Lecture No. 0243
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0243
Lamrim Volume 1: P35 – LL3~P36L1
Tape No. 4A 16:03 ~ 17:07
Date: 2020-07-27 ~ 2020-07-29
Topic: Admire our own 0.01 improvement
May I ask, “Have we ascertained that this is our ultimate goal?” And, what goal is it? Following these stages of the path and attaining the ultimate state of Buddhahood. If we are certain that this is the goal that we want to strive for, what is the most important question to ask after that? That is, to take that one specific step. And what is that step? Is it the step that I aspire to advance upward? That step may be just a minuscule improvement, a minuscule improvement. Then, these small improvements will add up one by one, and our advancement is thus magnifying and expanding with each passing day. [00′38″]
In terms of making consecutive progress, suppose on the first day we made a 0.01 improvement in the area that we were not good at in the past, and the next day, on the 0.01 improvement we made yesterday, we add another 0.01 enhancement. Hence, if we continue to work hard, making progress in this manner over a period of one year, two years, three years, ten years, everyone can make a calculation how much difference have been made compared to where we started! As Master said, “take just one step at a time,” though it may seem insignificant, cumulatively, it will add up to an inconceivable number that is beyond our imagination! [01′16″]
Actually, this statement from Master can bring comfort to us. [Why?] Because we all feel taming our mind is very challenging. It is a strenuous struggle to fight with ourselves and overcome our own weaknesses. We often feel that no matter how hard we exert we just can’t improve. So, specifically, why is it we can’t overcome it? It is specifically about eradicating one of our habits and deliberately making it not arise in our mindstream or even making it disappears completely. But somehow, we just cannot get the result we anticipated. Take anger, for example. No matter how hard we try to overcome it, it just pops up again and again. We won’t consider we have won the battle until we achieve a state of no more aversion. We would focus on the end result: we will never win! When we don’t win, there is no way for us to feel joy or a sense of relaxation. [02′01″]
In fact, when Master mentioned taking every step, it refers to, at the given moment, whether we have accomplished the goal we set each day or not? Yes, we have! We have accomplished this goal today! Take for example, we want to discuss the Global Lamrim. Have we discussed? Yes, we have. Then, have you accomplished the goal? Yes! We have accomplished the task of persisting in attending the discussion every day. Then, what about the quality and quantity of the discussion? “Sometimes it’s not as good, while at other times what I have learned is quite beneficial.” As long as we continue to persist, it is definitely 100% better than dropping out. As long as we persist on, we will find ourselves transforming to a certain degree during this process. Hence, every time we hit a crossroad, not knowing whether to move forward or backward, we should always take a step forward, take a step each time. Is it difficult for us to take one step forward? For example, we can be oriented and move our minds a step at a time toward virtuous, toward positivity instead of being submerged in our habituated afflictive state of mind; each small breakthrough is called one step! [02′57″]
Then it appears that meditation practice/cultivation is pretty easy! Just take one step at a time. Then, you may wonder: “If I take one step at a time, when can I reach the destination?” Let’s do a little math here: we take one step forward each day, every day we improve 1%, how much growth would that be in one year? Someone calculated before; the improvement is 37 times from where we started. Therefore, this one step is not simply just one step, it is actually an ingenious component for accomplishing a very remarkable project. It is a compounding, a very magnificent fruition. [03′31″]
However, we are overly ambitious when taking each step, we want to instantly reach the state of no more afflictive latent propensity; and we can’t endure having mediocre results, or seeming regressing progress while practicing. It is particularly true. When the arising condition is strong, the battle to uphold our mindfulness becomes even more challenging. Sometimes, we would just collapse! Master would often say, “That is OK! When you fall, just get up again and continue to fight!” Just persist on like this, take one step at a time, one step at a time! It is a step within our capability. Even though we may have to exert a bit more, it is still a step that we can accomplish within our ability. [04′10″]
