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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0248

Lamrim Volume 1:  P35 – LL3~P36L1

Tape:4A 24:04 ~ 25:36

Date:  2020-08-13 ~ 2020-08-16

Topic: All the essentials, from an ordinary being to attaining ultimate Buddhahood, are all in the [Lamrim] text

In the previous part (discourse #247), Master said that once we have a thorough understanding of the encompassing path, then every step we take will be in the correct direction. When we put what we have learned into practice accordingly, we would know better how to apply it effectively. For instance, while chanting Buddha’s name, we will know that our chanting is useful. We will accumulate pure virtuous karma, when we have accumulated enough, we will not get flustered [when the final moment arrives]. “Thus, how can you understand the path thoroughly?” Master said, “Well, all you need are these encompassing teachings.” Master followed by saying, “as simple as that!” He said, “All you have to do is sincerely study the Lamrim text”. As long as we study the Lamrim, we will be able to learn the encompassing teachings. Did you notice this before? If we don’t study the Lamrim, then we would not know what Buddha is talking about. Of course, even if we did study the Lamrim, chances are we may not understand what Lama Tsong-kha-pa was talking about. At the end, it is very likely that we are still learning from this very “me.” The key point here is to “have a thorough understanding” of the encompassing path. We have to have an immaculate understanding of the encompassing path and continue to learn, following the teachings passed down from the [pure and authentic] lineage instead of coming up with our own set of practice. That means we should switch our learning channel [from “me” to Buddha]! [01′28″]

Then Master went back to the topic of chanting Buddha’s name, “In what way will your chanting of Buddha’s name ensures you of the goal of rebirth in the Pure Land, and in what way is your chanting done incorrectly?” We have to know this well before we embark upon chanting. And Master continued by say that our chanting will “definitely bring about the effect of what [the Zen masters teach,] ‘ten thousand people cultivate it; ten thousand people will [be reborn in the Pure Land]!’” If you have accumulated enough provisions, not only will you have a rebirth in a border region of the Pure Land, lowest level of the lowest rank or the lowest level of the highest rank, the middle level [of the highest rank], the Land where the Common and Saintly Live Together, but you will also eventually reach where? You will be reborn to the Land of True Reward without Obstruction, reaching such an exalted state! Therefore, it is possible that all of us will get there. [Why?] Because this human form of leisure and opportunity is our reliance; we are able to develop faith in Buddha’s teachings, and we are able to persist in learning the teachings! Hence, once we attain this human form, we should make the best use of it. Every minute and every second are very precious to us; we must use the precious time we have to create virtuous and pure karma. [02′32″]

Thus, regarding what we have discussed today, if everyone can reflect on it; whether you have just begun to study the Lamrim, or you have studied it for many years, you should rejoice the opportunity you have to meet with such encompassing teachings. We can abide by the encompassing and pure teachings of Buddha, listen attentively to what Buddha taught, and truly follow Master’s wish for us to emulate Buddha, instead of working very hard, working with all our might, yet the end result is not knowing what Buddha Dharma is all about. Ultimately, we are just spinning around in the matters within our boundary. The matter within our boundary is cyclic existence! However, only Buddha taught the teachings about being freed from the cyclic existence. If we don’t study Buddha Dharma, how can we be liberated from cyclic existence? [03′25″]

