坐禪三昧經

Hard it is to meet a teacher of the Way;

Having heard the teaching, harder still is it to rejoice.

What bodhisattvas delight in hearing,

Ordinary beings hear and grow weary of.

Sentient beings are truly pitiable,

Falling upon the perilous paths of aging and death,

Enslaved by craving and affection;

In a place of danger, fools feel no fear.

Whether the world is great or small,

There is no dharma that abides forever.

Nothing is firm or enduring;

It appears but briefly, like a flash of lightning.

This body belongs to aging and death,

A gathering place for every illness.

Thin skin conceals its impurities,

And the ignorant are deceived by it.

You are constantly assailed by the brigand of aging,

Which devours the years of youth,

Like a garland of flowers that withers,

Fading and losing all its beauty.

King Murdhaja's merit and virtue

Enabled him to share Indra's throne.

His karmic blessings were truly vast—

Yet where are they today?

Among gods and humans, that king

Surpassed all in the five sensual pleasures;

Yet at death he suffered greatly.

Therefore, you should awaken.

Sensual pleasures bring joy at first,

But afterward become great suffering,

Like an enemy who is friendly at first,

Then later brings calamity and destroys one's clan.

The body is an impure thing;

Its nine openings constantly discharge filth.

It is like a Na-lợi sore

For which no medicine can bring a cure.

The bones are like a cart, exceedingly frail;

Consciousness drives it, while sinews and vessels bind it together.

Yet you regard it as a splendid carriage,

Cherishing it without any shame.

Places where corpses accumulate,

Cast away and filling the burial mounds—

While alive, the body is fondly cherished;

Once dead, it is immediately discarded.

You should constantly reflect in this way,

Contemplate single-mindedly, and do not become distracted.

Destroy delusion and dispel the darkness,

Holding aloft the torch of wisdom to shine brightly.

If you abandon the four foundations of mindfulness,

What evil will the mind not commit?

Like an elephant without an iron goad,

It will not submit to guidance.

Today you undertake this task;

Tomorrow, you undertake another.

Craving pleasure, you do not perceive suffering,

When suddenly the spirit of death arrives.

You hurriedly attend to your own affairs,

Yet cannot even complete the affairs of others.

The spirit of death will not wait;

When it comes, there is no means of escape.

Like a deer tormented by thirst

That approaches a flowing stream,

While a merciless hunter

Kills it as it drinks,

A foolish person is just the same,

Busily attending to countless affairs.

Death comes without prior appointment—

Who then will be able to help you?

The human heart longs for wealth and honor;

It is never satisfied with the five sensual pleasures.

Even the kings of mighty realms—

Which of them escapes this calamity?

Sages skilled in spells and arts—

Can any of them escape birth and death?

The elephant of impermanence tramples all;

Ants and leeches alike are crushed into the earth.

Whom does it ever spare?

All Buddhas, perfectly and truly awakened,

Have passed beyond the stream of birth and death,

Yet their manifested bodies also do not remain forever.

Therefore, you should understand:

Whatever you cherish

You should quickly relinquish,

Single-mindedly seeking nirvana.

After this body has been cast aside,

Who will bear witness to what I become?

Who will again encounter the treasure of the Dharma,

And who will fail to encounter it?

Only after a long time does a Buddha appear,

Dispelling all darkness,

Radiating beams of light,

Teaching the path and what is not the path.

From what place have I come?

Where shall I be born hereafter?

Where may liberation be attained?

Who can clearly understand these doubts?

The Buddha, the Omniscient One,

Appears in the world only after a very long time.

Be single-minded and free from heedlessness;

Destroy your fetters of doubt.

He takes no delight in gain or profit,

Nor is his mind attached to base evils.

For the sake of sentient beings,

You should seek the true Dharma.

Who knows, upon dying,

Into which realm one will be born?

Like a lamp suspended before the wind,

Who knows when it will be extinguished?

Reaching the Dharma of the Way is not difficult;

The Great Sage has already taught it,

Expounding wisdom and the sphere of wisdom—

These two dharmas depend upon nothing external.

If you are not heedless,

And constantly practice the Way single-mindedly,

Before long you will attain nirvana

And rejoice in the supreme joy.

The wise draw near to virtuous people

And wholeheartedly revere the Buddha and Dharma.

Weary of this defiled body,

They leave suffering behind and attain liberation.

Practice purely in a secluded place;

Sit in the lotus posture within the forest.

Restrain the mind and remain free from heedlessness;

Stay wakeful and understand all conditions.

If you do not grow weary of the realms of existence,

But sleep deeply without awakening yourself,

And do not reflect upon life's impermanence,

You fail to fear what should be feared.

The afflictions are deep and bottomless;

The sea of birth and death has no shore.

The boat for crossing beyond suffering has not yet been built—

How can you sleep at ease?

Therefore, you must awaken;

Do not let sleep obscure the mind.

Regarding the four kinds of offerings,

Know the proper measure and know contentment.

You have not yet escaped the great danger;

You must apply yourself diligently and energetically.

When all sufferings suddenly descend,

It will be too late for regret.

Wear your robe and sit beneath a tree;

Receive food in accordance with the Dharma.

Do not, through craving delicious flavors,

Bring about your own ruin.

Once food is eaten, understand that its flavors,

Whether delicious or unpleasant, are all the same.

Delight in fine flavors gives rise to sorrow and suffering;

Therefore, do not become attached to them.

Throughout your lives in the world,

You have tasted every flavor, pleasant and unpleasant,

And experienced every kind of enjoyment;

Therefore, you must discipline yourself.

When born among animals,

You chewed grasses of every flavor.

In the hells, you swallowed iron pellets,

Blazing and fiercely hot.

Among the Bệ Lệ ghosts,

Boiling blood, pus, feces, and urine,

Mucus, phlegm, and every impurity

Were regarded as the finest delicacies.

Or when dwelling in the heavenly realms,

You beheld palaces made of the seven treasures,

Ate only the flavor of sudha,

And were delighted by celestial maidens.

Among wealthy and honored humans,

You enjoyed delicacies of every flavor.

You have already experienced them all—

Why do you still delight in them now?

Wandering again and again throughout the world,

Grow weary of both suffering and pleasure.

Although you have not yet attained nirvana,

You must seek that benefit.

When a student of meditation first comes to a teacher, the teacher should ask:

“Do you uphold the precepts purely? Have you refrained from grave transgressions and perverse evils?”

If the student replies:

“I have purely observed the precepts of the five assemblies and have committed no grave transgressions or perverse evils,” only then should the teacher instruct the student in the Dharma of the Way.

If the student replies, “I have broken the precepts,” the teacher should ask further:

“Which precept did you break?”

If the student replies, “A grave precept,” the teacher should instruct:

“Like a person whose ears and nose have been cut off, you have no need to look into a mirror. You should return home, diligently recite sutras, and perform wholesome and meritorious deeds. You may thereby plant the causes and conditions for the Dharma of the Way in a future life, but this present life must be regarded as forsaken. It is like a withered tree: even if watered and carefully tended, it cannot produce flowers, leaves, or fruit.”

If the student has broken other precepts, the teacher should then instruct the student to repent in accordance with the Dharma. If repentance has restored purity, and if the teacher has attained the divine eye or the knowledge of others' minds, the teacher should teach the Dharma according to the student's particular affliction and lead the student toward the ultimate Way. If the teacher has not yet attained such penetrative knowledge, the teacher should observe the student's characteristics or ask:

“Of the three poisons, which is strongest in you? Is lust predominant? Is anger predominant? Is ignorance predominant?”

What is meant by observing characteristics?

