattle. Cattle mainly live on hay, yet they end up being slaughtered. Is there a way for them to make a plea for justice? Who will stand up for cattle and file a lawsuit in the court? Of course, there are kind-hearted people or animal right activists who would release captive animals. Our group has an animal sanctuary for caring captive cattle. Nonetheless, there are still many cattle being slaughtered! What about the newborn lambs? Who will think of them as the newborns of the mother sheep? When we humans have a newborn baby in a household, friends and relatives will send their congratulations! And we would feed our babies with nutritious foods; planning how to raise them, and make sure they would receive the best education. However, when baby lambs were born, some of them will be sent to the slaughterhouse directly! Why? It is because lambskin is very soft. People simply don’t care about the fact it is a baby lamb of an ewe! When the living beings are born in the animal realm, it is very likely that they may be slaughtered right after birth, or be killed in their youth. There is no way for these animals to speak up for themselves; unable to talk, all they can do is to howl, and sometimes even howling is not possible! Hence, it is inconceivable for us to live in such a miserable realm even for one day. Once we are in the miserable realms, we have no dignity and can’t express ourselves with any language, and who will sympathize us for having such fate? [01:28]

I remembered once, though I can’t recall which city it was. I saw a little donkey driven by a boy. The donkey was pulling a cart loaded with steel pipes, which, should be very heavy! It seemed that the rope hauling the cart was not made of hemp, but I couldn’t really tell what kind of material it was either. The rope caused a deep gash on its back where the pink flesh could be seen clearly, with the rope on top of it. I was in a rush when I passed by the donkey. Although I really wanted to buy the donkey, I had no place to keep it. Then I told the boy, “The rope is hurting the donkey very badly!” I took out my handkerchief and said, “Would you please place this under the rope as a pad, or can you take care of the wound, or place a piece of leather under the rope?” I said, “The donkey is (feeling) very painful!” That was the most I could do at that time. I was in a bad mood for the next few days. However, it was no use feeling sad. If I don’t purify the causes of my nonvirtuous deeds, it is very likely that my next rebirth will be far worse than the situation the donkey was in! [02:32]

Therefore, let’s think about this; it is truly unbearable if we fall to the miserable realms! Now we have not mentioned the sufferings in the hell realm or the hungry ghost realm yet; we just talk about the suffering of the animal realm, which is already very unbearable. Is it possible to calculate the number of times the intensity of the suffering of hell realm as compared to that of animal realm? Suffering refers to the degree of intensity, and the mental and physical irritation level; which is far beyond our imagination! Hence, at this juncture, if we are to contemplate the sufferings of the three miserable realms, we would feel very nervous, frightened and unhappy. However, such contemplation will make us feel: I definitely don’t want to be reborn in such a terrible environment, because of unimaginable sufferings. Then, what can I do to prevent myself from falling into such miserable realms? Who can be my source of reliance and come to my rescue? Consequently, we need to cultivate proper perception of relying on the Three Jewels. This is one of the causes of taking refuge in the Three Jewels – the fear of the miserable realms. Pay attention! The word “fear” before “the miserable realms.” Who is full of fear? We are the one. Why is that we are afraid? That is because we are mindful of death! [03:41]

So, when we are meditating on being mindful of death, we must go beyond the affliction associated with separation from the loved ones. Some would be caught in afflictions,  unable to  separate from their loved ones: Alas! I have to part from so and so! [The mere thought of separation] will start to make them feel painful. In fact, what virtuous teachers are trying to remind us is -  we should be mindful of karma! Be aware of how to resolve the suffering causes of falling to the miserable realms. Therefore, we have to train our mind by following the guidance from the great masters in the past, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas, rather than following our narrow-minded train of thought, our habitual way of thinking and feeling. It will trap us into either the suffering of separation from the loved ones or fear, from which we can get nothing -  feeling of despair! On the other hand, if we take refuge in the Three Jewels, due to our fear of being reborn to the miserable realms, pay attention! The word [Je Rinpoche used] is not “afraid” but “fear”, a kind of grave concern - due to such fear of falling to the miserable realms, we have conviction that only the Three Jewels can protect us from the unfortunate rebirth and thus we take refuge in the Three Jewels. [04:25]

Having taken refuge in the Three Jewels, what can we do to prevent ourselves from falling to the miserable realms? The answer is: we have to learn the prescriptive precepts. Hence, in the reliance on the Three Jewels, Buddha is the guiding teacher of our refuge, Dharma is our true refuge, and Sangha is our companions for the actual cultivation/meditation practice. While taking refuge, we must rely on the Three Jewels with sincerity from the bottom of our hearts.  Because only then we can be salvaged. From what can we be salvaged? We can be salvaged from falling in to the miserable realms. Have you noticed that the perspective presented in the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment will guide us to contemplate on matters that we are afraid of, causing us tremendous sense of fear? Actually, such tremendous sense of fear will propel us to find solutions to the fear and search for objects of going for reliance! Hence, we search far and wide for the teaching that can prevent us from falling to the miserable realms; and found the teacher who can prevent us from falling to the miserable realms - it is Buddha! So this is what we should have in mind when we take refuge in the Three Jewels. [05:33]

