Lecture No. 0311
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0311
Lamrim Volume 1: : 41-LL8 ~ LL
Date: 27 Mar 2022
Topic: early dissemination (of the Teaching); the three great masters who passed down the monastics vows lineage
Very well! We will continue with our study. Today we are still on the good qualities of Master Atisha. Everyone please turn to page 138 of the Introduction to the Four Interwoven Annotations (Chinese text). Let’s read the text. [00:17]
The 2nd subtopic: eliminate damage done to the Buddhist system and the three precious trainings: In general, the glorious Acharya Bodhisattva Santaraksita and Padmasambhava Lotus-born introduced the practices of the Buddhist system to the Land of Snow during the early dissemination of the teaching. However, the Chinese abbot Ha-shang caused the teaching to decline. He did not understand emptiness correctly and thereby denigrated the factor of method and negated bringing anything to mind, even virtues. The great master Kamalasila Lotus-precepts, after refuting Hashang well, established the Conqueror’s intent; hence, his kindness was the greatest [V.1, P. 41]. [01:02]
Now let’s take a look at Rinpoche’s Introduction. Please turn to page 139. It says in the outline: “The 2nd subtopic: eliminate damage done to the Buddhist system and the three precious trainings”; this is the annotations from Master Jam-yang Shay-pa (translated as Venerable Miao in the past). The content of this 2nd subtopic is the eradication of the destruction to Buddhism in Tibet; such destructions included the damage to the three precious trainings, the great harm to pure ethical conducts pertaining to the training of precepts and monastic vows. Master Jam-yang Shay-pa classified all these topics under the 2nd subtopic. It says in the text, “In general … introduced the practices of the Buddhist system to the Land of Snow during the early dissemination of the teaching;” this is the time of the early dissemination of the Buddha Dharma in Tibet - there are the terms of “Land of Snow” and “early dissemination. Let’s continue with the reading first, and come back to these terms later. [01:51]
During the early dissemination of the Buddha Dharma in Tibet, “the glorious Acharya Bodhisattva Santaraksita and Padmasambhava Lotus-born” meaning both of them “introduced the practices of the Buddhist system”. Santaraksita was also a Bengali. Are you familiar with Bengali? Santaraksita was from the same clan with Master Atisha, as indicated in the prayer composed by Master Drom-don-ba, “In the affluent land of Bengal was reigned by the emperor of the Za-hor descendants, where Bodhisattva Santaraksita was born, I bow down at the feet of Dipamkarasrijnana [teaching #274 & #275]. Santaraksita and Padmasambhava were the first two great adepts coming from India to Tibet to establish the Tibetan Buddhism system; the emperor Trisong Detsen [742~797] and the two masters – three of them – collaboratively established the initial Buddhist system in Tibet, and properly instituted the pure Buddha Dharma there. [02:46]