– The characteristics of a person of strong lust are these: quick in action, having many wives and concubines, talkative, and readily trusting; cheerful in countenance, gentle and intelligible in speech; seldom angry and seldom distressed; possessing many technical abilities, fond of learning, widely knowledgeable, delighting in literature, highly skilled in debate, and adept at discerning the minds of others. Such a person has many fears; when alone in a private room, likes to wear thin garments; craves the beauty of women, is attached to bedding, and enjoys adorning the body with fragrances and flowers. The mind is very gentle; such a person has compassion for others, speaks pleasant words, enjoys performing meritorious deeds, aspires to be reborn in the heavenly realms, and encounters no difficulties among an assembly. Such a person distinguishes between the ugly and the beautiful, readily places trust in women, is scorched by the fire of desire, is highly changeable and prone to regret, enjoys personal adornment, and likes viewing multicolored paintings. Such a person clings possessively to personal belongings while coveting the wealth of others; likes forming close friendships, dislikes solitude, is attached to dwellings, follows the currents of worldly convention, is easily startled and frightened, has a will like that of an ape or monkey, possesses shallow understanding, and acts without reflection. Such a person is weak-willed, acts according to personal preferences, and alternates between tears and laughter. The body is soft and weak, unable to endure hardship, cold, or heat. Such a person is easily delighted and easily worried, cannot restrain the emotions when circumstances arise, rejoices greatly over small gains, and grieves deeply over small losses; reveals things and then conceals them. The body is warm, the perspiration foul-smelling, the skin thin, the hair soft, the face much wrinkled and covered with many pale spots. Such a person trims the nails, shaves the beard, and scrubs the teeth white. When going out, such a person likes to wear exceedingly clean clothes. Such a person is not diligent in study, likes wandering through gardens and forests, is highly emotional, has many desires, and clings to the view of permanence. Such a person often draws near to the virtuous, eagerly inquires after their well-being, readily follows the words of others, forces cheerfulness, endures humiliation, and quickly understands what is heard; after an action has been performed, clearly distinguishes whether it was good or bad. Such a person pities the poor and suffering, is arrogant and competitive, and will not tolerate being oppressed by others. Such a person enjoys giving, welcomes and guides worthy people, and, upon obtaining delicious food and drink, does not consume them alone. Paying no heed to trifling matters, such a person sets the mind upon great affairs. The eyes are captivated by sensual beauty, undertakings remain unaccomplished, and there is no concern for the distant future. Such a person understands the fine customs of the world, observes appearances, probes beneath people’s outward expressions to discern their inner thoughts, speaks floridly, and forms friendships that do not last. The hair is sparse; such a person sleeps little and maintains a dignified bearing while walking, standing, lying down, or sitting. Upon acquiring wealth, such a person immediately uses it to aid others, but afterward regrets doing so. Such a person delights in righteousness and hastens to carry it out, yet quickly forgets it; clings to personal conduct, finds self-correction difficult, finds desire difficult to abandon, and commits minor offenses....

Characteristics of these kinds are the characteristics of lust.

The characteristics of an angry person are these: much sorrow, ferocity, harboring resentment, roughness in body and speech, endurance of hardships, yet inability to remain patient when circumstances arise; much grief and little joy. Such a person is capable of committing greatly evil deeds, lacks compassion for others, enjoys disputation, has a haggard countenance, glaring eyes and furrowed brows, and finds it difficult to speak, to rejoice, to undertake tasks, or to succeed.

Regarding oneself as covered with sores, such a person nevertheless delights in speaking of the faults of others. Such a person argues stubbornly and cannot be refuted, is difficult to sway, difficult to befriend, and difficult to restrain; harbors a poisonous mind that is hard to relinquish and never forgets being reproached. Such a person possesses many skills, is diligent, acts swiftly, harbors expectations without speaking of them, and has deep intentions that are difficult to fathom.

Upon receiving kindness, such a person promptly repays it. Such a person is also capable of persuading many others to follow and cannot be undermined. Undertakings are usually brought to completion; others find it difficult to interfere, and hardships are not feared.

Like a lion, such a person is exceedingly difficult to subdue. Once a decision has been made, the person acts according to plan, never reconsiders, and remembers things without forgetting them. Such a person thinks and deliberates extensively and retains well whatever has been reviewed.

Such a person frequently gives, does not care about minor gains, and is very wise when serving as a teacher. Such a person renounces desire, dwells alone, has little lust, and constantly thinks of achieving success. Such a person clings to the view of annihilation.

The eyes do not delight in furtive glances; speech is straightforward, explanations of matters are clear, and close friends are few. In undertaking affairs, such a person tends to cling rigidly and remembers things for a long time without forgetting. Such a person has great strength, a broad and well-formed chest and shoulders, a robust and expansive build, and even hair.

The mind is unyielding and difficult to tame. Such a person quickly acquires things but finds them difficult to forget, is capable of abandoning desire independently, and tends to commit grave offenses....

Characteristics of these kinds are the characteristics of anger.

The characteristics of a deluded person are these: much doubt, much regret, laziness, lack of discernment, self-satisfaction, difficulty in being subdued, arrogance, and difficulty in being instructed. Such a person does not believe what is trustworthy but believes what is untrustworthy. Not knowing who is worthy of reverence, such a person believes and follows indiscriminately and has many teachers.

Such a person is rash and coarse, knows no shame, acts without reflection, and often goes against instruction. Such a person does not know how to choose friends or how to present oneself properly. Such a person favors teachers who teach strange doctrines and cannot distinguish good from bad.

Slow to remember and quick to forget, such a person has dull faculties, is indolent, disparages those who give, and has no compassion. Such a person destroys the bridge of the true Dharma and, when faced with a matter, remains confused and uncomprehending. When angry, such a person is blinded, has no wisdom, entertains many desires and expectations, is highly suspicious, has little faith, and envies good people.

Such a person maintains that there are no karmic results from offenses or merits, cannot distinguish wholesome words, does not recognize faults, and refuses to heed counsel. Such a person distances oneself from relatives, resents them, knows no courtesy, and delights in speaking harsh words. The fingernails, beard, and hair are left long, while the teeth and clothes are filthy; such a person is ordered about by others.

Such a person does not fear what should be feared, grieves over joyful matters, rejoices over grievous matters, laughs where there is sorrow, and sorrows where there is joy. Such a person moves only when dragged, is able to endure hardships, cannot distinguish flavors, finds desire difficult to abandon, and commits deeply grave offenses....

Characteristics of these kinds are the characteristics of a deluded person. If a person has strong lust, it should be treated through contemplation of impurity.

If a person has strong anger, it should be treated through the contemplation of loving-kindness and compassion.

If a person has strong delusion, it should be treated by reflecting upon the contemplation of causes and conditions.

If a person has many distracting thoughts, they should be treated through contemplation of the breath.

If a person has greed, anger, and delusion in equal measure, they should be treated through the Dharma method of mindfulness of the Buddha.

Thus, for however many kinds of illness there are, there are an equal number of Dharma methods by which to treat them.

I. THE DHARMA METHOD FOR TREATING SENSUAL DESIRE:

A person of strong lust should cultivate contemplation of impurity, observing that from the feet to the hair, all is impure: body hair, head hair, nails, teeth, thin skin, thick skin, blood, flesh, sinews, vessels, bones, marrow, liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, spleen, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, feces, urine, nasal mucus, saliva, sweat, tears, earwax, dirt, brain, bladder, bile, phlegm, mucus, fat, grease, and the membranes of the brain....

Thus, everything within the body is impure.

One should further contemplate impurity in sequence: contemplate a corpse with congealed blood, bruised and livid; swollen, putrefying, and bursting apart; blood and pus streaming forth; foul-smelling; eaten by worms and beasts until only bones remain; scattered; and burned to ashes.

This is the contemplation of impurity.

A person of strong lust cherishes seven things:

1- Love of beautiful form.

2- Love of graceful and upright bearing.

3- Love of facial appearance.

4- Love of sounds.

5- Love of softness and smoothness.

6- Love of a person (a sentient being).

7- Love of all these things.

– One who loves beautiful form should cultivate the contemplation of a bruised and livid corpse; the impurity of yellow and red colors should likewise be contemplated.

– One who loves graceful and upright bearing should cultivate the contemplation of a corpse swollen and splitting apart.

– One who loves facial appearance should contemplate a newly dead corpse, with blood streaming forth and bones decaying and disintegrating.

– One who loves sounds should cultivate the contemplation of a person near death whose throat is obstructed.

– One who loves smoothness should contemplate a skeleton and a sick person who is withered and emaciated.

– One who loves the human body should cultivate contemplation of the six kinds of impurity (among the nine kinds of impurity).

– If one is attached to all forms, one should cultivate the entire contemplation of impurity. One may at times contemplate these things and at other times contemplate other things; all are methods of contemplating impurity.

