宗喀巴_三主要道英文版及解释-第9章

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ork　for　one's　living　so　therefore　one　engages　in　various　strenuous　activities。　This　is　not　something　which　is　easily　seen　in　the　West；　but　in　India　if　you　look　around　building　sites　there　are　no　cranes　or　lifting　devices　…　bricks　are　carried　by　the　local　people　stacked　high　on　the　head　and　the　cement　is　carried　on　the　back　by　the　coolies　and　so　forth。　So　if　you　see　the　very　low…paid；　low　caste　people　in　India　you　will　see　that　they　go　through　immense　physical　difficulty；　but　when　they　sit　down　there　is　not　so　much　mental　dissatisfaction　or　suffering；　but　rather　their　lot　is　that　of　physical　difficulty。　Then　as　the　text　goes　on　to　say；　whatever　kind　of　suffering　it　is　…　whether　mental　or　physical；　one　should　daily　engage　in　a　practice　which　is　going　to　bring　about　the　thorough　removal　of　that　dissatisfaction。

So　using　that　quote　from　The　Four　Hundred　Verses　then；　a　person　who　has　wealth　when　viewing　how　poorer　people　live　might　think　'living　such　an　aristocratic　life　is　not　all　it's　cracked　up　to　be　…　living　in　the　open；　living　a　pauper's　life　is　something　that　is　quite　delightful。　I　think　I'm　going　to　give　up　everything　and　go　and　live　as　a　pauper！'　And　then　the　paupers；　or　the　working　people；　when　viewing　the　aristocrats；　or　the　wealthy　individuals；　think　'oh；　we　have　such　a　hard　time　…　all　this　work　we　have　to　do　but　those　guys　are　just　sitting　around；　they　have　nice　food　to　eat；　servants　to　wait　upon　them；　nice　fortable　beds　and　so　forth。　How　great　it　would　be　to　achieve　such　a　status！'　However；　if　we　look　at　that　with　a　vaster　view；　we　see　that　both　kinds　of　individuals　are　undergoing　dissatisfaction；　and　the　dissatisfaction　which　they　are　undergoing　is　same　in　essence　but　different　in　aspect；　different　in　aspect　in　the　sense　that　for　a　poorer　individual　it　is　physical　but　for　a　wealthy　individual　it's　mental。　But　the　contaminated　actions　which　have　brought　about　their　very　existence　are　ones　within　which　one　can　never　find　any　permanent　peace；　rather　as　we　mentioned　earlier；　the　first　moment　can　be　somewhat　peaceful　or　joyful；　but　then　as　soon　as　that　is　over　with；　the　experience　changes　into　something　other　than　what　it　initially　was。　So　viewing　the　cycle　of　existence；　or　samsara；　as　the　product　of　contaminated　actions；　contaminated　destructive　emotions　and　so　forth；　then　we　should　strive　to　put　an　end　to　all　dissatisfaction　and　the　causes　of　that　dissatisfaction；　not　just　one　particular　kind　of　those　various　kinds　of　dissatisfaction。　We　should　strive　to　abandon　the　whole　of　the　cycle　of　existence；　and　this　is　echoed　in　the　prayer　to　the　lineage　gurus　of　the　Lam　Rim　genre　of　teachings　by　Tsong　Khapa　when　he　says　that　one　should　strive　to　abandon　the　cycle　of　its　existence　through　seeing　its　faults；　through　seeing　how　it　is　impermanent　and　through　seeing　how　it　is　not　something　that　is　very　stable。

BODHICITTA

So　then　through　contemplating　the　faults　of　the　cycle　of　existence　and　then　generating　a　mind　which　wishes　to　abandon　those　faults　and　the　sufferings　ing　therefrom；　one　can　strive　in　the　practice　of　generating　the　mind　which　cognises　selflessness；　（whether　it　be　selflessness　of　persons　or　selflessness　of　phenomena；　or　emptiness；　whatever　you　like　to　designate　that　nature　of　reality）。　Then　through　that　one　can　achieve　the　state　of　nirvana　or　the　state　of　cessation。

