Lecture No. 0231
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0231
Lamrim Volume 1: P34 – LL9~LL1
Date: 2020-06-15 ~ 2020-06-17
Topic: With our limited wisdom, apply the guiding principle to discern our virtuous teachers (1)
Moreover, for those of us who are inspired to learn Buddha Dharma, there must be an attribute common to us all: we are ordinary beings. Suppose we have attained Buddhahood, we will be the one giving teachings to others instead of learning Buddha Dharma. Ordinary being as we are, we have recognized the need to remove suffering and are aspired to study the teachings. Although we more or less do have certain discerning capabilities, such capability is rather limited. Then, what is the guiding principle we should rely on at this juncture? In terms of worldly matters, we would rely on people who truly have great achievements; whereas in the Buddhist community, what has stood the test of time, and has been validated with discernment in accordance with the teachings will be the guiding principles for us to count on them. That is the criteria acknowledged in this community. Certainly, such a way of acknowledgment is in itself far from perfect, but for us so far this is the best option available. If we are searching for a person of certain know-how, we would ask around and choose the person who has the most recommendations, and whom we agree upon as well. Regarding the recommendations given, there are two types - the recommendation obtained from ill-intentioned people may not be as reliable as that from people with integrity. As for the people with integrity, there are also two folds - if the people with integrity are sagacious, then what they recommend is more in line with wisdom; if the people with integrity are more endowed with blissful merits, then what they recommend is more in accordance with blissful merits. This is an important criterion; with this, we can determine whom we can rely on as our virtuous teachers. 01:32
Regarding to this section, everyone please think about it, Master said in the beginning, “For those of us who are inspired to learn Buddha Dharma, there must be an attribute common to us all ….” What is this “attribute”? And Master followed by saying, “We are ordinary beings. Suppose we have attained Buddhahood, we will be the one giving teachings to others instead of learning Buddha Dharma. Ordinary being as we are, who have recognized the need to remove suffering and are aspired to study the teachings.” Though the passage is short, its meaning is rather thought-provoking! When we are aspired to learn Buddha Dharma, there must be a condition common to us all; that is, we have recognized what suffering is in samsara, so we want to learn from the teaching. Master said that if we have attained Buddhahood, we would be the ones who teach others, not the other way around. 02:31
Then, Master continued, “Although we more or less do have certain discerning capability ….” Why is that Master said this? For, if we lack the discerning capability, it is impossible for us to learn anything. However, how strong is this discerning capability of ours? How did Master put it? He said, “Such capability is rather limited.” Master said we are ordinary beings with a bit of discerning capability, but such capability is rather limited. “Then, what is the guiding principle we should rely on at this juncture?” Now, I would like to ask you all a question, regarding “What is the guiding principle we should rely on at this juncture?” What is this question about? Though we have recognized the need to remove suffering and we are aspired to study the teaching, given that our discerning capability is limited, what should we rely on and what should we do? You should know the answer, right? We need the guiding principle to determine who can be our virtuous teachers, correct? 03:32
As we have studied in the previous teachings [teaching #227], Master said, “Whatever we’d like to learn, we must learn from someone who has proper experiential knowledge; only then we can master the new skill.” As far as Buddha Dharma is concerned, not any speck of impurity is allowed; that is, the purity of Buddha Dharma is absolutely important. Hence, in order to obtain the pure and encompassing teaching, the qualifications of the virtuous teachers who are to guide us are the determining factor. Thus we definitely need a guiding principle to determine whom we will rely on to learn Buddha Dharma. In fact, the questions Master brought up here are very important and very brilliant! 04:16