Question: If the body is impure, like a putrefying corpse, why does attachment to it arise? If the body is regarded as pure, then one would still love it even when it had putrefied. If one does not love a putrefying body, then neither should one love a clean body.

Answer: It is because the two bodies are one and the same. If one seeks the true purity of either body, it cannot be found. The minds of deluded people are obscured by inverted views, and so they regard the impure body as pure. If the inverted mind is subdued and dispelled, one immediately attains contemplation of the true nature of phenomena. One then knows that the body is impure, false, and unreal.

Furthermore, a corpse no longer possesses warmth; its life, consciousness, and faculties have ceased. When one clearly recognizes this, the mind no longer cherishes or clings to it. Because a living body possesses warmth, life, consciousness, and fully functioning faculties, the inverted and deluded mind becomes infatuated and attached to it.

Furthermore, when the mind is attached to the physical body, it regards that body as pure. When attachment ceases, one immediately knows that the body is impure.

If the body were truly pure, it would always remain pure, but this is not so. A dog that eats excrement considers it clean, while a person who sees it considers it exceedingly filthy. There is not a single clean place either inside or outside the body. If one is attached to the body's outward appearance, that appearance is nothing more than a thin layer of skin wrapped around it. If one were to take that skin and cut away a piece the size of a slice of mango, all manner of filth would be exposed—how much more so the body's interior, which contains thirty-six kinds of impurities!

Ultimately, the body is a collection of all manner of impurities. It is formed from the father's semen and the mother's blood, and it constantly discharges impure substances. Its clothing and bedding also become filthy and foul-smelling; how much more so the body, which is the receptacle of a corpse. Therefore, one should know that whether the human body is alive or dead, it is impure both within and without.

Practitioners of the contemplation of purity are of three levels: those who have newly begun, those who have practiced, and those who have practiced for a long time.

One who has newly begun should be instructed to imagine that all the skin has been stripped away and every impure substance removed, leaving only a red skeleton. One should concentrate upon this visualization and not allow any other thought to arise. If another thought arises, one should immediately gather the mind and bring it back.

One who has practiced should be instructed to imagine that all the skin and flesh have been stripped away and to contemplate the skull without thinking of anything else. If another thought arises, one should immediately gather the mind and bring it back.

One who has practiced for a long time should be instructed to imagine that all the skin and flesh have been stripped away and to bind the attention to one of five places: the crown of the head, the forehead, the space between the eyebrows, the tip of the nose, or the heart. Binding the attention to one of these five places, one contemplates the bones and does not think of anything else. If another thought arises, one should immediately gather the mind and bring it back. One should constantly observe the mind and bring it back as soon as it wanders. If the mind grows weary, one should relinquish external conditions and abide in the object of meditation.

It is like a monkey tied to a wooden post: after leaping about until exhausted, it lies quietly beside the post. The object of meditation is like the wooden post, mindfulness is like the tether, and the mind is like the monkey. It is also like a mother carefully guarding her nursing infant so that it does not fall. The practitioner observes the mind in the same way, gradually subduing it and causing it to abide in one place. If the mind can abide there for a long time, this accords with the Dharma of meditation. If meditative concentration is attained, three signs appear:

– First, the body becomes light, supple, and joyful; the white bones emit a white radiance like a precious conch, and the mind becomes still. This is the contemplation of purity. At that time, one attains a mind of the form realm.

This is the beginner in the Dharma of meditation attaining a mind of the form realm.

A mind that accords with the Dharma of meditation is itself a dharma of the form realm.

When the mind attains this Dharma, although the body remains in the desire realm, the four great elements become thoroughly harmonious and peaceful. Its physical appearance becomes pure, supple, fresh, and lustrous. This is the sign of joy.

– Second, in inward contemplation, the practitioner sees the white skeleton emitting a pure white radiance that shines everywhere.

– Third, the mind abides in one place; this is called the contemplation of purity. Because one sets aside the flesh and contemplates the bones, it is called the contemplation of purity.

One knows all three of these signs oneself; others cannot see or know them.

The three levels of cultivation described above are:

1- The beginner, who previously had not aroused the resolve to practice.

2- One who has practiced for three or four years.

3- One who has practiced for a long time, approximately one hundred years.

II. THE DHARMA GATE FOR COUNTERACTING ANGER:

Those who are prone to anger should learn the Dharma gate of the three kinds of loving-kindness:

– One who has newly begun should be instructed to direct loving-kindness toward a dear and beloved person.

How does one direct loving-kindness toward a dear person and wish that person happiness? If the practitioner experiences any kind of physical or mental pleasure—such as receiving warm clothing when cold, coolness when hot, food and drink when hungry or thirsty, wealth and honor when poor, or rest when weary from labor—one wishes that the beloved person may enjoy all such happiness. One abides single-mindedly in loving-kindness; if the mind turns to other conditions, one immediately gathers it and brings it back.

– One who has practiced should be instructed to direct loving-kindness toward a person who is neither close nor distant.

How does one direct loving-kindness toward a person who is neither close nor distant and wish that person happiness? If the practitioner experiences any kind of physical or mental pleasure, one wishes that both the dear person and the person who is neither close nor distant may share in it. One abides single-mindedly in loving-kindness; if the mind turns to other conditions, one immediately gathers it and brings it back.

– One who has practiced for a long time should be instructed to direct loving-kindness toward a hated enemy.

How does one direct loving-kindness toward a hated enemy and wish that person happiness? If the practitioner experiences any kind of physical or mental pleasure, one wishes that the person one hates may share in it, enjoying it equally with one's own loved ones, without any distinction. That mind becomes vast and pure. Regarding friends and enemies equally, one causes all sentient beings throughout immeasurable worlds to attain peace and happiness. Throughout the ten directions, one maintains a single mind that is impartial, vast, and pure. One regards the sentient beings of the ten directions as one's own body, clearly seeing them before one's eyes and sharing happiness with them. At that time, one immediately attains the Samadhi of Loving-kindness.

Question: It is reasonable to wish happiness for those one loves, but why should one have compassion for hateful and vicious enemies and also wish them happiness?

Answer:

– One should bestow happiness upon them. Why? Because that person still possesses many good qualities, which are causes of the pure Dharma. Why should I now forget all that person's good qualities because of some minor enmity?

One should further reflect: “Perhaps that person was once my relative in a past life. Why should I now hate that person because of a little anger? I must be patient with that person; this is wholesome and beneficial for me.”

One should further think: “I practice benevolent and virtuous deeds, which include widely extending the power of immeasurable compassion and loving-kindness, never allowing it to perish.”

Next, one should think: “If there were no enemies, there would be no cause for patience to arise. Patience arises because of enemies; therefore, my enemy is my benefactor and relative. Moreover, the karmic retribution of anger is exceedingly grave; among all evils, it is foremost. Because of anger, one harms others, and the poison of anger is extremely difficult to restrain. Although one wishes to burn another, in truth one only burns oneself.” One should reflect: “Outwardly I wear the Dharma robe, while inwardly I practice patience and am called a śramana. How then could my countenance change merely because of abusive words, after which I recklessly follow a corrupt and evil mind?”

One should further think: “This body of the five skandhas is a forest of suffering, a place that undergoes calamities and evils. When painful calamities and evils arrive, how could they be avoided? It is like sharp thorns piercing the body and causing immeasurable pain. Enemies are exceedingly numerous and cannot all be eliminated; one must protect oneself by wearing the shoes of patience.”

The Blessed One taught:

– One who answers anger with anger

Is harmed in return by anger.

When another is angry, one does not retaliate;

Thus one can shatter the great army.

To be capable of remaining free from anger

Is the Dharma of a great person.

A petty person’s anger

Is as difficult to move as a mountain.

Anger is a virulent poison;

Its power to devastate is exceedingly great.

Unable to harm another,

It turns back and harms oneself.

Anger is a great darkness;

Though one has eyes, one cannot see.

Anger is defiling dust

That stains the pure mind.

Thus, the mind of anger

Should swiftly be cast away.

A venomous snake within the house,

If not destroyed, will surely harm someone.

The mind of anger is likewise;

Its many evils cannot all be told.

Constantly cultivate the mind of loving-kindness and compassion

To extinguish the fire of anger.

This is the Dharma gateway of the samadhi of loving-kindness and compassion.

