Karma” and Chapter 14 “The Varieties of Karma”
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Commentary on Je Tsong-kha-pa’s Lam Rim Chen Mo By Venerable Jih-Chang English Commentary Book 8, ver 2.0 (Lamrim Vol 1, Chapter 13 & 14) Printed by BW Monastery, Singapore For use by students of the monastery only Purpose: This book (version 2.0) contains the translation of Master Jih-Chang’s commentary of the Lamrim Volume 1, chapter 13 “The General Characteristics of Karma” and chapter 14 “The Varieties of Karma”. This book is for use by BW Monastery students only. It serves to facilitate students' understanding of the Lamrim as explained by Master Jih-Chang. Student Feedback: The translation of Master's commentary in this book is still a draft and will be improved. All students are welcome to provide your feedback to improve the translation. Kindly submit your feedback via the feedback form that is available in the BW Monastery web page, where this book can be downloaded from. Contents Chapter 13: The General Characteristics Of Karma 1 ~ 90 Chapter 14: The Varieties of Karma 1 ~ 494 CHAPTER 13 THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF KARMA Chapter 13 Pg 1 Chapter 13 Outline The General Characteristic of Karma b' Developing the faith of conviction that is the root of all temporary happiness and certain goodness l' Reflecting on karma and its effects in general a" The actual way in which to reflect in general 1" The certainty of karma 2" The magnification of karma 3" Not experiencing the effects of actions that you did not do 4" The actions you have done do not perish Chapter 13 Pg 2 [English Lamrim Text Vol 1, P209; 50A, 24.58; Original Chinese Commentary Script Vol 7, P49, L11] At this point, master the classifications of virtue and non-virtue, as well as their effects. You must then make it your practice to properly cast aside non- virtues and adopt virtues. Therefore at this time, you must correctly understand this. "Master" means to become very familiar with it, with what is virtue, what is non-virtue, virtue will bring about what kind of good effects, non-virtue will bring about what kind of suffering effects and the key points in all sorts of places. You understand all of these and because you understand, you will want to avoid suffering. Therefore, you will wish to eliminate, to cast aside bad karma. If you wish to obtain the fruit of happiness, you must cultivate virtuous karma. [So then] you properly adopt virtues, and then? You abandon and cast aside non-virtues. This is practicing the sublime teachings. This is practicing the teachings. Okay! From the beginning portion up until now, it has definitively led us one step after another until this place, reaching this conclusion. [English Lamrim Text Vol 1, P209; 50A, 26.03; Original Chinese Commentary Script Vol 7, P50, L4] Chapter 13 Pg 3 If you have come through the steps in this fashion, naturally, your mind will not have a single doubt. Then in addition, you will have deeply reflected, analyzed and confessed to clear away your karmic obstacles. By then, your mind would have become strong. After developing this, if we ask you at this time, "Oh, you need not cultivate now." You would not be able to stop. If we ask you to take a break and be lazy for a while, you would not be willing to do that. "Oh, all sorts of benefits are derived from this. You are asking me to be lazy and waste time. I certainly would not do that!" The key points are all here, are all here! Conversely, if you cannot obtain this, then when we ask you to do more, oh, you are unwilling and you find some opportunity to hide somewhere to be lazy. But the result of this is something you do understand very clearly. For a small amount of laziness, you will have to endure immeasurable sufferings. Oh! But if you just work a little harder now, you will obtain immeasurable peace and happiness in the future. There are such great benefits! All of this will come from you properly adopting virtues and casting aside non-virtues. It absolutely does not just fall [into your lap] from the sky. Attainment will entirely depend on you properly adopting and casting aside things, achieving these two things - elimination [of faults] and experiencing [the teaching to bring about good quality]. But if you wish to attain this, what do you need? Other than listening, you will need to fix your attention properly on the teachings to reflect and strive to reflect until certainty is reached in your mind. Therefore, Chapter 13 Pg 4 [English Lamrim Text Vol 1, P209; 50A, 27.17; Original Chinese Commentary Script Vol 7, P50, L14] For, unless