Then, in the second paragraph [of the discourse #247], Master said, “Knowing these encompassing teachings, very simple!” That is, one should start by studying this Lamrim text, and it won’t take us too long to understand it. Then, why is it that studying the Lamrim would enable us to understand the encompassing teaching? Do you still remember what Master said [in discourse #242]? He said, “In fact, all of the essentials, covering from the state of ordinary beings to attaining ultimate Buddhahood, are all in the text.” Is it right? All are covered in this Lamrim, so we need to study it! Now, let’s look at what other masters in the lineage say about this? In the Ornament for Clear Knowledge, it says: Observing Buddhas with pure faith, Joyous perseverance in observing generosity, Mindfulness of the excellent attitude, Non-conceptual meditative stabilization.   The meaning of the verse is explained in detail in the Commentary Clarifying the Meaning. Gong-tang Rinpoche stated in his Notes on the Commentary Clarifying the Meaning, “This verse indicates faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom [the 5 faculties or strengths of the 37 factors to attain enlightenment], which are the stages of the path for an ordinary being to attaining Buddhahood, with all three stages of the path included. These five faculties, namely, faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, encapsulate the essence of the encompassing stages of the path. With taking refuge as the core, the other teachings in the small and middle capacities are the sub-categories of taking refuge. Hence, the small and middle capacities are categorised under the first faculty – faith. The great capacity is categorised under the other four faculties – effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. ‘Observing Buddhas with Pure Faith’ illustrates that taking refuge is the entrance to the sublime teaching; ‘Mindfulness of the excellent attitude’ discoursed that generating the spirit of enlightenment is the entrance to the Mahayana path.’ ‘Joyous Perseverance in observing generosity’ is learning about the principles of the six perfections in their entirety after one enters the Mahayana path. And ‘Non-conceptual meditative stabilization’ means the specific training on the last two of the six perfections [that is, the perfection of meditative stabilization and perfection of wisdom].” [05′30″]

Also, Venerable Ah-keh Hui-hai (阿克慧海大師) also mentioned in his Notes on Elucidating, Reciting, and Imparting Lamrim that, “Gong-tang Rinpoche stated: ‘In the Ornament for Clear Knowledge, the verse – ‘Observing Buddhas with pure faith’, etc. – is the quintessence of the sequential stages of the Mahayana path. Herein lies the initial faith one needs to cultivate in the virtuous teachers, following by the faith in observing Buddhas, the faith in the law of causality, the faith in the Four Noble Truths, the faith in the three precious trainings [ethical discipline, meditative concentration, wisdom], as well as the faith in the supreme aspiration of the spirit of enlightenment so on and so forth. All these are under the Dharma categories of cultivating faith. [06′07″]

The Ornament for Clear Knowledge begins with extolling Knowledge of all aspects. As indicated in the Dialectical Analysis of the Ornament for Clear Knowledge: “The 16 aspects of impermanence [v.1 p. 342] are the content of the shared middle capacity, hence ‘Observing Buddhas with Pure Faith’ incorporates the content in the shared small and middle capacities.” Maitreya Bodhisattva also stated in his five commentaries, “The first line of the verse discoursed on faith in the shared small and middle capacities, and the lines after describe the Knowledge of all aspects, the six perfections, and mindfulness of the excellent attitude – generating the spirit of enlightenment, with the word ‘mindfulness’ being added; ‘Non-conceptual meditative stabilization, comprehending all phenomena, wisdom, etc. they are the five faculties’. Meditative serenity and wisdom insight are imparted in separate sections. In the Lamrim, the topics before generating the spirit of enlightenment and the specific sections on the last two perfections align with the arrangement in the Ornament for Clear Knowledge. Hence, the outline of the Ornament for Clear Knowledge is similar to that of Lamrim.” Hence, the Lamrim indeed contains all the essentials needed to guide an ordinary being all the way to attaining ultimate Buddhahood. [07′09″]

Regarding Master’s explanation of “having a thorough understanding [of the encompassing teachings]” [in discourse #247], what is listed above is the basis of how other virtuous teachers explained the same verse. This is to let us have a deeper and more thorough exploration and discussion from these virtuous teachers’ teachings. Hence, we all should really cherish [the opportunity we have to study the Lamrim]! [07′29″]

(更新日期: 2022年8月18日)

讲次 | 0248 (2020-08-13 ~ 2020-08-16)

标题 | 从凡夫到成佛的纲要，全在《广论》里

《广论》段落 | P2-LL4 ~ P2-LL3 今初　总此教授……即是菩提道炬

音档 | 4A 24:04 ~ 25:36

手抄页/行 | 第1册 P109-LL5 ~ P110-LL6　( 2016 南普陀版：P109-LL5 ~ P110-LL6 )

