摩訶止觀 白話全本 · 冊2
方便Preparatory Means
全文五層 →Full five layers →摩訶止觀卷第四〔上〕
隋天台智者大師說，門人灌頂記。
方便總標〔科一〕
第六，說明方便。『方便』第一個意思是善巧：以善巧來修行，即使只有很少的善根，也能使無量行門成就、理解開發，進入菩薩位。《大智度論》說，以少量布施、少量持戒，便能超過聲聞、辟支佛，正是這個意思。『方便』第二個意思是眾緣和合：眾緣和合能成就因，也能和合而取得果。《大品經》說，如來之身不是從單一因、單一緣而生，而是從無量功德生起。為顯示這種善巧的能力，所以說方便。
若依漸次教來說，有四種方便，每一種方便又各有遠、近。如《阿毘曇》以五停心為遠方便，四善根為近方便；通教、別教的遠近，也可依例領會。圓教中，假名位、五品觀行等位離真證還遠，叫遠方便；六根清淨位近似真證，叫近方便。
現在又只在五品以前的假名位中分遠近：二十五法是遠方便，十種境界是近方便。十境與十觀橫豎周遍、完整具足，成就觀行位，能發相似與真證，所以叫近方便。此處解釋遠方便，略分五科：一、具五緣；二、呵五欲；三、棄五蓋；四、調五事；五、行五法。
道不會孤立地自行運轉，要由人來弘揚；人要弘揚勝法，也須藉助條件才能進道，所以先具五緣。條件具足後，應割除種種嗜欲；外在嗜欲既已屏退，應清淨內心；內心若已寂靜，便調試五事；五事調好，再行五法，必能到達所向之處。
譬如陶師要製作器物，先須選一處好地方：沒有砂石鹽鹵，草木、水源豐足便利，才可建立作坊。其次要停止其他交際事務；事務若不停，怎能完成工作？外緣雖停，身內若有疾病，又怎能動手？身體雖強健，泥土與陶輪若不調，也做不成器物。上述條件即使整齊，若不專心本業，時作時廢，不能相續，也永遠無法完成。止觀五科也是如此：有待資養的身體必須有所憑藉，如選好地方；呵責厭離塵欲，如斷外緣；棄絕五蓋，如治內病；調適五事，如學會運轉陶輪與繩索；行五法，如持續製作而不荒廢。
世間淺近的小事，尚且沒有眾緣便不能成，何況出世之道？若無引導，怎會容易登階？所以要歷二十五法，藉事相而修觀，調麁入細，檢束散亂而使心安靜，作為止觀的遠方便。這五科中，三科出於《大智度論》，一科出於《禪經》，一科由諸禪師建立。
具五緣：總列與戒名〔科二〕
第一，具五緣。五緣是：一、持戒清淨；二、衣食具足；三、閑居靜處；四、息諸緣務；五、得善知識。《禪經》說，前四緣雖已具足，仍要由良師開導。因此用五法作為入道的階梯，缺少一項便會妨事。詳細解釋可參《次第禪門》。此處持戒清淨又分四意：一、列戒名；二、明持戒；三、明犯戒；四、明懺淨。
先列戒名。經論所出的戒名很多，暫依《釋論》列十種：不缺、不破、不穿、不雜、隨道、無著、智所讚、自在、隨定、具足。十種都以性戒為根本。《大智度論》說，性戒就是尸羅，身口等共有八種，即身三、口四，再加不飲酒；又是淨命及防護意地。論又說，十善是尸羅，即使佛不出世，世間也常有，所以叫『舊戒』。佛不出世時，凡夫也修八禪，所以叫『舊定』；外道邪見六十二見等，像舊醫所用乳藥，叫『舊慧』。通常有人說，沒有後來才有的客定，只是無漏智慧引導八禪而已。現在反問這一說法：若如此，也該說沒有客戒，只是無漏引導十善。戒與慧既各有客法，定為什麼獨獨沒有？
現在以三歸、五戒、二百五十戒作為客戒的根本。取得具足戒的人有十種：第一，佛親自說『善來比丘』，此人自然已得具足戒；第二，摩訶迦葉以自誓因緣得具足戒；第三，憍陳如因見諦而受具足戒；第四，波闍波提比丘尼以八敬法受具足戒；第五，達磨提那比丘尼遣使傳信而受具足戒；第六，須陀耶沙彌以論義受具足戒；第七，耶舍比丘等以善來方式受具足戒；第八，跋陀羅波楞伽加以三歸受具足戒；第九，邊地由第五位律師授具足戒；第十，中國由十人作白四羯磨授具足戒。這些都屬客戒之人。根本淨禪以及觀、練、熏、修，屬於客定；四諦智慧屬於客慧，都是佛出世以後才有。
性戒不問受戒或未受戒：犯了便是罪，守住便是善。若已受戒，持戒能生福，犯戒便得罪；若未受戒，持善沒有受戒之福，犯時也沒有違受戒之罪。例如割草與殺害畜生，同有違制之罪；對首懺悔後，兩種違制罪都能滅。《大智度論》解釋，違反無作戒體的罪同樣滅除，償還生命的業報仍在。因此可知，受得之戒與性戒有別。《四分》在問遮法時問：『不曾犯邊罪嗎？』邊罪就是性罪。這種罪連優婆塞戒都會障礙，何況大戒？性戒若清淨，便是戒度的根本、解脫的初因；依這性戒，才有受戒所得的無作戒。
小乘義說，無作戒屬於色、心之外的第三聚；大乘《法鼓經》只說色、心兩聚，沒有第三聚。心無窮盡，所以戒也無窮盡。若只就律儀戒說，無作義可以理解。定共戒的無作與定同時生起：有人說，入定時有，出定時便無；有人說，無作依於定，定若存在便不失，定若退失便謝滅。道共戒的無作依於道，道不退失，所以此戒也不退失。律儀戒、定共戒、道共戒都通名為戒，也都以性戒為根本。所以經說，依於此戒，能生禪定及滅苦智慧，正是這一意思。
持戒：事持與理觀〔科三〕
第二，說明持戒。這十種戒攝盡一切戒。
不缺戒，就是守持性戒乃至四重戒，清淨守護，如愛護明珠。若有所毀犯，如器物已有缺口，不能再用；成為佛法邊外之人，不是沙門釋子，失去比丘法，所以叫缺。
不破戒，就是守持十三僧殘，沒有破損，所以叫不破；若有所犯，如器物破裂。
不穿戒，就是守持波夜提等戒；若有所犯，如器物穿漏，不能容受道法，所以叫穿。
不雜戒，就是守定共戒。雖守律儀，心中還想著破戒之事，便叫雜；定共戒守住內心，使欲念不起，所以叫不雜。《大般涅槃經》說，即使不與女人身體交合，若共說嘲調語，聽牆外環釧聲，見男女相追，仍會污染淨戒。《十住毘婆沙論》說，即使禁止實事，卻讓女人洗拭、按摩，染心共語相視；或只限若干日持戒；或為求後世富樂、天上縱欲而持戒，都叫不淨。持不雜戒時，這些念一概沒有。
隨道戒是隨順諦理，能破見惑；無著戒是見真成聖後，對思惟惑不再染著。這兩戒是約真諦說持戒。智所讚戒、自在戒，是約菩薩化他：其行為佛所讚，在世間中自在無礙，這是約俗諦持戒。隨定戒、具足戒，是隨首楞嚴定，不起滅定而示現一切威儀，現十法界形像，引導利益眾生；威儀雖動，任運常靜，所以原文名為『墮定戒』。前面諸戒都以律儀防止，仍叫不具足；中道之戒無戒不備，所以叫具足。這是持中道第一義諦戒。以中道智慧遍入諸法，所以經說『式叉』；式叉在此名為大乘戒。
《大般涅槃經》說五支戒與十種戒，義勢大略相同。即使其他經論再明戒相，也不出這十科。
把前三種不缺、不破、不穿合稱律儀戒：秉持善法、防止惡行，從最初根本戒直到不穿戒，纖毫清淨，總名律儀戒；凡夫在散心中也能守持。其次不雜戒以定法守心，心不妄動，身口也寂，三業明淨如鏡，這是定共戒；入定時任運無雜，出定後身口柔軟，也不雜亂，凡夫入定便能持得。隨道戒由初果見諦、發真成聖而持，不是凡夫能持；無著戒由三果人持，也不是初果能持；智所讚與自在二戒是菩薩利他所須，不是二乘能持；隨定與具足二戒由大根性者所持，連六度教、通教菩薩也不能持，何況凡夫二乘？以上依位次高下判其事義不同。
若以理觀觀心來說持戒，便能具持以上十戒。先把十戒束成四意：前四戒只是因緣所生法，通作觀境；其次兩戒觀因緣生法即空，是空觀持戒；再其次兩戒觀因緣即假，是假觀持戒；最後兩戒觀因緣生法即中，是中觀持戒。
所謂觀心是因緣生法，是說觀察一念心若從惡緣生起，便會破根本戒直到不雜戒，與善相違，所以叫惡。現在用隨順善法之心防止惡心，使根本直到不雜等戒都能順成，沒有毀損，所以稱為善心，也叫防止。惡心既止，身口之惡也止。防是止善，順是行善；行善就是觀，止善就是止。這叫觀因緣所生心而持四戒。
其次觀善惡因緣所生心即空。《金剛般若》說，若見法相，便著我、人、眾生、壽者；若見非法相，也著我、人、眾生、壽者；不見法相，也不見非法相。如筏喻所示，法尚且應捨，何況非法。因此，法與非法兩者都空寂，才叫持戒。這裡的法，就是善惡兩心的假名法與實法。若見有善惡假名，便著我人等相；若見善惡實法，也著我人等相。所謂非法相，是若見善惡假名為無，也著我人等相；若見善惡實法為無，也同樣著相。
為什麼？因為依無而起見，本來就不應執著；乃至依非有非無而起見，也都叫著我、人、眾生、壽者。觀這些法與非法全都即空，便能隨順無漏，防止有、無等六十二見，所以叫隨道戒。若再三思量這一觀，思惟純熟，歷緣對境，對一切色聲都照見即空，便叫無著戒；它防止思惑，隨順真諦，這叫觀因緣心即空而持兩戒。
其次觀因緣心即假：知道心不是固定的心，法也不是固定的法，卻不永遠停滯在非心非法。以道種智的方便，在無所有中建立心、建立法，拔出種種心所法來引導利益眾生，叫智所讚。雖廣分別無量心法，卻知只是名字，如虛空相，不生愛著，不受惑相拘束，叫自在。這一假觀防止無知，隨順俗理；從防邊說止，從順邊說觀，就是假觀持兩戒。
其次觀因緣生心即中：觀心性畢竟寂滅，心本來既非空，也非假；非假，所以不是世間；非空，所以不是出世間；不是賢聖法，也不是凡夫法。二邊寂靜，名為心性。能如此觀，叫上定；心安在這一定中，就是首楞嚴。本來寂然不動，又雙照二諦，示現種種威儀，隨此定而無不具足。這樣觀心，能防止二邊無明諸惡，隨順中道一實之理；從防邊說止，從順邊說觀，叫即中而持兩戒。
《梵網經》說，戒名大乘，名第一義光，不是青、黃、赤、白；戒又名孝，孝又名順。孝是止善，順是行善；本師如此誦，我也如此誦。由此可知，中道妙觀才是戒的正體；上品清淨，就是究竟持戒。《十住毘婆沙論》說，若無我、無我所，遠離一切戲論，一切無所有，叫上尸羅。《維摩詰所說經》說，罪性不在內、不在外，也不在兩者中間；心性如此，罪垢也如此；能如此理解，叫善解，也叫奉律，正是此意。
觀心持戒又具五個名稱。第一是戒：防止是戒義，觀也如此；三觀是能防，三惑是所防，這一防止遍於法界，不限身口〔云云〕。
第二是毘尼，意思是滅。律法滅身口諸非，觀心也名為滅：即空觀滅見思之非，即假觀滅塵沙之非，即中觀滅無明之非。這種滅遍滅法界諸非，不只滅身口七支。《維摩詰所說經》所說『應當直接除滅，不要擾亂其心』，就是此意。
第三是波羅提木叉，意為保得解脫。觀心也如此：若不觀三諦之理，三惑必定不能解脫；若見三諦，三惑必定解脫。這一解脫遍於法界，不只從三惡道解脫或出離生死而已。
第四是誦，即背著文字暗中持念。觀心也如此：三觀之名詮表三諦之理，便是文字；知道名不是固定的名，研心於諦理，使觀法相續，常自現前，不生妄念，便叫誦。這一誦遍誦法界，不只八十誦。
第五是律，即衡量輕重，分別犯與不犯。觀心也如此：見思是麁惡重滓；界內無知較小較輕；塵沙客塵橫起，又是小中之重；根本無明最為微細，已在前面菩提心中說過。三觀觀三理是不犯，三惑障三理是犯；以三藥治三病，衡量無誤，纖毫不差。
持事戒也有三品：上品得天報，中品得人報，下品得修羅報；犯上品便退失天報，犯中品退失人報，犯下品退失修羅報而入三惡道。惡道又分三品：輕者餓鬼，次者畜生，重者地獄。中品人報又有上、中、下、下下等多種，即四天下；上品天報也有多種，三界諸天各有品秩。
持理戒的空、假、中三品，也各有上中下。即空三品：下品是聲聞，中品是緣覺，上品是通教菩薩；退失時便逐層失去。即假三品：下品是三藏菩薩，中品是通教出假菩薩，上品是別教菩薩。即中三品：下品是別教菩薩，中品是圓教菩薩，上品是佛；只有佛一人淨戒具足。又可把下品配五品位，中品配六根清淨位，上品配初住。這只是略依觀心判其階差；中道觀心就是法界，大乘周遍攝一切法，可以依意領會，不再繁說。
有人私下請問：下、中三品都依發真來判，為什麼上品反而以真、似分成三品？答：前三道還未融會，可以橫向分開辨明；即中既已融通，適宜依一道作豎向判位。若也要橫判，可用別教接通教、別教、圓教三品來說〔云云〕。如此分別得失輕重，衡量遍及法界，豈只限於律中煮、燒、覆藏等事？
觀心的五個名稱由此清楚可見。若只在事相上恭謹，精持前四戒，內心卻充滿雜念，事戒也不牢固，像未燒成的土坯瓶，遇愛、見之惡便會破壞。若能觀心，持後六戒，理觀分明，妄念不動；即使遇到惡緣，也堅固不失。理既不動，事戒自然成就。《維摩詰所說經》說，能如此便是善解、奉律，正意就在這裡。
犯戒：愛、見二羅剎〔科四〕
第三，說明犯戒相。毀壞淨戒，不出愚癡愛著與顛倒邪見；這兩者是戒的怨家，譬作兩個羅剎。《大般涅槃經》說，有人帶著浮囊渡大海，海中羅剎來索取浮囊，從最初索取全部，直到只索微塵那麼一點，渡海人全都不給。行者也如此：發心秉戒，立誓渡過生死大海，愛、見兩羅剎便來索取戒的浮囊。
愛羅剎說，可以使你安穩進入涅槃。這其實是把欲樂暢情叫作涅槃，好像飢餓得食、貧窮得寶、獼猴得酒，便以安樂誘騙行者。若隨愛而轉，毀破四重，便是把整個浮囊丟掉，叫犯相。愛心雖起，行者若想：我正要渡生死大海，戒若不淨便還墮三途，禪定智慧都不能生起；因而生大怖畏，寧願被殺也不給浮囊，這叫持相。
愛心再起，摩觸使人快意；若隨愛觸，便丟掉半個浮囊，是犯相。行者若想，禁戒豈可失去一半？從果報說有地獄苦，從眼前說會被卑下處治驅擯，實在可恥，怎能如此毀掉大事？於是守護愛惜，不隨愛情，便是持相。愛心又起，索取重方便；若犯，像給出一手之許；再犯波夜提，像給出一指之許；再犯吉羅，像給出微塵之許。吉羅雖小，卻會打開放逸之門；微塵雖少，水會逐漸滲入，終使人沉海而死。
這是愛心破律儀戒。貪攀五欲，破定共戒；深著生死、為有而造業，破即空戒；不止息世間譏嫌、沒有護念他人之意，破即假戒；不信戒善等同虛空，不信此戒具足佛法，不信此戒畢竟清淨，破中道戒。其餘可以依此理解〔云云〕。
其次是見羅剎索浮囊。為財色而毀戒，如前所說，人人都容易遇到，屬於已生之惡，應為斷除它而一心精進。若見心猛利，對自己執計的法生起罪過，這是理解偏邪，屬於未生之惡，應為使它不生而一心精進。這種見雖尚未生，若行者修得少分禪定，又沒有好師友，也可能著禪而起大過。
佛在世時，一位比丘得四禪，以為自己已得四果。臨終見中陰生起，便誹謗佛說：『阿羅漢不再受生，我為何還有中陰？』阿難問佛此人死後生在哪裡，佛答已墮地獄。可見即使持戒而得有漏禪，也不能因此相信自己的證量。佛世尚且如此，何況末代愚人罪著深重？
所以《大虛空藏經》說，若生惡見，叫第三波羅夷。什麼是惡見？有人得到空解，生少許智慧，便自立己心為師，自認證得無生。見心強盛，破壞諸法，說沒有佛、沒有眾生，撥無世間與出世間因果。《法華經》所說或吃人肉、或吃狗肉，正是此意。
這人破正見、威儀與淨命，卻說一切平等無分別：什麼有罪，什麼無罪？若還分別就是障礙，障礙便不真；在貪欲中不要生怖畏障礙，沒有障礙就是菩提；又認定這才真實，其他全是妄語。若再遇惡師說惡法，見毒更加熾盛，如邪鬼入心，邪解益深；行為猖狂顛倒，無所不作，邪見與傲慢高聳，凌蔑一切。見人行善，反說是有所得，把人欺賤如土，於是整個浮囊都被奪走。
若還沒有全丟，可能只是想：道理雖如此，我還沒有真正看見，怎可頓然全棄？所以暫時愛惜不給。見心又起，說一切法空，哪裡還有觸或不觸男女等相？便進一步抓抱親吻，這叫失去一半；再犯重方便，直到吉羅。他說諸法空寂，何必保留繁雜事相？既連微塵戒相也不存，空心轉強，像小孔逐漸漏水，所謂無礙越來越滑利，最後吞掉一切戒律，浮囊永遠沉沒。
邪見之心極可怖畏。若說四重及犯戒人都空，五逆也空，為什麼不去造五逆？空見既強，也該說沒有父母，通姦或殺害都不成障礙；既無障礙，也該不避國王與王后。依這人的見解，本不應承認國王王后實有，可是他又愛惜自己的身命，知道侵犯國王便會粉身喪命。這種愚癡空見不能空掉自己的身命，對國王也不能空，為何偏偏欺辱父母、輕忽佛教，說四重五逆都空？此人連近在眼前的執空過失都看不見，何況遠處？
以惡空撥棄佛的禁法，便破律儀戒；空見擾亂內心，破定共戒；堅執己見，破即空戒；污染他人善心，破即假戒；不信見心等同虛空、即是佛法畢竟清淨，破即中戒。邪僻空心實在可怕；墮入此見，便長久沉淪，連人天、涅槃都不能得，何況大般涅槃？
所以論說，聖者說空法，本為對治執有；若反而執著空，諸佛也不能教化。經又說，若對諸法保持疑問，能破如須彌山般的煩惱；若把一見固定下來，便不能化。《無行經》說『貪欲就是道』，偏邪之人只拿這句證明無礙，為何不也引同經所說：貪著無礙法的人離佛很遠；若真得空，終究不會破戒〔云云〕？這就叫見心羅剎毀禁戒，大意如此〔云云〕。
乘戒四句〔科五〕
前面先專說持，再專說犯；現在說十戒的持犯並不固定。若通從能使人動轉出離說，都可叫乘，所以有人、天等五乘；若通從防止說，都可叫戒，所以有律儀、定共、道共等戒。若分別說，事戒三品叫戒，是有漏法，不能使人動轉出離；理戒三品叫乘，是無漏法，能使人動轉出離。乘與戒相配有四句：一、乘戒俱急；二、乘急戒緩；三、戒急乘緩；四、乘戒俱緩。
第一，乘戒俱急。像前面持相所說，十戒清淨，事理無瑕，觀念相續，今生理應得道。若今生尚未得道，這一業力最強，強者先牽，必升善處。律儀戒急，牽生欲界人天；不雜戒急，隨禪生梵世。三品理乘中哪一乘最急，也決定所聞所得：即中乘最急者，以人天身遇彌勒佛，在《華嚴》教下作利根得道；上品出假乘急者，也以人天身遇彌勒佛，在華嚴座中作鈍根得道；上、中二品入空乘急者，以人天身遇彌勒佛，聞方等、般若等教，得三乘等道；下品入空乘急者，以人天身遇彌勒佛，聞三藏經得道。得人天身是持事戒之力，見佛得道是修乘觀之力。事理俱持，在諸行中最勝，所以兩者都不可緩。
第二，戒緩乘急。此人德薄垢重，受煩惱驅使，種種事戒都被羅剎毀食，卻專守理戒，觀行相續；像前面覺意三昧在六蔽中用心，央掘魔羅所示也是這一類。因事戒緩，命終墮三惡道受罪報；但諸乘中最強者先牽。析空乘強，以三途身遇彌勒佛，聞三藏經才能得道；即空乘急，以三途身遇彌勒佛，聞般若、方等得道；即假乘急，以三途身遇彌勒佛，聞華嚴及其他教而作鈍根得道；即中乘急，以三途身遇彌勒佛，聞《華嚴經》作利根得道。所以佛說漸教、頓教諸經時，龍、鬼、畜、獸都來會坐，正是這種情形。破事戒所以受三惡身，持理觀所以見佛得道。《大般涅槃經》說，戒緩不算真正的緩，乘緩才叫緩，正指此句。
第三，戒急乘緩。事戒嚴謹急切，纖毫不犯，三種觀心卻全不了解。戒急使人生在人天，或隨禪生梵世而耽著定樂；世間雖有佛說法度人，對他卻全無利益，即使遇到也不能開解。振丹一國有人不覺不知，舍衛城三億人不聞不見；著樂諸天與生在障難之處者不來聽法，都是此意。譬如被拘繫的人，以財物求大力者設法拖延時日，盼望遇赦；生在人天也如此，盼有善知識化導他修乘，便能解脫。若在人天仍不修乘，福報盡後還墮三途，即使百千佛出世也終不得道。
第四，事理俱緩。前面十戒全犯，永墮泥犁，失去人天果報；神識昏暗閉塞，沒有得道之期，反覆沉淪，難以度脫。
行者應自己觀心：事、理兩戒中，哪一戒緩、哪一戒急？事戒三品中哪一品最強？理戒三品中哪一品微弱？如此知道自己的深淺，也知道未來果報的善惡；既知自己，也能知道他人。用這種觀心，還能理解諸經列眾的用意，理解如來隨緣施以大小教法。
《華嚴經》中鬼神都說自己住不可思議解脫法門，這是權化者前來引導實類眾生，使往昔修不可思議乘而乘急者得道；《大般涅槃經》列眾也是如此。若仔細推尋，可先歷四教，辨明乘戒緩急之因，再歷五味，辨明所得之果，使一切分明。這些因果升沉差別不一，怎能反問有理戒即可得道，何必事戒？既有幸在人天受道，為什麼一定要苦入三途？
懺淨：入口、重罪與順逆十心〔科六、科七〕
第四，說明懺淨。事犯與理犯都會障礙止觀，使定慧不能發起。要怎樣懺悔，才能使罪消滅，不再障礙止觀？
若犯事戒中的輕過，律文各有懺法；懺法成就便名清淨，戒淨、障轉，止觀容易明發。若犯重罪，在小乘中叫佛法死人，沒有懺法；依大乘則容許懺悔，前面四種三昧已說，後文還會再明。
理觀若只有小偏差，未能契合諦理，而執心又薄，不固執滯礙，只須用正觀破其見著，生慚愧羞恥，低頭自責，策心回到正軌，罪障便可消除，止觀也能發起。若見執很重，仍須在觀心中修懺，後面會說。
若犯事中重罪，依四種三昧仍有懺法。《普賢觀》說，端坐思念實相，是第一懺。《妙勝定》說，四重、五逆，除禪定外沒有其他方法能救。《方等》說，從三歸、五戒直到二百五十戒，如此懺悔，若不能還生善法，絕無此理。《請觀音》說，破梵行而作十惡業的人，蕩除糞穢後仍能恢復清淨。可知大乘允許懺悔這些罪。
罪由重緣而生，也須用殷重心懺悔，才能相互對治；沒有殷重心，徒然懺悔並無利益。障若不滅，止觀不明。若人現世才犯重罪，痛切懺悔，較易除滅，像迷路尚近；過去重障則難以迴轉，像迷失已深遠。
若要懺除今世、過去兩世重障，修四種三昧，就要認清順流十心，明知過失，再運逆流十心作對治。這二十心是各種懺法共同的根本。
順流十心是：
一、從無始以來，識心昏暗迷亂，為煩惱所醉，妄計人我；因計人我而起身見，因身見而妄想顛倒，因顛倒而起貪瞋癡，因愚癡而廣造諸業，隨業流轉生死。
二、內具煩惱，外遇惡友，惡友扇動邪法、勸惑我心，使惡勢加倍盛大。
三、內外惡緣具足，內滅善心，外滅善事，對他人的善也全不隨喜。
四、放縱身口意三業，無惡不作。
五、所作之事雖未廣布，惡心卻遍一切處。
六、惡心相續，晝夜不斷。
七、覆藏掩飾過失，不願他人知道。
八、強橫魯莽，不怕惡道。
九、無慚無愧。
十、撥無因果，成一闡提。
這十種心順著生死之流，昏倒造惡，像廁所中的蟲安樂於廁而不覺不知。所積重罪不可計數，由四重五逆一直到一闡提，生死浩瀚無邊。
現在要懺悔，應逆轉這一罪流，以十種心翻破惡法。
第一，深信因果。因果決定分明，業種即使久遠，也不敗亡；絕不會自己造業而由他人受果。精確認識善惡，不生疑惑，這叫深信，翻破一闡提心。
第二，生重慚愧。自愧自責：我是極鄙劣的罪人，無羞無恥，習畜生法，捨棄白淨第一莊嚴；可歎像沒有鉤制的大象，竟造重罪。天能看見我在隱處造罪，所以對天而慚；人知道我顯露的罪，所以對人而愧。這翻破無慚無愧心。
第三，怖畏惡道。人命無常，一息不回便千載長往；幽暗路途綿遠，沒有資糧；苦海深長，船筏安放何處？賢聖呵棄，又無所依；年歲漸去，風刀不會寬赦，怎能安然坐等劇痛？譬如野干失去耳、尾、牙，假裝睡死盼望逃脫，忽聽說要斬頭，便大驚怖。遭生老病尚不知急，死亡不會寬赦，怎能不怕？怖心生起，如腳踏熱湯烈火，根本無暇貪著五塵六欲。又如阿輸柯王聽旃陀羅每天早晨振鈴，知道一天已過、六天後便死；縱有五欲，也無一念愛著。行者痛切怖畏而懺悔，不惜身命，如野干決絕；不再思念其他，如怖死之王。這翻破不畏惡道心。
第四，發露。不要覆藏瑕疵；賊、毒、惡草都須急除，根一暴露，枝條便枯；源頭一乾，流水便竭。覆藏罪過是不良之人。迦葉頭陀令人在大眾中發露；方等懺令向一人發露；其他行法則以實心在佛像前改過。如暗處藏有毒瘡，若覆藏不治便死。這翻破覆藏罪心。
第五，斷相續心。果決斷定，結束舊惡、不造新惡，才是懺悔。懺後再犯，如王法初犯可獲寬免，再犯便加重。初入道場，罪容易滅；再作便難除。已經吐出的東西，怎能再吃？這翻破常念惡事心。
第六，發菩提心。過去只求自己安穩，不顧他人危難，反而遍惱一切境；現在廣起兼濟之心，遍虛空界利益他人。這翻破遍一切處起惡心。
第七，修功補過。過去身口意三業造罪，不分晝夜；現在善的身口意三業策勵不休。若不移山，怎能填平江海？這翻破縱恣三業心。
第八，守護正法。過去既滅自己的善，也滅他人的善；自己不隨喜，也不喜他人行善。現在守護一切善，以方便使它增廣，不令斷絕，像保全城池的大功。《勝鬘經》說，守護正法、攝受正法最為第一。這翻破無隨喜心。
第九，念十方佛。過去親近惡友，信受惡言；現在念十方佛，念無礙慈而作不請之友，念無礙智而作大導師。這翻破順惡友心。
第十，觀罪性空。了達貪瞋癡心都是寂靜門。貪瞋若起，住在哪裡？它住於妄念，妄念住於顛倒，顛倒住於身見，身見住於我見，而我見實無住處。向十方審求，我不可得，我心本空，罪福無主。深達罪福之相，遍照十方；空慧與心相應，像日出時朝露一時消失。一切心都是寂靜門，顯示寂靜。這翻破無明昏暗。
以上十種懺悔順涅槃道、逆生死流，能滅四重、五逆之過。若不了解十心，全不識是非，怎樣懺悔？即使進入道場，也只是徒受苦行，終無大利。《大般涅槃經》說，若以勤修苦行為大涅槃的近因緣，絕無此理，正是此意。這叫懺悔事中重罪。
見罪與事理雙懺〔科八〕
其次懺悔見罪。見惑使人順生死流，如前所說。前面運十心而依事懺悔，是懺鈍使罪；現在扶助理觀懺見，是懺利使罪。但見心若很猛盛，會起重煩惱，也要旁用事懺輔助，像服瀉藥還加巴豆，務使積滯瀉盡。因此仍用十法說懺見。
第一，翻破不信。就在身見心上指點，使人認出無明與苦集。欝頭藍弗得非想定，世人尊崇如佛，卻不識苦集，報盡仍墮；須跋陀羅得非想定，雖無麁想，仍有細煩惱；長爪梵志智慧鋒利，卻執受與不受。高明外道尚未出離見惑，不是涅槃，何況麁淺者還不如欝頭藍弗，卻說自己的道路是真道，豈非大偏邪？
這人愛著觀空智慧，不能認識它，便叫無明；因而起違順，依見造行；見行依色，成為名色；名色就是苦等。迷於苦，又起愛與有；有再生未來生死，流轉相續，怎會是寂滅？若說生死已盡，只是空話。把無明見心叫作道，是非道計道、非因計因，名戒取，正是偷盜因；把未來三途苦報叫涅槃，是見取，非果計果，正是偷盜果。身見、邊見、邪見可依此而知。這種見心其實是苦集，不是滅道；尚且不是三藏的道滅，怎會是大乘道滅？