III. THE DHARMA GATEWAY FOR COUNTERACTING DELUSION:

Those with much delusion should learn the Dharma gateway of three kinds of contemplation, according to whether they are beginners, practitioners in training, or long-practicing practitioners.

– Beginners should be taught:

“Birth conditions aging and death; ignorance conditions formations.” They should contemplate in this way and think of nothing else. If another thought arises, they should immediately gather the mind and bring it back.

– Practitioners in training should be taught:

“Formations condition consciousness; consciousness conditions name-and-form; name-and-form conditions the six sense bases; the six sense bases condition contact; contact conditions feeling; feeling conditions craving; craving conditions clinging; clinging conditions becoming.” They should contemplate in this way and think of nothing else. If they think of other matters, they should immediately gather the mind and bring it back.

– Those who have practiced for a long time should be taught: “Ignorance conditions formations; formations condition consciousness; consciousness conditions name-and-form; name-and-form conditions the six sense bases; the six sense bases condition contact; contact conditions feeling; feeling conditions craving; craving conditions clinging; clinging conditions becoming; becoming conditions birth; birth conditions aging and death.” They should contemplate in this way and permit no other thought. If they think of other matters, they should immediately gather the mind and bring it back.

All wisdom is illumination. All delusion is ignorance. What, then, is ignorance? Ignorance is not knowing anything as it truly is. The ignorance spoken of here is capable of producing future existence: regarding what exists as nonexistent and what does not exist as existent; abandoning wholesome dharmas and following unwholesome dharmas; destroying the marks of reality and clinging to all manner of falsehoods. As stated in the chapter on the characteristics of ignorance:

Failing to understand beneficial dharmas,

Not knowing how to practice virtue,

One therefore produces the causes of the fetters,

As fire arises through friction.

The mind delights in unwholesome dharmas

And departs far from every wholesome dharma.

It is a thief that plunders the wisdom of beings

Throughout the past and future.

Regarding things as permanent, pleasurable, self, and pure,

One clings to the body of the five skandhas.

Suffering, its arising, its cessation, and the path—

These, too, one cannot know.

Upon a dangerous road filled with suffering,

A blind person enters within.

Because afflictions and karma accumulate,

Karma and suffering revolve without end.

What should not be grasped, one grasps;

What should be grasped, one casts away.

Following darkness onto a dangerous road,

One trips over a root and falls headlong.

Though possessing eyes, one cannot see;

The analogy is likewise thus.

When causes and conditions have been extinguished,

Wisdom shines brightly like the sun.

Thus ignorance has been explained in brief; the same applies through aging and death.

Question:

“The principle of dependent origination in the Buddha-Dharma is profound. How, then, can people with much delusion contemplate dependent origination?”

Answer:

“Deluded people are of two kinds:

– Those who are like cattle and sheep.

– The second kind comprises those possessing all manner of wrong views—deluded and confused people who are dim-witted, obtuse, and full of wrong views.”

For the sake of such people, the Buddha taught the contemplation of dependent origination as a practice of right concentration.

IV. THE DHARMA GATEWAY FOR COUNTERACTING DISCURSIVE THOUGHT:

Those with much discursive thought should cultivate the Dharma gateway of anapanasati samadhi.

There are three kinds of practitioners: beginners, those who have practiced, and those who have practiced for a long time.

Beginners should be taught to single-mindedly count the incoming and outgoing breaths, whether long or short, counting from one to ten.

Those who have practiced should be taught to count the breaths from one to ten while following the incoming and outgoing breath, keeping mindfulness together with the breath, and fixing the mind in one place.

Those who have practiced for a long time should be taught: counting, following, stopping, contemplating, turning the contemplation, and purification.

Anapanasati samadhi has six gateways, divided into sixteen parts.

What does it mean to single-mindedly count the incoming breaths?

– When an inhalation reaches its end, count “one.” When an exhalation reaches its end, count “two.” If one counts before the breath is complete, it is an error. If, while counting from two through nine, one becomes confused, one must begin again from “one.” It is like a mathematician calculating that one plus one is two, two plus two is four, and three times three is nine.... without the slightest error.

Question:

– Why is it necessary to count?

Answer:

– Because it makes the contemplation of impermanence easy to attain and also cuts off discursive thoughts, thereby enabling one to attain single-mindedness. The arising and ceasing, and the impermanence, of body and mind form an apparently continuous succession that is difficult to perceive. Through the incoming and outgoing breaths, however, arising, ceasing, and impermanence are easy to know and easy to see. Furthermore, when the mind is bound to the count, it cuts off discursive thoughts, namely: thoughts of sensual desire, thoughts of anger, thoughts of vexation, thoughts of relatives and villages, thoughts of kingdoms, and thoughts of immortality.

Those who seek to purify the mind and enter the right path must first eliminate the three coarse kinds of discursive thought, and afterward eliminate the three subtle kinds. When all six kinds of discursive thought have been eliminated, they will attain purity in all dharmas. It is like refining gold: first one removes the large stones, then successively removes the gravel and fine sand, and only then obtains the gold.

Question:

– What are the coarse ailments? What are the subtle ailments?

Answer:

– Thoughts of sensual desire, anger, and harmfulness are the three coarse ailments.

– Thoughts of relatives, kingdoms, and immortality are the three subtle ailments.

When all these kinds of discursive thought have been eliminated, one will attain purity in all dharmas.

Question:

– For those who have not yet attained the path and whose fetters have not yet been severed, the six kinds of discursive thought arise powerfully from the mind and cause disturbance. How can they be eliminated?

Answer:

– By becoming disenchanted with the world and cultivating right contemplation, one can restrain them but cannot yet uproot them. Only after attaining the unconditioned path can one uproot the fetters.

What is right contemplation?

– See how those of many desires suffer while seeking desire;

Having gained it, they guard it, and their suffering increases.

When it is lost, sorrow becomes great suffering;

Even when the mind obtains desire, suffering does not end.

Desire is impermanent, suffering, and empty;

Knowing it gathers all these together, one should abandon it.

It is like a venomous snake entering the house:

If it is not swiftly destroyed, harm will surely come.

Uncertain, unreal, and without value,

One seeks these inverted pleasures.

An arhat possessing the six supernormal powers

Admonished his disciple to be vigilant against desire:

“You have not broken the precepts; your moral discipline is pure,

And you do not share a dwelling with a woman.

Yet the venomous snake of sensual desire fills the house of your mind;

Delight and craving bind each other and will not part.

You already know that the body of precepts must not be violated,

Yet your mind dwells together with the fire of desire.

You are one who has left home to seek the path;

Why, then, do you let your mind be so heedless?

Your parents gave birth to you and raised you;

Your loving relatives joined in bringing you up.

They all shed tears, reluctant to part from you,

Yet you resolutely left them, without looking back.

And still your mind continually thinks of desire,

Sporting with desire, never growing weary;

Ever delighting to dwell with the fire of desire,

Joyful and pleased, never leaving it even briefly.”

Such are the ways of reproaching sensual desire and the methods of right contemplation for eliminating it.

Question:

– How can anger be extinguished?

Answer:

– Dwelling in the womb and emerging from the womb are always attended by suffering;

Beings suffer thus—do not be angry with them or harm them!

When anger arises, loving-kindness and compassion extinguish it;

Loving-kindness and compassion cannot coexist with anger.

When you are mindful of loving-kindness and compassion, anger ceases,

Just as light and darkness cannot occupy the same place.

If one observes pure moral discipline yet becomes angry,

That person destroys the benefits of the Dharma for himself.

It is like a herd of elephants entering the water to bathe,

Then taking mud and smearing it all over their bodies.

All are subject to aging, sickness, and death,

To every kind of beating and hundreds of thousands of sufferings.

Why, when the wise have compassion for beings,

Should I increase their suffering through anger?

If anger arises and one wishes to harm another,

Before harming the other, one burns oneself.

Therefore, constantly practice loving-kindness and compassion,

And do not inwardly give rise to thoughts of anger, vexation, or harm.

Whoever constantly remembers to practice wholesome dharmas

Has a mind that always does what the Buddha intended.

Therefore, one should not think unwholesome thoughts,

But constantly contemplate wholesome dharmas, making the mind joyful.

One is joyful now and will also attain joy in the next life;

The everlasting joy attained through the path is nirvana.

