宗喀巴_三主要道英文版及解释-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


receive　today　is　known　as　'The　Three　Principles　of　the　Path'。　So　when　we　talk　hear　about　'path'；　what　is　meant　by　'path'？　In　general　we　can　talk　about　various　kinds　of　path；　for　example；　a　road　or　a　rail…track；　something　which　gets　us　from　A　to　B。　However　in　this　instance；　we　are　not　talking　about　a　worldly　path；　we　are　rather　talking　about　a　spiritual　path；　and　what　is　meant　here　by　a　spiritual　path　is　one　which　gets　us　from　a　spiritual　A　to　B；　travelling　through　the　various　stages；　based　upon　the　oral　instructions　of　the　past　masters；　the　present　masters；　and　then　taking　those　instructions　to　heart；　putting　them　into　practice；　and　through　that　moving　through　various　stages　of　spiritual　evolution。　Here　'principle'　then　refers　to　the　main　points　of　the　path；　like　for　example　snatching　the　essence　from　what　is　known　as　the　Lam　Rim　（or　the　graduated　stages　of　the　path　to　enlightenment）　teachings。　So　when　we　talk　of　these　'three　principles　of　the　path'；　we　talk　about　a　person　of　smaller；　middling　and　greater　capacities　and　then　the　practices　which　are　in　mon　with　a　person　of　smaller；　middling　and　then　the　pinnacle　practice　which　is　unique　to　a　person　of　greater　capacity。　So　within　that　division　of　three；　what　we　find　are　various　divisions　and　sub…divisions；　but　the　essence　is　all　kind　of　snatched　together　and　put　in　these　three　principles　of　the　path；　which　we　are　going　to　go　through。　So　this　particular　text　was　posed　by　Lama　Tsong　Khapa　and　it　was　something　which　he　received　while　in　munication；　if　you　like；　with　Manjushri；　and　it　is　the　heart…essence　of　his　practice　and　also　of　the　Lam　Rim　genre　of　texts。　So　this　was　requested　by　a　disciple　of　his　who　lived　in　a　place　called　Gameron　which　is　on　the　Chinese…Tibetan　border。　This　monk　requested　him　to　give　him　some　inspiring　word　for　his　practice；　and　then　Lama　Tsong　Khapa　wrote　this　to　him　based　on　the　teachings　he　had　received　in　the　pure　vision；　thus　we　have　the　written　form　of　'The　Three　Principles　of　the　Path’。

The　Three　Principles

So　if　you　ask　–　‘what　are　these　three　principles　of　the　path？’　Initially　then　it’s　renunciation。　So　'renunciation'　here　refers　to　a　turning　away　from　the　faults　of　the　cycle　of　existence　and　yearning　or　directing　one’s　spiritual　career　towards　liberation　from　such　a　state　of　existence。　Then　the　second　is　the　mind　of　bodhicitta。　This　refers　to　a　mind　which　for　the　benefit　of　all　sentient　beings；　through　seeing　sentient　beings’　suffering；　strives　to　achieve　the　highest　state　of　enlightenment　in　order　to　be　of　maximum　or　optimum　benefit。　So　through　seeing　the　faults　in　one’s　state　of　mind；　through　abandoning　those；　gathering　all　the　qualities；　achieving　the　mind　of　omniscience　of　the　Buddha　…　this　desire　to　achieve　such　a　state　…　the　mind　of　bodhicitta　…　is　the　second　of　the　three。　Then　the　third　of　the　three　is　what　is　known　as　the　'correct　view'；　also　known　as　'wisdom'。　'Wisdom'　here　then　refers　to　the　mode　of　abiding　of　phenomena；　that　is　to　say　the　middle　way　view　…　'middle　way'　here　being　a　middle　way　between　the　two　extremes　of　annihilation　and　permanence。　So　this　correct　view　of　reality　then　is　the　third　of　the　three　principal　aspects　of　the　path。

Prostration

So　then　initially　we　have　the　prostration　and　then　the　promise　to　pose　the　text。　So　initially　then　we　have　the　first　line　of　the　text：