若能如此辨識，便知世間因果，也知出世因果。《大品經》說，般若能顯示世間相，就是顯示什麼是道、什麼非道，這叫深入認識見心的苦集。更深一層，不只知無明苦集，也知三藏因果，也知因緣生法即空的四諦因果；再深一層，也知因緣即假的無量四諦因果；再深一層，也知因緣即中的無作四諦因果。在一個見心中具識一切因果。《大般涅槃經》說，在一念心中能稱量無量生死，叫不可思議。這叫深信，翻破不信。
第二，生重慚愧。不見自己心中三諦之理，便應慚愧。依理觀說人天：應慚於乾慧地、性地之人；應愧於四果清淨天、三十心人、十地義天、五品與六根清淨之人，以及四十二位天。好比經由作意而得報叫人，自然所得果報叫天；理觀的人天也如此，方便道叫人，真理顯現叫天。見心造罪，覆蔽三諦，連三種人天都不及，所以慚愧，翻破無慚愧心。
第三，怖畏。知道見心造罪過失深重。《大智度論》說，諸佛說空義是為離諸見；若又見有一個空，諸佛不能教化。我如今由見而起大罪，此世界壞劫時生到他方地獄，此世界成劫時又回來，如此展轉無量無邊。若真說出果報所受之身，足以吐熱血而死。見罪既重，又非無漏，不能出離生死；煩惱潤業，墮落無疑。一命不回，永無出日。因此生大怖畏，翻破不畏惡道心。
第四，發露。過去由諸見生愛著，覆蔽三諦，不能決定生信；現在知道見的過失，遣除自、師、法三疑，毫不隱諱，使諦性顯露。這叫發露，翻破覆藏罪心。
第五，斷相續心。使三諦之觀不曾中斷，以八正道對治三惑之心，斷後不再熏習。這翻破相續惡心。
第六，發菩提心。緣三諦之理，知它們都如虛空；虛空無邊，所以愍傷一切，普令度脫。過去迷此而起惑，惑既無邊，罪也無邊；現在菩提心遍法界，所起無作善也遍法界，翻破過去遍虛空界所作的無作惡。奏師子琴時其他琴絃全斷，正是此意。
第七，修功補過。三諦道品就是菩薩寶炬陀羅尼，是修行道路、趣向涅槃之門；使道品念念相續，就是修功補過。過去執著自己的見，以為就是涅槃，停在見上不動，也不修道品。即使從有見轉入無見，仍像屈步蟲，雖離原處，還是不能修道品。現在知道有、無都是見而不執為實，這叫見動而尚未修道品；若分析破除諸見而行道品，叫見動而修道品；若體達見即空、即假、即中，既說即，便能在見不動之處修三種道品。這是修功補救縱放見心之過。
第八，守護正法。過去守護自己的見，不許他人破除，又用方便申說；現在守護三諦諸空，不許邪見破壞。若有所滯，便善巧申弘；寧可亡身也保存正法，如父母守護孩子。這翻破毀善事。
第九，念十方佛。過去服食見毒，永不厭足，如口渴思飲，又遇惡師，如在渴水中加鹽；以苦捨苦，我慢矜高，諂曲不實，千萬億劫不聞佛名。現在念三諦不來不去就是佛，無生法就是佛，常受諦理護念。這翻破親近惡友心。
第十，觀罪性空。三種惑本來寂靜，自己不了解，才妄分是非，像熱病人看見龍鬼。現在觀見如幻如化，來無所從，去無足跡，也不到東西南北；一切罪福也如此。一空則一切空，空就是罪性，罪性就是空。這翻破顛倒心。
運這十懺時，深觀三諦，又加事法，以殷重心不惜身命，叫第二健兒。這就是事理兩懺。障道罪滅，尸羅清淨，三昧現前，止觀開發：事戒淨，根本三昧現前，世智、他心智開發；無生戒淨，真諦三昧現前，一切智開發；即假戒淨，俗諦三昧現前，道種智開發；即中戒淨，王三昧現前，一切種智開發。
所得三諦三昧叫王三昧，一切三昧都收入其中；它又能出生一切禪定，無不具足，所以叫止；又能具足一切智慧，所以叫觀。因此，持戒清淨與懇切懺悔都是止觀最初的助緣，用意就在這裡。
衣具足〔科九〕
第二，衣食具足。衣服遮蔽形體與醜陋，食物支持生命、填補飢餓的瘡口。身體安穩，道便興隆；道興隆，根本便建立。形體、生命與修道都依賴衣食。所以有話說，如來食後得無上正等正覺。衣食雖是小緣，卻能成辦大事；若裸體飢餓、身心不安，道法安在？所以衣食必須具足。
衣有四種作用：遮醜陋、遮寒熱、遮蚊虻、莊飾身體。事相之衣有三等。
第一，雪山大士遠離形跡，住在深澗，不涉人間，以草結席，身披鹿皮，沒有受持、說淨等事。他的忍力已成，不需厚暖，也不遊人間，無須其他支助，是上士。
第二，行十二頭陀者只蓄三衣，不多不少；出聚落、入山林，衣著整齊，所以立三衣，是中士。
第三，在多寒國土，允許蓄百一助身之物，但必須說淨，只求足以供事，不可多求。多求辛苦，守護也苦，既妨亂自修，又擾動檀越；稍有所得便知足，是下士。
若以觀行作衣，《大般涅槃經》說，比丘雖穿袈裟，心還沒有染上大乘法服；《法華經》說，應穿如來衣，如來衣就是柔和忍辱心。這就是寂滅忍。生死、涅槃二邊麁獷，而與中道之理不二不異，所以叫柔和；安心中道，所以叫忍；遠離二邊喧鬧，所以叫寂；越過分段、變易二死，所以叫滅。
寂滅忍心覆蓋二邊之惡，叫遮醜衣；除五住煩惱，叫障熱；破無明見，叫遮寒；沒有生死擾動，也沒有空亂意，捨離二邊覺觀，叫遮蚊虻。此忍具一切法，像鏡中能現諸像，瓦礫卻不能顯現；中道具足諸相，偏空則無。所以說，深達罪福之相而遍照十方，微妙清淨法身具三十二相，用以莊嚴法身。寂滅忍這一觀具足眾德，也叫衣，也叫嚴飾，不是由九條、七條、五條布割截縫成。
三衣就是三觀：遮蔽三諦上的醜，遮三諦上見、愛的寒熱，驅除三覺的蚊虻，莊嚴三身。因此以三觀作衣，就是伏忍、柔順忍、無生寂滅忍。又可說，起見叫寒，起愛叫熱；修止觀得到見諦之解，如得溫暖，見便不生；得到思惟之解，如得清涼，愛便不生。眼耳鼻舌身五根無惡，是福德莊嚴；意地無惡，是智慧莊嚴。其他兩觀上的衣，可依此理解。
百一長衣就是一切助道行法；它們助成三觀，共同遮蔽諸惑、莊嚴三身。這是歷一切法修忍為衣。
食具足〔科十〕
食物從三處來，用以資身養道。
第一，住在深山絕跡處，遠離人民，只取甘美果實與好水，一菜一果而已；或食松柏延續精氣，如雪山的甘香藕。吃完便繫心思惟、坐禪，沒有其他事。這是上士之食。
第二，住阿蘭若處，行頭陀抖擻，遠離放牧之聲，作為修道處；以分衛乞食自資。過去七佛都說乞食法，《方等》《般舟》《法華》也都說乞食。路若太遠，分衛勞苦妨道；太近，人物喧擾；不遠不近，容易乞食，是中士之食。
第三，既不能絕穀食果，也不能行頭陀乞食，可接受外護檀越送來的供養；又可接受僧中如法結淨之食，是下士之食。
若從觀心說食，《大般涅槃經》說，比丘雖行乞食，卻未曾得到大乘法食。法食就是如來的法喜禪悅；這一法喜即平等大慧，觀一切法而無障礙。《維摩詰所說經》說，對食平等，便對法平等；對法平等，便對食平等。又說以煩惱作柴，以智慧作火，由此成涅槃食，使弟子全都甘美愛食。
這種食資養法身、增長智慧命；如吃乳糜後再無所需，就是真解脫，真解脫就是如來。以法喜禪悅歷一切法，無不一味；一色一香無非中道，中道一法具一切法，便有飽足、再無所需之義，像深山上士一草一果便足以資身。
頭陀乞食在觀心上，是行者不能即事在中道修實相慧，便依次以三觀調心而入中道。因次第觀，所以叫乞食；最後也見中道，又有飽足義，是中士。
檀越送食在觀心上，是行者既不能即事通達，也不能歷法作觀，自己沒有食義，必須跟隨能說般若的善知識，由其善加分別，隨聞得解而見中道。此人根鈍，從聞生解，叫得食；像不能作前兩種事的人，聽任他人送食。僧中結淨食，是證得禪定支林功德，藉定開悟，所以叫僧中食。
因此，行者應常存念大乘法食，不念其他滋味。
摩訶止觀卷第四〔上〕
摩訶止觀卷第四〔下〕
隋天台智者大師說，門人灌頂記。
閑居靜處〔科十一〕
第三，閑居靜處。衣食雖已具足，又該住在哪裡？若修隨自意三昧，到處都可安住；修其他三種三昧，必須好處。好處有三：一、深山遠谷；二、頭陀抖擻處；三、蘭若伽藍。
第一，深山遠谷道路艱險，永絕人跡，無人前來惱亂；可隨意禪觀，念念在道，不受毀譽動搖，這是最勝之處。
第二，頭陀抖擻處，距人居最近也有三里，交往稀疏，又能警策煩惱，位居其次。
第三，蘭若伽藍，即閑靜寺院；獨住一房，不干涉事物，閉門靜坐，正確審思，是下等處。
離開這三處，其他地方便不合適。住在白衣聚落會招過失與羞恥，住在市邊鬧寺也不相宜。要安身入道，必須慎重選擇，切勿草率；得到好地方後，不必頻繁搬移〔云云〕。
若從觀心說住處，諦理就是住處。中道法幽遠深邃，七種方便的行跡不能到，所以叫深；高廣不動，所以叫山；遠離二邊，所以叫靜；不生不起，所以叫閑。《大品經》說，即使身在千由旬外，只要起聲聞心，身雖遠離，心仍沒有遠離；把憒鬧誤當不憒鬧，不是真遠離。即使住在城旁，只要不起二乘心，也叫遠離，這是上品處。
頭陀處在觀心上，就是出假觀。此觀與空相鄰，像蘭若與聚落相接；出假觀安心俗諦，分別藥病，抖擻無知，清淨道種智，是中品處。
閑寺一房在觀心上，就是從假入空觀。寺本是眾人喧鬧的居處，卻能在一室安靜；假諦如囂塵，卻能即假而空，可知真諦也是住處。
安住三諦之理，才是止觀之處，實際並非逃影入山林或把身體藏在密室〔云云〕。
息諸緣務〔科十二〕
第四，息諸緣務。事務妨礙禪修，由來已久。蘭若比丘本為離喧就靜，怎能又經營製造種種事務，破壞蘭若行？緣務有四：一、生活；二、人事；三、技能；四、學問。
第一，生活緣務。經營生活方法，所到之處都紛亂糾纏，得到一件便失去一件，喪道亂心。若是修隨自意三昧而勤營各事，屬於隨自意所攝，不在此處所論。
第二，人事緣務。慶賀、弔喪、俯仰應酬、屈身昂首、造訪聘問，自己到他處，他人又到此處，來往不絕；何況許多人交相纏絡，擾攘追尋？離開親人與老師，原為求得要道，現在反而又結交三州、敦厚五郡，究竟想往哪裡？這像穿反衣裳卻去找衣領，又像鑽火卻想求水，不是應作之事。
第三，技能緣務，如醫方、卜筮、泥木工藝、彩畫、棋書、咒術等。犀牛因皮有花紋、角有價值而被害，油膏因可煎熬、金鐸因能發聲而被毀；這些技能已會危害自身，何況要修出世道，卻偏偏植林招鳥、發腐氣引蠅，豈不自遭摧折污辱？
第四，學問緣務，如讀誦經論、問答爭勝。領受、記持使心勞志倦，言論往復使水濁珠昏，哪裡還有空閑修止觀？這一項尚且要捨，何況前三種事務〔云云〕。
若從觀心說生活，愛是滋養業種的法，如水潤種；因愛有憂，因憂有畏。若能斷愛，便叫息生活緣務。
人事在觀心上就是業。業使人生三界、往來五道；以愛滋潤業，便處處受生。若沒有業，愛便無所滋潤。諸業雖有力量，卻不追逐不造業的人；既然不作，生死便斷。
技能在觀心上，是未得聖道以前不可修神通；虛妄之法會障般若。般若如虛空，沒有戲論、沒有文字；若得般若，如得如意珠。只須一心修行，何必匆忙使用神通？
學問在觀心上，是未得無生忍，卻先修世智、辯才、聰明與種種分別，這些都只是瓦礫草木，不是真寶珠。若能停住，水便澄清；再向下觀瑠璃，安徐取得寶物。那時能知世間生滅法相與種種行類，什麼不能知道？以一切種智知，以佛眼見。要走大道，不應先從那些小徑學習。
得善知識〔科十三〕
第五，善知識是大因緣，能化導行者得見佛。阿難說，善知識是得道的一半因緣；佛說不應如此，善知識是得道的完整因緣。善知識有三種：一、外護；二、同行；三、教授。
第一，外護。若住深山絕域，無所等待依賴，便不需外護；若修三種三昧，應仰賴殊勝助緣。外護不分在家、出家，只要能料理所需；不可看行者過失，不可觸惱，不可過度稱歎，不可隨意宣說而造成損害。要像母親養兒，也像老虎銜子，力量調和得宜；只有久修道人才能做到，這叫外護。
第二，同行。修隨自意三昧與安樂行，不一定要同伴；修方等、般舟行法，必須好伴彼此策發，不昏睡、不散亂，每日都有新進；互相切磋琢磨，同心同願，如共乘一船；互相敬重，如見世尊，這叫同行。
第三，教授。此人能說般若，顯示道與非道；對內外方便、通塞與妨障都能判明。又能善巧說法，示教利喜，轉破人的執心。行者若已能自行判明各種方便，可以獨行；若對障難還不熟悉，便不宜捨離教授師。經說，隨順善師學習，能見恆沙諸佛，這叫教授。
若從觀心說善知識，《大品經》說，佛、菩薩、羅漢是善知識；六波羅蜜、三十七品是善知識；法性、實際也是善知識。佛菩薩等以威光覆育，是外護；六度、道品是入道之門，是同行；法性、實際就是諦理，是諸佛所師，境能發智，是教授。
這三類又各具三義。佛與聖人方面：如佛威神覆護，是外護；諸佛聖人也會脫下瓔珞、穿弊垢衣、拿除糞器，和光利物，是同行；諸佛菩薩以一音演法，開發化導，使各人得解，是教授。
六度、道品方面也具三義：助道能護助正道，是外護；正行與助行相合，是同行；依正助規矩而不失，通入三解脫門，是教授。
法性也具三義：境是所師，冥中熏習、暗中利益，是外護；境智相應，是同行；未見理時如盲，諦法顯時如得眼，智慧作用不偏邪。經說，修我法的人證後自己會知道；內心沒有實行，何必徒然詢問？這是教授。
以上三類各具三義，合為九句，加上最初三句，共十二句。最初三句與其次三句是事善知識，餘下六句是理善知識。若配三諦：入空觀時，眾聖是外護，即空道品是同行，真諦是教授，也具六事、六理；假觀、中觀也如此。三諦共成三十六番，十八事、十八理；再歷四悉檀，便有更多善知識義。能了解這一善知識法門，便能理解善財入法界的意思。
這些雖都名善知識，《華嚴經》卻說有善知識魔、三昧魔、菩提心魔。魔不只使人捨善從惡，也能使人墮在二乘地。依此，若羅漢只行真諦，就不是真善知識。若取內祕菩薩行、外現聲聞身的羅漢作善知識，菩薩也可現天龍身引人入實相，便不只羅漢；照這一通義，一切身分都可作善知識。
此處所說的魔，是實際只證羅漢者；他只把人引到化城，所以不是真善知識，只是半字知識，行半菩提道、損半煩惱。從奪與兩面互說，既可叫知識，也可叫魔。別教若不得中道之意，也屬善知識魔；只有圓教三種才是真善知識。三昧魔、菩提心魔也依此理解〔云云〕。
呵五欲：事相〔科十四〕
第二，呵責五欲。五欲是色、聲、香、味、觸。《十住毘婆沙論》說，禁制六根如同把狗、鹿、魚、蛇、猨、鳥六獸縛住：狗愛聚落，鹿愛山澤，魚愛池沼，蛇愛洞穴，猨愛深林，鳥愛空中；六根愛六塵，不是凡夫淺智弱志所能降伏，只有具智慧、堅心、正念者才能降伏。這是總譬六根。
若逐一配合：眼貪色，色有形質影像，像聚落，所以眼如狗；耳貪聲，聲無形質影像，像空曠山澤，所以耳如鹿；鼻貪香，如魚；舌取味，如蛇；身著觸，如猨；心緣法，如鳥。
此處先除意根，只說前五塵。五塵本身不是欲，但其中有滋味，能使行者生起需求愛欲之心，所以叫五欲。譬如陶師被客人延請，便不能完成工作；五欲也常牽人進入種種魔境。即使前面五緣已具足，也難以攝心安立，所以必須呵責。
色欲包括赤、白、長、短，明亮眼睛、善巧顧盼，白頸、翠眉、皓齒、紅脣；乃至外在依報中的紅、黃、朱、紫及種種珍寶，都能惑動人心，詳如《禪門》所說。色害特別深，使人如狂如醉；生死根本多由此起。難陀為欲而持戒，後雖得阿羅漢，習氣仍多，何況煩惱具縛的凡夫？有國王耽欲無度，不顧宗廟社稷之重，為欲樂親入敵國；此方古代亡國破家也多由欲起，赫赫宗周被褒姒所滅，就是其事。經說，眾生貪狼於財色，因此坐而不能得道。《觀經》說，人受色欲驅使，作恩愛奴隸，不能自在。若知色的過患，便不受欺騙；如此呵責後，色欲止息，攀緣想不生，便能專心入定。
聲欲包括嬌媚妖詞、淫聲染語、絲竹絃管、環釧鈴珮等聲。
香欲包括濃盛氛氳、蘭花馨香、麝香氣味，以及各種芬芳酷烈、郁毓之物和男女身分之香。
味欲包括酒肉珍肴、肥膄津膩、甘甜酸辣、酥油鮮血等味。
觸欲包括冷暖、細滑、輕重、強軟，名衣上服以及男女身分等觸。
五欲的過患可由五譬看出：色像燒熱的金丸，一拿便燒；聲像塗毒的鼓，聽到便死；香像憋龍之氣，嗅到便病；味像沸蜜，沾舌便爛，又像刀刃塗蜜，舔食便受傷；觸像臥著的獅子，接近便被咬。得到五欲永不滿足，惡心反而越來越熾盛，如火上加薪，世世為害，比怨賊更凶。累劫以來，它們不斷劫奪、摧折色身與心識；如今才要禪寂，又來惱亂。深知過患，貪染才會止息。事相詳如《禪門》〔云云〕。上代名僧詩說，遠離欲境容易作高士，欲境逼近時情心最難守；香味摧折高志，聲色喪失身命。
呵五欲：觀心〔科十五〕
若從觀心呵五欲，色欲中的滋味無量，包括常、無常，我、無我，淨、不淨，苦、樂，空、有，世俗、第一義等。《大智度論》說，色中沒有固定滋味相，凡夫不應執著。若說色是常，是見依色而起；說色無常、亦常亦無常、非常非無常，也都是見依色而起；乃至說如來死後非如去非不如去，世界非有邊非無邊等，仍是見依色而起。這些見解互相諍競，各執為實，以戲論破壞智慧眼，彼此判是非，因色造業。才一有這個『有』，便有生死；這種觀反而增長欲，不是呵欲。
現在觀察依色而起的有、無等六十二見，全都依無明；無明本身無常，生滅不停，是迅速朽壞、念念磨滅之法，沒有我、沒有主，當體寂滅涅槃。無明如此，由無明所生的有、無等見也全都無常、寂滅涅槃。既沒有主宰之我，誰真誰假？因此終不再依色造生死業；業謝、果亡，這叫呵色入空而得解脫。呵色如此，其餘聲、香、味、觸也如此。這叫三藏析法呵五欲。《中論》指這種作法叫不善巧地滅除戲論。
若依大乘呵色欲，便體達諸見都依無明，而無明即空，諸見也即空。《金剛般若》說，須陀洹名入流，實際無所入，不入色、聲、香、味、觸。若真有色可以分析，才可叫入色；色當體即空，沒有色可入，所以叫不入。既無流可入，也沒有由此所造的業果，這才叫善巧滅戲論。呵色如此，其餘四欲也如此。
再進一步，只呵色即空而入色空，還不能分別種種色相，怎能度一切眾生？眾生對色起種種計著，成種種集，招種種苦；苦、集之病既多，道、滅之藥也無量。若要化他，怎可證空便不再觀察？所以知道空又不滯空，從空入假，通達恆沙佛法。若不如此，仍叫受入色空。現在更深地呵責對色空的執取，不受、不入，而廣分別色；雖廣分別，知道只是名字，名字即空，所以叫假。呵色如此，其餘四欲也如此。
再呵色的二邊。《大品經》說，色中無味相，凡夫不應著；色中無離相，二乘不應離。破色上無明、有無等見，是呵其滋味；破沉空取證，是呵其遠離。若一定有味，就不該能離；若一定有離，就不該有味。味不固定，所以非味；離不固定，所以非離。不著味、離二邊，就是非味非離，顯出色的中道實相。
《釋論》說，二乘為求禪而呵色事，不能叫波羅蜜；菩薩呵色便見色實相，見色實相也就是見禪實相，所以叫波羅蜜，到達色的彼岸。到色彼岸是見色中道；分別色是見色俗諦；照見色空是見色真諦。如此呵色，徹盡色的源底，成三諦三昧，發三種智慧。深呵於色，作止觀方便，用意就在這裡。呵色如此，其餘四欲也如此。
棄五蓋：五相與對治〔科十六〕
第三，棄五蓋。五蓋是貪欲、瞋恚、睡眠、掉悔、疑。通名蓋，是因為它們覆蓋纏綿，使心神昏暗，定慧不能發起。前面呵五欲，是眼耳鼻舌身五根面對現在色聲香味觸五塵而發五識；現在棄五蓋，是五識轉入意地後，追緣過去、逆想未來的五塵等法，成為內心大障。譬如陶師身中有病，不能製作；五蓋妨礙很深，所以必須加以棄除，像剪毒樹、搜索盜賊，不能留下。《大品經》說，離欲及惡法；離欲指前面所呵五欲，惡法指五蓋，必須急棄。
五蓋各有什麼相？
貪欲蓋生起時，追念過去所經歷的五欲：想起清淨好色與眼相對，回憶可愛聲彷彿仍在耳邊，思念悅意香氣而打開煩惱之門，想像美味便甘液流口，憶受種種觸便毛豎身顫。貪念這些麁劣五欲，反覆思想計較，心被醉惑，失去正念；或暗中設法，希望再得；若從未得到，也不斷推想尋求，打算去覓。心始終陷在塵境，沒有間歇；麁覺覆蓋禪定，禪怎能生？這是貪欲蓋相。
瞋恚蓋生起時，追想某人惱害自己、惱害親人、稱讚怨家；過去、現在、未來三世各有三惱，共成九惱，於怨對上結恨。心熱氣麁，憤怒相續，百般伺候機會，想傷害對方而安頓自己，放縱毒忿，以發洩為快。這種瞋火燒盡功德，禪定支林怎能生長？這是瞋恚蓋相。
睡眠蓋中，心神昏昏叫睡；六識暗塞、四肢倚放叫眠。眠是增長心所的法，黑暗沉塞，暗中來覆蔽人，很難防守。五根沒有知覺，像死人，只剩一息，所以叫小死。喜歡睡的人，睡眠會越來越多。《薩遮經》說，多睡使懈怠，妨礙所得；未得者不能得，已得者會退失；若想得勝道，應除睡、疑、放逸，以精進策勵諸念，使離惡功德聚集。《釋論》說，睡眠是大黑暗，使人無所見，日日欺誑而奪走光明；又像臨陣處在白刃之間，像與毒蛇同居一室，像被捆縛牽去處死，此時怎能安心睡眠？睡眠妨禪，過失最重，這是睡眠蓋相。
掉悔蓋中，若覺、觀偏向一種煩惱而起，已收入前面各蓋；此處是覺、觀等分生起，遍緣諸法：忽然緣貪欲，又想瞋恚與邪癡，熾盛不停、躁動無住，忽起忽伏，紛紜雜亂；身體無目的地遊走，口中無益地談笑，這叫掉。只有掉而沒有悔，還不成蓋；因為掉動，事後心中思惟，怪自己為何失去節制而作無益之事，實在可恥，於是憂悔懊惱纏心，才成悔蓋，覆蔽禪定使它不能開發。
人懺悔過往，自責而生憂悔；但修禪者只須知道過失，不應反覆想著。不是只靠悔便能解脫，還要修禪定清淨之法，怎能讓悔縈繞內心，妨礙大事？所以說，懺悔後不要再憂，不應常常憶著；不應作的卻作，應作的反而不作，正是此意。這叫掉悔蓋相。
疑蓋不是障礙見諦理的疑，而是障礙禪定的疑，分三種：一、疑自己；二、疑老師；三、疑法門。疑自己，是認為自身低下，必非道器，所以懷疑自己。疑老師，是覺得此人的身口行為不合我心，他怎會有深禪好慧？若拜他為師，豈不誤我？疑法，是懷疑所受之法未必中理。三種疑猶豫不決，常留心中，使禪定不發；即使發了，也會永遠失去。這是疑蓋相。
五蓋病相如此，怎樣棄除？行者應自行省察，自己心中哪一病偏重，認出病後先治它。
貪欲蓋重，應以不淨觀棄除。先前把五欲當作清淨，愛著纏綿；現在觀身不淨，是膿囊、涕唾，沒有一處可欣。厭惡心生，如被怨敵追逐，哪有智者會愛樂它？可知不淨觀是治貪之藥；此蓋若去，心便安穩。
瞋恚蓋重，應念慈心，滅除恚火。此火能燒今世後世功德，使人不願相見；毒害殘暴，與禽獸無異；生死怨對累劫不息，今世微恨，後來會成大怨。現在修慈心，捨此惡，觀一切人都如父母親屬，使他們得樂；若尚未得樂，我應勤心使他安樂，怎能對他生怨？如此觀時，瞋心便息，可安心入禪。
睡眠蓋重，應勤精進，策勵身心，用心防備，思惟法相，分別選擇善惡之法，不讓睡蓋進入；又要選擇善惡之心，使法喜生起，心既明淨，睡蓋自除。不可因睡眠失去今後兩世之樂，徒然生、徒然死，一無所獲，像進入寶山卻空手回來，實可悲歎。應善制心、善巧防禦；可用竹杖三搖警策（杖）、以毛毱置頂或投擲警睡（毱）、吹貝出聲（貝）、伸腳（申脚）、起身觀星（起星）、以水洗足面（水洗）等法對治。
掉散蓋重，應用數息。此蓋鋒利，來時不覺，過久才知；現在數息，若數不成或中途忘記，便知道心已散去，覺察後重新數。數息相成就，覺觀便被伏；若不治，一生都被掉蓋覆蔽。
三疑在心，應作以下思惟。若疑自己：我就是大富盲兒，本具無上法身財寶，只因煩惱遮蔽，道眼未開；我一定要修治，終不放棄。無量劫來的熏習之因哪有固定？怎能自疑而錯失時利？人身難得，怖道心也難生，不可用疑惑毀傷自己。
若疑老師：我現在沒有智慧，而過去上聖大人都為求法，不取人的外相。雪山童子向鬼請偈，天帝拜畜生為師。《大智度論》說，不因袋臭便丟棄袋中的金；傲慢如高山，雨水不能停，謙卑如江海，萬川都歸集。我為求法，應再三敬重老師。《普超經》說，人人相見，不可自以為與他人齊平；智慧如如來，才能衡量他人。舍利弗說，從今以後不敢再判此人入生死、此人入涅槃。應常恭敬三世如來，老師就是未來諸佛，怎能生疑？
若疑法：我的法眼未開，還不能分辨是非，只能先憑信而入。佛法如海，只有信能進入。《法華經》說，諸聲聞所知不是自己的智慧分，而由信才能入。我既盲暗，又不信受，還能歸向何處？只會長久沉溺，不知出路。和伽利之事〔云云〕。優波笈多教弟子上樹之事〔云云〕。若心信法，法便能熏染內心；若猶豫狐疑，便像把器皿覆轉，不能盛受。
棄五蓋：料簡〔科十七〕
問：五蓋是否全都障礙禪定？
答：各家理解不同。有人說，無知才是正障，因為禪是有門戶次第的法，知與無知相反，所以疑蓋、眠蓋是正障。有人說，散動是正障，因為定與散相反，所以掉悔是正障。有人說，貪瞋是正障，因為禪是柔軟善法，剛強與柔軟相反，所以貪瞋是正障。
這些說法各取一面。現在解釋並非如此：五蓋通通是障，只依行者哪一種強、哪一種弱而分正、旁。若此人貪欲蓋多，貪欲就是正障，其餘四蓋是旁障；其他四蓋也依此例。譬如地水火風四大都能成病，卻不一定同時發作；哪一大動，便由哪一大直接殺人。五蓋也如此，先治強者，弱者自然退去，禪定便能發起〔云云〕。
《十住毘婆沙論》說，放逸的人被諸蓋覆心，連生天尚難，何況得果；勤行精進便能裂開諸蓋，諸蓋裂後，種種願都能成就。這叫依事法棄蓋。
棄五蓋：利使、空、中與圓觀〔科十八、科十九〕
問：初禪發起時，五蓋是否已畢竟斷盡？
答：要分別來說。把貪瞋癡三毒分成四分：貪偏起、瞋偏起、癡偏起，各是一分，不叫等分；三毒同等生起，叫等分。三毒偏起時有覺觀，卻不多；三分同起，覺觀便多，這是第四分。《成實論》稱它為剎那心，認為剎那心通緣三毒，三毒等起，善惡已在這一心中成就。《阿毘曇》則說，剎那心生起時只是無明無記，善惡尚未成；它雖通緣三毒，卻不正屬任何一毒，既無所屬，怎能直接算善惡？它本身雖非惡，三毒卻因它而起，所以把這無記心叫因等起，不名善惡。兩論雖異，都在說第四等分。
再由四分開五蓋：貪、瞋兩分各是一蓋；癡分開成睡、疑兩蓋；等分成掉悔蓋。若廣開四分，每一分有二萬一千煩惱，四分共八萬四千。依苦諦說，是八萬四千法藏；依集諦說，是八萬四千塵勞門；依道諦說，是八萬四千三昧陀羅尼等；依滅諦說，是八萬四千波羅蜜。四分法相涵蓋如此深廣，五蓋的義也應高廣。