If the mind harbors unwholesome deeds,

One loses one’s own benefit and harms others.

This is called causing both oneself and others to lose goodness;

Even a person with a pure mind may thereby sink and be lost.

It is like a practitioner of the path dwelling in a secluded place

He raised his hands and cried aloud, “A thief has robbed me!”

Someone asked:

– Who robbed you?

He replied:

– I do not fear thieves who steal property. I possess no wealth, and since I seek no worldly gain, how could a thief of property harm me? I cultivate wholesome roots and the treasures of the Dharma, but the thieves of “initial and sustained thought” come and destroy my benefit. Thieves of property can be avoided, and there are many places where one may hide, but from thieves who steal wholesome Dharma there is nowhere to flee.

Such are the various ways of rebuking anger and the methods of right contemplation for eliminating anger.

Question:

– How can harmful intent be eliminated?

Answer:

– It is answered:

Sentient beings are of hundreds of thousands of kinds,

Afflictions come in turn to torment them;

The thief of death constantly watches, intent on killing,

While they themselves are submerged in measureless suffering.

Why, then, would one inflict harm upon the virtuous?

To slander and plot harm is devoid of loving-kindness.

Before injuring another, one brings calamity upon oneself.

Worldly people who cause harm may perhaps be excused,

For such conduct is an evil cause inherent in worldly life;

Nor do they claim that they cultivate goodness.

But one who has left home to seek the pure path,

Yet gives rise to anger and a jealous mind,

Is like a clear sky from whose clouds poisonous fire bursts forth.

Know that this evil bears exceedingly grave guilt.

When one dwelling in seclusion gives rise to jealousy,

An arhat who had attained knowledge of others’ minds

Instructed and rebuked him, saying: “How foolish you are!

Jealousy itself destroys the roots of merit.

If you seek offerings, you should cultivate,

Adorning yourself with every virtue.

If you uphold neither precepts nor meditation nor extensive learning,

But deceitfully wear dyed robes, you ruin the Dharma-body.

You are truly a base and wicked beggar;

Why seek offerings merely to benefit your body?

Hunger, thirst, heat, cold—a hundred thousand sufferings—

Sentient beings are constantly afflicted by these pains.

Their bodily and mental anguish has no end;

Why would a virtuous person add further torment?

It is like piercing a boil with a needle,

Or like a prisoner already undergoing interrogation:

Suffering binds the body while afflictions gather;

How could one with compassion add still more pain?!”

Such are the various ways of rebuking harmful intent and the methods of right contemplation for eliminating harmful intent.

Question:

– How can thoughts of relatives be eliminated?

Answer:

– One should reflect thus: In the world of birth and death, where beings are drawn onward by conditions, who is a relative and who is not? Only because of delusion does the mistaken thought arise that someone is my relative. Those who were not relatives in past lives are regarded as relatives. Those who will not be relatives in future lives are regarded as relatives. Those who are relatives in the present life were not relatives in the past.

It is like a flock of birds that return in the evening to roost together in one tree, but at dawn, following their respective conditions, each flies in a different direction. Families and relatives are likewise: born into the world, each person has a different mind. When causes and conditions converge, people become close; when causes and conditions disperse, they become strangers. There are no fixed causes, conditions, or karmic results that keep them close forever.

It is like dry sand that forms a mass when gripped tightly in the hand. Because it is held, it comes together; because it is released, it scatters. Parents raise their children and, in old age, are to receive recompense. Because children rely upon their parents’ protection and nurture, they must repay them. Those who comply with their parents’ wishes are regarded as kin; those who oppose their parents’ wishes are regarded as enemies. Some relatives cannot bring benefit but instead cause harm. Some who are not relatives cause no harm but instead offer help. Through causes and conditions, people give rise to attachment; and through conditions connected with that attachment, they also become separated.

It is like a painter who paints the image of a woman and then himself yearns for her. So too here, one gives rise within oneself to attachment to an external object. In past lives, you had homelands and relatives; what can you do for them in this life? You cannot benefit your relatives from the past. Nor can your past relatives benefit you. Neither can benefit the other; whether relative or non-relative, it is all merely empty thought.

In this boundless, indeterminate world, one should not insistently think that one person is a relative and another is not.

An arhat instructed a newly ordained disciple who still yearned for his relatives: “You are like a base person who vomits up food and then wants to eat it again. You are the same. Having already left home, why do you still yearn for sensual desires? A shaven head and dyed robes are the marks of liberation, yet you cherish your relatives and homeland. You have not attained liberation but remain bound by attachment. The three realms are impermanent, revolving without cease. Whether relatives or non-relatives, though they are your kin today, afterward they will certainly perish.”

Thus, sentient beings throughout the ten directions revolve in cyclic existence. Since homelands and relatives are unfixed, what place and what beings have not been our homeland and relatives? When a person is about to die, mind and consciousness cease, the eyes become fixed, the breath stops, and life ends, as though one had fallen into a dark pit. At that time, where are homeland and relatives?

At birth, those who were not relatives in the previous life are now forcibly brought together and made relatives; or, at the time of death, relatives once again become non-relatives. Reflecting in this way, one should not cling to relatives.

It is like a child who dies while three sets of parents simultaneously weep in frantic grief: the parents, spouse, and children from the heavenly realm; the parents from the human realm; and the parents from the realm of the dragons all weep in frenzy.

Such are the methods of right contemplation for eliminating thoughts of relatives.

Question:

– How can thoughts of a country be eliminated?

Answer:

– If a practitioner thinks of a country as prosperous, peaceful, joyful, and filled with many good people, and is continually bound and drawn by such thoughts, that practitioner must abandon these erroneous reflections. A wise person should not become attached to them. Why? Because countries are consumed by various faults: the seasons change, hunger and thirst increase, and the body grows weary.

All countries are impermanent and insecure. Moreover, there is no country without the sufferings of aging, sickness, and death. The body suffers in this place, and even upon reaching another place, the body still suffers. Travel throughout every country, and there is nowhere without suffering.

Even if a country is peaceful, prosperous, and joyful, so long as afflictions remain and the mind gives rise to calamity and suffering, it is not a good country. If one can eliminate the evils within the country, diminish the fetters, and free the mind from painful affliction, then that is a good country.

All sentient beings undergo two kinds of suffering: bodily suffering and mental suffering. Thus they are continually afflicted, and there is no country without these two kinds of suffering.

Moreover, some countries are extremely cold, some extremely hot, some afflicted by hunger and thirst, some rife with disease, some filled with bandits, and some without laws.

Thus, the mind should not become attached to the various evils of countries. Such is the right contemplation for eliminating thoughts of a country.

Question:

– How can thoughts of immortality be eliminated?

Answer:

– The practitioner should be instructed: Whether you were born into a wealthy and honored household, are the child of a talented family, or possess power surpassing others—do not dwell upon any of these things. Why? Because when the god of death arrives, he does not distinguish between old and young, noble and lowly, talented and untalented, powerful and powerless.

This body is where all the conditions of sorrow and suffering converge. Anyone who sees himself as still young and long-lived and therefore considers himself secure is a fool. Why? Because sorrow, suffering, and affliction depend upon these four great elements. The four great elements form the body like four venomous snakes in conflict with one another; how, then, could there be security?

One cannot trust that an exhaled breath will be drawn in again. Likewise, when a person falls asleep, it is difficult to be certain that he will awaken. From the time one enters the womb until old age, death continually approaches. Death is always seeking one out, yet one keeps saying that one will not die—how could such a claim be trusted?

Like murderous bandits, they draw their knives, bend their bows, and seek people to kill, without any compassion. In the lives of people in this world, the power of death is supreme; nothing can overcome the power of death. Even the most capable people of past ages could not escape death. Nor can the greatly wise of the present age overcome it. It cannot be persuaded by gentle words and entreaties. Neither can it be cleverly deceived in hopes of escaping it, nor can death be refused through observance of the precepts and diligent effort.

Therefore, one should know that human life is transient and cannot be relied upon. Do not trust that you will live long. The bandits of death constantly carry people away; they do not wait until old age before killing them.

As an arhat taught disciples who were afflicted by discursive thoughts:

“Why do you not understand that you have grown weary of the world and entered the Path? Why do you still entertain such thoughts?”

