尋找我們的解脫之路 :大眾禪修 之 《佛子行三十七頌》開示 第十九期

雖然佛陀所傳的教法中有種種不同的修行方法與道路,阿闍黎拉帕策林指出,它們的目的卻無二——皆為證得佛果。那麼,在菩薩的無畏之道中,禪修扮演著怎樣的角色?智慧的修持又應當如何理解?無著賢菩薩佛子行三十七頌的第二十九與第三十頌中對此予以解釋。

止禪:放下抗拒

在止禪修持的初始階段,我們應發願:為了一切有情眾生的真實解脫與安樂而修行,並認真地調整身體的坐姿。在本次課程中,重點在於我們如何對待出現在感官中的一切現象——無論是看似外在的事物,還是內在的體驗。

在止禪修持過程中,無論出現什麼,我們都不應抗拒。換言之,我們接納、容許一切浮現於心中的內容,並將注意力帶回當下這一刻。通過這樣的方式,我們得以調伏與訓練內心,進而圓滿菩薩所修的諸波羅蜜行。

三乘教法:殊途同歸

作為佛法修行者,我們可能會接觸到各種不同的教法與修持方式,有時甚至看起來彼此矛盾。然而,對此阿闍黎強調:“無論傳授多少種不同的方法,其本意都是一致的。” 這在釋迦牟尼佛於諸經典所說的話中得以明確表達:

“知苦,斷集,證滅,修道。”

這是三乘——小乘、大乘與金剛乘——所共同依循的基本原則。與此同時,這三者在側重點、見解及修持方法上又各有不同:

  • 在小乘的道路上,修行的重點在於自身從輪迴苦中解脫。
  • 在大乘的道路上,我們不但尋求自身的解脫,更發願為利益一切眾生而成就證悟。
  • 在金剛乘的道路上,證悟被教導為自身早已具足的品性,並非將來才可成就的。其修行重點在於:我們如何認出並顯現這一本性?

因此,雖說修行的究竟目標相同,但所依的方法各異,因而所行之道也有所不同。

止禪(Samatha) (calm-abiding) 內觀(Vipasyana) (special insight)

在建立了這一理解的基礎上,阿闍黎接著引導我們進入無著賢菩薩《佛子行三十七頌》的第二十九頌,其中寫道:

已知具寂之勝觀
能斷一切煩惱障
遠離四處無色心
修習禪定佛子行

(英譯 克里斯托弗·斯塔格佛子行三十七頌導引 中譯 索達吉堪布)

這一頌所闡明的是第五度——禪定波羅蜜多。雖然三乘中包含了許多不同的禪修法門,但大體上都可歸納為兩類:止禪內觀。阿闍黎結合梵文術語的詞源意義,對此作了如下解釋:

  • 止禪或稱禪定寂靜,是指我們不為外境所擾——如色、聲、香等外在對象,也不被內在煩惱情緒所牽動。雖然我們平時以為自己能夠掌控內心,但當真正開始修習止禪時,才會發現自己其實並不了解心的運作與本質。通過持續練習,即使每天只有五到十分鐘,我們也能逐漸提高專注力,安住於寂靜安穩的狀態之中。
  • 所謂「內觀」這一修法,指的是我們開始對現實進行分析。例如我們眼睛所見的筆等感官對象,是否本質上真實存在、獨立成立?若我們細緻觀察,便會發現世間萬事萬物並非如表面所顯那般真實。我們將會意識到,一切現象皆依他而生,彼此依存;我們所賦予它們的名稱,不過是心識的假立而已。這不僅適用於我們稱之為「筆」的事物——無論它長或短,也同樣適用於我們心中所界定的敵人、朋友,甚至包括「自己」。

在三乘當中,以上兩類禪修都需兼修並行,不可偏廢。

四無色定

將止禪與內觀相結合,能夠逐步提升我們內心的專注力,使心長時間安住於同一對境而不動。通過這樣的修持,便能趨入無著賢菩薩所提及的四無色定。這些是禪定吸收(深定)中的專注境界,在其中,我們對現象的感知方式已異於尋常:

