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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0203

Tape: -

Date: 2020-03-09 ~ 2020-03-11

Topic: Let the Mahayana aspiration becomes the wish of your heart

Every time prior to listening to the teachings, our virtuous teachers would always emphasize the importance of shaping motivation, exhorting us to adjust our motivation so that we can follow the path of the three types of persons toward attaining Bodhichitta and Buddhahood. However, even though they have exhorted us for many years, do we really take their exhortation seriously? What is the fine line between taking it seriously and taking it lightly? Take shaping our own motivation for example; in the “training of the aspirational spirit of enlightenment” section [Lamrim v.2 p.75], it says,

I go for refuge until enlightenment
To the Buddha, the teaching and the community;
By the merit of practicing the six perfections
May I achieve Buddhahood in order to help living beings.

The first two lines talk about the unshared Mahayana practice of going for refuge, while the last 2 lines address the Mahayana aspiration. Why should Je Rinpoche mention taking refuge and making aspiration? If we cannot shape our motivation by taking refuge in the Three Jewels before engaging in virtuous deeds, may I ask, will the virtuous deeds we engage in be considered in accord with the sublime teaching? Furthermore, if we are not able to arise even an approximate spirit of enlightenment in our mind, the virtuous deeds we engage in cannot be qualified as Mahayana practice or be in line with Mahayana teaching. [01:19]

Thus shaping our motivation prior to engaging in virtuous deeds – to uphold the attitude of taking refuge and making aspiration – becomes very important. I have heard Master exhorted it over and over again in all kinds of impartations; many of my teachers also said so. However, as far as spurring our Mahayana aspiration is concerned, how seriously do we value it? [01:51]

Furthermore, in terms of the time required to attain Buddhahood, have we paid particular attention to the “speed” of quickly attaining Buddhahood? Even though our teachers have repeated it many times, it seems that we haven’t felt the urgent need to have absolute conviction or keen awareness. Then, under such circumstances, should we just allow this condition to go on – pretending that we haven’t noticed it, or remain baffled? Or should we stop being irresolute in terms of our inner awareness? We are constantly being reminded from all sorts of teachings, which we are very blessed to be able to listen to, from virtuous teachers. And such reminder is given in the whole Lamrim text that right from the beginning of our practice we have to set the goal of attaining the state of Buddhahood, as stated in Lamrim, “how fortunate beings are led to buddhahood” [Lamrim v.1 p.34]. Understandably, how fortunate we are to be able to learn the teaching! With such guidance from virtuous teachers and Lamrim, we would refrain from denigrating the Mahayana teaching; thus we would not descend [to the miserable realms] due to such denigration of Mahayana practice. [02:56]

Though we won’t descend to the miserable realms because of denigrating Buddha’s teaching, are we really able to follow Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ exhortation and take the path they have pointed out for us? The quickest path to the state of Buddhahood begins from the initial goal setting of taking the Mahayana practice, instead of taking our time to start Mahayana practice after we are free from the miserable realms and cyclic existence. The teaching on the three types of persons starts with the shared small capacity; practitioners start engaging in the Mahayana aspiration from the start. If virtuous teachers didn’t teach us to apply such an approach, we probably would pay little attention to the importance of making aspiration. [Actually,] our aspiration determines whether the path to Buddhahood is short or long! Therefore, how much is this piece of advice worth from the perspective of our infinite life? Such advice is the vital practice! [03:49]

For example, to earn the title of the top-tier bread-making in the world, the baker must have his or her trade secrets. To make the world-class silver pot, the silversmith also has his or her unique techniques. But concerning the swiftest path to the peerless enlightenment, it must be those who already have such attainment to know which is the fastest route. With the experience, they come back to guide us, who have not yet finished the journey on this route. However, will we take their advice to heart? Or will we prefer to go our own way? But [by going our own way,] where will that lead us? [04:19]

In regard to shaping motivation, everyone please contemplate on how to apply it continuously and persistently. If we find ourselves not sharp-witted, we should not give up. Instead, just because of that reason, we need to strive hard to sharpen our mind. Why? Because we still have the opportunity to do so [with this human form of leisure and opportunity]! Suppose we don’t even have the chance to listen to the teaching, nor do we have the leisure to contemplate on it, then it is truly dull-witted. Therefore, if we earnestly contemplate on this, heading towards the Mahayana path shouldn’t be a fairy tale in our life; [quite the contrary,] it is as real as something we can see with our own eyes and touch with our own hands! Because through our constant practice of study, contemplation and analysis, the proper perception will arise within us. [05:09]

