Lecture No. 0337
Global Lamrim II
Lecture No. 0337
Lamrim Volume 1: P46-L3 ~ L9
Date: 21 Mar 2022
Topic: Immeasurable Suffering in Countless Eons
Greetings to all! I am very happy that it is time for us to discuss Lamrim again. I hope we all can make a sublime aspiration together – for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings, we want to achieve Buddhahood! Since it is for the sake of benefiting sentient beings, we aspire to achieve Buddhahood and we need to understand the cause of achieving Buddhahood. In order to understand the cause of attaining Buddhahood, we need to listen to the teaching. While listening to the teaching, we need to abide by the guidance of abandoning the three faults of a vessel and relying on the six ideas [V.1, P. 58]. Students who have not yet studied the chapter on how to listen to and explain the teaching, please do not be anxious; study gradually and follow along in your Lamrim class, and eventually, you will get to study it. [00′36″]
Today, we continue to discuss the four greatness of the teaching. We study this part: “C. The greatness of enabling one to easily find the Conqueror’s intent”. As usual, we listen to Master’s recording of the commentary first. While listening, everyone please stay focused. After listening to it, I will also ask you questions. Great! Let’s begin. [01′00″]
[5A 23:42 ~ 5A 25:24]
Let’s move on to the next point: “The greatness of enabling one to easily find the Conqueror’s intent.” The Conqueror refers to the Buddha, the ultimate Enlightened One. “The Conqueror’s intent” refers to the most important and profound intention of the Buddha. Why is it referred to as “the Conqueror’s intent”? The purpose of scriptures and commentaries is to introduce the profound meaning in the Buddha Dharma to us. However, because of our inadequate capacities, we only grasp the literal meaning. Even with the literal understanding, as mentioned earlier, we talk about many rules and principles. However, as for the purpose of establishing the rules and the principles, we are baffled and confused, baffled and confused. At that juncture, with the guidance of an excellent virtuous teacher, we will realize, “Oh, so this is the true intent of the Buddha!” We can save a lot of effort and trouble, save a lot of effort and trouble. Speaking of effort and trouble, it may last several decades which is a short duration, but it could last as long as countless eons. What will we be doing? In terms of several decades, we only waste a little of our life. However, in terms of countless eons, more often than not, we end up in miserable realms, enduring immeasurable suffering. So now, with correct and proper guidance from this excellent virtuous teacher, you can quickly grasp the essence and truly understand the genuine intent meaning of the Buddha Dharma. With such understanding, you apply accordingly. When you apply accordingly, you purify your afflictions; by so doing, you transform your contaminated karma into pristine karma, which in turn will help us end cyclic existence! Not only can we resolve our own cyclic existence, but we can also help others to have the same achievement. [02′44″]
Great! Question number one: who is “the Conqueror” in “The greatness of enabling one to easily find the Conqueror’s intent”? You have got the correct answer, right? Yes! It “refers to the Buddha”. Master said, “The ultimate Enlightened One.” Next relates to “the Conqueror’s intent”; how did Master explain this intent? “The most important and profound intention of the Buddha”, right? Then, why is it rather difficult for us to comprehend the profound intent from the Buddha? What’s the difficulty? Master said that Buddha Dharma is very profound but our capacity is inadequate. [03′31″]
Next, I will raise some questions: as for the sequential order that we know of in terms of scriptures and commentaries, did Master point it out here? Regarding the text stating “easily find the Conqueror’s intent”, did Master point out the general level of our understanding of the Conqueror’s intent in terms of the sequential order? Yes, he did, right? What is the first level of our understanding? It is “we only grasp the literal meaning”. After we have understood the literal meaning, what follows are many principles established to manifest two words - pay attention! To manifest two words – “the purpose”. It seems that regarding the purpose of establishing the rules and the principles, Master said that we were “baffled and confused, baffled and confused”. [04′19″]
