Lecture No. 0378
Great Ocean of Lamrim
Lecture No. 0378
Lamrim Volume 1: P47 L13 ~ L15
Date: 01 Mar 2022
Topic: The unbelievable Mahayana aspiration
Again, I would further contemplate on this question: actually, Master could have explained that Mahayana includes such and such…; that will do. But why is it that Master elucidated that [the goal the Mahayana practitioners aspired to fulfill] is “to help all living beings resolve the issues in cyclic existence”? Why did Master have to remind us of this point here one more time? In fact, the issue is what defines “the Mahayana practitioner”, right? Again, he explained what it meant by indicating, “because you are a Mahayana practitioner”. In Master’s commentary, why did he illustrate by using these words, “resolve all beings’ issues in the cyclic existence”? And he explained the meaning of the prefix “Maha” in the word “Mahayana.” If some practitioners have such a thought – [as indicated in the text,] “you should not train in the scriptural collections of the Hinayana because you are a Mahayana practitioner” [V.1 p. 47], is it because they do not know what a Mahayana practitioner means? Is it so? They simply have no slightest idea of the definition; do you consider it this way? [00:52]
Therefore, Master said, “the reason that Maha is great is that practitioners are inspired to help resolve all beings’ issues in the cyclic existence.” Let us reflect on ourselves. Take the Lamrim facilitators, for example; as facilitators, would we feel we have to help everyone in our class to resolve all their issues? Do we think of it this way? Or those monastic team leaders, they should help their team members resolve all issues. Or those taking charge of the kitchen, they have to work out the dietary plans for the entire monastery. They would take upon themselves such issues, try to find solutions to those issues, and fix the problems if there are any. My take on this “Mahayana practitioner” is that whenever it involves the word Mahayana, Master would highlight it again to reawaken our aspiration for the spirit of enlightenment, that is to help all living beings resolve their issues in the cyclic existence. [01:36]
Indeed, I like to ask you again, “Is it easy to resolve the issues every living being has in samsara? How many family members are there in your household now? Can you easily clear up family matters? Even with only two people in the family, can matters be easily settled? [No.] They cannot be easily resolved! Neither it is easy for a homeroom teacher having 30 to 40 students under his or her tutelage to resolve all the issues the students face, nor it is possible to resolve all the problems within a given city, let alone helping to clear up the issues in the entire globe. Understandably, it is by no means easy to resolve issues all living beings face! Yet, Bodhisattvas are dauntlessly inspired with such aspiration! [02:03]
By reading what Master said, “the reason that Maha is great is that practitioners are inspired to help resolve all beings’ issues in the cyclic existence.” First, let us set aside how many living beings there are on Earth and focus on the issues human beings have on Earth; it is truly overwhelming, correct? Yet, the aspiration is to resolve the issues of all living beings! So, this “being” that Master referred to is all living beings. Such aspiration is really shocking, right? [02:22]
It is already very challenging for me to figure out the obstacles a young monastic student encounters, not to mention helping all living beings resolve their issues. To help resolve the issues every person faces, we still need to know where the issues are or how the issues come about. Otherwise, it is impossible for us to help them resolve the problems. So, is it easy to be a Bodhisattva? This is definitely not an easy task! It takes ocean-like knowledge and strength, meaning it requires one to be well-equipped with vast knowledge to help resolve issues of living beings. Are you frightened by what Master has described here? Do reflect on it. [02:54]