So　this　state　of　cessation　then　…　you　may　wonder　'can　I　remain　in　this　state？'　But　if　we　contemplate　this；　what　is　known　as　a　'lesser'；　enlightenment　is　not　the　full　fruition　of　one's　endeavours　towards　generating　qualities　and　abandoning　negativities　within　oneself。　That　is　to　say　one　hasn’t　brought　to　a　final　fruition　one’s　spiritual　path；　and　with　regard　to　others；　one　hasn’t　brought　about　any　final　stages　of　spiritual　practice　or　endeavour。　So　this　being　the　case　then；　one　should　contemplate　remaining　in　this　lesser　enlightenment；　and　then　contemplate　the　qualities　of　the　highest　unsurpassable　state　of　enlightenment。　So　we　can　look　at　the　difference　twofold：　With　regard　to　one’s　own　practice　then；　one　hasn’t　reached　the　limit　of　one’s　spiritual　practice。　That　is　to　say；　from　the　side　of　abandonment；　one　might　have　removed　the　grosser　delusions；　but　one　still　hasn't　removed　the　subtle　imprints　left　by　those　delusions　on　one's　mental　continuum；　or　mind；　that　is　to　say；　the　obstructions　or　the　stains　which　prevent　the　forcing　of　omniscience　or　full　enlightenment。　Then　from　the　side　of　achieving　qualities　…　even　though　one　has　achieved　certain　qualities　through　this　lesser　nirvana；　like　the　direct　perception　of　emptiness　and　so　forth；　one　still　hasn't　brought　about　the　qualities　of　Buddhahood。　So　if　we　look　at　the　varying　inconceivable　qualities　of　the　Buddha's　enlightened　activity；　then　we　can　see　that　a　person　staying　in　a　lesser　enlightenment　is　inparable　with　somebody　who　has　achieved　the　state　of　unsurpassable　full　awakening；　that　is　to　say；　has　bee　Buddha。

So　that　individual；　through　having　achieved　the　status　of　Fully　Enlightened　One；　has　not　only　brought　about　the　final　result　of　his　or　her　spiritual　endeavour；　but　also　at　the　same　time　has　brought　about　the　ultimate　benefit　for　all　other　sentient　beings。　That　is　to　say；　having　achieved　that　state；　he　or　she　is　able　to　bring　about　manifest　inconceivable　benefit　for　all　other　sentient　beings；　the　likes　of　which　is　not　known　or　is　unable　to　be　performed　by　any　other　kind　of　being。　Then　through　having　achieved　that　state；　one　has　brought　about　the　final　fruition　of　one’s　own　spiritual　practice　and　has　brought　about　the　extreme　of　being　of　use；　or　of　benefit；　to　others。　So　the　cause　of　giving　rise　to　that　spiritual　state　is　bodhicitta。　So　then　we　should　understand　how　to　generate　this　mind　of　bodhicitta；　and　the　way　of　meditating　upon　the　causes　which　give　rise　to　the　bodhicitta　are　explained　as　the　'six　cause　and　one　effect'　instructions。

'Six　cause　and　one　result'　instruction

This　'six　cause　and　one　result'　instruction　for　developing　the　mind　aspiring　to　highest　enlightenment　for　the　benefit　of　all　sentient　beings　（that　is　to　say；　the　mind　of　bodhicitta）　…　let　us　look　at　this　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　resultant　state；　that　is　bodhicitta。　The　direct　cause　of　bodhicitta　is　this　special　intent　…　this　thought　that　'I　myself　must　engage　in　this　particular　effort　in　order　to　benefit　all　sentient　beings'。　The　special　intent　has　as　its　cause　a　mind　of　great　passion。　'Great　passion'　is　the　wish　to　separate　each　and　every　sentient　being　from　not　only　dissatisfaction；　but　also　the　very　causes　of　dissatisfaction。　The　cause　for　this　mind　of　great　passion　is　a　mind　of　great　love。　So　here　'great　love'　refers　to　the　attitude　which　wishes　all　sentient　beings　to　have　not　only　manifest　happiness　and　well…being；　but　also　the　causes　which　will　bring　about　such　happiness　and　well…being。　This　then　has　as　its　cause　the　wish　to　repay　the　kindness　of　sentient　beings。　So　here　when　we　think　about　repaying　the　kindness；　we　have　to　remember　the　kindness　which　we　have　been　shown　in　the　past　…　thus　we　have　the　fifth　cause；　that　is；　remembering　the　kindness　of　others。　And　the　kindest　person　to　oneself　is　one's　mother；　so　the　first　（or　the　last　in　the　way　that　we　are　here　presenting　it　at　the　moment）　cause　is　the　mind　which　views　all　sentient　beings　as　having　been　one's　kind　mother　in　a　previous　existence。

