宗喀巴_三主要道英文版及解释-第11章

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The　recognition　of　all　sentient　beings　as　one's　kind　mothers

So　then　having　developed　this　equal　view　towards　all　sentient　beings；　one　should　then　familiarise　oneself　with　this　view　until　it　bees　stable　within　one's　mental　continuum；　or　mind；　and　then　one　should　strive　to　develop　the　first　of　these　six　causes　which　is　the　recognition　of　all　sentient　beings　as　one's　kind　mothers。　So　then　the　meditation　scenario　is　similar　to　what　we've　gone　through：　initially　we　pick　someone　with　whom　we　have　no　particular　relationship；　then　an　enemy；　then　one　to　whom　we　have　a　particularly　close　affinity；　and　then　use　the　lines　of　reasoning　which　we　have　gone　through　previously　…　that　just　as　I　have　had　beginningless　lives；　so　in　the　same　way　the　individual　whom　I'm　bringing　to　mind　in　front　of　me　has　had　countless　previous　existences。　Then　in　those　existences；　we　have　not　just　e　out　of　thin　air；　but　rather　we　were　born　from　our　mother's　womb。　So　as　we　equally　are　the　same　in　having　had　beginningless　existences；　then　we　are　also　the　same　in　that　we　have　also　had　a　beginningless；　or　countless；　number　of　mothers。　So　if　we　put　two　'countlesses'　together；　they　kind　of　fall　one　on　top　of　the　other；　so　it's　very　likely　that　this　person　in　front　of　oneself　has　been；　at　some　point；　one's　kind　mother。　And　then　through　that　kind　of　contemplation；　we　e　to　generate　the　mind　or　belief　that　the　individual　whom　one　is　visualising；　has　at　some　point　in　the　past　had　the　experience　of　being　one's　mother；　and　then　we　stabilise　this　belief　until　this　es　a　part　of　our　being。　And　then　after　that　has　been　stabilised；　we　move　our　attention　towards　our　enemies；　and　then　to　those　to　whom　we　are　close　and　again　use　the　same　lines　of　reasoning　–　that　just　as　I　have　had　countless　previous　existences；　they　too　have　had　countless　previous　existences；　and　during　those　existences；　we　were　not　born　from　nowhere　but　rather　we　were　born　from　a　mother。　So　then　it　is　extremely　likely　that　this　individual　has　been　my　kind　mother　in　a　previous　existence。　And　then　we　continually　familiarise　oneself　with　this　view　that　all　sentient　beings　throughout　space　have　had　in　a　previous　existence　the　experience　of　being　our　mother。　Then　when；　through　familiarisation；　this　view　bees　stable；　we　can　move　on　to　the　next　part。

Remembering　the　kindness　of　one's　mother

So　then　just　viewing　all　sentient　beings　as　having　been　one's　mother　in　the　past　is　nothing　much　in　and　of　itself；　rather　this　is　just　providing　the　basis　for　the　following　two　contemplations　…　that　is；　remembering　the　kindness　of　one's　mother　and　then　wishing　to　repay　that　kindness。　So　the　word　'mother'　when　we　contemplate　that；　evokes　images　of　somebody　who　has　been　incredibly　kind　to　one；　for　example　young　children　always　cry　for　their　mothers　and　so　forth。　So　then　if　we　contemplate　how　our　mother　of　this　life　has　been　incredibly　kind　to　us；　then　the　reasoning　will　follow　that；　equally；　in　previous　existences　how　all　sentient　beings；　at　the　time　that　we　were　undergoing　the　experience　of　a　parental　relationship；　were　equally　as　kind　to　us　as　the　mother　of　this　life。

