[2017 Master Remembrance] Discourse by Teacher Zhen-Ru (1):  Master Gave Us the Way to Remove Suffering and Achieve Happiness

Discourse by Teacher Zhen-Ru 2017/11/28

Today is the Master Remembrance Day and the purpose of today, is for us as disciples, to gather and commemorate Master’s benevolence to us. “Commemorate” means to recall what Master did that were beneficial to us – to truly Recall with our hearts, by Speech or by Body, Speech and Mind.  It is stated in many sutras: if a disciple very sincerely recalls and contemplates on his Master’s [good qualities and kindness to him], this will enable the disciple to eliminate immeasurable sins and accumulate immeasurable merits. Hence, I am not commemorating as a single person nor two persons, there is a big group of us gathering to commemorate. Due to our thoughts on the Master’s kindness, it will increase the causes for progressing on the path, and we will not be someone devoid of gratitude. All of us know that many teachings in the Lamrim stated: If we practise cultivation of faith and gratitude  towards our Master, all the trainings on the path shall arise in us. Hence, I am very grateful to the vast number of Lamrim students, family members and friends, who have come together for Master Remembrance. Rejoice to all of you!

The development of modern Science and technology is very rapid and our living standards is getting higher every day.  However, Science explores outward towards the external, and Buddhism explores inwards – inwards towards the mind. Even though  civilisation in material aspects has reached its peak, with regards to inner peace, serenity, trust in others, intimacy between family members, sense of Social Responsibility, right and positive mindset etc, will these improve as material living standard advances? Or are many problems still seen in the society?

People living in this world have personal issues, public issues like calamities, which are there for all to see. Have you wondered, what is the root cause of these problems? There is a need to re-explore how to remove suffering and gain happiness. How do we remove suffering? How do we gain happiness? We should observe and examine carefully, if suffering and happiness can be changed. Every human has the notion to avoid suffering and achieve happiness, even small animals have this, and this basic instinct is common to all sentient beings. But, how to do it, is a common topic for investigation among all of us.

Speaking of suffering and happiness, we have to investigate the cause. Is there really a cause? If there is a cause, can the process from the cause to the result be changed or can’t it be changed ? If it can be changed, how do we change it? Hence, we can observe if this result of suffering or happiness has a cause in the first place? Is it a strange cause or one that arises from  the combination of various conditions? If it is from a combination of conditions, can reducing or eliminating the cause spare us from suffering the result? If the cause for happiness can be changed and created, then we can continuously create huge number of causes for happiness, even infinite number of such causes. In this way, can the removal of suffering and attainment of happiness be correctly brought about as per our wish? To what extent will this result happen? The result will be: continual increase in happiness, continual reduction of suffering – till the Goal of Buddhahood! How is it like to be Buddha? It will be a state without the slightest trace of suffering, and all happiness will be complete.

If all living beings know that gaining Buddhahood is the end of all sufferings, and completion of all happiness, then there probably will be no living beings who does not want to gain Buddhahood! Therefore, the fundamentals of Buddhism are the Four  Dharma Seals - all compounded things are impermanent, all emotions are suffering, all phenomena are without inherent existence and Nirvana is beyond description. These views come from the understanding of dependent-arising, in fact, these are the views of dependent-arising. Everyone knows about karma and emptiness, the two correct views. If we truly believe in cause and effect, due to having the right view of believing in cause and effect, we will do the ten virtuous deeds and even uphold the precepts. As such, one will achieve the excellent fruits of a human life or deity. If we are able to have accurate understanding of emptiness, we will forever be out of cyclic existence and achieve the noble state of ‘supreme nectar of no death’.

Let us examine again in depth: Accordingly to these views, then does the existence of all happiness and sufferings depend solely on external factors, i.e. we will be happy if external conditions are good, feel suffering if external conditions are bad? Take note! This is still based on our inner understanding of the external circumstances, and is formed based on our inner perception and understanding of external circumstances.

If we accurately understand that our inner understanding of external circumstances will bring about feelings of happiness and suffering, does it mean we have found a crucial point about feelings of suffering and happiness?  In reality, when  one day we examine “what is the relationship between I and the five aggregates?”. When we use this view to examine, we will discover that the root of greed, anger and ignorance, i.e. the view of the perishing aggregates – what this view holds on to might not even exist. Once we understand this, then we will give ourselves the great confidence and courage to come out of cyclic existence. Then, when we gradually work hard on listening, contemplating and practice, who knows ? We might one day be able to attain emptiness!

Therefore, for those of you who are sitting here attending the Master Remembrance Day, in this life we have encountered the Lamrim, we have met Master, what opportunity have these given to our lives? Ten years, five years, seven years, twenty years, thirty years of learning the Lamrim. When we attend Lamrim classes, what are we training ourselves in ? Line of reasoning, it is training our line of reasoning. What is this line of reasoning? It is not just based on feelings to understand our inner thoughts or external circumstances. It is based on in-depth contemplation on the path to happiness and elimination of sufferings. From relying on the excellent Teacher to  Meditative Stabilization and Wisdom, we are training on this line of reasoning in every Lamrim lesson.