　　　　I　bow　down　to　the　venerable　lamas。

So　then　we　should　understand　what　is　meant　by　this　prostration　…　who　is　the　object　towards　which　the　author　is　making　this　prostration？　It　is　the　field　of　merit；　that　is　to　say；　the　field　upon　which　the　prostrator；　or　the　one　making　the　supplication；　receives　the　maximum　amount　of　merit；　that　is　to　say；　one's　spiritual　mentor；　or　one's　lama。　So　here　then　the　prostration　is　made　to　the　venerable　lamas。　So　here　then　we　should　understand　what　is　meant　by　'venerable　lamas'　by　looking　at　the　Tibetan　word。　If　we　look　at　the　etymology　of　＇Tib＇　…　the　first　part　＇Tib＇　refers　to　the　lama　having　heard　a　lot　of　teaching；　that　is　to　say；　the　lama　is　very　knowledgeable　about　the　Buddhist　practice。　Then　the　second　part　of　that　word　＇Tib＇　refers　to　not　only　having　heard　the　teaching　but　then　has　acplished；　or　has　gained　realisation　of；　that　teaching　through　putting　it　into　practice　in　a　faultless　fashion。　So　this　then　refers　to　the　level　of　realisation　of　the　lama。　So　here　then　＇Tib＇　together　refer　to　the　lama's　knowledge　and　then　the　realisation　of　that　knowledge。　Then　the　third　word　'lama'　…　if　we　look　at　the　meaning　of　this　word；　what　we　find　is　that　it　refers　to　the　highest；　or　that　of　which　there　is　none　higher。　So　then　this　is　the　name　given　to　one's　spiritual　master　with　whom　there　is　none　higher　with　regard　to　the　knowledge　of　the　teaching　and　the　realisation　of　that　teaching。　So　thus　we　have　＇Tib＇。　In　Tibetan；　there　is　the　plural　＇Tib＇　…　so　＇Tib＇　here　refers　to　the　various　lamas　of　the　various　lineages；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　profound　lineage；　of　the　vast　lineage；　there　are　many　what　we　call　'lineage　lamas'。　So　through　saying　'I　bow　down　to　the　venerable　lamas'　…　using　the　plural；　the　author　is　showing　his　willingness　to　bow　down　before　all　the　lamas　of　the　lineage　and　in　particular　then　his　principal　teachers。

The　Promise　to　pose　the　Text

So　then　we　have　now　reached　the　first　stanza　which　is　the　promise　of　position；　so　I　will　read　from　the　root　text：

　　　　I　will　explain　as　well　as　I　am　able
　　　　the　essence　of　all　the　teachings　of　the　Conqueror；
　　　　the　path　praised　by　the　Conqueror's　offspring；
　　　　the　entrance　for　the　fortunate　ones　who　desire　liberation。

So　here　when　we　talk　about　'the　teachings　of　the　Conqueror'；　the　'Conqueror'　here　then　refers　to　the　Fully　Enlightened　One；　the　Buddha；　and　then　'the　essence　of　the　teachings'　here　…　whether　it　be　the　various　sutras　or　the　various　teachings　of　the　Secret　Mantra　and　the　fourfold　division　therein；　the　essential　part　of　all　of　this　is　what　is　going　to　be　explained。　So　here　then　we　have　to　understand　what　is　meant　by　the　teaching　of　the　Buddha。　It　wasn't　that　the　Buddha　just　gave　a　teaching　and　then　everybody　had　to　follow　that　teaching。　Rather；　as　is　mentioned　by　Nagarjuna　in　the　'recious　Garland'；　the　Buddha　teaches　as　a　grammarian　instructs　his　pupils。　That　is　to　say；　a　grammarian　doesn't　just　teach　advanced　grammar　to。。。　＇end　of　side　…　tape　breaks　here＇

Renunciation

…initially　then　one　would　learn　the　alphabet；　so　you　would　learn　the　basic　Tibetan　grammar　like　＇Tib＇；　or　in　English　'A；　B；　C'；　then　in　dependence　upon　that　you　would　learn　how　to　form　words　and　then　sentences　and　then　advance　up　into　advanced　grammar　and　so　forth。　So　the　Buddha　taught　his　disciples　in　much　the　same　way；　that　is　to　say；　in　a　method　which　would　lead　them　along　a　path。　So　'path'　here　then　is　referring　initially　to　renunciation。　So　there　are　two　kinds　of　renunciation　which　are　mentioned　…　one　is　to　turn　one's　attention　away　from　this　life　in　and　of　itself　and　towards　one's　future　lives；　then　to　turn　one's　mind　even　away　from　future　lives　and　put　one's　mind　in　a　state　where　one　wishes　to　achieve　liberation　from　the　cycle　of　existence。　So　thus　then　there　is　turning　away　from　this　life　and　then　turning　away　from　future　lives；　thus　two　kinds　of　turning　away；　and　these　are　taught　in　stages　to　the　aspiring　disciples。　In　essence；　we　can　say　that　the　Buddhist　teachings　are　taught　as　a　method　to　subdue　one's　unruly　mind；　to　subdue　the　destructive　emotions　which　we　find　therein；　and　then　to　develop　the　spiritual　qualities　on　top　of　that。　So　this　is　what　is　meant　by　'the　essence　of　all　the　teachings　of　the　Conqueror'；　and　here　'Conqueror'　refers　to　having　conquered　all　others；　thus　the　Fully　Enlightened　One。

