Lecture No. 0326
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0326
Lamrim Volume 1: P45-LL4 ~ LL1
Date: 05 Apr 2022
Topic: The Superior System
So it says in the text, “it has the most superior stages of disciplining the mind”; here it contains “the most superior” and then what follows are the words that all practitioners look forward to – I yearn to see them – “it is easy to put into practice”. Because being easy to put into practice, it means that we will save effort. What does saving effort imply? It implies that the duration of us wandering in cyclic existence will be shortened; we will lessen the time we take to overcome afflictions at every single instance; the efforts required would be reduced, who wouldn’t be happy to see that happen? If you calculate it from the angle of the amount of time taken to overcome our suffering, isn’t it fast if we only need 1 minute to overcome suffering as compared to being afflicted for 10 minutes? [00′38″]
Then, if what was meant to be 10 minutes of suffering, we are still unable to get over it after striving hard for half an hour; there was a person who trapped themselves over a single afflictive thought for half a month, while some others could be tormented by an afflictive thought for their entire life, or half of their lifetime. After many years, they remain entangled by that matter; they just can’t come around and let go of it! Overcoming afflictions is no easy feat. However, this phrase “the stages of disciplining the mind, is easy to put into practice”, which means to tune your mind to the desired placement, it is very easy. This is what I find fascinating and mesmerizing about the stages of the path, where our eyes also gleam with brightness! [01′09″]
Master said here: ah, the journey is filled with many hardships! Even if you can accomplish this, there would be a lot of wasted detours. Most likely even with the price of our life, we may not reach our desired destination. Therefore, never should we take this statement, “the most superior stages of disciplining the mind, it is easy to put into practice” lightly! Because if we are to look at it from the opposite angle, “the stages of disciplining the mind are very difficult to put into practice”, if what we learnt is turned into such, it would be too strenuous for us practitioners, and possibly not even attaining our goals at the end. [01′42″]
Thus, if we encounter an encompassing path that comprehensively illustrates how an ordinary being can start from the initial step all the way to the ultimate achievement, its steps to discipline the mind and the classification of each progression are stated very clearly and even more, the guidance is easy to put into practice. Isn’t this text being “foundationally encompassing”? The learners will be very happy studying it! It is easy for us to learn an abstruse subject; all it takes is to learn patiently from the beginning; it is as simple as that! Challenging subjects can be mastered gradually. If the foundational steps are omitted, difficult parts will forever remain enigmatic; they remain unattainable; as hard as climbing to heaven. [02′16″]
So, reading these few words written by Master Tsong-kha-pa, I am very touched in my heart! Master Tsong-kha-pa is praising the “Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment”, however, the Excellent Teacher would consider, in the interest of us disciples, how to make it easier for us disciples to put [the Teachings] into practice without deviating easily. We can follow the systematic steps, it is a very, very thoughtful gesture like a kind and loving mother. [02′40″]
So, let’s continue to listen to the next paragraph.
Besides, there is another special characteristic:
And since it is adorned with the instructions of two gurus who were skilled in the systems of the two great trailblazers, it is superior to other systems.
Thus, the transmissions of the Mahayana teachings are of the two trailblazers: one is the Profound View, and the other is the Extensive Deeds. Now, the Lamrim text incorporates both trailblazers. Though the Profound View emphasizes the “view” and the Extensive Deeds puts more emphasis on the “deed,” it does not mean that the two trailblazers exclude each other! Both of them are absolutely complete; although they are complete, they each have different emphases. Now, the Lamrim text integrated them, so in a way they are complementing each other; thus, Lamrim text is comprehensive compared with all the other texts. Hence, in terms of its content, it surpasses various other lineages; this is why it is the exalted path. [03′36″]
