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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0280

Lamrim Volume 1:  P37-L15 ~ L21

Date: 17 Jul 2022

Topic: Dreamed about receiving Tantric teachings from Vagisvarakirti Pandita

What level of attainment did Vagisvarakirti Pandita have? Let’s continue to read the text. Vagisvarakirti Pandita was the defender, standing guard on the west gates of both Nalanda and Vikramalasila monasteries in India – upon hearing this, we would know how prominent he was to be appointed as the defender standing guard the gates of monasteries. At that time, if someone came to challenge the monastery, there was the need to have the brilliant defender to debate with the challenger right at the gate because, in case the defender lost the debate to the challenger, the entire monastery would be lost to the challenger. Hence, the defenders standing guard at the gate were all extraordinarily outstanding. Vagisvarakirti Pandita defended the west gate; thus, it sounds like he was definitely a very proficient expert! [02:09]

Vagisvarakirti Pandita was born at Mrgadava – pay attention – to a royal family. He was ordained under the Mahasamghika School with the Dharma name of Silakirti. He beseeched the Cakrasamvara Tantric teaching from Hasavajra, and then he focused on this training at Magadha. Later, he dreamed about his yidam (chosen deity). To validate if he had attained mastery in language, Vagisvarakirti Pandita went to the riverbank of the famous Indian river; what river was it? It was the Ganges River. He plucked a red flower from the karavira tree, which emanated sound and illumination. Not sure why this tree could emit light and  sounds; I am wondering what kind of tree it was. Anyway, Vagisvarakirti Pandita plucked the flower and tossed it into the Ganges River. The flower floated downstream for quite a distance, it just drifted along the current; then all of a sudden, this flower floated upstream, moving against the current! As a saying goes, if you were able to make a flower or an alms bowl to flow against the current, that indicates you have certain attainment in terms of your practice; that was what people said. From then on, Vagisvarakirti Pandita was able to comprehend a thousand verses on the scriptures every day, and he was known as Vagisvarakirti – meaning mastery in language. [03:27]

Very erudite in both Sutrayana and Tantrayana knowledge, Vagisvarakirti Pandita accomplished the entire Dharma Works by giving teachings, debating, and composing commentaries – the three kinds of work (in language). Also, he could often meet with the female Buddha - Tara, who would answer his questions; that is, whenever he was in doubt, he would ask Tara; that is truly incredible! Later he was invited by the king to defend the west gates for both Nalanda and Vikramalasila monasteries. That is, when someone came to challenge the monasteries, he was the defender standing guard at the west gate. He often offered whatever he received to Buddha and Sangha. He also founded a school to study, contemplate, and meditate on both Sutrayana and Tantrayana teachings. In later years, he resided in Nepal and focused on personal practice. From time to time, he would give Tantric teachings to the public. He was such an eminent practitioner. The flower he plucked could flow upstream on the Ganges River! [04:21] 　

Master Atisha dreamed about him, right? He dreamed about receiving one hundred thousand, four hundred, and fifty-one volumes of Tantric teachings from Vagisvarakirti Pandita. Later,  Master Atisha had a thought, “I alone am skilled in the mantra vehicle.” That is, “There wouldn’t be anyone else that can surpass me in terms of the skills of the mantra vehicle, because I have listened to and received so many Tantric teachings; would there be another person like me in this world? I don’t think so, right?” Such arrogance arose in his mind. And what did dakinis do? “His pride was subdued by dakinis in a dream showing him many volumes of the mantra path that he had not seen before.” Didn’t he receive many teachings from the lineage in his dreams, right? And in his dream, dakinis further showed him many other volumes of Tantric scriptures that he had never seen before, and thus his pride was subdued. Therefore,  Master Atisha realized that his Tantric studies were not yet completed, and his arrogance was tamed. [05:13] 　　

Honorable Tara once told him: “The Tantric scriptures in this human world are like the mere tip of a horsehair. Most Tantric scriptures are stored in the naga palace and the deity realms.” If the entire corpus of the Tantric scriptures is like a horse, then the volumes of the Tantric scriptures preserved in the human world is just like one hair of this horse; to be more exact, it is only the tip of the horsehair! However,  Master Atisha once believed that no one else was more skillful than him in terms of Tantra practice in the human world. Later,  Master Atisha went to  Samye Gompa (monastery) in Tibet. In the repository of  Samye monastery,  Master Atisha saw the multitudinous of Sanskrit scriptures. What was most astonishing to Master Atisha was that he had never seen many of these Sanskrit texts while he was in India; surprisingly, he saw them at Samye Gompa in Tibet! Hence, he said, “Alas! It never occurred to me that Tibet would have such a voluminous collection of Tantric scriptures; I have never seen these scriptures even while I was in India. It must have been that Guru Padmasambhava employed his clairvoyant power and brought them back from the deity realms or the naga palace; otherwise, this would not be possible.” [06:21]

