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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0250

Lamrim Volume 1:  Meditation is life; life is meditation

Tape No: 4A 25:36 ~ 27:04

Date: 2020-08-20 ~ 2020-08-23

Topic: Meditation is life; life is meditation

Let me ask everyone another question: If all solutions to our problems with meditation practice/cultivation can be found in the Lamrim, can Lamrim also provide us with solutions to the problems we have in our daily lives? Some may answer, “Not necessarily! Life is life; meditation practice/cultivation is a meditation practice/cultivation; these two are different.” Are you agreeable with this answer? Then we will not encounter problems related to meditation practice/cultivation during our daily lives; neither will any issues about daily life arise while we are practicing meditation; thus these two portions are mutually exclusive; is this how it works? Lamrim provides us with solutions to the problems with our meditation practice/cultivation, but it may not necessarily help us fix our problems in our daily lives; is that so? [00:39]

As we progress further into the Lamrim [V.1 Chapter 5], we will know the meditation practice that the Lamrim advocates is for practitioners to be mindful of upholding the proper perceptions and thought in every moment of a day. Then, do we need to have right thoughts in our daily life? What will happen if we don’t sustain the right thought in our daily life? We will be influenced by our non-virtuous habits. The way we manage our interpersonal relationships or finances, take for example, if we always spend more than what we earn, how could we not be pressed for money? If we earn one dollar but spend two or three dollars, we will find ourselves struggling financially from day to day. That is for sure. Then with regards to problems of such nature, can Lamrim provide us with the solutions? [Yes! Why?] It is because of repeated learning, our wisdom will increase, and we will use this higher level of wisdom to discern and analyse our current state of life, to identify which are the behaviours or habits will obstruct my pursuit of happiness and then make adjustments. As such, if the problems we encounter in our meditation practice can be solved, would it also mean that the problems we have in our daily life can be resolved as well? [01:36]

And so, for practitioners like us, do we think: “life is life, and meditation practice/cultivation is a meditation practice/cultivation,” or “meditation practice/cultivation is life, and life is meditation practice/cultivation”? If these two can be integrated, how is it being done? We live with intention, right? Meditation practice also requires us to be mindful. Hence, as long as we introspect, calm our turbulent mindstream, and tame the greed, anger, and ignorance in our minds; could this a feasible solution to the many problems? [02:05]

Then, does it follow that all issues should be resolved by taming the afflictive mind? Then it will involve the following qualm: Buddha wished for us to be enlightened; and is it true that the thoroughly awakened mind equates to being fully liberated from the cyclic existence? Is such a thing true, or false? Through accustomizing ourselves to the teachings, and if we are able to free ourselves from rebirth and death, is there any larger problem than this? Should there still be anything so dreadful to weigh down our minds to the point of overwhelm? If a major issue [like rebirth and death] can be resolved, would the minor problems not be able to resolve? When one can lift a hundred catty, would he or she not be able to lift the weight of one catty? [02:44]

Thus, if we gradually learn how to apply the teachings to open up from our fixated perspective that we project onto each matter – our hearts get entangled in a fast knot, we just could not easily let go and thus we suffer tremendously; so much so that sometimes we couldn’t even sleep, or eat; we are enmeshed in this suffering day and night. This suffering cannot be severed, nor can we let it go; it is truly tormenting. At this juncture, listen to Master’s Lamrim commentary or flip open the scriptures to read them, then it suddenly seems like a vacuum space has appeared, alleviating our pain from having something sharp lodged into our body and mind; instantly there is a feeling of profound relief. This is the healing side of the Dharma. [03:27]

There are still some of us who wish to solve our problems but have not been able to find any solution; inspiration does not enter, not knowing what solutions there are. This point is still because our wisdom has not elevated to a stage where it allows us to transcend our plight. If we keep studying the teachings – if we learn, we can delve into the scriptures, replete with wisdom that is vast and deep as an ocean. When our level of wisdom gradually rises, we become more and more competent in handling the impact that all sorts of matters have on our body and mind in each day. We overcome one, transcend another, and take flight for the next, we will have more courage and motivation to face the next one. [04:04]