But, what is the guideline? We could rely on those truly accomplished people in the mundane world. As far as the Buddhist community is concerned, what has stood the test of time and has been validated through discernment in accordance with the teachings, is the guiding principle we can acknowledge. At least we still have some criteria that we can base on. What has stood the test of time, and has been validated through discernment in accordance with the teachings is the criteria we acknowledge. That is, the greatness of the virtuous teachers, traversing beyond the limit of time and space, is still as splendid and resplendent as the stars in the sky. 04:48
Master said, “Certainly such way of acknowledgment is in itself far from perfect, but for us so far this is the best option available.” How do we comprehend this statement? “If we are searching for a person of certain know-how, we would ask around, and choose the person who has the most recommendations, and whom we agree upon as well.” Take heed! The recommendations given are of two types: the recommendation from ill-intentioned people may not be as reliable as that of people with integrity. Following this line of thought, we can further analyze: through the trial of time and space, about the people with integrity, there are two folds: if the people with integrity are sagacious, then what they recommend is more in line with wisdom; if the people with integrity are more endowed with blissful merits, then what they recommend is more in accordance with blissful merits. This is an important criterion for us to determine whom we should rely on as our virtuous teachers. 05:40
If we read the whole passage starting from the earlier teachings to the paragraph Master explained, some classmates would say this to me, “When I read this section, it is a bit odd; why was Master talking about this topic again?” Because as aforementioned, we have covered all the way from the importance of virtuous teachers, the purity of the lineage, to the topic of today’s teaching, but suddenly, Master talked about us the practitioners again. Didn’t Master cover that in earlier sections? Why was Master talking about us the practitioners again? How did Master describe us? It seems that our wisdom is neither deep nor profound, and our discerning wisdom is rather limited. Under such circumstances how can we make any decision? Foreseeing questions like this, therefore, Master listed several discerning guidelines. I am wondering if you are able to apply such guidelines. Aren’t they very practical? 06:22
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0231】
讲次 0231
标题 运用有限智慧，抉择善知识的标准（一）
音档 4A 07:13 ~ 08:42
日期 2020-06-15 ~ 2020-06-17
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 P100-LL4 ~ P101-L6 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P100-LL4 ~ P101-L7 )
手抄段落 那么还有一点……一个重要的条件。
00:00
那么还有一点，因为我们要想修学的时候，必定有一个特质，因为我们是个凡夫。假定说我们成了佛的话，我们不是修学，我们教别人；我们只是凡夫，了解了这个苦要去学，所以我们的的确确，虽然学的人说应该有辨别的能力，可是这个辨别能力的确不强。那么这个时候根据这个什么？根据真正有成就的世间，或者在我们这个圈子里边，经过了时空考验以后，经过这个如理抉择以后，肯定他的价值的，那个是我们认定的一个标准。本来这种认定的方式，本身是并不圆满，但对我们来说，也只能用这个；我们找人说，大家都说这个人好的，你也好的。那么然后大家说的当中有两种：有一种坏的人说好的，这个不一定；有一种是好的人说好的，那大概就可靠。好的人当中又是智慧的人说好的，那他跟智慧一定相应；有很多人福德的人说好的，那这个人跟福德一定相应。这个是我们抉择我们要跟的这个善知识的一个重要的条件。 01:32
在这一段大家可以想一下，师父开始说：“因为我们要想修学的时候，必定有一个特质”，这个“特质”是什么呢？接着师父说：“因为我们是个凡夫。假定说我们成了佛的话，我们不是修学，我们教别人；我们只是凡夫，了解了这个苦要去学。”短短的这几行，涵义很深喔！想要学的时候我们必定有一个状况，就是我们了解了这个苦，然后要去学。师父说假定成佛了的话，就去教别人，不用学了。 02:31
那么“的的确确，虽然学的人说应该有辨别的能力”，因为没有辨别的能力就没法学了，可是这个辨别的能力到底有多强呢？师父怎么说？ “辨别能力的确不强。”又是凡夫，有一点辨别能力，然后这辨别能力又不强。 “那么这个时候根据这个什么？”我现在要问大家一个问题：“这个时候根据什么”，这句话是问什么的？从我们因为了解苦要去学佛法，但是辨别能力不是很强，要根据什么、做什么呢？同学应该想到了吧！要有一个根据去选择善知识，对吧？ 03:32
因为在前几段的时候大家有学过，师父说：我们要学任何一样东西，一定要跟一个自己有正确认识的人学，这样才能学得好。就佛法来说是不能够有任何的错误，佛法本身是否清净绝端地重要。那么想要得到清净圆满的教法的话，引导我们本身的善知识的条件就是决定因素，所以我们总得有一个根据去选、去学习。师父在此处提出的问题非常非常重要，非常精彩的提问！ 04:16
根据什么呢？根据真正有成就的世间，或者在这个圈子里边经过考验之后，如理抉择，肯定他的价值的，那个是我们认定的一个标准。还是有一个标准可以衡量的。经过时空的考验、如理抉择之后肯定他的价值；就是已经穿越了很长时间，他的价值还是像天上的星星一样璀璨无比的。 04:48
“本来这种认定的方式，本身是并不圆满，但对我们来说，也只能用这个。”这句话怎么理解呢？比如“我们找人说，大家都说这个人好的，你也好的”，注意！在这个好中有两种：一种是坏的人说是好的，这样不一定；一种是好的人说是好的，那大概就可靠。在我们这个根据里再去分一下，有了那么长的时空印证之后，好人说的好的，在好的人当中又是有智慧的人说好的，那么一定是跟智慧相应的；如果有很多福德的人说好的，那跟福德一定是相应的。这个是我们抉择我们要跟的善知识的一个重要条件。 05:40
这一段从前面看过来的时候，有一些同学会跟我说：“看到这一段非常奇怪，师父为什么又转过来讲这个呢？”因为前面已经都讲了，对我们非常非常重要的善知识、传承清净啊，讲到那边；然后突然又讲到我们自己了，前面不是已经讲过自己了吗？这边又讲到自己了。讲到我们自己讲到什么程度呢？就是好像慧力也不是很高、抉择慧也没有多少，在这样的状态下要怎么去抉择呀？所以师父在这里边列举了几个标准。不知道大家觉得这样的标准能不能用得上呢？是不是很实在呢？ 06:22