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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0251

Lamrim Volume 1:  Pg 36L4~ L5

Tape No:  4A 27:04 ~ 4B 02:56

Date: 2020-08-24 ~ 2020-08-26

Topic: The birth in an excellent lineage is the effect of meditation practice/cultivation accumulated for many eons

Very well! We will continue to listen to the next paragraph.

[4A 27:04 ~ 4B 02:56] The other name by which the great Master Dipamkasrijnana was widely renowned is the glorious Atisha.

Dipamkasrijnana is the ordained name of Master Atisha; the name Atisha, an honorific title, was how the Tibetans addressed him out of deep veneration. Atisha means surpassing or extraordinary in Chinese terms, which is very similar to the way we the Chinese would address someone distinguished as Venerable so-and-so, or Master so-and-so, etc. Tibetans usually called him Atisha to express their highest esteem and their greatest respect for him. [00:44]

In the above short paragraph, Master explained, “Dipamkasrijnana was widely renowned, is the glorious Atisha;” and “the name Atisha, an honorific title, was how the Tibetans addressed him out of deep veneration. Atisha means surpassing or extraordinary in Chinese terms.” This is how Tibetans expressed their highest esteem and the greatest respect for him; such is the meaning of this statement. [01:09]

Next, we will listen to the section on “Showing the greatness of the teaching’s author in three parts: A. How he took rebirth in an excellent lineage

B. How upon that basis he gained good qualities

C. Having gained those good qualities, what Atisha did to further the teachings [01:24]

Showing the greatness of the teaching’s author in three parts: A. How he took rebirth in an excellent lineage; B. How upon that basis he gained good qualities; and C. Having gained those good qualities, what Atisha did to further the teachings.

 There are three parts [in Chapter 1, Lamrim V. 1]. The first part is about his birth – his rebirth was of “excellent lineage,” with an account of his family background, etc. The second is about the good qualities he had attained; in other words, the second part is about self-benefiting. This self-benefiting can be further divided into two parts: studying and realization, and so on, namely, experiential knowledge and scriptural knowledge. Third, having attained these good qualities, he engaged in activities purely for the benefit of others. Among these three parts, the latter two are easier to understand; they are about self-benefiting and benefiting others, respectively. Regarding the first part, “how he took rebirth in an excellent lineage,” we need to further explain it. There is a saying [in Chinese], “Never judge a hero by his birth,” or something similar to it, meaning birth is not much to account for a true hero. However, why is it that the author mentioned that Master Atisha was born into a royal family, having an excellent and noble rebirth? Is the mention of his noble rebirth relevant? Yes, it is closely related; it matters a lot! Often when we refer to [this Chinese] saying, “Never judge a hero by his birth,” it is from the perspective of the worldly standard. The worldly standard only considers from the immediate effects of the present lifetime. In other words, one’s worldly achievement in this life is based on his contributions to this world in this life. Well, this person is recognized as a great hero in that he changed the course of history! In other words, whether a man is a great hero or not is judged by the worldly standard, while all the other aspects are ignored. However, Buddha Dharma taught us the law of causality spanning three lifetimes; the three lifetimes started from the infinite past, from the immeasurable and boundless past, all the way to the perfect attainment in the future; such duration is measureless and boundless. [03:13]

As we all understand, it is absolutely impossible for anyone to complete the Mahayana practice within a short period of time, even though the Array of Stalks Sutra says, “The Youthful Sudhana, with the stage of Ten Faiths, attained enlightenment in one lifetime.” It takes a very long period of time for an ordinary being to attain the stage of Ten Faiths! Thus, as for the Youthful Sudhana, he could fulfill the effect in one lifetime because of the earlier causes he planted through his practice. Therefore, the more wholesome and virtuous causes one planted in the previous lifetimes, the more excellent and blissful the future rebirths will be. So, where does this fulfillment begin to take effect? It begins from birth. We have to be aware of this point. There are many, many eminent masters in the history of Buddhism. Although they are masters, their level of attainment depends greatly on their karmic causes from their previous lives. The higher status they have, the more excellent their rebirths are. As for the ones who attained a lower status, it is different; their emanations may vary with their inclinations. However, there is one exception; the ultimate Bodhisattva does not count. The ultimate Bodhisattva is already a Buddha; he or she manifests himself or herself to accommodate our capacities. So their revelation is only partial – just enough to accommodate our capacities. Regarding this point, what they manifest is not necessarily the encompassing teaching, and this is beyond what we are discussing here. [04:32]