《阿毘曇》怎能只判貪到欲界為止，上地改叫愛，上地又沒有瞋？這一義已被《成實論》問難：若上地輕貪叫愛，也該把輕瞋另叫恚。可知這只是壓低表相、顯出差異，還不是通達之說。現在依四分解五蓋，通到佛地。前面所說棄五蓋相，是鈍使五蓋，只障初禪；初禪若發，這一層五蓋便盡。通常所論，只是這一層。
利使五蓋障真諦。如前面空見之人，把自己所執認作真實，其他都說成妄語；違背自己便瞋，順從自己便愛，是貪、瞋兩蓋；無明暗心錯誤有所執，不是明審而知，是睡眠蓋；種種戲論與見諍全無利益，是掉悔蓋；當下看似毫無疑惑，後來反而大疑。為什麼？既執自己所見為實，當時還疑什麼？一旦所見被破，心便生疑。五蓋覆心，使人終不見諦。
呵棄這些蓋後，蓋去、道發，證須陀洹。從初果往上，取著真諦是愛，捨棄思惑是瞋，思惑未盡是睡，失念忘脫是掉，還未到無學是疑。可知障真之五蓋一直通到三果；除盡這一層五蓋，便是無學。
其次，依空而起五蓋，障礙俗諦。沉空取證，以空為是，像貧人得到少物便自滿，不再求更好。保愛這一空，是貪蓋；憎厭生死，捨而不觀，是瞋蓋；住無為空寂，不肯照假，甚至不能辨識五種鹽，是睡蓋；把在空中擾亂己意的眾生說成不屬自己境界，是掉悔蓋；假智不明，是疑蓋。這些蓋若不除，道種智與俗諦三昧終不現前；若除，法眼便明朗。
其次，依中而起五蓋，障礙中道。菩薩貪求佛法，如海吞眾流，永無厭足；若生愛法、起順道之貪，就是貪蓋。不喜二乘，如大樹折枝而不容怨鳥棲宿，是瞋蓋。無明長遠，即使上地仍有一分；《大智度論》處處說破無明三昧，是因最初雖破，後來仍須再破。沒有智慧光明，是睡蓋；菩薩三業雖無一般過失，與佛相比仍有漏失，是掉悔蓋；初、後所證之理雖圓同，初心智慧不及後心，是疑蓋。
這些蓋不棄，終不能與實相相應；若除，真如理顯，佛知見開。這五蓋不限初心，每一地都有，只有佛究竟具足圓滿八萬四千波羅蜜，到達彼岸。《菩薩地持經》所說第九離一切見清淨淨禪，正顯此意。懂得這一點，便知蓋相深長，不只欲界五蓋。
若依言語分別逐步立階梯，前面的鈍使、利使兩層五蓋由凡夫時棄，俗諦上的蓋由二乘時棄，障中道的蓋由菩薩時棄。如此說蓋，後一階與前一階分開；地論師、攝論師多說此意，把果位之法說成與凡夫無關，因而不能即事而修。
圓教的解釋不同。怎樣知道？若這些妙法只為上地人說，便應由法性佛現法性國，對法性菩薩說，為什麼相輔示現於三界？正因要度這些凡夫俗眾，才在此說妙法，使凡夫能修。若不是如此，權法為誰而施，又要引到哪裡？明白此意，初心凡夫便能在一念圓棄諸蓋。
《大品經》說，一切法都趣向欲事，這一趣向沒有超出欲事；欲事尚且不可得，何況另有趣與不趣？『趣』就是有，因有能趣與所趣，所以顯俗諦；欲事不可得，是明空，空中沒有能趣、所趣，所以顯真諦；怎會另有趣與非趣，是顯中道。可知三諦只在一件欲事中。
再廣釋使義容易明白。為什麼一切法都趣欲事而不超過它？因為欲事就是法界，是一切法根本。最初才起欲覺，便已具諸法；心麁而不知，欲心漸漸滑利，無法制御，便實際熏習。初行一次似稍歇內熱；一再續行，連一餐一啜之頃也不曾離欲想，終至退戒還家，尋求欲境。求之不知足，或偷、或劫、或逼迫、或交易，種種求欲而生罪過。即使得到欲境，還需大量供養，於是偷奪求財，或殺生取樂；富貴者縱心造罪，貧窮者惡念也廣。
欲罪既成，才趨向欲境的『適有』與欲業已成的『此有』俱在，於是招感未來生死，所造之業使人遍受果報。無論生在哪一道，欲都更加熾盛；從受胎微形起，世世增長，十二因緣輪轉無際。可知一切法無不趣欲，在欲法界外沒有別法；上面所說一切五蓋，在最初一念欲中已全具足。欲是因緣所生法，其義由此可見。
怎樣觀欲法界空？向外五塵求，不可得；向內意根求，不可得；向中間意識求，也不可得。合內外求，不可得；離內外求，也不可得。向過去欲緣求，不可得；向現在欲因求，不可得；向未來欲果求，也不可得。橫向、豎向推求，畢竟寂靜，欲當體即空。欲既空，由欲所生一切法也即空，連空本身也不可得。這是觀空而棄利使、鈍使五蓋。
既識自己一念欲就是一切欲，也能知道一切眾生都如此。暫且不說其他道，只在人道，種種色像、音聲、心行、依報便各不相同，可知欲因種類無量。一人的因果已無窮，何況多人？一法界如此，何況其餘九法界？一法如此，何況百法？
譬如面對敵寇，敵寇正是立功的根本；因能破寇，才有大功名、大富貴。無量貪欲是如來種，也如此使菩薩出生無量百千法門。柴多，火便猛；糞土腐壞，反能生花；所謂貪欲是道，正是此義。若先斷貪欲而停住貪欲空，靠什麼出生一切法門？經說，不斷五欲而能清淨諸根。如此觀時，俗諦上的五蓋自然清淨。
雖能如此，仍未見欲的實性。實性不是空，也不是假；既非假，哪有無量？既非空，哪有寂然？空與假名兩者皆無，沒有趣，也沒有非趣。無趣時，利、鈍兩番五蓋玄然消除；無非趣時，俗諦一番五蓋消除；識得中道，又一番消除。不需另作斷破、棄滅，四番五蓋便在一念圓除。破二十五有，見欲實性，名王三昧，具足一切法，這叫圓觀棄圓蓋。
這一法門在眾生未聞未解時叫理即；能作如此理解，叫名字即；初心開始作此觀，叫觀行即。像前面呵色，便清淨眼根；呵聲，清淨耳根；呵香，清淨鼻根；呵味，清淨舌根；呵觸，清淨身根；棄五蓋，清淨意根。六根清淨，叫相似即；三惑破、三諦顯，叫分真即；能徹盡欲蓋的邊底，叫究竟即。圓棄欲蓋如此，圓棄其他四蓋也如此。
調五事：事調〔科二十〕
第四，調五事，即調食、調眠、調身、調息、調心。像前面陶器譬所說，土與水不調，不能製成器物；五事若不善調，便不能入禪。眠與食兩事在入定之外調，身、息、心三事則就入定、住定、出定而調。
調食時，會增病、增睡、增煩惱的食物不應吃，能安身治病的食物才應吃。簡要說，不飢不飽就是食調之相。《尼揵經》說，吃得太過，身體難以轉動，懶惰懈怠，所食難消，失去今世後世利益；睡眠本身又使人受苦，昏迷難醒。
調眠時，要知道眠是眼睛的食物，不可過度節制，否則增多心所、損失功夫；也不可放縱。前面呵五蓋一向要求除睡眠，是因它直接障礙入定；此處說散心時要使四大從容，所以各有不同用意。簡要說，不苦節、不放縱，就是眠調之相。
身、息、心三事要合調，因為三者互相依存，不能分離。如最初受胎便有三事：一、暖；二、命；三、識。暖是父母遺體所成的色，命是氣息，由果報風連續維持，識是一期生命的心主。託胎時已有三事；三事共同增長，每七日一變，三十八個七日結束後出生，叫嬰兒；三事平穩住持，叫壯年；三事衰微，叫老；三事滅壞，叫死。從始到終，三事不能分離，所以必須合調。
初入定時，調身使不寬不急，調息使不澁不滑，調心使不沉不浮；由麁調入細，安住禪中。住定時，哪裡不調便立刻察覺檢校，調到安穩。像調好琴絃開始演奏，後來曲調若不成，便知道絃軸有差，覺察後立即改正。要出定時，則由細漸回麁，詳如《次第禪門》。
若能調凡夫身、息、心三事，便可轉成聖人戒、定、慧三法：色身是發戒之由，氣息是入定之門，內心是生慧之因。這一戒能捨惡趣凡鄙之身，成辦聖人六度，滿足法身；這一息能把散動惡覺轉成禪悅法喜，由禪發慧，成為聖人的生命；這一心能把生死心改成菩提心、真常聖識。由這三法合成聖胎，從初心直到後心，三法始終不能分離〔云云〕。
調五事：觀心調〔科二十一〕
若從觀心調五事，先以法喜禪悅作食。最初觀真諦所生的定慧多為入空、消除諸法，是飢餓相；《法華經》所說飢餓羸瘦、身生瘡癬，就是此相。第二觀俗諦所生定慧多為扶俗、假立諸法，是飽相，所以說歷劫修行恆沙佛法。空、假二觀一飢一飽，都不調和；中道的禪悅法喜調和適中，沒有二邊偏失，叫不飢不飽〔云云〕。
觀心調眠：空觀尚未破無明，無明與空相合，沉空保住，眠相便多；出假分別、伏無明，眠相便少。中道觀從容：若斷盡無明，一切善法便沒有出生之處，因為塵勞之類正是如來種，不斷癡愛而能起諸明解脫；若又放縱無明，無上佛道怎能成？經說，無明轉便變為明；行於非道，通達佛道；無明性與明性無二無別。怎能斷掉無明性後，另修一個明性？不住調伏，也不住不調伏，就是理觀調眠。
觀心合調身、息、心，又有三番。《大般涅槃經》說六波羅蜜滿足之身，調此身使不寬不急。《大品經》說，樂說辯突然生起是魔事，不突然生起也是魔事。突然生起、急行六度，是急；突然放棄，是寬；不急不寬，是身調相。
調息時，以禪悅法喜與慧命作息。《大品經》說般若不利不鈍；若鈍叫澁，若利叫滑，不鈍不利就是息調相。調心時，認為菩提心很難得，是沉；認為菩提心很容易得，是浮；非難非易，是心調相。
其次依三觀調三事。先以微妙善心作菩提心，如前面所說四種菩提心。三藏、通教為斷結入空、以真為證，這一心是沉；別教為化他出假，分別藥病，廣識法門，所發菩提心是浮；圓教觀實相理，雙遮雙照，非空所以不沉，非假所以不浮，發此心叫調相。
調身時，通教斷惑而明六度，是急；別教出假分別，是寬；中道不依二邊，是不寬不急。調息時，通教慧命入空，是滑；別教入假，是澁；中道不依二邊，是不澁不滑。
再依三觀各自調身息心。第一觀中，止身、息、心是急、滑、沉，觀身、息、心是寬、澁、浮；能調到適中，便成方便，入真諦。第二觀中，止身、息、心也是急、滑、沉，觀身、息、心也是寬、澁、浮；止觀適中，便成方便，發道種智，見俗諦理〔云云〕。中道中，止身、息、心是急、滑、沉，觀身、息、心是寬、澁、浮；調到適中，止觀從容，便成方便，入中道、見實相理。
行者應善調三事，使自己託入聖胎。若即將修行而心尚無所歸屬，應勤心和合方便與智度這對父母，託於聖胎，怎能託生地獄三途或人天之胎？
行五法〔科二十二〕
第五，行五法。五法是欲、精進、念、巧慧、一心。前面以陶師作譬：眾事雖全都整備，陶師若不肯作，或作而不勤，或心不存製作方法，或作得不巧，或不能專一，事情仍不會成功。現在也如此：前二十法雖已具備，若沒有樂欲希慕，沒有苦切策勵身心，沒有念想相續，沒有善巧方便，沒有一心決志，止觀便無法現前。
若能欣樂熏習而無厭，晝夜不懈，念念相續，善得其意，一心不異，便能向前進路。一心如船柁，巧慧如點頭，欲、精進、念如篙與櫓，少一件便不能安穩。又像飛鳥，以眼看方向，以尾控制，以雙翅前進。沒有五法，連事禪都難成，何況理定？可知五法通為小乘、大乘、事禪、理定的方便。
《成實論》以覺、觀、喜、樂四支作方便，以一心作定體。若如此，四禪都有一心，一心又無差別，怎樣判四禪不同？所以此處不用這一說。《菩薩瓔珞本業經》說五支全是方便，第六默然是定體；但四禪都有默然，也難分別。《毘曇》則以五法作方便，以五支全作定體，所以能分四禪的通與別：一心是通體，每一禪特有之支是別體，所以說覺觀俱禪，直到捨俱禪；別支與一心同時生起，便能分別一心的深淺。《釋論》同意這一說法，此處也採用。
《大智度論》解五法。第一，欲，是想從欲界到初禪。第二，精進，是因欲界難以越過；若不精進便不能出去，像叛離者要回本國，邊界最難通過。論說，布施、持戒、忍辱是世間常法，像賓主禮節，本應供給；看見作惡者被處治，便不敢犯罪，或因力量不足而忍住，所以未必需要特別精進。如今要生般若，必須依禪定，非大精進不可；身心急切用力，才能成辦。佛說即使血肉脂髓全部枯竭，只剩皮骨，也不捨精進，才得禪定、智慧。得到精進、禪定、智慧三事，眾事皆能成辦，所以需要大精進。
第三，念，是常念初禪，不念其他事。第四，慧，是分別初禪尊重可貴，欲界欺誑可惡；初禪是向上攀求勝、妙、出，欲界是向下厭離苦、麁、障。因果合說，共有十二種觀。若只依這套語言，與外道六行相同；但外道專為求禪，佛弟子則借邪相進入正相，以無漏心修，轉成正法，這才叫巧慧。第五，一心，是修此法時專心一志，不緣其他；是決定的一心，不是入定後定體的一心。
再一層，欲是想從生死進入涅槃；精進中，不夾雜有漏叫精，一向專求叫進；念只念涅槃寂滅，不念其他；巧慧分別生死過患、為賢聖所呵，涅槃安樂、為聖者所讚；一心是決定怖畏生死，修八聖道，直往不回。以此五法作方便，便能入真諦。
再一層，欲是想廣化眾生、成就佛法；精進是眾生性雖多、佛法雖長遠，也誓不退悔；念是悲心徹骨，如母念子；方便是善知眾病，明識法藥，對機適宜；一心是決定化他，立誓令眾生度脫，心不異、不二。
再一層，欲如薩陀波崙想聞般若，不愛惜身命；精進是為聞般若，在閑林七日七夜悲泣，又七年常行常立，不坐不臥；念是常想自己何時才能聞般若，再無餘念；巧慧是雖有障難，障難也不能阻礙：賣身時魔不能遮蔽，水被魔隱去便刺血灑地，把魔事轉為佛事；一心是志向決定不移，不生第二念。
再重說一層，欲是想從空、有二邊正入中道；不雜二邊叫精，任運流入叫進；繫緣法界，一念就是法界，叫念；修中觀方便叫善巧；息滅二邊後，心水澄清，能知世間生滅法相，不使其心分二，清淨常一，便能見般若，這是一心。
方便總結〔科二十三〕
這二十五法通作一切禪與慧的方便。所修觀門不同，方便也隨之轉變，像樂曲不同，調絃方法也不同。若細加分別，便有無量方便；文字太繁，不能全載，可以依意領會。此處暫以二十五法作定外方便，也叫遠方便；由此調心，豁然見理。真正見理時，還由誰分內外？哪裡有固定遠近？
《大品經》說，不由內觀得此智慧，不由外觀得，也不由內外觀得；又不離外觀、不離內觀及內外觀，也不以完全無觀而得此智慧。現在暫依此義說外方便，但不可固定執著，反生是非。若懂得此意，沉浮各得其所，內外全都成方便；若不懂得，內外全都不是方便。
摩訶止觀卷第四〔下〕
Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Four〔Upper〕
Taught by Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai in the Sui; recorded by his disciple Guanding.
General Statement of Preparatory Means〔Section One〕
Sixth is the explanation of preparatory means. Its first meaning is skillfulness: cultivating through skillfulness enables even a few wholesome roots to accomplish immeasurable gates of practice, open understanding, and enter bodhisattva stations. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom says that a little giving and a few precepts can surpass śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; this is the meaning. Its second meaning is the conjunction of many conditions. Such a conjunction can accomplish a cause and combine to obtain a result. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says that the Tathāgata’s body is not born from one cause and one condition, but from immeasurable merits. Preparatory means are so named to reveal this skillful capacity.
In terms of the gradual teachings, there are four kinds of preparatory means, each with distant and proximate. In the Abhidharma, for example, the five calming contemplations are distant and the four wholesome roots proximate; distant and proximate in Shared and Separate can be understood by analogy. In the Perfect Teaching, nominal identity and the stations of the five grades of contemplative practice are still far from true realization and are called distant; purification of the six faculties resembles true realization and is called proximate.
Here distant and proximate are distinguished only within nominal identity before the five grades: the twenty-five Dharmas are distant preparatory means, the ten objects proximate. The ten objects and ten contemplations extend comprehensively horizontally and vertically, accomplish the station of contemplative practice, and can arouse resemblance and true realization; hence proximate. The distant preparatory means explained here divide briefly into five sections: fulfilling five conditions, rebuking the five desires, abandoning the five hindrances, regulating five matters, and practicing five Dharmas.
The path does not move by itself in isolation; people must propagate it. To propagate a supreme Dharma, people also require conditions for advancing on the path, so the five conditions come first. Once conditions are complete, cravings must be cut away. Once external cravings are dismissed, the inner mind must be purified. Once mind is quiet, the five matters are tested and regulated. Once regulated, practicing the five Dharmas necessarily reaches the intended destination.
A potter making a vessel first selects good ground without gravel or salty soil and with plentiful grass, timber, and water before establishing the workshop. Next, other social affairs must stop; how could work be completed otherwise? Though external conditions cease, one cannot begin if the body is ill. Though the body is strong, no vessel can be made if clay and wheel are unregulated. Even when these conditions are ready, nothing is completed if the craft is not pursued continuously but undertaken and abandoned by turns. The five sections of calming-and-contemplation are the same. The dependent body needs support, like choosing good ground. Rebuking and leaving sensory desires is like stopping external conditions. Abandoning the five hindrances is like curing inner illness. Regulating the five matters is like learning to turn wheel and cord. Practicing the five Dharmas is like continuing the craft without neglect.
Even shallow worldly tasks cannot succeed without many conditions; how much less the world-transcending path? Without guidance, how could one easily ascend its stages? One therefore passes through the twenty-five Dharmas, cultivates contemplation by lodging in phenomena, regulates the coarse to enter the subtle, and restrains scatteredness to quiet mind, using them as distant preparatory means for calming-and-contemplation. Of these five sections, three come from the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, one from a Dhyāna Sūtra, and one was established by meditation masters.
Fulfilling Five Conditions: General List and Names of the Precepts〔Section Two〕
First is fulfilling five conditions: pure observance of precepts, complete clothing and food, secluded quiet dwelling, ceasing conditioned engagements, and obtaining good spiritual friends. A Dhyāna Sūtra says that even when the first four are complete, guidance still depends on a good teacher. These five Dharmas therefore form a stairway for entering the path; lacking any one obstructs the work. The Sequential Dhyāna Gate gives the detailed explanation. Pure observance of precepts here has four intents: listing their names, explaining observance, explaining violation, and explaining purification through repentance.
