Lecture No. 0227
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0227
Lamrim Volume 1: P34-LL9-LL1
Date: 2020-06-01 ~ 2020-06-03
Topic: The Greatness & Sublimity of the Teaching’s Author is [Directly] Related to the Success or Failure of Our Learning
00:00
Greetings to all! It is time for us to study and discuss Lamrim again. Prior to our discussion, as usual, everyone please examine your posture and your mind. What matters most is to shape our aspiration earnestly, and that is why I would constantly bring up [the importance of] earnest aspiration in many discourses. Because whenever we undertake a task, our aspiration would directly affect the matters, leading to a corresponding level of resultant effect. As we are studying the Mahayana teaching, if we don’t deliberately shape a Mahayana aspiration, then we would fritter away the time we have spent [on studying the Mahayana teaching], which is very regrettable! So, everyone please do shape your [Mahayana] aspiration earnestly - for the sake of benefiting immeasurable sentient beings, we need to attain the most sublime effect stage of omniscience. Hoping that one day we can attain such effect stage of eliminating suffering and attaining happiness ultimately, [hence] we are here to study and discuss the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. 00:55
Great! Today we are going to study a section on the 4th recording of Master’s original commentary on the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. Everyone, please listen to Master’s recording first. [3B 28:13 ~ 4A 02:31] 01:09
Here, this text follows the latter approach, which is divided into four parts.
It states: This explanation of the stages of the path to enlightenment has four parts:
Now, according to the latter [Vikramalasila] lineage, I would explain the method of practice on the stages of the path to enlightenment. The method is divided into four parts:
1. Showing the greatness of the teaching’s author in order to establish that it is of noble origin (Chapter 1) 2. Showing the greatness of the teaching in order to engender respect for the instructions (Chapter 2) 3. How to listen to and explain the teachings (Chapter 3) 4. How to lead students with the actual instructions (Chapters 4 and on).
There are four parts in this approach. So why does it have to be divided into four parts? The reasons are briefly provided as follows. With respect to the detailed meaning of each part, as long as we study earnestly, we will eventually understand the details in each part. In the beginning, I will explain some basic principles as to having divided the approach into four parts. The first thing we should know is that whatever we’d like to learn, we must learn from someone who has proper experiential knowledge; only then can we master the new skill. That is, whatever we want to learn, be it worldly matters or spiritual learning, we have to follow someone who already acquired the skill. Among the skilled people, the more erudite and knowledgeable the teachers are, the better and more encompassing the learning will be. This is especially true in terms of worldly matters; it is even more so for learning Buddha Dharma! If there is any mistake or flaw in the worldly undertakings, the worst possible scenario is, well, a decline in profits or losing some money. However, if we don't learn Buddha Dharma properly, we will end up being stranded in the cyclic existence; the least of all the sufferings is to take a human rebirth; the severest one is to be reborn in the three miserable realms. How devastating it is! This is particularly true with our learning of Buddha’s teachings; even an unintentional negligence will bring about tremendous negative impact, enormity consequences. This is what we need to be aware of! Understandably, whether the teaching is in and of itself pure and authentic is critically important. Thus, to attain the pure encompassing teachings, the qualities of the teacher are the determining factors. 04:03
