修習止觀坐禪法要

Chapter I

The Section on the Conditions for Arising

Do not commit any evil deeds,

Practice all that is wholesome,

Purify one’s own mind—

This is the teaching of all Buddhas.

As for the Dharma of nirvana, there are certainly many paths of entry. Yet the most essential and swiftest path does not go beyond calming and insight. This is because calming is the initial gateway for subduing the fetters, while insight is the principal path for severing delusions.

Calming is the method that skillfully nurtures and develops the mind; insight is the wondrous art that gives rise to spiritual understanding. Calming is the supreme cause of meditative concentration; insight is the foundation upon which wisdom relies. If one perfects both concentration and wisdom, the Dharma of benefiting oneself and benefiting others is fully accomplished.

Therefore, the Lotus Sutra states: “Within the Great Vehicle, the Buddha, in accordance with the illuminating Dharma he has realized, is adorned with the powers of concentration and wisdom, and by these he liberates sentient beings.” One should know that these two practices are like the two wheels of a cart or the two wings of a bird. If their cultivation is unbalanced, one will immediately fall into error and inversion.

A sutra states: “If one cultivates only the merit of meditative concentration and does not study wisdom, this is called foolishness. If one studies only wisdom and does not cultivate the merit of meditative concentration, this is called madness.” Although the faults of madness and foolishness differ somewhat, there is no difference in their leading through wrong views to continued wandering in samsara. If cultivation is not balanced, then one’s practice is incomplete; how, then, could one swiftly ascend to the ultimate fruition?

A sutra further states: “Because sravakas possess greater power of concentration, they do not perceive Buddha-nature. Bodhisattvas of the Ten Abodes possess greater power of wisdom; although they perceive Buddha-nature, they do not perceive it clearly. Because all Buddhas, the Tathagatas, possess equal powers of concentration and wisdom, they perceive Buddha-nature clearly.” Examined in this light, are calming and insight not the direct and expedient gateway to the great fruition of nirvana, the excellent path upon which practitioners advance, the common gathering place of myriad virtues, and the essential substance of the unsurpassed ultimate fruition?

Knowing this, one understands that the Dharma gateway of calming and insight is truly no ordinary matter. To guide beginners whose understanding of the Dharma is still obscure so that they may advance along the path, they must be led by means of calming and insight. Yet explanation is easy while actual practice is exceedingly difficult; therefore, I shall not discuss the profound principles at length.

I will now briefly set forth ten points to show beginners in the practice of the Way how to advance up the steps of the right path and enter the house of nirvana. Practitioners should personally recognize how difficult actual practice is and should not disparage this text as shallow or elementary. If thought and speech accord with one another, then in the space of a single instant the virtue of wisdom and the virtue of severance will be immeasurable, and spiritual understanding will be inconceivable.

But if one merely clings to the written words while speech and thought contradict each other, one is like a poor person who counts another’s wealth for hire—what benefit will one ultimately gain for oneself?

The ten points are:

1- Fulfilling the necessary conditions

2- Reproving desires

3- Casting off the hindrances

4- Regulating oneself

5- Skillful means

6- Correct practice

7- The arising of wholesome qualities

8- Recognizing demonic influences

9- Treating illness

10- Realizing the fruition.

These ten points are presented to clarify the path of cultivating Calming and Insight. They are essential conditions for beginners in seated meditation. If one skillfully grasps their meaning and practices accordingly, one can settle the mind, overcome all obstacles and difficulties, give rise to wisdom through concentration, and realize the undefiled noble fruition.

Chapter II - The Main Teaching

I. Fulfilling the Necessary Conditions

In general, those who arouse the resolve to practice and wish to cultivate calming and insight must fulfill five conditions:

1- Maintaining the precepts purely.

2- Having sufficient food and clothing.

3- Dwelling peacefully in a secluded place.

4- Severing all entangling affairs.

5- Drawing near to good spiritual friends.

1. Maintaining the precepts purely

As taught in a sutra: “By relying upon the precepts, the various meditative concentrations and the wisdom that extinguishes suffering arise. Therefore, bhiksus must maintain the precepts purely.” Those who maintain the precepts are divided into three classes:

a) Before becoming a disciple of the Buddha, a person has not committed any of the five heinous offenses. Later, upon meeting a good teacher, that person is instructed to receive the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts and becomes a disciple of the Buddha; or that person leaves the household life, receives the Ten Precepts, and becomes a sramanera, then receives the Full Precepts and becomes a bhiksu or bhiksuni. From the time of receiving the precepts onward, that person maintains them purely without violation. Such a person is called one who maintains the precepts at the highest level. If this person cultivates Calming and Insight, that person will certainly realize the Buddha-Dharma, just as a white garment readily takes dye.

b) If, after receiving the precepts, a person has not violated the grave precepts but has often violated minor precepts, then, for the sake of cultivating meditative concentration, that person should repent in accordance with the Dharma. Such a person is also called one who maintains the precepts purely and gives rise to wisdom. It is like a garment that has become soiled: if it is now washed clean, it can still be dyed.

c) Or, after receiving the precepts, a person may fail to maintain them with a steadfast mind and may violate many minor and grave precepts. According to the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle, violations of the four grave precepts cannot be purified through repentance. According to the teachings of the Great Vehicle, however, they can be eradicated. Therefore, a sutra states: “Within the Buddha-Dharma there are two kinds of courageous people: 1- Those who do not commit evil. 2- Those who, having committed it, know how to repent.”

Those who wish to repent must possess ten supporting factors in order to succeed:

1- Firmly believing in cause and effect.

2- Giving rise to a mind of fear and vigilance.

3- Arousing a sense of shame and remorse.

4- Seeking a method for extinguishing offenses. - One must practice precisely in accordance with the methods taught in the Mahayana sutras.

5- Openly confessing past offenses.

6- Severing the mind that would continue committing them.

7- Arousing the resolve to safeguard and uphold the Buddha-Dharma.

8- Making the great vow to liberate sentient beings.

9- Constantly recollecting the Buddhas of the ten directions.

10- Contemplating that the nature of offenses is originally unborn.

Having fulfilled these ten conditions, the practitioner should adorn the place of practice, wash and cleanse oneself thoroughly, put on clean robes, burn incense, scatter flowers, and repent before the Three Jewels in accordance with the Dharma. Whether for seven days, twenty-one days, one month, three months, or even many years, the practitioner should single-mindedly repent of the grave offenses committed and cease only when they have been extinguished.

What are the signs that the gravest offenses have been extinguished? - When the practitioner repents in this way with utmost sincerity, that person may personally know body and mind to be light and at ease, see auspicious dreams, behold numinous omens or extraordinary signs, or know that wholesome states of mind have begun to unfold. While seated, the practitioner may experience the body as being like a cloud or a shadow and, on this basis, gradually realize the various states of dhyana.

Or the mind may awaken and become empty and lucid, enabling the practitioner to understand the characteristics of dharmas; upon hearing a sutra, the practitioner may immediately penetrate its meaning and thereby attain Dharma joy, with a mind free from sorrow and remorse. Such signs are indications that offenses arising from violations of the precepts have been extinguished. From that time onward, if the practitioner steadfastly observes the precepts and prohibitions, that person is also called one who maintains the precepts purely and is able to cultivate meditative concentration.

It is like a garment that is torn and soiled: if it is mended and washed clean, it too can be dyed.

If a person has violated a grave precept and fears that it will obstruct meditative concentration, then even if that person does not follow the sutras in cultivating the prescribed practices, that person should simply give rise to a profound sense of shame and remorse, openly confess former offenses before the Three Jewels, sever the mind that would continue them, constantly sit upright, contemplate that the nature of offenses is originally empty, and recollect the Buddhas of the ten directions.

Or, upon emerging from meditation, that person should sincerely light incense, bow in reverence, repent, recite the precepts, and recite the Mahayana sutras. The grave offenses that obstruct the Way will gradually be extinguished; thereby, the precepts will become pure and meditative concentration will unfold. Therefore, the Sutra of the Wondrous Supreme Concentration states: “If a person who has committed a grave offense gives rise to fear and seeks a means to eradicate it, there is no Dharma apart from meditative concentration by which it can be extinguished.

That person should dwell in a secluded place, constantly sit and collect the mind, and recite the Mahayana sutras. All grave offenses will thereby be extinguished, and the various dhyanas and samadhis will naturally manifest before that person.”

2. Having sufficient food and clothing

A) There are three kinds of clothing:

a) Like the Great Being of the Snow Mountains—Sakyamuni—one needs only a single tattered robe to cover the body, because one does not wander through villages and has perfected the power of patient endurance.

b) Like Venerable Mahakasyapa, who constantly practiced the dhutanga austerities, one keeps only three rag robes and no other garments.

c) If one lives in a very cold region and one’s power of endurance is not yet mature, in addition to the three robes, the Tathagata also permits one to keep other articles; however, they must be duly declared and purified. One must know the measure of one’s own strength and be content. If, out of craving, one seeks merely to accumulate many possessions, the mind will become disturbed and the Path obstructed.

B) There are four ways concerning food:

a) If one is a superior person, a great being, who enters the deep mountains far removed from worldly life, one simply uses vegetables and fruits according to the season to sustain the body.

b) One regularly practices dhutanga and observes the practice of almsround, abandoning the four kinds of wrong livelihood. Living by right livelihood may give rise to the noble Path. The four kinds of wrong livelihood are:

1- Sustaining oneself through cultivation.

2- Observing celestial phenomena.

3- Devising schemes to earn a living.

4- Roving in all four directions in pursuit of a livelihood, or practicing divination, medicine, and so forth.

The characteristics of wrong livelihood are as Venerable Xá-Lợi-Phất explained to Thanh-Mục-Nữ.

c) Dwelling in a secluded place and relying upon donors to bring offerings.

d) Dwelling among the Sangha and taking food and drink in accordance with the Dharma.

Because these conditions are present, one is said to have sufficient food and clothing. Why is this so? Because without these conditions, the mind cannot be peaceful and secure, and the Path will be obstructed.

3. Dwelling Peacefully in a Secluded Place

Not engaging in activities is called dwelling peacefully. A place free from noise and commotion is called secluded. There are three kinds of places in which one may cultivate meditative concentration:

a) A place deep in the mountains where no one comes.

b) A secluded place for practicing dhutanga, at least three or four miles from villages, where even the voices of herdsmen cannot be heard and all noisy sounds have ceased.

c) A pure monastery far removed from worldly people.

All such places are called “dwelling peacefully in a secluded place.”

4. Severing All Entanglements

There are four kinds:

a) Severing occupations undertaken for one’s livelihood. This means not engaging in worldly enterprises.

b) Severing social associations. One does not form close friendships with worldly people.

c) Severing involvement in crafts and techniques. One does not work as an artisan, physician, sorcerer, diviner, physiognomist, numerologist, and so forth.

d) Severing scholarly pursuits. All reading, study, and inquiry are relinquished.

Why must these activities be relinquished? Because when one remains bound by many affairs, the practice of the Path becomes neglected, and the agitated mind is difficult to gather and subdue.

5. Drawing Near to Good and Wise Friends

Good and wise friends include:

a) Good and wise friends who provide external support. These are people who conduct affairs, make offerings, and support practitioners so that practitioners may remain free from worry, trouble, and disturbance.

b) Good and wise friends who practice together. These are fellow practitioners of the Path who remind and admonish one another and do not disturb one another.

c) Good and wise friends who give instruction. These are guiding teachers who employ methods of meditative concentration and skillful means for regulating and subduing the inner and outer aspects, instructing practitioners so that they may attain benefit and joy.

II. Reproving Desire

To reprove desire means to reprove the five desires. Whoever wishes to sit in meditation and cultivate calm and insight must certainly admonish and reprove the five desires. The five desires are the worldly objects of form, sound, fragrance, flavor, and touch. They can delude all ordinary beings and cause them to become intoxicated and attached. If one recognizes their faults and immediately keeps far away from them, this is called reproving desire.

1. Reproving the Desire for Forms

The alluring appearances of men and women—clear eyes, long eyebrows, vermilion lips, white teeth, and so forth—and the many beautiful colors of worldly treasures—blue, yellow, red, white, pink, purple, indigo, and green—can cause ordinary beings who behold them to give rise to affection and create evil karma. For example, because of desire for forms, King Tần-Bà-Ta-La entered an enemy kingdom in person and willingly remained in the chamber of the woman A-Phạm-Ba-La. Again, because of desire for forms, Ưu-Điền severed the hands and feet of five hundred sages. The desire for forms causes many other offenses such as these.

