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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0302

Lamrim Volume 1:  P40-L1 – L11

Date: 8 Apr 2022

Topic: The merits of accomplishing advanced training in concentration

Thus, Lama Tsong-kha-pa said: “Know that this biography delights scholars who understand the key points of the scriptures,” [V.1, P. 40]  such a biography [of the eminent master who kept the pure observance of the vows] delights the scholars who understand the key points of the scriptures. Lama Tsong-kha-pa continued that everyone should “emulate such excellent beings”, like Master Atisha [vigilantly and conscientiously upholding the vows,] we should also keep the pure observance of the precepts in our mind stream. For this, as Rinpoche pinpointed, we should put forth extra effort. Then Rinpoche said: “This is very crucial!” And this concludes the “a. That Atisha possessed the training in ethics.” [V.1, P. 38] [00′42″]

Have you noticed how many “crucial” points Rinpoche mentioned in this section [since teaching #299]? He mentioned three crucial points. Is that right? Never should we be clueless about the precepts and vows that we have taken and their pledges we promise to fulfill, nor should we cross the boundaries of root downfalls by transgressing what is stipulated in the precepts; instead, we should uphold the precepts meticulously, and this is very important. [01′03″]

What did Rinpoche say next? The monastic vows have its purification ritual, even Bodhisattvas vows, and even Tantric vows have their respective purification rituals, we should apply these rites immediately to restore and to safeguard our vows; this is very crucial, right? We should restore any speck of tainting. [01′22″]

And then what did Lama Tsong-kha-pa say? He said we should emulate Master Atisha and keep pure observance of the precepts in our mind stream, and we should put forth extra effort into it. Why? For if we don’t exert such effort there is no way for us to master it,  then we would turn back to the old habits before we took the precepts and be completely engulfed within. Those who have not taken the vows don’t need to worry about the precepts, because there are no precepts for them to safeguard. [Having the precepts] is like carrying a priceless treasure; for those who don’t have the treasure, they don’t need to guard the afflictions that intrude the three karmic doors to steal this treasure. If we don’t exert ourselves, some of us may forget that the vast wealth we possess – is the precepts. This is very crucial, and we have to put forth great effort to preserve it! So how can we put forth extra effort? This should be a daily effort! Moment by moment working hard! Right? What do we need to observe randomly and rapidly? [We should] observe our three karmic doors, as [indicated in Lamrim] “What is there to do except to stand guard over your mind day and night?” [V.1, P. 349] This is the expedient means and advice from past great masters. [02′22″]

[Though the quote from Lama Tsong-kha-pa] is very short, yet how did Master Atisha uphold the precepts? These words precisely revealed his efforts. So what is the expectation our gurus have for us? In learning the ethical discipline - we should keep pure observance of the precepts in our mind stream, and put forth extra effort. There is no need for us to spend time on grumbling over rights and  wrongs, or on those meaningless moaning and groaning, just because we feel the suffering! In fact, the moment for us to actually remove suffering is right there and then instantly, right? Adhere to the vows, and purify the transgressions we have committed. If right at this given moment we can, in our mind, put this piece of advice from the gurus into practice, then this moment will be more precious than anything else. Why? Because the precepts are bestowed on us from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, just as this human form is the gift from our gurus, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; we can also say that this human form is the present from our parents. [03′24″]

So how can we apply this human form to obtain the high-status life after life? How do we achieve it? We must rely on the precepts. So how can we keep pure observance of the precepts? We must exert ourselves in learning the three crucial points! Never should we say, “I have heard this teaching before”! We thought we may have heard it before, but have we kept it in mind? Even though we have kept the advice in mind, have we practiced it frequently enough? Has such constant practice become one of our habits? Can such habit arise spontaneously in our mind so that keeping pure observance of the precepts is an effortless breeze for us? Hope we can exert ourselves and work on this point together; this is very, very crucial! [04′01″]

Buddha also taught us that we practitioners should regard the precepts as our teacher. [04′08″]

Next let’s continue with the study on “b. That Atisha possessed the training in concentration”; it is in the middle section on page 123, the Introduction to the Four Interwoven Annotations, Chinese text.

Next is about the advanced training Master Atisha possessed in concentration. “That Atisha possessed the training in concentration” is the 2nd sub-point [V.1, P.38 under “how, engaging in proper practice, he gained the good qualities of experiential knowledge”]. If explain in  plain language,  the training in concentration can be divided into two parts: the common and the uncommon. The meritorious qualities of the common concentration are achieved by meditative serenity, so that our mind becomes autonomous serviceable; for the uncommon concentration, the practitioners achieve a very stable and firm mastery of the generation stage. Master Atisha practiced deeds of proficient conduct for three or six years. At that time, he could hear the secret tantric songs sung by dakinis in Oddiyana, and he was able to memorize them by heart. [05′27″]