The text continues, “However, the Chinese abbot Ha-shang caused the teaching to decline. He did not understand emptiness correctly and thereby denigrated the factor of method and negated bringing anything to mind, even virtues.” The “Chinese abbot Hashang” was mentioned here. [Based on the text,] he did not thoroughly penetrate the key points of wisdom of emptiness, and because of that, he mistakenly assumed that by waiving one of the two means – compassion or wisdom, one could achieve Buddhahood. In fact, we all know both of them are required, relinquishing either one is impossible to achieve Buddhahood. He also thought the expedient means of Bodhichitta, renunciation, etc. unnecessary; practitioners could attain Buddhahood by the assertion that nothing can be the object of mentation. [03:25]
Because of the arrival of the Chinese abbot Ha-shang Moheyan, his assertion of Buddha Dharma caused severe damage to the sublime teaching in Tibet. Later on, Master Kamalasila came to Tibet and refuted such erroneous views. He composed the Stages of Meditation. We will encounter them in many of our readings, and Lamrim cited many passages from the trilogy of the Stages of Meditation. Master Kamalasila completely refuted the erroneous views from the Chinese abbot Ha-shang Moheyan, and re-established the Conqueror’s intent; hence, his kindness was the greatest. [04:00]
“Land of Snow”, in fact, refers to Tibet; located in the high, freezing elevation and snow covered the land whole year round; Tibet is known as Land of Snow, or Snow Land. The early dissemination – apparently there is also the later dissemination – was from Tibetan Tubo kingdom [7th~11th century] all the way to the development phase of Songtsen Gampo, the flourishing stage at the time of Trisong Detsen, the reform of writing system by emperor Khrigtsung-Ide-brtsan, and till the time before Lang-dar-ma who destroyed the teaching. This was the “early dissemination” of the Tibetan Buddhism. [04:35]
What is mentioned here is “Lang-dar-ma”, a Tibetan emperor who destroyed Buddhism. Here, I asked Rinpoche, “Who was Lang-dar-ma in his previous life? How come he could cause such severe damage to Buddha’s teaching?” Because I was thinking at that time: why was that he could do such devastating damage to the sublime teaching? Was it because of the evil wishes he made? Actually, before Rinpoche’s introduction, I did not know who Lang-dar-ma was. [05:00]
And Rinpoche said that there are many stories to it. While people were constructing the Boudhanath Stupa in Nepal, Lang-dar-ma was a bull. On the opening day of the stupa, everyone was praying sincerely with heart-felt joy, but this bull prayed, “When they begin promulgating the teaching, I vow to destroy it!” Such was the evil wish he had made. Based on Rinpoche, this is one of the legends. Over the course of Chinese history, there were emperors destroying the Buddha Dharma – Three Disasters of Wu and one Zong, there were four times of Buddhist Persecutions in China [between 5th and 10th century]. However, Rinpoche said the damage done in China was not as grave as what Lang-dar-ma did in Tibet. In fact, Lang-dar-ma was enthroned and ruled Tibet for four to five years [838~841]; he was assassinated on the 5th year. During the reign of these five years, he completely destroyed Buddha Dharma; how serious was the destruction? The destruction was so devastating that it saw no sign of recovery for 70 years, and only after 70 years did the sign of reviving gradually appear. The scriptures were burned; the most devastating part was that all monastics were disrobed, and there were no teachers passing the precepts, namely giving the ordination ceremony was severed! Having no precept is equivalent to the dissolution of the Buddha Dharma. Thus, the situation was really disastrous, so calamitous! [06:13]
