Lecture No. 0323
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0323
Lamrim Volume 1: P43 LL5 ~ LL3
Date: 31 Mar 2022
Topic: Objective of learning Master Atisha’s biography: Develop faith through contemplation of his good qualities
Today, we will continue discussing [the 5th subtopic], part “b. The most outstanding student.” [V.1, P.43] The most outstanding disciple out of all the students of Master Atisha was Drom-don-ba. “From among these, the great holder of the lineage who furthered the activities of the guru [Atisha] himself was Drom-don-ba Gyel-way-jung-nay, who was prophesied by Tara.” That is, among all of these disciples, the one who was able to widely promulgate the Dharma Works of Master Atisha, and undertook the task of carrying on the lineage was Drom-don-ba – who was prophesied by Tara. [00:35]
Tara once foretold Master Atisha, “Jowo, if you go to Tibet, there would be an upasaka [lay man] who will rely on you and he would have significant contribution to the sublime Buddha Dharma and benefit living beings in great ways.” It seems that the bond between Master Atisha and Tara was very strong; whatever questions Master Atisha asked, he would get the response from Tara. Then, later Master Atisha resided in the Nye-tang Monastery for a long time – the monastery was also known as the “Tara Hall”. He stayed there for 9 years. And that Tara statue was the one Master Atisha had carried along and constantly prayed to. [01:08]
We can notice that out of the disciples of Master Atisha, “Drom-don-ba” was specifically mentioned [by Lama Tsong-kha-pa in the Lamrim text]; besides, there were also the two distinguished disciples – Ku and Ngok. All of them made significant contribution to the sublime teachings and promulgated their guru’s Dharma Works extensively. [01:25]
Let’s continue with the reading. “This, in brief, is the greatness of the author. It can be known in detail from the great biographical literature”. This is a brief introduction to “the greatness of the author” – Atisha. For further details, we can read “The Father Teachings” and “The Son Teachings,” both of which are incorporated in the Book of Kadam and other biography literatures about Master Atisha. This wraps up the chapter one. [01:44]
Then, Rinpoche summarized this chapter for us! The topic of “Showing the greatness of the teaching’s author in order to establish that it is of noble origin” concludes here. It is necessary for us to understand whether the origin of the lineage is pure or not, or the lineage was passed down all the way from Buddha. Having learned about it, it would benefit us immensely in terms of the aspiration arising in our mental continuum to further our Lamrim study. [02:11]
Regarding this section, “Showing the greatness of the teaching’s author in order to establish that it is of noble origin (chapter 1)”, who was the author? Master Atisha was the author. What kind of figure was he? To elaborate this point, the first outline “showing the greatness of the teaching’s author” is introduced. While reading about the greatness of the author, we should repeatedly contemplate and recognize what is covered in this section is also what we should emulate. Like how Master Atisha was committed to the sublime teachings, his mastery of the five fields of knowledge, how meticulous he was in terms of observing the precepts, what he did to contribute to the promulgation of the Buddha Dharma, so on and so forth. There are many aspects requiring us to observe and contemplate more so that we can develop genuine uncontrived faith in the author of this teaching. Once we have this pure faith, the blessing will breeze in; otherwise, no matter how hard we exert, it is very hard for us to receive the blessings. So, [if we could have the blessings from the eminent teachers,] it will help us tremendously in terms of our meditation practice/cultivation. Besides, if we have the most genuine faith in the author of this teaching, we would have faith in the treatise he or she composed; and when we have faith in the scriptures, it means we would want to study more and would also want to put what we have learned into practice. This purpose is of great significance! This is the overview Rinpoche gave to us – and it is excellently superb! [03:33]