What you just heard above is the noble origin of Master Atisha: from an excellent lineage, the good qualities he gained in terms of scriptural knowledge and experiential knowledge, to what he did to further promulgate the teaching, a total of three parts. In the first paragraph, Master said that the “excellent lineage” refers to Master Atisha’s family background. Then, he raised a question by saying, “Never judge a hero by his birth,” which means as long as you are able to achieve anything grand and spectacular, no one would care about your family background. However, the text mentioned the excellent lineage of Master Atisha, and Master said, “It matters a lot!” He went on to explain a standard – the worldly standard; do you remember? What is the criterion of the worldly standard? “The worldly standard only considers the aspect of the immediate effects of the present lifetime.” In other words, if one can create an unprecedentedly grand era, one is considered to be a great hero. Master continued, “whether a man is a great hero or not is judged by the worldly standard, while all the other aspects are ignored.” Then, by focusing only on the effect, what is the difference between the Buddha Dharma and the worldly standard? “Buddha Dharma taught us the law of causality spanning three lifetimes”; how long are three lifetimes? He said, “From the infinite past, from the immeasurable and boundless past, all the way to the perfect attainment in the future; such duration is…;” please note the words Master used, “measureless and boundless”! [06:08]

In regard to the issue of family background in “how he took rebirth in an excellent lineage,” Master gave us the concept of time, which extends from the measureless and boundless past. Since the concept of time is measureless and boundless, the mental continuum will exist in this measureless time and boundless space, and it will continue to come to fruition following the law of cause and effect spanning three lifetimes. Hence, while explaining Master Atisha’s rebirth in an excellent lineage, Master drew our attention to the concept of measureless and boundless time, which extends from the infinitely distant past to now, and will continue to roll forward into the infinitely remote future. Surprisingly, the family origin of Master Atisha can be appreciated and admired from the perspective of the mighty flow of time! Most likely, we will be completely at a loss, not knowing what to think up to this point. [07:08]

So, why did Master want to praise Master Atisha’s excellent lineage from the perspective of such long duration of time? Have you thought about that? Think about it; why would Master guide us to look at it from the angle of such long duration? Master then revealed, “It is absolutely impossible for anyone to complete the Mahayana practice within a short period of time.” Why does it require such a long time? For a Mahayana practitioner needs to spend a very, very long time meditating on the teachings. Hence, Master brought forth the exemplar of the Youthful Sudhana in the Array of Stalks Sutra and said, “it takes an ordinary being a very long period of time to reach the stage of Ten Faiths. “He could fulfill the effect in one lifetime because of the earlier causes he planted through his practice.”” [08:00]

In this immeasurable duration of time, Master guided us to examine the word “excellent.” He said, “The more wholesome and virtuous causes one planted in the previous lifetimes, the more excellent and blissful the future rebirths will be.” Where does such fulfillment begin? Surprisingly, it begins from birth! He continued, “Eminent masters … their level of attainment depends greatly on their karmic causes from the previous lives. The higher status they have, the more excellent their rebirths are.” However, those who have already attained Buddhahood are not subjected to this. They would manifest themselves to accommodate the capacities of their disciples. [08:40]

