Lecture No. 0310

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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0310

Lamrim Volume 1:  P41-LL16 ~ LL9

Date: 14 Feb 2022

Topic: Apply Dharma to Refute Erroneous Perception, Reviving Buddhism in Tibet

Introduction to the Four Interwoven Annotations Vol. 1, Pg P135-LL2 ~ P137-LL7 Moreover, for three years at Nga-ri……generally refers to Indians.

Greetings to all! It is time for us to study Lamrim together again. Everyone, please turn to page 135, the Introduction to the Four Interwoven Annotations. Let’s read the 2nd line from the bottom. [00:17]

Moreover, for three years at Nga-ri, nine years at Nye-tang, and five years at other places in Ü and Tsang, he taught all the instructions for the texts of the sutra and mantra vehicles to fortunate students. In the History of the Ganden Tradition, it is recorded that Master Atisha was born in the year of Water-Horse [982AD]. He set off on the journey from India at the age of 59 and arrived in Nepal when he was sixty; at the age of 61, he arrived at Nga-ri, and when he was 63, he arrived at Ü and Tsang. He passed into nirvana at the age of 73 in Nye-tang. He stayed in Tibet for 11 years, and this is based on one historical record. The other account is a rare book of local chronicle written by Nag-tso. It states that Master Atisha was born in the year of Iron-Horse [970 AD]. He started his journey to India at the age of 57. At the end of the same year, he entered Tibetan region. He passed into nirvana at the age of 73, the year of Wood-Horse [1054 AD]. He had stayed in Tibet for 17 years. Between these two accounts, although the former was most adopted, what is indicated in this Stages of the Path to Enlightenment is based on the latter. The result was that he re-established the practices of the Buddhist system that had disappeared; he reinvigorated those that remained only slightly; and he removed corruption based on misconceptions. Thus he made the precious teachings free of defilement [Lamrim vol.1, p. 41 L27 to L34]. [01:43]

[*color scheme of annotations: green: Master Nga-wang Rab-ten/Venerable Yu]

This is like Master Atisha’s chronicle. Let’s read Rinpoche’s notes; it says that after Master Atisha arrived in Tibet, “Moreover, for three years at Nga-ri, nine years at Nye-tang, and five years at other places in Ü and Tsang,”, 17 years in total. He stayed at Nga-ri for 3 years, at Nye-tang for 9 years, and then at Ü and Tsang for five years. [02:12]

First, let’s learn about “Nga-ri” when Master Atisha arrived in Tibet, it was under the reign of the Guge kingdom. Upper Nag-ri, located in the west of Nag-ri in Tibet, is the name of a region, approximately about present-day Zanda County. Those who went on pilgrimage should know the place. Regarding “Nine Years at Nye-tang”, Nye-tang is also the name of a place in Tibet which is very close to Lhasa. It is located in the west of Lhasa, Qüxü [pronounced: Chushur] county. Nye-tang was also where Master Atisha passed into Parinirvana. Master Dromdon-ba built the Tara monastery here; [in fact,] the Nye-tang monastery is very small. [02:57]

He spent “five years at other places in Ü and Tsang”. So where is Ü and Tsang? It is also the name of a place in Tibet; “Ü” means the center, also known as Qian Zang【前藏】, which refers to the area located in the present-day Lhasa city, also the Shannan region and west of Nyingchi region, approximately in the neighbouring areas near Lhasa. During his stay of 17 years in Tibet, “he taught all the instructions for the texts of the sutra and mantra vehicles to fortunate students” Master Atisha imparted many Sutrayana and Tantrayana teachings during these 17 years in Tibet. [03:33]

Then, Master Nga-wang Rab-te (we referred to him as Venerable Yu in the past) brought up a discrepancy based on “The History of the Ganden Tradition” – “The History of the Ganden Tradition” was composed by Panchen Sonam Dragpa [1478~ 1554, he was the 15th Ganden Tripa]. Here, the discrepancy is [in the following chronology]: Master Atisha was born in [982 AD], the year of Water-Horse, and at the age of 59, he set off on the journey from India and reached Nepal at the age of 60 [enroute to Tibet]. He arrived at Nga-ri at the age of 61 and later travelled to Ü and Tsang at the age of 63. He passed into nirvana at the age of 73 at Nye-tang. He stayed in Tibet for 11 years. This is one account. Master Nga-wang Rab-te wrote this [discrepancy] down [as to how long Master Atisha stayed in Tibet], Rinpoche said that this was not very important. [04:06]