While listening to Master’s explanation on this point, would you have the doubt like: is the purpose so difficult? Isn’t our purpose is to achieve Buddhahood? Do you all have this kind of doubt? So, let me ask you now: do you really want to attain Buddhahood? Is it for real? Or, are you just saying it with no true intention? Do you really want to attain Buddhahood wholeheartedly? Is such a goal easy to accomplish? Is it truly easy to establish the objective of “may I achieve Buddhahood in order to help living beings”? So, what is this purpose for? Master said we were baffled and confused. [05′03″]
However, we are often negligent and say, “Regarding “may I achieve Buddhahood in order to help all living beings”, I could be very sure and clear about it.” In fact, by reflecting on it through the daily morning aspiration, evening dedication and repentance, we can find out whether we are sure and clear of it. Are we truly oriented toward the goal of attaining Buddhahood for the sake of benefiting all living beings in terms of every task we embark on? Has this aspiration of attaining Buddhahood in order to help living beings become the ultimate, primary goal and the deepest yearning in our life? Prior to establishing this goal, there are many, many steps, all of which are for the sake of accomplishing this goal; have we also comprehended the purposes of the preceding steps? Chances are we just leave all the doubts piled up because we don’t quite understand. [06′02″]
What did Master say next? Do you still remember? In the recording that we have just listened: though we may grasp the literal meaning, we don’t know the true intent or the purpose behind it, and we also do not know the many layers of meanings behind the intent. Thus, this is why we need the guidance from excellent virtuous teachers so that we will know: “Oh, so this is the true intent of the Buddha!” Hence, Master said, “We can save a lot of effort and trouble.” [06′29″]
Now I am going to ask you the following questions! May I ask: what do the effort and trouble refer to? What kind of effort and trouble are they? First, it’s about time; “it may last several decades which is a short duration, but it could last as long as countless eons.” Speaking of the effort and trouble, Master interpreted it from the perspective of an infinite length of time, or transcending the limitation of time. Currently, we limit our perspective of effort and trouble to this lifetime. Some people even limit it to a few months, a few days, or a few hours. Moreover, some even say, “Ah! This matter is really troublesome; causing me to wait five more minutes.” For example, waiting for the flight to take off, or waiting for the food to be served, or waiting for someone with whom we have an appointment. Additional five more minutes or twenty more minutes of waiting would always make us feel very annoyed and cause us to lose our patience. [07′29″]
However, over here, the duration of such trouble could be as long as countless eons! Unexpectedly and surprisingly, the duration of this kind of trouble could be infinite. Master compared again and said, “In terms of several decades, we only waste a little of our life.” In terms of countless eons, what is wasted? “More often than not, we end up in miserable realms, enduring immeasurable suffering!” Let me ask you again: have you noticed how Master explained to us the word “easily” in “The greatness of enabling one to easily find the Conqueror’s intent”? Is it explained as: the suffering of falling into miserable realms because of non-virtuous karma is easily removed. Have you noticed this? Because if you cannot grasp the true intent of the Buddha, you may suffer in miserable realms, and endure suffering in cyclic existence. Is it possible? Is Master’s explanation exaggerating? Or, is the truth really like this? Everyone, please ponder on these. [08′36″]