For the merits Master Atisha accomplished in the training of concentration, there were two types: common and uncommon. The common concentration training,  “by means of meditative serenity”, meditative serenity is the common path for both sutra and tantra practices; that is, Tantrayana requires the practice of concentration, so does the Sutrayana. “His mind became serviceable by means of meditative serenity,”  by the concentration training, practitioners can achieve serviceability of the mind. Once the meditative serenity is achieved, the pliability of mind and body arises, and this is the common concentration. As for the word “serviceability” it is explained in the question answering section later; we can read them at the end. [06′07″]

What follows is the “training in the uncommon concentrations”. “The training in the uncommon concentration, He reached a very stable stage of generation”,  in his mind stream Master Atisha possessed the tantric generation stage and all related attainments, this is the uncommon concentration. “Due to having practiced the deeds of proficient conduct for six or three years”; what is “deeds of proficient conduct”? It is the meditating on the chosen deity [V.1, P. 352] during the retreat. So why is that it says in the text six or three years? Does that mean they are not certain? It is not so. Here the three and six years represent the same thing. Because our six months is counted as a year in India; namely, either the six years based on the system in India or three years in our system, Master Atisha persevered meditating in the retreat. [06′59″]

 “At that time, after hearing the secret tantric songs sung by dakinis in Oddiyana, he committed them to memory”; this is the indication of his attainment on the stage of generation. Oddiyana is Orgyen [meaning flying or soaring; Tibetan refers to it as Urgyen]”. Some people said this refers to the area around present-day Pakistan or Afghanistan,  where in the past, tantric practice was very popular, and Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava was from there. With the tantric training, practitioners there became very powerful; they could fly in the air; thus the place was called Orgyen, translated as “Oddiyana”. When Master Atisha was in the middle of his meditative concentration during the retreat, he heard the singing voice of dakinis in Oddiyana, the present day of the Afghanistan area, and the meaning of the songs imprinted in his mind; he memorized and recorded them down. His  attainment  had reached such a level! And this is the good quality of experiential knowledge that he had possessed at the stage of generation. [08′01″]

In regard to this Oddiyana, it is the kingdom in the ancient India, also known as Orgyen or Uchang, or U-chang-na; which is the present Swat Valley in the northwestern Pakistan. There is another saying, that it is in the Afghanistan region. It was once a Buddhist country. What was its prime time like? The country had eighteen thousand monastics all practicing Mahayana teaching, especially the Tantric practice. There are countless Buddhism relics discovered in the region. This is recorded in the newer version of the Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions. [08′44″]

Was it true that Tantric practice was very popular in the past in Afghanistan and Pakistan region? It is said that there are many Tantric Buddha statues and Dharma instruments found in the excavated artifacts, which sustain enough evidence to prove that this place was once very flourished with Tantric practice. It is also said that there is a type of Yamantaka mantra; in the past people at this Orgyen place all mastered this training, there is such a saying. They not only could fly, but  also had achieved Buddhahood; probably no human residing there. One of the Yamantaka recording states so, that Yamantaka lineage  was actually from Lalita Vajra who received the lineage from Orgyen, the present-day Afghanistan. [09′36″]

讲次 | 0302 (2021-02-18 ~ 2021-02-21)

标题 | 成就增上定学之功德

《广论》段落 | P5-LL6 ~ P5-LL3 如是净传……心中亦有所忆持者。

入门段落 | 第1册 P123-L4 ~ P125-L5 “如是净传......邬金那边请来的。

备注 | 四家合注《白话校注集》第1册 (1) P131-L1 ~ P131-L4 第二科、成就定学......并且忆持于心。；(2) P132-L1注释⑥ ~ P132-L5注释⑥完 飞行国......境内的佛教遗迹不可胜数。
(更新日期: 2022年4月8日)

00:00

所以宗大师说：“如是净传，应知是诸通达圣语扼要智者所喜爱传”，这样的传记是让通达圣语扼要的智者非常欢喜的传记。宗大师接着说：“随诸正士应当修学”，如同觉窝阿底峡尊者一样，我们也应该随学清净持守自己相续里的戒律。在这点上要特别用功，仁波切交代要特别用功。接着又说了：“这很重要！”这段就是“殊胜戒学”的结论。00:42

有没有注意到这一段仁波切讲了几个重要？三个重要。对不对？不能对自己所受的律仪、誓言毫不知情，然后不应该违越根本堕等所有的律仪制定的界限，而要好好地守护，这是很重要的。01:03

接着说什么呀？别解脱戒有别解脱戒的还净仪轨，乃至菩萨戒、乃至密乘戒有各自的还净仪轨，应该立刻用这些还净仪轨悔除防护来还净，这是很重要的，对不对？稍微有一点就要还净。01:22