First are the names. Scriptures and treatises give many precept-names; the Explanatory Treatise provisionally supplies ten: not deficient, not broken, not punctured, not mixed, following the path, unattached, praised by wisdom, autonomous, following concentration, and complete. All ten take intrinsic precepts as their root. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom says intrinsic precepts are śīla and comprise eight bodily and verbal disciplines: three of body, four of speech, and abstaining from alcohol; they also include pure livelihood and guarding the mind-ground. It also says the ten wholesome actions are śīla. Because they always exist in the world even when no Buddha appears, they are called “old precepts.” Ordinary beings also cultivate the eight meditations when no Buddha appears, hence “old concentration.” The sixty-two wrong views and other non-Buddhist wisdom resemble the milk medicine of old physicians, hence “old wisdom.” Some commonly say there is no later “guest concentration,” only the eight meditations guided by non-outflow wisdom. But if so, there should likewise be no guest precepts, only the ten wholesome actions guided by non-outflow. Since precepts and wisdom each have guest Dharmas, why would concentration alone have none?
The Three Refuges, five precepts, and 250 precepts now form the root of guest precepts. There are ten ways to obtain full ordination. The Buddha’s own words “Come, monk” naturally confer it. Mahākāśyapa obtained it by self-vow; Kauṇḍinya by seeing truth; the nun Mahāprajāpatī through the eight rules of respect; the nun Dharmadinnā through a messenger; the novice Sudaya through doctrinal debate; Yāśas and other monks by “Come”; Bhadrapāla of Laṅkā through the Three Refuges; in border regions from a fifth Vinaya master; and in the central country through a formal motion and three proclamations by ten persons. These are people of guest precepts. Root pure dhyāna and contemplation, refining, perfuming, and cultivation are guest concentration; wisdom of the Four Truths is guest wisdom. All arise only after a Buddha appears.
Intrinsic precepts do not depend on whether one has received vows. Violation is offense and preservation wholesome. For the ordained, observance produces the merit of vows and violation their offense. For the unordained, wholesome conduct lacks that merit, and violation lacks the offense of betraying a vow. Cutting grass and killing an animal, for example, both violate prohibitions; after confession, both prohibitive offenses are extinguished. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom explains that the offenses against nonmanifest precept-substance are alike extinguished, while the karmic repayment of life remains. Received and intrinsic precepts thus differ. When the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya asks about disqualifications, it asks whether one has committed a disqualifying offense; this is an intrinsic offense. It obstructs even lay precepts, much more full ordination. Pure intrinsic precepts are the root of the perfection of precepts and first cause of liberation; only upon them does the nonmanifest precept received through ordination exist.
Hīnayāna says nonmanifest precepts belong to a third aggregate outside form and mind. The Mahāyāna Dharma Drum Sūtra speaks only of form and mind, with no third aggregate. Because mind is inexhaustible, precepts are inexhaustible. For disciplinary precepts, nonmanifest action can be understood. Nonmanifest precepts shared with concentration arise with concentration. Some say they exist in concentration and disappear upon emerging; others say they depend upon concentration and remain while it remains but cease when concentration is lost. Nonmanifest precepts shared with the path depend upon the path; since the path is not lost, neither are they. Disciplinary precepts, precepts shared with concentration, and precepts shared with the path are all called precepts and take intrinsic precepts as their root. Thus scripture says that depending upon these precepts produces meditative concentration and wisdom extinguishing suffering.
Observing Precepts: Phenomenal Observance and Principial Contemplation〔Section Three〕
Second is observance. These ten precepts encompass all precepts.
The precept not deficient means preserving intrinsic precepts through the four grave ones, guarding them purely like a bright jewel. Violation makes a chipped vessel unusable, places one outside Buddha-Dharma, no longer a śramaṇa or child of the Śākya, and loses the Dharma of a monk; hence deficient.
The precept not broken means preserving the thirteen saṅghāvaśeṣas without damage; violation resembles a broken vessel.
The precept not punctured means preserving the pāyantika and other precepts. Violation resembles a leaking vessel unable to hold the path-Dharma; hence punctured.
The precept not mixed means preserving precepts shared with concentration. One may preserve discipline while the mind still thinks of violations; this is mixed. Precepts shared with concentration guard inwardly so desire does not arise; hence unmixed. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says that even without bodily union with a woman, joking conversation, hearing bracelets beyond a wall, or watching men and women pursue each other can stain pure precepts. The Daśabhūmika Vibhāṣā says precepts are impure if, although the act is restrained, one lets a woman wash, wipe, or massage one, gazes or speaks with defiled mind, observes precepts only for a fixed number of days, or does so for future wealth, heavenly pleasure, and indulgence. None of these thoughts exists when the unmixed precept is maintained.
The precept following the path accords with the principle of truths and breaks delusions of views. The unattached precept belongs to one who has seen truth and become noble and is no longer stained by delusions of thought. These two concern observance according to true truth. Precepts praised by wisdom and autonomous precepts concern bodhisattvas transforming others: their conduct is praised by buddhas and unobstructedly autonomous in the world, observance according to conventional truth. Precepts following concentration and complete precepts follow Śūraṃgama Samādhi: without emerging from cessation concentration, one displays every deportment and bodies in all ten Dharma realms to guide and benefit sentient beings. Deportments move while naturally remaining still; the original therefore calls this the “precept fallen into concentration.” Earlier precepts still use discipline to prevent and are called incomplete; the Middle-Way precept lacks none and is complete. This is observance according to the first-meaning truth of the Middle. Because Middle-Way wisdom enters all Dharmas, scripture says “training”; here training means Mahāyāna precepts.
The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra explains five-branched and ten kinds of precepts with broadly the same movement. Other scriptural and treatise accounts of precept-characteristics do not exceed these ten sections.
The first three—neither deficient, broken, nor punctured—together form disciplinary precepts: sustaining wholesome Dharma and preventing evil from the root precepts through not punctured, pure to the smallest detail. Even scattered ordinary beings can preserve them. The next, unmixed, guards mind through concentration; mind does not move falsely, body and speech are quiet, and the three actions are bright like a mirror. In concentration it is naturally unmixed, and afterward body and speech remain gentle and unconfused; ordinary beings can preserve it upon entering concentration. Following the path is preserved after stream-entry sees truth and becomes noble, not by ordinary beings. Unattached is preserved by practitioners of the third fruit, not the first. Praised by wisdom and autonomous are required by bodhisattvas benefiting others, not preserved by the Two Vehicles. Following concentration and complete are preserved by those of great faculties; even bodhisattvas of the Six Perfections and Shared Teaching cannot preserve them, much less ordinary beings and the Two Vehicles. This distinguishes their phenomenal meanings by station.
In principial contemplation of mind, one can preserve all ten. First gather them into four intents. The first four are conditionally arisen Dharmas and together form the object contemplated. The next two contemplate conditionally arisen Dharmas as immediately empty and are emptiness-observance. The following two contemplate them as immediately provisional and are provisional-observance. The final two contemplate them as immediately middle and are middle-observance.
To contemplate mind as conditionally arisen is to observe that when one thought arises from evil conditions, it breaks the root precept through the unmixed precept and conflicts with goodness, hence evil. A mind following wholesome Dharma now prevents the evil mind, enabling the root through unmixed precepts to be accomplished without damage. It is called wholesome mind and prevention. When evil mind stops, bodily and verbal evil stop. Prevention is the goodness of calming; accordance is the goodness of practice. Practice-goodness is contemplation and calming-goodness is calming. This is preserving four precepts by contemplating the conditionally arisen mind.
Next contemplate the conditionally arisen wholesome and evil mind as immediately empty. The Vajracchedikā says that seeing a Dharma-mark or a non-Dharma-mark produces attachment to self, person, sentient being, and life span; seeing neither Dharma nor non-Dharma does not. As the raft simile shows, even Dharma should be abandoned, much more non-Dharma. Only the quiescence of both is observance. Here Dharma means the provisional names and real Dharmas of wholesome and evil minds. Seeing their provisional names or their real Dharmas produces attachment to self and person. A non-Dharma-mark means seeing wholesome and evil provisional names as nonexistent, or their real Dharmas as nonexistent; both likewise produce attachment.
Why? A view arising in reliance on nonexistence should not be grasped; through a view relying on neither existence nor nonexistence, all are attachments to self, person, sentient being, and life span. Contemplating all these Dharmas and non-Dharmas as immediately empty accords with non-outflow and prevents the sixty-two views of existence and nonexistence; this is following the path. Repeatedly examining until contemplation is mature, one encounters conditions and objects and sees every form and sound as empty; this is unattached. It prevents delusions of thought and accords with true truth. This is preserving two precepts by contemplating conditionally arisen mind as empty.
Next contemplate conditionally arisen mind as immediately provisional. Know mind is not fixed mind and Dharma not fixed Dharma, yet do not remain forever in nonmind and non-Dharma. Through skillful wisdom of the varieties of the path, establish mind and Dharma within nothing possessed and draw out many mental Dharmas to guide and benefit sentient beings; this is praised by wisdom. Although innumerable mental Dharmas are broadly distinguished, know them as mere names like space, without craving or confinement by marks of delusion; this is autonomous. Provisional contemplation prevents ignorance and accords with conventional principle: prevention is calming and accordance contemplation. This is preserving two precepts through provisional contemplation.
Next contemplate conditionally arisen mind as immediately middle. The mind’s nature is ultimately quiescent, originally neither empty nor provisional. Not provisional, it is not worldly; not empty, not world-transcending; neither noble nor ordinary Dharma. The quiescence of both extremes is mind-nature. Contemplating so is supreme concentration; mind resting there is Śūraṃgama. Originally quiescent and unmoving, it simultaneously illuminates the two truths, manifests many deportments, and lacks nothing while following concentration. This contemplation prevents ignorance and evils of the extremes and accords with the one real principle of the Middle: prevention is calming and accordance contemplation. This is preserving two precepts as immediate middle.
The Brahmā’s Net Sūtra says the precepts are called Mahāyāna and light of first meaning, neither blue, yellow, red, nor white; they are also called filiality, and filiality accordance. Filiality is calming-goodness and accordance practice-goodness. The root teacher recited so, and I recite so. Middle-Way wondrous contemplation is therefore the proper essence of precepts; supreme purity is ultimate observance. The Daśabhūmika Vibhāṣā says that no self or what belongs to self, distance from conceptual play, and nothing possessed is supreme śīla. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says offense-nature is not within, outside, or between; mind-nature and defilement are likewise. Understanding this is good understanding and observance of discipline.
Contemplative observance has five further names. First is precept. Prevention is its meaning, and contemplation likewise prevents: the three contemplations prevent the three delusions. This prevention pervades the Dharma realm and is not limited to body and speech〔and so forth〕.
Second is Vinaya, meaning extinction. Discipline extinguishes wrongs of body and speech; contemplation of mind also extinguishes. Empty contemplation extinguishes wrongs of views and thoughts, provisional contemplation those of dust-and-sand, and middle contemplation ignorance. Such extinction pervades every wrong in the Dharma realm rather than merely the seven bodily and verbal branches. This is the Vimalakīrti’s “directly extinguish it; do not disturb the mind.”
Third is prātimokṣa, preserving liberation. Contemplation of mind does the same. Without contemplating the three truths, the three delusions cannot be liberated; seeing the three truths necessarily liberates them. This liberation pervades the Dharma realm, not merely liberation from the three evil paths or birth and death.
Fourth is recitation: carrying words and recollecting them inwardly. Contemplation of mind does the same. The names of the three contemplations express the principles of the three truths and are words. Knowing names are not fixed names, investigate mind in the truths, continue contemplation, keep it present, and produce no false thought; this is recitation. It recites the Dharma realm, not merely eighty recitations.
Fifth is discipline: weighing light and grave, distinguishing violation and nonviolation. Contemplation of mind does the same. Views and thoughts are coarse, evil, heavy dregs; ignorance within the realms is smaller and lighter; dust-and-sand as adventitious defilement arises laterally and is heavy within the small; root ignorance is subtlest, as already explained in the mind of awakening. Contemplating three principles through three contemplations is nonviolation; three delusions obstructing them is violation. Three medicines treat three illnesses without error, not missing by a hair.
Phenomenal precepts also have three grades. The highest brings heavenly retribution, middle human, lowest asura. Violating the highest loses heaven, middle humanity, lowest asura and enters the evil paths. The evil paths also have three grades: light as hungry ghost, next animal, grave hell. Human retribution has upper, middle, lower, and lowest forms across the four continents; heavenly retribution has many grades throughout the heavens of the three realms.
The three principial grades empty, provisional, and middle each also have high, middle, and low. For immediate emptiness, low is śrāvaka, middle pratyekabuddha, high Shared-Teaching bodhisattva; retreat loses them by levels. For immediate provisionality, low is Tripiṭaka bodhisattva, middle a Shared bodhisattva emerging into the provisional, high Separate bodhisattva. For immediate middle, low is Separate bodhisattva, middle Perfect bodhisattva, high Buddha; only the Buddha’s pure precepts are complete. Or low may correspond to the five grades, middle to purification of six faculties, high to first abode. This is only an abbreviated judgment of grades through contemplation of mind. Middle-Way contemplation is the Dharma realm and the Mahāyāna comprehensively contains every Dharma; understand according to the intent without further elaboration.
Someone privately asks: if low and middle are both judged through arousing the true, why is the highest instead divided by true and resembling? Answer: the first three paths are not yet integrated and can be distinguished horizontally. Immediate middle is integrated and should be judged vertically through one path. If a horizontal judgment is also desired, use the three grades the Separate receiving the Shared, Separate, and Perfect〔and so forth〕. Such distinction weighs gain and loss, light and grave, throughout the Dharma realm; how could it be limited to disciplinary matters such as boiling, burning, and concealment?
The five names of contemplative observance are now clear. One who is careful only in phenomena and preserves the first four precepts while the mind is full of mixed thoughts lacks stable phenomenal precepts, like an unfired clay jar broken by the evils of craving and views. One who contemplates mind and preserves the latter six has clear principial contemplation and unmoving false thoughts. Even encountering evil conditions, one remains firm. When principle does not move, phenomenal precepts naturally succeed. The Vimalakīrti says that one able to be so understands well and observes discipline; this is the proper intent.
Violating Precepts: The Two Rākṣasas Craving and Views〔Section Four〕
Third is violation. Destruction of pure precepts does not exceed foolish craving and inverted wrong views. These are enemies of precepts, represented as two rākṣasas. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra tells of someone carrying a flotation bladder across the ocean. A rākṣasa asks first for all, then gradually down to a mote, but the traveler gives none. Practitioners likewise arouse mind, undertake precepts, and vow to cross the ocean of birth and death; the two rākṣasas craving and views then demand the bladder of precepts.
The craving-rākṣasa promises safe entry into nirvāṇa, actually calling gratification of desire nirvāṇa, like food for the hungry, treasure for the poor, or wine for a monkey. It entices with pleasure. Following craving and breaking the four grave precepts discards the whole bladder and is violation. If craving arises but the practitioner reflects, “I mean to cross birth and death. If precepts are impure, I fall again into the three evil destinies and concentration and wisdom cannot arise,” great fear arises and one would rather be killed than surrender the bladder; this is observance.
Craving arises again through pleasurable touch. Following it gives half the bladder and is violation. If the practitioner reflects that half the prohibitions cannot be lost—hellish suffering results and presently one suffers humiliating punishment and expulsion—one guards them and does not follow desire; this is observance. Craving asks next for a grave preliminary act, like a hand-span; then a pāyantika, like a finger-span; then a duṣkṛta, like a mote. Though small, a duṣkṛta opens the door of heedlessness. Though a mote is little, water gradually enters until one sinks and dies.
This is craving breaking disciplinary precepts. Reaching for the five desires breaks precepts shared with concentration. Deep attachment to birth and death and making karma for existence breaks the immediate-empty precept. Failing to stop worldly censure or protect others breaks the immediate-provisional precept. Disbelieving that precepts and goodness equal space, contain the Buddha-Dharma, and are ultimately pure breaks the Middle-Way precept. The rest can be understood accordingly〔and so forth〕.
Next the views-rākṣasa asks for the bladder. Everyone readily encounters breaking precepts for wealth and sex, an evil already arisen to be severed through single-minded effort. When views are sharp and create faults within one’s own constructed Dharma, understanding is partial and wrong; this is an evil not yet arisen to be prevented through single-minded effort. Although views have not yet arisen, a practitioner who gains a little concentration without good teachers or friends may cling to it and produce grave fault.
When the Buddha lived, a monk attained four dhyānas and thought he had attained the four fruits. At death he saw an intermediate state and slandered the Buddha: “An arhat is not reborn. Why do I have an intermediate state?” Ānanda asked where he was born; the Buddha said he had fallen into hell. Even observance and attainment of outflow concentration cannot justify believing one’s own measure of realization. If so in the Buddha’s time, how much more foolish people of a later age with deep offenses and attachments?
The Great Ākāśagarbha Sūtra therefore says that producing an evil view is the third pārājika. What is an evil view? Someone gains an understanding of emptiness and a little wisdom, makes their own mind the teacher, and claims realization of nonarising. Strong views destroy Dharmas: no Buddha or sentient beings, no worldly or world-transcending cause and result. The Lotus’s “some eat human flesh and others devour dogs” conveys this.
Such a person destroys right view, deportment, and livelihood while claiming all is equal and undifferentiated. What is offense or no offense? To distinguish is obstruction, and obstruction cannot be true. One should not fear obstruction amid craving; unobstructedness is awakening. The person calls only this real and everything else false. Meeting an evil teacher and teaching makes the poison blaze like a wrong spirit entering mind; inverted conduct becomes unrestrained, views and arrogance tower, and everyone is despised. Seeing goodness, the person calls it attainment and treats others like dirt, surrendering the whole bladder.
If not wholly surrendered, the person may think: “Though the principle is so, I have not actually seen it; how could I discard everything suddenly?” and for a while withholds it. Views arise again: all Dharmas are empty, so what marks of touching or not touching men and women exist? Embracing and kissing loses half; grave preliminary acts through duṣkṛta follow. Claiming all Dharmas empty and quiescent, why preserve complex phenomena? No mote of precept remains; the emptiness-mind grows stronger like water leaking through a hole, “unobstructedness” becoming slick until all discipline is swallowed and the bladder sinks forever.
Wrong views are terrifying. If four grave offenses and offenders are empty and the five heinous acts empty, why not commit them? Strong emptiness views should deny parents and see incest or killing as unobstructed; one should likewise not avoid king and queen. Such a view should deny their real existence, yet the person cherishes life and knows violating the ruler brings death. This foolish emptiness cannot empty the person’s life or the king. Why then insult parents and slight Buddhism by calling grave and heinous acts empty? One cannot see even the nearby fault of grasped emptiness, much less what is distant.
Discarding the Buddha’s prohibitions through evil emptiness breaks disciplinary precepts. Emptiness views disturbing mind break concentration-shared precepts. Fixed attachment to one’s view breaks immediate-empty precepts. Polluting others’ wholesome minds breaks immediate-provisional precepts. Disbelieving that the mind of views equals space and is itself ultimately pure Buddha-Dharma breaks immediate-middle precepts. Partial emptiness is dreadful; falling into it means long sinking, without even human, heavenly, or nirvāṇa attainment, much less great parinirvāṇa.
A treatise therefore says the sage taught emptiness to treat attachment to existence; those attached instead to emptiness cannot be transformed even by buddhas. Scripture says doubt about Dharmas can break Sumeru-like afflictions, but a fixed view cannot be transformed. The Sūtra on Nonpractice says “craving is itself the path.” Partial people cite only this as proof of unobstructedness; why not also cite the same scripture saying those attached to unobstructed Dharma are far from the Buddha and that true emptiness never breaks precepts〔and so forth〕? This is the views-rākṣasa destroying prohibitions, in broad outline〔and so forth〕.
Four Clauses of Vehicle and Precepts〔Section Five〕
Earlier observance and violation were discussed separately; now the observance and violation of ten precepts are not fixed. Broadly, whatever moves one to liberation may be called a vehicle, hence five vehicles including human and heavenly. Whatever prevents may be called precept, hence disciplinary, concentration-shared, and path-shared precepts. Distinguished, the three phenomenal grades are precepts, outflow Dharmas unable to move one out; the three principial grades are vehicle, non-outflow Dharmas able to move one out. Their pairing gives four clauses: both urgent; vehicle urgent and precepts lax; precepts urgent and vehicle lax; both lax.
First, both urgent. As in the earlier characteristic of observance, ten precepts are pure, phenomena and principle flawless, and contemplation continuous; one should attain the path in this life. If not, this karma is strongest and draws first, necessarily into a good place. Urgent disciplinary precepts lead to human or heavenly birth in the desire realm; urgent unmixed precepts follow dhyāna into Brahmā worlds. Whichever of three principial vehicles is most urgent determines what is heard and attained. With immediate middle strongest, one meets Maitreya in human or heavenly form and attains the path as sharp faculty under the Avataṃsaka. With the high-grade emergence into provisionality strongest, one meets him and attains as dull faculty in that assembly. With high or middle entry into emptiness strongest, one hears Vaipulya, Prajñā, and other teachings and attains paths of the Three Vehicles. With low-grade entry into emptiness strongest, one hears Tripiṭaka scriptures and attains the path. Human or heavenly birth comes from phenomenal precepts; seeing a buddha and attaining the path from vehicle-contemplation. Both are therefore indispensable.
Second, precepts lax and vehicle urgent. This person has thin virtue and heavy defilement, is driven by afflictions, and lets rākṣasas consume phenomenal precepts, yet exclusively preserves principial precepts and continuous contemplation, like the earlier awareness-of-mind samādhi amid six obscurations and Aṅgulimāla. Because phenomenal precepts are lax, death brings evil-destiny retribution; the strongest vehicle still draws first. Strong analytical emptiness leads one in an evil-destiny body to meet Maitreya and attain through Tripiṭaka teaching; urgent immediate emptiness through Prajñā and Vaipulya; urgent provisionality through Avataṃsaka and other teachings as dull faculty; urgent middle through Avataṃsaka as sharp faculty. Thus dragons, spirits, animals, and beasts attend when the Buddha teaches gradual and sudden scriptures. Breaking phenomenal precepts gives the evil body; principial contemplation gives vision of the Buddha and the path. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says lax precepts are not true laxity, but lax vehicle is.
Third, precepts urgent and vehicle lax. Phenomenal precepts are strict to a hair, but the three contemplations are unknown. Urgent precepts bring human or heavenly birth or Brahmā birth through dhyāna, where one clings to meditative pleasure. Even if a Buddha teaches in the world, it gives no benefit and cannot be understood. Some in the whole land of China remain unaware; three hundred million in Śrāvastī neither heard nor saw; pleasure-attached devas and beings in obstructed difficulties do not attend. Like a prisoner who pays someone powerful to delay the case while hoping for pardon, those born human or heavenly hope for a good spiritual friend to teach vehicle-cultivation and liberate them. If they do not cultivate vehicle there, merit ends and they fall; even a hundred thousand buddhas cannot bring attainment.
Fourth, phenomena and principle both lax. All ten precepts are violated, one falls forever into the mud plow of hell, loses human and heavenly results, and the consciousness is dark and blocked without a time of attaining the path, repeatedly sinking and difficult to liberate.
Practitioners should observe their minds: which phenomenal or principial precept is lax or urgent? Which of the three phenomenal grades is strongest, which principial grade weak? Thus know one’s depth and future good or evil retribution; knowing oneself, one can know others. Such contemplation also explains why scriptures list particular assemblies and why the Tathāgata teaches great or small according to conditions.
Spirits in the Avataṃsaka say they abide in the Dharma gate of inconceivable liberation: provisional manifestations come to guide real beings whose formerly cultivated inconceivable vehicle is urgent. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra’s assembly is the same. Careful inquiry can pass first through the Four Teachings to distinguish causes of lax and urgent vehicle and precepts, then through the five flavors to distinguish results. Since causal and resultant ascent and descent differ, how could one ask why phenomenal precepts are needed if principial precepts attain the path? Fortunate enough to receive the path as human or deva, why insist on suffering in evil destinies?
Purification through Repentance: Entry, Grave Offenses, and Upstream and Downstream Minds〔Sections Six and Seven〕
Fourth is purification through repentance. Phenomenal and principial violations both obstruct calming-and-contemplation and prevent concentration and wisdom from arising. How can one repent so offenses are extinguished and no longer obstruct?
Vinaya texts give repentance methods for light phenomenal offenses. When completed, this is purity: precepts purified and obstructions transformed, calming-and-contemplation readily shines forth. A grave offender is a dead person in Hīnayāna Buddha-Dharma with no repentance method. Mahāyāna permits repentance, as the four samādhis explained earlier and later passages will explain again.
If principial contemplation has only a small deviation, fails to accord with truth, and attachment is thin rather than rigid, correct contemplation alone can break the view. Produce shame and conscience, bow and reproach oneself, and urge mind back to its course; the obstruction is removed and calming-and-contemplation can arise. If attachment to views is grave, repentance within contemplation of mind is still required, as explained later.
For grave phenomenal offenses, the four samādhis still provide repentance. The Samantabhadra Contemplation says sitting upright and recollecting true mark is foremost repentance. The Wondrous Supreme Concentration says nothing but meditative concentration can save the four grave offenses and five heinous acts. The Vaipulya says that if repentance from the Three Refuges and five precepts through 250 precepts could not make wholesome Dharmas arise again, that would be impossible. The Inviting Avalokiteśvara says a breaker of pure conduct who performs the ten evils can sweep away filth and regain purity. Mahāyāna thus permits repentance for these offenses.
Offense arising from grave conditions must be repented with grave earnestness so the two counteract each other. Repentance without earnestness gives no benefit. If obstruction is not removed, calming-and-contemplation remains dark. A grave offense newly committed in this life is more readily removed by painful repentance, like a traveler only recently lost; grave obstructions from the past are hard to turn, like one long lost far away.
To repent grave obstructions of present and past lives through the four samādhis, know the ten downstream minds and their faults, then activate the ten upstream minds as counteraction. These twenty minds are the shared root of every repentance method.
The ten downstream minds are:
First, from beginningless time consciousness-mind is dark and confused, intoxicated by afflictions and falsely reckoning person and self. That reckoning gives rise to the view of body, then inverted delusion, craving, anger, and ignorance; from ignorance one broadly makes karma and follows karma through birth and death.
Second, afflictions are present within and evil friends encountered outside; they fan wrong Dharma and delude the mind, doubling evil’s force.
Third, with inner and outer evil conditions complete, one extinguishes wholesome mind within and wholesome deeds without and never rejoices in another’s goodness.
Fourth, one indulges all three actions of body, speech, and mind and commits every evil.
Fifth, although the deeds are not broadly distributed, evil mind pervades every place.
Sixth, evil mind continues day and night without interruption.
Seventh, one conceals and disguises faults, unwilling for others to know.