2. Reproving the Desire for Sounds

This refers to the sounds of zithers, lutes, pipes, flutes, strings, bamboo instruments, metal, and stone played as music, as well as the singing, chanting, and praises of men and women. These can entice ordinary beings, who, upon merely hearing them, immediately give rise to attachment and create evil karma. For example, five hundred sages in the Snow Mountains heard the singing of the woman Chân-Đà-La and immediately lost their meditative concentration, their minds becoming intoxicated, enamored, and deranged. Infatuation with sounds produces many other offenses such as these.

3. Reproving the Desire for Fragrances

The fragrances of men and women, the aromas of food and drink, and the many kinds of incense and perfumes: foolish people do not examine their true characteristics, but upon merely smelling them immediately become infatuated and attached, opening the gate to the fetters. For example, a bhikshu beside a lotus pond smelled the fragrance of a flower and gave rise to delight; the deity guarding the pond reproached him, saying, “Why do you dare steal my fragrance?” Delight in fragrances causes the dormant fetters to arise at once. There are many other causes and conditions through which the desire for fragrances brings harm such as this.

4. Reproving the Desire for Flavors

This refers to flavors that are bitter, pungent, sour, sweet, salty, bland, and so forth. Fine and delicious foods can cause ordinary beings to give rise to defiled attachment and create evil karma. For example, a novice monk, because he delighted in the flavor of curds, was reborn after death as a worm within the curds. The desire for flavors causes many other comparable harms such as this.

5. Reproving the Desire for Touch

The soft and smooth flesh of men and women; contact with warmth when it is cold and coolness when it is hot; and all tactile sensations suited to one’s needs—foolish and ignorant people become submerged in these things, thereby obstructing their cultivation of the Path. For example, the one-horned sage lost his supernormal powers because of the desire for touch and was ridden upon the neck by a lustful woman. The desire for touch causes many harms such as these.

The methods of reproving desire set forth above are all drawn from the Mahayana Treatise.

It further laments: “Alas! Sentient beings are constantly afflicted and disturbed by the five desires, yet they ceaselessly pursue them. The more these five desires are obtained, the more fiercely they blaze, just as a fire burns more strongly when fuel is added.

The five desires provide no pleasure, like a dog gnawing a dry bone. The five desires cause contention, like a flock of crows fighting over rotten flesh. The five desires burn people, like carrying a torch against the wind.

The five desires harm people, like stepping upon a venomous snake. The five desires are unreal, like obtaining treasures in a dream. The five desires are transient and do not endure, like sparks struck from stone.

The wise contemplate them as hostile bandits; worldly people, deluded and mistaken, crave and cling to the five desires, refusing to relinquish them even at death, and in later lives they must undergo immeasurable suffering and affliction.”

Even animals possess these five desires. Therefore, all sentient beings are constantly driven by the five desires and become their servants; they cast themselves into base desires and sink into the three evil destinies. Now, as I cultivate meditative concentration, I am again obstructed and concealed by them. They are vicious bandits and must swiftly be abandoned. As a verse in the Meditation Sutra states:

Birth and death continue without end

Because one delights in desires and relishes flavors;

One nourishes the enemy into a swelling mound

And vainly endures all manner of bitterness.

The foul body is like a corpse;

From its nine apertures impurities flow.

As a dung beetle delights in dung,

The foolish person is no different with the body.

The wise should contemplate the body,

Not craving or clinging to worldly pleasures,

Unattached and free from desire:

This is called true nirvana.

As all Buddhas have taught:

Practice with one mind and one intent;

Count the breaths and cultivate meditative concentration:

This is called the practice of dhutanga.

III. Abandoning the Hindrances

Abandoning the hindrances means relinquishing the five hindrances: sensual desire, anger, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.

1. Abandoning Sensual Desire

Previously, we discussed desire arising toward the five external sense objects. Here, we discuss desire arising within the mind faculty itself. This means that when a practitioner sits upright and cultivates meditation, thoughts of desire arise in the mind and continue from moment to moment, obscuring the wholesome mind and preventing it from developing.

Once aware of this, the practitioner must immediately relinquish them. Why? When sensual desire arose in the mind of the woman Thuật-Bà-Gia, even her entire body was consumed by fire!

How much more, then, will the fire of sensual desire arising in the mind consume all wholesome qualities? A person overcome by sensual desire is very far from the Path. Why?

Because desire is the dwelling place of manifold afflictions and disturbances. If one harbors sensual desire within the mind, there is no way to draw near to the Path. As the verse on “removing the hindrances” states:

One who knows shame enters the Path,

Bearing the alms bowl to bless sentient beings;

Why follow after sensual objects

And sink into the five sense faculties?

Having renounced the pleasures of the five desires,

Cast them away without regret.

Why wish to obtain them again?

It is like a person eating his own vomit.

Desires bring suffering when pursued;

When obtained, they bring much fear.

When they are lost, one grieves again;

At no time is there any joy.

Such are the calamities of sensual desires—

How, then, can one cast them off?

Attaining the profound bliss of meditative concentration,

One will no longer be deceived by them.

2. Casting Off Anger and Resentment

Anger is the root that causes the loss of the Buddha-Dharma, the condition that leads to falling into the evil destinies, the enemy of the Dharma of peace and happiness, the vicious bandit that plunders the wholesome mind, and the storehouse of all manner of harsh speech. Therefore, when a practitioner sits in meditation, he may think, “This person is now harming me, harming my family, and praising my enemy.” He may likewise think of such things in relation to the past and the future.

These constitute the nine kinds of affliction. From them anger arises; when anger arises, resentment is born; and because of the resentful mind, one then gives rise to the intention to injure that person. When anger thus covers the mind, it is called a “hindrance.” One must quickly cast it off and not allow it to increase.

Thus Śakra Devānām Indra asked the Buddha in verse:

What must be slain to gain happiness?

What must be slain to be free from sorrow?

What is the root of poison,

Which devours and destroys all goodness?

The Buddha replied:

Slay anger, and there is happiness;

Slay anger, and there is freedom from sorrow.

Anger is the root of poison;

Anger destroys all goodness.

Knowing the danger of anger to be such, one must quickly cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, and patience in order to eliminate it and purify the mind.

3. Casting Off Drowsiness and Sleep

Sleep can destroy the mind’s true happiness in this life and the next, as well as the happiness of the heavenly realms and nirvana. It is exceedingly harmful and contains not the slightest goodness. Why is this so? The other hindrances are easy to recognize and can therefore be eliminated, but during sleep one is as if dead and incapable of awareness. Because one is unaware, it is difficult to eliminate. Thus, in a verse, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas rebuke disciples overcome by sleep:

Rise! Do not lie embracing a stinking corpse;

This mass of filth is provisionally called a person.

As though gravely ill, with arrows piercing the body,

Filled throughout with suffering, how can you sleep at ease?

Like one who is bound and about to be led away to execution,

With disaster close at hand, how can you sleep?

The bandits of the fetters are not yet destroyed, the harm not yet removed;

It is as though you shared a house with a venomous snake,

Or entered a battle between two sharp blades—

At such a time, how could you sleep at ease?

Sleep is darkness in which nothing can be seen;

Day after day, it robs us of our light.

Because of sleep, the mind is unable to see;

With harm so great, how can you sleep at ease?

There are many other admonitions of this kind against drowsiness and sleep. One should use contemplation of impermanence to maintain vigilance, reducing sleep so that it does not obscure the nature of the mind. If drowsiness is too severe, one should use the meditation staff to drive it away.

4. Casting Off Restlessness and Remorse

Restlessness is of three kinds:

a) Bodily restlessness. The body delights in running about, playing, and fidgeting, and rarely sits still.

b) Verbal restlessness. One delights in singing, arguing over right and wrong, discussing useless matters, and talking about worldly affairs.

c) Mental restlessness. The mind and emotions are unrestrained, thoughts flit about, and one dwells upon literature, arts and crafts, worldly affairs, and all manner of unwholesome reflections...

Restlessness can destroy the mind of one who has left the household life. Even a person who strives to gather in the mind cannot attain concentration, how much less one whose mind is scattered. A person with a scattered mind is like a drunken elephant without a goad, or a camel without a nose-rope: neither can be restrained. A verse says:

You have shaved your head and donned the dyed robe,

Carrying your alms bowl into the village to seek food.

Why, then, do you still delight in restlessness,

Indulging your thoughts and losing every wholesome benefit?

Having lost the benefit of the Dharma, one also loses worldly happiness. Knowing this fault, one must quickly drive restlessness away.

Restlessness alone does not yet fully become a covering hindrance; remorse must also be present for it to become complete. Why? Restlessness occurs while one is still engaged outwardly. Only when entering concentration does one regret one’s previous deeds, and grief then covers the entire nature of the mind. Remorse is of two kinds:

1. Remorse that arises afterward because of restlessness.

2. A person who has committed a grave offense constantly harbors fear, while the arrow of remorse pierces deeply into the heart and is difficult to remove.

A verse says:

Doing what should not be done,

And failing to do what should be done,

The fire of remorse burns within;

In the next life one falls into evil destinies.

If you commit an offense, you should repent;

Having repented, do not remain distressed.

In this way the mind becomes peaceful and joyful;

You should not continually dwell upon it.

If there are these two kinds of remorse:

Either failing to do what should be done,

Or doing what should not be done—

These are the marks of a fool.

Yet what was not done cannot afterward be done,

And the evil deeds already committed

Cannot be declared not to have been done.

5. Casting Off Doubt

Because doubt covers the mind, faith in the true Dharma cannot arise. Without a mind of faith, one gains nothing at all from the Buddha-Dharma. It is like a person who enters a mountain of gold but has no hands and therefore cannot take any of it. Doubt, however, brings many dangers; it does not merely obstruct concentration. Here we shall discuss its obstruction of concentration. Doubt is of three kinds:

a) Doubting oneself.—One thinks, “I am foolish and ignorant, and my karmic obstructions are heavy; I am not like those accomplished ones!” When one gives rise to such self-doubt, the Dharma of meditative concentration cannot arise. If one wishes to cultivate meditative concentration, one should not disparage oneself, for who can fathom the wholesome roots planted in previous lives?

b) Doubting the teacher.—One doubts the teacher, thinking, “With such an appearance and such deportment, he himself does not yet possess virtue in the Way; how could he teach me?” Giving rise to such doubt and arrogance obstructs concentration. To eliminate this illness, one should follow the teaching given in the Mahayana treatises: “It is like gold contained within a foul leather bag. Because we desire the gold, we cannot discard the foul bag. A practitioner is likewise: although the teacher may not yet be completely pure, one should still regard him as a Buddha.”

c) Doubting the Dharma.—Most people in the world cling to their prior views as correct; therefore, after receiving the teaching of the Dharma, they cannot immediately give rise to faithful reverence and practice it accordingly.

If the mind hesitates, the Dharma cannot permeate it. Why? Because doubt acts as an obstruction, as the verse says:

Like a person standing at a three-way crossroads,

Doubting and not knowing which road to take,

So too, concerning the true nature of all dharmas,

Doubt is likewise such.

Because of doubt, one does not diligently seek

The true nature of all dharmas.

Know that doubt arises from delusion

And is the evil among evils.

Concerning wholesome and unwholesome dharmas,

Samsara and nirvana,

Certainly these dharmas truly exist;

Do not give rise to doubt about them.

If you harbor doubt in your heart,

At death the lord of hell will bind you,

As a lion seizes a deer,

And you will have no means of escape.

Although doubt may arise in the world,

You should rejoice in wholesome Dharma.

It is like seeing a three-way crossroads:

Take the good and beneficial road.

Through faith one can enter the Buddha-Dharma. If a person lacks faith, then although dwelling within the Buddha-Dharma, he gains absolutely nothing. Matters such as these are sufficient to show the harm caused by doubt; one should quickly cast it off.