 In this short section, I would like to bring up a question: as to “rebirth in an excellent lineage,” actually, we would love to hear about the family background of Master Atisha; however, while describing his family background, Master guided us to see this story from the concept of immeasurable and boundless time, as well as the long eons Mahayana practitioners have to go through, from cause to effect. With the guidance from Master for us to look at it from this perspective, we would think: there must be a cause for Master Atisha’s excellent rebirth. So how long did it take for the causes planted many eons ago to be fulfilled in this life? Here, we come to appreciate the dribs and drabs Mahayana practitioners exerted themselves assiduously at the causal stage and there are even some very touching stories. [09:32]

So this “rebirth in an excellent lineage” does not appear to be as simple as it looks: he was born into the royal family, with prestigious status; it seems as if he was born to be very different! If we look into the causes, we would realize that this is the effect of meditation practice/cultivation accumulated for many eons; and then such a rebirth of an excellent lineage will fill us with deep respect. Why? Because this excellent rebirth is achieved by meditating on the teachings; Master Atisha was born as the prince, not by blind chance or anything coincidental. [10:02]

With this “rebirth in an excellent lineage,” Master drew our attention to how we normally perceive matters; that is, we usually view a given matter from the secular point of view; even if there was a cause in the past, we would never view it from the aspect of immeasurable time, not to mention that we would view it from the angle that Master Atisha is a “Mahayana practitioner.” [10:26]

While we are discussing the noble origin of Master Atisha, Master greatly changed our perspective in regards to Master Atisha’s excellent lineage. From this story, we are able to appreciate the vastness of time, as well as the tremendous transformation of life. From imperfection to perfection, life is constantly changing. And during such a course of huge transformation, one’s life is getting more and more brilliant and more and more unrivaled, all the way to the state of Buddhahood – the extremely hard-to-reach pinnacle. The reason I say it is hard to reach is from the perspective of the causal stage of the ordinary being; if we train earnestly and persistently in meditating on the teachings, we will also be able to attain the imperceptible mark as the Buddha-crown, the ushnisha. [11:09]

In fact, I have read this section many times, and I am always contemplating: Master illustrated “rebirth in an excellent lineage” with many details and different perspectives, but what exactly is he trying to tell us? A brief introduction to Master Atisha’s prestigious royal family background will do; why is it that Master guided us to look into how excellent his rebirth was, how the fulfillment arose? Why did he have to explain all these? Everyone please think about it. [11:39]

What is the reason Master explained all these? Is it by practicing accordingly, we can also plant and accumulate such causes while meditating on the teachings? By guiding us in this manner, Master hoped we could zoom out regarding what we are facing at the present moment, allowing us to realize that in fact, this lifetime of ours is a tiny point on a ruler of immeasurable and boundless time – can the ruler be the measuring unit of time? How could one measure something that is immeasurable? A ruler is supposed to have both ends; then, could something immeasurable be a measuring unit? By taking such immeasurable length of time to gauge the level of perfectness in our life, then can we also do something about our life? After all, we planted all of those causes, so we will be the ones to endure all the effects. [12:19]

(更新日期: 2021年5月22日)

讲次 | 0251 (2020-08-24 ~ 2020-08-26)

标题 | 长劫累积的修行，方感得圆满出身

《广论》段落 | P2-LL2 ~ P2-LL1 彼复即是大阿阇黎……得已于教所作事业。　今初

音档 | 4A 27:04 ~ 4B 02:56

手抄页/行 | 第1册 P111-LL6 ~ P114-LL4　( 2016 南普陀版：P111-LL6 ~ P114-LL5 )

手抄段落 | 彼复即是大阿阇黎……这也不是我们这里谈的。

00:00

好！接着我们听下一段。

彼复即是大阿阇黎胜然灯智，别讳共称胜阿底峡。

“胜然灯智”就是他翻译成功的名字，那么“别讳”，他的讳叫阿底峡，阿底峡是西藏人的尊称，翻成我们中国话就是殊胜、最超胜的。比如我们对最最特别的，我们称他某某尊者、某某大士这一类，那么这位阿底峡尊者，西藏人通常称呼这样，就是说表示对他最尊贵的、最尊敬的一种称呼。00:44