you reflect at length on the two kinds of karma360 and their effects, and then properly cast aside the non-virtuous and adopt the virtuous, you will not stop the causes of miserable rebirths. Thus, you may fear the miserable realms and yet not be able to escape what you fear. If suppose then, you do not strive to continuously reflect on this principle, and what principle is it? Know the two kinds of karma which are the virtuous and non-virtuous karma and that from virtuous or non-virtuous karma, you will reap the fruits of happiness or sufferings. Only when you understand this, can you then adopt and cast aside things properly according to the teachings. If you do not make efforts to reflect at length, strive [at length], instead, you are muddleheaded and unclear, you will continue to dwell in the subjective aspects of afflictions. Under these circumstances, sorry, what are the causes that you are planting now? Afflictions and bad karma causes! Though you are afraid of suffering, sorry, you will not be freed from it! Thus, what is most important is that you should really know how to fear sufferings, know how to seek for real happiness. So, we must live to be one with a promising future, yes, we are indeed afraid of sufferings! Yes, we do want happiness! So, then we need to find the causes of happiness and we must understand how to eliminate the Chapter 13 Pg 5 causes of sufferings. By properly adopting and casting aside things, naturally, we will obtain all sorts [of happy effects]. Therefore, [English Lamrim Text Vol 1, P209; 50A, 28.44; Original Chinese Commentary Script Vol 7, P51, L8] Consequently, in order to be protected from the miserable realms at the time when you must experience the effects, you have to restrain the mind from engaging in non-virtue at the time when you are creating the causes. Therefore, in order to avoid a bad effect in the future and to be saved from this bad effect, one must first prevent the creation of non-virtuous causes. If you can correct yourself in the causal period, be able to restrain yourself from engaging in non-virtue and instead go in the direction of virtue, prevent yourself from creating the non- virtuous causes, naturally, you will have avoided a bad fruit. If you wish to do this, then [English Lamrim Text Vol 1, P209; 50A, 29.25; Original Chinese Commentary Script Vol 7, P51, L12] This, in turn, is contingent upon attaining conviction about karma and its effects. Chapter 13 Pg 6 What is this contingent upon? It is contingent upon you reaching a certain and unwavering understanding of the principle of how karmic causes will produce karmic effects. [English Lamrim Text Vol 1, P209; 50B, 00.09; Original Chinese Commentary Script Vol 7, P53, L1] This certain and unwavering understanding is called conviction. You are deeply convicted of this in your mind. You will not waver, will not waver. In the conditions that we are, perhaps we have heard the principles and we would say, "Ah, right, right, right!" It (may) seems right when you hear it. But after hearing it, it is gone from your mind. That is because you have not reach a conviction. How do you become deeply convicted of this? The only method is to make efforts at reflection and analysis. You must give it a lot of thoughts, a lot of thoughts. You should know what your mind would be thinking of, if not contemplating this principle? What would your mind be thinking of? This is what we should understand. If we are not striving to reflect upon the Three Jewels, our minds would be revolving around afflictions, being foolish and dumb, being foolish and dumb. For the most of us, the entire life is spent being foolish and dumb. [English Lamrim Text Vol 1, P209; 50B, 01.06; Original Chinese Commentary Script Vol 7, P53, L8] Chapter 13 Pg 7 Therefore, there are many decent people nowadays. Ah! They are behaving this way, um, um, they do not have temper, they seem very good. However, they can neither lift their mental power, nor let go of things. Just like that. Then when they see something good, ah, their eyes are wide open. They cannot take it when others scold them a little, they cannot take it. For reason of very small matters, they end up coming here. It is not that they do not want to cultivate. But in the end, although they want to be freed from suffering, they continue to hover between bad karma and afflictions. How would it possible for them to obtain good effects? Thus, you must know this very clearly. When you understand this, you will naturally realize, oh, right, right, right! Now that you understand, naturally your mental power is boosted.