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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0233

Lamrim Volume 1: P2-L9 ~ P2-L10

Date: 2020-06-22 ~ 2020-06-24

Topic: Using veneration to remedy the gigantic “I” in our hearts

Now, here Master Tsong-kha-pa pointed out this attribute in the following. So even though at the current stage we are unable to know the essence of Buddha’s teachings, nor possess the exceptional capability to distinguish what is virtuous or non-virtuous, we still have consensus that is based on the mundane world. Thus Master Tsong-kha-pa applied such a consensus to tell us, “Ah! Yes! Yes! Yes! This is the right approach to find a virtuous teacher!” Thus it inspires your reverence and wholehearted attitude that wishes to learn from them. Then you are learning correctly! With this guiding principle, what is cast aside or adopted would be done correctly. [00:38]

In the following paragraph, Master concluded by saying: “Even though at the current stage we are unable to know the essence of Buddha’s teachings, nor possess the exceptional capability to distinguish what is virtuous or non-virtuous, we still have consensus that is based on the mundane world.” Guiding us based on this consensus, it can also inspires our reverence and an attitude that is wholehearted to learn from them. Master continued to affirm by saying: “Then you are learning correctly. With this guiding principle, what is cast aside or adopted would be done correctly.” Hence, it isn’t due to our limited wisdom that we learn from just any person we encounter, nor will we choose to refuse learning from anyone and just learn the Buddha’s teachings on our own because we feel clueless about this. We should still utilize our discerning wisdom and our knowledge of the scriptures to make our discernment accordingly, based on this mundane consensus suggested by Master. So, within this stage of our learning, Master would tell us how to utilize the capability we already possess to make our decisions to rely on the Excellent Teacher. This point of experiential guidance is extremely important to us! [01:49]

There is still one more question within: Guiding us based on this consensus, it will inspire our faith. Does everyone feel like this? Consensus - good qualities that are acknowledged by many people, something we fall short of. Thus this will definitely inspire our reverence and an attitude that looks up and want to learn from him. With such attitude, one would be benefited by the Excellent Teacher. Please think about this: Is this how it works? [02:25]

Hence, whether it is our chatters after class or in our personal mental space, if we can make intentional reminders to contemplate on the good qualities of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and virtuous teachers, then our speech would be centred on their good qualities forming these consensus. Then, we can also allow those who are new to Buddhism or those who are clueless, upon hearing it, they would develop yearning towards Buddha and Buddha's teaching, leading them to this path. As such, this is something beneficial to self and others. If we can skilfully know the most fundamental good qualities of an Excellent Teacher, contemplate on those good qualities frequently, and then integrate our learning through our physical and verbal actions, this will definitely bring about a positive influence on ourselves, people around us, and those who are new to Buddhism. Think about this: Suppose the new learners of Buddhism are you and I? if we have heard these good words, wouldn’t we follow along the lead of these words and discover Master Tsong-kha-pa’s teaching? [03:25]

Okay! Let’s listen to the next paragraph.

So, what should be the first step if we would like to learn the Buddha’s teachings? And what is the most essential point when it comes to learning and practicing the Buddha’s teachings? It is veneration. Normally, our greatest obstacle is that we would lament, “Alas, I have karmic obstacles!” What is the core of karma? It is this “I,” and the characteristic of “I” is arrogance. When you have an arrogant heart, we will always think, “I am the most outstanding always.” During our daily conversation with others, we always consider our own views to be right. Because you hold on to your views, it serves as the obstacle that obstructs the channel to receive information from others. However, suppose we recognize the brilliance of others, and the method he/she tells you is correct, at that moment, arrogance will be greatly reduced in our hearts. Veneration is a great antidote to arrogance. [04:11]

Next, Master said we are ready to start to learn. In terms of learning and practicing the Buddha’s teachings, there is one most important key point; do you still remember it? What is this point? Surprisingly, this essential point is veneration! Everyone may wonder, “eh, it seems that having faith should be the most essential point in terms of learning Buddha’s teachings”? But here Master pointed out “veneration”. He started out with the flipside – what obstructs our veneration? “Normally, we would lament about this, ‘Alas, I have great karmic obstacles!’ What is the cause of karma? It is this ‘I’, which refers to our grasping on an intrinsic self. Master pointed out here: “The characteristic of this ‘I’ is arrogance.” How do we observe this? When you have an arrogant heart, we will always think, “I am the most outstanding always.” Making our usual observations, when chatting with others, what do we talk about? Master used “always” twice here: “We always consider our own views to be always right. When we always consider our own views to be always correct,” what problem will arise? It develops the obstacle that obstructs the channel to receive information from others. [05:15]

Then, how to remedy it? The answer is to sincerely listen to others so as to find out how brilliant they are. As we recognize the brilliance of others, and the accuracy of their approaches, at that moment, arrogance will be greatly reduced in our hearts. So which antidote do we use to remedy arrogance? Many would bring up making prostration, and would all say, “I have prostrated to the 35 Buddhas for how many rounds, prostrated for how many rounds!” Keeping track of how many rounds one prostrates is definitely very good. However, did you self-examine if after so many rounds of half or full prostrations, have we reduced our arrogance? Or because we have prostrated so many rounds, we instead become even more arrogant, saying, “Look! I have prostrated so many rounds, and you haven't done any yet!” Pay attention! The prostration is to tame our arrogance. What will arise after we subdue our arrogance? Only then veneration will appear! And with veneration, then we can learn well. [06:10]