Very well! Now, let me ask you all a question. Master said, “Why does it have to be divided into four parts?” And then he said, “In the beginning, I will explain some basic principles as to having divided the approach into four parts.” He continued, “The first thing we should know is that….” Do you still remember what is the first thing we need to know? If you don’t, please take a look at the translated transcript; what is the first thing we should know? [Master] said, “Whatever we’d like to learn, we must learn from someone who has proper experiential knowledge; only then can we master the new skill.” The first thing we need to know is about “learning”! To [acquire] knowledge about whatever things, we have to learn. Then, whom or what kind of person should we learn from? [We should] learn from someone who has acquired proper experiential knowledge. And [Master] concluded; “Only then can we master the new skill.” 05:07
You all have any doubts about this [statement]? You can discuss [among yourselves], is it true that for whatever [skill/knowledge/] things we’d like to learn, we must learn from someone who has proper experiential knowledge, then [only] we are [able] to master the skill? If he is not competent, he won’t be able to teach us. Therefore, one key factor in mastering [any] skill, is to learn from someone who himself has proper experiential knowledge, meaning that he is competent and his guidance is accurate. 05:37
Master followed by saying, “Whatever we want to learn, be it worldly matters or spiritual learning, we have to follow someone who already acquired the skill.” [Here,] Master still elaborated the [importance of learning from the skill/knowledgeable teacher]. Next, [Master] explained again, “Among the skilled people, the more erudite and knowledgeable the teachers are, the better and more encompassing the learning will be.” Hence, if we are to learn from those skilled people, what should be their qualification [/the criteria for us to choose from]? That is their level of erudition and knowledgeability. Now, what are the things we are to learn? [Master] mentioned about the learning of worldly matters and what else? Learning the Buddha Dharma. [Master] said, “This is especially true in terms of worldly matters; it is even more so for learning Buddha Dharma!” Then, Master drew an analogy between the consequence of having flaws in terms of learning about worldly engagement and that of learning Buddha Dharma. If there is any flaw or mistake in worldly undertakings, the worst possible scenario you can claim is “well, a decline in profits or losing some money!” However, what will happen if we take a wrong turn in learning Buddha Dharma? [We will end up] being stranded in the cyclic existence of birth and death. [Why?] For Buddha Dharma is meant to liberate us from the cyclic existence of birth and death. Then, [Master further explicated,] “The least of all the sufferings is to take a rebirth; the severest one is to be reborn in the three miserable realms”; the acute suffering in miserable realms is simply beyond our imagination. Subsequently, Master said, “How devastating it is” if we don’t learn Buddha Dharma with the correct approach. Why? Because Buddha Dharma is [meant] to teach us how to terminate and be free from the suffering of the three miserable realms, and even to be liberated from the suffering of the entire samsara of cyclic existence. If we don’t study thoroughly/well or if we make mistakes [in learning Dharma], then it is impossible for us to escape from these two sufferings. Understandably, this will incur huge loss on our part and bring about grave negative impact on us. This is very serious! 07:11