手抄段落 | 如果说我们另外一条路……所以我说到这里顺便一提。

00:00

师父在上一段说，有了圆满的认识，下脚的每一步都能够对，然后自己在用功的时候，比较知道——比如念佛，这个佛号是派得上用场的。我们积了一个净业，积够了就可以不用手忙脚乱。“那么到底怎样才能够认识呢？”师父说：“喏，就是这个圆满教法”。接着四个字——“非常简单！”他说：“你们只要认真地从本论学下去”，我们只要学《广论》，就会认识到圆满的教法，有没有发现？那么不学的话，就不了解佛陀是在讲什么。当然学了之后，你可能没有听懂宗大师在讲什么，到最后可能还是在学“我”。关键这里是说“有了圆满的认识”，我们的认识要清净圆满、沿着这个传承的教法学下来的，不是弄自己那一套。就是要改换频道！01:28

然后师父又回到了念佛，说：“怎么样念是念得去的，怎么样念是念错了”，我们要了解了再去念。接着说：“那的的确确是千稳百当，是万修万去啊！”说如果条件再够一点的话，不但是要到极乐世界边地了，下品下生、下品上生、中品、凡圣同居土，最后就到了什么呀？到了实报庄严土，到了这么高的境界呀！所以我们都有可能去那里，因为我们得到了这个暇满的所依，能够对佛教生起信心，能够坚持学下去！所以得一次人身要好好地利用它。每一分、每一秒的时光对我们来说都非常地珍贵，一定要用它来造集非常殊胜的净业。02:32

所以今天学的这些，如果大家能够再再地想一下，不管我们是刚学《广论》，还是学了很多很多年了，要随喜自己能够遇到这么圆满的教法。我们可以完整地、清净地遵循佛陀的教诲，听一听佛是怎么讲的，真正地像师父希望我们那样去学佛，而不是拼命用功、拼命用功，结果不知道佛法在讲什么，终究是在转自己的那一个区域的事情。我们的区域的事情就是生死轮回啊！可是只有佛陀有讲了了脱生死的法，不学佛陀的教法，怎么样了脱生死呢？03:25

然后，师父在第二段说：认识圆满的教法，非常简单！就是要从这个本论学下去，要不了多久就会学会了。那么为什么学习本论就会了解圆满的教法呢？还记得师父说：“实际上就是从凡夫地，达到究竟圆满成佛的圆满的纲要，全在里头”，对吧？全在本论这里边，要学习！那么看看其他祖师的看法是什么呢？像《现观庄严论》中有说：“缘佛等净信，精进行施等，意乐圆满念，无分别等持。”《显明义释》对《现观庄严论》的这个偈子有详细的解释。贡唐大师的《显明义释笔记》提到：“这个偈子开示了信、进、念、定、慧，就是一位补特伽罗成佛的一切道，都摄为三士道次第，而信、进、念、定、慧含摄了道次第的圆满道体。以皈依为主，其他下、中士道都是皈依的支分，因此下、中士道摄为信根；上士道就摄入了进、念、定、慧四根当中。‘缘佛等净信’开示了趣入总体圣教之门是皈依；‘意乐圆满念’开示了趣入大乘之门是发心；‘精进行施等’开示了进入大乘之后，总学六度的道理；而‘无分别等持’等开示了别学后二度的道理。”05:30

另外阿克慧海大师在他的《广论讲解诵授的笔记》中也有提到：“贡唐文殊说：《现观庄严论》提到‘缘佛等净信’等文，是大乘道次第的总纲。这之中最初需要对善知识的信心、缘着佛陀等的信心、相信业果的信心、相信四谛的信心、对于三学道的信心，以及对于无上菩提的信心之门而发心等。这以上都是信心的法类。06:07

《现观庄严论》一开始对一切智做礼赞，在《辨析》中它有说：‘无常等十六行相所摄的是共中士道，因此‘缘佛等净信’开示了共下、共中的道。’在《慈氏论典》中也有说：‘第一句开示了信心等共下、共中士道，后面的句子则是开示上士道的一切相智、施等六度以及意乐圆满──发心，冠上‘念’的名称；‘无分别等持，知一切诸法，智慧等为五’，将静虑和智慧别别宣说。《广论》既发心已学行道理，以及别于后二度学习道理的说法与此是相顺的。因此《现观庄严论》与《广论》的科判是相似的。’”所以它确实是一个从凡夫地到成佛的圆满纲要的引导。07:09

这是再列举一下其他的善知识们的教理依据，让我们对师父所讲的“有圆满的认识”这一点，可以再从其它善知识的教理做一个更广泛的探讨，所以大家一定要好好地珍惜！07:29