With the Buddhist system destroyed by Lang-dar-ma, there were people trying to rebuild it. During the persecution of Buddhism under the king Lang-dar-ma, three ordained monks fled. It was reported that they fled to Amdo area. Then, it marked the beginning of the later dissemination. Three monastics bestowed precepts to a young man who was not yet 20 years old named Lachen Gongpa Rabsel. He was the first Tibetan requesting for taking vows in the later dissemination. Rinpoche often talked about this monk with deep gratitude – that was the first person receiving the monastic vows from the three monks, after the destruction of the Buddhist system. [06:54]
The three masters escaped from Tibet via Xin-jiang and came to Qinghai, where the locals found out they were monks, treated them with great respect. There came Lachen Gongpa Rabsel. He was taken in as their disciple at a very young age, and the most precious and most important aspect was that he took the monastic vows. [07:17]
[When Lachen Gongpa Rabsel requested for ordination,] the three monks invited the person [a monk named Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje] who assassinated Lang-dar-ma to give the precepts, he refused, saying he couldn’t do it because his act of killing was a serious breach of his monastic vows; he was disqualified from giving ordination. Then, they invited two Chinese monks; there were total five of them, [based on the necessary quorum required by the Vinaya] and the ordination was given. The monastic robes in the Amdo area all have the blue rim; I am wondering if those of you who visited Tibet before had noticed it. In fact, why is there the blue rim? The blue rim is to commemorate the Chinese monks who helped revive the Tibetan monastic vows. Had it not been for these two monks, it would have been very difficult to conduct the ritual of monastic vows; it was impossible to pass it down. Rinpoche said here, “Not sure if Lhasa has this legend, but this is what is circulated in Amdo area.” [07:59]
Later, there were ten more Tibetans who came to Lachen Gongpa Rabsel to receive the monastic vows. Take heed! Dharma promulgation began! It was said that there were Tibetans from U and Tsang, and central Tibet; there were ten of them in total coming to Amdo to receive the monastic vows from Lachen Gongpa Rabsel; thus, the monastic vows started passing down again. So Lachen Gongpa Rabsel was the first preceptor who passed the monastic vows in the later dissemination, right? He marked the entering of the “later dissemination”. When these ten people were about to leave Amdo, Lachen Gongpa Rabsel was already very old, he gave his yellow cap to one of the ten Tibetans by the name of Lu-mey Tsultrim-sherab; in fact, it was Lu-mey that brought the ten of them here. When Lachen Gongpa Rabsel gave him the cap, he said, “You keep me in mind and take this cap to promote the teaching in Tibet.” This is where the thriving of the yellow cap had later originated. Lachen Gongpa Rabsel in Amdo was quite famous! [08:51]
