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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0305

Lamrim Volume 1:  P39 LL5 – P40 L11

Date: 30 Jun 2021

Topic: Practise mindfulness and vigilance to receive updates from our inner world

Once mindfulness is in place, vigilance can then do its job. And, reciprocally, vigilance will safeguard mindfulness, monitoring if mindfulness is at work. If mindfulness is absent, vigilance should prompt mindfulness quickly. This is exactly the process of how a warrior is trained for swordsmanship; when our sword falls, we need to pick them up right away, without any delay. This “in fear of hell, I quickly retrieve it” is because we are afraid of being killed, we need to pick up the swords immediately. This is a matter of pace. Again, it is about speed, isn’t it? As we discussed earlier, after we have taken the vows, if there is any stain or infraction, we must quickly – another reference of instant response, immediately we must restore the purity of our vows! Rinpoche said here, “when mindfulness is absent, immediately we must - we have to quickly retrieve our mental awareness! From the way Master Atisha responded to the arising condition, and what kind of state of mind he demonstrated, you can tell that this practitioner is very alert. Such a very seasoned warrior; while battling with the mind internally, he had learned to react quickly. He would not sit there whining or blaming others by claiming, “Thanks to this environment of yours, I can’t practice well; that is why I developed non-virtuous thoughts.” Instead of doing so, the practitioner immediately retrieves the sword! [01′07″]

We must practice to acquire this capability. In order to prevent us from generating the cause to descend to the three miserable realms, we can’t delegate such responsibility to others. Because this mind stream is yours, you have to take action to prevent it from heading to the miserable realms in the next part of the journey; the direction of the future is up to you; you are the decision maker and the film director of your next phase of existence. So, if we recognized that I am the film director of my next life, how can I allow the script to become the play of the hell realm, or play the role of hungry ghost or animal? Just being cast as an ordinary human being will not please us. We want to play the role as someone who is very noble, endowed with wisdom, good appearance, patience, and eloquence …, someone who is perfect all-around. But, we are the director of our own play; by the deeds we engaged in this life, we reap what we sow. [01′59″]

So this mindfulness is the fundamental qualification for us to cause such prominent karma. It is like the sword of a warrior, whom must practice how to pick it up quickly and immediately! So how do we know if our mindfulness is not at work? The vigilance has to be watchful of it and provide the alerts. For example, when we encounter a condition, which may easily trigger our afflictions, we need to be alert and on guard, “Ah, whenever I face this condition, my afflictions arise easily, so I need to be vigilant and alert!” When our vigilance ebbs away, or even slipping quickly into the abyss, we must “remain still like a log” – to bring our mind back from the arising conditions and examine what is going on in our mind. So, monastics usually lower their eyelids, right? “Gazing ahead only a yoke’s length” [V.1, P.337]; it does not mean that all the monastics have to do is to lower their eyelids to gaze ahead and take a rest; what are they examining? They are checking out their three karmic doors, and keeping an eye on what is going through the three karmic doors. [02′55″]

So, isn't it very important for us to understand our mind? Nowadays the communication is thriving, so eager are we to find out what is happening here and there in the world, and distance hardly makes any difference, for information is easily available at our fingertips. We would be very curious to find out about what has happened around the world, but do we understand what is happening in our mind right now? If we don’t examine our mind, we would not understand the mind; and it is impossible to understand our mind through high technology like cell phones, computers, or televisions, etc. What should we do to understand our mind? We must observe inwardly. We should observe our mind with vigilance, applying the powers of observation to introspect. Such is the approach we can adopt to find out what play is on in our mind – is it the sequel of the human form of leisure and opportunity, or the episode in the three miserable realms? We must be aware of the direction of our mind is heading, and we apply impromptu adjustment. If the script is properly written, we should present it accordingly; if the script is done terribly and filled with sufferings beyond description, then we must revise it; we should absolutely not allow it to become a tragedy! [04′10″]

Therefore, as practitioners we should introspect to obtain update from our inner world, receiving the live broadcast of what is on our mind, and knowing what our mind is up to becomes our primary task, which is of extreme importance! If we don’t know what our mind is up to, and we do not pay attention to it, how can we be sure that we are abiding by the precepts? Also how can we find out whether we have infracted any precepts, not to mention the ensuing purification rites; all these start with whether mindfulness is in place. Thus, with regards to mindfulness, as far as the warrior is concerned, the sword is to protect the life of the warrior; similarly the sword of mindfulness is to protect the leisure and opportunity of our future life - rebirth into next level of high-status. [04’55”]

What is this sword? It is the sword of mindfulness! [05′00″]

So, being a practitioner may seem rather difficult for some people; actually it is not that hard; all it takes is the training of mindfulness. How do we go about the training? Where is mindfulness from? It is introduced to us from the scriptures, right? From relying on virtuous teachers and listening to the sublime teachings, we also learn about mindfulness from upholding the ethical disciplines, from the precepts we abide by we can obtain mindfulness as well. Besides, while everyone persists in listening to Global Lamrim every day and attending Lamrim discussion classes, what Lamrim teaches us is all about the training of mindfulness. From what you have listened, how much can you remember? If you can barely remember any, you can try to attend the study sessions twice a week. Some classmates even listen and discuss Lamrim teachings every day. During the pandemic, I have heard that some classmates attended four discussion classes a day; they really are studying diligently. I have also heard that someone could listen to Lamrim teachings continuously for eight hours, devoting oneself into studying conscientiously for eight hours, even more earnestly than the students in the school. Many of our lay practitioners study very hard, and monastics are striving diligently in the monastery as well. Therefore, this mindfulness can be nurtured; we should foster such practice of mindfulness. We should all work hard at it! [06′07″]