One may respond by saying, “But, Master; wow! All living beings! This is way too many! I cannot even help one person resolve the problems he or she encounters in life; how is it possible for me to resolve the issues of all living beings?” So, with this kind of overwhelming feeling, what should we do? Some of us would completely retreat. What will others choose to do instead? They will examine what causes such fear. So it dawns on them that the fear is the load of all living beings. So, the issues of all living beings are complicated, right? Before we are endowed with the capacity to understand them, they are indeed complicated. For sure, it can be frightening if we have not taken it before. However, if there are people who have successfully traversed the path, they have identified the solutions to resolve everyone’s issues in the cyclic existence, all we have to do is to follow suit; that is it! Is it easy to follow suit? Is it not so? All you have to do is follow the guidance provided by the road signs and directions marked clearly. So, my take on the problem of resolving the issues of all living beings is whether there is a guiding mentor. If the guiding teacher has successfully traversed the path, all you have to do is rely closely by trailing along. Then, whatever the path is, you will be able to advance. I just briefly brought up this point here. [03:48]
When it comes to resolving the issues of all living beings, we would still be surprised by such an aspiration! I wonder if you feel about it the same way, or if this statement does not catch your attention. When Master explained the quote “because you are a Mahayana practitioner,” he first analyzed the meaning of Maha: What does Maha refer to? So, when practitioners say, “I am a Mahayana practitioner”, have they thought about that they are to resolve everyone’s problem in cyclic existence - to resolve all living beings’ issues? When they truly understand what the aspired Bodhisattva should do, they would not feel arrogant or superior; rather, they would feel it is beyond their abilities to engage in such an undertaking. Is that right? You would notice that it is way beyond your abilities to help a couple of people resolve their issues in life, let alone aspire to help every living being resolve their issues in the samsara, which is fundamentally an impossible mission! Thus, we need to set our hearts on pursuing omniscience! [04:33]
Can you imagine what kind of aspiration the Bodhisattvas undertake? How much do the Bodhisattvas have to learn to fulfill such an aspiration? How omniscient they have to be in order to accomplish such impossibility … You think about it: our aspiration is to become a person like this! Given how short a human life span can be – less than 100 years or a little over one hundred, which is considered a very rare occurrence, the Bodhisattvas courageously assume such burden and responsibility! Do you feel that this aspiration is very phenomenal? [05:03]
[To be honest,] I am a bit surprised by the way Master interpreted how Mahayana practitioners should be. Is it true that I really want to help all living beings resolve the issues in samsara so that I make this Mahayana aspiration? In the end, I do aspire to do so! Yet, on second thought, I gasp in surprise. Is that for real? Am I really that courageous? My virtuous teacher inspired me to have such an aspiration, just as the Buddha would urge us to do. In order to please the Buddha, I make such an aspiration! It is just like when the virtuous teacher waves their hand and says, “Come, come! Let us go! We are about to take a path, heading to the ultimate destination, and we want to help all living beings resolve all the issues in samsara.” Would you all trail along? Thus, we all follow the guidance! We learn as we advance on the path. [05:38]
