宗喀巴_三主要道英文版及解释-第4部分

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　　　　Think　repeatedly　of　the　infallible　effects　of　karma
　　　　and　the　misery　of　this　world。　

So　here　then　we　are　taught　about　renunciation；　renunciation　away　from　initially　this　life　and　then　subsequently　from　future　lives；　so　two　kinds　of　renunciation　are　thus　taught。　So　with　regard　to　the　first　practice　of　turning　one's　mind　from　this　life；　one　can　bring　about　this　change　in　one's　attitude　through　reflecting　on　the　preciousness　of　human　existence；　precious　human　rebirth；　and　then　through　the　impermanence　of　human　life。　So　through　these　kind　of　contemplations　and　the　contemplation　of　action　（cause　and　effect）；　one　can　turn　one's　mind　away　from　the　pleasures　of　this　life　and　bring　to　mind　the　future　lives　which　are　yet　to　e。　So　the　basis　on　which　we　can　do　this　kind　of　contemplation　is　our　human　existence；　that　is　to　say　our　precious　human　rebirth　which　we　now　possess；　a　life　of　leisure　and　opportunity；　which　the　text　then　tells　us　are　difficult　to　find。　So　if　we　want　to　quote；　for　example；　from　Lama　Tsong　Khapa's　works；　then　we　read　that　this　human　existence　is　more　precious　than　a　wish…fulfilling　gem。　So　how　is　it　more　precious　than　that　gem？　In　the　worldly　sense；　if　we　have　a　wish…fulfilling　gem；　if　we　polish　it；　and　put　it　atop　a　pole　then　whatever　prayers　we　make　to　this　wish…fulfilling　gem　are　instantly　fulfilled；　through　which　we　can　have　all　the　riches　and　enjoyments　in　one　lifetime。　But　with　regard　to　future　lifetimes；　there　is　nothing　we　can　take　with　us。　It　is　only　in　dependence　upon　this　kind　of　human　existence　which　we　have　now　that　we　can　put　ourselves　in　a　position　where　we　will　achieve　the　status　of　human　being　or　god　in　the　future；　or　if　we　so　wish；　the　various　kinds　of　liberation；　that　is　to　say；　the　greater　and　the　lesser　vehicle　liberations　from　the　cycle　of　existence。　This　can　all　be　brought　about　only　through　dependence　upon　the　support　of　precious　human　existence　which　is　more　precious　than　the　wish…fulfilling　gem　in　that　we　can　fulfil　our　future　aims　through　and　in　dependence　upon　this　precious　human　existence。　Then　it　says　that　this　human　existence　is　something　which　is　difficult　to　find。　So　here　then　we　should　understand　why　it　is　difficult　of　find；　and　this　we　can　understand　through　two　key　points；　that　is　to　say；　difficult　to　find　because　its　cause　is　difficult；　and　through　an　example。　So　initially　then　through　an　example：　In　the　sutras　we　read　that　the　Buddha　was　once　asked　'What　is　the　difference　between　beings　in　the　higher　realms　and　those　in　the　lower　realms？'　So　to　answer　this　the　Buddha　put　his　finger　in　the　earth　and　said　'the　amount　of　dust　which　I　have　on　my　fingertip　symbolises　those　beings　in　the　pleasurable　states；　or　the　states　of　bliss；　whereas　all　the　other　grains　of　sand　and　dust　which　are　on　the　face　of　the　earth　resemble　those　who　are　in　the　unfortunate　states；　or　the　states　of　suffering　and　misery'。　So　through　that　example　we　can　see　that　having　an　existence　which　is　within　this　fingertip　of　dust；　that　is　to　say；　in　the　realms　of　bliss；　or　the　higher　realms；　is　something　extremely　difficult　to　achieve；　whereas　if　we　look　all　around　us　it's　impossible　even　to　count　the　amount　of　dust　one　might　e　into　contact　with　in　the　street；　something　which　is　pletely　uncountable。　Then　with　regard　to　the　cause；　the　cause　is　principally　to　guard　ethical　behaviour。　So　this　is　the　root　cause　and　this　needs　to　be　supplemented　with　the　practice　of　the　six　perfections　and　plemented　by　stainless　prayers。　So　we　might　think　that　if　we　don't　keep　virtuous　or　ethical　behaviour　but　rather　engage　in　the　practice　of　the　six　perfections　we　may　achieve　some　higher　existence　as　a　human；　but　as　Nagarjuna　mentions　in　his　book；　what　we　find　is　that　wealth　es　about　through　the　practice　of　the　perfection　of　giving；　while　the　states　of　bliss　（that　is　to　say；　the　higher　realms　of　existence　humans；　gods　and　so　forth）　e　about　through　engaging　in　the　practice　of　ethical　conduct。　This　is　mented　upon　by　Chandrakirti　in　his　book　'Entrance　to　the　Middle　Way'　when　he　says　that　through　engaging　in　the　practice　of　generosity；　it　doesn't　necessarily　follow　that　one　will　be　reborn　in　the　states　of　bliss　（that　is　to　say；　in　the　higher　states　of　existence）；　because　even　if　one　engages　in　the　practice　of　giving；　if　one　doesn’t　protect　one's　ethical　behaviour　one　may　be　reborn　as　a　spirit　which　is　quite　wealthy　or；　for　example；　a　snake　spirit；　a　naga　spirit；　which　is　well…renowned　for　having　plentiful　jewels。　Having　wealth　or　jewels　in　that　instance　es　about　through　engaging　in　the　practice　of　generosity；　however；　that　individual　hasn't　engaged　correctly　in　the　practice　of　the　protection　of　morality；　therefore　hasn't　achieved　the　status　of　humans　or　gods　（that　is　to　say　the　realms　of　bliss）　through　the　very　fact　of　not　protecting　the　cause；　that　is；　ethical　behaviour。　So　through　contemplating　these　things　we　can　e　to　see　how　the　precious　human　existence　which　we　now　have　in　our　hands　is　something　which　is　not　only　more　useful　than　a　wish…fulfilling　gem；　but　is　also　something　which　is　incredibly　difficult　to　e　by。　
　
　Contemplation　on　Death