讲次 | 0305 (2021-03-01 ~ 2021-03-03)

标题 | 修行正念正知，得到内心的消息

《广论》段落 | P5-L7 ~ P5-LL3 如是于诸三种律仪……心中亦有所忆持者。

入门段落 | 第1册 P126-LL4 ~ P127-L11 师父，还有一个问题......大体是这样的。

(更新日期: 2022年4月8日)

00:00

有了正念之后，正知才会有。正知反过来再去守护这个正念，去观察正念在不在？不在，赶快要提起来。这就是一个武士练剑的过程，当我们的剑掉下要立刻拿起来，不能耽搁。这个“畏狱疾拾取”，就是因为害怕被杀所以要立刻提取宝剑，这个速度的问题。又提到一个速度，对不对？前面说：受了戒之后，如果有染着或者有一些违犯，要疾疾——又是一个，立刻要——还净！这里边说：正念不见了，要立刻——赶快把我们的正念找回来！他这个对境的反应、对这种状态的反应，你看这个修行人已经非常地机敏。他是一个经验非常丰富的战士，在战斗内心的时候他学会了迅速行动。他不会坐在那里哀号或者怪别人，说：“因为你们环境这样，所以我修行不好、所以我生恶念。”他不是这样，他马上把剑提起来！01:07

这就是要练习的一个本事。因为防范自己造下三恶趣的因，我们不可能把这样的责任交给别人。因为这个心续是你的心续，你得防止它下一段走到恶趣，这个方向是自己确定、自己作主、自己编排下一生要去哪里。那么如果我们知道我自己就是我下一生的导演，我岂能把我下一生的剧本演成地狱呢？演成饿鬼、畜生呢？甚至演成一般的人我们还不高兴，我们要演成非常尊贵的人，又有智慧、又有美貌、又能忍辱，辩才......什么都有的完美的一个人。但是这个都是自己导演的，都是自己这一生要造作的业，以后才会得到这样的结果。01:59

所以这个正念，对于我们造作这样的业，它就是一个根本条件。就像勇士的宝剑一样，要练习迅速提起来、迅速提起来！那么如何知道自己的正念不在？正知要警觉着。比如说遇到特别容易生烦恼的这个对境的时候，自己要有个防范心，说：啊，一面对他我就容易生烦恼，要有个警戒心！当心慢慢在滑落，甚至很快地滑落，向深渊滑落的时候，自己必须要“如树应安住”——把心收回来，从境上收回来，看看自己的心在干什么。所以比丘会常常垂帘，对吧？说“视轭木许”，那垂帘不是眼睛垂下来就没事、在休息，是在观察什么？观察自己的三业，是看自己在做什么。02:55

我们对自心的了知是不是变得非常重要？现在通讯这么发达，我们急着去了解世界发生了什么，这儿发生什么、那儿发生什么，现在有距离和没距离已经差不多了，马上就会知道。我们会非常非常急于了解各地的事情，但是对我们心里边正在发生的事情，我们了解吗？如果不去观察的话，是不了解的，不可能透过手机啊、电脑啊，或者电视等等这些高科技的工具去了解。我们必须要透过什么？向内观察。用正知去观察，用观察力向内心看，用这种方式了解我们的心正在上演一种什么剧本——是暇满人身的续篇，还是三恶趣？必须要知道它在往什么地方导演，然后我们要及时地修正。如果是好的剧本，那就好好地演；如果是非常糟的、苦不堪言的那种剧本，就一定要把它改写，绝对不能变成悲剧！04:10

所以对于修行人来说，向内观察，得到内心的消息，得到内心的实况转播，知道内心正在干什么这件事，就变成是首要任务，非常非常重要！因为如果不知道自己的心在干什么，不观察，我岂能知道我有没有在持戒呢？如果也发现不了有没有犯，那就更想不到后面的还净仪轨，一连串都是从有没有失去正念开始的。所以正念这件事，比如说这把剑是保护勇士的生命的，那么这把剑也是保护我们来世的暇满——增上生。04:55

这把剑是什么？正念！05:00

所以作为修行人，有人说很难，其实也不难，训练正念就好了。怎么训练啊？正念从哪里来？从经典来，对吧？从亲近善知识、听闻正法获得的正念；从戒律持守，从受的律仪上也会得到正念。还有大家每天在坚持听全广、坚持上研讨班，在《广论》里全都是提醒我们训练正念，耳朵听进来，记住多少呢？没记住多少，就一周上两次啊，甚至有的同学每一天都听《广论》、每天都研讨。像在疫情期间，我听说有一些同学，有的一天上四个班，真的是很精勤地在用功。我还听到有人说他可以听《广论》八小时，一直看书，用功八小时，比学校里的学生还用功。我们有很多居士很用功，出家人在寺院里也是在拼命用功。所以这个正念是可以养成的，养成这种正念的修行。大家一定要加油！06:07