Eighth, one is violent and reckless, unafraid of evil destinies.
Ninth, one lacks shame and conscience.
Tenth, one denies cause and result and becomes an icchantika.
These ten follow the stream of birth and death, fainting in evil like insects enjoying a latrine without awareness. Their accumulated grave offenses are incalculable, from the four grave and five heinous acts to icchantika, amid limitless birth and death.
To repent now, reverse this stream through ten minds that overturn evil Dharmas.
First, deeply believe cause and result. They are definite and distinct; karmic seeds do not perish even over long time, and no one else experiences the result of one’s own karma. Precisely know wholesome and evil without doubt. This deep faith overturns the icchantika mind.
Second, produce grave shame and conscience. Reproach oneself: “I am a most base offender, shameless, practicing animal Dharma and abandoning the first pure adornment. Alas, like an elephant without a hook, I have committed grave offenses.” Devas see offenses committed in concealment, so feel shame before them; people know manifest offenses, so feel conscience before people. This overturns shamelessness.
Third, fear evil destinies. Human life is impermanent; if one breath does not return, one departs for a thousand years. The dark road is long and without provisions; the sea of suffering deep and without a raft. Worthies and sages reject one, leaving no refuge. Years pass, and the wind-blade gives no pardon—how can one sit awaiting agony? A jackal loses ears, tail, and teeth and feigns death to escape, but on hearing its head will be cut off becomes terrified. Birth, aging, and illness already give warning; death grants no pardon. Fear leaves no leisure to cling to the five objects and six desires, like feet in boiling water or fire. King Aśoka heard a caṇḍāla ring a bell each morning, knowing one day had passed and he would die after six; although surrounded by desires, he did not cling for one thought. Practitioners repent in painful fear, sparing no life, resolute like the jackal and thinking of nothing else like the condemned king. This overturns fearlessness of evil destinies.
Fourth, disclose. Do not conceal defects. Thieves, poison, and weeds must be removed quickly; expose a root and branches wither, dry a source and flow ceases. Concealment is the conduct of a bad person. Kāśyapa’s dhūta requires disclosure before the assembly; Vaipulya repentance before one person; other practices sincere reform before an image of the Buddha. A hidden poisoned sore causes death if covered and untreated. This overturns concealment.
Fifth, cut off continuity. Decisively end old evil and make no new evil; this is repentance. Reoffending after repentance resembles law that pardons a first offense but increases punishment for the next. On first entering the sanctuary, offense is readily removed; committed again, it is hard. How could one eat what was vomited? This overturns constant recollection of evil.
Sixth, arouse the mind of awakening. Formerly one sought personal ease, ignored others’ danger, and troubled every object. Now broadly raise the mind of universal aid throughout space to benefit others. This overturns evil mind pervading all places.
Seventh, cultivate merit to repair faults. Formerly the three actions made offenses day and night; now urge wholesome body, speech, and mind without rest. Without moving mountains, how fill rivers and seas? This overturns indulging the three actions.
Eighth, guard true Dharma. Formerly one destroyed one’s own and others’ goodness, neither rejoicing oneself nor delighting in others’ practice. Now guard all goodness and skillfully enlarge it without interruption, like the great merit of preserving a city. The Śrīmālā says guarding and embracing true Dharma is foremost. This overturns failure to rejoice.
Ninth, recollect the buddhas of the ten directions. Formerly one drew near evil friends and accepted evil speech; now recollect unobstructed compassion as an uninvited friend and unobstructed wisdom as great guide. This overturns following evil friends.
Tenth, contemplate offense-nature as empty. Penetrate craving, anger, and ignorance as gates of quiescence. If they arise, where do they abide? In false thought; false thought in inversion; inversion in view of body; view of body in view of self; self-view has no abode. Sought throughout ten directions, self is unattainable, mind originally empty, offenses and merit without owner. Deeply penetrate their characteristics and illuminate ten directions; when empty wisdom accords with mind, they vanish like morning dew at sunrise. Every mind is a gate of quiescence revealing quiescence. This overturns dark ignorance.
These ten repentances follow nirvāṇa and oppose birth and death, extinguishing four grave and five heinous acts. Without understanding them or knowing right and wrong, how can one repent? Entering a sanctuary would be futile asceticism without great benefit. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says it is impossible for diligent ascetic practice to be a proximate condition of great nirvāṇa. This is repentance for grave phenomenal offenses.
Offenses of Views and Repentance through Both Phenomena and Principle〔Section Eight〕
Next repent offenses of views. Views make one follow birth and death, as above. The preceding ten minds used phenomenal repentance for offenses of dull dispositions; now principial contemplation supports repentance for offenses of sharp dispositions. If views are fierce and produce grave afflictions, phenomenal repentance also assists, like adding croton seed to a purgative so every obstruction is expelled. Ten Dharmas again explain this repentance.
First, overturn disbelief. Point directly to the mind of body-view so ignorance and suffering-and-origin are recognized. Udraka Rāmaputra attained the concentration of neither perception nor nonperception and was revered like a buddha, yet did not recognize suffering and origin and fell when retribution ended. Subhadra attained the same, without coarse thought but still subtle affliction. The sharp-witted brahmin Long Nails clung to accepting and not accepting. Even brilliant non-Buddhists did not escape views and did not attain nirvāṇa; how could a shallow person inferior to Udraka call their road true rather than deeply partial and wrong?
Such a person craves wisdom contemplating emptiness without recognizing it; this is ignorance. It produces opposition and accord, and view-based action. View and action depend upon form and become name-and-form, which is suffering and the rest. Confusion about suffering produces craving and existence; existence produces future birth and death. How could this continuity be quiescence? Claiming birth and death exhausted is empty speech. Calling the ignorant mind of views the path takes nonpath as path and noncause as cause—attachment to precepts, theft of cause. Calling future evil-destiny suffering nirvāṇa is attachment to views, taking nonresult as result, theft of result. Body-view, extreme view, and wrong view follow. This mind of views is suffering and origin, not cessation and path; if not even Tripiṭaka cessation and path, how Mahāyāna?
Recognizing this knows worldly and world-transcending cause and result. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says prajñā reveals worldly characteristics: what is path and not path. This deeply recognizes suffering and origin in views. Deeper, know not only ignorant suffering and origin but Tripiṭaka cause and result, the Four Truths of conditionally arisen Dharmas as empty, the immeasurable Four Truths of immediate provisionality, and the inactive Four Truths of immediate middle. Within one mind of views recognize every cause and result. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra calls measuring immeasurable birth and death in one thought inconceivable. This deep faith overturns disbelief.
Second, produce grave shame and conscience. One should be ashamed not to see the three truths in mind. In principial contemplation’s human and heavenly hierarchy, feel shame before people of the dry-wisdom and nature grounds and conscience before the pure heavens of the four fruits, people of thirty minds, meaning-heavens of ten grounds, people of five grades and purified faculties, and heavens of forty-two stations. Retribution attained through intention is human; naturally attained retribution heavenly. In principial contemplation, skillful means are human and manifestation of true principle heavenly. Offenses of views cover three truths and fall below all three human-and-heavenly classes. This overturns shamelessness.
Third, fear. Know the grave faults made by views. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom says buddhas teach emptiness to leave views; if one again sees an existent emptiness, buddhas cannot transform one. Great offense now arises from views. When this world is destroyed, one is born in another hell; when remade, one returns, without limit. Truly describing the resultant body could make one vomit hot blood and die. Grave views are not non-outflow and cannot leave birth and death. Afflictions moisten karma; falling is certain. If one life does not return, there is no day of emergence. Great fear overturns fearlessness of evil destinies.
Fourth, disclose. Formerly views produced craving, covered the three truths, and prevented definite faith. Now know their fault, remove the three doubts about self, teacher, and Dharma, and conceal nothing so truth-nature is exposed. This overturns concealment.
Fifth, cut off continuity. Do not interrupt contemplation of the three truths; use the Eightfold Path to treat the three delusive minds and do not perfume them again after severance. This overturns continuous evil mind.
Sixth, arouse the mind of awakening. Condition the three truths and know them like space. Because space is boundless, pity and universally liberate all. Former confusion produced boundless delusion and offense; now the mind of awakening and inactive goodness pervade the Dharma realm, overturning inactive evil formerly made throughout space. When the lion-lute sounds, all other strings break; this is the meaning.
Seventh, cultivate merit to repair faults. Path factors of three truths are the bodhisattva’s Jewel-Torch Dhāraṇī, the road of practice and gate toward nirvāṇa. Making them continuous is repair. Formerly one clung to a view as nirvāṇa, stopped there, and did not cultivate path factors. Moving from existence to nonexistence resembled an inchworm leaving one spot but still not cultivating. Knowing both as views without reifying them is views moving but no path-factors. Analyzing and breaking views while practicing factors is views moving and factors practiced. Embodying views as empty, provisional, and middle allows three sets of factors to be cultivated where views do not move. This repairs indulgence in views.
Eighth, guard true Dharma. Formerly one guarded one’s views against refutation and skillfully promoted them. Now guard the emptinesses of three truths against wrong views; wherever obstruction exists, skillfully propagate, preferring death to loss of true Dharma, like parents guarding a child. This overturns destruction of goodness.
Ninth, recollect the buddhas of the ten directions. Formerly one consumed view-poison insatiably, thirsting for it and meeting evil teachers like salt added to thirst; abandoning suffering through suffering, proud and crooked, one did not hear “Buddha” for eons. Now recollect the three truths as neither coming nor going, hence Buddha; nonarising Dharma is Buddha, and truth-principle constantly protects. This overturns evil friends.
Tenth, contemplate offense-nature as empty. The three delusions are originally quiescent; ignorance falsely distinguishes right and wrong, like a fevered patient seeing dragons and spirits. Now contemplate views as illusion and transformation, coming from nowhere and leaving no trace, going to no direction; offense and merit are the same. If one is empty, all are empty; emptiness is offense-nature and offense-nature emptiness. This overturns inversion.
While activating these ten repentances, deeply contemplate three truths and add phenomenal methods with grave earnestness, sparing no life; this is the second strong man. These are the two repentances, phenomena and principle. Offenses obstructing the path are extinguished, śīla pure, samādhi present, and calming-and-contemplation opens. With phenomenal precepts pure, root samādhis appear and worldly and mind-reading wisdom opens. With nonarising precepts pure, true-truth samādhi appears and omniscience opens. With immediate-provisional precepts pure, conventional-truth samādhi appears and wisdom of the varieties of the path opens. With immediate-middle precepts pure, king samādhi appears and omniscience of all aspects opens.
The samādhi of three truths attained is king samādhi, embracing every samādhi and producing every meditation; nothing is absent, hence calming. It possesses every wisdom, hence contemplation. Pure observance and earnest repentance are therefore the first assisting conditions of calming-and-contemplation.
Fulfillment of Clothing〔Section Nine〕
Second is fulfillment of clothing and food. Clothing covers form and ugliness; food sustains life and fills hunger’s wound. When the body is settled, the path flourishes and the root is established. Form, life, and cultivation all depend upon clothing and food. Thus it is said that after eating the Tathāgata attained unsurpassed complete awakening. Though minor conditions, clothing and food accomplish a great matter. Naked, hungry, and unsettled in body and mind, where could the path-Dharma be? They must therefore be complete.
Clothing has four functions: covering ugliness, heat and cold, insects, and adorning the body. Phenomenal clothing has three grades.
First, the great person of Snow Mountain leaves social traces, lives in a deep ravine apart from humans, mats grass and wears deerskin, without formal receipt or declaration of purity. Patience is mature, thick warmth unnecessary, and no travel among people requires support. This is the superior person.
Second, one practicing the twelve dhūtas keeps exactly three robes. Leaving villages and entering forests, one is properly clothed, hence three robes. This is the middle person.
Third, in very cold lands one may keep the 101 supporting articles but must declare them pure, seeking only enough for use. Seeking more is painful, guarding it painful, disturbing one’s cultivation and donors. Being content with little is the lower person.
As clothing in contemplative practice, the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says that although monks wear kāṣāyas, their minds are not yet dyed with the Mahāyāna Dharma robe. The Lotus says to wear the Tathāgata’s robe, a gentle and forbearing mind. This is patience of quiescent extinction. The two extremes birth-and-death and nirvāṇa are coarse, yet nondual with Middle-Way principle; hence gentle. Resting securely in the Middle is patience. Far from the clamor of extremes is quiescent; crossing the two deaths segmentary and transformational is extinction.
This mind covers evils of the two extremes, the robe covering ugliness; removes afflictions of the five dwellings, blocking heat; breaks ignorant views, blocking cold; has neither disturbance of birth and death nor scattered intent of emptiness and abandons applied thought on the extremes, blocking insects. This patience possesses every Dharma, like a mirror displaying images while rubble cannot. The middle possesses all marks, partial emptiness none. Thus one deeply penetrates offense and merit, illuminates ten directions, and uses the subtle pure Dharma body with thirty-two marks to adorn the Dharma body. This contemplation has every virtue and is both clothing and adornment, not cloth cut and sewn in nine, seven, or five strips.
The three robes are the three contemplations, covering ugliness on three truths, the heat and cold of views and craving, and the insects of three applied thoughts, while adorning three bodies. The three contemplations as clothing are patience of subjugation, gentle accord, and nonarising quiescent extinction. Or views are cold and craving heat. Calming-and-contemplation’s understanding of seeing truth provides warmth so views do not arise; its understanding of reflection provides coolness so craving does not arise. Five faculties free of evil are merit-adornment; the mind-ground free of evil, wisdom-adornment. Clothing on the other two contemplations follows accordingly.
The 101 additional robes are all auxiliary path-practices. They assist the three contemplations, cover delusions, and adorn the three bodies. This is cultivating patience as clothing throughout all Dharmas.
Fulfillment of Food〔Section Ten〕
Food comes from three sources to support body and nourish the path.
First, in inaccessible deep mountains far from people, one takes only delicious fruit and good water, one vegetable or fruit, or eats pine and cypress to sustain vital energy, like Snow Mountain’s fragrant lotus root. After eating one recollects, meditates, and has no other affair. This is superior food.
Second, one dwells in an araṇya, practices dhūta, leaves the sounds of herding, and sustains oneself by alms. All seven past buddhas taught begging, as do Vaipulya, Pratyutpanna, and Lotus. Too far a route exhausts and obstructs the path; too near is noisy. Neither far nor near makes alms easy. This is middle food.
Third, one unable to abstain from grain and eat fruit or practice dhūta and beg may accept support brought by an external protector or food ritually purified in the Saṅgha. This is lower food.
As food in contemplation of mind, the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says that although monks beg, they have never obtained Mahāyāna Dharma food. Dharma food is the Tathāgata’s Dharma-joy and dhyāna-delight, equal great wisdom contemplating all Dharmas unobstructedly. The Vimalakīrti says equality regarding food is equality regarding Dharma, and equality regarding Dharma equality regarding food. It also makes afflictions fuel and wisdom fire, cooking nirvāṇa food delicious to every disciple.
This food nourishes the Dharma body and increases wisdom-life. Like having eaten milk gruel and needing nothing more, it is true liberation, which is the Tathāgata. Dharma-joy and dhyāna-delight pass through all Dharmas as one flavor: not a single color or fragrance is other than the Middle Way. The one Middle-Way Dharma possesses every Dharma and gives fullness without need, like the mountain superior sustained by one grass or fruit.
In contemplation of mind, dhūta begging applies when one cannot cultivate true-mark wisdom in the Middle within phenomena, so regulates mind sequentially through three contemplations and enters the Middle. Because sequential, it is begging; finally seeing the Middle brings fullness. This is the middle person.
Food sent by a donor applies when one can neither penetrate within phenomena nor contemplate through Dharmas and has no food oneself. One follows a good spiritual friend who explains prajñā, discriminates well, and brings understanding and vision of the Middle through hearing. Because dull faculties gain understanding from hearing, this is receiving food, like one unable to perform the first two practices receiving a delivery. Saṅgha-purified food means realizing the forest of factors and merits of dhyāna and awakening through concentration.
Practitioners should therefore constantly recollect Mahāyāna Dharma food and no other flavor.
Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Four〔Upper〕
Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Four〔Lower〕
Taught by Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai in the Sui; recorded by his disciple Guanding.
Secluded Quiet Dwelling〔Section Eleven〕
Third is secluded quiet dwelling. With clothing and food complete, where should one stay? The samādhi of following one’s own intent can be cultivated anywhere; the other three require a good place. Three are good: deep remote valleys, a dhūta place, and an araṇya monastery.
First, remote valleys with difficult roads and no human trace or disturbance allow free meditation, thought after thought on the path, unmoved by praise or blame. This is best.
Second, a dhūta place at least three miles from habitation has sparse interaction and can spur one against afflictions. It is second.
Third, an araṇya monastery is a quiet temple. Live alone in one room, avoid affairs, close the door, sit quietly, and examine correctly. This is lower.
Other places are unsuitable. Dwelling among lay villages invites fault and shame; noisy temples near markets are likewise improper. To settle the body and enter the path, choose carefully, never casually. Once found, do not move often〔and so forth〕.
As dwelling in contemplation of mind, truth-principle is dwelling. The Middle-Way Dharma is remote and profound, unreachable by tracks of the seven preparatory means, hence deep; high, broad, and unmoving, hence mountain; far from extremes, hence quiet; neither arising nor activated, hence secluded. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says that even a thousand yojanas away, a śrāvaka mind means body is far but mind not far. Mistaking clamor for nonclamor is not true distance. Even beside a city, absence of Two-Vehicle mind is distance. This is superior dwelling.
The dhūta place in contemplation of mind is provisional contemplation. Adjacent to emptiness like an araṇya to a village, it rests in conventional truth, distinguishes medicines and illnesses, shakes off ignorance, and purifies wisdom of the varieties of the path. This is middle dwelling.
One room in a quiet temple is the contemplation entering emptiness from provisionality. A temple is a communal, noisy place, yet one room can be quiet. Provisional truth is dust and clamor, yet within provisionality one can be empty; true truth is therefore dwelling.
Only abiding in the principle of three truths is the place of calming-and-contemplation, not fleeing shadows into forests or hiding the body in a sealed room〔and so forth〕.
Ceasing Conditioned Engagements〔Section Twelve〕
Fourth is ceasing conditioned engagements. Affairs have long obstructed meditation. An araṇya monk leaves clamor for quiet; how could one undertake production and affairs that destroy araṇya conduct? Four engagements are livelihood, human affairs, skills, and learning.
First, livelihood. Schemes for sustaining life bring entanglement everywhere, gaining one thing and losing another, destroying the path and confusing mind. Diligent affairs within the samādhi of following one’s own intent belong to that practice and are not discussed here.
Second, human affairs. Congratulations, condolences, social deference, visits and invitations: one goes there, others come here, without end. How much more many people mutually entangled and pursuing? One left family and teacher to seek the essential path, yet now befriends three provinces and cultivates five commanderies—where is one going? It is like wearing clothes backward while seeking the collar or drilling fire while seeking water.
Third, skills: medicine, divination, masonry, carpentry, painting, games, calligraphy, spells. Rhinoceroses are killed for patterned hide and valuable horn; oil for burning; bells for sound. Skills endanger even worldly bodies. Cultivating the world-transcending path while planting woods to attract birds or stench to attract flies invites ruin and disgrace.
Fourth, learning: reciting scriptures and treatises and competing in debate. Receiving and retaining exhaust mind; verbal exchange muddies water and darkens the jewel. Where is leisure for calming-and-contemplation? Even this must be abandoned, much more the first three〔and so forth〕.
In contemplation of mind, livelihood is craving, which moistens karmic seeds like water. Craving produces worry and worry fear. Severing craving ceases livelihood.
Human affairs are karma, causing birth in three realms and movement through five destinies. Craving moistens karma and produces birth everywhere. Without karma, craving has nothing to moisten. Though karmas have power, they do not pursue one who makes none; nonproduction ends birth and death.
Skills mean supernatural powers should not be cultivated before attaining the noble path; false Dharmas obstruct prajñā. Prajñā is like space, without conceptual play or writing. Attaining it is like obtaining a wish-fulfilling jewel. Practice single-mindedly—why hurry to use powers?
Learning means cultivating worldly wisdom, eloquence, intelligence, and discrimination before endurance of nonarising. They are rubble and grass, not the true jewel. Stop, let the water clear, look through crystal, and take the jewel slowly. Then what worldly arising-and-ceasing marks and categories cannot be known? Know through omniscience of all aspects and see with the Buddha eye. One walking the great road should not first study those paths.
Obtaining Good Spiritual Friends〔Section Thirteen〕
Fifth, good spiritual friends are the great condition transforming practitioners so they see a buddha. Ānanda called them half the condition for the path; the Buddha said they are the complete condition. There are three: external protector, fellow practitioner, and instructor.
First, external protector. One dwelling independently in remote mountains needs none; cultivating the other three samādhis requires superior supporting conditions. Lay or monastic, the protector manages necessities without watching faults, disturbing, overpraising, or publicizing and causing harm. Like a mother raising a child or tiger carrying its cub, strength is precisely adjusted. Only a long-practiced person can do this.
Second, fellow practitioner. Following one’s own intent and peaceful practice need not require companions. Vaipulya and Pratyutpanna require good companions who spur one another, prevent sleep and scattering, advance daily, polish each other, share mind and vow like one boat, and honor each other like the World-Honored One.
Third, instructor. This person explains prajñā, shows path and nonpath, and judges inner and outer preparatory means, openness and obstruction. Skillful teaching demonstrates, instructs, benefits, delights, and breaks attachment. One able to judge preparatory means may practice alone; one unfamiliar with obstacles should not leave the instructor. Scripture says following a good teacher lets one see Ganges-sands buddhas.
In contemplation of mind, the Great Perfection of Wisdom calls buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats good spiritual friends; so are six perfections and thirty-seven factors; so are Dharma-nature and reality-limit. The light of buddhas and bodhisattvas covers and nurtures: external protection. Perfections and factors are gates of entry: companions. Dharma-nature and reality-limit are truth-principle, teacher of buddhas; object arouses wisdom: instruction.
Each class has all three meanings. Buddhas and saints protect by spiritual power. They also remove necklaces, wear dirty clothes, carry a vessel for excrement, and harmonize their light to benefit beings: companions. They teach through one sound so each understands: instructors.
The perfections and path factors also have three. Auxiliary paths protect the primary path; primary and auxiliary practice join as companions; following their norms without loss opens the three liberation gates, instruction.
Dharma-nature likewise has three. As object and teacher, invisibly perfuming and benefiting, it protects. Object and wisdom corresponding are companions. Before principle is seen one is blind; truth manifest gives eyes and unbiased wisdom. Scripture says cultivators of my Dharma know personally upon realization; without real inward practice, what use asking? This is instruction.
The three classes each having three make nine clauses, plus the first three, twelve. The first six are phenomenal good spiritual friends and the latter six principial. Applied to three truths: in empty contemplation, saints protect, immediate-empty factors accompany, true truth instructs, making six phenomenal and six principial; provisional and middle likewise. Three truths form thirty-six modes, eighteen phenomenal and eighteen principial; passing through four siddhāntas yields more. Understanding this Dharma gate explains Sudhana’s entry into the Dharma realm.
Although all are called good spiritual friends, the Avataṃsaka speaks of demons of spiritual friends, samādhi, and the mind of awakening. A demon not only turns goodness to evil but can make one fall into the Two-Vehicle ground. Thus an arhat practicing only true truth is not truly a good spiritual friend. If an arhat inwardly a bodhisattva but outwardly śrāvaka is taken as one, bodhisattvas may also manifest as deva or dragon to lead into true mark; then any identity can be a good spiritual friend.
The demon here is one actually realizing only arhatship, who leads only to the conjured city. It is merely a half-word friend, practicing half the path of awakening and damaging half the afflictions. According to giving and withholding, it can be called friend or demon. The Separate Teaching without the Middle-Way intent is also a demon of good spiritual friends; only the three Perfect kinds are genuine. Samādhi-demon and mind-of-awakening-demon follow accordingly〔and so forth〕.
Rebuking the Five Desires: Phenomenal Characteristics〔Section Fourteen〕
Second is rebuking the five desires: form, sound, fragrance, flavor, and touch. The Daśabhūmika Vibhāṣā compares restraining the six faculties to tethering a dog, deer, fish, snake, ape, and bird. Dogs love villages, deer mountains, fish ponds, snakes holes, apes forests, birds the sky. Ordinary shallow wisdom and weak resolve cannot subdue the faculties’ love of objects; only wisdom, firm mind, and right mindfulness can. This is the general simile.
Individually: eyes crave form, which has shape and image like a village, so eyes are dogs. Ears crave sound, without shape like open mountains, so ears are deer. Nose and fragrance are fish; tongue and flavor snake; body and touch ape; mind and dharmas bird.
The mental faculty is set aside here and the first five objects discussed. Objects are not themselves desires, but their flavor makes practitioners seek and crave, hence five desires. Like a potter summoned by guests who cannot finish the work, the five desires lead into demonic objects. Even with the five conditions complete, mind cannot be gathered and settled; they must be rebuked.
Desire for form includes red and white, tall and short, bright eyes and skillful glances, white neck, jade brows, clear teeth, red lips, and external red, yellow, vermilion, purple, and jewels. Its harm is deep, driving madness and drunkenness; the root of birth and death often begins here. Nanda observed precepts for desire and retained much habituation even after arhatship; how much more bound ordinary beings? Kings have ignored state and ancestral temples and entered enemy lands for desire; ancient houses and countries here also fell, as Bao Si destroyed the Zhou. Scripture says sentient beings ravenously crave wealth and sex and therefore cannot attain the path. A Contemplation Sūtra says people driven by form become slaves to affection. Knowing the fault prevents deception; rebuking stops desire and conditioned thought, allowing concentration.
Sound-desire includes seductive words, sexual speech, strings and pipes, bracelets, bells, and pendants.
Fragrance-desire includes thick perfume, orchids, musk, powerful scents, and bodily fragrances of men and women.
Flavor-desire includes wine, meat, delicacies, fat and grease, sweet, sour, spicy, butter, oil, and fresh blood.
Touch-desire includes cold and warm, fine and smooth, light and heavy, hard and soft, fine garments, and bodies of men and women.
Five similes show their faults. Form is a heated golden ball that burns on grasping; sound a poisoned drum that kills on hearing; fragrance the breath of a stifled dragon that sickens on smelling; flavor boiling honey that rots the tongue or honey on a blade that cuts the licker; touch a sleeping lion that bites the approacher. Desires never satisfy but make evil mind blaze like fuel on fire, more savage than enemies. For eons they have stolen and destroyed body and consciousness; just as one seeks meditative quiet, they return. Deep knowledge of their faults stops defilement. Phenomenal details are in the Dhyāna Gate〔and so forth〕. An eminent monk of old wrote: far from desire it is easy to be resolute; near it, feeling is hard to guard. Fragrance and flavor topple high resolve; sound and form destroy body and life.
