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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0277

Lamrim | P3-L5 ~ P3-L8

Lamrim Vol. 1 P36 LL11 – P37L11

Date: 7 Jul 2022

Topic:  The great translator, Nag-tso, who composed the Eighty Verses of Praise

 Great! Today we will continue with our study. We are discussing the good qualities of Master Atisha [v.1 p.36]; that is “how upon that basis he gained good qualities, which is explained in two parts:
 1. How, knowing many texts, he gained the good qualities of scriptural knowledge
2. How, engaging in proper practices, he gained the good qualities of experiential knowledge”

Before we begin, I would like to ask you all a question: do you still remember the name of the Bodhisattva who Master Atisha manifested in Buddha’s time, when we talked about the Life of Master Atisha? He was Bodhisattva Bhadrapala, right? Speaking of Bodhisattva Bhadrapala, I would like to introduce him briefly. [00:34]

In Buddha’s time, it is said that Master Atisha was a lay Bodhisattva practitioner, and was also known as Baddabara. From the Mahāsaṃghata-sūtra*, Treasury of Mahayana Sutra, Xuan-hu Chapter, it says: in Buddha’s time, there was an upasaka* named Bhadrapala in Rajagrah. Being the most prominent among the lay practitioners, he upheld the five precepts, and was endowed with majestic bearing. He was a long-term practitioner of Bodhisattva deeds. In his past lives, he had made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted various virtuous roots, and venerated all Buddha’s teachings by upholding them diligently. What was most impressive was that despite being a lay practitioner, he rigorously abided by the precepts and enlightened other practitioners. He was able to meet with all Buddhas candidly, and he made grand aspirational vows to engage in profound virtuous deeds. His Bodhichitta was as steadfast as the diamond, his many great and virtuous deeds were beyond imagination. [01:40]

 [*Fascicle Bhadrapala the diamond; many great and virtuous deeds of Bhadrapala were inconceivable. translated by Shénàjuéduō (Jñānagupta in Sanskrit) about 523~600 AD in the Sui dynasty [581~619 AD] *Upasaka: male lay practitioner, upasika: female lay practitioner.]

In the Kasyapa Chapter of the Ratna-kuta Collection, the version translated by Shénàjuéduō (Jñānagupta) recorded: When Buddha was at Rajagrah, there was a very wealthy elder, whose son was Bhadrapala. Due to his blissful causes and conditions in the past lives, he was endowed with dignified and elegant physical form, and his wealth surpassed that of Indra, the deity king. Moreover, in the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom translated by Kumarajiva* it states, “Baddabara (Bhadrapala) Bodhisattva was a respectable elder in Rajagrah and was the greatest one among all lay Bodhisattva practitioners.” Furthermore, in Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra, Śūrangama Sūtra etc., we can also find descriptions about the good qualities of this Bodhisattva. This is the life story of Master Atisha; all the historical records about his life can be found in many sutras. [02:34]

[*Kumarajiva: 334-413, in later Qin dynasty]

Next, let’s begin to learn about how he gained good qualities of scriptural knowledge and experiential knowledge. The section of “how upon that basis he gained good qualities” is divided into two parts: one is “How, knowing many texts, he gained the good qualities of scriptural knowledge”, and the other is “How, engaging in proper practice, he gained the good qualities of experiential knowledge”, meaning this section is to explain the good qualities of Master Atisha’s scriptural knowledge and experiential knowledge. Generally speaking, Buddha’s teachings comprise both scripture knowledge and experiential knowledge, and Jowo Je Master Atisha rounded off the entire good qualities of scriptural  knowledge and experiential knowledge. Hence, he was the upholder of the entire teaching passing down from Buddha. [03:06]

 [*Tsultrim Gyelwa: meaning demeanor the victorious - the spiritual mentor who triumphs with ethical self-discipline] 　　

So, the translator Nag-tso composed the Eighty Verses of Praise, to pay homage to Master Atisha, this work is with 80 verses in total. Previously, I said that there was no Chinese translation yet, but now this translation has just been completed. The main structure of the praise is based on the life of Master Atisha, depicting his achievements in terms of the three precious trainings, namely, ethical discipline, meditative stabilization, and wisdom insight, as well as the great Dharma Works he accomplished in India and Tibet. [05:21]

