Lecture No. 0271
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No: 0271
Lamrim Vol 1: Pg40 LL17
Date: 3 Jul 2022
Tape No | 4B 24:13 ~ 26:18
Topic: Master Atisha’s remarkable achievements originated from his full reliance on his excellent teachers
Greetings to all! I am very pleased it is time for us to discuss the Lamrim again. By the time we are discussing this teaching, it would have been in the month of November, and the October has passed. The maple leaves in Canada are all turning red, crimson red! There are also some leaves of unknown plants turning red as well in autumn. I feel the leaves turning crimson red are like practitioners – the longer they study and contemplate, the more brilliant blossoms their meditation practice will become, like the harvest season in the autumn. So everyone, please do study earnestly; don’t squander away time! [00:32]
Again, prior to our discussion, we need to adjust our motivation for coming to the class; let’s shift our routine mental flow to contemplate how rare the opportunity of listening to the teaching is! What are our goals, or the end results we’d like to achieve, by listening to the teaching? It is for the sake of salvaging immeasurable motherly beings from the cyclic existence who are trapped in the suffering ocean in the six realms, and help them get to the other shore of Buddhahood. Hence, now we are planting the seed or the cause of becoming a Buddha. This cause has to be recognized first; after recognizing the cause we need to listen to the teaching; therefore, while we are listening to the teaching, we should shape our motivation, and try our best to clear our lethargy and excitement, being an upside down vessel and so on. With that, we are ready to embark on our study. [01:18]
Thus, the section we are studying today is about Master Atisha [v.1 p.40]: C. Having gained those good qualities, what Master Atisha did to further the teachings: 1. What he did in India, 2. What he did in Tibet. We have studied the previous paragraph [in teaching #269]; let’s listen to the second point of this part from Master’s recording. [01:37]
[4B 24:13 ~ 26:18]
So, at the end, I will apply one or two short stories so that you will get to know more about Master Atisha. While he was in India, Nalanda Monastery had dozens of great teachers such as: Venerable Vidyakokila, Master Avadhutipa, etc. What more is, yes, now I recall there is a popular contemporary book – The Life of Master Milarepa; I believe a lot of people have read this book. Master Milarepa was a Tibetan; his teacher, Master Marpa, was a Tibetan as well. At that time, Master Marpa went to India to beseech Dharma. His teacher Master Tilopa [should be Naropa], an Indian, had attained very high achievements. And Master Tilopa was one of Master Atisha’s teachers…. wait ... Not Master Tilopa*, it was Master Naropa. Master Tilopa was the teacher of Master Naropa. Master Naropa himself was also a prince from one of the kingdoms in India. He renounced the secular life – not willing to stay in the palace, not willing to stay in the palace. Having tried all possible means to be ordained, and finally he succeeded. He was exceptionally intelligent as well. In terms of Master Naropa’s learning capability, he, [like Master Atisha] mastered all the worldly knowledge and, after ordination, concentrated on learning Buddhist doctrine and meditation. Master Naropa was acclaimed to be one of the most influential and prominent practitioners at his time! Finally, Master Naropa met with his teacher, Master Tilopa, and then achieved the highest level of experiential knowledge. [03:17]
[*Tilopa➔ Naropa➔ Atisha/Marpa➔Milarepa
https://tantrayogathailand.com/tantra-for-women-2-2/ ]
When Master Atisha was in India, there were many, many great achievers! Surprisingly, Master Atisha pursued studies from almost all of these great teachers, and he mastered all of the paramount strengths his teachers had. Finally, he became the holder of the keys to all the major Indian monasteries – as the crown jewel. Can you imagine it? This was particular about self-benefiting. [03:43]