这一小段，师父在解释“胜燃灯智”，别讳“阿底峡”。说：“阿底峡是西藏人的尊称，翻成我们中国话就是殊胜、最超胜的。”就表示对他最尊贵的、最尊敬的一种称呼，这句话就是这样的意思。01:09

接下来我们要听“其殊胜分三：圆满种中受生事理，其身获得功德事理，得已于教所作事业。今初”01:24

其殊胜分三：一圆满种中受生事理，二其身获得功德事理，三得已于教所作事业。 今初

分三部分，第一个呢就是他自己的出身，说“圆满种中”，他的家世等等，第一个。第二个呢自己的获得的功德，换句话说，第二个就是自利。这个自利又分两部分：教、证等等；现证的，以及教理方面的。然后呢得到了这个，最后所作的事业纯粹是利人方面的。它分三部分当中，后二者容易懂，说自利、利他。第一点哪，是“圆满种中受生事理”，这个要说一下。我们平常有一句话，叫“英雄不论出身低”怎样、怎样，说这个真正的英雄，不讲他的出身。那么现在这个地方，却又牵涉到他的出身，这个说他的家世的圆满。这有什么关系呢？大有关系，大有关系！因为平常我们说“英雄不论出身低”，那是就世间的衡量标准，世间的衡量标准只看眼前──果；换句话说这个人在世间，所产生的世间的功效：喔，这个人创造时势是个大英雄！只看这一点，其他的不管。佛法讲的是三世因果，而这个三世，从以前的无限，是无量无边以前，一直到圆满成就，这个时间是无量无边。03:13

我们也了解，一个大乘佛法的修行，绝对不是短时候可以成功的。虽然《华严》上面说：“善财童子以十信满心，一生取办。”可是从凡夫到十信满心，却是经过很长的时候喔！那么前面这个修行，因为有了修行的因，感得眼前的果；所以他前面的越圆满，那么这一生感得的果也一定越圆满。而这个圆满从哪里开始？从出身开始。这点我们要了解的。所以佛法里面很多祖师，有很多祖师，虽然是祖师，可是祖师的位次的高下，却跟他宿生的业因有关系。说凡是越高的，他的出身一定越圆满；下面的那就不一样，看他偏重于哪一方面。不过有一个要例外，权位菩萨不算。所谓权位菩萨他本身已经成了佛了，他只是跑得来应你们这些根性，所以他并不显示他自己的每......只是偏的，只权现那一部分。在这一点来说，这个所现的一定不是圆满的教法，这也不是我们这里谈的。04:32

大家刚才听到阿底峡尊者从圆满种中受生的事迹，还有他自己教证的功德，乃至得已于教所作的事业，分这三个科判。在第一段中，师父就“圆满种中”说了他的家世。然后又提出了一个问题，说英雄是不论出身低的，你只要做一番轰轰烈烈的事业，没人在乎你的出身。但是在这个地方又牵涉到尊者的出身，说家世是圆满的，师父说这个有大关系的！接着就出现了一个标准——世间的衡量标准，大家有没有记得？是只看什么呢？只看眼前的果——看“这个人在世间所产生的世间的功效”，比如说创造时势是个大英雄。下面还有一点：“只看这一点，其他的不管。”那么佛法讲的和世间讲的只看果差多少呢？“佛法讲的是三世因果”，而这个三世到底有多长呢？师父说：“从以前的无限，是无量无边以前，一直到圆满成就，这个时间”，在这里边讲了四个字，叫“无量无边”！06:08

