Lecture No. 0325
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0325
Lamrim Volume 1: P45LL5-LL4
Date: 04 Apr 2022
Topic: Easy to put into practice
Let’s continue to listen to the next paragraph.
Since it emphasizes the stages of disciplining the mind, it is easy to put into practice; [V.1 P.45]
[5A 08:21 ~ 08:46]
In addition, the systematic order of this teaching is also comprehensive. What is the benefit of having a comprehensive systematic order? “It is easy to put into practice.” If you are to actually advance on the path, the systematic order is required. Once the order is mixed up, you will not be able to advance any further on the path; if you manage to push ahead, the incurred workload would be full of hardships. Even if you make it, there would be too much pointless deviation. The systematic order is the true benefit of this teaching. [00′30″]
Let’s read these words in the text, “Since it emphasizes the stages of disciplining the mind, it is easy to put into practice”; if we just read the statement from the Lamrim text, we can fix our attention on what Lama Tsong-kha-pa meant by saying these words. And then when we read the explanation from Master, he said the text suggests that the systematic order is comprehensive. Then, what is the advantage of having the comprehensive systemic order? Master said: “If you are to actually advance on the path, the systematic order is required.” Then we may wonder: is that so? When advancing on the path, do I really have to follow the sequential steps? Can’t I skip steps? Can I stride across orders? Master said: “Once the order is mixed up, you will not be able to advance any further on the path”; is that so? Can’t I take the latter steps first and then come back to the beginning steps? Wouldn’t that work? [01′19″]
Master said: “if you manage to push ahead, the incurred workload would be full of hardships. Even if you make it, there would be too much pointless deviation. That is the true benefit of this teaching.” Let’s contemplate over here: if the steps of the meditation practice/cultivation on the path are disturbed, actually it will be quite troublesome for the beginners. For instance, those who just join the Lamrim class may not have a clear picture of the encompassing path; Take myself for example, the first time I came in touch with the Lamrim, I was not very clear about the entirety of the overall context of Buddha Dharma. Everyone would pick out the part that resonates with them; for instance, some are more aligned with mindfulness of death, others are into taking refuge wholeheartedly, and still others are more into chanting Buddha’s name, or Zen meditation. Since everyone has his or her personal preference, we tend to grasp on the specific topics that speak to us. [02′00″]
Also, some are very keen on attaining the wisdom of emptiness, which indicates that they are anxious to attain enlightenment. Thus, any teaching that is concerning how to become enlightened would instantly capture their attention and they would delve right in; so eager to be enlightened. However, they fail to analyze the immediate step they should take. So, after having studied earnestly for a long time, they would then discover, how odd! Why is that enlightenment yet to come. They fluctuate between making headway at times, and fall back on their progress at another time. Even though they have tried really hard, there are times they still lose temper. Why? That is because the more intense they are into achieving this effect, the more irritable they become. This is one possible scenario. [02′32″]