Someone may ask, “Evil phenomena are as numerous as motes of dust and cannot be counted. Why, then, are we taught here to cast off only these five?” The answer is: These five encompass the three poisons and the category equally partaking of them. These four categories serve as the basis and include all eighty-four thousand defilements. They are:

1. Sensual desire belongs to the poison of greed.

2. Anger and resentment belong to the poison of hatred.

3. Drowsiness, sleep, and doubt belong to the poison of delusion.

4. Restlessness and remorse belong to the category equally partaking of the three poisons.

Together they form four divisions of affliction. Each division contains twenty-one thousand, and the four divisions together amount to eighty-four thousand. Therefore, eliminating the five hindrances is eliminating all unwholesome dharmas.

Practitioners should use such methods to cast off the five hindrances. Once the five hindrances have been cast off, it is like a person being relieved of a heavy burden, like recovering from an illness, like a starving person arriving in a prosperous land, or like one surrounded by bandits being rescued and freed, safe and without fear. A practitioner is likewise: having eliminated the five hindrances, the mind becomes secure, refreshed, peaceful, and joyful.

It is like the sun and moon being darkened by five things—smoke, dust, clouds, mist, and eclipses—and therefore unable to shine. The human mind obscured by the five hindrances is likewise.

IV. Regulation

A practitioner newly learning seated meditation who wishes to cultivate according to the teachings of the Buddhas of the ten directions must first make a great vow to liberate all sentient beings, aspire to the unsurpassed Buddha Way, keep the mind as firm as vajra, and advance with courageous vigor, sparing neither body nor life. Having accomplished all the Buddha-Dharma and become completely irreversible, the practitioner should then, while seated in meditation, contemplate with right mindfulness the true characteristics of all dharmas.

One should reflect: wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate dharmas; internal and external dharmas; faculties, sense objects, and consciousnesses; all afflictive and contaminated dharmas; conditioned dharmas; causes and effects; and birth and death within the three realms—all arise through the mind. Therefore, the Ten Stages Sutra states: “The three realms have no separate existence; they are created solely by the one mind.

If one knows that the mind has no inherent nature, then all dharmas are not real. When the mind is free from defiling attachment, all karmic activities of birth and death cease.” Having contemplated in this way, one should next undertake the practice in proper sequence.

What is meant by regulation? An analogy will make it easier to understand. It is like a potter who skillfully mixes water and clay, kneading them until they become soft and pliable, and only then places the clay upon the wheel to shape it. Or it is like a zither, whose strings must first be tuned—neither slack nor overly taut—before it can produce wondrous music. A practitioner who cultivates the mind is likewise: by skillfully regulating five matters so that they are harmonious and suitable, right samadhi readily arises. If any matter is not properly regulated, many obstacles and difficulties arise, and wholesome roots are difficult to develop. The five matters to be regulated are:

1. Regulation of Food and Drink

Food and drink are intended to sustain the body so that one may advance in cultivating the path. If one eats too much, the stomach becomes full, the breathing grows labored, the many channels become obstructed, the mind becomes stifled, and one cannot sit in mindfulness at ease. If one eats too little, the body becomes emaciated, the stomach remains empty and weak, and the mind becomes anxious and restless, lacking stability.

Neither condition permits the attainment of samadhi. Eating impure and turbid substances causes the mind-consciousness to become dull and confused. Eating unsuitable foods may aggravate old illnesses and cause the four great elements to conflict with one another.

Those newly training in meditative concentration must carefully avoid these conditions. Therefore, a sutra states: “When the body is at ease, the path is fulfilled. Be moderate in food and drink, always delight in dwelling in secluded places, keep the mind tranquil, and delight in vigor—such is the teaching of the Buddhas.”

2. Regulation of Sleep and Rest

Sleep is a state of being covered by ignorance, so one should not sleep excessively. If one sleeps too much, one not only neglects cultivation but also loses all the progress already made, causing the mind to become obscure and one’s wholesome roots to dissipate. One must awaken to the principle of impermanence and regulate sleep and rest so that the spirit remains lucid and one’s thoughts are clear and pure.

Only then can the mind be directed toward the noble object and right samadhi become present. Therefore, a sutra states: “During the early night and the late night, do not abandon the practice. Do not allow an entire lifetime to pass in vain through indulgence in sleep and rest, leaving nothing attained.

Reflect that the fire of impermanence consumes the entire world; swiftly seek your own deliverance and do not give yourself over to sleep.”

The methods of regulating the body, regulating the breath, and regulating the mind must be applied together and cannot be discussed separately. Yet the procedures differ at the beginning, middle, and end of the practice. Accordingly, the characteristics of entering, abiding in, and emerging from meditation also differ.

3. Regulation of the Body

A practitioner who wishes to enter right samadhi must apply the method of regulating the body. When outside samadhi, whether walking, standing, lying down, sitting, or performing any activity, all movements should be gentle and unhurried. If one moves hastily or heavily, the breath becomes labored; when the breath is labored, the mind becomes scattered and difficult to restrain, so that when one sits, one feels agitated and the mind is not at ease. Thus, even before entering samadhi, the practitioner must remain mindful and promptly employ skillful means to restrain these tendencies little by little. When entering samadhi, one must skillfully settle the body so that samadhi may be attained.

Upon reaching the place of meditation, first sit quietly until every part of the body feels settled and comfortable. After remaining so for a time and finding no obstruction, begin to arrange the legs. If sitting in the half-lotus posture, place the left foot upon the right thigh and draw it close to the body, with the sole of the left foot level with the right thigh and the sole of the right foot level with the left thigh.

If sitting in the full-lotus posture, place the right foot over the left leg. Loosen the belt and collar and arrange them neatly. Place the left palm upon the right palm, with the fingers resting one upon another except for the thumbs; then place the hands upon the feet and draw them close to the body.

Straighten the body, then sway the body and all its parts seven times, as in a method of massage, without allowing the hands and feet to shift. After this, keep the spine straight and do not let it bend or lean. Straighten the neck and incline the head slightly, keeping the tip of the nose aligned with the navel, neither to one side nor the other, neither raised nor lowered.

Sit quietly with a serene expression. Next, expel the turbid breath through the mouth. Open the mouth while exhaling, neither forcefully nor rapidly, but evenly and gently.

As the breath leaves, imagine that every obstructed place within the blood vessels and channels of the body becomes unobstructed and flows freely along with the breath. Then close the mouth and inhale pure air through the nose. Breathe in this manner three times; if the body and breath are already regulated, once will suffice.

Afterward, close the mouth, allowing the lips and teeth to meet gently, and place the tongue against the roof of the mouth. Close the eyes only enough to shut out the external light. The body should sit upright like a stone wall.

The body, legs, and arms must not move. This is the initial method of regulating the body when entering meditative concentration. In brief, being neither lax nor tense is the characteristic of a well-regulated body.

4. Regulation of the Breath

The breath has four characteristics: 1—Wind; 2—Panting; 3—Air; 4—Subtle Breath. The first three are unregulated; only the last is regulated. What are the characteristics of Wind, Panting, and so forth?

– While sitting in meditation, if the inhalation and exhalation through the nose can be heard, this is the characteristic of Wind. If the breath makes no sound but its passage in and out is obstructed and does not flow freely, this is the characteristic of Panting. If the breath makes no sound and is unobstructed, yet does not flow gently in and out, this is the characteristic of Air. If the breath is soundless, unobstructed, and not coarse, flowing in and out so gently that it seems to be present and yet absent, while the spirit is peaceful and at ease, this is the characteristic of Subtle Breath. The condition of Wind causes distraction; the condition of Panting causes obstruction; and the condition of Air causes fatigue. Only the characteristic of Subtle Breath brings peaceful stability. When the three characteristics of Wind, Panting, and Air are present during seated meditation, the breath is said to be unregulated. If one then exerts the mind, the mind will be harmed and will find it difficult to attain samadhi.

If one wishes to regulate the breath, one must rely upon three methods:

1—Concentrate the mind upon the navel.

2—Relax the body freely and naturally.

3—Imagine that the breath flows in and out through every pore of the body, communicating freely without obstruction.

When the mind becomes subtle, the breath becomes gentle. When the breath is regulated, illnesses do not arise, and the mind readily attains samadhi. This is called the method of regulating the breath when a practitioner first begins training in seated meditation. In brief, gentle, long, and even breathing is the characteristic of regulated breath.

5. Regulation of the Mind

There are three aspects to regulating the mind: Entering, Abiding, and Emerging.

a) Entering: Entering has two methods:

1—Subdue distracted thoughts and do not allow them to run wild.

2—Regulate the mind between Floating and Sinking, Laxity and Tension.

What is the characteristic of Sinking? If, while sitting, the mind becomes dim and obscure, remembers nothing, and the head tends to droop, this is the characteristic of Sinking. At such a time, one should focus the mind upon the tip of the nose, causing it to remain with a single object and not allowing thought to scatter. This is the remedy for Sinking.

What is the characteristic of Floating? If, while sitting, the mind tends to run unrestrainedly and move chaotically, the body is also unsettled, and one recalls all manner of unrelated matters, this is the characteristic of Floating. At such a time, one should visualize the mind at the navel and restrain all distracted thoughts. The mind will then immediately come to rest and readily attain peaceful tranquility. In brief, being neither Sinking nor Floating is the characteristic of regulation.

That concentrated mind also has the characteristics of looseness and tightness. The disorder of tight concentration arises when, during sitting, one applies mindfulness to gather in the mind and thereby enters concentration. Consequently, the breath surges upward, causing stabbing pain in the flanks and chest.

One should release that state of mind and visualize the breath flowing evenly downward; the disorder will then be cured. If the mind suffers from looseness, one’s attention becomes scattered, the body tends to lean and tilt, saliva may flow from the mouth, or one may become dull and obscure. At that time, one should draw in the body and concentrate the mind, causing it to abide in one place, while keeping the body properly composed; in this way the disorder is treated.

Whether the mind is coarse and buoyant or sunken and still can be known through careful examination. This is the method of regulating the mind when first entering concentration.

Generally, entering concentration proceeds from the coarse to the subtle. The body is coarse, the breath is intermediate, and the mind is subtle. Therefore, one regulates them from the coarse to the subtle, causing the mind to become peaceful and settled. This is the initial expedient for entering concentration. This is called regulating these matters when entering concentration.

b) Abiding: During a period of seated meditation, whether long or short—even for two or three hours within the twelve-hour period—the practitioner gathers mindfulness and applies the mind. During this time, one must clearly know whether the body, breath, and mind are regulated or unregulated. Although the body may have been regulated when one began sitting, it may subsequently become too relaxed or too constrained, or may lean, bend, bow forward, or tilt backward and thus cease to be upright. As soon as one becomes aware of this, one should correct the body and straighten it so that it becomes peaceful and stable. Regulate the body to a balanced condition, neither constrained nor relaxed, but naturally upright and steadily abiding.

Furthermore, during seated meditation, although the body may be regulated, the breath may be unregulated. The characteristics of unregulated breathing are as described above: it may be windy, panting, or coarse, or the body may become filled with air. One should apply the methods previously given according to the disorder, causing the breath to become smooth and prolonged, as though present and yet absent.

Next, during seated meditation, although the body and breath may be regulated, the mind may be buoyant, sunken, loose, or tight and therefore unsettled. When one becomes aware of this, one should apply the methods previously given to regulate it, causing it to attain a balanced and appropriate state.

There is no fixed order of first and last among these three matters. Whichever is unregulated should be corrected and brought into regulation, so that throughout the sitting the body, breath, and mind are all regulated and appropriately balanced, without conflicting with one another, harmoniously united without duality. In this way, one can eliminate previous disorders, obstacles will not arise, and the Dharma of meditative concentration will assuredly be attained.

c) Emerging: When the practitioner is about to conclude seated meditation and wishes to emerge from concentration, one should first release the mind and let it attend to another object. Next, open the mouth and exhale, visualizing all the hundreds of vessels throughout the body circulating freely in accordance with one’s intention. Afterward, gently move the body, then move the shoulders and upper arms; successively move the hands, head, and neck, and afterward move both legs.

All movements must be gentle. Finally, rub the hands over all the pores of the body, then rub the palms together until warm and place them over both eyes. Only afterward should one open the eyes.

Wait until the inner warmth has completely dispersed, and then depart as one wishes. If this is not done properly, although the mind was made to abide while sitting, releasing it too quickly when emerging will leave the subtle elements undispersed and retained within the body. This may cause headaches and make all the joints stiff, as though one were afflicted with a wind disorder; thereafter, one may become distressed and restless during seated meditation.

