Lecture No. 0357
Great Ocean of Lamrim
Lecture No. 0357
Lamrim Volume 1: P46-L25 ~ L27
Date: 13 Mar 2022
Topic: After having proper understanding, everyone would definitely walk the Bodhisattva Path
In the past, when I was listening to Master’s expounding on the Buddha Dharma, I often heard him mentioning, “alleviating suffering and attaining happiness”. This topic was forever inclusive whenever Buddha Dharma is discussed. But here in this section of the commentary, Master put forward, “after having proper understanding, everyone would want to take this path. Even if you were told not to take it, you would disagree.” Instead of placing the “alleviating suffering and attaining happiness” first; Master provided “having proper understanding” in front. Why? Because the alleviating suffering and attaining happiness is the effect of gaining proper understanding, correct? Realizing the intention of the Buddha Dharma is to help sentient beings alleviate suffering and attain happiness, and this is the outcome of having proper understanding. [00:41]
Now, let me ask you, does this concept apply to all matters? Whatever we do the first and foremost step is “have proper understanding”; is that so? When we hastily choose to do something in the hope of bringing us happiness; based on the intention we have in mind which reflects in our physical and verbal actions, are we comprehending or assessing the whole process in terms of causality by contemplating: am I confident to achieve the expected effect? If the aftereffect turns out to be the opposite of what we expected, such approach should be refrained in the first place. So, I think by “gaining proper understanding” people will become wiser, right? After people become wiser, they will evaluate beforehand by thinking: “What is the purpose for me to do this?” And assess “What benefit will I gain by doing this? What will happen if I don’t do it?” With this kind of appraisal, we would actually become more convinced that this is the realistic path to take. [01:39]
Of all the matters in this world, the Buddha Dharma is the most feasible means that can withstand your constant appraisal; no matter how many times you repeatedly contemplate, analyze, or test and verify with your practice, this is the Buddha Dharma. After we have gained the proper understanding of something, we must test and verify to see if it really can help us alleviate suffering and obtain happiness. With the process of such validation, we would discover what we have experimented does help us alleviate suffering and attain happiness, and we would then advance resolutely. However, “gaining proper understanding” is the first step to take. [02:06]
Then let me ask you one more question, why is that when explaining: “Bodhisattvas make it their goal to accomplish the good of the world [all living beings]”, Master mentioned “having proper understanding;” why did Master mention this while explaining the quote? You can think about it. [02:24]
So, let’s listen on:
[5B 22:39 ~ 5B 24:37]
Let me use a simple example to illustrate this point. Suppose I plan to go to America. Then, how do I go about it? Going to America means I can get there by plane; I need to fly there. Wow! The airfare will cost me a lot; the trip also involves this and that. However, if I choose to get there by foot, it will be much easier for me! After deliberately calculating the cost: the airfare will cost a couple thousand NT dollars, while it is free if I choose to get there by foot, I shall choose the latter! If you don’t have the big picture, sure, it is true that apparently [walking all the way to America] saves a lot of trouble! Then, off you go. With several days on the road, going through hardships and adversities, you arrive at Tai-tung [the southeast coast of Taiwan]. When you face the vast body of the ocean, it’s impossible for you to cross over it! Since you can’t go any further, by then