Hence, here Master further elaborated: After we understand the good qualities from the consensus within the mundane world, we would be inspired to arise our veneration. Besides this, what else is required? Master again further analyzed this very “I” in our minds! That inflated “I” that needs to be remedied with veneration. What should we do? We need to be receptive to the good qualities of others that are more superior than our own, we cannot continue to let something clogging the path, not allowing any information to enter, how can we better ourselves with this condition? Thus in this paragraph, our minds are guided to deepen layer by layer, to align the direction towards having veneration. Actually, we are already being cultivated by Master’s teaching, a little by a little. [07:00]

讲次 0233

标题 心中很大的 “我”，用恭敬来对治

音档 4A 08:42 ~ 10:01

日期 2020-06-22 ~ 2020-06-24

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 P101-L7 ~ P102-L1　( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P101-L8 ~ P102-L3 )

手抄段落 现在这地方…..非常好的方法——恭敬。

00:00

现在这地方，他下面就把这一点的行相指出来。所以我们目前，虽然不能认识佛法本身的内涵，没有殊胜辨别善恶的能力，可是我们却有世间上面这种的共识。所以他现在拿这个共识来告诉我们说：“啊，对、对、对！这个才是。”于是启发你的恭敬仰望一心想学，你就学对了。有了这个标准以后的话，那个取舍就取舍对了。00:38

接下来这一段师父就结论说：虽然不能认识佛法本身的内涵，没有殊胜辨别善恶的能力，可是我们却有世间上这种共识。拿这种共识来告诉我们的话，也可以启发我们的恭敬仰望、一心修学这样的心。师父接着就肯定说：那就学对了！“有了这个标准以后的话，那个取舍就取舍对了。”所以不是因为自己只有一点点智慧，然后碰到谁就跟谁学；或者因为我也不知道怎么回事，所以索性谁也不跟谁学，就自己读自己的。还是要去就师父给我们的共识，运用自己的抉择慧，运用所学的教典，加上这几点一起去抉择。所以在这个阶段内，师父会告诉我们怎么样地运用自己所具有的这个能力，去选择依止善知识，这点经验对我们来说至关重要！01:49

这里边还有一个问题：拿这个共识来告诉我们的话，会启发我们的信心。大家觉得是这样吗？共识——很多人都承许的那种功德，对我们自己来说是没有的，所以一定会启发我们恭敬、仰望的心想要跟他学，有这个心就会被善知识所饶益，大家想一想是不是这样的？ 02:25

所以在课下谈论，还有在自己的思想自由驰骋的那个空间，如果我们常常注意到去思惟佛菩萨的功德、善知识的功德，这样我们开口说起来也是这些，达成了这些共识；也可以让那些刚刚开始学佛、不知道怎么回事的人，他们听一听之后，就生起对佛陀、对教法的向往，然后就找到了这条路，所以这是一件对自他都有好处的事情。如果我们善于知道最基本的善知识德相的条件，在内心里数数地忆念，然后行之于身口的话，对自己和周遭的人，还有对刚刚学佛的人一定是有一个很好的影响。就想：假如那个刚刚学佛的人是你我呢？如果听到这样的嘉言，不就是沿着这样的言论找到宗大师教法了吗？ 03:25

好！我们再听下一段。

那么第一步呢，说这个要去学；这个修学佛法，要一个重要的特点，要什么？恭敬心。平常我们最大的障碍，都是说：“哎呀，我有业障啊！”业的中心是什么？“我”。我的特质是慢，当你有一个慢的心，这慢总归是我总觉得最精彩。平常所以我们跟人家聊天也好什么，自己总是自己的意见总是对的，因为你有自己的意见，那个障碍在那里，别人的东西就进不来。假定你是了解对方的高明，他告诉你方法的正确，你那个时候，心里面就把慢心就降低了。这个慢心对治它一个非常好的方法──恭敬。04:11

接着说我们要去学了，修学佛法有一个最重要的特点，记着吧？这个特点是什么？这个特点居然是恭敬心！大家想：欸，学习佛法好像最重要的是信心吧？但师父此处讲了“恭敬心”。师父先讲了它的反方——恭敬心的障碍是什么？平常我们最大的障碍就是：“哎呀，我有业障！”“业的中心是什么？”就是这个“我”呀！就是自性执的我。“我的特质”，师父在此处说“是慢”，我们怎么观察呢？就是当有一个慢心的时候，“总归是我总觉得最精彩”。平常观察的时候、聊天的时候，聊什么呀？师父在这里边用了两个“总”，“自己总是自己的意见总是对的”。“因为你有自己的意见”，会产生什么问题呢？就障碍在那儿，所以别人的东西就进不来。05:15

那怎么对治呢？就是我们认真地听一听别人高明在哪里。一旦听到别人比自己高明的地方，那么我们再了解到他告诉方法的正确性，这个时候心里面的慢心就会降低了。所以慢心用什么来对治啊？大家说磕大头，都说：“我磕多少轮了、磕多少轮了！”计数当然是非常非常好的，但是有没有观察一下，磕了这么多轮小礼拜或者大礼拜之后，我们的慢心是否降低呢？还是因为我磕了这么多头，反而生起了慢心：“看！我磕了这么多头，你都没有磕！”注意！是降伏我慢的。降伏了我慢会出现什么？才会有恭敬啊！有恭敬才会好好地学。06:10

所以师父在这里边再去引申：当我们就世间共识的功德了解了之后，生起了向上仰望的心，那还差什么呢？师父又进一步剖析我们内心中那个“我”呀！很大的那个“我”，要用恭敬来对治。怎么办呢？就要听得进去别人的功德比自己高明之处，不能自己有一个东西老是塞在那个地方，什么也进不来，这样的话怎么进步呢？所以这一段层层深入地引导我们的心，要朝向恭敬的方向。其实我们已经在被师父的法语调伏了，一点点地调伏。07:00