Here, we hear the term “later dissemination” again. After Lang-dar-ma destroyed Buddhism, the later dissemination began when the Tibetan Buddhist system was revived. As for the year that marked the beginning of the later dissemination, Master Buton Rinchen Drub considered it began in AD 973, the year when Lachen Gongpa Rabsel took the monastic vows, whereas Drom-don-ba believed it began from AD 978, the year when Lu-mey – the monk, mentioned above, took the ten Tibetans to take the monastic vows from Lachen Gongpa Rabsel. How many years apart in between? It was five years discrepancy! Right? That is the time difference between the two sources. [09:28]
Thus, the history of Tibetan Buddhism can be divided into the early dissemination and the later dissemination, and in the beginning of the later dissemination, please remember there was such a remarkable eminent Lachen Gongpa Rabsel, right? Besides, there were two very, very important, the indispensible Chinese monks [Ke-ban and Gyi-ban] in the history of passing down the ritual of the monastic vows so that the Tibetan monastic vows could last until this day. And the blue rim on their robes is to remind people of the profound kindness from the Chinese monks. [09:53]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0311】
讲次 | 0311 (2021-03-22 ~ 2021-03-24)
标题 | 前弘期：师君三尊、延续比丘戒传承
《广论》段落 | P6-LL3 ~ P7-L1 总之雪山聚中前弘圣教……为恩极重。
入门段落 | 第1册 P138-LL5 ~ P141-LL1 第二、灭除损害梵行及三学者......相当有名的。
备注 | 四家合注《白话校注集》第1册 P143-L1注释① ~ P144-L12注释⑧完 雪山聚 指西藏......来藏弘律之时起算等说。
(更新日期: 2022年3月27日)
00:00
好！我们接着往下学。今天我们将学习的还是阿底峡尊者的功德，请大家把书翻到《四家合注入门》138 页，看原文。
“然由支那和尚堪布，解了空性未达扼要，以是因缘，谤方便分，遮止一切作意思惟，损减教法”，这里边提到的“支那堪布”，他的见解中并未透彻地了达空性的扼要，因为不了解，所以认为舍弃了方便、智慧中的其中一者是可以成佛的——实际上我们都知道这两者舍弃一者是不能够成佛的——而且方便分中的菩提心、出离心呀等等，他认为全都不需要，只要毫不作意思惟就能成佛。03:25
由于支那和尚摩诃衍那堪布的出现，造成了圣教的伤害。其后莲花戒论师莅临西藏，断除了这种邪见，著作《修次》初、中、后三篇。我们在很多地方都会读到，在《广论》的很多处引了这个初、中、后三篇。莲花戒论师完全破除了支那和尚摩诃衍那的宗见，重新光显了佛陀的圣教，所以恩德至极深重！04:00
“雪山聚”其实就是藏地，地势高寒，长年覆雪，所以叫雪山聚，也叫雪域。前弘期的圣教——很显然还有后弘期的圣教——前弘期的圣教是从吐蕃王朝一直经过了松赞干布的开创，到赤松德赞的弘扬盛行，还有到赤热巴坚的改革文字，直到朗达玛灭法以前的藏传佛教，就称为“前弘期的佛教”。04:35
那么这个就涉及到“朗达玛”，朗达玛就是破坏藏系佛法的一个王。我在这里边就问说：“朗达玛的前世是谁？他为什么会这么严重地破坏佛教呢？”因为那时候我在想：这一生他为什么要对圣教做这么大的破坏？是不是发恶愿的？其实那时候在仁波切讲之前，我也不知道朗达玛是谁。 05:00
然后仁波切就讲说：这里边有很多故事。在修建尼泊尔博达大佛塔的时候，那时候朗达玛是一头牛。当佛塔开光的那一天，大家都在很虔诚地祈祷，非常欢喜感动的时候，这头牛祈祷说：“当他们正式弘法的时候，我就要灭法！”它就发了这样的一个恶愿。然后仁波切说是有这个说法的。汉地也有国王灭法，就提到了三武一宗，说好像有四次，但是他说汉地的灭法没有像朗达玛灭法那么严重。朗达玛实际上在位才四到五年，五年以后他就被刺杀了。在五年当中，他就把整个的佛法毁灭得非常地严重，严重到什么程度？到七十年都没有恢复，七十年后才慢慢地复苏。经书也烧掉了，但是他最主要的破坏就是他不准有一个出家人，传戒的人几乎全部都断绝了！没有戒的话就等于没有佛法，所以实际上那个时候是惨不忍睹啊、惨不忍睹！06:13
接着朗达玛破坏佛法之后，那有人还得要重新建立，然后就涉及到在朗达玛灭法之后，有三个出家人就逃走，据说是逃到安多地区了。那么逃到安多地区，这时期就进入到后弘期了。三个出家人，他们就帮一个当时年纪还很小、可能不到二十岁的叫“拉钦波贡巴饶色”传戒。后弘期的时候第一个求戒的西藏人就是拉钦波，仁波切常常满怀感恩地讲到这个出家人——就是被这个三位大师授比丘戒的第一个人，在佛法被破坏了之后。06:54
三大贤哲从西藏经过新疆逃到青海，最后当地发现他们是三个出家人，就非常地敬重他们。最后就是有一位拉钦波——就是拉钦贡巴饶色，年纪很轻就被他们收为弟子，然后最珍贵的、最重要的就是接受了比丘戒律。 07:17
后来请到那个刺杀朗达玛的人帮忙传戒，他说他不能传戒，他已经杀人了不能传戒，所以就请了两个汉地的和尚，一共五个人传。安多地方的僧人的上衣里边都是蓝色的，不知道诸位去藏地有没有注意观察？实际上那个为什么是蓝色的呢？那个蓝色就是纪念汉地和尚帮忙把西藏的戒律、这个戒法振兴起来。如果没有这两位和尚，其实很难传戒的，传不下来的。仁波切在这里说：“不知道拉萨人有没有这种说法，但是安多地区就是这样说的。”07:59
后来西藏那里边就有十个人到拉钦那里去受戒。看！又传开了！传说有卫藏人、后藏人，一共有十个人到安多在拉钦的跟前受戒，就是这样戒律又再度地传承下来了。所以拉钦是后弘期的第一个传戒人，对吧？由他开始标帜着进入这“后弘期”。他们离开的时候，拉钦已经很老了，他把自己的黄帽送给了西藏十个人当中一个叫作鲁梅的人，是鲁梅带着这个十个人来的。拉钦送给他的时候说：“你在这一路上惦记着我，戴着这顶帽子到西藏去弘法。”后来西藏黄帽派为什么会这么盛兴，缘起说就在那里。安多的拉钦波是相当相当有名的！ 08:51
然后在这里边，我们又会提到“后弘期的佛教”。后弘期的佛教就是从朗达玛灭法之后，再次恢复的藏传佛教称为后弘期的佛教。后弘期的佛教开始的年代有种种说法，布顿大师认为从公元 973 年善显密意大师（拉钦贡巴饶色）受比丘戒那年开始的；种敦巴尊者认为从公元 978 年，鲁梅戒慧——就刚才提到那位——他带着十个人依着善显密意大师受比丘戒的时候开始的。中间差了几年？五年吧！对吧？他们的时间长度。 09:28
所以它分前弘期和后弘期，后弘期的开端的时候，要记着有这样的一个了不起的拉钦，对吧！还有两个非常非常重要的、在历史的传戒的舞台上绝不可或缺的两个汉地的和尚，藏地的比丘戒又得以延续到现在，所以他们的衣服上才有蓝色，就是纪念很深恩的汉地和尚。09:53