So　then　recognising　all　beings　as　having　been　one's　mother　we　have　to　have　a　certain　attitude　towards　sentient　beings。　Because　at　the　moment；　if　we　are　honest　with　ourselves；　the　way　we　view　others　is　that　we　hold　those　who　are　our　friends　or　our　relatives　very　close；　whereas　we　put　a　great　distance　between　ourselves　and　those　who　are　unkind　to　us；　or　are　our　enemies。　So　the　difference　between　the　way　we　view　friends　and　enemies　is　as　vast　as　the　ocean。　If　our　friends　and　relatives　have　nice　experiences；　nice　things；　nice　food　then　we　are　very　happy；　if　they　undergo　any　kind　of　difficulty　then　we　feel　very　sad；　we　wish　to　be　a　friend　at　that　time　or　to　separate　them　from　that　dissatisfaction。　Then　with　regard　to　our　enemy；　the　way　we　view　them　is　that　if　they　have　any　good　qualities　whatsoever　or　any　kind　of　enjoyment；　then　our　mind…state　bees　perturbed；　we　wish　to　pete　with　them；　we　generate　jealousy　towards　them；　we　generate　covetousness　towards　the　enjoyments　which　they　might　possess。　And　if　they　have　any　kind　of　difficulty　whatsoever　then　we　greatly　rejoice；　and　we　are　praying　that　it　might　increase　and　so　forth。　So　with　a　mind　which　is　so　one…sided；　it　is　almost　impossible　to　bring　about　this　mind　which　recognises　all　sentient　beings　as　having　been　one's　kind　mother。　So　initially　we　need　to　equalise　all　sentient　beings；　we　need　to　view　them　all　in　an　equal　light。　And　then　through　having　an　equal　attitude　towards　all　sentient　beings；　whether　they　be　kind　or　difficult　towards　us；　then　on　the　basis　of　that　view；　we　are　able　to　engage　in　the　practices　which　will　bring　about　this　mind　striving　for　full　awakening；　or　the　mind　of　bodhicitta。　So　then　initially　we　need　to　make　the　ground；　or　the　field；　within　which　we　are　going　to　plant　the　causes　which　will　give　rise　to　bodhicitta；　or　the　mind　aspiring　striving　for　enlightenment　for　the　benefit　of　all　sentient　beings。　You　may　then　wonder　–　isn’t　this　a　case　of　a　numerical　miscalculation　–　surely　there　are　seven　causes　and　one　effect？　But　this　is　not　the　case　–　there　are　six　causes　but　the　six　causes　are　like　seeds　which　need　to　be　planted　in　a　field。　So　here　the　‘field’　is　one　of　an　equal　view　of　equanimity　towards　all　sentient　beings；　then　within　that　field；　the　causes　which　will　give　rise　naturally　to　the　mind　aspiring　to　full　enlightenment　are　then　planted。　So　initially　one　needs　to　clean　out　or　make　ready　the　field；　or　the　bed；　and　then　slowly　plant　the　seeds　serially　in　that。

Previous　lives

In　order　to　develop　this　mind　which　views　all　sentient　beings　in　an　equal　light；　one　needs　to　view　one's　friends　as　friends　in　this　lifetime；　but　then　contemplate　that　in　a　previous　existence　they　may　have　been　one's　worst　enemies；　and　those　who　caused　one　a　great　amount　of　difficulty　and　harm。　Then　with　regard　to　one's　enemies；　one　can　contemplate　that　in　a　previous　existence；　these　individuals　may　have　been　those　who　were　extremely　kind　to　one；　having　been　one's　kind　parents　and　so　forth。　So　here　then　we　are　talking　about　previous　existences；　we　are　not　limiting　ourselves　to　this　life　in　and　of　itself。

So　in　order　for　this　to　have　some　weight　behind　it　we　need　to　contemplate　the　existence　of　previous　lives；　and　to　do　this　we　should　utilise　the　reasoning　that　is　given　in　the　Pramanavarttika：　The　first　moment　of　awareness　of　a　fetus　has　a　preceding　moment　which　is　similar　to　it。　The　root　text　of　that　book　tells　us　to　separate　what　we　know　as　the　‘body’　and　‘mind’；　and　then　look　at　the　causes　of　both　of　them。　If　we　look　at　the　cause　of　our　present　physical　form；　then　that　is　the　sperm　of　the　father　and　the　blood　of　the　mother　ing　together；　that　is　the　substantial　cause　of　our　human　form。　But　this　in　and　of　itself　is　not　enough　…　there　has　to　be　something　else　added　to　that　in　order　for　a　live　human　being　to　then　develop　in　the　mother's　womb　and　be　born　…　and　this　is　the　consciousness　which　has　to　enter　into　that　mixture；　and　then　when　the　three　factors　are　plete