接着说什么呀？我们要随学阿底峡尊者，清净地持守自己相续里的戒律，在这点上要特别用功。因为如果不特别用功就学不会，就会淹没在原来没受戒的那个习惯里边。没受戒的人是不用管自己戒律的，因为他不需要防备。就像你身上带个无价之宝，有的人没有宝贝，他不用防着自己的三业的烦恼来偷盗这个珍宝，如果不特别用功的话，有人还会忘记了自己的万贯家财就是戒律。这是很重要的，要特别用功！特别用功要怎么用功呢？应该是每天用功吧！时时用功吧！对吧？率尔、率尔观察什么？观察三业，“昼夜唯应观察自心，岂有余事？”这都是祖师们用功的语录和方便。02:22

所以这一小段就这么多字，但是阿底峡尊者是怎么样持戒的？就是这样持的。那上师对我们的希望是什么呢？在学戒律上——清净持守自己相续里的戒律上，要特别用功。我们不用把时间花在是是非非的抱怨啊，或者发一些无聊的哀伤慨叹，因为觉得苦啊！其实真正能够让自己去除苦的因就在当下，对不对？持守律仪、让自己染着的律仪还净。这一刻如果我们能够这样努力地在内心中实践上师的教言的话，应该这一刻比什么都珍贵吧！因为戒律是佛菩萨送给我们的礼物，就像人身是上师、佛菩萨送给我们的礼物，也可以说是父母亲送给我们的礼物。03:24

那我们怎么样用这个人身来得到生生世世的这种增上生？怎么样去获得呢？一定要依靠戒律。那么戒律怎样能持守清净呢？这三个重要，这一段要好好地学！不要听过了，说：“这个我已经听过了。”听过了，有没有记住？记住了，有没有常常串习？串习有没有成为习惯？有没有油然而生、已经不费吹灰之力地就拥有这种习惯？希望我们一起在这一点上要特别用功，这是非常非常重要的！04:01

佛陀也教导说要以戒为师。04:08

接下来让我们看“成就定学”，在 123 页中间的部分。

接下来说到具足增上定学的道理。“成就定学”这个第二科，如果白话解释一下就是：成就定学分为共通与不共通二科——共通的禅定的功德，是透过奢摩他，让心可以自主运作；不共的定学，是要具足非常坚稳的生起次第。尊者曾在三年或六年当中修持明禁行，当时遥闻飞行国中诸空行母的歌声，并且能忆持于心。05:27

阿底峡尊者成就定学的功德，分共与不共两种。共通定学之理，“谓由奢摩他门”，奢摩他就是显密共通的道，修密也需要修止，修显教也需要修止。“由奢摩他门，得堪能心”，就是修定能够得到堪能心。获得了奢摩他，就会生起身堪能和心堪能两种，就是共通定学。这个“堪能”在后面答疑的时候有答到，到最后再看答疑就可以了。06:07

接着说“不共定学”，“不共定学者，谓具极稳生起次第”，就是相续中拥有密法生起次第的道与一切证悟，这是指不共定学。“此复三年或六年中，修明禁行”，明禁行是什么呢？就是闭关修习本尊。那么为什么是三年或六年呢？是不确定的意思吗？不是的，是因为这个三年和六年是同样的意思。因为我们的半年在印度就被算作一年，也就是指在印度所算的六年，或我们的三年中，尊者都坚持住关。06:59

“尔时遥闻飞行国中诸空行母讴歌之声，心中亦有所忆持者”，这是获得生起次第证德的征兆。邬金就是“飞行国”，有些人说就是指现在的巴基斯坦或者阿富汗那一带，这地方以前密法是非常兴盛的，莲花生大师就是那里的人。他们修持密咒之后非常厉害，可以在空中飞行，所以称为邬金，翻译为“飞行”。尊者在闭关入定的时候，耳中听到了阿富汗那一带空行母歌唱的声音，而这个歌中的内义就烙在了心里，于是把它记录下来，尊者的成就已经达到这样的程度！这是获得生起次第的证德。08:01

关于这个飞行国，它是古印度的一个国名，又名邬金、邬仅，还有邬仗那，就是指现今巴基斯坦西北边的斯瓦特河流域。又有一种说法，说它在阿富汗境内。曾经是佛教国家，鼎盛时期到什么程度呢？国内有僧众一万八千位，盛行大乘教法，特别学习密咒，境内的佛教遗迹不可胜数。这是在《新译大唐西域记》里有记载。08:44

关于在阿富汗和巴基斯坦那一带，以前密法是否是非常盛行的？说巴基斯坦、阿富汗那一带，在它出土的文物当中，也可以看到很多密法的佛像、密法的法器，足以证明过去这里是密法非常非常兴盛的地方。说有一种大威德的密续，在过去邬金地方的人全部都修成了，有这样一个说法。不只是能飞起来，而且是已经成佛了，那一带几乎是没有人了。有一部大威德的那个讲义里面是这样讲的，大威德的传承实际上也是拉里达金刚从阿富汗，就是邬金那边请来的。09:36