you want to stop, but you can’t [reach your goal]. This is the core issue. Why is that you can’t stop? Because you discover that this cyclic existence is the burning house of the three realms of existence [desire, form, and formless]. This is the true intent of the Buddha Dharma – [to free us from the burning mansion.] Once you have a genuine understanding of the true intent of the Buddha Dharma, naturally you will be motivated [to be liberated from the burning mansion.] I will not go into it and cover it in detail for now! As for this parable, there are detailed explanations in the Lotus Sutra [chapter 3, the story of the burning mansion]. Later we will learn more about it [and the whole concept will be clear to us]. [03:28]
In short, we will set the parable [of the Lotus Sutra] aside for the time being. Now there are many practitioners who do not want to take the Bodhisattva path. We will not impose on them, either. Well. That is fine, they don’t have to take the Bodhisattva path. What about the paths for the sravaka or the pratyekabuddha? If you do not want to take the sravaka or pratyekabuddha paths, the human or deity paths will do; even if you don’t take the human or deity path, it is fine, too! One way or another, the teaching is available there to guide us. Nevertheless, the key point is that Buddha placed the most encompassing teachings here; at the same time he did not neglect the other paths. For this very reason, the Buddha Dharma has the most encompassing coverage from the small scope to the great scope. So, the text teaches us what the actual pursuit of perfection is; and those who apply the encompassing Buddha Dharma are called Bodhisattvas. What are they expected to accomplish? Their goal is to accomplish the good of the world, to support all meaningful tasks in the world. [04:27]
After hearing these two short paragraphs, let us go back to the earlier passage [in the paragraph of 6’01” of Teaching 356]: “if we are serious about learning what the Buddha taught, regardless of whether we are willing or not, this is the eventual path we all have to take.” At first, we would interpret that the meaning of this path is about cultivation/meditation practice, right? But at this point, the answer given just now by everyone is not that clear? The answer was “alleviating suffering”. However, what Master expounded here is, in fact many people are not willing to take the Bodhisattva path. Is this right? So, what should be done if we are not willing to take the Bodhisattva path? As indicated in the previous teaching, Master said “after having proper understanding, everyone would want to take this path. Even if you were told not to take it, you would disagree.” [05:09]
But Master followed by saying，“We will not impose on them, either”; namely, [the Buddha] will not put you in a difficult situation; taking either the path of the sravaka or the pratyekabuddha; if that is still not what you want to learn, that’s fine! You can take the proper human or deity path. Or if that is still not what you want to learn, and that is all right, too. Anyway, there must be a way for you to steadily deviate from unwholesome practice and gradually engage in wholesome deeds. There are at least some feasible steps for you to get started with your cultivation/meditation practice. Here, Master said we could be guided by the stages of the path one way or another; there is a starting point for a pudgala to take the step on the stages of the path. Have you noticed how many steps Master had pointed out here? Some people do not want to take the human or deity path, which suggests that they only focus on the enjoyment of this present life, right? Even for those who aim their lifelong goal at attaining the worldly enjoyment, there are proper approaches as well, they need to do away with those paradoxical means/pseudo-approach. No matter what, there is always an entry point – an entrance for you to follow along on the path. [05:59]