One more important question for our contemplation here: how to develop and to allow the faith to arise? While discussing the greatness of the author of this teaching, Rinpoche said we should contemplate it over and over again. What to contemplate? That is, the points we need to contemplate are: on what aspect can we learn from Master Atisha? Many aspects for contemplation including how devoted he was to the sublime teaching, mastery of the five topics of knowledge, stringent observance of the ethical discipline, promulgation of the Buddha Dharma, how closely Master Atisha relied on his chosen deity and he often prayed to his chosen deity [or Yidam], and many other feats for our emulation. Rinpoche also added, “We need to contemplate more so that we can cultivate our faith in the author.” [To sum up,] as for what question Rinpoche raised at the beginning of this paragraph, how can we develop pure faith? We need to contemplate more on these good qualities [of Master Atisha’s]. [04:15]
Usually, when we handle many trivial matters in life, some of us have the habit of pondering on them over and over. Like now, I am not sure whether some of us will still rack our brains over what to eat, what to wear, how to remodel the house? Or are we overly worried about trivial matters, such as managing interpersonal relationships. [We would rack our brain over almost everything] but one thing we don’t rack our brain over is to contemplate on the good qualities of Master Atisha. [Why do we need to do that?] Because only by so doing we will then develop strong conviction in the treatises he composed. [04:44]
Rinpoche followed by exhorting us, “Once we have this pure faith”…. Pay attention! [What Rinpoche said] is the long awaited result everyone aspires to attain; Rinpoche said that we would receive the blessings. Take heed! We will receive the blessings; here Rinpoche said, “blessing will breeze in.” We all aspire to receive the blessings from the gurus, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; and in this case, we may wish to receive the blessings from Master Atisha. So, how can we receive his blessings? That requires the pure faith [on our part]. How can we develop such pure faith? We need to repeatedly contemplate on these good qualities. Without the pure faith, no matter how hard we study and practice, that would be difficult for us to expect the power of blessings to appear. [05:29]
And then Rinpoche said, “[If we could have the blessings from the eminent teacher,] it will help us tremendously in terms of our meditation practice/cultivation.” It means that if we have the most genuine faith in the author, we would also have faith in the treatises he or she composed; and if we have the faith in the treatises, we would aspire to study them. Accordingly, we would like to put the essence of the teachings in the treatises that we have learned into our meditation practice/cultivation. Rinpoche said, “This purpose is of great significance!” I would like to ask you all: what does the word “this” in “This point is of great significance!” refer to? “This” means put what we have learned into our meditation practice/cultivation, isn’t it? It also means the meditation practice/cultivation on the stages of the path, or applying the teachings from the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, right? That is, by putting what we have learned into practice, so to attain the experiential knowledge of the three principal aspects of the path [renunciation, Bodhicitta and the wisdom of emptiness], and this is also the purpose of our studying of the Lamrim text. [06:06]
