靈修上師 Spiritual teacher

第十七世大寶法王聽列泰耶多傑 – 對信眾問題的回應 – 2013.10.24 – K.I.B.I., 新德里

問題:

在靈性的修持當中,是否必須有上師的正確指導?還是,如果對自己的修持有信心,我們能夠獨自修行?
如果認識自己是所有知識的開始,並且所有的答案都能夠往內尋,那為什麼找一個上師是那麼重要?

聖者大寶法王的回答:

我們全都有與生俱來、不生的品性。在佛學角度而言,這並不代表我們已經得到正覺,而只是說在每一個人都有這種潛能的種子。這是固有地存在的。

要真正坐下,然後告訴自己是與生俱來地清淨及得當,這可能有困難。雖然,在心識平和的霎那間,或許能與這些真諦聯繫。但如果我們覺得難以接受這種真諦、當處於困難中、或懷疑自己,那便是需要上師領導我們的明顯象徵;需要上師表明、解釋及教導我們真諦是什麼,它是怎樣的。
至於是否需要上師的問題,我們不需要到世界的盡頭去找答案。我認為在此時此刻就有答案。我們只需有問自己是否有這種潛能;能否真正明白真諦。或反過來問:我知道心識的本質嗎?我明白這宇宙和各現象嗎?

因此,我們需要正確的輔導。當然,又會產生很多問題,例如怎樣去找正統的上師、怎樣辨別正確的道路、等。去解答這些問題,我覺得應該留意上師的基本品格。在評核時,我們應當要清晰,即不情緒化。無論小乘或大乘,上師也應具有某種標準、或基本的品格,才能指導他人。

His Holiness Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje – Response to disciples questions – 2013.10.24., K.I.B.I., New Delhi.

Questions:

• Is it necessary to practice the spiritual practice only under proper guidance by a teacher, or can we start on our own if we have faith in what we do?

• If the beginning of all knowledge is to know yourself and we have all the answers within ourselves, why is it so important to have a spiritual teacher?

His Holiness Karmapa Thaye Dorje’s response:

‘We all have innate, unborn qualities. That is not to say that, in a Buddhist sense, we are already enlightened, but the seed of the potential is already planted inside each and every one of us. It is inherently present.

To really sit down and tell ourselves things, such as, ‘I am inherently pure and decent,’ can be difficult – although we can relate to these truths during unemotional moments. But If we have a hard time accepting these truths, when we are in crisis and have doubt in ourselves, then this is a clear sign that we do need someone to guide us; someone to show us; someone to explain and teach us what it is, and that it is like that.

In terms of the question of whether we need a teacher or not, it is not that we have to go to the end of the world to really find the answer. I believe it is right here, right now, we can just ask ourselves individually ‘do we really have the potential or not?’, ‘do we really understand the truth?’ Or, we can change the terms by saying ‘do I know the nature of mind?’, ‘do I know the universe and phenomena?’ and so on.
For this, we may need proper guidance. And then of course, there comes many questions such as ‘how to find an authentic guide?’ and ‘how do we know that that is the right path?’ and so on. But for that I think it is important to focus on the basic qualities of the teachers or guides, and also use our own basic qualities to assess with a good degree of clarity, i.e. without emotion. So, whether Theravada teacher or Mahayana teacher, there are certain standards or certain basic qualities that he or she should require in order to guide.’