Before Nag-tso, the translator composed this Eighty Verses of Praise, Ksitigarbha Pandita also composed something similar in ode format. There was a saying that the Praise Nag-tso composed was based on Ksitigarbha Pandita’s work. This is just one version of explanation. There is another possibility; while reading this part, I was thinking: Nag-tso had relied on Master Atisha for 19 years. At the age of 27, he went to India to invite Master Atisha  and acted as his interpreter. Thus, with his “proper reliance”, a special kind of faith must have arisen. Under such circumstances, Nag-tso definitely had deeper understanding of Master Atisha’s good qualities. Since the great masters in the past always valued the lineage, they would first consult some former masters’ works, and with certain understanding, they started to compose their own version. Whatever it is, if we can read the Eighty Verses of Praise composed by Nag-tso, the translator – a person who had closely relied on Master Atisha for 19 years, and then he composed the Eighty Verses of Praise – we should feel very fortunate to have such an opportunity to read this truly hard to come by Praise! [06:30]

讲次 | 0277 (2020-11-23 ~ 2020-11-25)

标题 | 造《八十赞》的那措译师

《广论》段落 | P3-L5 ~ P3-L8 获得功德事理分二……美誉遍扬。

入门段落 | 第1册 P103-L5 ~ P104-L2 获得功德事理，分二......美誉遍扬。

备注 | 四家合注《白话校注集》 第1册 P104-注释⑦完 贤护 佛世在家菩萨……描述此菩萨的功德。

(更新日期: 2022年7月14日)

00:00

好！今天我们接着往下学。学到阿底峡尊者的功德，就是“获得功德事理，分二：一、知见广博获教功德事理；二、如理修行获证功德事理。”在这之前我想问大家：还记不记得讲《阿底峡尊者传》的时候，说阿底峡尊者在佛世的时候是哪位菩萨？贤护菩萨，对吧？关于贤护菩萨，可以略略地讲一下。00:34

在佛世的时候，他是一位在家菩萨，他还有一个名字叫善守。在隋朝的阇那崛多译的那个《大方等大集经．贤护分》中有记载：在佛世的王舍城中，有一位优婆塞，名为贤护，为大众中的上首，受持五戒，具足威仪，长久以来行菩萨道，往昔已曾供养无量诸佛，种诸善根，于法敬重听闻受持。最精彩的是他常行头陀行——他是一个在家菩萨，常行头陀行，教化诸位菩萨。他随意可以得见一切诸佛，发广大愿行深妙行。他的菩提心非常非常地坚固，犹如金刚一样，广大妙行不可称量。01:40

在阇那崛多所译的《大宝积经》中有记载：佛在王舍城时，有一个巨富长者，这位巨富长者之子就是贤护，由于往昔的福德因缘，他的身形殊妙柔软，受用的资财跟帝释天比，都胜过了帝释天王。另外，还有后秦鸠摩罗什所译的《大智度论》中说：“善守菩萨是王舍城旧人，白衣菩萨中最大。”像《般舟三昧经》，还有《大佛顶首楞严经》等，都有描述这位菩萨的功德。这就是阿底峡尊者的本生，就有记载的本生。02:34

接下来我们开始一起学获教功德事理和获证功德事理。“获得功德事理”中就分了两个科判，一个是“知见广博获教功德事理”，还有一个“如理修行获证功德事理”，在宣说阿底峡尊者教证两种功德。一般而言，佛陀的教法不出于教证两种正法，而觉窝杰具德阿底峡尊者具足全部的教证功德，所以成为全佛教的教主。03:06

所以，《八十赞》就是那措译师他写的，是赞叹阿底峡尊者的颂文，总共八十偈。前几天说以前还没有汉译，现在已经译完了。主要是他依循阿底峡尊者的生平，描述尊者的戒、定、慧三学的成就，以及在印度西藏所作的广大事业。05:21

在那措译师还没有造这个《八十赞》之前，地藏班智达也曾著作过文笔类似的赞颂，所以传言此师——有这样一种说法，是依据地藏班智达所著的赞颂而作的赞颂，但是这是一种传言。还有一种想法，我看到这的时候在想：因为他依止阿底峡尊者十九年，二十七岁到印度去迎请阿底峡尊者，而且担任翻译，所以这里边的“如理依止”一定是生起了很稀有的信心，在这种状态下他对于尊者的功德一定是了解很多的。但是祖师们的作法通常都是很注重传承，会看先辈祖师怎么写，然后就他理解而作的。所以无论说法如何，我们能够看到那措译师写的《八十赞》——这么亲密地依止阿底峡尊者十九年的一个人，他写的《八十赞》——会觉得三生有幸，实属难得！06:30