Therefore, when one wishes to emerge from concentration, one must attend carefully to every step. This is the method of regulating the body, breath, and mind from the subtle to the coarse.

This is called being skillful in Entering, Abiding, and Emerging, as the verse says:

Advancing and stopping follow their proper order;

The coarse and subtle do not conflict.

It is like skillfully devising a plan,

Then standing or walking as one wishes.

The Lotus Sutra states: “The great assembly and the bodhisattvas and others in this gathering, throughout immeasurable hundreds of millions of kalpas, solely for the sake of the Buddha Way, diligently cultivated vigor. Skillfully entering, abiding in, and emerging from immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of samadhis, they attained great supernormal powers. Having long cultivated pure conduct, they skillfully established all wholesome dharmas in their proper sequence.”

V. Practicing the Expedients

In general, whoever wishes to cultivate calm abiding and insight must be fully equipped with the Dharma methods of expedient means. There are five expedients:

1. Aspiration. One aspires to abandon all the world’s deluded and inverted thoughts and to attain all Dharma methods of meditative concentration and wisdom. Aspiration is also called resolve, vow, delight, or inclination. Because one resolves, vows, delights in, and inclines toward all profound and wondrous Dharma methods, it is called aspiration. As the Buddha taught: “All wholesome dharmas take aspiration as their root.”

2. Vigor. One firmly upholds the precepts, abandons and eliminates the five hindrances, and practices with single-minded diligence from early evening until late at night, without negligence. Like a person kindling fire who does not stop before sufficient heat has been produced, this is called the Dharma of vigor on the wholesome path.

3. Mindfulness. One remembers that worldly things are false and exceedingly base, and remembers that the Dharma of meditative concentration is exalted and precious. If one attains meditative concentration, one will fully develop all undefiled wisdoms, all powers of the path, and supernormal abilities; one will attain perfect enlightenment and extensively liberate sentient beings. Because this is precious, it should be kept in mind.

4. Skillful wisdom. One weighs the pleasures of the world against the joy of meditative concentration and wisdom, considering their gain and loss, lightness and gravity. Worldly pleasure brings little joy and much suffering; it is false and unreal, and therefore constitutes loss and is of little worth. The joy of meditative concentration and wisdom is undefiled, unconditioned, tranquil, and expansive; it forever transcends birth and death and remains far removed from suffering and affliction, and therefore constitutes gain and is of great worth. Discerning in this way is called skillful wisdom.

5. Clear one-pointedness. One clearly sees that the world is to be feared and detested, and fully understands that the merit of concentration and wisdom is worthy of reverence and esteem.

At that time, one should single-mindedly resolve to cultivate calm abiding and insight, with a mind as firm as vajra, so that heavenly demons and non-Buddhist practitioners cannot obstruct or destroy one’s practice. Even if one practices in this way without attaining any realization, one still does not change one’s resolve. This is called one-pointedness.

It is like a traveler who must first know whether the road is open or blocked and only afterward proceed along it single-mindedly. Therefore, it is called “skillful wisdom and one-pointedness.” The sutra states: “One who is not wise cannot cultivate meditation; one who does not cultivate meditation cannot attain wisdom.” This is precisely the meaning intended here.

VI. The Proper Practice

There are two kinds of cultivation of calm abiding and insight: cultivation during seated meditation and cultivation while engaging with conditions and encountering objects.

A. Cultivation During Seated Meditation

Practice can be undertaken in all four postures, but for students of the Way, practice while sitting is especially excellent. Therefore, calm abiding and insight will first be explained within the context of sitting. In brief, there are five points:

1. Cultivating calm abiding and insight to counteract the mind’s initial coarse distraction

This means that when the practitioner first sits in meditation, because the mind is coarsely distracted, calm abiding and insight must be cultivated to destroy and eliminate that distraction. If calm abiding cannot overcome it, one should immediately cultivate insight. Therefore, it is said: “Cultivating calm abiding and insight to counteract the mind’s initial coarse distraction.” The cultivation of calm abiding and insight will now be explained under two headings:

a) Cultivating calm abiding. There are three kinds:

1) Calm abiding through fixing the mind upon an object: This means binding the mind to the tip of the nose, the area of the navel, and so forth, so that the mind does not become distracted. The sutra states: “Bind the mind and do not let it run loose, just as one chains a monkey.”

2) Calm abiding through restraining the mind: Whenever a thought has just arisen in the mind, one immediately restrains it and does not allow it to roam and become distracted. The sutra states: “Of the five faculties, the mind is the master; therefore, you must skillfully restrain the mind.”

The preceding two methods concern phenomenal practices and need not be extensively distinguished.

3) Calm abiding through realizing true nature: Whenever a thought concerning any dharma arises in the mind, one knows that all dharmas arise through causes and conditions and possess no intrinsic nature; thus, the mind does not cling to them. When the mind does not cling, deluded thoughts cease. Therefore, this is called calm abiding. As the verse in the sutra says:

“Among all dharmas,

Those born of causes and conditions have no master.

Ceasing the mind and penetrating to the source—

This is called the wisdom of a sramana.”

When practitioners first begin practicing seated meditation, all manner of delusive thoughts arise in the mind, continuing without cease. Although they employ the method of cessation through realizing true nature described above, if delusive thoughts still do not cease, they must turn the contemplation back toward the place from which the mind arises: “The past has already passed, the present does not remain, and the future has not yet arrived; ultimately, throughout the three times, nothing whatsoever can be apprehended.

Since dharmas cannot be apprehended, the mind itself cannot exist; if the mind does not exist, then all dharmas are empty.” Although practitioners contemplate that the mind does not abide and cannot be apprehended at all, this does not mean that there is no awareness of thoughts arising continuously from moment to moment.

This contemplation of mental thoughts concerns the six internal faculties and the six external objects. Because faculties and objects confront one another, consciousness arises; before faculty and object meet, consciousness certainly does not arise. Contemplating arising is thus, and contemplating cessation is likewise.

The terms “arising” and “cessation” are merely provisional designations. When the arising and cessation of mind have ceased, quiescent cessation manifests before one. Ultimately, there is nothing to be attained; this is called the empty quiescence of nirvana, and thus the deluded mind comes to rest by itself.

The Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana states: “If the mind races about and becomes scattered, one must immediately gather it in and make it abide in right mindfulness. Regarding right mindfulness, one should know that there is only mind and no external objects; moreover, this inner mind itself has no intrinsic characteristics, and no single thought can be apprehended.” Beginners in practice and study are not yet able to make the mind remain still.

If they forcibly compel it to remain, they will often become deranged. They should be like one learning archery, who practices for a long time before striking the mark.

b) Practicing Contemplation: Contemplation is of two kinds:

1. Remedial contemplation: Such as contemplating impurity to remedy sensual desire, contemplating loving-kindness and compassion to remedy anger, contemplating the distinction of the dhatus to remedy attachment to self, contemplating by counting the breaths to remedy mental agitation, and so forth. These need not be explained here.

2. Right contemplation: Contemplate that all dharmas are devoid of characteristics and arise entirely through causes and conditions; because causes and conditions have no intrinsic nature, they are the true characteristic. First clearly understand that all objects being contemplated are empty; then the contemplating mind will naturally cease to arise. The preceding and following passages have discussed this principle at length, so readers may understand it for themselves. As a verse in the sutra says:

All dharmas lack solidity,

Ever abiding within mental thought.

Those who penetrate the principle of emptiness

Give rise to no thought of anything.

2. Practicing Cessation and Contemplation to Remedy the Mental Disorders of Dullness and Agitation

When practitioners sit in meditation and the mind becomes dim and forgetful, or they frequently grow drowsy, they should then practice Contemplation to illuminate and dispel it. If, while sitting, the mind is restless, agitated, and cannot settle, they should then practice Cessation to bring it to a halt. Thus have been described the characteristics of practicing Cessation and Contemplation to remedy the mental disorders of agitation and dullness. One must, however, skillfully know both the medicine and the signs of the illness and apply the appropriate remedy to each, never committing the error of using the wrong remedy.

3. Practicing Cessation and Contemplation According to What Is Appropriate

When practitioners sit in meditation, although they practice illuminating Contemplation to remedy mental dullness, the mind may still fail to become clear and alert, and they may gain no benefit from the Dharma. They should then try practicing Cessation to bring it to a halt. If, upon practicing Cessation, they perceive that body and mind become peaceful and still, they know that practicing Cessation is appropriate and should use Cessation to calm the mind.

When sitting in meditation, although they practice Cessation to remedy mental agitation, the mind may still fail to abide peacefully, and they may gain no benefit from the Dharma. They should then try practicing Contemplation. If, during Contemplation, they perceive that body and mind become clear, alert, peaceful, and tranquil, they know that practicing Contemplation is appropriate and should use Contemplation to calm the mind.

This is a brief explanation of the characteristics of practicing Cessation and Contemplation according to what is appropriate. One need only skillfully select the suitable method and practice it; then the mind and spirit will become peaceful, disturbing afflictions will cease, and the various Dharma gates will be realized.

4. Practicing Cessation and Contemplation to Remedy the Subtle Mind Within Samadhi

This means that practitioners first use Cessation and Contemplation to counteract and overcome the coarse, distracted mind. Once mental distraction has ceased, they can enter samadhi. Because the concentrated mind is subtle, they may feel as though the body were empty and still and experience bliss, or mental acuity may arise.

They may then seize upon this subtle mind and become attached to biased and erroneous principles. If they do not know how to still the concentrated mind and put an end to such delusion, they will inevitably develop craving and attachment, taking it to be real. If they know that it is illusory and unreal, then the two afflictions of craving and views will not arise; this is the practice of Cessation.

If the mind remains attached to craving and views and the karma of these bonds does not cease, they should then practice Contemplation. Contemplate the subtle mind within samadhi. If that mind cannot be found, one will not cling to views concerning samadhi; if one does not cling to views concerning samadhi, then the karma and afflictions of craving and views will all be completely extinguished.

This is called practicing Contemplation. This is a brief explanation of the characteristics of practicing Cessation and Contemplation to remedy the subtle mind within samadhi. The methods of distinguishing Cessation and Contemplation are the same as before; only their overcoming of the subtle error of attachment to views concerning samadhi is different.

5. Practicing Cessation and Contemplation to Balance Samadhi and Wisdom

When practitioners sit in meditation, they may enter meditative concentration through practicing Cessation or through practicing Contemplation. Although they enter concentration, if they lack contemplative wisdom, this is deluded concentration and cannot sever the bonds. Or if their contemplative wisdom is weak and deficient, they cannot give rise to true wisdom, sever the fetters, or bring forth the various Dharma gates. They should then practice Contemplation to break through and subdue these faults. Samadhi and wisdom will thereby become balanced, enabling them to sever the fetters and realize the various Dharma gates.

When practitioners sit in meditation, through contemplation their minds may become open and awakened and their wisdom bright and clear, but if their concentration is weak and deficient, the mind will become scattered and agitated. Like a lamp before the wind, it cannot clearly illuminate objects, and they cannot escape birth and death. They should then practice Cessation.

By practicing Cessation, the mind attains concentration; like a lamp placed within a closed room, it can dispel darkness and clearly illuminate objects. This is a brief explanation of practicing Cessation and Contemplation to balance samadhi and wisdom. If practitioners, while sitting upright, skillfully employ these five approaches to practicing Cessation and Contemplation, adopting or relinquishing each without failing to accord with what is appropriate, then they skillfully practice the Buddha-Dharma.

Because they practice skillfully, this lifetime will not have been lived in vain.

B. Practicing Cessation and Contemplation While Encountering Conditions and Confronting Objects

Constantly sitting upright and practicing Cessation and Contemplation is a supreme and essential method for entering the Way, but it remains hindered when the body encounters conditions and confronts objects. If one does not practice Cessation and Contemplation when encountering conditions and confronting objects, then one’s cultivation of mind is interrupted. The karma of the fetters immediately arises upon contact with objects, and one cannot quickly come into accord with the Buddha-Dharma. If one practices the skillful means of Cessation and Contemplation at all times, one will certainly penetrate the Buddha-Dharma swiftly.

What does it mean to practice Cessation and Contemplation while encountering conditions? There are six kinds of conditions: 1- Walking, 2- Standing, 3- Sitting, 4- Lying down, 5- Working, 6- Speaking.