Hence, even though Master did not state that all issues with our daily lives can be resolved,  however all of them are actually issues of the mind; isn’t that so? It is the issue of the mind. For example, how we interpret the teachings, how we perceive the working of our own minds, how we understand interpersonal relationships, and wealth, friends, relatives, the world, etc.; namely, our perception towards issues. After we have learned Buddha’s teachings, [we realize that] Buddha is like our mentor, guiding us not to lose our vigilance and mindfulness while discerning matters. Because when we are watchful about our mind, then we will prevent the inner afflictions from multiplying and tumbling all over. When our mind is not preoccupied with afflictions but led by vigilance and mindfulness, we can then recognize what happiness is and what suffering is, and then be able to formulate the best solution to the problems in front of us. It won’t be influenced and baited by our emotions and latent propensities to arrive at an irrational decision. [05:02]

 If all the problems we have in terms of our meditation practice can be resolved, isn’t it because our valuable encounter with the Lamrim that allows our lives to transcend the hurdles that were there in our lives layer by layer, entering a slightly freer space? This is all because of the uplift in our level of wisdom. [05:19]

Hence, Master said, “all the questions we have in terms of our meditation practice will be answered,” what is your thought process on this? [05:26]

Let me reverse this and ask: If it can resolve all problems about our meditation practice, then does this infer that we can find the answers to all of our doubts arising from meditating on the teaching in the Lamrim? Should we be unable to find answers after studying the Lamrim for a long while, what should be the problem? Did the Lamrim not teach it, or it is because I don’t know how to find the answers? Or is it due to not being conversant [with the teachings in the Lamrim]? Or I don’t know which part of Lamrim can be applied as a remedy after meeting with a problem? If this is the case – if I don’t know how to apply the teachings as remedy, all the more I should try harder to look for it: For my current mental state, which section in the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment should I remedy it with? We should seek for the answer, instead of saying, “Ah! I have studied Lamrim for so long, but it seems like my afflictions haven’t been tamed.” And then we begin to lose our interest in learning instead. [06:21]

As to what the Master said, “All the problems we have in terms of our meditation practice can be solved,” this was not a casual remark. Because the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment contains the profound teachings from all Buddhas of the past, present, and future, encompassing every stage of the path that an ordinary being takes to attain Buddhahood; there is nothing being left out here. Using a short span of time, we get to learn the heart essence of all Buddhas; it is not an encounter that a meagre amount of blessings can bring to effect. After we have encountered the teachings, are we able to recognize that the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment can resolve all the problems related to our meditation practice/cultivation? [07:00]

(更新日期: 2022年6月23日)

讲次 | 0250 (2020-08-20 ~ 2020-08-23)

标题 | 修行即生活，生活即修行

《广论》段落 | P2-LL4 ~ P2-LL2 今初　总此教授……亦即此之造者

音档 | 4A 25:36 ~ 27:04

手抄页/行 | 第1册 P110-LL5 ~ P111-LL7　( 2016 南普陀版：P110-LL5 ~ P111-LL7 )

手抄段落 | 那么这是个大纲……这一点我顺便一提。

00:00

我再问大家一个问题：如果我们修行的问题这本论都可以解决的话，那我们生活中的问题这本论可以解决吗？说：“那不一定！生活是生活、修行是修行，这两个是不一样的。”这样答可以吧？那么在生活的时候是没有修行的问题的，在修行的时候也不会碰到生活的问题，所以这两块是别别无关的，是这样的吗？《广论》解决了修行上的问题，但是未必能解决生活的问题，是这样吗？00:39

大家往后看就知道我们在《广论》上所提倡的修行是指二六时中念兹在兹，主要是心中正知正念的提持。那么生活的时候需要有正念吗？生活的时候没有正念会发生什么事呢？就是会被坏习惯牵着走。我们与人相处、我们对待钱财，比如说你所花的总超过你所赚的，这样的话你怎么可能不缺钱呢？赚一个，花两个、花三个，那怎么可能不天天挣扎呢？肯定会为这个钱财挣扎。那么像类似这样的问题，《广论》也可以解释吗？因为学、学、学，我们会增加智慧，我们就会用这个增加的智慧审视我现在的生活状态，去看出哪种行为、习惯是对我的快乐有妨碍的，然后我们就去调整。所以一旦能解决修行的问题，是否就可以解决生活的问题？01:36