“It may last several decades which is a short duration, but it could last as long as countless eons.” What actually reveals here is the length of duration. In our daily life, it is hard for us to imagine how long countless eons would be. Take one day in life for example. Those who are very proficient at time management would pay attention to how five minutes are spent, how an hour is spent, or even how well their daily time management is. Why is there the need to manage time in this way? They hope to manage their utilization of time effectively. However, can “it may last several decades which is a short duration, but it could last as long as countless eons” also be time management? So, what do we want to do during such lengthy time? What should I do? [09′23″]
It is terrifying in the latter. The short-term may be a few decades but the long-term may be countless eons, during which we could submerge in miserable realms enduring immeasurable suffering. Such long duration, and on top of it, is immeasurable suffering. It would really be hard for us to imagine that kind of living condition because the intensity and the duration of suffering is way beyond human’s imagination. If Buddha had not come and revealed to us this fact, and if virtuous teachers had not explained, it would be extremely difficult for us to imagine such long duration and such excruciating suffering could really happen to us in our life. Now, in this teaching, this is what we are discussing! This is massive and extensive effort and trouble in our life! [10′20″]
【全球广论 II 讲次: 0337】
讲次 | 0337 (2021-06-21 ~ 2021-06-23)
标题 | 长劫生命里，痛苦无边际
《广论》段落 | P8-L10 ~ P8-L11 此论教授殊胜分四……极大罪行自趣消灭殊胜。
音档 | 5A 23:42 ~ 5A 25:24
手抄页/行 | 第1册 P143-L5 ~ P143-LL1 ( 2015、2016 南普陀版 )
手抄段落 | 那么，再下面呢……也能够帮助别人。
(更新日期: 2022年3月21日)
00:00
大家好！很高兴又到了我们研讨《广论》的时间了，希望我们一起有一个殊胜的发心──为利有情愿成佛！既然是为利有情愿成佛，成佛的因是需要了解的。要了解成佛的因，就要听法，听法的时候就要断器三过、依六种想。如果没有学到“听闻轨理”的同学也不要着急，慢慢学、跟着班学就会学到了。00:36
今天我们继续研讨四殊胜，要学习“易于获得胜者密意殊胜”，我们还是一起先来听一下师父的带子。听闻时请大家要专注，听完之后还是一样我要提问题。好吧！请开始。01:00
那么，再下面呢，“易于获得胜者密意殊胜”。胜者，就是指佛菩萨，真正的觉者；他这个最重要的内涵，所谓密意。为什么讲密意呢？就是说本来这个经论是介绍我们佛法里面深厚内涵，可是因为我们的程度不够，所以在文字上面认得了，乃至于这个文字认识了，刚才说讲得一大套规矩，一大套道理。可是他这个规矩、道理所以要建立的目的干什么？弄不清楚，弄不清楚。那个时候，他经过这样一个大善知识告诉我们了以后，我们晓得：“哦，他原来这个意思是这样的！”我们就可以省却很多麻烦，很多麻烦。说这个麻烦的话，短则几十年，长则无量阿僧祇劫，干什么呀？几十年只是浪费一点生命，长劫的话，往往在恶道当中受无量无边的苦。那么现在呢，经过这样的大善知识，最正确地说明了以后，你很快地就把握得住，哦，原来他这个话这样说的真正的内在是什么，你就了解。一了解了，你照着去做；照着去做，你的烦恼就净化，然后你的染污之业，就转化成净业，生死就了！自己也解决，也能够帮助别人。02:44
好！第一个问题：“易于获得胜者密意”的“胜者”是指谁呢？有答对吧？对！“是指佛”；师父说：“真正的觉者”。接下来在这里还涉及到“密意”，师父是怎么解释这个密意的呢？“最重要的内涵”，对不对？那么为什么佛陀的意思对于我们来说不太容易了解呢？问题在哪里？说佛法的内涵很深厚，但是我们的程度不够。03:31
下面我要提问题了：我们认识经论的次第，师父在这里边有没有讲呀？这里边说获得胜者密意，那么获得胜者密意粗的一个次第师父有没有列出来？有吧！第一个什么？“文字上面认得了”，那么文字上面认得了之后，后面还有很多的道理，这个道理要建立的那两个字──注意！要建立的那两个字──“目的”，似乎对这个规矩和道理建立的目的，师父说：“弄不清楚，弄不清楚。”04:19
不知道大家听到这里会不会有一个疑问：目的有这么难吗？我们目的不就是为了要成佛吗？大家会有这样的疑问吗？那现在我问你：你真的要成佛吗？是真的吗？还是只是说说的？是真的想要成佛了吗？这样的目的真的很容易吗？建立“为利有情愿成佛”这样的一个目标真的很容易吗？那目的是要做什么？师父说我们是弄不清楚。05:03
但是我们也会常常忽略，说：“我好像对于‘为利有情愿成佛’这件事已经弄得很清楚了！”但实际上每天早晨的愿望里，还有在每天晚上的回向和忏悔中，就可以知道我们有没有弄清楚这件事。我们做每一件事的目的到底是不是为利有情愿成佛？为利有情愿成佛这件事，是不是已经成为我们生命中最深切的一个目标、最深切的渴望？这个目标建立之后，前面还有很多很多次第，那前面那些次第全部都是为了这个目标，前面的那些次第的目的也了解了吗？可能就是很多疑问都放在一起，是不太了解的。06:02
这个时候师父说什么了？还记得吗？刚才听的带子──因为文字认得了，文字后面那个目的也不知道，目的的很多层次也不知道，所以这个时候我们才需要大善知识告诉我们，然后我们才晓得：“喔，原来意思是这样啊！”所以师父说：“我们就可以省却很多麻烦。”06:29
现在我要提问题啰！请问：很多麻烦是指什么呢？什么类型的麻烦呢？先是时间，“短则几十年，长则无量阿僧祇劫”。当提到麻烦这件事，师父一下子把麻烦的事情拉到了似乎无限长的时间，好像穿越了一般。我们现在的麻烦都是局限于此生，甚至有的人的麻烦局限于几个月、几天、几小时；甚至有的人说：“啊！这件事太麻烦了，让我多等五分钟。”比如说等飞机起飞呀，或者是去吃饭等着上菜啊，或者我们跟人约好了等人来，多等五分钟、多等二十分钟我们都会觉得非常麻烦、很不耐烦。07:29
但这里边的麻烦的时间的长度，是长则无量阿僧祇劫的麻烦！这个麻烦，时间居然是无限长的，师父又对比说：“几十年只是浪费一点生命”，那长劫的话是浪费了什么呢？“往往在恶道当中受无量无边的苦！”那我再问大家：这个“易于获得胜者密意”的这个“易”字，大家有没有发现师父是怎么解释给我们听的？是不是解释成：易于去掉因为恶业掉到恶趣里的这个痛苦，有没有发现？因为你不获得这个密意，有可能就会在恶趣里受苦、在轮回里受苦。有没有可能呢？师父这样的讲解是有夸张吗？还是事实真的就是这样？大家可以考虑考虑。08:36
“短则几十年，长则无量阿僧祇劫”其实这是一个时间的长度，我们在平常的生活中，很难想像无量阿僧祇劫这样的时间。比如说一天的生活，时间管理很强的人会注视五分钟是怎么过的，这一小时怎么过的，乃至我这一天的时间管理是怎样的。那为什么这样管理时间呢？是希望时间要用得有效率。但是“短则几十年，长则无量阿僧祇劫”这也是个时间的管理吗？那么在这样长的时间里边，我们要做什么呢？我应该做什么呢？09:23
后边的就会很恐怖，说短则几十年，长则无量阿僧祇劫，那么长的时间都是在恶趣当中受无量无边的痛苦。这么长的时间，再加上无量无边的痛苦，我们是很难想像这样的生活状态是怎样的，因为受苦的深度和时间的长度远远地超越了人类的想像力。如果佛陀不来告诉我们这件事，没有善知识帮我们讲解，我们是很难去想像会有这么长的、这么剧烈的痛苦在我们的生命中出现。而现在谈的就是这件事！这是我们生命里一个超级大、超级大的麻烦！10:20