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Global Lamrim II

Lecture No. 0284

Lamrim Volume 1:  Pg37LL10 ~ P38-L3

Tape No: NA

Date: 23 May 2022

Topic: How the translation of Abhidharma Mahavibhasa Sastra began and concluded

Greetings to all! It is the time for our Lamrim study again. Before we start, please introspect your mind: at this given moment, what is the one thing we do that can generate the most benefit for our own life and the life of others? Obviously, it is studying, contemplating and meditating/practicing on the sublime teaching. Why do studying, contemplating, and meditating/practicing the sublime teachings bring self and others the greatest and ultimate significance? We have to ponder on it beginning from the perspective of our suffering and happiness: What is the right path to eliminate suffering and attain happiness? We must eradicate all non-virtuous deeds, diligently engage in all virtuous deeds; when all non-virtuous deeds are eliminated and all virtuous deeds are perfected, that is the time one achieves Buddhahood. [00:47]

Then, how do we enable all our non-virtuous karma generated through our three karmic doors to be completely purified, and all virtuous deeds to be cultivated? We must rely on a type of teaching or take a certain path. The path is what Buddha illustrated to us in the scriptures, instructing us to take the path of eliminating suffering and attaining happiness. You can name it as the three trainings or as the stages of the path. Let us listen to such a teaching, contemplate on it, and gradually apply it, it is as if we were “baking”, baking our unwholesome karma with the teaching. If our negative karma is like an ancient iceberg, then it will melt under the heat of the sublime teaching. To convince our mind to constantly use the teachings to make discernment in the face of arising conditions, allowing our precepts to become more and more purified, more accustomed and diligent in the habit of engaging in virtuous deeds. [01:45]

This way, by the rinse of water, burning from fire, we repeatedly cleanse and refine our mind, until we are proficient in the three trainings, that we have a reign over our mind with great ease. At that time, we will be happy when we want to, and be able to remove suffering as we wish. It would not be like where we are now; we cannot get away from suffering when we try to, and end up further from the ideal happiness that we wish for. These accurate and precise means of the path of eliminating suffering and attain happiness will be explained to us via Buddha’s discourse. Thus, we need to utilize the most precious time we have in this human life to listen and contemplate on Buddha’s teaching, or even transform our physical, mental and verbal karma. We should diligently observe “what is there to do except to stand guard over your mind day and night? [v. 1, p.349]” What is it for to stand guard over our mind? It is to cast aside what is non-virtuous and adopt what is virtuous. [02:41]

Very well! Today, we will continue with our study of the Introduction to the Four Interwoven Annotations, please turn to page 108. We will start from the middle section and continue to elaborate on the good qualities of Master Atisha. The section we are going to study is the paragraph about how Master Atisha was “trained in the higher and lower scriptural collections of Buddhist knowledge. [v. 1, p.37]” Please read the words in blue. [03:06]

 [*Please refer to: Steps on the Path to Enlightenment v.1 page 23~26 by Geshe Lhundub Sopa]

Thus, Master Atisha not only mastered doctrines of both Buddhist and non-Buddhist sects; he learned all the scriptures not just for learning’s sake, but rather he thoroughly understood the concepts of every doctrine of philosophical schools. He crossed the ocean of all doctrinal systems; he grasped the gist of the experiential knowledge and scriptural knowledge of all sublime teachings flawlessly. [05:24]

The commentators in the Vaibhashika School thought of the Abhidharma Mahavibhasa Sastra not as a sutra but a commentary. As we all know, there is the Chinese translation of this text, translated by Master Xuan-zang. However, there was no Tibetan translation of this commentary in the past, which means that the Abhidharma Mahavibhasa Sastra did not exist in the Tibetan scriptural collections at first. Then, why didn’t the translators translate it into Tibetan? It wasn’t because there was no one in Tibet who were capable of the translation, it was because translation [of Abhidharma Mahavibhasa Sastra] was not allowed. In fact, not all scriptures from India have been translated into Tibetan. Whether a sutra or commentary could be translated or not, or whether it would be suitable for Tibetans or not, back then the kings and Panditas would discuss and make decisions before the translation was permitted. And translation of Abhidharma Mahavibhasa Sastra wasn’t allowed. [08:11]