After Master explained this, the subject is switched, where to? It is like entering a very grand museum, with the most encompassing and exquisite treasures displayed here. Some of us may not know or like such displays, just because we do not understand their history, or how precious they are. Nevertheless, all of them are perfectly well-displayed here. Such collection shows, “he did not neglect the other paths. For this very reason, the Buddha Dharma has the most encompassing coverage from the small scope to the great scope.” Here Master again said, “what the actual pursuit of perfection is?” Now if I ask you: “Well! What is the genuine pursuit of total perfection?” And the direct answer from Master is, “those who apply the encompassing Buddha Dharma are called Bodhisattvas,” and next what are they expected to accomplish? Their goal is to accomplish the good of the world, to support all meaningful tasks in the world. [07:06]
Have you noticed that all the way from the beginning, Master guided us by saying, if you have proper understanding you would take the advice willingly. Thus, we would think: many people are unwilling to do this or that; they refrain from any of the guidance! Nevertheless, there is always a starting point for them to take on the first step. Once they get started, Master directly mentioned these people are qualified as Bodhisattvas from the aspect of the encompassing teachings, so what should Bodhisattva accomplish? That is to provide the good of the world, to support all meaningful tasks in the world! [07:32]
【广海明月 讲次: 0357】
讲次 | 0357
标题 | 正确了解后，一定走上菩萨道
《广论》段落 | P9-L2 ~ P9-L3 此中诸菩萨所欲求事者……故须学习彼等诸道。
音档 | 5B 22:39 ~ 5B 24:37
手抄页/行 | 第1册 P158-L1~P159-L1 ( 2016 南普陀版：P158-L2~P159-L3 )
手抄段落 | 我现在说一个简单的……有意义的这种事情。
(更新日期: 2022年3月13日)
00:00
以前听师父讲佛法的时候，会常常听到“离苦得乐”，只要是讲到佛法的部分，常常把离苦得乐跟佛法绑在一块儿讲，永远是为这个主题服务的。但此处师父提出了：“你如果正确地了解以后，没有一个人不愿，叫你不做，你也不肯。”这个部分就把“离苦得乐”这个事情没有放在前面讲，而是把“正确地了解”放在前面讲，因为离苦得乐应该是了解的结果，对不对？知道佛法是离苦得乐的，那是了解完的结果。00:41
那我现在问大家：所有的事情都是这样吗？“正确地了解”是第一位的，是这样吗？当我们匆匆忙忙地去选择很多好像令自己快乐的事情的时候，当我们从因出发到果的时候，我们是否了解、是否去评估：我这样的思想、我这样的行为、我这样的身口，是否能达到我想要的那样的结果？如果评估了结果是事与愿违的话，我们就不该在这样的起点出发。所以这个“正确地了解”了之后，我会觉得人就聪慧多了，对吧？聪慧多了之后，他就会评估：“我为什么要做这件事？”然后去算一算“我得的利润是什么？我如果不做会怎样？”这样评估了之后，其实踏上这条路的时候他的内心是满踏实的。01:39
所以佛法是最禁得起你计较的──你反复地、反复地去思考、辨析，反复地用你的实践去验证的，就是这个佛法。你把你了解的东西一定要去验证：到底它能不能离苦得乐？你验证了之后，发现用这个思考方式真的会离苦得乐，你就会更坚定地朝前走，但是“正确地了解”是第一步。02:06
那么再问大家一个问题：为什么在解释“此中诸菩萨所欲求事者，谓是成办世间义利”，师父却讲了“正确地了解”，却讲了这个？你们可以思考。02:24
然后我们往下听：
我现在说一个简单的譬喻来说一下，譬如说我现在说，啊，我要到美国去。然后到美国去怎么办？到美国去要坐飞机，要坐飞机，喔唷！这个飞机票要花很多钱，又要这个样，又要那个样，我现在就是走路很省力嘛！想到这里，这个飞机票要几万块钱，我走路不要钱，我就走路吧！当然如果你不了解的话，是嘛！这个多省事啊！然后你就跑，结果你跑了半天，你千辛万苦地跑到台东那里，汪洋一片，过不去了！到时候你停下来，你不跑不行呀，这个是它根本原因。为什么讲不跑不行啊？你发现这个地方是三界火宅，这个佛法的真实内涵。所以你真实地了解了佛法的真正的内容，自然而然会产生最后必然的结果，这里我不详细谈，这里我不详细谈！关于这个问题，在《法华》上面说得很多，以后它会详细告诉我们的。03:28
那么总之呢，现在我们先不谈，所以有很多人他现在不愿意学菩萨乘的，那我们也不勉强，好、好、好，不学菩萨乘，那你学这个这个声闻、缘觉吧！不学声闻、缘觉，人天乘也可以，乃至于你不学人天乘的话，也没关系！反正我这个法，就是这个样地引导。不过呢这个地方最主要的，他的的确确是把最圆满的法摆在这里，他也不忽视其他的；因为不忽视其他的，所以他从上到下他有圆满的。那么从这个里面告诉我们，作为真正追求圆满的是些什么？修学圆满佛法的那些人叫菩萨，菩萨要做的内容是什么？他所欲求的事情，是成办世间义利，世间的一切的有意义的这种事情。04:27
听了这两个小段之后，回到一开始，说：“真正要修学佛法的话，不管你愿不愿，他最后的话，一定要走上这条路。”一开始我们会理解为这条路就是修行，对不对？那此处呢？到这儿呢？是不是大家刚才的答案不是那么明晰？是说“离苦”。可是师父在这里边讲的是，很多人是不愿意学菩萨乘的，对不对？但是不愿意学菩萨乘的怎么办呢？前面讲的是：“如果正确地了解了，没有一个人不愿意的，都会愿意。”05:09
但是接下来师父却说：“那我们也不勉强”，就是不要让你为难，那就学声闻、缘觉；声闻、缘觉不学，好！那人天；乃至还不学人天的话，也没关系，反正总有一个让你慢慢离开恶法、再一点点修善的，总是会找到这样的次第。所以师父说可以次第引导，就是这里边会有着一个补特伽罗不管是从哪个起点起步的次第。有没有发现，师父在这里边有了多少个次第呀？人天都不学的！人天都不学，就是此世安乐了嘛，对不对？那此世安乐也有正确的方式，也要把伪方式去掉。所以不管怎样，总有个入处──有个入口处，你可以沿着这条路走进来。05:59
讲到这里之后，话锋一转，到哪里了？就好像我们进了一个很大很大的博物馆，他们把最圆满的、镇馆的那些非常精美的都摆在这里，你可能是不知道、你不喜欢，因为你不知道历史、不知道珍贵，但是全圆满地摆在这里。这种摆法“他也不忽视其他的，因为不忽视其他的，所以他从上到下他有圆满的。”师父到这里又说：“真正追求圆满的是些什么呢？”如果现在问大家：“啊！真正追求圆满的是什么呢？”然后师父直接说：“修学圆满佛法的那些人叫菩萨”，接下来，菩萨要做的内容是什么呢？就是他所要求的事情，是成办世间义利，世间一切的有意义的这种事情。07:06
有没有发现，从前面一开始师父引导我们说：你要了解的话，你都愿意。那我们想：有很多人就是这个也不愿意、那个也不愿意，都不愿意！但是总有一个地方是可以从脚下起步的。起步之后，师父从圆满这个地方直接讲到那些人叫菩萨，那菩萨要做什么？就是要成办世间义利，成办世间一切有意义的事情！07:32