So what should be the proper approach? Sometimes, we would feel deeply frustrated after exerting ourselves for so long, we may end up feeling: “Ah! Let’s face it, I have devoted my entire being in this practice, yet it seems that I have accomplished nothing major.” Nevertheless we fail to analyze what grade we are in; which grade we should we be in? If we can’t understand the courses taught to the upper class, shouldn’t we start from the preliminary courses offered to the lower graders? However, the sequential stages introduced in the text to subdue our mind can be easily understood and easy to put into practice. [03′01″]
Take the “relying on the teacher” section in the Lamrim for example. Right from the very beginning, many classmates, including myself, would feel: is “how to rely on virtuous teachers” that important? Why need to take up so much coverage? Is it really necessary to place this chapter preceding all the teachings on the stages of the path? When I first started learning Lamrim, I would very much like to stride across this section and delve into the chapter on the mindfulness of death. Why? Because I am more into the mindfulness of death, the suffering of the three miserable realms and taking refuge. Then even for the section on “how to listen to and explain the teachings,” we are impatient as well, we feel: is there a need to study “how to listen to and explain the teachings”? I have studied Buddhism for a long time! Hence, if from many aspects we neglect one of the fundamental practices, we may find ourselves making slow progress however hard we have tried. It goes without saying that there are way too many conditions and causes to slow down our progress. Of cause, there are many reasons for this, some of which can be attributed to the complete reverse of the systematic order. [03′47″]
I recall back then when I didn’t quite understand the teachings, so I asked Rinpoche:, “Is it a must to study the section on ‘relying on the teacher’? Can I skip this part and study the section on ‘mindfulness of death’ directly? If I pass over this part to study the section on “mindfulness of death,” is it true that I can’t achieve the understanding of mindfulness of death?” At that time, Rinpoche looked at me and said, “Lama Tsong-kha-pa said one should begin from relying on the virtuous teacher, maybe we still need to cultivate relying on the virtuous teacher!” Rinpoche just reply gently and that was it, nothing else. Upon returning, I contemplated on it and felt, “I should probably not come up with my own sequence of studying; regarding the path of meditation practice/cultivation, I still need to listen to the teacher.” So I studied very carefully the section on “relying on the teacher [V.1, Chapter 4].” [04′27″]
It is the same with “how to listen to and explain the teachings [V.1, Chapter 3].” Many classmates feel like skipping this part and quickly delve into the study of the subsequent chapters. We all actually have the tendency to skip the beginning sections on the stages of the path and jump into the last section when studying Lamrim; is this right? After all, the wisdom of emptiness is the most powerful teaching [out of all the Dharma categories]. Once we master it then we can be liberated from cyclic existence. So, we should study it directly. Why? Because everyone speculates that this is the quickest means. Little do we recognize that the reason we are full after eating the 7th piece of bread is because there were six pieces of bread before that - it seems like this person ate a lot; but the size of the bread might be very small. [04′50″]
In regard to this systematic order, before studying the Lamrim, the way I interpreted would be whatever resonates with me would be where I should start and work from; that is, I can get started from wherever I like and delve into it. As for how far can I go? Actually there isn’t a benchmark or ruler to measure my current state of practice. Take meditating on renunciation for example; we try to uphold the precepts [so to maintain renounced], but often we are influenced by the five senses and eight worldly concerns. If the cultivation of renunciation is not enough, it will be hard for us to maintain the observance of the precepts. When the aspiration to take refuge is not earnest, we would often arbitrarily look for whatever we believe can free us from suffering or imminent crisis or even some distant dangers. But when difficult situations happen, we don’t know how to supplicate to the Three Jewels, or rely on the Three Jewels, or make a shelf to rely on. Even we remembered such reliance; our attitude is not too sincere. We fall short on the effort of thorough reliance. [05′36″]