However, with regards to the study of Abhidharmakosa, there were many quotes originating from Abhidharma Mahavibhasa Sastra, without it, it might be very challenging to learn Abhidharmakosa. Thus, many Geshes began to discuss this matter; after which, they implored for consent to have this commentary translated. Venerable Fa-zun obtained this consent, thus the translation of Abhidharma Mahavibhasa Sastra began. Which language did he translate from and translate into? He translated this commentary from Chinese language into Tibetan language. Several years ago, the translated commentary was recovered in Venerable Fa-zun’s manuscript, and it has even been published in print. We already have Abhidharma Mahavibhasa Sastra, it is the Chinese version translated by Master Xuan-zang. [09:03]

讲次 | 0284 (2020-12-17 ~ 2020-12-20)

标题 | 《大毗婆沙》翻译始末

《广论》段落 | P4-L2 ~ P4-L4 此后乃至三十一岁……正法中枢要处者。

入门段落 | 第1册 P108-L5 ~ P109-LL1 学习上下部内明经咒之理......并且已经出版

(更新日期: 2022年5月23日)

大家好！又到了我们学习《广论》的时间了。在学习之前，请大家观察一下自己的内心：这个时间，我们做什么是对自己的生命和他人的生命最有利益的？很显然是闻思修正法。那么闻思修正法为什么会给自他带来最大的、最究竟的意义呢？这就要从我们的苦乐开始想：什么是离苦得乐的正道呢？就是要断除所有的恶业、勤修所有的善业，当所有的恶业都灭尽、所有的善业都圆满的时候，就是成佛的时候。00:47

那么如何令我们三业中的恶全部地灭尽，让我们的善全部都修起来呢？我们必须依靠一种法或者依靠一种道。这个道就是佛陀在经典里启示我们的、教诫我们的离苦得乐之道，你可以说是三学，也可以说是道次第。让我们去听闻、去思惟这样的法，并且慢慢地用这样的法，好像烘烤一样去烤我们的恶业。如果我们的恶业是千万年的坚冰的话，那么在正法的热度的这种烘烤下，它就会融化。说服我们的内心不停地去对境抉择，让自己的律仪越来越清净，更习惯地、更勤勉地去修行善法。01:45

这样的话，就是水洗、火烧，数数地淬炼我们的内心，直到我们非常非常地善巧三学，能够非常自如地操纵我们的心。那个时候我们想要快乐就会快乐、想要离苦就会离苦，不会像现在这样，想要离苦离不了、想要得到快乐却有求不得苦。这些非常精确的离苦得乐之道，佛陀会开示我们，所以要用我们人生最宝贵的时间来听闻佛法、思惟佛法，乃至改变自己的三业。精勤地“昼夜唯应观察自心，岂有余事？”观察自心做什么呢？舍恶、取善。02:41

好！今天我们就继续学习《四家合注入门》，请大家把书翻到 108 页。看中间这一段，再继续讲阿底峡尊者的功德，今天将学习到阿底峡尊者“学习上下部内明经咒之理”这一段。请看蓝字。03:06

一切有部的论师认为《大毘婆沙》不是佛经，是论。大家都知道有汉译本，是玄奘大师译的。但是过去却没有翻成藏文，就是藏文里边的论典是没有《大毘婆沙论》的。那么为什么译师没有把它翻成藏文呢？并不是以前的西藏人没有人能翻，而是不准翻译。印度的经论其实并没有完全地翻成藏文，对于可不可翻、适不适合西藏，那个时候的国王与班智达们会一起讨论做出判断，然后才能翻译，而《大毘婆沙》是不可以翻的。08:11

但是对于学习《俱舍》来说，里面引用了很多《大毘婆沙》的文字，没有它，可能《俱舍》学起来会很困难。所以很多格西就开始讨论了，讨论之后就劝请能将这本论翻译出来。法尊法师就得到了这样的允许，所以才着手翻译《大毘婆沙论》。他是从什么文翻成什么文啊？是从汉文翻成藏文。这本论前几年在尊法师的手稿里边已找到，而且已经印刷出版了，是藏文版的。我们已经有《大毘婆沙论》，是玄奘大师译的汉文版。09:03