宗喀巴_三主要道英文版及解释-第7部分

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s　or　associates　around　us。　However　when　circumstances　change　for　the　worse；　we　do　seem　to　find　that　these　close；　or　seemingly　close；　friends　or　associates　seem　to　go　farther　and　farther　away　from　us；　abandoning　us　in　our　time　or　hour　of　need。　With　regard　then　to　the　practice　of　hearing　and　the　knowledge　we　have　gained　through　that；　then　in　difficult　situations　or　in　positive　situations；　that　friend　continually　remains　with　us　in　all　circumstances。　In　a　worldly　sense　then　when　circumstances　are　good；　we　seem　to　have　a　lot　of　friends　and　then　when　circumstances　are　bad；　our　friends　seem　to　keep　a　distance　and　then　finally　disappear　from　sight。　So　actually　if　we　pare　ourselves　…　a　person　who　has　heard　the　Dharma　teaching　and　has　contemplated　the　Dharma　teaching　and　has　that　kind　of　friend；　with　somebody　who　doesn't　have　that　kind　of　friend；　then　during　the　good　times　there　is　not　really　that　much　difference　between　us。　However　in　the　difficult　times　when　circumstances　change　for　the　worse；　we　find　that　through　contacting　this　friend；　that　is　to　say　bringing　to　mind　the　teachings　we　have　heard　…　like　if　we　lose　wealth　for　example；　we　can　contemplate　on　the　changing　nature　of　the　cycle　of　existence；　if　we　have　various　sicknesses　or　illnesses　befall　us　or　bereavements　and　so　forth；　we　can　again　contemplate　on　the　suffering　nature　of　the　cycle　of　existence；　if　we　are　harmed　by　other　human　beings　or　perhaps　various　snake　spirits　and　so　forth　…　whatever　the　harmer　…　we　can　reflect　upon　how　we　might　have　harmed　that　particular　individual　in　a　previous　existence；　thus　we　can　contemplate　on　the　karmic　law；　we　can　also　then　expand　our　view　to　include　others；　thinking　that　this　is　just　a　small　difficulty　when　pared　with　the　difficulties　of　all　other　sentient　beings　which　are　around　me　and　in　the　world　system。　Thus　we　can　utilise　this　friend；　we　can　chat　with　this　friend　which　is　the　friend　of　initially　hearing　the　teaching　…　this　excellent　associate　which　doesn’t　abandon　us　during　our　hour　of　need　but　is　continually　there　for　us。　Thus　hearing　the　teaching　and　the　knowledge　gained　therefrom　is　like　the　'best　of　friends　or　associates'。

Contemplation　on　Suffering

So　now　we　e　to　the　text　which　we　are　going　through。　Initially　then　let　us　contemplate　on　dissatisfaction　or　suffering；　the　reason　for　this　is　that　we　have　to　know　what　suffering　is　in　order　to　turn　away　from　dissatisfaction　or　suffering。　Through　trying　to　achieve　liberation　we　need　to　remove　this　grasping　attachment　so　we　have　to　understand　the　faults　of　what　we　are　attached　to；　and　then　through　understanding　those　faults；　we　can　turn　away　from　them。　At　present　our　mind　is　infatuated　and　continually　holding　on　to；　or　stuck　to；　the　cycle　of　existence。　Through　thinking　of　the　faults　then　of　the　cycle　of　existence；　we　can　turn　our　minds　away　from　the　cycle　of　existence；　or　the　cycle　of　pain。　So　this　is　mentioned　by　Lama　Tsong　Khapa　in　his　writings　when　he　says　that　the　more　we　are　able　to　contemplate　on　the　faults　of　the　cycle　of　existence；　or　dissatisfaction；　then　the　stronger　our　yearning　for　liberation　will　bee。　So　this　we　can　see　from　an　example：　If　we　are　a　prisoner　in　a　prison　and　we　just　sit　in　our　room　thinking　'well；　they　give　us　food；　there's　good　lighting　here；　I　think　I'll　just　stay　here'　…　then　for　that　individual　there　is　no　hope；　there　is　no　way　that　that　person　is　going　to　even　take　a　step　outside　of　his　or　her　prison　cell。　So　in　the　same　way；　if　an　individual　is　in　a　prison　cell　and　he　or　she　thinks　'I　must　get　out　of　this　predicament'　…　through　thinking　about　the　benefits　of　being　released　from　jail　…　thinking　about　being　able　to　work　in　various　places；　being　able　to　travel　to　various　countries；　being　able　to　enjoy　various　kinds　of　scenes　and　enjoyments　and　so　forth；　and　then　thinking　about　how　bound　one　is　in　the　prison　cell　…　thinking　that　'I　can't　move；　I　have　no　freedom　to　do　what　I　want；　I　have　no　enjoyment　through　staying　here'　…　through　thinking　thus；　the　faults　of　staying　in　the　prison　and　the　benefits　of　leaving　the　prison　kind　of　naturally　increase。　So　like　this；　if　we　think　about　the　faults　of　the　cycle　of　existence；　the　difficulties　therein；　our　yearning　for　liberation　from　this　cycle　of　existence　will　increase　naturally；　and　the　stronger　our　yearning　for　freedom　from　the　cycle　of　existence；　the　stronger　our　Dharma　practice　and　so　our　practice　of　turning　away　from　the　cycle　of　existence；　or　renunciation　（the　first　of　these　three　points）　will　bee。