Rebuking the Five Desires through Contemplation of Mind〔Section Fifteen〕
In contemplation of mind, form’s flavors are immeasurable: permanent or impermanent, self or non-self, pure or impure, suffering or bliss, empty or existent, conventional or first meaning. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom says form has no fixed flavor-mark and ordinary beings should not cling. Saying form permanent, impermanent, both, neither, or making the fourteen indeterminate claims about Tathāgata and world are all views arising through form. They contend and take themselves as real, destroy the wisdom-eye with conceptual play, judge right and wrong, and make karma through form. Once existence exists, birth and death exist. Such contemplation increases desire rather than rebuking it.
Now contemplate all sixty-two views of existence and nonexistence arising through form as relying on ignorance. Ignorance is impermanent, constantly arising and ceasing, rapidly decaying and wearing away thought by thought, without self or master, immediately quiescent nirvāṇa. Views born from it are likewise impermanent and quiescent. With no master-self, who is true or false? No more birth-and-death karma is made through form; karma and result cease. This rebukes form into emptiness and liberation. Sound, fragrance, flavor, and touch are the same. This is the Tripiṭaka analysis rebuking five desires. The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā calls it unskillfully extinguishing conceptual play.
Mahāyāna rebuking form directly penetrates all views as relying on ignorance, ignorance as empty, hence views empty. The Vajracchedikā says a stream-enterer is named entering the stream but enters nothing—not form, sound, fragrance, flavor, or touch. Only if form really existed to be analyzed could it be entered; since form is empty in its very essence, there is no form to enter. With no stream or resultant karma, conceptual play is skillfully extinguished. The other desires follow.
Yet rebuking form only as empty enters form-emptiness without distinguishing forms, so how liberate all beings? Their attachments form many origins and sufferings, requiring immeasurable medicines of path and cessation. To transform others, do not stop after realizing emptiness. Know emptiness without sticking, enter provisionality, and penetrate Ganges-sands Buddha-Dharmas. Otherwise one still receives and enters form-emptiness. More deeply rebuke grasping at form-emptiness, neither receiving nor entering, while broadly distinguishing form. Knowing distinctions as mere names and names as empty is provisionality. The other desires follow.
Next rebuke the two extremes of form. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says form has no flavor-mark for ordinary beings to cling to and no separation-mark for the Two Vehicles to leave. Breaking ignorance and views of existence or nonexistence upon form rebukes flavor; breaking sinking into emptiness and grasping realization rebukes separation. Fixed flavor could not be left; fixed separation could not have flavor. Neither is fixed, so neither flavor nor separation. Not clinging to either reveals form’s Middle-Way true mark.
The Explanatory Treatise says the Two Vehicles rebuke form for dhyāna, not perfection. Bodhisattvas rebuke form and see its true mark, identical to dhyāna’s true mark; hence perfection and arrival at form’s further shore. That arrival is seeing form’s middle; distinguishing form sees conventional truth; illuminating form-emptiness sees true truth. Rebuking form to its source accomplishes three-truth samādhi and three wisdoms. Deep rebuke forms preparatory means for calming-and-contemplation. The other desires follow.
Abandoning Five Hindrances: Five Characteristics and Counteractions〔Section Sixteen〕
Third is abandoning craving, anger, sleep, restlessness-and-remorse, and doubt. They cover and bind, darkening mind so concentration and wisdom cannot arise. Earlier, five faculties encountered present objects and produced five consciousnesses. Now those consciousnesses enter mind, pursue past and anticipate future objects, forming great inner obstruction. Like an ill potter unable to work, hindrances must be removed like poisonous trees and thieves. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says to leave desires and evil Dharmas: desires are the five just rebuked, evils the hindrances.
What are their characteristics?
Craving remembers past desires: beautiful form before the eyes, lovely sound at the ears, fragrance opening affliction’s gate, flavor making saliva flow, remembered touch raising hair and shivering body. Repeated planning intoxicates mind and loses right mindfulness. One secretly schemes to regain what was had or constantly imagines and seeks what was not. Mind remains in objects without pause; coarse applied thought covers dhyāna. This is craving-hindrance.
Anger remembers someone harming oneself or kin or praising enemies. Three troubles across three times make nine, and hatred binds. Mind heats, breath coarsens, fury continues, seeking opportunity to injure the other and settle oneself. Poisonous anger burns merits; how could dhyāna’s forest of factors grow? This is anger-hindrance.
In sleep, darkened mind is drowsiness; blocked consciousness and slack limbs are sleep. It grows mental factors and covertly covers, hard to guard against. The faculties are senseless like a corpse with one breath, hence “small death.” Those who delight in sleep gain more. The Satyaka Sūtra says much sleep produces indolence and obstructs attainment, losing what is gained. To attain the supreme path, remove sleep, doubt, and heedlessness and urge thoughts with effort. The Explanatory Treatise calls sleep great darkness stealing clarity, like resting among blades in battle, living with a poisonous snake, or being bound and led to execution. This is sleep-hindrance.
Restlessness-and-remorse here is applied and sustained thought equally ranging over Dharmas, not one affliction already counted elsewhere: suddenly craving, anger, or wrong foolishness, blazing without rest, rising and falling in confusion. Aimless bodily wandering and useless speech are restlessness. Alone it is not yet a hindrance; afterward one asks why one lost control and becomes shamefully worried. Remorse then binds mind and blocks dhyāna.
Repentance for the past produces remorse, but meditators should know the fault and not repeatedly think it. Remorse alone does not liberate; one must cultivate pure concentration. Why let it obstruct the great matter? Once repented, do not grieve or cling; doing what should not be done and neglecting what should is the meaning. This is restlessness-and-remorse.
Doubt here obstructs concentration, not seeing truth, and has three kinds: self, teacher, Dharma gate. Doubting self thinks one low and unfit. Doubting teacher thinks their conduct displeasing and questions deep meditation or wisdom. Doubting Dharma questions whether the received method accords with principle. Indecision remains and prevents concentration; even if it arises, it is lost. This is doubt-hindrance.
How abandon them? Examine which illness is strongest and treat it first.
For craving, use impurity contemplation. What was thought pure is a bag of pus and saliva with nothing delightful. Revulsion arises as if pursued by an enemy; what wise person loves it? This medicine removes craving and settles mind.
For anger, recollect kindness. Its fire burns present and future merit, makes beings unwilling to see one another, and perpetuates enmity. Regard everyone as parents and kin and give them happiness. If they lack it, work for it—how be hostile? Anger ceases and dhyāna begins.
For sleep, diligently urge body and mind, reflect on Dharma, and select wholesome from evil so sleep cannot enter; Dharma-joy makes mind bright. Do not lose two lives’ happiness and return empty from a treasure mountain. Guard skillfully by shaking a bamboo staff three times, placing or tossing a wool ball to alert sleep, blowing a conch, extending the legs, rising to view stars, or washing feet and face.
For restlessness, count breaths. It comes unnoticed and is known late. Failed or forgotten counting reveals scattering; recognize and restart. When counting succeeds, applied and sustained thought are subdued. Untreated, restlessness covers a lifetime.
For self-doubt, think: “I am the blind child of a wealthy house, inherently possessing the unsurpassed Dharma-body treasure but covered by afflictions and unopened in the path-eye. I will cultivate without abandoning. Conditioning causes from immeasurable eons are not fixed; why miss the opportunity through doubt? Human form and aspiration are hard to gain.”
For teacher-doubt, recall that past sages sought Dharma without judging appearance: Snow Mountain’s youth asked a spirit for a verse; Indra bowed to an animal. The Great Treatise says not to discard gold because the bag stinks; pride is a high mountain that holds no rain, humility an ocean receiving rivers. Seek Dharma and honor the teacher. The Puchao Sūtra says people should not measure one another; only Tathāgata-wisdom can. Śāriputra vowed never again to judge who enters birth and death or nirvāṇa. Honor future buddhas; how doubt the teacher?
For Dharma-doubt, think: “My Dharma eye is unopened; unable to distinguish, I first enter through faith. Buddha-Dharma is an ocean entered by faith alone. The Lotus says śrāvakas enter by faith, not their own wisdom. Blind and unbelieving, where else can I go? Only sink without exit.” The story of Hegali〔and so forth〕. The story of Upagupta teaching a disciple in a tree〔and so forth〕. Faith lets Dharma perfume mind; doubt resembles an overturned vessel.
Abandoning Five Hindrances: Examination〔Section Seventeen〕
Question: Do all five obstruct dhyāna?
Answer: Some call ignorance the direct obstruction because dhyāna has ordered gates and knowing opposes ignorance; thus doubt and sleep. Some call scattering direct because concentration opposes it; thus restlessness-and-remorse. Some call craving and anger direct because dhyāna is gentle goodness and hardness opposes it.
Each takes one side. All five obstruct; direct and secondary depend on strength. If craving is strongest, it directly obstructs and the others secondarily; likewise each. Four elements can all cause illness but need not erupt together; whichever moves directly kills. Treat the strong first and the weak recede, allowing dhyāna〔and so forth〕.
The Daśabhūmika Vibhāṣā says heedless people are covered and find even heaven hard, much more fruition; diligent effort rends hindrances and fulfills wishes. This is phenomenal abandonment.
Abandoning Five Hindrances: Sharp Dispositions, Emptiness, Middle, and Perfect Contemplation〔Sections Eighteen and Nineteen〕
Question: When first dhyāna arises, are the hindrances ultimately severed?
Answer: Distinguish. Divide craving, anger, and ignorance into four parts: each predominating alone makes three; all equal, the fourth. When one predominates, applied and sustained thought are few; when all three, many. The Satyasiddhi calls this momentary mind conditioning all three poisons, with wholesome or evil already formed. Abhidharma calls it only indeterminate ignorance, not yet wholesome or evil, conditioning all three but belonging to none; though not evil itself, it causes them and is their equal-arising cause. Different accounts, both explain the fourth equal part.
Open four into five hindrances: craving and anger one each; ignorance into sleep and doubt; equal part into restlessness-and-remorse. Broadly each part has 21,000 afflictions, 84,000 total. As suffering they are 84,000 Dharma treasuries; origin, 84,000 dust-and-labor gates; path, 84,000 samādhis and dhāraṇīs; cessation, 84,000 perfections. Their reach is deep and broad, so hindrances should be understood broadly.
How can Abhidharma confine craving to desire realm, call it affection above, and deny anger above? The Satyasiddhi challenges: if light craving above is affection, light anger should be renamed. Such labels lower surface expression but do not penetrate. Here four-part hindrances extend to buddhahood. The earlier dull-disposition hindrances obstruct only first dhyāna and end when it arises; ordinary discussion covers only this layer.
Sharp-disposition hindrances obstruct true truth. A person of emptiness views calls their own grasp real and everything else false. Opposition brings anger, accord craving. Dark ignorance mistakenly grasps without clear knowing: sleep. Useless conceptual play and contention: restlessness-and-remorse. Apparently doubtless now, later great doubt arises when the view is broken. These hindrances prevent seeing truth.
After rebuke, the path arises and stream-entry is realized. Above it, attachment to true truth is craving, abandoning delusions of thought anger, unexhausted delusions sleep, lost mindfulness restlessness, not reaching beyond-training doubt. These hindrances extend through the third fruit; removing them is beyond-training.
Next, hindrances arising through emptiness obstruct conventional truth. Sinking into emptiness and satisfaction like a poor person with a little is craving. Hating and refusing to contemplate birth and death is anger. Abiding in unconditioned quiet and unable even to distinguish five salts is sleep. Calling beings who disturb one in emptiness outside one’s sphere is restlessness-and-remorse. Unclear provisional wisdom is doubt. Unless removed, wisdom of the varieties of the path and conventional samādhi do not appear; removed, the Dharma eye clears.
Next, hindrances arising through the Middle obstruct it. Bodhisattvas seek Buddha-Dharma insatiably like oceans taking rivers; loving Dharma and producing path-conforming craving is craving. Disliking the Two Vehicles like a tree rejecting resentful birds is anger. Ignorance remains portion by portion even in high grounds; the Great Treatise repeatedly mentions samādhi breaking ignorance because what is broken initially must be broken again. Lack of wisdom-light is sleep. Bodhisattva actions have no ordinary fault but fall short beside a buddha: restlessness-and-remorse. Initial and later principle is equally perfect, but initial wisdom falls short: doubt.
Unless abandoned, these never accord with true mark. Removed, thusness appears and Buddha-knowledge opens. They exist at every ground, not just the beginning; only the Buddha completes 84,000 perfections. The Bodhisattvabhūmi’s ninth pure dhyāna separated from all views shows this. Hindrances are long and deep, not just desire-realm five.
Sequential verbal classification separates dull and sharp hindrances abandoned by ordinary beings, conventional hindrances by the Two Vehicles, and middle hindrances by bodhisattvas. Later steps separate from earlier; Daśabhūmika and Mahāyānasaṃgraha masters often teach so, making results irrelevant to ordinary beings and preventing cultivation within phenomena.
The Perfect Teaching differs. If wondrous Dharmas were only for higher grounds, a Dharma-nature Buddha in a Dharma-nature land should teach Dharma-nature bodhisattvas. Why manifest in the three realms? To liberate ordinary beings here, making cultivation possible. Otherwise, for whom are provisional Dharmas established and where do they lead? Understanding this, an initial ordinary being can perfectly abandon hindrances in one thought.
The Great Perfection of Wisdom says all Dharmas tend toward desire and do not pass beyond; desire itself is unattainable, much more tendency or nontendency. Tendency is existence: one tending and object tended reveal conventional truth. Desire unattainable is emptiness, without either, revealing true truth. No separate tendency or nontendency reveals the Middle. Three truths are in one desire.
Broad explanation makes it clear. All Dharmas tend toward desire because desire is Dharma realm and root. The first thought already possesses all Dharmas; coarse mind does not know. Desire grows slick and uncontrollable, becoming actual perfuming. One act briefly eases inner heat; repeated acts leave no moment without thought until one returns home to seek desire. Unsatisfied, one steals, robs, coerces, or trades. Obtaining desire requires support, so one steals wealth or kills for pleasure; rich people indulge in offenses, poor people in vast evil thoughts.
Once desire’s offense and karma are complete, present tendency and established desire-existence bring future birth and death. In every destiny desire blazes more; from embryonic form it grows life after life, twelve links revolving without end. Every Dharma tends toward desire, with none outside its Dharma realm; all hindrances are complete in the first thought of desire. Desire is conditionally arisen; this reveals its meaning.
How contemplate desire-Dharma-realm as empty? Seeking among outer objects, inner mental faculty, intermediate consciousness, together or apart, past condition, present cause, or future result finds nothing. Horizontally and vertically, ultimately quiet, desire is empty in its very essence. All Dharmas born from desire are empty, and emptiness itself unattainable. This emptiness contemplation abandons sharp and dull hindrances.
Knowing one thought of desire as all desire reveals all beings likewise. In humanity alone, forms, sounds, mental conduct, and environments differ, showing immeasurable causes. One person’s cause and result are endless; how much more many? One realm so, much more ten; one Dharma, much more a hundred.
Enemy raiders are the root of martial achievement: defeating them brings fame and wealth. Immeasurable cravings are Tathāgata-seed, giving bodhisattvas innumerable Dharma gates. Much wood makes strong fire; rotten manure produces flowers. “Craving is the path” means this. If craving is first severed and one remains in its emptiness, what produces gates? Scripture says that without severing five desires one purifies faculties. Thus conventional hindrances purify naturally.
Still, desire’s real nature is not seen. It is neither empty nor provisional. Not provisional—where is immeasurability? Not empty—where is quiescence? Both absent, neither tendency nor nontendency. With no tendency, sharp and dull hindrances vanish; no nontendency, conventional hindrances vanish; knowing middle removes another set. Without separate cutting, four sets are perfectly removed in one thought. Breaking twenty-five existences and seeing desire’s real nature is king samādhi, possessing all Dharmas. This is perfect contemplation abandoning perfect hindrances.
Unheard and ununderstood, this gate is identity in principle; understood, identity in name; initially contemplated, identity in contemplative practice. Rebuking form purifies eyes; sound ears; fragrance nose; flavor tongue; touch body; abandoning hindrances mind. Six faculties purified is resemblance; three delusions broken and truths revealed partial truth; exhausting desire-hindrance ultimate. The other four hindrances are perfectly abandoned likewise.
Regulating Five Matters: Phenomenal Regulation〔Section Twenty〕
Fourth is regulating five matters: food, sleep, body, breath, and mind. As in the earlier potter simile, a vessel cannot be made if clay and water are not properly balanced; if these five matters are not properly regulated, one cannot enter dhyāna. Sleep and food are regulated outside concentration, while body, breath, and mind are regulated when entering, abiding in, and emerging from concentration.
In regulating food, one should not eat what increases illness, sleepiness, or affliction, but should eat what settles the body and cures illness. In brief, neither hunger nor fullness marks regulated food. The Nirgrantha Scripture says that overeating makes the body difficult to move, produces indolence and negligence, leaves food hard to digest, and loses the benefits of both this and future lives; sleep itself then causes suffering, leaving one dazed and hard to awaken.
In regulating sleep, know that sleep is food for the eyes. It should not be restricted excessively, for that multiplies mental factors and damages one’s work; neither should it be indulged. The earlier rebuke of the five hindrances required sleep to be removed outright because it directly obstructs entry into concentration. Here, scattered mind permits the four elements to relax, so the two teachings have different purposes. In brief, neither harsh restriction nor indulgence marks regulated sleep.
Body, breath, and mind must be regulated together because they depend on one another and cannot be separated. At the first reception of an embryo there are already three matters: warmth, life, and consciousness. Warmth is the material form made from what the parents transmit; life is breath, continuously sustained by karmic-result wind; consciousness is the mind-master of that lifetime. The three are present at conception and grow together, changing every seven days. At the end of thirty-eight such periods, birth occurs and one is called an infant. When the three abide steadily, this is adulthood; when they weaken, old age; when they cease and break apart, death. From beginning to end, the three cannot be separated and therefore must be regulated together.
When first entering concentration, regulate the body so it is neither loose nor tense, breath so it is neither rough nor slippery, and mind so it is neither sunken nor floating. Move from coarse regulation into subtlety and abide in dhyāna. While abiding in concentration, immediately notice and inspect whatever is unregulated and adjust it until stable. It is like tuning a lute and beginning to play: if the melody later fails, one knows a peg or string is out and corrects it as soon as it is noticed. When emerging from concentration, return gradually from subtlety to coarseness, as explained in detail in the Sequential Gate of Dhyāna.
If one can regulate an ordinary person’s body, breath, and mind, they can be transformed into the noble person’s three Dharmas of morality, concentration, and wisdom. The physical body is the basis from which morality arises; breath is the gate for entering concentration; inner mind is the cause from which wisdom arises. This morality relinquishes the base body of evil destinies and ordinary existence, accomplishes the noble person’s six perfections, and fulfills the Dharma body. This breath turns scattered movement and unwholesome discursive thought into the joy of dhyāna and delight in Dharma; wisdom arises from dhyāna and becomes the noble person’s life. This mind turns the mind of birth and death into the mind of awakening, the noble consciousness of true constancy. These three Dharmas together form the noble embryo; from the first mind through the later mind, they can never be separated〔and so forth〕.
Regulating Five Matters: Regulation through Contemplating Mind〔Section Twenty-One〕
To regulate the five matters through contemplation of mind, first take delight in Dharma and the joy of dhyāna as food. The concentration and wisdom produced by initial contemplation of true truth mostly enter emptiness and eliminate Dharmas; this is the mark of hunger. The Lotus Sutra speaks of being hungry, emaciated, and covered with sores and ringworm—this is that mark. Concentration and wisdom produced by the second contemplation of conventional truth mostly support convention and provisionally establish Dharmas; this is the mark of fullness, hence cultivation through kalpas of Buddha-Dharmas as numerous as Ganges sands. The contemplations of emptiness and provisionality are respectively hungry and full, both unregulated. The joy of dhyāna and delight in Dharma of the Middle Way are balanced and moderate, without the partiality of either extreme; this is called neither hungry nor full〔and so forth〕.
To regulate sleep through contemplating mind: the contemplation of emptiness has not yet broken ignorance, so ignorance joins with emptiness, sinks into it, and preserves itself; the mark of sleep is abundant. Emerging into the provisional distinguishes phenomena and subdues ignorance; the mark of sleep is sparse. Contemplation of the Middle Way is relaxed and balanced. If ignorance were completely severed, there would be nowhere for any wholesome Dharma to arise, for dust and toil themselves are Tathāgata-seed: without severing delusion and craving, one can give rise to illuminations and liberations. Yet if ignorance were indulged, how could unsurpassed Buddhahood be achieved? Scripture says that when ignorance turns it becomes illumination, and that by practicing the non-path one penetrates the Buddha-path. The nature of ignorance and the nature of illumination are neither two nor different. How could one sever the nature of ignorance and separately cultivate a nature of illumination? Abiding neither in regulation nor in nonregulation is regulation of sleep through principle-contemplation.
There are also three rounds in contemplating mind to regulate body, breath, and mind together. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra speaks of the body that fulfills the six perfections; regulate this body so it is neither loose nor tense. The Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra says that sudden arising of joyful eloquence is a demonic affair and that its failure to arise suddenly is also a demonic affair. Suddenly arising and urgently practicing the six perfections is tense; suddenly abandoning them is loose; neither tense nor loose marks regulation of body.
In regulating breath, take the joy of dhyāna, delight in Dharma, and wisdom-life as breath. The Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra says that prajñā is neither sharp nor dull: dullness is roughness, sharpness is slipperiness, and neither dull nor sharp marks regulation of breath. In regulating mind, deeming the mind of awakening very difficult to attain is sinking; deeming it very easy is floating. Neither difficult nor easy marks regulation of mind.
Next, regulate these three matters according to the three contemplations. First take a subtle, wondrous wholesome mind as the mind of awakening, as in the four kinds of mind of awakening discussed above. The Tripiṭaka and Shared Teachings sever bonds, enter emptiness, and take truth as realization; this mind sinks. The Distinct Teaching emerges into the provisional to transform others, distinguishes medicine and illness, and broadly knows Dharma gates; the mind of awakening it generates floats. The Perfect Teaching contemplates the principle of true mark, simultaneously occluding and illuminating. Because it is not empty, it does not sink; because it is not provisional, it does not float. Generating this mind is called the mark of regulation.
In regulating body, the Shared Teaching’s severing delusion while clarifying the six perfections is tense; the Distinct Teaching’s emergence into the provisional and differentiation is loose; the Middle Way, relying on neither extreme, is neither loose nor tense. In regulating breath, the Shared Teaching’s wisdom-life entering emptiness is slippery; the Distinct Teaching’s entering provisionality is rough; the Middle Way, relying on neither extreme, is neither rough nor slippery.
Again, within each of the three contemplations regulate body, breath, and mind. In the first contemplation, calming body, breath, and mind is tense, slippery, and sunken, while contemplating body, breath, and mind is loose, rough, and floating. Regulated to the mean, they become preparatory means for entering true truth. In the second contemplation, calming body, breath, and mind is likewise tense, slippery, and sunken, while contemplating body, breath, and mind is likewise loose, rough, and floating. When calming and contemplation reach the mean, they become preparatory means, produce wisdom of the varieties of the path, and see the principle of conventional truth〔and so forth〕. In the Middle Way, calming body, breath, and mind is tense, slippery, and sunken, while contemplating body, breath, and mind is loose, rough, and floating. Regulated to the mean, calming and contemplation become relaxed and balanced, serving as preparatory means to enter the Middle Way and see the principle of true mark.
Practitioners should skillfully regulate these three matters so they entrust themselves to the noble embryo. When about to cultivate but the mind still has nowhere to return, they should diligently unite preparatory means and wisdom-perfection as the pair of parents and entrust themselves to the noble embryo. How could they instead be born into the embryo of hell, the three evil destinies, humans, or gods?
Practicing Five Dharmas〔Section Twenty-Two〕
Fifth is practicing five Dharmas: aspiration, effort, mindfulness, skillful wisdom, and one-pointed mind. The earlier potter simile means that even when every requisite is prepared, the work will not succeed if the potter does not wish to make the vessel, or works without diligence, or does not keep the method in mind, or works without skill, or cannot be single-minded. So too here: although the preceding twenty Dharmas are complete, calming-and-contemplation cannot appear without joyful aspiration and longing, intense exertion of body and mind, continuity thought after thought, skillful preparatory means, and one-pointed resolve.
When one delights in cultivation without weariness, is unremitting day and night, continues thought after thought, skillfully grasps the meaning, and remains of one undivided mind, one can advance along the road. One-pointed mind is like a ship’s rudder, skillful wisdom like nodding toward the course, and aspiration, effort, and mindfulness like poles and oars; lacking one, the vessel cannot remain secure. It is also like a flying bird, which sees its direction with its eyes, steers with its tail, and advances with both wings. Without the five Dharmas, even phenomenal dhyāna is difficult to accomplish, much more concentration in principle. Thus these five serve universally as preparatory means for Lesser and Great Vehicles, phenomenal dhyāna, and concentration in principle.
The Satyasiddhi Treatise takes the four factors of initial application, sustained application, joy, and bliss as preparatory means and one-pointed mind as the substance of concentration. If so, all four dhyānas possess one-pointed mind, and one-pointed mind itself has no distinctions; how could the four dhyānas be distinguished? This account is therefore not adopted here. The Sutra of the Bodhisattva’s Necklace of the Primary Activities says all five factors are preparatory means and the sixth, silence, is the substance of concentration; yet all four dhyānas possess silence, so they remain hard to distinguish. The Abhidharma, however, takes the five Dharmas as preparatory means and all five factors as the substance of concentration, thereby distinguishing what is common and particular among the four dhyānas. One-pointed mind is their common substance, while the factor unique to each dhyāna is its particular substance. Thus it speaks of dhyāna accompanied by initial and sustained application, down through dhyāna accompanied by equanimity. A particular factor arises simultaneously with one-pointed mind and thereby distinguishes the depth or shallowness of that one-pointed mind. The Great Treatise agrees with this account, which is adopted here.
The Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom explains the five Dharmas. First, aspiration means wishing to go from the desire realm to the first dhyāna. Second, effort is needed because the desire realm is difficult to cross; without effort one cannot leave it, like a defector returning to the homeland who finds the frontier hardest to cross. The treatise says that giving, keeping precepts, and patience are ordinary worldly practices, like the courtesies between guest and host, which should naturally be supplied. Seeing evildoers punished, one dares not offend; or, lacking strength, one endures. These do not necessarily require exceptional effort. But to produce prajñā now, one must rely on meditative concentration, and this is impossible without great effort. Only by urgently exerting body and mind can it be accomplished. The Buddha says that even if blood, flesh, fat, and marrow all dry up and only skin and bones remain, one must not relinquish effort; only then are meditative concentration and wisdom attained. Having attained effort, meditative concentration, and wisdom, every undertaking can be accomplished. Great effort is therefore necessary.