So, how can we accomplish such purpose? That is, we must contemplate repeatedly on the greatness of the author who composed this treatise – the good qualities of Master Atisha. Is this right? Faith follows after we have repeatedly contemplated [on the greatness of the author and his good qualities], and with the blessings, we can enhance even stronger faith in terms of our meditation practice. Then, with such unwavering conviction and rigorous meditation practice, is it possible that attainment won’t arise? Hence, here the importance of developing faith in the virtuous teachers is again emphasized! [06:37]
I hope we must take the advice from Rinpoche in this section to heart! Never should we think that listening to the teaching on the Biography of Master Atisha is just like reading a story, a story that happened in the long gone past. It seems that there was such a huge time gap between the time Master Atisha lived and the time we are in now, [not to mention that] there are lots of names we have never heard of before. We should not read Master Atisha’s biography just out of curiosity, but for contemplation of his good qualities to develop faith. What is the purpose of developing faith? We should abide by the stages of the path to cultivate, to drain the ocean of aging and death [cyclic existence], and to be invigorated to pursue the effect stage of omniscience, so as to benefit all motherly beings. Thus, we must bear Rinpoche’s advice in mind! [07:22]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0323】
讲次 | 0323 (2021-05-03 ~ 2021-05-05)
标题 | 学尊者传目的：由思功德而生信
《广论》段落 | P8-L4 ~ P8-L6 是等之中……广则应知出广传文。
入门段落 | 第1册 P151-LL3 ~ P152-LL3 “第二、最胜弟子”......这是很重要的目的！
(更新日期: 2022年3月31日)
00:00
接着就到了“第二、最胜弟子”，最胜弟子就是阿底峡尊者的弟子当中最殊胜的。“是等之中，能广师尊所有法业大持承者，厥为度母亲授记莂，种敦巴胜生是也”，在这些弟子中，能广弘觉窝杰阿底峡尊者的法业、最主要承接传承的弟子，就是度母亲自授记的种敦巴胜生。00:35
度母曾经授记阿底峡尊者：“觉窝，你到西藏的话，会有一位优婆塞依止你，他将对圣教和有情做极大的利益。”阿底峡尊者可能是和度母师生的关系好得不得了，好像很多事情请问都有问有答。所以阿底峡尊者后来是长时间住在聂塘寺──又称是“度母殿”的那个寺院，住在那儿长达九年之久。他也就是带着那个度母像，一直对度母祈求。01:08
我们可以看到阿底峡尊者的弟子，对于“种敦巴”特别列出，另外还有“枯”、“俄”两位，都是对圣教做有极大贡献的，广弘上师的事业。01:25
接着往下看。“造者殊胜略说如是，广则应知出广传文。”“造者殊胜”简单而言是这样，欲知详情可以阅读《噶当父法》、《噶当子法》等尊者的广传。这是结语。01:44
接着仁波切给我们做了总结！“为显其法根源净故开示造者殊胜”这一个科判到现在为止已经结束了。这个法源到底清不清净、是不是从佛陀一脉相承传下来的，这是必须要了解的；了解之后，在自相续中对学习《广论》的欲求心会有很大的帮助。02:11
“为显其法根源净故开示造者殊胜”，谁是造者？阿底峡尊者。他是怎样的人物呢？为了明白这点而开出前面“造者殊胜”第一个科判。看到造者殊胜时，要再再思惟，意识到这也是我们要学习的。对于尊者他如何奉献圣教、通达五明──五种明处、守护自己的增上戒学、利益佛陀的教法等等，有许多该了解注意的地方，要多思惟才能真正对造者生起清净的信心。一旦有清净的信心，加持很容易就会进来；如果没有信心，不管怎么学习，都很难有加持的，所以这对我们的行持帮助非常大。对造者有极为清净的信心，也会对他所著的论典产生信心；如果对论典有信心，就有想学习的心，同样地也就会生起想修持的渴望，这是很重要的目的！这是仁波切这一段的结示，特别地精彩！03:33
这里边有一个非常重要的问题：怎么样能够生起信心呢？看到“造者殊胜"的时候，仁波切说要再再地思惟。再再地思惟比如说：思惟阿底峡尊者有什么地方是我们要学习的？如何奉献圣教、通达五种明处、守护自己的增上戒学、利益佛陀的教法、还有他常常祈祷本尊，很多、很多事迹。师父又加一句：“要多思惟才能真正对造者生起清净的信心。”所以这一段前面讲了，怎么样能生起清净的信心呢？就是要对这些功德多去思惟。04:15
平常我们对自己生活中的一些琐事，有的人常常习惯于反复琢磨，比如说我不知道现在是不是还对一餐饭吃什么费尽脑汁？穿什么？房子怎么改？或者一些琐事，跟别人的关系处理又绞尽脑汁。但是有没有绞尽脑汁地去思惟一下阿底峡尊者的功德？因为这样的话，我们才会对他写的论生起强大的信心。04:44
后一段，仁波切就叮咛我们说：“一旦有清净的信心”──注意！那个大家都期待的结果──加持力就会进来。注意！加持力就会进来，仁波切在这里边讲了：“加持很容易就会进来。”我们都很想要得到上师、佛菩萨的加持力，比如说想要得到阿底峡尊者的加持力，那么怎么样能够得到他的加持力呢？要有清净的信心。怎么样能够生起清净的信心呢？就一定要多多地去再再地思惟这些功德。如果没有信心的话，不管怎么样学习都很难有加持力的。05:29
然后师父说：“这对我们行持的帮助是非常大的。”如果对造者有极为清净的信心，也会对他的论典产生信心；对论典产生信心，就会想学论，同样地就会想要沿着论典所讲述的这些修行的扼要去修持。师父说：“这是很重要的目的！”我想问大家说：“这是很重要的目的”的“这”是指什么？是不是要修行佛法啊？修行道次第、修行《菩提道次第广论》啊？就是要实证三主要道，这是我们学习《广论》的目的。06:06
那么如何能够达成这样的目的？一定要再再地思惟造者殊胜──阿底峡尊者的功德。是这样吧？数数地思惟之后会产生信心，加持力就很容易进来；加持力很容易进来之后，我们就能够对修行产生极大的信心。那产生极大的信心精进地修行，哪有不成的？所以再次地强调了对于善知识修信的重要性！06:37
希望我们一定要把仁波切的这一段放在自己的心上！千万不要以为学《阿底峡尊者传》只是听一听故事，好像听一听那个久远的故事，它跟现在的时代有一个好像很长时间的隔阂，很多名字都没听过。不是由于好奇，而是要为了思惟阿底峡尊者的功德、产生信心来听的。产生信心做什么呢？我们要沿着道次第修行，枯竭老死的海，能够发起利益如母有情的这样一个心去希求遍智的果位。所以一定要把上师的叮咛放在自己的心上！07:22