The　Four　Noble　Truths

So　this　reflection　on　dissatisfaction　or　suffering　cannot　be　over…emphasised。　For　example　（I　forgot　to　translate　from　before）；　when　the　Buddha　first　taught　the　Four　Noble　Truths　in　Varanasi；　at　that　time；　the　first　thing　he　said　to　his　five　disciples　was　'this　is　the　truth　of　dissatisfaction'　（or　'this　is　the　truth　of　suffering'）。　So　the　reason　for　saying　that　initially　was　to　get　his　disciples　to　recognise　the　truth　of　suffering；　or　the　fact　that　everything　within　contaminated　existence；　that　is　to　say；　within　the　cycle　of　existence　is　in　and　of　itself　or　by　its　own　nature　…

＇end　of　side　…　tape　breaks　here＇　…existence　and　our　experience；　and　through　that；　through　contemplating　the　Four　Noble　Truths　we　can　turn　away　from　the　cycle　of　existence。　So　this　is　why　the　teaching　of　the　Four　Noble　Truths　was　given　initially　…　in　order　to　jar　the　disciples　into　recognising　the　dissatisfaction　inherent　in　the　cycle　of　existence。　So　if　we　then　have　a　quick　look　at　the　Four　Noble　Truths　（that　is　the　truth　of　suffering；　the　cause　of　suffering；　the　cessation　and　then　the　path　leading　to　the　cessation）；　if　we　emphasise　or　go　a　little　bit　vaster　in　our　explanation　of　the　first　truth；　that　is　to　say；　the　truth　of　suffering；　then　we　will　just　whizz　through　the　latter　three。　Through　the　understanding　of　the　first；　this　will　imply　the　understanding　of　the　latter　three　…　this　can　be　seen　in　an　example　from　the　text　known　as　'The　Uttaratantra　of　Maitreya'。　In　this　text　it　says　that　the　truth　of　suffering　is　like　the　crop；　and　the　cause　of　suffering　is　like　the　seed　of　that　crop；　then　the　cessation　is　the　non…existence　of　that　crop　and　the　path　leading　to　that　cessation　is　the　fire　which　burns　the　seed　which　renders　it　barren　and　unable　to　produce　its　crop。　So　that　is　very　clear；　isn’t　it　…　if　we　have　a　crop　which　we　do　not　want；　we　need　to　uproot　or　prevent　the　seed　of　that　crop　from　producing　its　fruit　or　its　crop；　so　the　way　to　do　that　is　to　make　the　seed　barren　and　through　that　it　cannot　produce　or　give　rise　to　its　fruition；　that　is　to　say；　the　crop。　So　in　the　same　way　then；　through　recognising　the　lot；　or　the　'crop'　of　dissatisfaction　which　we　have；　we　can　set　about　burning　or　removing　the　causes　for　that；　and　the　way　to　do　that　is　through　contemplating　the　cause　which　will　eliminate　that　result；　that　is　to　say；　the　truth　of　dissatisfaction；　and　naturally　bring　about　the　truth　of　cessation。

Three　Kinds　of　Suffering

So　with　regard　to　the　first　noble　truth；　that　is　the　truth　of　dissatisfaction；　or　suffering；　with　this　there　are　various　ways　we　can　divide　it　…　a　division　into　three　is　presented；　four；　six；　seven　and　so　forth。　However　as　we　are　only　giving　an　abbreviated　mentary；　let　us　just　dwell　upon　the　division　of　suffering　into　three。　Through　dwelling　upon　these　three　and　contemplating　them　in　relation　to　our　experience；　we　can　derive　great　benefit。　So　let　us　go　through　the　division　of　the　truth　of　suffering　into　three：　that　is　then　the　suffering　of　suffering；　the　suffering　of　change；　and　the　all…pervasive　suffering。　So　with　regard　the　first　of　this　threefold　division　（the　suffering　of　suffering）；　this　is　what　everybody　understands　to　be　dissatisfaction　…　whether　it　be　a　physical　ailment；　or　whether　it　be　that　one　is　feeling　a　little　bit　depressed　or　a　bit　tired　or　a　bit　run　down　…　these　feelings　of　dissatisfaction；　be　they　physical　or　mental；　are　what　everybody　understands　as　dissatisfaction　or　suffering；　whether　they　be　a　practitioner　or　not。

The　Suffering　of　Change

The　second　then　is　the　suffering　of　change；　this　is　what　the　majority　of　people　in　the　world　do　not　want　to　recognise　as　dissatisfaction　or　suffering。　The　reason　for　this　is　because　of　the　way　we　view　pleasurable　experiences　in　the　world　…　we　view　them　as　being　nothing　other　than　pleasurable　experiences；　that　is　to　say；　only　bringing　about　pleasure；　not　bringing　about　the　slightest　disfort　or　dissatisfaction。　So　if　we　contemplate　this　…　what　is　meant　by　the　truth　of　the　suffering　of　change；　we　will　e　to　understand　how　all　experiences；　when　brought　about　in　a　contaminated　way；　that　is　to　say；　under　the　influence　of　the　destructive　emotions　and　karma　are　all　in　this　nature　of　dissatisfaction；　they　do　not　give　any　lasting　satisfaction。　For　example　if　we　are　in　a　cold　place　and　we　go　out　into　the　sunshine　…　for　the　first　moments　we　are　sitting　or　lying　there　in　the　sun；　it　seems　only　to　bring　bliss　and　joy　to　the　mind。　However；　the　longer　we　stay　in　the　sun；　what　we　find　is　that　this　joy；　this　bliss　which　we　achieve　from　going　out　of　the　cold　room　into　the　sun；　suddenly　changes。　What　happens　is　that　we　get　very　hot；　very　bothered　or　flustered；　we　might　get　sunburn；　and　then　through　this　our　whole　perception　of　being　in　a　warm　place　c