Third, mindfulness means constantly keeping the first dhyāna in mind and thinking of nothing else. Fourth, wisdom distinguishes the first dhyāna as honored and precious and the desire realm as deceptive and detestable. The first dhyāna is sought upward as superior, wondrous, and emergent; the desire realm is rejected downward as painful, coarse, and obstructive. Cause and result together yield twelve contemplations. If one relies only on this formulation, it is the same as the six practices of non-Buddhists. But non-Buddhists seek dhyāna exclusively, whereas Buddhist disciples borrow deviant marks to enter the correct mark, cultivate with an uncontaminated mind, and turn it into correct Dharma. Only this is called skillful wisdom. Fifth, one-pointed mind means that in cultivating this Dharma one concentrates a single resolve and does not engage anything else. This is decisiveness of one-pointed mind, not the one-pointed mind that is the substance of concentration after concentration has been entered.
At the next level, aspiration means wishing to go from birth and death into nirvāṇa. In effort, being unmixed with contamination is vigor, while single-minded pursuit is advance. Mindfulness keeps only the quiescence of nirvāṇa in mind and thinks of nothing else. Skillful wisdom distinguishes the faults of birth and death, rebuked by sages, from the peace and bliss of nirvāṇa, praised by the noble ones. One-pointed mind decisively fears birth and death, cultivates the eightfold noble path, and goes straight onward without turning back. With these five Dharmas as preparatory means, one can enter true truth.
At the next level, aspiration means wishing broadly to transform beings and accomplish Buddha-Dharma. Effort means vowing never to retreat or regret even though the natures of beings are many and Buddha-Dharma is far-reaching. Mindfulness is compassion piercing to the bone, like a mother thinking of her child. Skillful wisdom means knowing the many illnesses well, clearly recognizing Dharma-medicines, and fitting them appropriately to the capacities. One-pointed mind means decisively transforming others and vowing to liberate beings, without a different or divided mind.
At the next level, aspiration is like Sadāprarudita wishing to hear prajñā and not cherishing body or life. Effort is his weeping in an empty forest for seven days and nights in order to hear prajñā, then constantly walking or standing for seven years without sitting or lying down. Mindfulness is constantly wondering when he will hear prajñā, without any other thought. Skillful wisdom means that even when there are obstacles, they cannot obstruct him: when he sells his body, Māra cannot conceal him; when Māra hides the water, he pierces himself and sprinkles blood upon the ground, turning demonic affairs into Buddha-work. One-pointed mind is an aspiration fixed without change, never producing a second thought.
At one further level, aspiration means wishing to leave the two extremes of emptiness and existence and enter directly into the Middle Way. Unmixed with the two extremes is vigor; effortless flowing inward is advance. Binding conditions to the Dharma realm so that one thought itself is the Dharma realm is called mindfulness. Cultivating the preparatory means of middle contemplation is called skillfulness. Once the two extremes subside, the mind-water clears and can know the marks of worldly Dharmas’ arising and ceasing without dividing the mind in two; pure and constantly one, it can then see prajñā. This is one-pointed mind.
Summary of Preparatory Means〔Section Twenty-Three〕
These twenty-five Dharmas universally serve as preparatory means for every dhyāna and wisdom. As the gate of contemplation cultivated differs, preparatory means change accordingly, like different melodies requiring different ways of tuning strings. Detailed differentiation would yield immeasurable preparatory means; the writing would become too extensive to record them all, so they may be understood according to the meaning. Here the twenty-five are provisionally treated as preparatory means outside concentration, also called distant preparatory means; by regulating mind through them, one suddenly sees principle. At the moment principle is truly seen, who still divides inside from outside? Where could distance or proximity be fixed?
The Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra says that this wisdom is not attained through inner contemplation, outer contemplation, or contemplation both inner and outer; neither is it attained apart from outer contemplation, inner contemplation, and contemplation both inner and outer, nor through complete absence of contemplation. The present account provisionally follows this meaning in speaking of external preparatory means, but one must not grasp them as fixed and thereby create disputes over right and wrong. Understanding this meaning, sinking and floating each find their place, and both inner and outer become preparatory means. Failing to understand it, neither inner nor outer is a preparatory means.
Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Four〔Lower〕
正修止觀（總論）Proper Cultivation of Calming-and-Contemplation · General Exposition
全文五層 →Full five layers →摩訶止觀卷第五〔上〕
隋代天台智者大師說，門人灌頂記。
由妙解轉入正行
第七是正修止觀。前面六重都依經典開啟妙解，現在則要依這妙解建立正行。燈油與燈明彼此依賴，眼目與雙足互相資助。當行與解都勤奮起來，三障、四魔也會紛紛競相生起；深重的昏沉與巨大的散亂，會遮蔽、動搖原有的定與明。
對這些境相，既不可隨順，也不可畏懼。隨順它，會把人帶向惡道；畏懼它，會妨礙正法的修習。應當用觀來觀昏沉，使昏沉當下轉為明朗；用止來止息散亂，使散亂當下轉為寂靜。這好像豬揩擦金山、眾多水流入海、柴薪使火更熾、風助求羅而已。
這金剛一般的觀，能割破煩惱的軍陣；這牢固強健的足，能越過生死的曠野。智慧由行而清淨，行又由智慧而增進。照耀、滋潤、引導、通達，彼此交織而莊嚴；如同一個身體的兩隻手，互相揩拭磨治。如此不只向內開拓、遮除障礙，增進自己的道路；又能精通經論，向外啟發未曾聞法的人。既能雕琢自己，又能雕琢他人，自利利他都具足。能為眾人之師、國家之寶的，不是這樣的人，又會是誰？
他又學習佛的慈悲，沒有一點慳惜，把止觀說給別人，布施給別人。這就像打開寶藏之門，傾出其中所藏，捨出如意寶珠。寶珠放光，又降下珍寶；既照破黑暗，也使匱乏者豐足，在長夜中放出明光，救濟窮困。駕著止觀兩輪便能到達遠方，張開行解兩翼便能高飛。玉一般溫潤，碧一般鮮明，哪裡說得盡它的美好？即使香城粉骨、雪嶺投身，又哪裡足以報答法恩？
聞法之器與人法之失
快馬只要見到鞭子的影子，立即走上正路。愚癡遲鈍的人卻像毒氣已經深入，失去本心。他既然不信，法便不能入手；又沒有聽聞佛法的鉤，所以聽了也不能理解。他缺少智慧之眼，不能分別真偽；全身像麻痺癩病，想走一步也不能前進，自己還不覺不知。這種積聚大罪的人，何必費力為他說法？
即使他厭離世間，也可能只玩味低劣之乘，攀附枝葉，好像狗只親近作務的人；又可能把獼猴敬作帝釋，把瓦礫奉作明珠。這樣的黑暗之人，怎能和他談道？又有一類禪人，不通達別人的根性，只一味教人服用乳藥；或說體心、踏心，或教和融、覺覓，或說泯滅、明了，都只循著同一條軌轍。障礙與難事有千萬條路，他卻紛然不識；才見到一點異相，立即判作道。他自己不是法器，又缺少雕琢別人的能力；師徒如盲者與跛者相依，二人一同墮落，像瞎眼跛足的人在夜間遊走，實在可憐。不應對上述各類人說這一止觀。止觀之法，對高尚的人便成就其高尚，對卑劣的人便顯出其卑劣。
開所觀境為十
現在把止觀所對的境開為十種：第一，陰界入；第二，煩惱；第三，病患；第四，業相；第五，魔事；第六，禪定；第七，諸見；第八，增上慢；第九，二乘；第十，菩薩。這十種境，都能覆蔽、障礙止觀。
把『陰』放在最初，有兩個理由：第一，它就在眼前；第二，它依據經說。《大品》說：『聲聞人依四念處行道；菩薩最初觀色，乃至觀一切種智。』每一章都是如此，所以沒有違背經典。修行人既已受身，誰不是陰入這副重擔當下就在面前？因此最初觀它。其後若發起不同的相狀，才另外排作下一境。
五陰與四大和合，若不照察，便不知不覺向前奔馳。好像關在船艙裡順水而下，怎會知道船正飛奔急進？若回頭逆流而上，才開始察覺水流迅疾。既然觀察五陰之果，就會觸動煩惱之因，所以繼五陰之後說四分。
四大是身體的病，貪、瞋、癡三毒是心的病。平時因為身心相等相合，情識之中並不察覺；現在把大與分一同觀察，彼此衝擊脈與藏，四蛇便偏盛而起，因此生出病患。
無量業行多得不可計數，微弱的散善不能使它發動。如今修習止觀，無論健康或患病都不廢失，便轉動了生死之輪。有時善業萌發，所以業相動；有時惡業敗壞，所以業相動；有時善業要顯示將受的果報，所以動；有時惡業前來索取果報，所以動。因此繼病患之後說業相。
惡業一動，惡便將滅；善業一動，善便將生。魔急遽出其境界，前來製造種種留難，或者破壞行者的道，所以繼業相之後說魔事。
若能越過魔事，功德便會生起。由於過去所習的因，或現在修行的力量，種種禪定競相發起；有染著滋味的，有清淨的，有橫向發起的，有豎向發起的，所以繼魔事之後說禪定。
禪定有觀支，由此可能生出邪慧；觀察法時放逸偏僻，便生起種種顛倒，邪僻的辯才又十分猛烈銳利，所以繼禪定之後說諸見。
若知道諸見是錯誤的，止息妄想執著，貪與瞋的利惑、鈍惑都不再生起，沒有智慧的人便以為自己已證涅槃。小乘中也有人橫計四禪就是四果；大乘中也有魔前來為人授記。這些都是尚未證得卻自以為證得的增上慢人，所以繼諸見之後說增上慢。
諸見與增上慢既然寂靜，過去世所習的小乘法，會因心靜而生起。舍利弗捨眼，便是這件事。《大品》說：『像恒河沙那麼多的菩薩發大心，只有一個或兩個能入菩薩位，多數都墮入二乘。』所以繼增上慢之後說二乘。
若能憶念本願而不墮入偏空，種種方便道菩薩的境界便會生起。《大品》說：『有菩薩修六波羅蜜不久，若聽到深法，便生起誹謗，墮入泥犁。』這裡指六度菩薩。通教方便位也可能誹謗，進入真道便不誹謗；別教初心已知有深法，所以也不誹謗。這些都屬種種權巧善根，因此放在二乘之後說。
這十種境，從凡夫的正報開始，直到所稱的『聖人方便』。陰入這一境永遠當下現前，無論其他境發不發，都可以觀它；其餘九境若發起才可作觀境，不發起又有什麼可以觀？又，前八境離正道較遠，須深加防護，才能回歸正軌；後二境離正道較近，到此地位不必擔心全無觀法，稍加修習便可歸正。
十境互發的十門
若不理解種種境如何互相發起，便會生起巨大的疑網，好像站在岔路，不知該走哪一條。若事先聽過這些法相，任憑境界如何變怪，內心仍可安然如虛空。互發共有十門：次第與不次第、雜與不雜、具與不具、作意與不作意、成與不成、益與不益、久與不久、難與不難、更與不更，以及三障與四魔；合稱九雙七隻。
次第與不次第
次第有三種意義，就是法、修、發。所謂法，是法本身有由淺至深的次第；所謂修，是前世曾依次研習，或者今世依次修習；所謂發，是依著次第修，也依著次第發起。
不次第也有法、修、發三義。就發說，發起的先後不一定，可能先發菩薩境，後發陰入境；雖然不按次序，十種數目仍然完整。就修說，若四大違逆，便先修治病患；若四分增多，便先修治煩惱。每一境都如此，哪一境勢力強，便先修哪一境。
就法說，眼、耳、鼻、舌以及陰、入、界等，都是寂靜門，也都是法界，何必捨棄此法而另取彼法？這出自《寶篋經》〔云云〕。應知法界之外，再沒有另一個法可以排成次第。
煩惱就是法界，如《無行經》說：『貪欲就是道。』《淨名經》說：『行於非道，通達佛道。』既已通達佛道，便不再另有次第。
病患就是法界，如《淨名經》說：『我現在的病不真實也非實有；眾生的病也不真實、非實有。』以此調治自己，也度化眾生。維摩詰在方丈示現疾病，如來在雙林示現病行，正是這一意義。
業相就是法界。業屬行陰。《法華經》說：『深深通達罪福之相，普遍照耀十方；微妙清淨的法身，具足三十二相。』通達業由因緣而生、不能自在，所以是空；以這一業破除業。若眾生應由某種業得度，便示現種種業，以這一業建立業。業與非業、繫縛與解脫都不可得；普門示現，雙照繫縛與解脫，所以稱為『深達』，哪裡只夠做方等教法之師？
魔事就是法界。《首楞嚴經》說：『魔界如，佛界如，同是一如，沒有兩個如。』在實際之中尚且見不到佛，何況能見到魔？即使有魔，也像把良藥塗在鞋底，正好可以讓人乘用駕御〔云云〕。
禪就是法界。能觀察心性，便稱為上定；這就是首楞嚴。內心不昏昧、不散亂，進入王三昧，一切三昧都收入其中。
見就是法界。《淨名經》說：『從邪相進入正相，在種種見中不動而修三十七道品。』又可動而修、不動而修、亦動亦不動而修、非動非不動而修三十七道品。以見作入門，也以見作侍者。
慢就是法界，仍不離煩惱。觀察慢的無慢、大慢、非慢非不慢，由此成就祕密藏，進入大涅槃。
二乘就是法界。若只『見到空，見不到不空』〔云云〕，便須知道『有智慧的人見空，也見不空』；又說：『決了聲聞法，是一切經中的王；聽聞以後如實思惟，便能接近無上道。』
菩薩境就是法界。最下劣的惡法、生死與小乘尚且就是法界，何況菩薩法怎會不是佛道？菩薩方便之權，當體就是實，也就是非權非實，由此成就祕密藏，進入大涅槃。如此，每一法都就是法界，這是不次第的法相。
雜不雜、具不具
所謂雜與不雜：發起一境以後，前一境已經止息，再發另一境，每一境都歷歷分明，這是不雜。若才發陰入，又生煩惱；煩惱還沒止息，又發業、又發魔，又發禪、見、慢等，多境交互、並起、相續疊起，這是雜發。雖然雜發，仍不超出十種境。
所謂具與不具：十種數目都足，叫具；少了任何一種，叫不具。次第、不次第與雜、不雜，都可以再論具、不具；又有總具、總不具、別具、別不具。十種數目全足，是總具；十種數目不能詳悉，是總不具；九種中缺少一數，是別不具；九種之中每一種都詳悉，是別具。
又有橫具、橫不具、豎具、豎不具。例如發四禪直到非想定，是豎具；只到不用處定，是豎不具。發通明禪、背捨等，是橫具；只發七背捨，是橫不具。又，發初禪直到四禪，是豎具；只到三禪，是豎不具。又，初禪九品全有，是豎具；只到八品，是豎不具。又，一品中五支具足，是橫具；只有四支以下，是橫不具。其餘都可照此類推〔云云〕。
修不修、成不成、益不益
所謂修與不修：作意修陰界入，界入因此開解，是修而發；沒有作意，陰界入自行發起，通達色與心，是不修而發；一直到菩薩境也都如此。應以四句作根本，每一句再交織成三十六句，例子如下文煩惱境所說。
所謂成與不成：若發起一境，究竟成就；成就之後止息，再發其餘境，其餘境也各自究竟成就，這叫成。若發起一種境，作起而乍然滅去，不但所發品數缺少，每一部分也都昏暗模糊、不清不楚，這叫不成。前面的具不具只說頭數，此處則論一境之體從開始到終結是否完整。
所謂益與不益：有時發起惡法，對止觀卻有大益，使明照與寂靜轉為更深；有時發起善法，對止觀反有大損，損害寂靜與明照。還可分為增加寂靜而損害明照、損害寂靜而增加明照、二者都增加、二者都損害。
難易、久暫、更不更
所謂難發與不難發：有惡法難發或易發，有善法難發或易發，也有善惡都難發、善惡都易發。
所謂久與不久：有一境長久不退，也有一境才生起便退去〔云云〕。
所謂更與不更：有一境發過一次，又發第二次，乃至一再多次發起；也有一境只發一次便停止，後來不再發。像這樣種種不同，應善知其意，不可錯誤地捨取；一切都要用止觀加以研察，使心沒有滯礙。
三障與四魔
三障四魔方面，《普賢觀》說：『閻浮提人三種障礙很重。』陰入與病患屬報障；煩惱、見、慢屬煩惱障；業、魔、禪、二乘、菩薩屬業障。它們障礙止觀，使止不靜、觀不明；又阻塞菩提道，使修行人不能通達五品與六根清淨位，所以稱為『障』。
四魔方面，陰入本身正是陰魔；業、禪、二乘、菩薩等都屬行陰，也名陰魔。煩惱、見、慢等是煩惱魔。病患是死亡之因，所以名死魔。魔事是天子魔。魔有『奪者』之義：破壞觀，叫『奪命』；破壞止，叫『奪身』。魔又有『磨訛』之義：磨損、訛變觀，使它黑暗；磨損、訛變止，使它散逸，所以名魔〔云云〕。
互發的二世因緣
問：這些境為什麼會互相發起？
答：都由過去、現在二世的因緣。過去有漸觀種子，今世得到修行之雨，就依次發起；過去有頓觀種子，就不依次發起；過去有不定種子，就雜亂發起。過去修習時數目具足，今世便具足發起；過去修時數目不具足，今世便不具足發起。過去曾經證得，今世發起便能成；過去只是修而未證，今世發起便不成。過去的因強，今世不修也會發起；今世的緣強，便要等待修習才發起。
過去的因與今世的緣都善巧，而且迴向上道，今世所發便有利益；過去因緣中夾雜毒害，今世所發便造成損害。所發境原來的因力弱，便不久住；原來的因力強，便久住。從麁住、細住一直到四禪，都應一層一層判別強弱〔云云〕。
善境容易發，是因關閉遮障輕；善境難發，是因遮障重。惡境難發，是因根性銳利；惡境容易發，是因根性遲鈍。惡境將滅時會前來告別，善境將生時會前來相告，這樣只發一次而不再發。善境將滅時會來求救，惡境將興時會來求受，這樣便更更更更，反覆發起。
這些都須口傳決要，運用智慧仔細籌量；不可只憑自己的心意，錯誤判定是非。對此一定要慎重！一定要勤勉！一定要看重！
私料簡十六番
一、法如塵沙，境為何定為十
問：法多如塵沙，所觀境為什麼固定說十種？
答：譬如大地只有一個，卻能生出種種芽。數目定為十，既不過廣也不過略，能使義理容易明白，所以說十種。
二、十境如何通、如何別
問：十種境的通義與別義是什麼？
答：眾生受身之初，沒有一人沒有身；諸經所說觀法又多從色開始，所以把陰放在最初。可以說陰本、陰因、陰患、陰主、善陰，又說陰因、別陰等〔云云〕。
通名煩惱方面，見與慢同屬煩惱；陰入與病是煩惱之果；業是煩惱之因；禪是無動業，而業就是煩惱的作用；魔統攝欲界，是煩惱之主；二乘與菩薩則由別惑所攝〔云云〕。
通名病患方面，陰界入是病的根本；煩惱、見、慢等是煩惱病。《淨名經》說：『我現在的病，都由前世妄想與種種煩惱而生。』業也是病。《大經》說：『國王現在病得很重。』這是把五逆稱為病。魔能製造病患，三災是外在過患，喘息與喜樂是內在過患；禪中有喜樂，所以也屬病患。二乘與菩薩是空病，而空病本身也空。
通名業方面，陰入是業果；煩惱、見、慢是業的根本；病是業報；魔是魔業；禪是無動業；二乘、菩薩是無漏業。
通名魔方面，陰入是陰魔；煩惱、見、慢是煩惱魔；病是死魔；魔事是天子魔；其餘各境都由行陰魔所攝。
通名禪定方面，禪本身就是禪境。陰入、煩惱、見、慢、業等，全都在十大地法中由定心所攝；魔是未到地定之果，也由定心所攝；二乘、菩薩由淨禪所攝。又可用上、中、下三定統攝：上定攝菩薩與二乘；中定、下定攝其餘八境〔云云〕。
通名見方面，陰入屬我見、眾生見；煩惱具足五見；病屬壽者見、命者見；業、禪等屬作者見，也屬戒取見；魔由使作者見、使受者見、使起者見等所攝。又，生死由邊見所攝；慢由我見所攝；二乘與方便菩薩等，都由曲見所攝。
通名慢方面，陰入由我慢所攝；煩惱由慢慢所攝；病患由不如慢所攝；業由憍慢所攝，因為憍慢所以造業；魔由大慢所攝；禪由憍慢所攝；見也由大慢所攝；二乘與菩薩由增上慢所攝。
通名二乘方面，以四念處與四諦法統攝其餘九境。通名菩薩境方面，以四弘誓願統攝其餘九境。
三、行人也可通名嗎
問：境、法、名稱都可以相通，修行人也可以通名嗎？
答：《大經》說：『為什麼尚未發心，卻名為菩薩？』前九境中的人，也都可以通稱菩薩人。若通稱二乘，便有四種聲聞；增上慢聲聞可以攝前面八境的人，佛道聲聞可以攝菩薩境的人。
四至六、無常、有漏、偏真
問：十境都通是無常嗎？
答：《寶性論》說：『菩薩住在無漏界中，仍有無常顛倒。』
問：十境都通是有漏嗎？
答：『漏』的意義可以相通，『有』的意義略有差異。
問：十境都通是偏真嗎？
答：『偏』的意義可以相通，『真』的意義則有差異。
七、通別四句
問：通義已經可以領會，別義又是什麼？
答：十境各不相同，就是別義。又有亦通亦別：陰是受身的根本，也是觀慧的開端，所以特別放在最初。這一境既通又別。後九境都依所發異相得名，只能說是通、是別，不能說亦通亦別。
八、煩惱與病為何不是亦通亦別
問：若是這樣，煩惱也是一切法的根本，原來就是為了對治惑而修觀，也是觀的開端；病身四大也是一切事的根本，原來就是為了治病而修觀，也是觀的開端。為什麼它們不能亦通亦別？
答：若說身由煩惱而生，那煩惱屬於前世；若說今世煩惱由身而有，病又不是恆常生起，所以作為根本之事的力量薄弱。種種經論也不以病作觀的開端，因此不屬亦通亦別。至於非通非別，一切都不可思議：一陰就是一切陰，既不是固定的一，也不是固定的一切。
九、陰入解起為何不另立名
問：其餘九境有不同相狀生起，所以另立名稱；陰入中生起理解，也應另立名稱嗎？
答：陰入中生起理解時，並沒有條然不同的境相，仍由陰入所攝。若執著這一理解，就屬見境；若因理解而生起愛與恚，就屬煩惱境；若招致病患或引來魔事，便隨具體事情分別判攝。若理解生起而明朗，沒有其餘九境的相狀，這只是止觀已有一分氣象。它只有通、別二義，不能說亦通亦別。
十、十境是否條然有別
問：十境果真一條一條分明有別嗎？
答：四念處是陰的別相；觀空聚是入的別相；觀無我是界的別相；五停心是煩惱的別相；八念是病的別相；十善是業的別相；五繫是魔的別相；六妙門是禪的別相；道品是見的別相；無常、苦、空是慢的別相；四諦、十二因緣是二乘的別相；六度是菩薩的別相。
十一、五陰皆境，另有觀嗎
問：五陰全都是境；在色與心以外，另有一個觀嗎？
答：不思議的境與智，就是以陰為觀。也可分別說：不善與無記五陰是境，善五陰是觀。觀若純熟，不再有惡陰，也不再有無記陰，只剩善陰。善陰轉成方便陰，方便陰轉成無漏陰，無漏陰轉成法性陰，也就是無等等陰。這難道不是在作為境的陰之外，分出作為觀的陰嗎？小乘尚且如此，何況不思議觀？
十二、果報陰也應轉嗎
問：若把陰轉成觀，果報陰也應當轉嗎？
答：《大品》說：『色清淨，所以受想行識清淨，般若也清淨。』《法華經》說：『容色鮮潔白淨，六根清淨。』正是這個意思。陰雖然轉，作為所觀的境仍然分明存在〔云云〕。
十三、十境與五分
問：十境與五分怎樣相會？
答：五分判定所發的禪，十種發相則依所發之境來判，現在可把兩者會通。若依次或不依次，一直發到後一境，是進分；只到前九境以內，是住分；作意矜持，是護分；才發便失，是退分；達分可以照理明白。若要在每一境都各作五分，可以用心推知，不必逐條分別。
然而，五分與十境都是法相，可以互相具有對方的意義；六即與十地則是行位淺深，不能比照混同。
十四、無緣無念為何具十法界
問：念的自性遠離，緣的自性也遠離；既沒有緣、沒有念，也沒有數量，為什麼仍具十法界？
答：這是不可思議：雖然無相，卻能現相，觀智分明存在。別人解釋不可思議，說須彌山能容納芥子，芥子能容納須彌山；火中生出蓮華，人能渡過大海，都是就希有之事說不可思議。現在的解釋是：沒有心，沒有念，沒有能行，也沒有能到；這不可思議之理，才勝過希有之事。
十五、十法界互具在因在果
問：十法界彼此相具，是在因中相具，還是在果上相具？
答：因果都彼此相具；只是果位彼此隔別，難以顯示，因心相通，容易知道。例如慈童女在地獄界中發起佛心；又如尚未得記的菩薩輕慢已得記者，若不生悔心，罪報便沒有出期。
再舉其他例子：凡夫與聖者都具五陰，卻不能說聖者五陰與凡夫五陰一樣。佛具五眼，怎能用人、天果報來解釋佛眼？佛又具五行：病行配四惡法界，嬰兒行配人、天法界，聖行配二乘法界，梵行配菩薩法界，天行配佛法界。
十六、作念具還是任運具
問：一念具十法界，是作起一念才具，還是任運自然便具？
答：法性本來如此，不由造作而成，好像一粒微塵本自具有十方分位〔云云〕。
Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Five〔Upper〕
Spoken by Tiantai Master Zhiyi of the Sui dynasty and recorded by his disciple Guanding.
From Wondrous Understanding into Correct Practice
Seventh is proper cultivation of calming-and-contemplation. The preceding six layers all opened wondrous understanding on the basis of scripture; now correct practice must be established on the basis of that understanding. Lamp oil and flame depend upon one another, just as eyes and feet support one another. When practice and understanding both become diligent, the three obstructions and four Māras race to arise; profound torpor and vast distraction cover and shake the concentration and clarity already present.
These objects must neither be followed nor feared. Follow them and they carry one toward evil destinies; fear them and they obstruct cultivation of correct Dharma. Contemplate torpor with contemplation so that torpor itself turns clear; calm distraction with calming so that distraction itself turns still. This resembles a pig rubbing against a golden mountain, many streams entering the sea, fuel making fire blaze more strongly, or wind enlarging the kalā-gurula insect.
This vajra-like contemplation can cut through the battle formation of afflictions; these firm and powerful feet can cross the wilderness of birth and death. Wisdom is purified through practice, and practice advances through wisdom. Illuminating, moistening, guiding, and penetrating interweave and adorn one another, like two hands on one body rubbing and polishing each other. One thereby not only opens inwardly, removes obstructions, and advances one’s own path, but also becomes versed in sūtras and treatises and outwardly awakens those who have not heard the Dharma. Shaping oneself and shaping others, one completes both self-benefit and benefit of others. Who else but such a person could be a teacher of the people and treasure of the state?