  1. 空無邊處定;
  2. 識無邊處定;
  3. 無所有處定;
  4. 非想非非想處定。

儘管修習止禪內觀能夠引導我們趨入這些更高層次的禪定境界,阿闍黎特別強調:這些仍屬於苦的世間,尚未超出輪迴。菩薩的修行,則是更進一步,徹底超越生死輪迴。正因如此,無著賢菩薩才寫道:「遠離四處無色心,修習禪定佛子行。」

智慧(Prajñā)修持前行 (Wisdom)

在下一頌——第三十頌中,無著賢菩薩指出了第六也是最後一度:般若,即智慧或勝義智。

若無智慧以五度
不得圓滿菩提果
故具方便離三輪
修習智慧佛子行

雖然般若(智慧)被教導為最重要的波羅蜜多,是我們最終所追求的目標,但阿闍黎指出,這一頌說明:若無禪修,智慧便無從生起。因此,他說,我們可以將禪修視為智慧生起的前行與準備,是不可或缺的修持。

此外,正如在先前的課程中所指出的,要使禪修得以順利進行,首先必須圓滿精進;而精進則有賴於安忍的修習;安忍又依於持戒;在持戒之前,更須從布施開始修行。因此,智慧的生起依賴於前面所修的五種波羅蜜多。阿闍黎說道:「 若無這五度作基礎,我們將無法證得智慧。」

超越三輪

以此方式理解佛子的修行,第三十頌關於般若的後兩句也揭示了佛法修持的根本目的:證得無我智慧。

首先,我們需要明白何謂「三輪」。阿闍黎以相互連接的鎖鏈為喻,說明三輪如同將我們囿於輪迴的因,三輪本質上源於深深串習的分別心——執著於一個真實存在的「我」。由此產生三個層面:能行者、所行法與所緣境。例如,在修習布施時,我們通常會認為自己是「給予者」(能行者),行為是「布施」(所行法),而對方則是「受施者」(所緣境)。

對這三輪的分別執著,正是我們在智慧的修持中所要放下的。阿闍黎說道:「這正是我們要超越、要捨棄的。」他接著說:「智慧的修行,就是捨棄三輪的修行。若我們仍執著於三輪,就會繼續被繫縛在輪迴之中,這就如同迷失在一座迷宮裡。」因此,智慧的修持可以理解為:找到通出輪迴之迷的道路。

阿闍黎以對諸位同修的感謝作為本次課程的結束。他祝願大家度過美好的一天並且誠摯地邀請大家下週日繼續一同學習。之後,我們迴向本次學習之功德。

Moving in the Right Direction – 37 Practices – Session 22

How do we know we are moving in the right direction, moving forward on the path of a bodhisattva? Together with commentary on the last verses, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering offered some general reflections on how to put Ngulchu Tokmé’s instructions in the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, into practice. 

Śamatha Without Mental Engagement

Bringing to mind those near to us, as well as those far away, seen and unseen, we began our practice of śamatha by generating the heart of awakening–bodhicitta. Even if all we can do is touch the intention to seek liberation for the benefit of all, there is still great benefit. 

While connecting with this intention, we emphasized gentle attention to the movement of our minds, not mentally engaging our thoughts, following them. By gently bringing our awareness to our body, our breath, or the space around us, we can slow down and start to be present in this moment. Together with our intention, this helps prepare the ground for listening and contemplating the dharma

Reducing Our Self-Fixation

Whether we look from the perspective of the three baskets (Vinaya, Sūtra, and Abhidharma) together with the tree trainings (ethics, concentration, and wisdom), or whether we look through the lens of six pāramitās, the teachings of the buddha all point to the same goal: to remove the fundamental ignorance in our mindstream through giving rise to wisdom. 

This confusion consists of grasping at a self or self-fixation. This is the root of the three poisons (attachment, anger, and ignorance) which, in turn, give rise to 84.000 mental afflictions. For this reason, Acharya explained, the Buddha taught 84.000 dharmas. These can be considered as antidotes to counter each individual mental affliction.  

The last practice Ngulchu Tokmé points to, which is the culmination of all practices, is this ultimate purpose: to free ourselves from conceptualizing the three spheres that lead to self-interest and grasping at a self. 