When we are unable to rely on the Three Jewels wholeheartedly, we would feel offended if others point out that we are not devoutly enough. Why? Because after all we considered ourselves the disciples of the Three Jewels; the accusation of being insincere is a serious matter. We can’t take it ourselves too! However, what is the solution to the issue of not being devout? [In fact,] it can be resolved. Then where should we start? [We should begin from meditating on the] good qualities of the Three Jewels. Is this correct? And what else is required? We should meditate on mindfulness of death, sufferings of the three miserable realms, and followed by taking refuge in the Three Jewels wholeheartedly. There is antidote available to counteract such flaws in our practice. However, if we don’t follow such sequential stages of practice on the path to study carefully, we wouldn’t know what goes wrong with our practice! Or moan and groan helplessly when facing some obstacles, not knowing how to overcome them, lamenting: “not sure where am I walking, where am I [as far as the meditation cultivation/practice goes]?” If so, this is indeed a very serious problem! [06′23″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0325】
讲次 | 0325 (2021-05-10 ~ 2021-05-12)
标题 | 易于受持
《广论》段落 | P8-L8 调心次第为最胜故，易于受持。
音档 | 5A 08:21 ~ 08:46
手抄页/行 | 第1册 P136-L2 ~ P136-L5 ( 2016 南普陀版：P136-L1 ~ P136-L4 )
手抄段落 | 调心次第为最胜故……这个是它真正好的地方。
(更新日期: 2022年4月4日)
那么我们接着再听下一段。
调心次第为最胜故，易于受持。
还有，我这个次第也圆满，这个圆满有什么好处呀？“易于受持”。真正你走上去的时候，必定要按照那个次第，这个次第一乱，你走就走不上去了；走起来也是千辛万苦，就算你走得上去，跑了很多冤枉路。这个是它真正好的地方。00:30
大家在看这几个字──“调心次第为最胜故，易于受持”，其实只是看这个《广论》原文的话，我们可以定睛于这几行字去想一想这是什么意思。然后再看师父的解释，说次第圆满，那么圆满还有什么好处呢？师父说：“真正你走上去的时候，必定要按照那个次第”。然后我们会想：真的吗？一定要按照次第走上去，不能跳级吗？不能跨越次第吗？说：“这个次第一乱，你走就走不上去了”，真的吗？先走后面再走前面不行吗？01:19
说：“走起来也是千辛万苦，就算你走得上去，跑了很多冤枉路。这个是它真正好的地方。”在这里边我们可以想一下，次第这个问题一旦乱了之后，其实初学者是满麻烦的。比如说刚进广论班的同学，其实什么都不太清楚，像我自己那个时候对整体佛法的脉络是不太清楚的。每个人都有自己每个人相应的部分，比如说有人会相应念死无常，有人会相应一心皈依，或者念佛法门或者参禅法门，每个人都有特别相应的部分，但是对自己特别相应部分的执取性就很高。02:00
还有人想要快点证空性，想要快点证空性的人其实就是很想要开悟，关于怎么样开悟的这个方面的教授就会一下他入了眼，然后就会钻进去，很想要得到怎么开悟，但是没有去分析自己当下的一步是什么。用功用很久之后，发现：奇怪！还是悟境迟迟不来。有的时候是功夫进进退退，就算很用功有的时候还发了脾气，因为太执着了，越用功脾气越大。还有这种现象。02:32
那么到底应该怎么办呢？有的时候自己会倍受打击，努力了好久之后就觉得：啊！这个有点认命了，我费尽努力地修行，好像也没取得多大的成就。可是却没有分析自己是几年级的学生，应该上几年级？如果学高班的课程没学懂的话，是不是应该从开始往下学？可是这个调心次第我们就会很容易看、很容易上手。03:01
比如说在《广论》里写的“亲近善知识”的部分，一开始就是很多同学，还有包括我自己也会觉得：亲近善知识法有那么重要吗？要讲这么多篇幅？一定要列在《道次第》的前面吗？那时候我自己就会觉得很想越过它去学念死无常，因为我比较相应念死无常、三恶趣苦、皈依，我比较相应那一段。然后甚至“听闻轨理”大家也没有耐心，觉得：还要学“听闻轨理”吗？我已经学佛好久了欸！所以，从很多方面当我忽略了一个基础的道的功夫之后，其实在后面怎么努力，就会发现进道很慢。当然这里边有太多缘由，有的就是次第完全是倒乱了。03:47
那时候我还记得，因为不太懂所以就请问仁波切，说：“一定要修依止法吗？可不可以跳过去直接修念死？跳过去修念死，就真的修不出念死的心来吗？”那个时候仁波切看了看我，说：“宗大师说要从依止法开始修，可能还是要修一下依止法吧！”就这样淡淡的一句就没有再说我了。回来我想了想，觉得：可能自己不能想一出是一出，修行这条路可能还得要听老师的，所以就很仔细地去看“亲近善知识”的部分。04:27
“听闻轨理”也是，很多同学觉得要跳过，赶快学后面。其实我们大家都有一种要跳过次第学最后面的，对不对？那空性最厉害了，空性一学就可以解脱生死，那就直接学空性，因为大家觉得这是最快的。却不知道第七个饼吃饱的原因是——看起来这人吃很多──这前面有六个；不过那饼可能很小。04:50
所以这个次第，没有学习《广论》之前，我自己来说是觉得相应的就是下脚处，我喜欢的就从那儿入手。至于入手到哪里去了呢？其实也没有一个座标或尺子衡量一下现在到什么程度了？比如说厌离心的修持，大家持戒常常被五欲八风所转的时候，厌离心修持得不够持戒就很困难。皈依的心不够，常常有事没事就求一些相信各种东西能救自己、能解脱自己的痛苦、能解决眼前的危机，乃至多远的危机，却在很多事情来临的时候，不知道祈求三宝、不知道依靠三宝，或者做个架子去依靠一下，心也不虔诚，不能做到彻底地依靠。05:36
不能做到彻底地依靠，别人说自己不虔诚就会很上火，因为毕竟我是三宝弟子，不虔诚这个罪很大呀，我自己也看不过去呀！可是不虔诚这个问题怎么解决？它是可以解决的。它是要从什么地方开始修啊？三宝的功德。对吧？还要修什么？念死、三恶趣苦，然后由这样的心去皈依。它是有一个办法治我们这些修行上的毛病的。但是如果不沿着这样的次第仔细去研阅的话，要么是不知道自己修行有什么毛病，要不然有了毛病就会唉声叹气不知道怎么对治，说不知道自己走在什么地方、我在何处？这个问题很严重！06:23