I am wondering if there are many Sanskrit scriptures preserved in  Samye Gompa (monastery) today. Imagine how Master Atisha would feel when he found those scriptures; he could be very surprised and he would cherish them very much! When we study the Biography of  Master Atisha in the future, I suppose that there should be a section about this! Then, we can read it more closely and I will expound on it more thoroughly. So stay tuned! [06:45]

讲次 | 0280 (2020-12-03 ~ 2020-12-06)

标题 | 梦从语王名称班智达听受密续

《广论》段落 | P3-LL4 ~ P3-LL2 二十九岁以内……摧其慢意。

入门段落 | 第1册 P105-L9 ~ P106-LL1 二十九岁以内......否则不可能会有的。”

备注 | 四家合注《白话校注集》第1册 P114-LL6注释⑨ ~ P115-L7注释⑨完 语王名称班智达......此处系依印度文献的说法。

(更新日期: 2022年7月17日)

00:00

这个语王班智达是什么样的一个成就者呢？我们再看一下。语王名称班智达是印度那烂陀及超戒两个寺院的西门镇守者——一听就是很厉害，是守山门的大成就者。那个时候如果有人来挑衅这个寺院的话，得有很厉害的人出去在门口跟他们辩论，因为一旦辩输了，整个寺院就都没有了，所以这都是赫赫有名的。他是镇守西门的，听起来是绝对的武林高手！02:09

他出生于鹿野苑的——注意——王族，依大众部出家，法名希拉吉帝。他从哈萨班杂请求胜乐金刚成就法，然后在摩羯陀一心修持，后来于梦中亲见本尊。语王名称班智达为了验证他是否真实地获得了语自在成就，走到了印度那条著名的河的河边，什么河？就是恒河。他从一棵树上摘下了会发出声音并且放光的嘎惹维里树红花。不知道为什么这个树会放光还会发声音，我一直在想这是一棵什么树？总之班智达摘下了这个花，然后他就抛撒到恒河上。花朵漂流数由旬之后——它开始是顺着漂，漂、漂、漂，这个花朵突然开始转向逆流而上！就有这种说法：如果你能让一朵花或者一个钵逆流而上的话，那么你对这个法就成就了，有这种说法。从此他每天可以了达千偈的经论文义，被称为语王、语自在。03:27

这位大善知识通达了显密一切明处，圆满讲、论、著三种事业，又能常常地亲见圣母度母为他解释疑惑——有什么问题是问度母的，实在是了不起！后来就受国王的邀请，镇守那烂陀寺还有超戒两个寺的西门，就是这两个寺有人挑战的时候，西门就归他了。他常常以所获得的财物供佛及僧，并且创立了显密闻思修的学院。晚年居住在尼泊尔，以自修为主，偶尔会为大家讲密法。就是这样的一个成就者，他摘下的花朵会沿着恒河逆流而上！04:21

阿底峡尊者梦到了他，对不对？梦见从语王名称班智达听受了十万四百五十一部密续。后来尊者就想了一个念头：“于诸密咒唯我善巧。”“应该没有人比我更善巧密咒了，因为听闻而且获得了如此众多的密法，在这世上还会有第二个人吗？应该不会有了吧！”示现生起了慢心。然后空行母做了什么呢？“诸空行母于其梦中，陈示众多昔所未见密咒经函，摧其慢意。”不是在梦里得了很多传承吗？空行母又在梦里给他看了太多、太多完全没有见过的密咒经函，降伏了慢心。于是尊者示现知道自己于密法尚未修学究竟，心中的慢意也就被降伏了。05:13

至尊度母曾经对他说：“在人间现有的密咒，仅像是马的毛端这么多而已，密咒的经函典籍大多是在龙宫以及天界里边。”说假如整个密法的教典是一匹马的话，那么人间所存的密法只有一匹马身上的一根毛，而且是毛尖那么大！但是他认为对于人间所拥有的密咒而言，已经是没有比他更善巧的。后来阿底峡尊者到了西藏的桑耶寺，在桑耶寺的藏经阁里见到了很多的梵文典籍，当中最惊讶的是，有很多阿底峡尊者在印度的时候都没有看过的梵文本，居然在西藏的桑耶寺里看到了！所以他就说：“哎呀！心里从未想过西藏会有这么多密法的经论，在印度也从没有看过这些教典，这除非是莲花生阿阇黎用神通从天界或者从龙宫请回来的，否则是不可能有的。”06:21

不知道现在的桑耶寺里面还有没有那么多梵本的典籍？想一想阿底峡尊者看到那些典籍的时候，可能会特别、特别地惊喜和珍惜吧！我们以后在学阿底峡尊者传的时候，应该会有写到这一段吧！我们可能可以更详细一点讲，敬请期待！06:45