What does it mean to practice Cessation and Contemplation while confronting objects? Objects are the six sense objects: 1- The eyes confronting forms, 2- The ears confronting sounds, 3- The nose confronting odors, 4- The tongue confronting flavors, 5- The body confronting tangible objects, 6- The mind confronting dharmas.

When practitioners practice Cessation and Contemplation in accordance with these twelve activities, this is called practicing Cessation and Contemplation while encountering conditions and confronting objects.

Practicing Cessation and Contemplation While Encountering Conditions

1. Walking: When one is about to walk, one should give rise to this thought: For what purpose do I now wish to walk? If one would walk under the compulsion of afflictions or for evil or morally indeterminate matters, one should not walk.

If one is not under the compulsion of afflictions but would walk for a beneficial, wholesome, and Dharma-conforming purpose, one should walk. How does one practice Cessation while walking? While walking, one understands that, because of walking, all manner of afflictions and wholesome and unwholesome dharmas arise.

If one clearly knows that the mind and all dharmas involved in walking cannot be apprehended, the deluded thoughts of the mind will cease by themselves. This is called practicing Cessation. How does one practice Contemplation while walking?

One should give rise to this thought: Because the mind causes the body to move, there is going and coming, which is called walking. Because of this activity of walking, all manner of afflictions and wholesome and unwholesome dharmas arise. One should then turn the contemplation back upon the mind while walking and perceive no characteristics or form in it.

One should know that the walker and all dharmas involved in walking are ultimately empty and quiescent. This is called practicing Contemplation.

2. Standing: When standing, one should give rise to this thought: For what purpose do I now wish to stand? If one stands for the sake of afflictions, evil deeds, or morally indeterminate matters, one should not stand; if one stands for wholesome and beneficial purposes, one should stand.

How does one cultivate cessation while standing? When standing, one should immediately understand that, conditioned by standing, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise. If one clearly knows that the mind and all dharmas arising while standing cannot be apprehended, the mind’s deluded thoughts cease; this is the cultivation of cessation.

How does one cultivate contemplation while standing? One should give rise to this thought: Because the mind causes the body to remain upright, this is called standing. Conditioned by standing, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise.

One should turn back and contemplate the mind while standing, yet no form or appearance can be seen. One should therefore know that the person who stands and all dharmas arising while standing are ultimately empty and quiescent. This is called the cultivation of contemplation.

3. Sitting: When sitting, one should give rise to this thought: For what purpose do I now wish to sit? If one sits for the sake of afflictions, evil deeds, morally indeterminate matters, and so forth, one should not sit; if one sits for wholesome and beneficial purposes, one should sit.

How does one cultivate cessation while sitting? When sitting, one should clearly understand that, conditioned by sitting, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise, yet in truth not a single dharma can be apprehended. Thus, deluded thoughts do not arise in the mind; this is called the cultivation of cessation.

How does one cultivate contemplation while sitting? One should give rise to this thought: Because the mind rests, one folds the legs and sits peacefully; conditioned by this, all wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise, and therefore it is called sitting. One should turn back and contemplate the mind while sitting, yet no form or appearance can be seen.

One should therefore know that the person who sits and all dharmas arising while sitting are ultimately empty and quiescent. This is called the cultivation of contemplation.

4. Lying down: When lying down, one should give rise to this thought: For what purpose do I now wish to lie down? If one lies down because of unwholesomeness, heedlessness, and so forth, one should not lie down; if one lies down to harmonize the four great elements, one should lie down in the lion posture.

How does one cultivate cessation while lying down? When lying down to sleep or rest, one should clearly understand that, conditioned by lying down, all wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise, yet in truth not a single dharma can be apprehended. Thus, deluded thoughts do not arise; this is called the cultivation of cessation.

How does one cultivate contemplation while lying down? One should give rise to this thought: Because of weariness, dullness arises and the six sense faculties are allowed to run unchecked; conditioned by this, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise. One should immediately turn back and contemplate the mind while lying down, yet no form or appearance can be seen.

One should therefore know that the person who lies down and all dharmas arising while lying down are ultimately empty and quiescent. This is called the cultivation of contemplation.

5. Working: When performing an activity, one should give rise to this thought: For what purpose do I now wish to do this? If it is for an unwholesome or morally indeterminate purpose, and so forth, one should not do it; if it is for a wholesome and beneficial purpose, one should do it.

How does one cultivate cessation while working? When working, one should clearly understand that, conditioned by the activity, all wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise, yet in truth not a single dharma can be apprehended. Thus, deluded thoughts do not arise; this is called the cultivation of cessation.

How does one cultivate contemplation while working? One should give rise to this thought: Because the mind causes the body to move, the various activities now being performed have no form or appearance. One should know that the person performing the activity has no form or appearance, and that the person who acts and all dharmas arising during the activity are ultimately empty and quiescent.

This is called the cultivation of contemplation.

6. Speaking: When about to speak, one should give rise to this thought: For what purpose do I now wish to speak? If one would speak in conformity with afflictions, discussing evil or morally indeterminate matters, and so forth, one should not speak; if one would speak for a wholesome and beneficial purpose, one should speak.

How does one cultivate cessation while speaking? When speaking, one should immediately know that, conditioned by these words, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise. If one clearly knows that the mind and all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arising while speaking cannot be apprehended, the mind’s deluded thoughts immediately cease; this is called the cultivation of cessation.

How does one cultivate contemplation while speaking? One should give rise to this thought: Through the mind’s consideration and reflection, the breath is stirred and driven upward through the throat, lips, tongue, teeth, and palate, thereby producing the sounds of speech. Conditioned by these sounds, all wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise; therefore, this is called speaking.

Turn back and contemplate the mind while speaking, yet no form or appearance can be seen. One should know that the speaker and all dharmas arising while speaking are ultimately empty and quiescent. This is called the cultivation of contemplation.

The six meanings of cultivating cessation and contemplation explained above should be applied as appropriate to the occasion. Each meaning contains the principles for cultivating cessation and contemplation set forth in the preceding five sections, as explained above.

Cultivating Cessation and Contemplation in Relation to Sense Objects

1. Cultivating cessation and contemplation when the eyes see forms: Whenever one sees a form, one should regard it as the moon seen at the bottom of the water, devoid of any real substance. On seeing an attractive form, one does not give rise to craving or attachment; on seeing a repellent form, one does not give rise to anger or aversion; on seeing a form that is neither attractive nor repellent, one does not give rise to delusion or discursive thoughts.

This is the cultivation of cessation. How does one cultivate contemplation when the eyes see forms? One should give rise to this thought: The forms that are seen are empty and quiescent in their characteristics.

Why is this? Because, dependent upon the sense faculty, the sense object, space, and light, eye-consciousness arises only through the conjunction of causes and conditions. Thereafter, mental consciousness arises and discriminates the various forms; conditioned by this, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise.

Turn back and contemplate the mind that thinks of those forms, yet no form or appearance can be seen. One should therefore know that seeing forms and all dharmas are ultimately empty and quiescent. This is the cultivation of contemplation.

2. Cultivating cessation and contemplation when the ears hear sounds: Whenever one hears a sound, one should examine it as an echo. On hearing a pleasant and agreeable sound, one does not give rise to fondness; on hearing a grating and disagreeable sound, one does not give rise to anger or resentment; on hearing a sound that is neither agreeable nor disagreeable, one does not give rise to a discriminating mind.

This is the cultivation of cessation. How does one cultivate contemplation while hearing sounds? One should give rise to this thought: The sounds that are heard have no true existence.

They arise only because the sense faculty and sense object unite to produce ear-consciousness. Thereafter, mental consciousness arises and insistently makes discriminations; conditioned by this, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise. This is called hearing sounds.

Turn back and contemplate the mind that hears sounds, yet no form or appearance can be seen. One should therefore know that hearing sounds and all dharmas are ultimately empty and quiescent. This is the cultivation of contemplation.

3. Cultivating cessation and contemplation when the nose smells odors: Whenever the nose smells an odor, one should know that it is like vapor or smoke and is not real. On smelling a pleasant fragrance, one does not give rise to infatuation; on smelling an unpleasant stench, one does not give rise to aversion or anger; on smelling an odor that is neither fragrant nor foul, one does not give rise to discursive thoughts.

This is the cultivation of cessation. How does one cultivate contemplation while smelling odors? One should think thus: As I now smell this odor, it is false and unreal.

Why is this? Because the sense faculty and sense object unite to produce nose-consciousness. Thereafter, mental consciousness arises and tenaciously apprehends the characteristic of the odor; conditioned by this, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise.

Therefore, this is called smelling an odor. Turn back and contemplate the mind that smells the odor, yet no form or appearance can be seen. One should therefore know that smelling odors and all dharmas are ultimately empty and quiescent.

This is the cultivation of contemplation.

4. Cultivating cessation and contemplation when the tongue tastes flavors: Whenever the tongue tastes something, one should immediately regard it as food obtained in a dream. On encountering a delicious flavor, one does not give rise to craving or attachment; on encountering an unpleasant flavor, one does not give rise to anger or aversion; with a flavor that is neither delicious nor unpleasant, one does not give rise to discriminating thoughts.

This is the cultivation of cessation. How does one cultivate contemplation when the tongue tastes flavors? One should examine it thus: The flavors I now taste truly cannot be apprehended.

Why is this? Because the six flavors, whether internal or external, have no discrimination in their own nature. Conditioned by their conjunction with the internal faculty of the tongue, tongue-consciousness arises.

Thereafter, mental consciousness arises and insistently apprehends the characteristic of flavor; conditioned by this, all afflictions and wholesome, unwholesome, and other dharmas arise. Turn back and contemplate the consciousness that takes flavor as its object, yet no form or appearance can be seen. One should therefore know that the person who tastes flavors and all dharmas are ultimately empty and quiescent.

This is the cultivation of contemplation.

5. Practicing calming and contemplation when the body comes into contact with objects: At the moment of contact, one immediately recognizes it as illusory, like a shadow, a provisional conjunction devoid of reality. When contact is pleasant and agreeable, one does not give rise to craving or attachment; when contact is painful and disagreeable, one does not give rise to aversion or anger; and when contact is neither pleasant nor painful, one does not give rise to recollection, conceptualization, or discrimination.

This is the practice of calming. How does one practice contemplation when contact occurs? One should reflect as follows: Contact with such qualities as lightness, heaviness, cold, heat, smoothness, and roughness is called touch; the head, torso, and four limbs, comprising six parts, are called the body.

The nature of touch is already false and unreal, and the body likewise has no substantial reality. Through the conjunction of causes and conditions, body-consciousness arises, followed by mental consciousness, which recollects, conceptualizes, and discriminates such characteristics as pain and pleasure; this is called contact. Turning contemplation back upon the mind that takes this contact as its object, one sees no form or appearance.

One should know that the one who experiences contact and all dharmas are ultimately empty and quiescent. This is the practice of contemplation.

6. Practicing calming and contemplation when the mind cognizes dharmas: This was clearly explained in the preceding section on the initial practice of seated meditation. The foregoing practice of calming and contemplation through the six sense faculties may be applied according to one’s inclination.

Each faculty fully comprises the five preceding points, which have already been extensively distinguished, so there is no need to explain them again here. If a practitioner can cultivate calming and contemplation under all circumstances—while walking, standing, sitting, lying down, seeing, hearing, comprehending, knowing, and so forth—that person is truly practicing in accordance with the Mahayana. As the Large Prajnaparamita Sutra states: “The Buddha told Subhuti: If a bodhisattva knows that he is walking while walking, knows that he is sitting while sitting, and even while putting on the sanghati robe, looking, blinking, and so forth, remains single-minded, entering and emerging in meditation and samadhi, that very person is a Mahayana bodhisattva.”

Furthermore, if a person can thus practice the Mahayana conduct in all circumstances, that person is the most excellent and supreme in the world, with none able to equal him. A verse in the Commentary states:

Sitting peacefully in a secluded forest,

Silently extinguishing every evil,

Content and free from craving, attaining one-pointedness of mind—

Even heavenly joys can scarcely compare with this.

Those who seek worldly gain,

Fine beds, cushions, and garments,

Find no true peace in such pleasures,

And never tire of seeking gain.

Wearing dyed robes in a secluded place,

In activity or stillness, the mind remains ever one;

With the illumination of one’s own wisdom,

One contemplates the true characteristics of all dharmas.