在这个部分，对“圆满种中受生事理”的家世圆满的问题，师父给我们拉开了一个无量无边的时间概念。既然有无量无边的时间概念，就会有一个心续在这无量无边的时间、空间中存在，它会由三世因果这样的次第一直成熟下去。所以在提到阿底峡尊者“圆满种中受生事理”的时候，师父让我们注意到了一个无量无边的时间概念。说从无限悠远的过去到现在、到无限悠远的未来。尊者的家世，居然可以放到这么悠远的一个时间的洪流中去赞美！我们可能想到这里就会断线了，不知道该怎么想下去。07:08

那么，为什么要在这么长的时间里边去赞美阿底峡尊者圆满种中受生的这个事理呢？大家有没有想过？想一下，为什么要放这么长的时间呢？接着就出现了：一个大乘佛法的修行，绝对不是短时间可以成功的。为什么需要这么长的时间呢？因为他是一个大乘佛法的修行者，是用非常、非常漫长的时间在修行。所以举了《华严》上面的善财童子，说：从凡夫到十信满心，经过了很长的时间，“那么前面这个修行，因为有了修行的因，所以感得眼前的果”。08:00

在这无量无边的时间里，师父让我们去看这个“圆满”两个字。师父说：“前面的越圆满，那么这一生感得的果也一定越圆满。”而这样的圆满从哪里开始呢？居然是从出身开始的！接着师父说：祖师位次的高下，一定跟宿生的业因有关系，凡是越高的出身一定越圆满。但是如果他已经成佛了就不一定，他会随着弟子的根机随宜地示现。08:40

在这一小段里，我想提一个问题：“圆满种中受生的事理”，其实我们倒很乐于听一下阿底峡尊者的出身，但是在讲述阿底峡尊者受生圆满的这个事相中，师父把无量无边的时间放进去，还有把那么长劫的一个大乘修行者从因到果的圆满放进去。这样的话，就让我们想到：尊者圆满的受生不是没有因的。那么往昔劫这个圆满的因，到底经历了多长的时间才达到今世的圆满呢？这里边就充满了一个大乘行者在因地的时候刻苦修行的点点滴滴，乃至可歌可泣的这些故事。09:32

所以这“圆满种中受生”，并不是像看起来那样——出生在王族，地位非常地显赫，好像生来就与众不同，没有那么简单！如果去看他的因的话，这是长劫累积的修行结果，所以这个圆满种中受生，我们就会在心里边肃然起敬。因为这是一个修行所感得的圆满，并不是天生就不平等，他生来就是王子。10:02

师父在“圆满种中受生事理”的这一件事上，就让我们看到：我们看一件事情的角度往往从现世的角度去看，就算过去有因，也不会从无量无边这样的时间去看，更不会从一个“他是大乘修行者”的一个角度去看。10:26

当我们看到阿底峡尊者圆满受生的这件事的时候，师父大大地改变了我们对这个事情的观点和看法。在这一件事中，让我们看到了时间的辽阔，还有一个生命的巨大转变。因为他从不圆满到圆满，都是在变，而这个变的过程中是越变越精彩、越变越无与伦比，直到走到无见顶相——难以企及的顶峰。我说的难以企及，是凡夫在因地的时候难以企及，如果刻苦修行的话，也会修成那样的无见顶相。11:09

这个章节我也是看了很多次，一直在想：师父在“圆满种中受生事理”着墨这么多，到底要告诉我们一个什么样的道理？介绍一下阿底峡尊者出生在王族非常地显赫就可以了，为什么一定要去找寻有多圆满、这个圆满是怎么出现的？为什么要解释这些呢？大家想一想。11:39

解释这些的原因到底是什么呢？是不是为了让我们也能够修集这样的因？让我们的心从眼前的这些事上也看一看，实际上我们的生命放在一个时间无量无边的尺度上——时间无量无边叫不叫一个尺子呢？无量无边是尺子吗？尺子好像都有头有尾，无量无边也是一个尺子吗？如果放在这样的一个长度，去丈量我们生命的圆满的话，那我们是不是也可以为自己的生命做一些什么？因为毕竟那些因都是自己种的，果也是自己受的。12:19