Thus every time I hear such repeated emphasis on making aspiration from my teachers, I truly feel grateful! No matter how much we can put the exhortation into practice, or no matter how forgetful we are…. That is, we may apply the teaching diligently for the first two days, but we may become completely downhearted after certain setbacks a few days later. Our aspiration to help others is gone with the wind. We are constantly uplifted in one moment and then disheartened at another moment, in such state of dilemma. No matter what, virtuous teachers never give up on us. They are always guiding us, never forsaking us! Because once they forsake us, that means their Bodhichitta has disappeared. [Actually,] their altruistic attitudes have been tested for eons and become steadfastly unwavering; never ever for a single moment have they changed their mind. [05:52]

Under the guidance from those determined Mahayana teachers, can we also demonstrate our utmost earnest effort by sincerely contemplating on the matter of our aspiration? So many masters repeatedly emphasize this concept in the scriptures, aren’t we supposed to make a firm decision and keep it as the top priority in our life: before every virtuous deed I engage in, I am aspired to attain the state of Buddhahood for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings. At least this is the basic motivation we should have. However, is having such thought considered aspiration? No, it is not quite so! Because we need to cultivate compassion and loving kindness toward living beings, based on such compassion and loving kindness, and for the sake of quickly helping them out, we thus want to attain Buddhahood. Of course, this spirit of enlightenment requires the support of studying the encompassing stages of the path. Subsequently, we aspire to apply such rigorous practice of the stages of the path – seven cause-and-effect personal instructions [v.2 chapter 3], exchange self and other – we are motivated every day in this way that we will definitely apply the practice! For this is what our cherished wish is for! [06:41]

I sincerely hope everyone can take the advice from virtuous teachers who exhorted tirelessly. If so, how many unnecessary detours can be saved! However, if we just won’t take it to heart and insist on going our own way, claiming: “I want to quickly get out of the miserable realms and hurriedly free myself from cyclic existence. I want to get out quickly, for these sufferings are too unbearable!” It seems that quickly getting out of suffering and arriving at a pacified state would do. However, we are far off from the effect stage of omniscience! Is it the path that Buddha has mapped out for us a better approach, or my meager calculation is better? Thus the key issue is still this: does Buddha know the path to ultimate enlightenment better, or do I know better? Do my teachers have the experiential knowledge of what the swift path is and what the detour is, or do I have such experience? Thus it follows that when we feel what we say stands to reason, chances are we don’t quite understand what virtuous teachers are delivering. Do we have the omniscient vision to see through the infinite future, or do we see through what happened in the eight or ten great eons? It is totally impossible! We can’t even remember what we have done in the early stage of our life! Under such level of wisdom, if we don’t hold on tightly to the hands of virtuous teachers, and take their advice to heart, where is our way out of the cyclic existence? We have such strong confidence in ourselves and are very self-assertive, but what is that confidence and assertion based on? Hence, we should contemplate deeply all these questions. [08:08]

The time we have this human form of leisure and opportunity is as short as the bolt of lightning flashing across the thick dark clouds – very bright but will disappear in a split second. If we can take advantage of our time with this human form to study and realize the splendid Mahayana lineage, and with strong yearning, we devote ourselves to pursuing it, wouldn’t it make our human life of leisure and opportunity very meaningful? It is indeed invaluable! [08:33]

讲次 0203

标题 让大乘发心成为心之所愿

音档 -

日期 2020-03-09 ~ 2020-03-11

广论段落 -

手抄页/行 -

手抄段落 -

虽然善知识们几乎是每一次听法都会强调动机的调整，让我们沿着三士道，把动机调整到趣向于菩提心、趣向于佛果这样的一个方向。但是就算讲了很多年，我们在内心中是否引起对这件事的重视？重视和不重视之间的那一道界线到底是什么？比如调整自己本身的动机，在“皈依发心”偈颂里面，“诸佛正法贤圣三宝尊，从今直至菩提永皈依，我以所修施等诸资粮，为利有情故愿大觉成。”前面的两句就提到了大乘不共皈依，而后面就提到了大乘的发心。为什么要提到皈依和发心呢？如果在行善之前，我们本身的动机没有办法生起皈依的心念，请问：那我们所造作的善法有没有办法成为正法呢？再进一步，如果我们内心没有办法生起哪怕是造作的菩提心，朝着这样的方向，我们所造作的善业不能够称之为大乘法或者趣向于大乘法。 [01:19]

因此做任何的善行之前调整动机，生起皈依和发心，就变成是非常非常重要的一件事情。纵然三令五申，在大大小小的开示中，我也听到师父反覆地策励，还有我很多的上师们都如是说。但是反观自己的内心，就在策动自己要发心去求大乘这件事上，我们到底把它看得有多重要呢？ [01:51]