Some die before they are born; some die during birth; some die while still nursing; some die after they have been weaned; some die in childhood; some die in the prime of life; and some die in old age. Death occurs at every time. It is like a tree that has just blossomed: its flowers may immediately fall, or they may fall only after becoming fruit, or the fruit may fall before ripening. Therefore, one should know that it is necessary to strive diligently in seeking the secure Path.

One cannot place trust in dwelling together with a mighty bandit. This bandit is like a tiger, exceedingly skilled at concealing itself. In the same way, the bandit of death is constantly seeking people to kill. All things in the world are empty, like bubbles on water. Why say that you will wait until the right time before entering the Path? Who can guarantee with certainty that you will live until old age and have the opportunity to practice the Path?

It is like a great tree precariously standing at the edge of a precipice: above it is struck by violent winds, while below it is undermined by great floods until all its roots are exposed. Who could trust that this tree will endure for long? Human life is likewise; even in childhood it cannot be relied upon. The father is like seed grain, the mother like fertile soil, and the karmic conditions of past offenses and merits are like nourishing rain. Sentient beings are like rice plants, and birth and death are like harvesting.

Heavenly princes, human kings endowed with wisdom and virtue, and others—such as heavenly kings who aid the devas in defeating the armies of the asuras—all enjoy the finest and most sublime pleasures, yet afterward they fall again into darkness. Therefore, one should not rely upon life and say, “Today I shall do this; tomorrow I shall do that.”

Such is the method of right contemplation for eliminating thoughts of immortality.

In this way, first eliminate coarse thoughts, and afterward eliminate subtle thoughts. When the mind is purified, one immediately attains the true Path; all fetters are completely severed, and from then on one reaches the place of security. This is the fruit of going forth.

The mind gains mastery, and the three kinds of karma become supremely pure; one no longer takes birth in a womb. Then the recitation of scriptures and extensive learning bear fruit. Upon attaining this, one completely destroys the armies of Mara and is immediately honored as foremost in courage.

Merely abandoning the afflictions within the world and departing is not called courage. But one who can vanquish the bandits of affliction, extinguish the fires of the three poisons, and attain coolness, joy, and purity—resting securely with head held high in the forest of nirvana while the refreshing breezes of meditative concentration, the five faculties, the five powers, and the seven factors of awakening blow in from the four directions—and who remains mindful of sentient beings submerged in the sea of the three poisons: one possessing such wondrous power and virtue is called courageous.

Thus, a person whose mind is distracted should be mindful of anapana and learn the six methods in order to eliminate discursive thoughts. Therefore, one should practice mindfulness by counting the breaths.

Question:

“Among the four methods of contemplation, such as contemplation of impurity, mindfulness of the Buddha, and so forth, discursive thoughts can also be eliminated. Why, then, is only breath-counting discussed?”

Answer:

“Because the other methods of contemplation proceed gradually, it is difficult for the mind to lose its object; but the method of counting breaths proceeds swiftly, so the mind easily shifts away. It is like herding an ox: because an ox is difficult to lose, one may easily grow careless in watching it. But when tending a monkey, which is easily lost, one must watch it carefully. This practice is the same. When the mind counts the breaths, it counts without leaving the slightest interval for thinking of anything else. The moment it thinks of something else, it forgets the count. Therefore, when one initially wishes to eliminate discursive thoughts, one must cultivate breath-counting.”

Having mastered the method of counting breaths, one should practice following the breath in order to eliminate discursive thoughts. When the breath enters, the mind follows it to its end, without counting “one.” When the breath leaves, the mind follows it to its end, without counting “two.” It is like a creditor who comes to collect from a debtor and follows closely without ever leaving. Contemplating in this way, one sees that the inhalation and exhalation are distinct. One then knows that the inhalation differs from the exhalation. Why is this? Because the inhaled breath is cool, while the exhaled breath is warm.

Question:

“The inhalation and exhalation are merely one breath. Why? Because after going out, it returns and enters again. It is like water held in the mouth, which becomes warm, but when spat out becomes cool. Does cool water become warm, and warm water become cool again?”

Answer:

“It is not so. Because the mind within moves, the exhalation arises; once it has gone out, it immediately ceases. When the nose and mouth draw air in from outside, inhalation occurs; once it has entered, it immediately ceases. There is no breath that is about to leave, nor any breath that is about to enter.

“Furthermore, breathing varies according to age: childhood, adulthood, and old age. In children the inhalation is long; in young adults the inhalation and exhalation are equal; in the elderly the exhalation is long. Therefore, they are not one and the same breath.

“Furthermore, the breath arises from the navel and appears to be continuous. The exhalation reaches the exterior through the nose and mouth, and once it has gone out, it immediately ceases. It is like the air within a ball, which is lost as soon as the ball is opened. When conditions associated with the nose and mouth draw air inward, a new breath then arises from those causes and conditions.

“It is like a fan: when the requisite conditions come together, wind arises. One then knows that the inhalations and exhalations arising through causes and conditions are false and unreal, and that their arising and ceasing are impermanent.

“Contemplating in this way, the exhalation is drawn forth through the conditions of the nose and mouth, while the inhalation arises through the condition of the mind’s movement. Deluded people do not understand this and regard it as their own breath. Breath is wind and does not differ from the wind outside.

“Earth, water, fire, and space are also like this. Through the causes and conditions of the harmonious union of the five great elements, consciousness arises. Consciousness likewise is not mine. The five skandhas, twelve ayatanas, and eighteen dhatus are also like this. Knowing this while following the inhalations and exhalations is called ‘following.’”

Having mastered the method of following, one should practice the method of stabilization.

The method of stabilization is this: once the mind is firmly settled through counting and following, one should fix one’s attention at the nostrils and remain mindful of the inhalations and exhalations.

Question:

“Why must one practice stabilization?”

The purpose is to eliminate discursive thoughts so that the mind is no longer scattered. Yet while counting and following the breath, there is much strain, and the mind is not concentrated. Through stabilization, the mind becomes at ease, with little strain; it abides in one place and notes the inhalations and exhalations. It is like a gatekeeper standing near the gate and observing those who enter and leave. The stabilized mind is likewise: it knows that when the breath goes out, it rises from the navel through the heart, chest, throat, mouth, and nose; when the breath comes in, it passes from the mouth and nose through the throat and heart to the navel. Binding the mind to one place in this way is called stabilization.

Furthermore, within the method of stabilization, the mind comes to rest and observes. When the breath enters, one set of the five skandhas arises and ceases; when the breath leaves, another set of the five skandhas arises and ceases. In this way, the distracted mind is immediately eliminated. When one single-mindedly contemplates and causes insight to increase, this is called the method of contemplation.

One relinquishes fixing the mind at the nostrils and leaves behind coarse contemplation. Having left behind coarse contemplation, one knows that the breath is impermanent; this is called shifting contemplation. While contemplating the five skandhas as impermanent, one is also mindful that the arising and ceasing of inhalations and exhalations are impermanent. One sees that the initial breath does not come from anywhere; next, one contemplates that the subsequent breath also leaves no trace. It exists because causes and conditions come together, and it ceases when those causes and conditions disperse. This is the method of shifting contemplation.

Having eliminated the five hindrances and the afflictions, although one has previously attained calm and insight, the afflictions have not yet been exhausted and the mind remains confused and distracted. Now this purifying method causes the mind to become pure. Furthermore, the preceding contemplation is also practiced by followers of other teachings, as is the practice of mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation. Now one practices the undefiled method in a manner resembling the practice of wholesome conditioned states; this is called purification.

Furthermore, the initial contemplation is one part of the foundation of mindfulness of the body. Gradually, one completes the foundation of mindfulness of the entire body, and next practices the foundations of mindfulness of feelings and of mind. Because these have not yet been purified and remain far from the undefiled path, one must now, within the Dharma of the foundations of mindfulness, contemplate the sixteen modes and remain mindful of inhalation and exhalation in order to attain the Dharma of warmth, the Dharma of the summit, the Dharma of patience, the foremost worldly Dharma, the Dharma of suffering, the Dharma of patience, and so forth, up to the knowledge of exhaustion of one beyond training. Only then is it called purification.