In this paragraph, it states: “and since it is adorned with the instructions of two gurus who were skilled in the systems of the two great trailblazers, it is superior to other systems.” In actual fact, students who just began to learn the Lamrim, would not understand what it means when they read about the “two great trailblazers”. After “two great trailblazers”, there are “adorned with the instructions of two gurus”; no idea who the “two gurus” are, or what the “other systems” in “superior to other systems” refers to. We will discuss these again in the Four Interwoven Annotations. [04′03″]
Can you imagine how Master introduced the instructions from the two great trailblazers to us beings who live on Chinese land in such conditions? Master should have put a lot of thought into this. Hence over here, Master presented it from the following perspective, he said: “in terms of its content it surpasses various other lineages; this is why it is the exalted path,” which means the most encompassing out of all-encompassing teachings. [04′27″]
Actually after reading this paragraph, I recall the time when I first started learning I pondered: on the two great trailblazers, the instructions of two gurus, because it was adorned by the instructions of two gurus, why is that these two gurus’ instructions are superior to all the other lineages? What makes these two trailblazers so brilliant? Other systems are also passed down from lineage, why is it that Lamrim’s lineage would surpass all other systems? This is a point that Master left in this section for us to contemplate. I wonder do you all have questions while reading this section? [04′53″]
I remember I had many deep queries when I was learning. It was only after I studied the Ornament for Clear Knowledge, and listened to the Golden Garland of Eloquence that I knew how sublime the two great trailblazers are! However, back then, elaborated explanations could not be incorporated for beginning learners, for the elaboration would be too challenging for beginners to comprehend. Hence, Master articulated in such simple language, hoping we can comprehend the value of “lineage”, it is such a lineage, hence it is the most encompassing and superior one compared to the rest. Look! Master Tsong-kha-pa said, “it is superior to other systems”. [05′27″]
When I first started learning the Lamrim, I enjoyed reading the text word for word, and reading it over and over again; reading it many times, I would study what these words mean. This is why the choice of words is crucial for the conveying of Dharma accurately. After completing my study, I would read Master’s commentary and then refer to the text, and back to Master’s commentary again. [05′47″]
At that time, honestly! I felt Master cast a qualm here: why did this system become superior to the rest because it is adorned by the instructions of the two gurus? Everyone can follow along the systematic teaching of the Lamrim and the Five Great Treatises to deliberate on the validity of this statement. [06′05″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0326】
讲次 | 0326 (2021-05-13 ~ 2021-05-16)
标题 | 胜出余轨
《广论》段落 | P8-L8 ~ P8-L9 又以善巧二大车轨……胜出余轨。
音档 | 5A 08:46 ~ 09:35
手抄页/行 | 第1册 P136-L5 ~ P136-L11 ( 2016 南普陀版：P136-L4 ~ P136-L11 )
手抄段落 | 同时，还有一个特点……这个就是它的殊胜。
(更新日期: 2022年4月5日)
00:00
所以“调心次第为最胜故”，这里边有个“为最胜故”，接着就出现那个所有的修行人都想看到的字──我是很想看到──“易于受持”。因为易于受持这点容易，容易来说我们就少费力气。少费力气意味着什么？意味着我们在生死轮回里的时间会变短，我们每次超越痛苦的时间都会变少，所花的力气会变少，那么这样谁不高兴呢？如果你用超越痛苦的这个时间来算的话，比如说你要是痛苦十分钟，如果你用一分钟就会超越痛苦，不是很快吗？00:38
那如果原来痛苦十分钟，然后努力半个小时还是超越不了，有的人一个烦恼缠自己半个月穿越不了；有的人一个烦恼缠一生、缠半生，很多年之后那个事情还是过不去，就是被那个事纠缠，他穿越不了！这种东西就是很不容易的。但是“调心次第易于受持”，就是把这个心调到你想要调的那位置，它是很容易的，这是道次第系列我觉得很引人入胜的地方，也是我们眼睛发亮的地方！01:09
师父在这里边说了：啊，走起来千辛万苦啊！就算你走得上去，也费很多冤枉路。那大概奄奄一息，也不一定到达我们想要到达的地方，所以千万不要把“调心次第为最胜故，易于受持”这句话轻易放过去！因为这句话要是反过来的话──很不容易受持，我们所学习的如果变成这样，对我们修行人来说实在是太、太辛苦了，而且又不会达到自己的目标。01:42
所以如果碰到一个全圆地阐述一个凡夫从脚下的路到最究竟的路，而且它调心次第台阶非常清楚、年级归类得非常清楚，而且又很容易受持，那不是“根本极圆满者”吗？学的人就会很高兴学呀！就是你很容易学会很难的课程，从一开始慢慢学就可以了，就这么简单！难的课就会慢慢学会。如果逾越了基础的话，难的就永远是难的、是达不到的，等同登天一样。02:16
所以，看到宗大师写下的这几个字，还是心里满感动的！宗大师是赞美《道炬论》，但是善知识能为我们这些弟子们考虑怎么样能够很容易地受持，然后不容易走偏，按照次第来，觉得是非常非常贴心的一个慈母心。02:40
那么我们接着再听下一段。
同时，还有一个特点：
又以善巧二大车轨二师教授而庄严故，胜出余轨。
那么，我们传大乘佛法的一共有两个，一个是性宗，一个是相宗。它现在呢，两大道轨统统含摄，这个两个，一个是偏重“性”，一个“相”。偏重是偏重，不是说忽视哦！它绝对圆满的，但是虽然都圆满，却有偏重。它现在把两个都并起来了，大家可以截长补短，这两个补起来，变成功圆满当中最圆满，所以胜出所有其他的传承当中各式各样的内容，这个就是它的殊胜。03:36
这一段说：“又以善巧二大车轨二师教授而庄严故，胜出余轨。”实际上，最开始学《广论》的同学看到“二大车轨”的时候是不知道在说什么；然后二大车轨之后，又“二师教授而庄严故”，其实“二师教授”也不知道是谁；“胜出余轨”，“余轨”是指其他的什么也不知道。这个在《四家合注》上我们会再讲。04:03
在当时的那种状况，怎么样把这样的一个二大车轨的教授介绍给我们这些汉地的有情？师父应该是花了很多心思的。所以在这个地方师父是从这样的角度，师父说：“胜出所有其他的传承当中各式各样的内容，这个就是它的殊胜。”就是圆满中的圆满。04:27
其实读到这一段，一开始学的时候我在想：二大车轨、二师的教授，因为有二师的教授庄严，为什么这个二师的教授就胜出余轨呢？这个二大车轨到底是精彩在什么地方？因为其他的轨也是传承啊！为什么这样的传承它会胜出其他的余轨？这是师父在这一段讲解里给我们留下来的疑问，你们不知道是不是看了会有疑问？04:53
我那个时候学都是有很深的疑问，后来学到《现观》、听到《金鬘论》之后，才知道这二大车轨是这么一个殊胜法！但是当时就是刚开始学《广论》的人，其实这个部分也是不能广讲的，广讲可能就觉得太难了。所以师父用这样简易的一个语言，希望我们了解到“传承”，这就是这样的一个传承，所以它圆满当中最圆满，胜出了其他的──你看！宗大师用这“胜出余轨”。05:27
刚开始学《广论》的时候，很喜欢把《广论》的字一个字地读过，然后再读过、再读过，读很多遍，去研究这个字到底是什么意思？所以这个文字传递佛法的准确性是非常重要的。研究完了之后，再看师父的解释；然后再看字、再看师父的解释。05:47
那时候，真的！我觉得师父在此处抛下一个疑问：为什么这二师的教授而庄严，就变成了胜出余轨？大家可以沿着整个的《广论》和五大论的系统去探讨这句话，看这句话说的是不是真的？06:05