Into each and every dharma,

One enters entirely through contemplation;

The mind is liberated, wisdom clear and tranquil—

Nothing in the three realms can compare.

VII. The Characteristics of the Unfolding of Wholesome Roots

If a practitioner is able to enter emptiness from the provisional and contemplate the Middle, cultivating calming and contemplation in this way, then during seated meditation the body and mind will become lucid and clear. At that time, various wholesome roots will unfold, and these must be clearly understood. Briefly stated, the characteristics of the unfolding of wholesome roots are of two kinds:

A. The External Unfolding of Wholesome Roots

This refers to the unfolding of wholesome deeds such as generosity, observance of the precepts, filial devotion and obedience toward parents, respect for elders, offerings to the Three Jewels, listening to sutras, studying the Way, and so forth. If these are not practiced correctly, demonic states may intrude. No further explanation is needed here.

B. The Internal Unfolding of Wholesome Roots

This refers to the unfolding of the wholesome roots of the Dharma-gates of meditation and samadhi. In some explanations, the unfolding of the wholesome roots of the Dharma-gates of meditation and samadhi comprises three points:

1. Clearly Understanding the Characteristics of the Unfolding of Wholesome Roots

There are five kinds:

a) The characteristics of the unfolding of the wholesome root of counting the breath: Because the practitioner skillfully cultivates calming and contemplation, body and mind become harmonious, and deluded thoughts cease entirely. Consequently, one naturally knows that the mind is gradually entering samadhi, giving rise to the samadhis of the desire realm and the access concentration. Body and mind become quiescent and spacious, and the concentrated mind is peaceful and stable.

Within this samadhi, no appearance of body or mind is perceived at all. Thereafter, whether through one sitting, two sittings, or even one day, two days, one month, or two months, this state gradually becomes continuous, without obstruction or regression. Then, within samadhi, one suddenly becomes aware of movements in the body and mind that produce eight kinds of sensations: pain, itching, cold, warmth, lightness, heaviness, roughness, and smoothness.

While experiencing these sensations, body and mind remain settled, spacious, at ease, joyful, and pure beyond compare. This is known as the “characteristic of the unfolding of the fundamental wholesome root of the meditation of counting the breath.” While in the access concentration of the desire realm, the practitioner may suddenly become aware of the length or shortness of each inhalation and exhalation, and perceive all the pores throughout the body as open and unobstructed.

With the mind’s eye, one sees all thirty-six constituents within the body, as though opening a storehouse and seeing its various beans, sesame seeds, and so forth. The mind experiences awe, joy, serenity, and peaceful bliss. This is the “characteristic of the unfolding of the distinctive and excellent manifest root of following the breath.”

b) The characteristics of the unfolding of the wholesome root of contemplation of impurity: If the practitioner attains the access concentration of the desire realm, body and mind become spacious and quiescent within this samadhi. One may suddenly see the corpses of men and women: after death, they swell, decay, putrefy, and ooze blood and pus; one sees white bones scattered in disorder. Within the mind arise sorrow, joy, and revulsion toward sensual affection.

This is the “characteristic of the unfolding of the wholesome root of the nine contemplations.” Or, while in tranquil samadhi, one may suddenly see the filth within the body and the body’s exterior swollen and cracked, and see one’s own white skeleton from head to foot, each joint connected to the next. Having seen this, the concentrated mind becomes peaceful and stable, awakening to the principle of impermanence, becoming disenchanted with the five desires, and ceasing to cling to self or person.

This is the “characteristic of the unfolding of the wholesome root of the successive liberations.” Or, while the mind is in samadhi, one may see that everything within the body—including all birds and beasts, clothing, food and drink, dwellings, forests, and mountains—is impure. This is the “characteristic of the unfolding of the wholesome root of the great contemplation of impurity.”

c) The characteristics of the unfolding of the wholesome root of loving-kindness: Through cultivating calming and contemplation, the practitioner may attain the access concentration of the desire realm. Within this samadhi, a mind of loving-kindness and mindfulness of sentient beings suddenly arises. Taking a loved one as the object, one obtains an appearance of peace and happiness and immediately enters profound samadhi; inwardly, the mind is joyful and pure beyond analogy.

One may then take as objects those who are neither close nor distant, enemies, and even the sentient beings of the five destinies throughout the ten directions, with the same result. After emerging from samadhi, the mind remains joyful, and the practitioner sees everyone’s countenance as gentle and agreeable. This is the “characteristic of the unfolding of the wholesome root of loving-kindness.” The characteristics of the unfolding of compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity may be understood by comparison with this.

d) The characteristics of the unfolding of the wholesome root of contemplation of causes and conditions: Through cultivating calming and contemplation, the practitioner may attain the access concentration of the desire realm, and body and mind become peaceful and settled. Suddenly, awakening arises in the mind, and one investigates the various causes and conditions—ignorance, formations, and so forth—throughout the three periods of time.

One perceives no characteristics of a person or self, becomes free from the views of annihilationism and eternalism, and breaks through all attachment to views. Having attained stable samadhi, understanding and wisdom unfold; Dharma-joy arises in the mind, and worldly matters are no longer remembered. The same applies even to the analytical discernment of the five skandhas, the twelve ayatanas, and the eighteen dhatus.

This is the “characteristic of the unfolding of the wholesome root of contemplation of causes and conditions.”

e) The characteristics of the unfolding of the wholesome root of mindfulness of the Buddha: Through cultivating calming and contemplation, the practitioner may attain the access concentration of the desire realm, and body and mind become spacious and quiescent. Suddenly, one recollects that the Buddhas possess inconceivable merit, virtues, marks, and excellent characteristics; that they possess the inconceivable Dharma of the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the eighteen distinctive qualities, samadhis, liberations, and so forth; and that they possess inconceivable spiritual powers and transformations, teach the Dharma without obstruction, and benefit sentient beings in inconceivable ways.

Thus, their immeasurable virtues are inconceivable. When this mindfulness arises, a mind of reverence and devotion immediately develops, samadhi unfolds, and body and mind become joyful, pure, peaceful, and stable, without any unwholesome characteristics. After emerging from samadhi, the body feels light and at ease; one naturally knows that one possesses lofty merit and virtue and is loved and respected by others.

This is the “characteristic of the unfolding of the wholesome root of the samadhi of mindfulness of the Buddha.”

Furthermore, when practitioners cultivate calming and contemplation, if body and mind become clear and pure, there may arise the signs of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and impurity; revulsion toward food and drink; contemplation of the impurity of the world; contemplation that at death one must part from everything; recollection of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, moral precepts, relinquishment, and devas; the foundations of mindfulness, right efforts, bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, Noble Eightfold Path, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the six perfections, the various paramitas, supernormal powers, transformations, and so forth.

When signs of any of these Dharma-gates manifest, they should be extensively discerned. Therefore, a sutra says: “When the mind is kept in one place, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished.”

2. Distinguishing the True from the False

There are two kinds:

a) Discerning the signs of false and deviant meditative states: When practitioners experience the various meditative states described above, each phenomenon may manifest according to its causes. The body may tremble; it may feel heavy, as though something were pressing upon it; it may feel so light that it seems about to fly; it may feel bound; it may sway, twist, or become dazed; it may become extremely cold or extremely hot.

Practitioners may see many strange realms; the mind may grow obscured; cruel thoughts may arise; they may recall a confused assortment of external virtuous deeds, causing the mind to become distracted; they may become joyfully agitated or sorrowful and anxious; dreadful things may touch them, making their flesh creep and hair stand on end; or extreme pleasure may intoxicate and captivate them. When such deviant phenomena arise together with meditation, they are called false and deviant.

If deluded people delight in these kinds of deviant concentration, they come into correspondence with the ninety-five kinds of demons and spirits and often become deranged or insane. Sometimes demons and spirits learn what practitioners of meditation desire and then lend them power, causing deviant concentration, deviant knowledge, eloquence, and supernormal powers to arise, by which they deceive and disturb people in the world.

When ignorant people see this, they believe that such practitioners have realized the fruits of the path and all place their faith in and submit to them. In truth, those practitioners’ minds are inverted, and they devote themselves to demonic practices that delude and disrupt the world. When they die, they will never encounter a Buddha but will fall among demons and spirits.

If, while sitting, they mostly practice evil teachings, they will fall into hell. When practitioners cultivating calming and contemplation experience meditative states possessing such false and deviant signs, they must immediately expel them. How should they expel them?

They may recognize them as illusory and false, keep the mind upright, neither accept nor cling to them, and they will then disappear by themselves. They should employ right contemplation to destroy them, whereupon they will immediately cease altogether.

b) Discerning the signs of true and proper meditative states: If, while sitting, practitioners experience various meditative states without any of the false and deviant signs described above, then, as each meditative state manifests, they will immediately know that it accords with concentration. They will be lucid and pure, inwardly joyful, tranquil and blissful, free from obstruction; wholesome states of mind will unfold, faith and reverence will increase, and wisdom will illuminate and discern clearly.

Body and mind will be gentle and at ease, subtle, open, and still. They will become disenchanted with the world, remain uncontrived and free from craving, and enter and emerge from concentration at will. This is the manifestation of proper meditation.

It is like associating with evil people, which constantly brings distress, whereas associating with good people continually brings beneficial circumstances. Distinguishing the signs by which deviant and proper meditation manifest is likewise.

c) Skillfully using calming and contemplation to nurture and increase wholesome roots: If various wholesome roots unfold while one is sitting, one should continue cultivating through the two methods of calming and contemplation, causing them to increase. When calming is appropriate, cultivate by means of calming; when contemplation is appropriate, cultivate by means of contemplation. This has already been explained fully above; here only the general meaning is presented briefly.

VIII. Understanding Demonic Activity

The Sanskrit term is Mara, translated during the Qin dynasty as “killer.” Because it plunders practitioners’ merit and kills their life of wisdom, it is called the evil Mara. Activity that uses merit and wisdom to liberate sentient beings and bring them into nirvana is the activity of a Buddha; activity that constantly destroys sentient beings’ wholesome roots and causes them to wander through the cycle of birth and death is the activity of Mara. Only those who skillfully settle their minds upon the right path understand that the higher the path, the more powerful Mara becomes. One should know that demonic activity is of four kinds:

1- The Mara of afflictions.

2- The Mara of the skandhas, ayatanas, and dhatus.

3- The Mara of death.

4- The Mara of demons and spirits.

The first three kinds of Mara are ordinary phenomena of the world and arise according to the human mind. One must therefore expel them by rectifying one’s own mind; they will not be distinguished here. The signs of the Mara of demons and spirits, however, need to be understood and are briefly set forth below. Demons and spirits are of three kinds:

a) Mara in the form of animal spirits: These are animals associated with the twelve double-hours, and they transform themselves into various forms and appearances. They may transform into young women, elderly people, or numerous frightening figures to vex and disturb practitioners. Each kind of animal spirit comes at its corresponding hour to harm practitioners; this should be clearly understood.

If it comes during the Hour of the Tiger (3 a.m.–5 a.m.), it must be a tiger or the like. If it comes during the Hour of the Rabbit (5 a.m.–7 a.m.), it must be a rabbit, deer, or the like. If it comes during the Hour of the Dragon (7 a.m.–9 a.m.), it must be a dragon, serpent, or the like.

If it comes during the Hour of the Snake (9 a.m.–11 a.m.), it must be a snake, python, or the like. If it comes during the Hour of the Horse (11 a.m.–1 p.m.), it must be a horse, donkey, camel, or the like. If it comes during the Hour of the Goat (1 p.m.–3 p.m.), it must be a goat or the like.

If it comes during the Hour of the Monkey (3 p.m.–5 p.m.), it must be a monkey, ape, or the like. If it comes during the Hour of the Rooster (5 p.m.–7 p.m.), it must be a chicken, bird, or the like. If it comes during the Hour of the Dog (7 p.m.–9 p.m.), it must be a dog, wolf, or the like.

If it comes during the Hour of the Pig (9 p.m.–11 p.m.), it must be a pig or the like. If it comes during the Hour of the Rat (11 p.m.–1 a.m.), it must be a rat or the like. If it comes during the Hour of the Ox (1 a.m.–3 a.m.), it must be an ox or the like.