“What I am trying to say is that the main goal of our practice is to attain the wisdom of selflessness. Whatever practice we engage in, if it helps us reduce our self-fixation, we are moving in the right direction. But if our practice leads to greater self-fixation, we may not be going the right way.” 

Acharya Lhakpa reminded us of something taught by the great kagyü master Gampopa. If we do not practice the dharma in harmony with the dharma, we risk falling into the lower realms. With that reminder, our resident teacher turned to the final verses of Ngulchu Tokmé’s text.

No Coffee Table Dharma

The first of the four concluding verses reads as follows: 

“Following after the speech of the noble ones
And the meaning of what is said in the sutras, tantras, and treatises, 
I have put forth these thirty-seven practices of a bodhisattva 
For those who wish to practice the bodhisattva path.” 
(Quoted from A Guide to the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, translated by Christopher Stagg) 

This seems very clear: Ngulchu Tokmé points out he did not make these practices up by himself but followed the teachings of Buddha Śākyamuni and the commentaries composed by the great Indian masters. Thus, as Acharya put it, this text is not “coffee table dharma.” 

Ngulchu Tokmé’s text continues with the following verse: 

“Because I am of inferior intellect and little training, 
I do not have any poetic verse to please the learned ones. 
Yet, because I have relied upon the sutras and the noble masters’ speech, 
I believe these practices of a bodhisattva to be without error.”

Acharya explained that in this verse we can see how Ngulchu Tokmé relied upon the direct words of the Buddha and the commentaries of the noble masters, who all taught the same Dharma: how to tame and train the mind. Based on their teachings, Ngulchu Tokmé attempted to put exactly this into writing in these 37 verses, which point to the practice of a bodhisattva. 

Big Vision, Small Steps

Like the previous verse, Ngulchu Tokmé indicates in the next as well that he is aware that his capabilities are fairly limited: 

“Nevertheless, because it is difficult for someone like me with an inferior mind
To fathom the vastness of bodhisattva conduct, 
I pray the holy ones will forgive
All faults, such as contradictions and irrelevancies.” (e)

In his commentary on this verse, Acharya explained that we may sometimes feel confident that we can help all other sentient beings. However, apart from the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, we are far from understanding the interests and mental dispositions of others–let alone those all sentient beings, who are taught to be as limitless as the sky. 

As Acharya continued, he noted that Ngulchu Tokmé recognizes his limitations and writes that he described the practices of a bodhisattva only to the best of his ability. Since it is quite possible that these verses may contain “contradictions” or “irrelevancies,” he humbly asks the Buddhas and bodhisattvas for forgiveness if that is the case.

Like Ngulchu Tokmé, we need to recognize our own limitations. This does not mean we should not have a vast vision or great aspirations. After all, on the path of a bodhisattva, we strive to attain buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. However, we need to take small steps. What matters is to get closer and closer, step by step. This is what our practice should be like. 

Practicing Wisdom and Compassion

Ngulchu Tokmé concludes with a dedication prayer and writes: 

“By the virtue of that, may all beings
Through the supreme bodhicitta, both ultimate and relative,
Become like the protector Avalokiteshvara, 
Who does not abide in the extremes of samsara or nirvana.” 

In this verse, Acharya pointed out that Ngulchu Tokmé writes about both ultimate bodhicitta and relative bodhicitta–wisdom and skillful means (or compassion), respectively.

Since the noble Avalokiteśvara possesses both of those qualities, he “does not abide in the extremes of samsara or nirvana.” For this reason, Ngulchu Tokmé prays that this text, and engaging in the practices of a bodhisattva described in these verses, may be the cause for all sentient beings to become just like him.  

Making Progress

At the conclusion of our discussion of this text, it becomes clear that our practices is essentially about cultivating two qualities: wisdom and compassion. In other words, we are encouraged to develop relative bodhicitta (compassion) and ultimate bodhicitta (wisdom). Of course, we may not be able to fully engage in and or realize the results of these practices right away. 

Acharya offered his apologies for any confusion his explanations may have caused, and expressed his sincere wish and prayer that our exploration of Ngulchu Tokmé’s text will support us in making progress on the path of a bodhisattva–slowly, step by step. 

Although we have a question-and-answer session next time, with this prayer we concluded the our reading of the text and dedicated the merit of our practice.