讲次 0198

标题 思惟恶趣剧烈苦，至心虔皈三宝尊

音档 -

日期 2020-02-20 ~ 2020-02-23

广论段落 -

手抄页/行 -

手抄段落 -

我们仔细地看一看畜生道的苦，比如说生为一条狗，或者一只螃蟹，或者生为牛，这辈子只吃草，还要被杀，有地方去投诉吗？有谁为牛打官司？当然是有一些动物爱好者，还有一些善心人士放生啊！像我们就放生牛，但是还是有那么多的牛被杀呀！还有那些刚出生的小羊，谁觉得它们也是羊妈妈的婴儿？像人类一个婴儿出生了，大家都去祝贺呀！然后会给他好吃、好喝的，想将来给他怎么养大、上什么学？一只羊的羊羔出生了之后，有的就直接送进屠宰场了！为什么？因为它的小羊皮非常地柔软，有些人是不在乎那是一只羊的婴儿！所以一旦进入到那种状况，刚出生可能就被杀，或者你正少年就被杀，你是没法讲清楚的，不会说话就只会鸣叫，有的时候叫也叫不出来！所以很难想像在那样的恶趣活一天，一旦进入恶道，没有尊严、没有语言，有谁同情我们的命运吗？ [01:28]

比如说有一次，我在哪个城市我忘记了，看到一头小毛驴，它被一个男孩赶着，它拉了一个车，车上放了一堆钢管，应该是很重吧！那个绳子好像不是一个麻绳，我不知道是一个什么样的绳子，把它的后背勒出了非常深的一道伤痕，它露出的肉是粉的哟！那个绳子还在上面。路过的时候因为我走得特别快，我当时很想把那头驴买下来，但是也没处放。后来我就跟那个男孩说：“这个绳子弄在它身上，多疼啊！”我就把我的手帕拿出来说：“你可不可以给那个驴垫着？或者你给它治伤，或者放一个皮在下面。”我说：“这头驴是很痛的！”我后来也就只能这样子，然后就会好几天心情不好。但是光心情不好有什么用？要不去净化恶趣的因，我的来生可能还不如一头小毛驴那样的处境呢！ [02:32]

所以想一想，真正堕入恶趣我们是无法忍受的！现在还没有说地狱道的苦、饿鬼道的苦，只是畜生道的苦就是无法忍受的。地狱道的苦到底比畜生道的苦大多少倍，能算出来吗？那强烈的程度！苦的意思就是它强烈的程度、刺激身心的程度，是无法想像的！所以这个时候我们去思惟三恶趣苦的话，大家就会觉得非常紧张，内心也会生起恐惧，会感觉到不快乐。但是这样的思考会让我们觉得：来生我绝对不要投生在这样一个恶劣的环境，因为有很难想像的痛苦。所以，我怎样才能不投进这样的恶趣呢？有谁能成为我的皈依和救处呢？那么我们就要生起正念而皈依三宝，这就是皈依三宝的一个因──怖畏恶趣。注意！恶趣前面有两个字叫“怖畏”。谁的心怖畏？是我们的心怖畏。我们的心为什么而生起怖畏了？就是念死啊！ [03:41]

所以当我们念死的时候，一定要跨越过那种忧悲苦恼的爱别离。有的人一念死就陷入爱别离苦了──哎呀！跟谁要分开啦！就开始痛苦。实际上善知识让我们生起的是──要注意到业！要想怎么样去解决堕落恶趣的这个苦。所以我们要拉着我们的心，沿着祖师、佛菩萨许给我们的那个理路的路径走过去，而不要沿着自己思惟的那一条小路。那个是除了爱别离苦、除了恐怖，我们也得不到什么──绝望！但是皈依三宝，由于怖畏恶趣，注意！它不是用害怕，是怖畏，深深地恐惧──由于怖畏恶趣而相信三宝能救、皈依三宝。 [04:25]

在皈依三宝之后，应该怎么样救拔恶趣呢？就是要学习皈依的学处。那么在皈依三宝当中，佛是我们皈依的导师，法是我们的正皈依，而僧是我们修学正法的助伴。所以在皈依的同时，我们必须从内心深处非常虔诚地皈依三宝，因为我们知道唯有三宝才能够救我们。救我们什么呀？堕落恶趣的这种怖畏。有没有发现《菩提道次第》让我们思考的角度，有的时候是让我们的心里产生一种极度的恐惧？然后这种极度的恐惧让我们就去找办法摆脱这种恐惧，然后就去寻找皈依呀！那么天上、地下去寻找的话，能让我们不堕落的法，能帮我们不堕落的导师──就是佛陀！所以要用这样的心去皈依三宝。 [05:33]