【2017忆师恩】真如老师开示(1)：师父带给我们离苦得乐的理路
 真如老师开示 2017/11/28

今天又是一年一度的忆师恩法会，忆师恩法会就是我们这些弟子，能够聚在一起忆念师父的恩德的日子。所谓“忆”字，就是对於师父曾经对我们所做的饶益进行忆念——用心进行忆念，或者讲出来，身口意这样。很多经典裡都有说：如果一个弟子能够用非常虔诚的心，忆念他的善知识的话，那麼可以消灭不可思议的罪业、可以累积不可思议的资粮。所以今天我们不是一个人、两个人在忆念，我们是这麼多人聚在一起忆念。由於我们忆念善知识的恩德，所以会增长道业，不会成为一个背义忘恩的人。大家也知道，在《菩提道次第广论》的很多教授中都有指出：我们如果对善知识如理修信念恩的话，那麼所有的道都将会如量地生起。所以非常非常感恩广大的学员，还有你们的家人、朋友，能在一起忆师恩，非常非常地随喜大家。　　

现在科技的发展已经非常迅速，我们的生活水準也日益地提高，科技探索主要的方向是向外的，而我们佛教探索的方向是向内——就是向内心探索的。现在儘管物质的文明可能已经达到了很高的一个成就，但是人们内心的和平、安寧、信任度，乃至家人的亲密感、对社会的责任感、正向思惟等等，这些是否会随著物质的提高而逐渐地提高呢？还是会有诸如此类的诸多问题。

我们活在这个人世间所有的人，都有目共睹地看到我们个人的问题、公共的问题，比如各种灾难性的问题。那麼这些问题的根本原因到底是什麼呢？所以我们就再度地去探讨“离苦得乐”。到底如何离苦？到底如何得乐？在这裡边就要再再地观察，苦乐可不可以改变？不要痛苦而要快乐的想法是人们都有的，甚至很多小动物也都有，这是所有生命界共同的一个感觉。但是如何离苦得乐，这也是很多生命所共同探讨的问题。

提到苦乐，就一定要探讨苦乐的因。苦乐有没有因？如果有因的话，那麼那个因到果的成熟是可以改变的，还是不可以改变的？如果是可以改变的话，那是怎样改变的？我们就去观察，这个苦乐的產生，首先有没有因？那麼是奇怪的因呢？还是眾缘聚合的这样一个因？如果是眾缘聚合的话，我们试图让苦因变弱甚至消失，那麼苦果是不是就没有了？如果乐因可以改变、可以造作的话，我们就可以把快乐的因造作得越来越多、越来越多，乃至没有穷尽。这样的话，是否离苦得乐就可以正确的、如我们期待的那样发生了？发生到什麼程度呢？就是快乐越来越多、痛苦越来越少——直至成佛！成佛是怎样的？就是一丝丝的痛苦都没有，所有的快乐都圆满了那样的一个状态。
如果所有的生命知道，成佛就是所有的痛苦都远离了、所有的快乐都圆满了，可能没有一个生命不想去成佛吧！所以佛教的根本宗义，就是最著名的四法印——诸行无常、有漏皆苦、诸法无我、涅槃寂静。这些都源於观待缘起而生的这样一个见解，其实也就是缘起见。大家都知道，业果见和空性见这两大正见，如果我们深信因果的话，由於深信因果的这个正见，我们就会遵行十善业道，乃至好好持戒，这样的话就会有一个人天的殊胜果报。如果我们能够确切地了解空性见的话，就将永远地超越轮迴，获得无死甘露的圣位。

那麼我们就再度地探讨：依著这样的见解，种种苦乐是不是只存在於依靠外境的事物，外面的事情快乐我们就快乐，外面显现出痛苦我们就痛苦？注意！还是依据我们的内心对於外境的认知，也就是我们内心对於外境的看法、知见而產生的。

如果确切地认识到，我们内心中对外界的认知会產生苦乐的感受，那麼是不是我们就找到了苦乐感受的一个关键？实际上有一天我们一旦去观察：我与五蕴是什麼关係？用这样一个观点去观察的话，我们就会再再地发现：贪瞋痴的根本，这个无明，它所执的境可能是不存在的。一旦了解了它所执的境可能是不存在，那麼我们就给自己出离轮迴一个极大的信心、极大的勇气；然后慢慢地去努力闻思修的话，谁知道我们也许会证得空性呢！　　

所以，所有坐在忆师恩法会现场的你们，我们这一生值遇了《广论》、值遇了师父，到底给我们的生命一个什麼样的机会？十年、五年、七年、二十年、三十年的学习《广论》。我们上广论班每天都要训练什麼？理路，就在训练理路。理路是什麼？它不是仅仅从感官上去了解内心或者了解外境，它是建立在一个严密思路上的离苦得乐之路。从亲近善知识直到止观双运，我们每一堂的广论班课程，都在训练这个理路。