If practitioners observe that these beings regularly come at these hours, they will know which animal spirits they are. They should call them by name and rebuke them, whereupon they will disappear.

b) Duìtì Mara: It also causes tactile disturbances to vex practitioners. It may transform into a worm or beetle crawling over a person’s head and face, burrowing, stinging, or flashing before the eyes; it may scratch and pry beneath both armpits; it may suddenly embrace or restrain the person; or it may cry out noisily and assume the forms of animals in many strange guises. When it comes to cause disturbance, practitioners should immediately concentrate their minds, close their eyes, and silently rebuke it thus: “I now know you.

You are the Shoulajiezhi demon of wrong views, delighting in breaking the precepts and sniffing the odor of fire-eaten food in Jambudvipa. I now uphold the precepts and am resolutely unafraid of you.” Monastics should recite the Pratimoksha; laypeople should recite the Three Refuges, Five Precepts, and so forth. Then these demons will cower and withdraw.

The meditation scriptures extensively explain the various forms they may assume to obstruct and trouble practitioners in this manner, as well as the methods for eliminating them.

c) Vexing Mara: These Maras can transform into three kinds of sensory objects of the five senses and thereby destroy a person’s wholesome mind.

1. They create disagreeable objects: They may transform into tigers, wolves, lions, and other frightening forms—terrifying objects of the five senses that fill a person with dread.

2) They create agreeable objects: They may transform into the forms of one’s parents, siblings, Buddhas, or beautiful and lovable men and women—pleasing objects of the five senses that cause attachment and infatuation to arise.

3) They create objects that are neither agreeable nor disagreeable: These are ordinary objects of the five senses that disturb practitioners’ minds and cause them to lose meditative concentration.

Therefore, mara is called the “Slayer”; it is also called the “Flower-Arrow,” and also the “Five Arrows,” because it shoots into a person’s five sense faculties. Between matter and mind, it creates all manner of objects and states that delude and disturb practitioners; hence it is called mara. It may produce sounds, pleasant or unpleasant; odors, fragrant or foul; tastes, sweet or bitter; and circumstances, painful or pleasurable, which come to afflict the body.

All these are the works of mara. Its manifestations are so numerous that they cannot all be recounted here. To summarize the essentials: whatever produces the objects of the five senses to disturb people, causing them to lose wholesome Dharma and give rise to afflictions, belongs to the armies of mara.

They can destroy the equality of the Buddha-Dharma and give rise to phenomena that obstruct the path, such as sensual desire, sorrow, anger, drowsiness, and so forth. As a verse in the Sutra states:

Sensual desire is mara’s first army,

Sorrow is the second host,

Hunger and thirst are the third army,

Craving and attachment are the fourth,

Drowsiness is the fifth army,

Fear is the sixth host,

Doubt and remorse are the seventh army,

Anger is the eighth,

Delusion over fame and gain is the ninth,

Self-conceit is the tenth.

Armies such as these

Overwhelm those who have gone forth.

Taking up the power of meditative wisdom,

I crush and subdue all the armies of mara;

Having accomplished the Buddha Way,

I liberate all beings.

Once practitioners recognize the works of mara, they must drive them away. There are two methods for doing so:

1. Driving them away by cultivating cessation: Whenever practitioners see any external manifestation of mara, they should know that it is false and deceptive. They should neither worry nor fear, neither grasp nor reject it, nor falsely cling to it and discriminate. When the mind is brought to rest in silent stillness, mara will disappear of itself.

2. Driving them away by cultivating contemplation: If practitioners encounter the manifestations of mara described above and cannot drive them away through cessation, they must turn their contemplation back upon the mind that perceives them. When no location of that mind can be found, where could those hordes of mara remain to cause disturbance?

When one contemplates in this way, mara immediately vanishes entirely. If it lingers and does not depart, practitioners must rectify their minds and refrain from thoughts of fear. Without cherishing body or life, they should remain unmoved in right mindfulness, knowing that, within the original nature of true suchness, the realm of mara is precisely the realm of the Buddha.

Since the realm of mara is the realm of the Buddha, there is only one realm, not two. Clearly knowing this, one neither rejects the realm of mara nor grasps the realm of the Buddha. The Buddha-Dharma will naturally manifest before one, and the manifestations of mara will naturally disappear.

Furthermore, if manifestations of mara do not disappear, there is no need to worry; and if they do disappear, one should not become joyful. Why is this? Never has anyone in meditation actually been devoured by tigers or wolves conjured by mara; nor has anyone ever truly become husband or wife with a man or woman conjured by mara.

These are merely illusory transformations. Fools who do not understand become afraid or give rise to craving and attachment. Consequently, their minds become disordered, they lose meditative concentration, and they fall into madness.

The calamities they bring upon themselves arise entirely from their own lack of wisdom, by which they suffer harm; they are not caused by mara itself. If manifestations of mara disturb a practitioner and remain for many months or even an entire year without departing, the practitioner need only keep the mind upright and make right mindfulness firm. Without cherishing body or life or harboring fear, one should recite the Mahayana and Vaipulya Sutras and the mantras that subdue mara, reciting them silently and constantly recollecting the Three Jewels.

After emerging from concentration, one should also recite mantras for self-protection, practice repentance, cultivate shame and remorse, and recite the precepts. The deviant cannot transgress against the upright, and in time it will disappear of itself. The works of mara are so numerous that they cannot all be described; one must learn to recognize them well.

Therefore, beginning practitioners must draw near to good spiritual friends. In difficult circumstances such as these, mara may enter a person’s mind and cause mental derangement, now elated and now distressed, thereby producing illness and even death. At other times, mara may bestow deviant meditative concentration, wisdom, supernormal powers, dharanis, and the ability to expound the Dharma and teach others, causing everyone to revere and submit to that person.

Later, it destroys that person’s supramundane wholesome endeavors and undermines the true Dharma. Such works of mara have many different forms and cannot all be described. Here, only the essential points have been briefly presented so that practitioners engaged in seated meditation will not mistakenly take manifestations of mara for genuine attainments.

In summary, those who wish to subdue the deviant and return to the upright must contemplate the true character of all dharmas and skillfully cultivate cessation and contemplation; then there is no deviation that cannot be subdued. Therefore, the Sutras and Treatises state: “Apart from the true character of all dharmas, everything else is the work of mara.” As the verse states:

If one discriminates and entertains thoughts,

That is the net of mara.

Unmoving and free from discrimination—

That is the Dharma seal.

IX. Treating Illness

When practitioners cultivate with single-minded diligence, illness may arise in the four great elements because contemplation of the mind or observation of the breath has stirred up an old ailment. Or illness may arise because they have not properly regulated the three matters—body, mind, and breath—and errors have occurred internally or externally. In the method of seated meditation, if the mind is skillfully employed, the 404 illnesses will naturally be cured; if the mind is employed incorrectly, the 404 illnesses will consequently arise.

Therefore, whether cultivating oneself or teaching others to cultivate, one must clearly understand the roots of illness and skillfully know how to use the inner mind to treat illness during seated meditation. Once an illness arises, it not only obstructs cultivation but may also endanger one’s life.

The method of treating illness will now be explained under two headings:

1. The characteristics of arising illness.

2. Methods for treating illness.

1. The characteristics of arising illness. Although illness may arise in many ways, it may be briefly classified into two kinds:

a) Characteristics of illness caused by an increase or decrease in the four great elements: If the earth element increases, one suffers from severe swelling, obstruction, and heaviness; the body becomes dry and emaciated, and in this way 101 illnesses arise. If the water element increases, phlegm and bodily fluids become abundant, food and drink are not digested, abdominal pain and intestinal gas occur, and so forth; thus 101 illnesses arise.

If the fire element increases, one suddenly feels cold and then suddenly hot, the whole body aches, the breath becomes foul, and urination and defecation become obstructed, and so forth; thus 101 illnesses arise. If the wind element increases, the body feels as though it were suspended in the air, twisting and turning in pain; the lungs become constricted and breathing grows rapid; vomiting and exhaustion occur, and so forth; thus 101 illnesses arise.

Therefore, the Sutra states: “When one great element is out of harmony, 101 illnesses arise; when all four great elements are out of harmony, all 404 illnesses arise together.” Each illness arising from the four great elements has its own characteristics, which must be carefully examined during seated meditation and in dreams.

b) Characteristics of illnesses arising from the five viscera: When illness arises from the heart, the body becomes hot or cold, the head aches, the mouth becomes dry, and so forth, because the heart governs the mouth. When illness arises from the lungs, the body becomes swollen and puffy, the four limbs become weary and numb, the nose becomes congested, and so forth, because the lungs govern the nose. When illness arises from the liver, the mind is habitually unhappy, melancholy, grieved, anxious, and angry; the head aches, the vision grows dim, and so forth, because the liver governs the eyes.

When illness arises from the spleen, wind swellings appear throughout the body and face, accompanied by itching and pain, and food and drink lose their savor, and so forth, because the spleen governs the tongue. When illness arises from the kidneys, hiccups arise in the throat, the abdomen feels full, the ears ring, and so forth, because the kidneys govern the ears. The illnesses arising from the five viscera are extremely numerous, and each has its own characteristics.

They must be examined during seated meditation and in dreams in order to be understood.

Thus, the causes of illnesses arising from the four great elements and the five viscera are not singular, and their characteristics are so numerous that they cannot all be described. Practitioners who wish to cultivate the Dharma gate of cessation and contemplation in order to escape birth and death must clearly understand the causes of illness. The common causes of these two kinds of illness are internal and external disturbances. They may arise because the mind has not been properly regulated and contemplative practice has gone astray, or because practitioners do not know how to guard themselves when states of concentration arise, thereby causing illness in the four great elements and the five viscera. These are the characteristics of illnesses arising internally.

Furthermore, there are three kinds of causes and conditions that bring illness upon a person:

1. Increases or decreases in the four great elements and the five viscera cause illness, as explained above.

2. Ghosts and spirits cause illness.

3. Karmic retribution causes people to fall ill. Illnesses of this kind are easily cured if treated soon after they arise. If allowed to persist for a long time, the illness matures, the body grows emaciated, and the condition becomes severe and very difficult to cure.

2. Methods for Treating Illness

Having understood the causes from which illness arises, one must establish methods for treating it. There are many methods of treating illness, but in brief they do not go beyond the two expedient means of calming and contemplation. How is calming used to treat illness?

A teacher said: “One should settle the mind and keep it at the afflicted place; the illness will then be cured. Why? Because the mind is the master of the karmic body throughout this lifetime.

It is like a king arriving at a place, whereupon all the bandits disperse.” Another teacher said: “One inch below the navel is the place called the cinnabar field. If the mind is held there without distraction for a long time, most illnesses will cease.” Another teacher said: “One should constantly keep the mind beneath the feet. Whether walking, standing, or lying down to rest, this will cure illness.

Why? Because illnesses arise when the four great elements are obstructed and out of harmony. This occurs because consciousness takes conditions above as its objects, causing the four great elements to become disharmonious.

If the mind is settled below, the four great elements will naturally become harmonious and all illnesses will be cured.”

Contemplation may also be used to treat illness. A teacher said: To contemplate and mentally form the six kinds of breath in order to treat illness is to use contemplation as a cure. What are the six kinds of breath? They are: chui, hu, xi, he, xu, and si. These six kinds of breath are all produced through skillful movements of the tongue and mouth together with mental visualization, and they must be uttered evenly and gently. A verse says:

The heart corresponds to He; the kidneys correspond to Chui.

The spleen to Hu, the lungs to Si—the sages all know this.

The liver and heat in the organs are treated by the syllable Xu.

When the triple burner is obstructed, simply utter Xi.

A teacher said: If one skillfully uses contemplation and visualization to direct the twelve kinds of breath, one can treat many illnesses. The twelve kinds of breath are:

1. Ascending breath.

2. Descending breath.

3. Filling breath.

4. Dissipating breath.

5. Increasing breath.

6. Destructive breath.

7. Warming breath.

8. Cooling breath.

9. Surging breath.

10. Sustaining breath.

11. Harmonizing breath.

12. Nourishing breath.

These twelve kinds of breath all arise through mental contemplation and visualization. Their twelve corresponding therapeutic functions will now be briefly described. Ascending breath treats illnesses characterized by sinking and heaviness.

Descending breath treats illnesses characterized by floating. Filling breath treats dryness and emaciation. Dissipating breath treats swelling and edema.