So　then　if　we　look　at　the　initial　stages　when　we　are　a　fetus　in　the　womb：　the　person　who　was　carrying　us；　our　mother…to…be；　was　very　strict　in　her　diet；　was　very　strict　in　the　amount　of　work　she　would　engage　in；　would　be　very　careful　about　going　here　and　there　because　she　didn't　want　to　bring　any　harm　to　the　child　she　was　carrying。　Then　at　the　time　of　birth；　as　it　says　in　the　scriptures；　the　bones　are　moved　by　the　very　birth　of　the　child。　These　days　it’s　probably　less　painful　than　it　was　in　the　past　because　we　often　hear　accounts　of　mothers　dying　during　childbirth。　Then　at　the　time　of　birth；　a　child's　flesh　is　very　tender　and　the　child　can　only　be　held　in　a　very　delicate；　very　soft　way；　can　only　be　held　in　very　fine　cloth　and　so　forth；　all　of　which　is　provided　for　by　one's　kind　mother。　And　then　as　one　starts　to　grow；　our　mother　continually　takes　care　of　us；　feeding　us　with　milk　from　the　breast；　and　clearing　away　mucus　from　the　nose　with　her　hands；　removing　excrement　and　so　forth；　continually　watching　over　us；　and　making　sure　we　are　not　in　any　kind　of　minor　distress；　making　sure　that　we　have　a　full　stomach；　that　we　are　not　on　any　rough　surface　and　so　forth。　And　then　as　we　start　to　develop　as　a　child；　we　learn　to　crawl；　then　it　is　said　that　the　mother　is　continually　looking　for　hundreds　of　ways　to　protect　the　child　from　the　world；　in　the　sense　that　in　your　house　there　might　be　a　fire　and　the　child　might　crawl　towards　the　fire　or　it　might　crawl　out　of　a　door；　crawl　onto　a　road　where　it　might　be　hurt　by　cars；　or　might　crawl　near　to　the　stairs。　So　every　day　the　mother　is　continually　protecting　us　from　hundreds　of　dangers　or　hundreds　of　difficult　situations。　Not　only　giving　us　a　physical　protection　in　the　early　years；　but　also　then　later　in　life　helping　us　to　turn　from　a　child　into　an　adult；　aiding　us　with　education；　giving　money　for　our　education　and　so　forth。　All　of　this　is　not　something　that　appeared　from　nowhere　but　rather　something　which　is　brought　about　solely　through　the　kindness　of　one's　mother。　So　using　the　mother　of　this　life　as　an　example；　then　we　should　engage　in　the　practice　of　bringing　to　mind　the　kindness　which　we　have　been　shown。

Wishing　to　repay　such　kindness；　mind　of　great　love；　mind　of　great　passion

Then　through　recalling　the　kindness　of　one's　parent　sentient　beings；　we　should　not　just　leave　it　at　that；　but　rather　use　that　as　the　starting　point　to　wish　to　repay　such　kindness　which　has　been　shown　to　us。　We　might　think　that　we　can　repay　the　kindness　of　our　parent　sentient　beings　by　giving　some　food　or　some　clothing　or　a　place　to　stay；　but　that　is　limited　in　the　sense　that　it　is　only　something　which　might　be　utilised　or　enjoyed　in　this　life；　and　this　life　alone。　Rather　if　we　view　sentient　beings　in　the　sense　that　sentient　beings　all；　like　ourselves；　desire　to　have　happiness　and　the　causes　of　happiness　and　desire　to　be　free　of　suffering　and　the　causes　of　suffering。　So　if　we　were　really　to　repay　the　kindness　of　parent　sentient　beings；　it　would　be　most　beneficial　if　we　could　bring　about　the　causes　for　happiness　and　their　result　for　our　parents；　and　bring　about　the　removal　of　suffering　and　the　causes　of　suffering　for　our　kind　parent　sentient　beings。　So　in　order　to　do　this　one　needs　to　develop　heart…warming　love　…　wishing　them　to　have　happiness　and　its　causes；　and　passion　…　wishing　them　to　be　free　of　suffering。　The　plight　of　sentient　beings　in　echoed　is　Shantideva's　book；　The　Bodhicaryavatara；　where　it　says；

　　　　Although　desirous　of　happiness；
　　　　through　the　force　of　ignorance；
　　　　they　destroy　its　causes　like　an　enemy。
　　　　Although　not　wishing　dissatisfaction；
　　　　they　joyfully　enter　its　path。

So　what　Shantideva　is　saying　is　that　sentient　beings；　although　desirous　of　happiness；　do　not　know　the　causes　which　bring　about　happiness；　and　more　often　than　not；　destroy　the　causes　of　happiness　like　they　would　destroy　an　enemy　because　of　being　blinded　by　ignorance　and　confusion。　And　then　through　this　confusion；　they　joyfully　enter　the　pathway　which　will　lead　to　the　state　of　dissatisfaction。