还有我们修行人是“生活是生活、修行是修行”，还是“修行就是生活、生活就是修行”？如果这两者合而为一的话，那是怎么合起来的呢？因为生活也是用心活着吧？修行也是用心来修行。所以只要关注内心，平复内心的这些波澜起伏，然后降伏内心的贪嗔痴，是否就是很多问题的解决方案呢？02:05

那么是不是所有的问题都透过降伏内心来解决？那就涉及到这疑问了：佛陀要我们觉悟内心，而觉悟内心就等于彻底了结了轮回的这件事情，这件事是真的、假的？透过熏习教理，然后生死的问题如果能够解决，人生还有什么大事情呢？还有什么东西那么怖畏，让我们沉甸甸地放在心上，压得透不过气来呢？如果那么大的问题都能解决，小问题不能解决吗？一个人能够搬起一百斤，难道拿不起一斤的重量吗？02:44

所以，如果我们慢慢地学会用教理来打开我们在每一件事上所执着的那个点——心会搅在那个地方打一个死结，然后就特别放不下或者特别痛苦，有的时候甚至没法睡，或者也吃不下，昼夜牵缠着这个苦，这个苦断也断不了、放也放不下，真的是非常地难熬；这个时候，去听一下师父的《广论》，或者是翻开教典看一下，然后就好像突然出现一个隔离空间，对我们身心像刺一样正在扎着的那种痛，就好像抽离了一下，突然间就有一个很深的疗愈。这是一个疗愈的层面。03:27

还有的人想要问题解决，一直找不到解决方案，灵感就是不出来，不知道该有什么解决方案。这时候还是自己慧力没提升到那个可以穿越困境的高度。那我们一直学教理、学教理的话，就深入经藏、智慧如海。当我们的智慧慢慢攀升的时候，我们就越来越能够面对每天这些大大小小、林林总总的事情，对我们的身心所产生的撞击。我们穿越了一个、超越了一个、飞翔了一个，就会更有勇气和力量去面对下一个。04:04

所以，虽然师父没有说所有生活的问题都可以解决——但是所有生活的问题还是心的问题，对吧？心灵的问题。比如心对教理的认识，心对自心的认识，心对人际关系的认识，还有心对财富、对朋友、对眷属、对世界观……，对很多问题的认识。透过学习佛法之后，佛陀就像一个导师一样，引领着我们在任何事情的抉择上不要失去正知正念。因为有正知了之后，才不会让内心的烦恼泛滥和翻滚。我们的内心不会被烦恼占据的时候，被一个正知正念所引领的时候，才知道哪里是快乐的、哪里是痛苦的，才会对当下所面对的问题，拿出一个最好的解决方案。而不是随着情绪，随着自己过去的习染去做那样一个并不理性的抉择。05:02

所以如果所有的修行问题都能解决的话，是不是我们由于值遇了《广论》之后，我们的生活将会一层、一层、一层地超越原有的藩篱，进入到稍微自由一点的空间？因为这全是智慧提升了的缘故。05:19

所以师父说“所有的问题都能解决”这一点，大家是怎么思考的？05:26

反过来我再问一下：所有的修行问题都能解决的话，那是不是我们对于修行所产生的疑问，可以在《广论》上寻找呢？但是如果学了一段时间还找不到解决方案，那是什么问题呢？是《广论》上没有讲，还是我不会找？还是我不熟悉？还是发生了问题之后，我不知道该拿哪一段的教理来对治？如果是这样的话，我不知道拿教理来怎么对治，就更应该去寻觅：我现在这个心的状态，该用《菩提道次第》哪一段来对治呢？应该去寻觅，而不是说：“啊！我学了这么久，好像烦恼没调伏多少。”然后反而退心不学了。06:21

师父说的“所有的修行的问题都能解决”这一句话不是随便讲的，因为《菩提道次第广论》这里边有三世诸佛所讲的奥秘，关于如何从凡夫到佛地的所有道次第，这里边是没有缺少的。我们用这么少的时间就可以学到诸佛的心要，这不是一个很少的福报就能够感得的一件事情。那我们遇到了之后，是否能够感受得到《菩提道次第广论》可以解决我们修行的所有问题？07:00