Let’s pause here first. When Master was introducing Master Atisha in regard to the Dharma Works he had contributed to the teachings, he brought up some of the teachers of Master Atisha’s. As everyone can notice, Venerable Vidyakokila, Master Avadhutipa, as well as Master Naropa were all renowned Masters and extraordinary practitioners, and Master Atisha was the disciple of all these eminent Masters. [04:12]
[From Master’s commentary,] we come to realize the remarkable achievements of Master Atisha; yet at the same time we also learned the arduous hardships he went through in search of virtuous teachers. A well-known case in point was his visit to Master Ser-ling-ba. In this section Master said, “Master Atisha … he mastered all of the paramount strengths his teachers had.” For instance, from Master Ser-ling-ba, Master Atisha attained the spirit of enlightenment. Master Atisha spent 12 years closely attending to his teacher and persisted in studying earnestly with great effort. This is according to the account documented in the Buddhism history, but there could be many unrecorded parts that are unknown to us. In sum, a great practitioner first has to be a devoted disciple of those eminent Masters. It is never possible for an unsuitable disciple to become a great guru, because without the experience of how to be a suitable disciple, there is no way for him to guide the students on how to be a suitable disciple. [05:12]
Master said, “Master Atisha … he mastered all of the paramount strengths his teachers had.” Very likely we won’t remember what happened in our past lives, but for those lifelong practitioners they should recognize: if you have sincerely relied or is relying on your virtuous teacher earnestly, you would find those outstanding good qualities of the virtuous teachers you are following, explicitly noticeable. About such exalted good qualities, sometimes it is beyond our reach. In spite of that, we should continue to pursue our study resolutely, and there could be more superb qualities yet to be discovered. Therefore, from what we have seen – the good qualities of the virtuous teachers, we can reflect on ourselves. The way Master Atisha manifested is to educate us and guide us on how to properly rely on the qualified teachers. [05:55]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0271】
讲次 | 0271
标题 | 尊者殊胜成就，源于圆满依止法
《广论》段落 | P6-L1 于圣教所作事中分二……藏中所作事理。 今初
音档 | 4B 24:13 ~ 26:18
手抄页/行 | 第1册 P126-L5 ~ P127-L3 ( 2016 南普陀版：P126-L7 ~ P127-L6 )
手抄段落 | 那么最后我也说……这个只是在自利。
(更新日期: 2022年7月3日)
00:00
大家好！很高兴又到了研讨《广论》的时间。我们研讨到这一讲的时候已经快到十一月了，十月末。加拿大的枫叶都红了，很红！其他的有一些不知名的叶子也在秋天变红了。我觉得红叶就很像修行人，用功的时间越长，到了秋天的时候它绽放得越为灿烂，所以大家平常一定要好好用功，不要浪费时间！00:32
那么在研讨之前我们可以调整一下自己的意乐，把自己从平常的续流中稍稍转移一下，想听法的机会非常地难得！那么为了什么样的目的和结果我们要听法呢？就是为了把如虚空般的如母有情从六道轮回的这个苦海中救出来，救到一个成佛的彼岸去，所以我们现在要种成佛的因；因就要先知，知道因的话就要听法，所以听法的时候就要端正自己的意乐，并且要尽量地断除昏沉和散乱、器倒覆等等，就可以开始学习了。01:18
那么今天我们要学习的部分，是阿底峡尊者“于圣教所作事中分二：一、于印度所作事理，二、藏中所作事理。”我们前面学过了第一段，下面我们再来听第二段，听师父的带子。01:37
那么最后我也说一两个简单的这个故事，来说明一下，用这个事例引发我们对他的认识。当年呢，譬如说以印度这个情况来说，那兰陀寺的大善知识有好几十位，好几十位，像大明杜鹃论师、像阿嚩都帝等等。还有呢，对，现在想起来了，现在我们目前有一本很流行的书——《密勒日巴尊者传》，我想很多人看过这个书。这个密勒日巴尊者是西藏人，他这个老师马尔巴尊者是西藏人，然后马尔巴尊者到印度去求法的，他这个老师帝洛巴尊者，那个尊者成就非常高，他是印度人。那个帝洛巴尊者，就是阿底峡尊者老师之一，喔！不是帝洛巴，那洛巴尊者。帝洛巴是这个那洛巴尊者的老师。这个那洛巴尊者自己本身，他也是印度一个国家的王子，王子，然后呢他不愿意在家，不愿意在家，想尽办法出家，最后居然被他出成，他也是绝顶聪明。然后呢学的东西也是，同样的是在世间的学问上面，出了家以后在佛法的教理上面，也可以说雄霸当时，这样了不起！他最后呢见到他的老师以后，在证量上面也达到最高的程度。03:17
当年在阿底峡尊者印度的时候，有这样成就的人好多、好多！结果啊，嘿，在所有的这些老师当中，他几乎一一都学遍了，他所有的老师的长处，阿底峡尊者都有，最后呢他却是代管印度所有大庙的钥匙──宗主，你可以想之，这个只是在自利。03:43
我们先听到这儿。师父在介绍阿底峡尊者对圣教所作的事业之中，在这里边讲到了阿底峡尊者的老师。大家可以看到大明了杜鹃啊、阿嚩都帝啊，还有那洛巴尊者，都是佛教史上赫赫有名的大上师、了不起的大成就者，阿底峡尊者就是这些赫赫有名的上师们的弟子。04:12
我们可以看到阿底峡尊者不可思议的成就，但是也会看到他追随善知识的辛苦的路程，比如说去参访金洲大师，就是我们都众所周知的一个例子。在这里边说：他所有的老师的长处阿底峡尊者都有，比如说金洲大师修菩提心、成就菩提心，尊者就十二年不离不弃，一直辛苦地在那边学。历史上留下来这样的记载，可能也还有没记的，我们也不知道。总之，一个非常了不起的成就者，他首先是那些非常了不起的上师们的虔诚的弟子，一个不会作弟子的人也不可能成为一个了不起的上师，因为他没有经验作一个弟子的话，也没法教弟子们怎样作弟子。05:12
说：“所有的老师的长处，阿底峡尊者都有。”过去生就可能都忘了，在这一生修行的人都知道，如果你曾经认真地或者正在非常认真地依止自己的善知识，你一定会清晰地发现自己的善知识那些非常超胜的功德。那些超胜的功德，有的时候是自己可望不可及的，但是要脚踏实地地去跟着学，还有一些可能是没有发现。那么就我们能够看到善知识功德的部分要想想我们自己，阿底峡尊者这样地示现，就是为了教育我们、教导我们要好好地实践依止法。05:55