The most important concept is by taking this step; do you appreciate what you have achieved? Are you happy about it? Are you totally jubilant over the process? Or do you simply belittle your own effort? Taking one small step, the effort of taking one small step is the most important process through which we can reach that resplendent sacred palace [Buddhahood]. If we overlook the importance of the process of taking these minuscule steps could we reach the final destination? The last stride is the most splendid step because it takes us to the very top. However, does it mean that all the preceding steps that lead to the final destination are not praiseworthy? Is the entire journey not praiseworthy at all? [04′44″]
Thus, if we can truly live in the present moment and are able to add up our virtuous deeds every day, even if it is only a small fraction, as long as we are making minuscule progress, and continue to improve the next day, we are not stagnating; we are heading and progressing along the wonderful direction. This indicates that we are making progress. [05′07″]
Although the improvement we have made may fall short of what we imagined it to be, perhaps progress itself may not be what we expected it to be in the first place. It has its own tangible tracks; it does not start from a point from the horizon and then rises straight up high into the sky; it could be a gentle gradient inching up a little at a time until it reaches a certain point and then jump exponentially! Take the entry-level and the 2nd Bhumi Bodhisattvas for example; in terms of their merits, the differences are many folds. When they are spiralling upwards to higher levels, their progression is unimaginable, is exponential, transforming exponentially! [05′41″]
In this short passage [of discourse #242], every step, each step is based on Master’s actual experience. Master often said, “Buddha Dharma is magnificent! The sangha community is splendid!” Many a times, it seemingly looked as though Master was talking to himself, smiling, and giving heartfelt praises. The sangha community is the sangha we belong to now. Master also praised, “Wow! These lay practitioners in our Lamrim classes are truly endowed with virtuous roots!” Such were his praises. However, when doing our self-evaluation, it is a total mess. We are always unable to see the shining spot that Master saw. So, what are the flaws we have in our train of thought? Could it be that we overly emphasize the glorious moment of the final result, so much so that we overlook the only precious, indispensable way of that small step? [06′28″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0243】
讲次 0243
标题 欣赏自己0.01的进步
音档 4A 16:03 ~ 17:07
日期 2020-07-27 ~ 2020-07-29
《广论》段落 P2-LL4 ~ P2-LL3 今初 总此教授……即是菩提道炬
手抄页/行 第1册 P105-L5 ~ P105-LL5 ( 2016 南普陀版：第1册 P105-L5 ~ P105-LL5 )
手抄段落 所以虽然是说起来这么简单……这很清楚明白。
00:00
请问：“我们有没有确定我们究竟的目的就是这一个？”就是哪一个呢？要究竟圆满成佛，沿着这样的道次第。如果我们确定了这个目标之后，最重要的问题是什么呢？就是该走的只是一步。那一步到底是什么呢？是否是我现在要向上增进的一步呢？那一步可能是非常小的一个进步、非常小的一个进步。然后一个小的进步、一个小的进步累积起来，每天都在增广、每天都在增广。00:38
这样的一个连串，比如第一天在过去不会的一个地方我们增加了 0.01，第二天在这个 0.01 的基础上，我们再去增加 0.01。这样地假以时日，如果一年、两年、三年、十年这样努力下去，大家可以算算，跟我们原来的起步点已经差了多少？所以师父讲的“每次只走一步”，好像很小的感觉，但是它累积起来，结果会是一个不可思议的数字！01:16
这句话其实也可以安慰我们，因为我们都会觉得调心是非常不容易的，想要跟自己拼搏，战胜自己的那些弱点，是一个很辛苦的过程。我们常常会觉得怎么努力也改不过来，那怎么努力也改不过来，是针对什么说的？是针对某一个习惯它彻底在相续里边不现行、消失了。但是那个结果就是没出现，比如说嗔心，怎么打它就是常常出现，没有打到一种嗔心不出现的状态，我们就会觉得是没有胜利的。我们就盯着那个结论：我们是没有胜利的！当我们没有胜利的时候，就不会收获愉悦感和轻松感。02:01
但实际上师父说每走一步，在当下的时候完成每一天的目标了吗？实际完成了！因为今天我就完成了这个目标。比如说我们要研讨《全广》，研讨了吗？研讨了。那你完成了吗？完成了每日坚持上课的这件事。那你说研讨的质量怎么样呢？“有的时候可能不太行，有的时候觉得很受用。”只要是一直在坚持，就百分之百地胜过辍学。只要再坚持下去，一定会在其中有某种改变。所以每次可上可下的时候都走一步，每次都走一步。走一步的话会很困难吗？比如把你心里的想法向善的地方再跨一点、向积极的地方再跨一点，不要淹在原来烦恼的现行中，向上突破一点，就叫一步！02:57
这样看起来修行很容易呀！每次就走一步。那你说：“每次走一步，得什么时候才能到达目的地呀？”算一算，每天都走一步，每天进步百分之一的话，一年会是多少呢？有人算过，一年就是原有状态下的 37 倍。所以这个一步不是简单的一步，它实际上是完成一个非常伟大工程的巧妙计算，它是一个利滚利、非常辉煌的果实。03:31
但是在每走一步的时候，我们常常好高骛远，想要一下子达成那个烦恼习气都不现行的状态，却不能忍受成绩平平，或者修着修着怎么看起来好像倒退了。境界一强，正念就打得非常辛苦，甚至有的时候崩溃了！师父常常说：“没关系！跌倒了，再起来，再战！”就这样一直坚持下去，每次只有一步、每次只有一步！我们是力所能及的一步，虽然稍稍费力一点，但是仍然是自己可以完成的一步。04:10
最重要的概念是：这一步，你自己欣赏自己吗？你为此高兴吗？你会完全欣喜这个过程吗？还是你根本看不起自己的努力？一小步、一小步的努力，就是到最终那个辉煌圣殿最重要的过程。如果我们忽略一小步、一小步的这个旅程，我们岂能到达终点呢？最后那一步最辉煌，因为它到顶级了，可是前边的这些步子不值得赞美吗？这一路都不值得赞美吗？04:44
所以如果我们能够真实地活在当下，能够每一天计算一下自己今天的善行上哪怕长进了零点几，只要有在微动，那明天再微动，我们就没有停滞，我们就在向美好的方向前进，这样就是一个进步的趋势。05:07
虽然进步并没有像我们幻想出来那样的形状，但是可能进步本来就不是想像的那样，它有它的一个真实的轨迹，不是从那个地平线起来，然后直着就升上了高空；它可能是斜线式的，一点一点地上去，上到某个点之后忽然腾跃！比如说初地菩萨跟二地菩萨，那功德不知道要差多少倍，在往上辗转增上的时候，是一个不可思议的多少次方、多少次方功德的转变！05:41
这一小段，每一步、每一步是师父真实实践过来的经验。师父常常说：“佛法美啊！僧团美啊！”常常看到师父像是自言自语一样，在那儿笑着发出由衷的赞叹。这个僧团就是我们现在所属的僧团。师父也说：“哇，这些广论班的居士真有善根啊！”就是这样赞叹的。但是轮到我们自己评价自己的时候就一塌糊涂，我们总是看不到师父看到的那个闪光点。那么在思路上到底有什么一些过失呢？会不会是我们太注重结果那一刻的灿烂，而忽略了每一天那个珍贵的、不可或缺的、是唯一的途径的那一小步？06:28