Bodhicitta

So　then　the　second　line　of　'The　Three　Principle　Teachings　of　the　Path'　（which　is　the　first　in　Tibetan）　talks　about　the　practice　of　renunciation。　The　third　in　English　（and　the　second　in　Tibetan）　…　'the　path　praised　by　the　Conqueror's　offspring'。　So　here　then　let　us　have　a　look　at　the　word　'Conqueror's　offspring'。　Here　then　if　we　read　from　the　Tibetan　it　says　the　holy　Conqueror's　offspring；　or　the　exalted　Conqueror's　offspring。　So　this　word　'exalted'　means　that　a　person　in　whose　mental　continuum；　or　mind；　the　wish　to　achieve　full　awakening　for　the　benefit　of　all　sentient　beings　has　arisen；　bees　a　superior　individual；　thus　kind　of　a　holy　individual。　At　that　moment　of　generating　the　mind　aspiring　to　the　highest　enlightenment　for　the　benefit　of　all　sentient　beings；　a　lot　of　negative　karma　is　destroyed；　and　that　person　then　bees　what　is　known　as　one　of　the　'Conqueror's　offspring'；　or　the　son　or　daughter　of　the　Victorious　One。　This　is　mentioned　quite　clearly　in　Shantideva's　book　called　'The　Bodhicharyavatara'　where　it　says　that　just　through　having　given　rise　to　this；　no　matter　what　caste　one　is　born　to；　one　bees　renowned　as　the　son　or　the　daughter　of　the　Victorious　One。　So　no　matter　what　caste　or　what　colour　one　might　be；　one　is　equal　in　the　sense　that　one　will　be　equally　regarded；　through　having　given　rise　to　this　mind；　as　the　offspring　of　the　Victorious　One。　This　mind　then　is　one　is　which　is　extremely　important　and　its　importance　cannot　be　overestimated　because　through　this　mind　one　achieves　the　state　of　buddhahood；　and　if　one　doesn't　have　this　mind；　if　one　hasn’t　given　rise　to　this　thought；　then　no　matter　what　practice　one　engages　in；　one　will　not　e　any　closer　to　the　state　of　omniscience。

Correct　View

Then　the　next　line　reads　'the　entrance　for　the　fortunate　ones　who　desire　liberation'。　So　'fortunate　ones'　here　then　refers　to　those　who　are　engaging　in　the　Buddhist　practice　…　fortunate　in　the　sense　that　we　have　bee　into　contact　with　the　Buddha's　teaching　and　are　able　to　put　them　into　practice；　and　in　particular；　fortunate　in　the　sense　that　we　have　e　into　contact　with　the　teaching　of　the　greater　vehicle；　or　the　Mahayana　teaching。　So　this　sentence　is　describing　the　third　of　the　three　principles　of　the　path　which　is　correct　view；　correct　view　of　reality。　Because　as　the　line　says；　'the　entrance　for　the　fortunate　ones　who　desire　liberation'。　So　here　then　'desire　liberation'　…　what　is　meant　by　'liberation'　and　how　does　this　sentence　teach　us　about　the　correct　view　of　reality？　Here　we　have　to　understand　what　is　meant　by　'liberation'。　So　liberation　then　refers　to　a　kind　of　release　or　an　escape。　So　if　there　is　a　release；　something　has　to　loosen　so　we　can　escape　from　it；　or　if　there　is　an　escape　there　has　to　be　something　from　which　we　are　going　to　escape。　So　here　then　what　we　are　escaping　from　or　loosening　and　then　getting　away　from　is　the　destructive　emotions；　and　then　action；　or　karma。　So　these　are　the　two　fetters　which　bind　us　to　the　wheel；　or　cycle；　of　existence。　So　it　is　only　through　removing　ourselves　from　the　destructive　emotions　and　action　that　one　is　able　to　achieve　liberation。　So　then　if　we　think　about　what　the　cause　of　the　destructive　emotions　and　karma　is；　we　can　say　that　the　root　of　the　causes　of　cyclic　existence　（that　is　to　say；　of　the　destructive　emotions　and　then　the　action　which　is　brought　about　through　them）　is　grasping　at　a　truly　existent　or　self…existent　self　or　'I'。　So　then　if　one　wants　to　reverse　this　root；　one　needs　to　understand　how　this　root　is　baseless；　that　is　to　say；　we　need　to　understand　how　phenomena　actually　exist　and　how；　perceiving　them