Therefore, Master said we have to be very prudent and discreet when learning Buddha Dharma. Especially [critical,] even an unintentional negligence will bring about tremendous negative impact, enormity consequences. Take heed! Then, Master said, “This is what we need to be aware of!” What should we be aware of? Is it about being prudent when studying Buddha Dharma? Or what Master said next is what we need to be aware of? “Understandably, whether the teaching is in and of itself pure and authentic is critically important. Thus to attain the pure encompassing teachings, the qualities of the teacher are the determining factors.” Pay attention! Here are some questions concerning if the teaching is in and of itself pure and authentic is critically important. Why? For a teaching without pure lineage would fail to free us from the cyclic existence of birth and death; it just won’t happen. Only Buddha knew how to free us from the cycle of birth, aging, illness, and death. The solution can only be found in Buddha’s teaching. If we learn Dharma erroneously, we won’t be able to reap the most sublime benefits [of being liberated from samsara]. Hence, the authenticity of the pure teaching - Master described it as “critically important” - is extremely crucial! Then, what is the determining factor in obtaining the encompassing, authentic, and pure teaching? That is, the qualities of the instructor, or the qualifications of the virtuous teacher are the determinants. 08:40
Everyone please take a look and reflect on Master’s standpoint in this short paragraph; Master analyzed the passage profoundly from our perspective as a disciple: if we fail to find the pure, encompassing lineage --- [more precisely, if we] fail to find the virtuous teacher, which is the determining factor, to pass the pure, authentic, and encompassing teaching to us, then, would we be able to [have the opportunity] to learn the pure and authentic teaching? No, we wouldn’t. If that is the case, we would not receive the benefit from Buddha Dharma, and this would be very serious for us. It means that all of our efforts would be futile and be wasted! Hence, between the mundane and supramundane learning, what matters most is the benefits Buddha Dharma can provide for us, and the fundamental determining factor is the qualifications of our guiding mentor. Why? Because this teacher can determine whether the lineage is pure and authentic. 09:35
Regarding Master’s standpoint, would you all feel that Master explored the [logic and reasoning] totally from the angle of a disciple? Why is there the need of “showing the greatness of the teaching’s author in order to establish that it is of noble origin”? [Master analyzed it] solely from the perspective of a disciple, i.e. what kind of benefit the disciple can attain, from such an angle so that we [the disciples] will come to understand why the purity and the authenticity of the source of the teaching are of vital importance. The most important fountainhead of the pure teaching is the person who composed and imparted the teaching as this will directly impact and determine the emancipation or the downfall of our lives. For instance, can we really be liberated from the cyclic existence? Are we able to be freed from [and avoid descending to] the miserable realms? If a great virtuous master with sublime lineage is to teach and guide us, he or she would definitely show/depict the pure path that can [lead us] away from the [samsara of] cyclic existence, helping us to develop unwavering conviction in the law of causality, which can save us from falling to the miserable realms. Such a virtuous teacher can’t [bear to] see us overlook these essential teachings. [Try to imagine this:] Once we are caught up and misled by the impure teachings, there is no way for us to advance on the pure, proper path; and our training, practice and drilling would be deviated into different sect. [Worst still,] instead of knowing what the main principal practices are, we spent too much effort and time on very minor detail. Or we might overly pursue a little individual realization but pay no attention to the issue how to be really free from the cyclic existence of birth and death. 10:54