Increasing breath treats frailty and weakness. Destructive breath treats conditions of excessive flourishing. Warming breath treats cold illnesses.

Cooling breath treats hot illnesses. Surging breath treats obstruction, choking, and lack of free passage. Sustaining breath treats illnesses involving restless rolling about.

Harmonizing breath generally treats illnesses caused by disharmony among the four great elements. Nourishing breath nourishes and replenishes the four great elements when they are depleted. By skillfully using these various kinds of breath, one can cure all illnesses; the rest may be understood by inference.

A teacher said: “Skillful use of visualization contemplation can cure all illnesses. For example, if a person suffers from an illness of cold, one visualizes fiery breath surging forth within the body, and the cold illness will then be cured. This method of treating illness is explained extensively in the Samyukta Agama Sutra, in its seventy-two secret methods for curing illness.

A teacher said: “Use calming and contemplation to examine the illness in the four great elements of the body. Since the mind itself has no place where illness can arise, all illnesses will naturally be cured.” Thus, the many teachings on using contemplation to treat illness differ in their applications, but if their meaning is skillfully understood, they can all cure illness.

If a person skillfully understands the two methods of calming and contemplation, there is no illness that cannot be cured. Yet people in the present age have dull and shallow faculties, and most do not succeed in practicing visualization. Therefore, this method is rarely transmitted. Moreover, if a practitioner cannot apply this method and develops deviant and heterodox attachments, then medicines made from trees, herbs, minerals, stones, and so forth should be used when appropriate for the illness.

If the illness is caused by harmful spirits, one must firmly establish the mind and additionally recite mantras to assist in treating it. If the illness results from karmic retribution, one must cultivate merit and practice repentance; the illness will certainly disappear. Regarding the two methods of calming and contemplation for treating illness, if a person skillfully understands even one of them, it is sufficient for personal practice and for teaching others, how much more so if one fully comprehends both.

If one knows neither method, then when illness arises it cannot be treated. Not only will one neglect spiritual practice, but one’s very life may be difficult to preserve. How then could one practice for oneself and teach others?

Therefore, those who wish to cultivate calming and contemplation must understand the methods of treating illness within the mind. This Dharma is not a matter of merely knowing one fixed method; its meaning depends upon the practitioner and cannot be transmitted through written words.

Furthermore, when applying the mind during seated meditation to treat illness, one must fully possess ten qualities in order to obtain benefit. The ten qualities are: 1. Faith. 2. Application. 3. Diligence. 4. Constantly abiding with the object. 5. Discerning the cause from which the illness arose. 6. Skillful means. 7. Prolonged practice. 8. Knowing what to adopt and what to relinquish. 9. Safeguarding. 10. Knowing how to prevent hindrances.

What is faith? It means believing that this method can cure illness.

What is application? It means practicing diligently without rest and stopping only when the illness has been cured.

What is abiding with the object? It means that the subtle mind constantly relies upon the method and takes nothing else as its object.

What is discerning the cause from which the illness arose? It is as explained in the preceding section.

What are skillful means? They consist in exhaling and inhaling while skillfully directing mental visualization to bring it to accomplishment, without violating the method.

What is prolonged practice? If applying the method has not yet brought benefit, one continues to practice regularly, regardless of the days or months that pass, without abandoning it.

What is knowing what to adopt and what to relinquish? When one knows that something is beneficial, one diligently applies it; when something is harmful, one immediately relinquishes it, carefully redirecting the mind in treatment.

What is safeguarding? It means skillfully recognizing and guarding against conditions that may cause harm.

What is knowing how to prevent hindrances? When one obtains benefit, one does not tell others about it; when no harm has yet occurred, one does not give rise to doubt or disparagement.

If one relies upon these ten qualities to treat illness, the treatment will certainly prove effective and will not fail.

X. Realization of the Fruition

If practitioners cultivate calming and contemplation in this manner, they clearly understand that all dharmas arise from the mind and that causes and conditions are false, provisional, and unreal; therefore, they are empty. Because they understand emptiness, they do not perceive the characteristics or names of any dharma, and thus enter ultimate reality. At that time, above they see no Buddhahood that may be sought, and below they see no sentient beings who may be liberated.

This is called contemplation that proceeds from the provisional into emptiness; it is contemplation of the two truths, the wisdom-eye, and the wisdom of all phenomena. If one abides in this contemplation, one falls into the fruition of the shravaka or pratyekabuddha. Therefore, a sutra says: “The shravakas and others lamented: ‘If we hear of purifying Buddha lands and teaching and transforming sentient beings, our minds take no delight in it.

Why? Because all dharmas are entirely empty and quiescent, neither arising nor ceasing, neither great nor small, untainted and unconditioned. Because we contemplate in this way, we take no delight in it.’” One should understand that those who perceive the unconditioned Dharma and enter the stage of true realization can ultimately never generate the three kinds of bodhicitta, because the strength of their samadhi is great, yet they do not perceive Buddha-nature.

If a bodhisattva, for the sake of bringing all sentient beings to fulfillment and perfecting all Buddha-Dharmas, should not cling to the unconditioned and abide in solitary quiescence, then at that time the bodhisattva should cultivate contemplation that proceeds from emptiness into the provisional. This means truly contemplating that although the nature of mind is empty, when it encounters conditions, all dharmas immediately arise, like illusions and transformations.

Although they possess no definite reality, they nevertheless have distinct characteristics, with differences in hearing, understanding, knowing, and so forth. When practitioners contemplate in this way, although they know that all dharmas are ultimately empty and quiescent, they are able to cultivate all practices within emptiness, as though sowing seeds in empty space. They can also discern the immeasurable faculties, dispositions, and desires of sentient beings, and therefore their teachings of the Dharma are likewise immeasurable.

If they attain unhindered eloquence, they can benefit sentient beings throughout the six realms. This is called the cessation of skillful means that accords with conditions; it is contemplation proceeding from emptiness into the provisional; it is impartial contemplation; it is the Dharma-eye; and it is knowledge of the varieties of paths. While abiding in this contemplation, the power of wisdom predominates.

Although one perceives Buddha-nature, one does not perceive it clearly.

Although the bodhisattva has perfected the two contemplations described above, these are called skillful gateways of contemplation and are not Right Contemplation. The scripture states: "The first two are skillful paths. By means of these two contemplations of emptiness, one attains the contemplation of the Middle Way of the supreme meaning, simultaneously illuminating both truths. The mind remains constantly quiescent and naturally flows into the ocean of Great Awakening." If a bodhisattva wishes to possess all Buddha-Dharmas fully within a single thought, the bodhisattva should cultivate "cessation that puts an end to discrimination between the two extremes" and practice Right Contemplation of the Middle Way.

What is Right Contemplation? If one thoroughly understands that the nature of mind is neither real nor provisional, one puts an end to the mind that takes the real and the provisional as its objects. This is called rightly and truly contemplating that the nature of mind is neither empty nor provisional, without destroying the dharmas of emptiness and provisional existence.

If one can illuminate and comprehend in this way, one penetrates the Middle Way within the nature of mind and perfectly illuminates both truths. If within one’s own mind one can perceive the Middle Way and the two truths, then one perceives the Middle Way and the two truths of all dharmas, yet does not cling to the Middle Way or the two truths. Because no fixed inherent nature can be found, this is called Right Contemplation of the Middle Way.

As the verse in the Treatise says:

Dharmas arising through causes and conditions,

I declare to be emptiness;

They are also called provisional names,

And also called the meaning of the Middle Way.

Upon investigating the meaning of this verse, one finds that it not only fully distinguishes the characteristics of contemplation of the Middle Way, but also encompasses the essential purport of the preceding two skillful gateways of contemplation. It should be known that Right Contemplation of the Middle Way is the Buddha-eye and knowledge of all modes. If one abides in this contemplation, the powers of samadhi and wisdom are equal; one sees Buddha-nature clearly, abides securely in the Mahayana, and advances smoothly and swiftly as the wind, naturally entering the ocean of Great Awakening.

One practices the Tathagata’s conduct, enters the Tathagata’s house, wears the Tathagata’s robe, sits upon the Tathagata’s seat, and adorns oneself with the Tathagata’s adornments. One attains purification of the six faculties and enters the Buddha’s sphere. Unattached to any dharma, one has all Buddha-Dharmas manifest before oneself and perfects the samadhi of mindfulness of the Buddha.

Abiding securely in the Shurangama Samadhi, one manifests the samadhi of universally appearing physical forms, enters Buddha-realms throughout the ten directions, teaches sentient beings, adorns all Buddha-realms, makes offerings to the Buddhas of the ten directions, receives and upholds the Dharma treasuries of all Buddhas, perfects all paramita practices, and awakens to and enters the stage of a great bodhisattva, becoming a companion of Manjushri and Samantabhadra.

One constantly abides in the Dharma-nature body and is praised and given predictions of awakening by the Buddhas. One adorns the Tushita Heaven, manifests descent into the world and entry into the mother’s womb, leaves the household life, proceeds to the bodhimanda, subdues the hostile maras, attains perfect awakening, turns the Dharma wheel, and enters nirvana. Throughout the lands of the ten directions, one brings all Buddha-activities to fulfillment and fully possesses the two bodies—the true body and the responsive body.

Such is the bodhisattva at the Initial Arousal of the Mind.

The Avatamsaka Sutra says: "At the initial arousal of the mind, one immediately attains perfect awakening, thoroughly comprehends the true nature of all dharmas, and attains the wisdom-body, awakening without relying upon another." It also says: "A bodhisattva at the initial arousal of the mind attains one Tathagata body and makes it into immeasurable bodies." It also says: "The mind of initial arousal and the ultimate mind are not different.

Of these two minds, the former is the more difficult." The Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra says: "Subhuti! There is a great bodhisattva who, immediately upon first arousing the mind, sits at the bodhimanda and turns the wheel of the True Dharma. Know that this bodhisattva is like a Buddha." In the Lotus Sutra, the Dragon Girl offers a jewel as testimony.

Such scriptures all teach that at the initial arousal of the mind, one fully accomplishes all Buddha-Dharmas, as expressed by the letter "A" in the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra; by "causing sentient beings to open the Buddha’s knowledge and vision" in the Lotus Sutra; and by "Because one sees Buddha-nature, one abides in Great Nirvana" in the Nirvana Sutra. Thus has been briefly explained the character of the realization attained by one at the initial arousal of the mind through cultivating cessation and contemplation.

Next, the realization of the later mind will be explained. The sphere realized by the later mind cannot be known. Yet, when examined according to the doctrinal teaching, it is ultimately not apart from the two dharmas of cessation and contemplation.

Why is this so? The Lotus Sutra says: "Earnestly praising the wisdom of the Buddhas is the meaning of contemplation." This clarifies the fruit from the standpoint of contemplation. The Nirvana Sutra extensively discusses the "one hundred statements on liberation" to explain Great Nirvana.

Nirvana means cessation. Thus, it clarifies the fruit from the standpoint of cessation. Therefore, Great Nirvana is called the samadhi of eternal quiescence.

Samadhi is the meaning of cessation. Although the Lotus Sutra clarifies the fruit from the standpoint of contemplation, it also encompasses cessation. Therefore, it says: "Even the ultimately nirvanic characteristics, eternally quiescent and extinct, finally return to emptiness." Although the Nirvana Sutra clarifies the fruit from the standpoint of cessation, it also includes contemplation, for it takes the three virtues as Great Nirvana.

Although the words of these two great scriptures differ in what they reveal and conceal, both explain their ultimate meaning from the two gateways of cessation and contemplation and clarify the highest fruit-stage on the basis of the two dharmas of samadhi and wisdom.

Practitioners should know that the fruits of the beginning, the intermediate stage, and the final stage are all inconceivable. Therefore, the newly translated version of the Golden Light Sutra says: "The Tathagata at the beginning is inconceivable; the Tathagata in the intermediate stage possesses manifold adornments; the Tathagata at the end is eternally indestructible." This explains the results in relation to the two minds that cultivate cessation and contemplation. A verse in the Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra states:

The Buddhas attain liberation through the mind;

That mind, being purified, is called stainless.

Purified throughout the five realms, it is unstained;

By mastering this Dharma, one accomplishes the Great Way.

Those who vow to cultivate and practice must eliminate the three obstructions and the five hindrances. If these are not eliminated, then despite diligent effort, there will ultimately be no benefit.