Superior　intention

Then　through　wishing　others　to　have　happiness　and　its　cause　（which　is　love）；　and　wishing　others　to　be　free　of　suffering　and　its　causes　（which　is　passion）　one　needs　to　develop；　or　bring　about；　the　superior　intention。　So　here　'superior　intention'　refers　then　to　not　just　leaving　the　mind　of　love　and　passion　as　just　that　…　a　mind　wishing　others　to　have　happiness　and　wishing　other　to　be　free　of　suffering；　but　rather　bringing　about　the　means　which　will　allow　them　to　have　the　causes　of　happiness　and　be　free　of　the　causes　of　dissatisfaction。　So　'superior'　in　that　it　is　superior　to　all　the　other　kinds　of　intention　which　one　might　develop；　this　superior　intention　is　the　actual　cause　which　brings　about　the　mind　aspiring　to　highest　enlightenment。　So　then　if　we　look　at　this　through　the　utilisation　of　an　example；　we　can　get　some　idea　of　what　this　mind　should　be　like。　If　we　then　view　sentient　beings　as　being　blind；　'blind'　in　the　sense　that　the　wisdom　eye　has　been　blinded　by　the　arrow　of　ignorance；　and　not　only　that；　but　the　kind　mother　sentient　beings　are　unsure　of　what　to　take　up　and　what　to　abandon；　so　in　that　way　they　are　kind　of　crazy　in　a　sense；　or　drunk。　And　then　not　only　that；　but　they　are　bereft　of　a　spiritual　friend　who　can　advise　them　of　what　to　take　up　and　what　to　abandon；　thus　we　can　say　they　are　without　a　guide。　And　as　our　kind　parent　sentient　beings　have　accrued；　like　ourselves；　many　positive　and　negative　karmas；　then　it's　very　possible　that　they　could　very　easily　fall　into　the　abyss　of　the　lower　realms。　So　they　are　like　a　person　walking　upon　a　cliff…face。　So　if　an　only　child　were　to　see　his　mother　in　a　state　of　being　blinded　by　a　cataract　or　an　arrow　of　ignorance；　without　a　guide；　and　kind　of　temporarily　insane；　walking　atop　a　high　cliff　path；　then　that　child　would　be　desperately　seeking　a　way　to　get　to　his　mother　and　to　rescue　her　from　such　a　predicament。　So　in　the　same　way　we　should　train　our　minds　so　that　we　view　all　sentient　beings　as　that　only　child　views　his　mother　whilst　wandering　atop　the　cliff　path：　blinded　by　ignorance；　bereft　of　a　spiritual　friend　who　can　show　them　what　to　take　up　and　what　to　abandon；　bereft　of　a　guide　to　lead　them　along　that　path；　in　immediate　danger　of　falling　to　the　abyss　at　the　bottom　of　the　cliffs　i。e。　the　lower　realms；　wandering　along　such　a　path。　We　should　train　our　minds　to　feel　like　that　only　child　viewing　his　mother　in　such　a　predicament。

Qualities　of　the　Buddha

Having　given　rise　to　this　superior　intent；　like　the　child　viewing　his　mother　in　such　a　predicament；　we　need　to　contemplate　…　how　can　I　rescue　my　kind　mother　sentient　beings？　What　can　I　do　that　will　enable　me　to　rescue　all　these　kind　mother　sentient　beings　from　this　perilous　predicament？　So　then　we　need　to　search；　we　need　to　look　around　to　see　who　has　the　ability　to　bring　about　the　release　from　suffering　of　all　mother　sentient　beings。　If　we　search　in　the　hearers　and　the　Solitary　Realisers；　foe…destroyer　camp；　then　we　find　that　those　individual　do　not　have　the　capacity　to　bring　about　such　a　cessation。　If　we　look　in　the　Bodhisattvas　abiding　on　the　grounds；　then　we　find　that　those　superior　ones　also　do　not　have　the　ability　to　liberate　all　sentient　beings　from　such　a　predicament。　So　then　through　searching；　we　e　to　the　conclusion　that…　the　only　individual　we　will　find　who　has　such　an　ability　is　the　Fully　Enlightened　One；　the　Buddha。

So　as　is　mentioned　in　the　Abhisamayalankara　then；　the　desire　to　achieve　this　state　of　Buddhahood　is　one　of　the　two…fold　cause　which　brings　about　this　state。　For　example　as　is　mentioned　in　the　text；　one　needs　to　view　all　sentient　beings　and　wish　to　separate　them　from　the　suffering　which　they　are　undergoing　and　the　causes　of　that　suffering；　and　then　also　plement　that　with　the　wish　that　one　will　achieve　this　exalted　state　（that　is　the　state　of　full　enlightenment；　or　full　awakening）　to　bring　about　such　a　cessation；　to　bring　about　the　removal　of　these　causes　of　suffering。　So　then　there　are　two　factors　which　are　needed　to　bring　full　enlightenment　about　…　the　desire　to　achieve　that；　and　the　reason　…　to　liberate　all　sentient　beings