You would constantly contemplate: what does “the reason Maha is great” mean? Why do Mahayana practitioners need to be equipped with so much learning? It is because Mahayana practice is truly for the benefit of all living beings. If you are able to comprehend all issues in the universe, this is quite an overstatement. Besides, Bodhisattvas aspire to help all living beings resolve the issues one by one in samsara and remove sufferings one after another. In fact, this is almost insolvable! Is it possible? You think it over carefully; who has the nerve to do so? Who has such capacity and ability to do so? Who dares to put forward such a proposition? Who is brave enough to initiate such an aspiration? [06:16]
Understandably, the aspiration the Buddha made at the causal stage is actually shocking! Had it not been for this revelation from the Buddha, how could such a proposition have arisen in our mind? My take on this proposition is that it is very incredible and admirable. I am very impressed that Master had already repeatedly put forth this theme in the 6th recording of his commentary, over and over again, up to this point. It is just like when we recite taking refuge with the aspiration for the spirit of enlightenment; how many years have we practiced it accordingly? How many years have we studied the Mahayana teachings? The more we study, the more we realise that this is not an easy task at all. Fortunately, there is guidance to achieve this path! [06:49]
【广海明月 讲次: 0378】
讲次 | 0378 (2021-11-11 ~ 2021-11-14)
标题 | 不可思议的大乘发心
《广论》段落 | P9-L8 ~ P9-L9 故有说云……是相违因。
音档 | 6A 14:21 ~ 6A 15:23
手抄页/行 | 第1册 P170-L3 ~ P170-LL5 ( 2016 南普陀版：P170-L6 ~ P170-LL3 )
手抄段落 | 故有说云……这个是相违因。
(更新日期: 2022年3月1日)
00:00
我还是再再地审视一下，审视一下这个问题：其实师父在这个地方可以说，大乘它可以包含什么、什么、什么……这样解释就好了，师父为什么在这个部分还要再说一下“要解决一切人的问题”？师父为什么这个地方要再提一次？其实这个问题就是什么是“大乘人”，对不对？再解释一下什么叫“大乘人故”。师父为什么要在这个地方用这么几个字──“要解决一切人的问题”？就是这个“大”字之所以为大乘的大的含义。这个人这样想（是大乘人故，不应学习劣乘法藏）、有这种说法，是不是他不知道什么是大乘人？是不是？他根本就是不知道定义的，大家认为是这样吗？00:52
那么师父说：“大乘之所以为大，要解决一切人的问题。”观察一下自己，比如说当一个班长，我们会觉得这班里同学的问题，我都要解决吗？有这样的想法吗？或者说带组的法师，这个组的问题你都解决；或者说大寮的，你要解决全寺院的人的饮食问题，要承担着这样的问题、要解决这个问题，有困难就要解决。我觉得在这个地方的“大乘人”，就是碰到跟大乘这个字有关系的，师父都要再重彩一下，让我们再再地意识到：发了这个心就是要解决一切人的问题。01:36
其实我再问大家一句：要解决一切人的问题容易吗？现在的家里几个人啊？能解决明白吗？甚至有的家里就两个人，能解决明白吗？解决不明白！连一个老师带学生就是三、四十人，也是解决不明白，乃至一个城市的人也是解决不明白，整个地球也解决不明白。解决一切人的问题谈何容易啊！菩萨居然敢发这样的心！02:03
你们看到说：“这个大乘之所以为大，要解决一切人的问题。”先不要说地球上多少众生，就先解决地球上人类的问题就挺吓人的了，对不对？要解决一切众生的问题喔！其实师父这个“人”是指一切众生的意思，这个发心吓不吓人呀？02:22
不要说解决一切问题，我光是把一个小朋友的问题弄清楚都很困难。解决一切人的问题，还要知道他的问题出在哪里，如果不知道的话，就不能解决。这个菩萨好不好当啊？是绝对不好当的！它所要涵盖的是海量的知识、海量的力量，这里边都是有特别多解决众生问题的这种海量的知识。你们有被师父的这几个字吓到吗？观察一下。02:54
“师父，这人太多了！哇，这一切众生！这一个都解决不明白，我怎么可能解决一切众生？”那生起了这样的恐怖之后，要怎么办？有些人就直接退回来。有些人会选择什么？看一看我怕什么？原来我是怕一切、怕一切众生。那么一切众生的问题复不复杂呢？不了解的时候是复杂的。这条路上没有人走过，是挺害怕的，但是如果有人已经解决一切人的问题，他找到了办法的话，那照抄就可以了！照抄容易吗？是不是？你就照抄，路标都写得很清楚，你照着走过去就可以了。所以这个问题就是：要解决一切人的问题，看看前面有没有导师？如果有导师成办了，你紧跟着导师就可以了，什么样的路都可以走上去。我这点是顺便一提。03:48
当看到要解决一切人的问题的时候，还是再度为发心感到惊讶！我不知道你们有没有这种感觉？还是你们觉得这是很平淡的一句话？因为大乘人师父是这么解释的，“大乘人故”，什么叫大？什么叫大？就是当这个人说：“我是大乘人”的时候，他有没有想过要解决一切人的问题、一切众生的问题？当了解了一个菩萨的发心要做什么的时候，应该是骄傲不起来，应该是感觉到根本就承担不了的，会不会？你发现几个人都解决不明白，要解决一切众生，这根本是完成不了的一件事情！所以才要希求一切智智吧！04:33
你想想菩萨的荷担心是怎样的？他需要学多少东西，才能够跟他的志向相匹配？他要拥有多大的智慧，才能够完成这么几乎是……。你想想：我们发心就是成为这样的人啊！就这样短暂的人生之旅不到一百年，或者一百多一点，那得是很稀有了，就敢承担、就敢发起这样的志愿！你们觉得这个是不是很稀有？05:03
看到师父这样讲大乘人，其实会被吓到！我真的要解决一切人的一切问题，所以说我发这样的心了吗？果然是我发了！想想倒抽一口凉气，真的吗？我真的有这么大的勇气吗？上师说要发就发了、佛陀劝要发就发了，因为这样佛陀高兴，就发了！就像善知识一挥手说：“走、走、走！我们去那个、那个地方，我们要去解决一切人的一切问题。”大家要不要走？就跟着走了！一路走、一路学。05:38
你会再再地反思：“大乘人之所以为大”是什么意思，他为什么需要学那么多？因为真的是为一切人。如果你把浩瀚宇宙的一切问题都想明白，这个事就很夸张了，而且要把这个浩瀚的宇宙里边所有的生命的问题一一解决掉、一一苦都消除掉，其实这几乎是无解的！可能吗？你仔细想想，谁敢这样做？谁有这个心胸？谁敢提出这样的命题啊？谁敢发这样的心？06:16
佛陀在因地里的发心，实在是太令人震撼了！这要是不是佛陀来启示我们，怎么可能有这样的命题在一颗心中出现？我觉得这个命题非常地不可思议。我很佩服师父在这第六卷就已经把这个主题一再一再地写、一再一再地写，写到这儿就已经……像我们念皈依发心偈，都念多少年了？学大乘法藏学多少年了？而且你越了解、越了解，后来你会发现：这事一点都不轻松──但是还好有解决之道！06:49