Among these sixteen parts, the first, inhalation, contains the six practices of anapana; the part concerning exhalation is likewise. With one-pointed mindfulness, one attends to inhalations and exhalations, whether long or short. For example, the breathing of a frightened person, a person running up a mountain, one carrying a heavy burden, or one gasping for breath—breathing in such cases is short. When a weary person rests and feels joyful, or when someone is released from prison—breathing in such cases is long. All breaths belong to these two kinds: either long or short. Therefore, it is said that breathing is long or short, and within these one also practices the six aspects of anapana.

Mindfulness of the breaths throughout the entire body is also mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation. Contemplating the inhalations and exhalations within the body, one clearly knows that all the pores throughout the body, down to the toes and fingers, breathe. Just as water permeates sand, one knows that the breath issues through all the pores, from the feet to the hair.

It is like water seeping through sand. It is also like air entering and leaving everywhere in an inflated leather bag; the breath entering and leaving through the mouth and nose is likewise. One sees the breath circulating throughout the whole body, as water passes through the holes in a lotus stalk or through a fishing net.

The mind further contemplates that inhalation and exhalation occur not only through the nose and mouth, but that breath is also seen entering and leaving through all the pores and the nine bodily apertures. Thus one knows the breath throughout the entire body. Calming the bodily activities, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation.

When beginners contemplate the breath, if the body is sluggish, drowsy, or heavy, these conditions must be eliminated. The body becomes light, gentle, and compliant with meditative concentration, while the mind experiences joy. One also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation to eliminate the heaviness of mental sloth and sleepiness, thereby attaining a mind that is light, gentle, compliant with meditative concentration, and experiences joy.

Furthermore, after entering the foundation of mindfulness of the body and next completing the practice of the foundation of mindfulness of feelings, one attains the foundation of mindfulness of the body. At this point one truly attains the foundation of mindfulness of feelings once more and only then experiences genuine joy.

Furthermore, having understood the true characteristic of the body, one now wishes to understand the true characteristics of the mind and mental factors. Therefore, while experiencing joy, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation; while experiencing happiness, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. Causing Dharma-joy to increase is called bliss.

Furthermore, joy newly arising in the mind is called rapture; when the whole body subsequently becomes joyful, it is called bliss.

Furthermore, the joyful feeling in the first and second dhyanas is called rapture, while the joyful feeling in the third dhyana is called bliss.

Experiencing the various mental activities, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. Mental states arise and cease: defiled mental states, undefiled mental states, distracted mental states, collected mental states, correct mental states, erroneous mental states, and so forth. Such characteristics of mind are called mental activities.

When causing the mind to become joyful, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. The joyful feeling mentioned previously arose by itself and was not produced through deliberate mental effort.

Question:

– Why should one deliberately cause joy to arise in the mind?

Answer:

– In order to remedy the two conditions of mental distraction and mental constriction, one arouses the mind in this way so that it may escape the afflictions. Therefore, one remains mindful of the Dharma to cause joy to arise in the mind. Furthermore, if the mind is not joyful, one vigorously rouses it and causes it to rejoice.

When collecting the mind, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. If the mind is not settled, one courageously gathers and subdues it, causing it to become settled. As stated in the sutra: “A concentrated mind is the path; a distracted mind is not the path.”

When causing the mind to be liberated, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. If the mind is not liberated, one courageously gathers and subdues it, causing it to be liberated. It is like a goat entering a thicket of thorny grass and becoming caught on the thorns, while someone gradually frees it. Causing the mind to be liberated from the fetters and afflictions is likewise. This is called causing liberation within the foundation of mindfulness of mind.

Contemplating impermanence, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. One contemplates all phenomena as impermanent, arising and ceasing, empty, and without self. When phenomena arise, empty phenomena arise; when phenomena cease, empty phenomena cease. Within them there is no man, no woman, no agent, and no recipient. This is called contemplation in accordance with impermanence.

Contemplating the dissolution of conditioned phenomena, one also remains mindful of the impermanence of inhalation and exhalation; this is called dispersion. Conditioned phenomena existing in the present arose from the convergence of causes and conditions in the past; when those causes and conditions disintegrate, the phenomena dissolve. Contemplation based upon this is called contemplation of dissolution.

Contemplating freedom from the bonds of desire, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. A mind free from all bonds is the foremost Dharma. This is called contemplation in accordance with dispassion.

Contemplating complete cessation, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. The place where all the sufferings caused by the fetters are entirely ended is a place of peace and security. This is called contemplation in accordance with complete cessation.

Contemplating relinquishment, one also remains mindful of inhalation and exhalation. To relinquish every kind of defiling attachment and affliction, the body, the mind, the five skandhas, and all conditioned phenomena is the supreme place of peace and security. Contemplation in this manner is called contemplation in accordance with the foundation of mindfulness of phenomena.

These are the sixteen parts of the practice of contemplation within the foundations of mindfulness.

V. THE DHARMA GATE FOR REMEDYING EQUAL PROPORTIONS:

The fifth part is the Dharma gate for remedying equal proportions and for those who, having committed grave offenses, seek to become Buddhas.

Such people should be taught to practice the Buddha-recollection samadhi with one-pointed concentration. The Buddha-recollection samadhi is of three grades: that of beginners, that of those who have practiced, and that of those who have practiced for a long time.

A beginner should be led before an image of the Buddha, or instructed to go there alone, and carefully examine the excellent marks of the Buddha image, clearly discerning each mark and remembering it with one-pointed attention. The practitioner should then return and sit quietly, using the mind’s eye to contemplate the Buddha image without allowing the attention to waver. Mindfulness should be bound to the image, without thinking of anything else. Whenever another thought arises, one should immediately gather the mind and return it to abiding upon the Buddha’s form. If the practitioner’s mind does not remain there, the teacher should instruct him as follows:

“You should reproach your own mind: Because of you, I have undergone incalculable offenses, passing through endless cycles of death and rebirth and experiencing every kind of suffering and distress. At times I was in hell, swallowing red-hot iron balls and drinking molten copper; at times I was among animals, chewing grass and eating excrement; at times I was among hungry ghosts, enduring the suffering of hunger and thirst; at times I was among human beings, poor, destitute, and imperiled; and at times I was in the heavenly realms, grieving over the loss of the five sensual pleasures.

Because I have constantly followed you, you have caused my body and mind to undergo such immeasurable suffering and distress. Now I must control you. You must follow me.

I shall bind you to a single place and am resolved never again to let you bring me misery and cause me to endure every kind of painful torment. You have always caused me suffering; now I must cause you suffering.”

When one reproaches the mind in this way, its distraction ceases. One then immediately attains clarity of the mind’s eye and sees the marks of the Buddha image distinctly, no differently from seeing them with the physical eyes. In this way, the mind comes to abide. This is the contemplative practice of a beginner.

The practitioner then further reflects: “Whose form is this? It is the image of Shakyamuni Buddha of the past. Just as I now see the Buddha image, the Buddha’s form does not come here, nor do I go there.” Contemplating in this way, one sees the Buddha of the past at the time when he first descended in spirit, shaking heaven and earth, and possessing the thirty-two marks of a great person:

1- The soles of the feet are level and even.

2- Beneath the soles are thousand-spoked wheels.

3- The fingers are long and beautiful.

4- The heels are broad.

5- Between the fingers and toes are fine web-like membranes.

6- The insteps are high, even, and beautiful.

7- The legs are slender, rounded, and full like those of the king of deer.

8- When standing erect, the hands reach beyond the knees.

9- The male organ is concealed like that of a stallion.

10- The body is round and straight like a nyagrodha tree.

11- From each pore grows a single hair.

12- The body hairs point upward and curl to the right.

13- The complexion surpasses the color of pure gold.

14- An aureole extends one fathom around the body.

15- The skin is fine and beautiful.

16- Seven parts of the body are full and rounded.

17- The areas beneath both armpits are even and beautiful.

18- The upper body is like that of a lion.

19- The body is exceedingly beautiful and upright.

20- The shoulders are rounded and beautiful.

21- There are forty teeth.

22- The teeth are white, even, closely set, and deeply rooted.

23- The four incisors are white and large.

24- The cheeks are square like those of a lion.

25- The sense of taste experiences the supreme flavor.

26- The tongue is large, broad, long, and thin.

27- The Brahma voice is deep and far-reaching.