In addition, [Nga-wang Rab-te annotated,] “The other account is a rare book of local chronicle written by Nag-tso”. translator Nag-tso also wrote a travelogue, which was more evidential, the information is accurate. According to Nag-tso, Master Atisha was born in the year of Iron-Horse [970 AD]. At the age of 57, he left India, that is, he set off on the journey from India at the age of 57. “At the end of the same year, he entered the Tibetan region”, meaning he arrived in Tibet at the end of that year. How long was he on the road? It took him one whole year! In the year of “Wood-Horse”, Master Atisha passed into nirvana at the age of 73 [1054 AD]. He stayed in Tibet for 17 years. [Master Nga-wang Rab-te continued in his annotation,] “Between the two accounts of records, although the former was most adopted;”, there were two different accounts, but it is mainly based on the former. [Nga-wang Rab-te said,] “what is indicated in this Stages of the Path to Enlightenment is based on the latter,”, the Lamrim text is based on the latter, meaning the version of 17 years. [05:03]

“Master Atisha stayed in Tibet for 17 years, the result was that he re-established the practices of the Buddhist system that had disappeared;” during his 17 years of stay in Tibet, what is “the Buddhist system that had disappeared” about? Why was it that the practices of the Buddhist system had waned [over the course of history]? This part involved the king who destroyed Buddhism – Lang-dar-ma; he destroyed Buddhism, and for 70 years after that, Buddhism disappeared and was in decline. Buddha Dharma was so severely damaged by him! After reaching Tibet, Master Atisha re-established the Buddhist system, which was destroyed by Lang-dar-ma. “He reinvigorated those that remained only slightly; and he removed corruption based on misconceptions;” just like the so-called “Blue skirted Pandita” and the “Red-robed India teacher” and the initiation and teachings that they passed down, he purified all these and those wrong views and erroneous discriminations; “thus he made the precious teachings free of defilement”. [05:58]

Let’s try to imagine this: in these 17 years, Master Atisha first had to re-establish the Buddha Dharma that was destroyed by Lang-dar-ma, an already almost extinct system that was in a depressing state, he re-established the almost disappearing system effectively. He augmented the part of the teachings that was broken or partial. If there were corrupted views that were not what virtuous teachers or Buddha taught – the tainted parts that contaminated the precious teachings - Master Atisha purified them, and kept the precious teachings free of defilements. [06:25]

To us, the later comers on the path, Master Atisha’s reform and reinvigoration of the Buddha Dharma was a really crucial matter! Otherwise, if such contaminated teachings had been passed on till now, that would truly be harmful for tens of thousands of years! The practitioners would have been ruined by this tainted path that has been passed down. It is not easy to finally develop the aspiration for wanting to practice the Buddha Dharma – wanting to understand what Buddha had taught, if they encountered such a contaminated lineage or baseless incorrect views, it is really too cruel! [07:01]

Hence, to be able to learn this pure lineage – the lineage passed down from Nalanda monastery, and from Master Atisha, we should truly be grateful to Master Atisha for it. Look! He embarked upon the journey at the age of 57, traveling to a place that was completely foreign to him, not to mention that the place was located at such a high altitude, there was also the language barrier, in the end, Master Atisha dedicated his life to Buddha Dharma so that we have the uninterrupted lineage today.  Such a pure lineage passed down until today. [07:30]

At the time he went [to Tibet], the Buddhism in Tibet was in a dire state. Such an eminent great master completely re-established and reinvigorated the teachings. That is why Master said: “Without sages, eternity is like the long dark night!” Once the sage appears, no matter how dark the long night is, the sun would rise [over the horizon], brightness appears, and the confused state of the sentient beings would be rectified. This is truly the deepest kindness shown to us! So, we should practice well, listen, and contemplate well, offering our practice to repay the kindness of Master Atisha and all the lineage masters! [08:06]

Eng

【全球广论 II 讲次: 0310】

讲次 | 0310 (2021-03-18 ~ 2021-03-21)

标题 | 以法破除邪解，振兴西藏佛教

《广论》段落 | P6-LL5 ~ P6-LL3 此复住于哦日三载……令圣教宝悉离垢染。

入门段落 | 第1册 P135-LL2 ~ P137-LL7 此复住于阿里三载......泛指印度人。

备注 | 四家合注《白话校注集》第1册 P138-LL3注释④ ~ P139-L6注释⑥完 阿里上部......大约相当于现今日喀则地区。

(更新日期: 2022年2月14日)

00:00

大家好！又到了我们一起学习《广论》的时间，请大家把《四家合注入门》翻到 135 页，看最下面的倒数第 2 行。00:17

此复住于阿里三载，聂塘九岁，卫藏余处五年之中，为诸善士开示经咒教典教授，罄尽无余。 《甘丹法源史》谓觉窝尊生于壬午年，五十九岁时自印度启程，六十岁时抵尼泊尔，六十一岁至阿里，六十三岁至前藏，七十三岁时圆寂于聂塘，驻锡藏地十一载，此为一说。又那措所传善本方志谓觉窝尊生于庚午年，五十七岁时自印度启程，当年岁末入藏，甲午年七十三岁圆寂，于藏地驻十七载。二说之中，虽以前说为主，然此《道次第》中所说者，顺应后说。尊者驻藏十七载，圣教规模诸已没者，重新建树，诸略存轨，倍令增广，诸被邪解垢秽染者，皆善治除，令圣教宝悉离垢染。01:43