所以对于从现在开始到成佛这样一个修道进程的计算，我们有没有特别在意要速疾成佛这个“速”字呢？纵然讲了很多次、很多次，好像在内心中也无法生起鲜明的决断，或者比较强烈的觉受。那么这种状态下，就让这种状态──好像自己佯装不知，或者似是而非地懵懂下去，还是要结束内心这种忽明忽暗的状况？因为现在有幸能够听到善知识在大大小小的开示中都这样提醒我们，在《广论》几乎每一处也都提醒我们，一开始就是要“导具善者趣佛地理”，立出这样的一个目标和宗旨。所以我们能听到是多么幸运！因为我们听到了之后，我们便不会犯那种错误去诽谤大乘法，就不会因为诽谤大乘法而堕落。 [02:56]

虽然不会因为去造作谤法罪而堕落恶趣，但是我们是否能够听进去佛菩萨劝我们的、给我们找的最好的路？最快成佛的那条路，就是在一开始的时候就要准备趣入大乘，不是跳离了恶趣、跳离了轮回，然后再慢慢地学大乘。在三士道里最初有一个共下士道，开始就发心趣大乘。这种方式如果没有善知识来教我们的话，我们是不太会重视到发心这个问题的。发心就决定了成佛的路是近还是远！所以这条信息，到底在我们无量劫生命的这种进程中值多少钱呢？告诉我们这个窍要！ [03:49]

比如说能把面包做到世界顶级的，他一定有一些窍门；能把一个银壶打到世界顶级的，也都是有独到的方法。但是进趣无上菩提能找到一条最快的路，那一定是成就了无上菩提的人，他知道怎么走是最快的。但是他走过了之后，回头告诉我们这些还没有走完的人，会听吗？还是想要自己去闯一闯？但闯一闯会闯到哪里去呢？ [04:19]

在动机的这个策发上，大家可以持续地、持续地思考。如果觉得自己的心动转不灵，那么不要因为动转不灵就作罢；正因为动转不灵，所以要努力地动转它，因为现在我们还有机会！如果连听到的机会都没有了，也没有闲暇去思考这个问题，那才真的动转不灵。所以如果我们努力思考的话，趣向大乘也不应该成为我们生命的一个神话，可能就可以像眼睛看到、手可以触摸到这么真实！因为它就是在我们心念上操作的、反覆串习的、思考的、观察的，能够生起的这样一个正念。 [05:09]

所以每每听到上师们这样数数地强调发心的时候，内心里真的是很感恩！不管我们能不能听进去，还是我们听了又忘了；做两天很精进，过几天有点什么事情一打击，想要帮忙别人的心就立刻灰飞烟灭，我们就进进退退、明明暗暗地这样反覆地折腾。但是善知识都没有放弃我们，一直在引领着我们，从来不放弃！因为如果放弃我们他就没有菩提心了；他的心是经过千劫修链的，坚固不动的、刹那都不闪的利他心。 [05:52]

在这样坚定地趣向于大乘的上师们的引导之下，那我们是否也拿出精诚之心，认真地想一想发心这件事？在这么多的经典里上师们反覆强调，是不是我也应该把它摆在我生命的一个头等大事上，在内心中彻底地做一个决断：我在做很多很多的善行之前，我是否要发心为利有情愿成佛？至少要有这样的一个动机去做的。那么生起这样的念头算不算发心呢？不一定算！我们天天发心要修学七重因果、自他换，这样经过严密的道次第修行的菩提心，天天这样发愿，我们一定会去修！因为那就是我心之所愿啊！ [06:41]

所以很希望我自己和大家都能够听进去善知识几乎是永不疲厌的谆谆教诲。如果能听进去的话，得少走多少弯路啊！但是听不进去的，非得照着自己想像的那样，说：“我快点从恶道里出来、快点从轮回里出来，我赶快出来，这苦实在太难忍了！”感觉上是赶快出来马上到一个清凉的地方很好，可是我们离遍智的果位太过遥远了！佛陀计算的这种走法会比较好，那我们的小算盘算的就是那样的比较好，所以还是存在那个问题：求证无上菩提是佛陀懂呢，还是我自己懂呢？是上师们有修行的经验，知道如何是快路、如何是远路，还是我自己有呢？那么当我觉得自己很合理的时候，好像不太了解善知识们说的事情，我也没有一双眼睛看到无尽的未来，我不可能看穿八万大劫、十万大劫，都不可能！甚至这一生的事都是前面做了，后面就忘了！就在这种慧力的状态下，如果还不去紧紧地拉着善知识的手、听善知识的劝导的话，那出路又在哪里呢？我们那么自信、相信自己的感觉，依据又是什么呢？所以这些问题自己要在内心中好好地思考一下。 [08:08]

当我们得到暇满人身的时候，就像闪电在乌云密布中闪耀，非常明亮，但是瞬间就会息灭。如果用这样的时间，我们能够望见璀璨的大乘法脉，能够心生渴仰，用全部的身心去追求的话，这一次的暇满人身我们是不是非常地值啊？太值了！ [08:33]