28- The voice is like that of the kalavinka bird.

29- The eyes are deep blue like the azure sky.

30- The eyelashes are like those of the king of oxen.

31- On the crown of the head is the ushnisha.

32- Between the eyebrows is a long and beautiful white urna curling to the right.

There are also eighty minor marks of beauty:

1- The mark of the invisible crown.

2- The nose is high, straight, beautiful, and well-formed.

3- The eyebrows resemble crescent moons and are blue like lapis lazuli.

4- The ears are beautiful.

5- The body is like that of Narayana.

6- The bones are interlocked like links in a chain.

7- When turning, the body moves like the king of elephants.

8- When walking, the feet rise four inches above the ground, yet still leave footprints.

9- The fingernails are copper-red, thin, and lustrous.

10- The knees are rounded and beautiful.

11- The body is pure.

12- The body is soft and supple.

13- The body is not crooked.

14- The fingers are slender and long.

15- The lines on the palms are beautiful, like a multicolored painting.

16- The veins lie deep and are not visible.

17- The ankle bones are concealed and do not protrude.

18- The body is radiant and glossy.

19- The body is firm and does not lean or bend.

20- The body is fully developed (conceived in the third month and born in the second month).

21- His dignified bearing is perfect.

22- He stands firmly and steadily, unmoving like the king of oxen.

23- His majestic courage pervades everywhere.

24- Sentient beings delight in beholding him.

25- The face is not elongated.

26- His countenance is upright and handsome, without any uneven coloration.

27- His lips are red like the bimba fruit.

28- The face is round and full.

29- The voice carries far.

30- The navel is round and deep, and does not protrude.

31- All the hairs of the body curl to the right.

32- The hands and feet are full and well-formed.

33- The hands and feet act as desired (they can grasp both inwardly and outwardly).

34- The lines on the hands and feet are all distinct and straight.

35- The lines on the hands are long.

36- The lines on the hands are unbroken.

37- All sentient beings harboring malicious thoughts appear joyful when they see him.

38- The face is broad and beautiful.

39- The face is like the full moon.

40- Sentient beings who see him are not frightened.

41- The pores of the body emit fragrance.

42- A fragrance issues gently from his mouth; those who encounter it experience the bliss of the Dharma for seven days.

43- His dignified bearing is like that of a lion.

44- He advances and stops like the king of elephants.

45- He walks like the king of geese.

46- The head is shaped like a madala fruit (this fruit is neither round nor elongated).

47- His voice is complete (there are sixty kinds of voices, all of which the Buddha fully knows).

48- The teeth are sharp.

49- (Because there is no name for it in Chinese, it is not stated).

50- The tongue is broad and red.

51- The tongue is thin.

52- The body hairs are rose-colored and clean.

53- The eyes are broad and long.

54- The bodily apertures are full; the marks of the nine orifices are complete and well-formed.

55- The hands and feet are white and red like lotus blossoms).

56- The abdomen does not protrude.

57- The abdomen is not sunken.

58- The body is unmoving.

59- The body is weighty.

60- The body is large.

61- The body is tall and great.

62- The hands and feet are clean, full, and well-formed.

63- A great aureole surrounds the body; when he walks, its light shines everywhere.

64- He regards all sentient beings equally.

65- In teaching and transforming beings, he is unattached and does not covet disciples.

66- (His speech has) an appropriate volume according to what each kind of sentient being (delights in hearing).

67- He teaches the Dharma according to the languages of sentient beings.

68- His speech is unobstructed.

69- He teaches the Dharma in orderly sequence, without interruption.

70- Sentient beings who behold the Buddha’s marks can never know them completely.

71- One never tires of beholding him.

72- The hair is long and beautiful.

73- The hair curls beautifully.

74- The hair is not tangled.

75- The hair is not damaged.

76- The hair is soft and supple.

77- The hair is blue like vaidurya jewels.

78- The surface of the hair is soft.

79- The hair is not sparse.

80- On the chest is the character Virtue ( ), and on the feet is the character Auspicious (). His light shines throughout immeasurable worlds.

Immediately after birth, he walked seven steps and uttered momentous words. Having renounced the household life, he diligently practiced austerities.

Beneath the Bodhi tree, he subdued the armies of Mara. Near daybreak, he attained perfect and complete awakening; the brilliant radiance of his marks illuminated the ten directions. Throughout the sky, devas played music and sang, scattered flowers, and showered fragrances as offerings.

All sentient beings revered him beyond measure. He alone traversed the three realms, turning like the king of elephants. He contemplated the tree beneath which he attained the Way and turned the Dharma wheel for the first time, whereupon devas and humans alike awakened. Cultivating the Way, he personally realized it and attained nirvana.

The Buddha’s body is thus capable of inspiring immeasurable devotion. Single-mindedly recollect the Buddha and think of nothing else. If another thought arises, immediately gather the mind and return it. In this way, the mind will not be disturbed. One will then see the form-body of one Buddha, two Buddhas, and even the Buddhas of the ten directions throughout immeasurable worlds. Because the mind employs visualization, one is able to see in this way.

Having seen the Buddha, one subsequently hears the Dharma taught. Or one personally presents questions and, through the Buddha’s teaching of the Dharma, dispels all doubts. Having attained the visualization of the Buddha, one should further recollect the virtues of the Buddha’s Dharma-body, which possesses immeasurable great wisdom, profound knowledge without bounds, and virtues beyond calculation:

– Da Da A Gia Do: Tathagata.

– A Le: Worthy of Offerings.

– Tam Mieu Tam Phat Da: Perfectly and Completely Awakened One.

– Ty Gia Gia La Na Tam Bat Na: Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct.

– Tuc Gia Da: Well-Gone One.

– Lo Gia Bai: Knower of the World.

– A Nau Da La: Unsurpassed One.

– Phu Lau Sa Dam Mieu: Tamer of Men.

– Xa Da De Ba Ma Nau Xa Nam: Teacher of Devas and Humans.

– Phat Ba Gia Ba: Buddha, the Blessed One.

At that time, one further recollects the transcendent virtues of two, three, four, five, and so forth, up to immeasurably many Buddhas filling the entirety of space, all of whom are likewise, and then returns to seeing a single Buddha. One may contemplate a single Buddha transforming into the Buddhas of the ten directions. One may contemplate the Buddhas of the ten directions merging into a single Buddha. One may contemplate a single color becoming various colors: gold, silver, crystal, and so forth, as well as the color of lapis lazuli. According to whatever one wishes, all can be seen.

At that time, contemplate only two things: the Buddha’s body in space and the Buddha’s virtues. If one thinks of nothing else, the mind attains mastery and the thoughts no longer wander. One then accomplishes the samadhi of recollecting the Buddha.

If the mind still pursues the five sense-objects or thinks about the six matters mentioned above, one should strive to restrain it, using a vigorous mind to subdue it, and reflect thus: “A human body is difficult to obtain, and the Buddha-Dharma is difficult to encounter. Thus it is said that among all forms of light, sunlight is supreme; among all sages, the Buddha is foremost. Why is this?

Because the Buddha constantly arouses great compassion for all sentient beings, giving his head, eyes, marrow, and brain to save them. Why, then, should I let my mind wander instead of concentrating on recollection of the Buddha, thereby deliberately betraying this profound kindness? If a Buddha did not appear in the world, there would be no path leading to the human and heavenly realms or to nirvana.

If someone were to make offerings of incense and flowers, or use bones, flesh, blood, and marrow to build a stupa as an offering, this would still not equal the offering of the Dharma made by one who thereby attains nirvana. However, if one betrays the Buddha’s kindness, then even though one recollects the Buddha, that recollection will be empty and yield nothing. Therefore, I must single-mindedly recollect the Buddha without distraction in order to repay his kindness.

How much more should I concentrate upon recollection of the Buddha when through it one attains samadhis and wisdom and realizes Buddhahood?”

Therefore, the practitioner must always concentrate the mind and keep the attention from becoming scattered. One will then behold the Buddha and ask questions to resolve one’s doubts. This is called the Buddha-Recollection Samadhi; it eliminates offenses arising equally from greed, hatred, and delusion, as well as grave offenses.

THE SUTRA ON THE SAMADHI OF SEATED MEDITATION

End of the Upper Fascicle