这像一个阿底峡尊者的大事年表。那我们可以看仁波切的讲记，说到了西藏以后，“此复住于阿里三载，聂塘九岁，卫藏余处五年之中”，共十七年。在阿里地区住了三年吧！在聂塘住了九年，然后卫藏余处五年。02:12

我们先了解一下“阿里”，阿底峡尊者进入西藏的时候是古格王朝所统一的地区；阿里上部就是西藏阿里西部的一个地区的名字，大约相当于现今的扎达县，有去过朝圣的人应该都知道。“聂塘九岁”，那聂塘也是西藏的一个地名，它靠拉萨很近，是位于拉萨西郊的曲水县，这个聂塘寺也是阿底峡尊者示寂的地方。种敦巴尊者在此建有度母寺，这个聂塘寺是一个很小的寺院。02:57

他有五年之中是在“卫藏余处”。那么卫藏是在什么地区呢？也是西藏的一个地区的名字，“卫”是中央的意思，就是指前藏，大约相当于现今的拉萨市，还有山南地区、林芝地区西部，大概都是在拉萨附近这一区。所以在十七年，“为诸善士开示经咒教典教授，罄尽无余”，开示了很多显密的教法，在这十七年中说法。03:33

接着，语王尊者依《甘丹法源史》提出了一个疑点——《甘丹法源史》是福称大师所著的——这里边的疑点是说：觉窝杰生于壬午年，五十九岁的时候从印度启程，六十岁的时候抵尼泊尔，六十一岁到阿里，六十三岁至前藏，七十三岁的时候圆寂于聂塘，驻锡藏地十一年，这是一个说法。语王尊者把这个注解写出来，仁波切说这个不是很重要。04:06

还有“那措所传善本方志”，那措译师也撰写了一本游记，比较有根据，资料是确切的。其中有提到：觉窝杰尊者生于庚午年，五十七岁的时候从印度启程，也就是五十七岁的时候从印度出发了，在路上。“当年岁末入藏”，就在那一年的年底莅临藏地。走了多久了呀？走了一年喔！“甲午年”就是木马年，七十三岁的时候圆寂，于藏地驻十七年。“二说之中，虽以前说为主”，这是有两个说法，但是以前面的说法为主。“然此《道次第》中所说者，顺应后说”，《广论》的文中主要是依据后者的这个十七年的说法。05:03

“尊者驻藏十七载，圣教规模诸已没者”，就在藏地驻锡十七年的过程中，这个“诸已没者”是怎么回事呢？为什么圣教的规模已经没了呢？这里边就涉及到一个破坏佛教的王——朗达玛，他破坏佛教，后七十年间隐没不振的这个道轨——被他破坏得很惨！阿底峡尊者来了之后，就把朗达玛破坏后的佛教的这个道轨重新地建树。“诸略存轨，倍令增广，诸被邪解垢秽染者，皆善治除”，就像所谓“蓝裙班智达”，还有“红色阿杂惹”所传的灌顶和说法，这所有的部分，这些邪解、邪分别的部分都完善地清除，“令圣教宝悉离垢染”。05:58

大家可以想一下，十七年先要去重新建树被朗达玛破坏的这个佛教，已经快隐没了、非常不振作的这样的道轨——已经快隐没的赶快重新建树。有的是残缺的、部分的，倍令增广。还有邪说，不是善知识说的、也不是佛教，染浊了这个道轨，要把它净化掉、悉离垢染。06:25

这对我们后学的人来说，阿底峡尊者这个整顿、来拯救是多么重要的一件事情！不然令染浊的这种道轨传到现在的话，那真是贻害万年哪！修行者都会被传出来的这个染污的道轨全部毁掉了。好不容易萌生出想要修行的心，想要去了解什么是佛说，碰到一个这样的没有清净传承、胡乱解说的邪说，简直是太残酷了！07:01

所以，我们能够学到这个清净的传轨——那烂陀寺的清净传轨、阿底峡尊者的清净传轨，真的要好好地感恩阿底峡尊者。你看！五十七岁启程，完全到了一个异乡，到了一个海拔那么高的地方，而且语言不通，最后把生命献给了佛教，所以才有今天的传承未断，如此清净的道轨传到现在。07:30

看他去的时候，那个西藏的佛教是非常惨的，这样一个大德，就把它全部地整顿好、振作起来。所以师父说：“圣人不出，万古如长夜！”圣人一出，多么深的长夜也都会出现日出、出现光明，众生的迷惘也都会被导正，这真是感铭肺腑的深恩！所以我们要用好好修行、好好听闻、思惟、修行的这样一个供养，来报答阿底峡尊者、报答所有的传承善知识！08:06