Hence, the purity of the source of the teaching totally relies on the sublime qualities of the Dharma teacher or the author of the Dharma teaching, and this criterion thus becomes of vital importance! We must [be able to] understand why the teaching’s author is [regarded as] excellent, because such knowledge about the author is genuinely associated with the success or failure of our learning, and this is not something that is not essential or dispensable. Rather, it is critically important! Hence, Master guided us very ingeniously, from such a [disciple-based] perspective, so that we can gradually come to understand the intended meaning of Lama Tsong-kha-pa. 11:26
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0227】
讲次 0227
标题 造者殊胜，关乎自己学习成败
音档 3B 28:13 ~ 4A 02:31
日期 2020-06-01 ~ 2020-06-03
广论段落 P2-L9 ~ P2-L10 由是菩提道次引导分四……引导学徒之次第。
手抄页/行 第1册 P94-L2 ~ P98-L7 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P94-L3 ~ P98-L7 )
手抄段落 现在这个地方……是决定因素。
00:00
大家好！又到了我们研讨《广论》的时间了。在研讨之前，还是请大家观察一下自己的身心状况，最重要的事情就是要殷重发心，殷重发心这件事，我在很多讲次里都会不停地提到。因为当我们做一件事，我们的发心会直接导致这件事完成的结果是什么样的程度。我们听闻的是大乘的法，如果我们不去造作一个大乘发心的话，那这样的时光真的是满可惜的！所以请大家还是要殷重发心——为了利益无穷无尽的有情，我们要去证得最殊胜遍智的果位；为了有一天达到究竟地离苦得乐那个果位，我们要来研讨《菩提道次第广论》。 00:55
好！今天我们要学的是《菩提道次第广论》师父带子的第四卷，请大家先听一下师父的带子。 01:09
现在这个地方本论所采用的是后者，这个后者分四大段，分四部分，说：
由是菩提道次引导分四：
现在呢，我根据后者这个师承，来说明这个菩提大道修证次第的方法，分四部分：
一、为显其法根源净故开示造者殊胜，二、令于教授起敬重故开示其法殊胜，三、如何讲闻二种殊胜相应正法，四、如何正以教授引导学徒之次第。
分四部分。那么为什么要分这个四部分，这里简单地说明一下这个道理。详细的内涵每一部分哪，他就是说这个，我们只要把下面认真地学，那个细部都了解，一开头，原则说一下为什么。第一个我们了解，说学一切任何一样东西，你一定要跟一个自己有正确认识的人学，这样才学得好。不管做世间出世间任何一样东西，你要学会，一定要跟一个会的人学才行；同样会的人，他越是内容精采、越是圆满是越好。世间法尚且如此，何况佛法！世间法出一点毛病，那么最多你说，哎呀，作生意少赚一点钱、亏一点本；佛法出了毛病的话，就流落在生死轮回，小的受生死之痛苦，大的在三恶道中，不得了地严重！尤其是修学佛法，你稍微不小心一点哪，嘿，会产生很大负效果，很大负效果，这一点我们要注意！所以真正对这个佛法本身是否清净，是绝端地重要。那么要想得到清净圆满的教法的话，这个引导我们本身他的条件，是决定因素。 04:03
好！现在我提一个问题。师父说：“为什么要分这个四部分？” 然后“一开头，原则说一下为什么”，接着说：“第一个我们了解”。大家还知道第一个我们了解什么吗？如果你们没记住的话，可以看手抄，第一个我们要了解的是什么呢？说：“学一切任何一样东西，你一定要跟一个自己有正确认识的人学，这样才学得好。”我们要了解的第一个事是——“学”！学一切任何一样东西，我们要学习。那么学习要跟一个什么样的人学呢？就是他自己会有正确的认识这样的人学。结论：“这样才学得好。”05:07
这点大家有疑义吗？你们可以讨论一下。是不是学一切任何一样东西，一定要跟一个自己有正确认识的人学，这样才学得好呢？如果他不会，也没有办法教我们。所以学得好的一个因素，就是一定要跟一个自己有正确认识的人学，就是他是会的、他是正确的。 05:37
接着师父说：“不管做世间出世间任何一样东西，你要学会，一定要跟一个会的人学才行。”还是阐述这个问题。接下来又说：“同样会的人，他越是内容精采、越是圆满是越好。”所以在会的人里边就提出了什么？精彩和圆满。接着我们要学习什么呢？世间法和什么？佛法。说：“世间法尚且如此，何况佛法！”接着师父类比了世间法如果学不好会怎样、佛法学不好会怎样。世间法出了一点毛病，那么最多你说：“哎呀，作生意亏钱了、亏本了！”但是佛法出了毛病的话会怎样呢？流落生死轮回，因为佛法是要我们出离生死轮回的。然后“小的受生死之痛苦，大的在三恶道中”，恶道之中的苦就非常地剧烈了。师父接着说：“不得了地严重！”如果学得不对的话。因为佛法是要教我们了脱三恶趣的痛苦，乃至了脱整个轮回的痛苦，如果没有学明白、学错了的话，这两个痛苦都脱不了。所以对我们本身来说损失很大，非常严重！ 07:11
所以，师父说修学佛法要非常非常地慎重，尤其是稍微不小心一点，就会产生很大的负效果。注意！接着师父说了：“这一点我们要注意！”注意哪一点呢？是注意学佛法要小心吗？还是注意下面的那句话——“真正对这个佛法本身是否清净，是绝端地重要。那么要想得到清净圆满教法的话，这个引导我们本身他的条件，是决定因素。”注意！出现了这样几个问题，就是对这个佛法本身是否清净是绝端重要的，为什么？因为不清净的佛法的传承没法教我们了生脱死，没有办法，因为只有佛陀有解决生老病死的办法，只有佛法有。如果把佛法学错了，这个最大的胜利就得不到了。所以它本身的清净就变得——师父用了“绝端地重要”——绝端地重要！那么要想得到清净圆满的教法的话，决定因素是什么呢？就是引导我们本身他的条件——引导者的条件是决定因素。 08:40
大家可以看一看，在这一小段里师父的观点。他站在我们一个学习的人的角度，深刻地分析了：如果没有找到清净圆满的传承的话——没有找到那个能把清净圆满的传承传给我们的人的话，没有这个决定因素，那我们到底会不会学到清净的教法？不会。学不到的话，佛法给我们的利益就得不到，对我们来说就不得了地严重，就是都白忙了、白辛苦了！可见在世间法和出世间法中，最重要的就是佛法带给我们这个利益，而它的根本决定性的因素，就是引导我们那个人他的条件，因为他会决定这个传承清不清净。 09:35
这个观点，大家会不会觉得师父完全是站在学的人的角度在探索？为什么要“显其法根源净故开示造者殊胜”呢？完全是站在学的人会得到什么样的利益，从这样的一个角度让我们去了解，为什么法的根源清净这么重要。法的根源清净最重要的源头，就是造论、说法的那个人，而这一点关乎到我们生命的成败。比如说我们到底能不能离开轮回？到底能不能离开恶趣？如果一个有殊胜传承的善知识给我们开示的话，一定会无倒显示出离生死轮回的清净之道、脱离恶趣的深信业果的法门，不会让我们忽略这些。一旦我们陷入不清净的法中，我们根本走不上清净、正确的道路，练、练、练，成了旁门左道，或者在非常局部的地方花了很多功夫，而道的主体却不知道；或者过分地追求自身的一点觉受，而对真正出离生死的这个问题几乎一概不提。 10:54
所以这个法的根源清净，完全源自于说法者或者造论者他的殊胜条件，这一点就变得非常重要！我们一定要了解那个造论者是怎么殊胜的，因为了解了他真的关乎到我自己学的成败，这件事不是可有可无，而是非常非常地重要！所以师父从这样一个角度，非常善巧地引导我们的心，慢慢地去了解宗大师的意趣。 11:26