So　then　through　these　contemplations　of　one's　precious　human　existence；　one　abandons　all　non…beneficial　action。　Then　through　contemplating　how　difficult　it　is　to　find　such　a　human　existence；　one　will　seek　out　what　will　take　the　essence　of　this　precious　human　existence；　that　is　to　say；　one　will　put　a　lot　of　effort　into　engaging　in　the　practice　of　the　Dharma　through　seeing　that　one　has　in　one's　hands　the　incredible　opportunity　to　make　use　of　this　life；　and　then　the　preciousness　of　one's　life　won't　be　carried　off　by　the　thief　of　laziness。　So　here　we　have　to　understand　that　this　precious　human　life　which　we　have　is　not　something　which　is　going　to　last　forever　…　at　some　point　there　is　going　to　be　the　separation　of　the　mind　and　the　body。　So　when　we　talk　about　having　a　life…force　within　us；　this　life…force　is　basically　referring　to　one's　physical　body　and　one's　mind　being　joined　together；　so　that　when　this　joining　of　these　two　aggregates　is　broken；　this　is　what　is　known　as　'death'；　or　the　separation　of　the　life…force。　So　when　this　occurs；　one's　physical　form　remains　and　is　buried　or　whatever　and　then　aggregate　of　consciousness　goes　on　to　one's　future　existence。　So　this　is　what　is　meant　by　'death'；　and　this　is　something　which　is　definitely　going　to　happen　to　all　of　us。　Now　death　is　something　which　is　definitely　going　to　happen　to　all　of　us；　but　the　time　of　our　death　is　something　which　is　not　sure；　not　definite。　If　it　were　definite　then　we　could　mark　it　on　the　calendar　and　then　just　practice　a　bit　beforehand；　but　however　that　is　not　the　case　…　we　could　pass　away　at　any　time。　So　this　being　the　case；　we　should　really　strive　to　engage　in　the　practice　of　the　Dharma　while　we　have　the　chance　to　do　that。　Then　the　third　contemplation　on　death　is　that　nothing　is　of　any　use　to　us　at　the　time　of　death　apart　from　the　amount　of　time　we　have　engaged　in　the　practice　of　the　Dharma。　The　reason　for　this　is　if　we　look　at　our　predicament　…　when　we　are　dying；　no　matter　how　rich　we　are；　all　our　wealth　gets　left　behind；　no　matter　how　many　friends　or　associates　we　have；　they　all　get　left　behind；　even　our　body　which　we　have　striven　so　hard　to　protect　and　adorn　and　make　look　beautiful　…　this　at　the　time　of　death　gets　left　behind；　and　all　that　goes　on　to　the　future　existence　is　the　aggregate　of　one's　mind　and　the　amount　of　positive　potential　and　Dharma　practice　which　one　has　imprinted　upon　the　aggregate　of　one's　consciousness。　So　then　we　should　contemplate　that　not　only　do　we　have　this　precious　human　existence　which　is　difficult　to　find　and　has　great　meaning；　but　we　should　strive　to　put　this　into　use　through　contemplating　the　great　purpose　of　human　life　and　how　difficult　it　is　to　achieve　that；　through　contemplating　that　we　are　definitely　going　to　die；　that　the　time　of　our　death　is　uncertain；　and　that　the　only　thing　that　will　be　of　any　use　to　us　at　the　time　of　death　is　how　much　Dharma　practice　we　have　done　in　our　life。

So　the　second　line　then：

　　　　There　is　no　time　to　waste；
　　　　reverse　attraction　to　this　life…

So　here　what　we　are　advised　to　do　is　to　engage　in　the　practices　which　we　have　gone　through　…　contemplating　the　preciousness　of　one's　human　existence；　how　it　is　something　difficult　to　e　by　and　has　great　meaning　and　that　it　is　not　something　which　is　going　to　last　but　rather　is　something　that　is　at　some　point　going　to　pass　away。　So　through　these　contemplations；　we　e　to　the　state　of　reversing　attraction　to　this　life。　The　sign　of　this　is　that　we　do　not　engage　in　any　worldly　actions；　that　is　to　say；　actions　which　will　bring　about　a　result　in　this　life；　rather　we　are　striving　to　utilise　all　our　time　to　generate　positive　potential　and　positive　Dharma　training　that　will　be　of　use　to　us　in　future　lives。　So　once　that　has　been　developed　fully　within　us；　we　can　be　said　to　be　on　our　way　with　the　practice　which　is　in　mon　with　an　individual　of　lesser　capacity。　Then　we　should　try　to　emulate　the　great　Kadampa　geshe　Potowa　who　used　to　spend　all　his　time　engaged　in　the　practice　of　meditation　or　explaining　the　Dharma　or　engaging　in　different　kinds　of　practice。　He　was　continually　meditating；　reading　Dharma；　explaining　the　Dharma　…　he　wasn't　an