听闻空性，千载难逢

The importance of studying the two truths

(三)学习二谛的重要性

The scope of Madhyamaka is very broad, but here we will only focus on its basic but very key points which are both theory and actual practice.

中观的内容很广，但此处只讲一部分，也就是既简单又关键的一些问题。这既是理论又是修法，我们必须了解。

First of all, we should know that to encounter the teaching on emptiness is not something to be taken for granted. Hearing it plants the seed for realization of emptiness that is not only indestructible but will also come to fruition in the near future. It is stated in the Four Hundred Verse Treatise by Aryadeva: Most sentient beings do not have the chance to hear the profound teaching on emptiness due to insufficient merit. Even if they do, most are unable to generate faith in or have reasonable doubt about the empty nature of phenomena, having little merit and inferior capacity or being negatively influenced by the surrounding environment and their social background. Anyone who can muster even the slightest doubt about the plausibility of all phenomena being empty of self-nature will hence have the means to cease samsara in the end.

听闻空性，千载难逢，可以在每个人的心田里播下空性的种子，这个种子不但永远不会毁坏，而且在不久的将来还会成熟。《中观四百论》中说：“薄福于此法，都不生疑惑，若谁略生疑，亦能坏三有。”许多众生福德浅薄，没有机会听闻缘起性空的妙法，即使听闻，大部分众生也因根器福德低劣，与其教育成长环境的恶劣熏习，从而导致对空性正理不但生信心，而且也不能生起合理的疑惑，假使谁人能够略略生起合理的疑情，比如，略微想一想：“诸法可能是无自性的吧？”他也能依此而坏灭三有轮回。

In addition, without the knowledge of emptiness, one cannot grasp the meaning of “a mind free of clinging and concepts” and will have difficulty applying this in one’s practice according to the three supreme methods. In this respect，studying the view of Madhyamaka is indeed very important.

另外，不了解空性，就没有“无缘”的概念，就很难做到三殊胜中修法的“无缘殊胜”。从这方面讲，闻思中观是很有意义的。