One further learns the Buddha’s compassion, withholding nothing, teaching calming-and-contemplation to others and giving it to them. It is like opening the gate of a treasury and pouring out what it contains, or relinquishing the wish-fulfilling jewel. The jewel radiates light and rains down treasure: it breaks the darkness and enriches the destitute, releases illumination in the long night, and relieves the poor. Riding the two wheels of calming-and-contemplation, one reaches far; spreading the two wings of practice and understanding, one flies high. Smooth as jade and vivid as kingfisher-blue—how could its excellence be exhausted in words? Even crushing one’s bones at the City of Fragrance or casting away the body on the snowy peaks would hardly repay the kindness of Dharma.
Vessels for Hearing Dharma and Losses in Persons and Dharmas
A swift horse sees the shadow of the whip and immediately enters the correct road. A foolish, dull person resembles one in whom poison has entered deeply and who has lost the original mind. Without confidence, Dharma cannot enter the hand; without the hook of hearing Dharma, even what is heard cannot be understood. Lacking the eye of wisdom, one cannot distinguish true from false. The whole body resembles one numb with leprosy, unable to advance even one step and unaware of the condition. Why labor to teach Dharma to someone who accumulates offenses this way?
Even if such a person rejects the world, one may only savor an inferior vehicle and cling to branches and leaves, like a dog familiar only with laborers; one may revere a monkey as Śakra and offer gravel as the bright pearl. How can the path be discussed with someone in such darkness? There are also dhyāna practitioners who do not penetrate others’ capacities and invariably prescribe milk as medicine. Some speak of embodying mind or stepping upon mind, some teach harmonizing, awakening, or seeking, and others speak of extinction or clarity, yet all follow only one track. Obstacles and difficulties have ten thousand roads, but they cannot distinguish the confusion. Seeing the slightest unusual mark, they immediately judge it the path. Unsuitable as vessels themselves and lacking the skill to shape others, teacher and disciple rely on one another like the blind and lame and fall together, as though blind and lame persons wandered at night. They are truly pitiable. The calming-and-contemplation described here should not be taught to the kinds of people above. For the noble it accomplishes nobility; through the base it reveals baseness.
Opening the Objects Contemplated into Ten
The objects faced by calming-and-contemplation are now opened into ten kinds: first, aggregates, sense fields, and elements; second, afflictions; third, illness; fourth, karmic marks; fifth, demonic affairs; sixth, meditative concentration; seventh, various views; eighth, overbearing pride; ninth, the Two Vehicles; and tenth, bodhisattvas. All ten can cover and obstruct calming-and-contemplation.
There are two reasons for placing the aggregates first. First, they are present before the eyes. Second, this follows scripture. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says, “Śrāvakas practice the path in reliance on the four establishments of mindfulness; bodhisattvas first contemplate form and continue through wisdom of all modes.” Every chapter is like this, so no scripture is violated. Once practitioners have received a body, who does not have the burden of aggregates and sense fields immediately present? They are therefore contemplated first. Only when a different mark later arises is it arranged separately as the next object.
The five aggregates and four elements combine. If not illuminated and examined, they rush onward without one’s knowing, like someone shut inside a boat’s cabin and carried downstream—how would one know the boat is flying swiftly? Only when turning back and going upstream does one begin to notice how fast the water flows. Contemplating the result of the five aggregates stirs the cause of afflictions, so after the five aggregates the text discusses the four divisions.
The four elements are illnesses of body; the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion are illnesses of mind. Ordinarily, because body and mind are evenly joined, consciousness does not notice. Now the elements and divisions are contemplated together, striking one another through channels and organs; the four snakes become imbalanced and rise, thereby producing illness.
Immeasurable karmic practices are too numerous to reckon, and weak, scattered goodness cannot stir them. By cultivating calming-and-contemplation now without abandoning it in health or illness, one turns the wheel of birth and death. Sometimes wholesome karma sprouts and karmic marks move; sometimes unwholesome karma decays and karmic marks move; sometimes wholesome karma moves to disclose the retribution about to be received; sometimes unwholesome karma comes to demand its retribution. Karmic marks are therefore taught after illness.
When unwholesome karma moves, its evil is about to cease; when wholesome karma moves, goodness is about to arise. Māra urgently emits its realm and arrives to make many difficulties or destroy the practitioner’s path. Demonic affairs are therefore taught after karmic marks.
If demonic affairs can be crossed, merit arises. Through causes cultivated in the past or the power of present practice, many kinds of meditative concentration race to arise: some with attachment to savor, some pure, some arising horizontally, and some vertically. Meditative concentration is therefore taught after demonic affairs.
Meditative concentration has a factor of contemplation, from which wrong wisdom may arise. When one contemplates Dharmas in a negligent and one-sided manner, many inversions arise, and deviant eloquence becomes extremely fierce and sharp. Various views are therefore taught after meditative concentration.
If one knows the various views are wrong, stops delusive thought and attachment, and neither sharp nor dull delusions of greed and anger arise, a person without wisdom supposes nirvāṇa has been realized. In the Lesser Vehicle, some falsely reckon the four dhyānas as the four fruits; in the Great Vehicle, a Māra may arrive and bestow a prediction. These are persons of overbearing pride who have not realized but suppose they have. Overbearing pride is therefore taught after various views.
Once views and overbearing pride become quiet, Lesser Vehicle Dharma cultivated in past lives may arise because mind is still. Śāriputra’s relinquishing his eye is such an event. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says, “Among bodhisattvas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges who arouse the great mind, only one or two enter the bodhisattva stage; most fall into the Two Vehicles.” The Two Vehicles are therefore taught after overbearing pride.
If one can remember the original vow and not fall into one-sided emptiness, objects belonging to bodhisattvas on many paths of preparatory means arise. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says, “Some bodhisattvas who have not long cultivated the six perfections hear profound Dharma, slander it, and fall into hell.” This refers to bodhisattvas of the six perfections. Those at preparatory stages of the Shared Teaching may also slander; after entering the true path, they do not. The initial mind in the Distinct Teaching already knows there is profound Dharma and therefore likewise does not slander it. All these belong to many skillful wholesome roots and are therefore taught after the Two Vehicles.
These ten objects begin with the ordinary person’s direct retribution and end with what is called “the noble person’s preparatory means.” The object of aggregates and sense fields is always immediately present and can be contemplated whether the others arise or not. The remaining nine become objects of contemplation only when they arise; if they do not arise, what would there be to contemplate? Further, the first eight are distant from the correct path and require deep protection before returning to the proper course. The last two are close to the correct path. Upon reaching these stages, there is no need to fear a complete absence of contemplative Dharma; a little cultivation can return them to correctness.
Ten Gates of the Objects’ Mutual Arising
Failure to understand how the various objects arise in relation to one another produces a vast net of doubt, like standing at a fork and not knowing which road to take. If one has first heard these Dharma-marks, no matter how strangely objects transform, mind can remain settled like empty space. Mutual arising has ten gates: sequential/nonsequential, mixed/unmixed, complete/incomplete, intentional/unintentional, accomplished/unaccomplished, beneficial/nonbeneficial, lasting/nonlasting, difficult/not difficult, repeated/not repeated, and the three obstructions/four Māras. Together they are called nine pairs and seven singletons.
Sequential and Nonsequential
Sequential has three meanings: Dharma, cultivation, and arising. Dharma means that the Dharmas themselves have a sequence from shallow to deep. Cultivation means they were studied sequentially in a past life or are cultivated sequentially in this life. Arising means that they are cultivated in sequence and arise in sequence.
Nonsequential likewise has the three meanings of Dharma, cultivation, and arising. As to arising, the order need not be fixed: the bodhisattva object may arise first and the object of aggregates and sense fields later. Although out of order, all ten remain numerically complete. As to cultivation, when the four elements oppose one another, illness is treated first; when the four divisions increase, afflictions are treated first. The same applies to every object: whichever has stronger force is cultivated first.
As to Dharma, eye, ear, nose, tongue, aggregates, sense fields, elements, and so forth are all gates of quiescence and all the Dharma realm. Why abandon this Dharma to take another? This comes from the Jeweled Casket Scripture〔and so forth〕. Know that outside the Dharma realm there is no other Dharma to arrange in sequence.
Afflictions themselves are the Dharma realm. As the Scripture of the Nonpractice of All Dharmas says, “Craving itself is the path.” The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says, “Practicing the non-path, one penetrates the Buddha-path.” Once the Buddha-path is penetrated, there is no further sequence.
Illness itself is the Dharma realm. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says, “My present illness is neither real nor existent; beings’ illness is likewise neither real nor existent.” Through this, one treats oneself and liberates beings. Vimalakīrti manifested illness in his square chamber, and the Tathāgata manifested illness-practice between the twin trees. This is precisely the meaning.
Karmic marks themselves are the Dharma realm. Karma belongs to the aggregate of formations. The Lotus Sutra says, “Deeply penetrating the marks of offense and merit, universally illuminating the ten directions, the subtle and wondrous pure Dharma body possesses the thirty-two marks.” Penetrating how karma arises through causes and conditions and lacks sovereignty reveals emptiness; this karma breaks karma. When beings should be liberated through a certain karma, many karmic acts are manifested; this karma establishes karma. Karma and nonkarma, bondage and liberation, are all unattainable. Universal-gate manifestation simultaneously illuminates bondage and liberation, so it is called “deep penetration.” How could this be enough only to make one a teacher of the Vaipulya teaching?
Demonic affairs themselves are the Dharma realm. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra says, “The thusness of the Māra-realm and the thusness of the Buddha-realm are one thusness, not two.” Within ultimate reality even Buddha cannot be seen; how much less Māra? Even if a Māra exists, it resembles good medicine smeared on the soles of one’s shoes, ready to be ridden and employed〔and so forth〕.
Dhyāna itself is the Dharma realm. One able to contemplate mind-nature is said to possess the highest concentration; this is śūraṅgama. The inner mind is neither obscured nor scattered, enters king samādhi, and gathers every samādhi within it.
Views themselves are the Dharma realm. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says, “Enter the correct mark through a deviant mark, and without moving from the various views cultivate the thirty-seven factors.” One may also cultivate them while moving, not moving, both moving and not moving, or neither moving nor not moving. Views serve as the gate of entry and also as attendants.
Pride itself is the Dharma realm and never leaves afflictions. Contemplating the nonpride, great pride, and neither-pride-nor-nonpride of pride thereby accomplishes the secret treasury and enters great nirvāṇa.
The Two Vehicles themselves are the Dharma realm. If one only “sees emptiness but does not see the not-empty”〔and so forth〕, know that “the wise see emptiness and also see the not-empty.” It is further said: “Decisively understanding the śrāvaka Dharma, this king of all scriptures, and having heard it, reflecting according to truth, one draws near the unsurpassed path.”
The bodhisattva object itself is the Dharma realm. If even the basest unwholesome Dharmas, birth and death, and the Lesser Vehicle are themselves the Dharma realm, how could bodhisattva Dharma not be the Buddha-path? The provisionality of a bodhisattva’s preparatory means is itself the real and also neither provisional nor real. Through this one accomplishes the secret treasury and enters great nirvāṇa. Thus every Dharma is itself the Dharma realm; this is the nonsequential Dharma-mark.
Mixed/Unmixed and Complete/Incomplete
Mixed and unmixed mean the following. When one object arises, then stops before another object arises, with each one distinctly clear, this is unmixed. If aggregates and sense fields have just arisen when afflictions appear, and before afflictions cease karma, Māra, dhyāna, views, pride, and so forth also arise, so that several objects crisscross, occur together, or follow one another in overlapping succession, this is mixed arising. Even mixed arising does not go beyond the ten objects.
Complete and incomplete concern numerical fullness. If all ten are present, this is complete; if any one is absent, incomplete. Sequential/nonsequential and mixed/unmixed can each be further discussed as complete or incomplete. There are also generally complete, generally incomplete, particularly complete, and particularly incomplete. When all ten numbers are present, this is generally complete. When the ten cannot be known in detail, generally incomplete. When one is missing among the nine, particularly incomplete. When every one among the nine is known in detail, particularly complete.
There are further horizontally complete/incomplete and vertically complete/incomplete. For example, arising from the four dhyānas through the concentration of neither perception nor nonperception is vertically complete; reaching only the concentration at the base of nothingness is vertically incomplete. The arising of penetrating-illumination dhyāna, liberations, and so forth is horizontally complete; arising of only seven liberations is horizontally incomplete. Again, arising from the first through fourth dhyāna is vertically complete; reaching only the third is vertically incomplete. Within the first dhyāna, possessing all nine grades is vertically complete; reaching only the eighth is vertically incomplete. Within one grade, possessing all five factors is horizontally complete; possessing four or fewer is horizontally incomplete. All remaining cases follow by analogy〔and so forth〕.
Cultivated/Uncultivated, Accomplished/Unaccomplished, Beneficial/Nonbeneficial
Cultivated and uncultivated mean the following. Intentionally cultivating aggregates, sense fields, and elements so that sense fields and elements open into understanding is cultivated and arising. When aggregates, sense fields, and elements arise by themselves without intention and one penetrates form and mind, this is uncultivated and arising. The same applies through the bodhisattva object. The four alternatives should be taken as the basis, each interwoven into thirty-six statements, as illustrated below in the object of afflictions.
Accomplished and unaccomplished mean the following. When one object arises and is ultimately accomplished, then stops before another arises, and each further object is likewise ultimately accomplished, this is accomplishment. When one object arises but abruptly disappears, with not only an incomplete number of grades but every portion dark, obscure, and unclear, this is nonaccomplishment. The preceding complete/incomplete concerns only the number of heads; here the issue is whether the substance of one object is complete from beginning to end.
Beneficial and nonbeneficial mean the following. Sometimes an unwholesome Dharma arises but greatly benefits calming-and-contemplation, turning illumination and stillness deeper. Sometimes a wholesome Dharma arises but greatly harms calming-and-contemplation, damaging stillness and illumination. One can further distinguish increasing stillness while damaging illumination, damaging stillness while increasing illumination, increasing both, and damaging both.
Difficult/Easy, Lasting/Brief, Repeated/Not Repeated
Difficult and not difficult to arise mean that unwholesome Dharmas may be difficult or easy to arise, wholesome Dharmas may be difficult or easy to arise, both wholesome and unwholesome may be difficult, or both may be easy.
Lasting and not lasting mean that one object may remain for a long time without receding, or may recede as soon as it arises〔and so forth〕.
Repeated and not repeated mean that one object may arise once and then a second time, or repeatedly many times; another object may arise once and stop, never arising again. These many differences must be skillfully understood and must not be wrongly accepted or rejected. Every one must be investigated through calming-and-contemplation so that mind has no obstruction.
Three Obstructions and Four Māras
Concerning the three obstructions and four Māras, the Contemplation of Samantabhadra says, “The people of Jambudvīpa have heavy three obstructions.” Aggregates and sense fields and illness belong to the obstruction of retribution; afflictions, views, and pride to the obstruction of affliction; and karma, Māra, dhyāna, the Two Vehicles, and bodhisattvas to the obstruction of karma. They obstruct calming-and-contemplation, making calming not still and contemplation not clear. They also block the path of awakening so practitioners cannot penetrate the stages of the five grades and purification of the six faculties; they are therefore called “obstructions.”
As for the four Māras, aggregates and sense fields themselves are the Māra of aggregates. Karma, dhyāna, the Two Vehicles, bodhisattvas, and the like all belong to the aggregate of formations and are also called the Māra of aggregates. Afflictions, views, pride, and so forth are the Māra of afflictions. Illness is a cause of death and is called the Māra of death. Demonic affairs constitute the Māra as a heavenly being. Māra has the meaning “one who takes away”: destroying contemplation is called “taking life,” and destroying calming is “taking the body.” Māra also means “grinding and distorting”: it grinds and distorts contemplation, making it dark, and grinds and distorts calming, making it scattered; it is therefore called Māra〔and so forth〕.
Causes and Conditions across Two Lives in Mutual Arising
Question: Why do these objects arise in relation to one another?
Answer: All arise through causes and conditions in past and present lives. If one has seeds of gradual contemplation from the past, the rain of cultivation in this life makes them arise in sequence. With seeds of sudden contemplation, they arise out of sequence; with seeds of indeterminate contemplation, in a mixed fashion. If their number was complete in past cultivation, they arise completely in this life; if incomplete, incompletely. If realization occurred in the past, arising in this life can be accomplished; if there was only cultivation without realization, arising in this life is unaccomplished. When the past cause is strong, an object arises without cultivation in this life; when the present condition is strong, it waits for cultivation before arising.
If the past cause and present condition are both skillful and dedicated toward the higher path, what arises in this life brings benefit. If poison was mixed into past causes and conditions, what arises in this life causes harm. If the original force of an object’s cause was weak, it does not remain long; if strong, it remains. From coarse abiding through subtle abiding to the four dhyānas, strength and weakness should be judged level by level〔and so forth〕.
A wholesome object arises easily when the enclosure of obstruction is light and with difficulty when the obstruction is heavy. An unwholesome object arises with difficulty when the capacity is sharp and easily when the capacity is dull. When an unwholesome object is about to cease, it comes to take leave; when a wholesome object is about to arise, it comes to announce itself—thus it arises only once and does not recur. When a wholesome object is about to cease, it comes seeking rescue; when an unwholesome object is about to flourish, it comes seeking acceptance—thus it arises again and again and again.
All this requires the essential instructions of oral transmission and the careful weighing of wisdom. Do not rely only upon your own mind and mistakenly judge right and wrong. Be circumspect! Be diligent! Take this seriously!
Sixteen Rounds of Private Analysis
1. If Dharmas Are Like Dust and Sand, Why Fix the Objects at Ten?
Question: Dharmas are as numerous as dust and sand. Why are the contemplated objects fixed at ten?
Answer: It is like the great earth: though one, it can produce many kinds of sprouts. Fixing the number at ten is neither too broad nor too abbreviated and makes the meaning easy to understand; therefore ten are taught.
2. In What Sense Are the Ten Objects Shared, and in What Sense Distinct?
Question: What are the shared and distinct meanings of the ten objects?
Answer: When beings first receive a body, not one lacks a body; contemplative methods in the scriptures also often begin from form. The aggregates are therefore placed first. One can speak of aggregate-basis, aggregate-cause, aggregate-affliction, aggregate-master, wholesome aggregates, as well as aggregate-cause, distinct aggregates, and so forth〔and so forth〕.
Under the shared name afflictions, views and pride likewise belong to afflictions; aggregates and sense fields and illness are results of afflictions; karma is their cause; dhyāna is unmoving karma, and karma is the function of afflictions; Māra governs the desire realm and is master of afflictions; and the Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas are embraced by distinct delusion〔and so forth〕.
Under the shared name illness, aggregates, sense fields, and elements are the basis of illness; afflictions, views, pride, and so forth are illnesses of affliction. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says, “My present illness all arises from delusive thoughts and many afflictions in past lives.” Karma is also illness. The Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra says, “The king is now gravely ill.” Here the five heinous acts are called illness. Māra can create illness; the three disasters are outward afflictions, while panting and joy are inward afflictions. Dhyāna has joy and pleasure and therefore also belongs to illness. The Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas have the illness of emptiness, while that illness of emptiness is itself empty.
Under the shared name karma, aggregates and sense fields are karmic result; afflictions, views, and pride are the basis of karma; illness is karmic retribution; Māra is Māra-karma; dhyāna is unmoving karma; and the Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas are uncontaminated karma.
Under the shared name Māra, aggregates and sense fields are the Māra of aggregates; afflictions, views, and pride are the Māra of afflictions; illness is the Māra of death; demonic affairs constitute the Māra as heavenly being; and every remaining object is embraced by the Māra of formations.
Under the shared name meditative concentration, dhyāna itself is the dhyāna object. Aggregates and sense fields, afflictions, views, pride, karma, and so forth are all embraced by the mental factor of concentration among the ten universally associated Dharmas. Māra is a result of access concentration and is also embraced by concentration. The Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas are embraced by pure dhyāna. They may also be gathered under the three concentrations of high, middle, and low: high concentration embraces bodhisattvas and the Two Vehicles; middle and low concentrations embrace the remaining eight objects〔and so forth〕.
Under the shared name views, aggregates and sense fields belong to the views of self and being; afflictions possess all five views; illness belongs to the views of a living entity and a life-principle; karma, dhyāna, and so forth belong to the view of an agent and also to attachment to precepts; Māra is embraced by the views of one who causes action, one who undergoes, one who generates, and so forth. Further, birth and death are embraced by an extreme view; pride by the view of self; and the Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas in preparatory means by crooked views.
Under the shared name pride, aggregates and sense fields are embraced by self-pride; afflictions by pride in relation to pride; illness by the pride of inferiority; karma by conceit, for one makes karma because of conceit; Māra by great pride; dhyāna by conceit; views also by great pride; and the Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas by overbearing pride.
Under the shared name Two Vehicles, the four establishments of mindfulness and Four Truths embrace the other nine objects. Under the shared name bodhisattva object, the four universal vows embrace the other nine.
3. Can Practitioners Also Share These Names?
Question: If objects, Dharmas, and names can be shared, can practitioners also share a name?
Answer: The Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra says, “Why is one who has not yet aroused the mind called a bodhisattva?” Persons within the first nine objects may all be called bodhisattvas in a shared sense. If called Two-Vehicle persons in a shared sense, there are four kinds of śrāvakas: śrāvakas of overbearing pride can embrace persons in the first eight objects, while śrāvakas of the Buddha-path can embrace persons of the bodhisattva object.
4–6. Impermanent, Contaminated, and One-Sided True
Question: Are all ten objects impermanent in a shared sense?
Answer: The Ratnagotravibhāga says, “Bodhisattvas abiding in the uncontaminated realm still possess the inversion of impermanence.”
Question: Are all ten objects contaminated in a shared sense?
Answer: The meaning of “contamination” can be shared, while the meaning of “existent” differs slightly.
Question: Are all ten objects one-sided true in a shared sense?
Answer: The meaning of “one-sided” can be shared, while the meaning of “true” differs.
7. The Four Alternatives of Shared and Distinct
Question: The shared meaning can now be understood. What is the distinct meaning?
Answer: The ten objects each being different is the distinct meaning. There is also both shared and distinct: the aggregates are the basis for receiving a body and the beginning of contemplative wisdom, so they alone are placed first. This object is both shared and distinct. The latter nine are each named according to the distinct mark that arises. They can be called shared or distinct, but not both shared and distinct.
8. Why Are Afflictions and Illness Not Both Shared and Distinct?
Question: If so, afflictions are also the basis of all Dharmas, and one originally cultivates contemplation in order to treat delusion, so they too are the beginning of contemplation. The four elements of the sick body are also the basis of every activity, and one originally cultivates contemplation to treat illness, so this too is the beginning of contemplation. Why are these not both shared and distinct?
Answer: If the body is said to arise from afflictions, those afflictions belong to a past life. If present afflictions are said to exist through this body, illness does not constantly arise, so its power as a phenomenal basis is weak. Sūtras and treatises likewise do not begin contemplation with illness, and therefore it is not both shared and distinct. As for neither shared nor distinct, everything is inconceivable: one aggregate is all aggregates, neither fixed as one nor fixed as all.
9. Why Is Understanding Arising within Aggregates and Sense Fields Not Given a Separate Name?
Question: The remaining nine objects are separately named because different marks arise. When understanding arises within aggregates and sense fields, should it not also receive a separate name?
Answer: When understanding arises within aggregates and sense fields, there is no distinctly different object-mark; it remains embraced by aggregates and sense fields. If this understanding is grasped, it belongs to the object of views. If craving and anger arise because of it, it belongs to the object of afflictions. If it brings illness or attracts demonic affairs, it is judged according to the particular event. If understanding arises clearly without marks of the other nine objects, this is only a first atmosphere of calming-and-contemplation. It has only the shared and distinct meanings and cannot be called both shared and distinct.
10. Are the Ten Objects Distinct in Ordered Detail?
Question: Are the ten objects truly distinct one by one in ordered detail?
Answer: The four establishments of mindfulness are distinct marks of the aggregates; contemplating the empty village is a distinct mark of the sense fields; contemplating no-self is a distinct mark of the elements; the five methods for settling mind are distinct marks of afflictions; the eight recollections are distinct marks of illness; the ten wholesome actions are distinct marks of karma; the five bindings are distinct marks of Māra; the six subtle gates are distinct marks of dhyāna; the path factors are distinct marks of views; impermanence, suffering, and emptiness are distinct marks of pride; the Four Truths and twelve links of dependent arising are distinct marks of the Two Vehicles; and the six perfections are distinct marks of bodhisattvas.
11. If All Five Aggregates Are Objects, Is There a Separate Contemplation?
Question: All five aggregates are objects. Is there a separate contemplation outside form and mind?
Answer: The inconceivable object and wisdom mean taking the aggregates themselves as contemplation. One may also distinguish them: the unwholesome and indeterminate five aggregates are the object, while wholesome five aggregates are contemplation. When contemplation matures fully, neither unwholesome nor indeterminate aggregates remain, only wholesome aggregates. Wholesome aggregates turn into aggregates of preparatory means; aggregates of preparatory means into uncontaminated aggregates; uncontaminated aggregates into aggregates of Dharma-nature, also called unequalled aggregates. Does this not distinguish aggregates as contemplation outside aggregates as object? Even the Lesser Vehicle is like this, much more inconceivable contemplation.
12. Should Aggregates of Retribution Also Turn?
Question: If aggregates are turned into contemplation, should aggregates of retribution also turn?
Answer: The Great Perfection of Wisdom says, “Because form is pure, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure, and prajñā too is pure.” The Lotus Sutra says, “One’s complexion is bright and fair, and the six faculties are pure.” This is precisely the meaning. Although the aggregates turn, the object contemplated remains distinctly present〔and so forth〕.
13. The Ten Objects and the Five Divisions
Question: How do the ten objects correspond to the five divisions?
Answer: The five divisions judge the dhyāna that arises, while the ten kinds of arising are judged according to the object that arises; the two can now be correlated. If arising reaches the later objects sequentially or nonsequentially, this is the division of advance. If it remains within the first nine objects, the division of abiding. Intentional self-maintenance is the division of protection. Loss immediately after arising is the division of retreat. The division of penetration can be understood by illuminating principle. If one wishes to make five divisions within every object, this can be inferred by mind and need not be differentiated item by item.
The five divisions and ten objects are both Dharma-marks and can mutually possess each other’s meanings. The six identities and ten grounds, however, are differences in the depth of stages of practice and cannot be conflated by analogy.
14. Why Do Absence of Conditions and Thoughts Possess the Ten Dharma Realms?
Question: The intrinsic nature of thought is separated, and the intrinsic nature of conditions is likewise separated. Since there are neither conditions nor thoughts nor any number, why are the ten Dharma realms still possessed?
Answer: This is inconceivable: although markless, it can manifest marks, and contemplative wisdom remains distinctly present. Others explain the inconceivable by saying that Mount Sumeru can contain a mustard seed and a mustard seed Mount Sumeru, that a lotus can arise in fire, or that a person can cross the great sea; they call rare events inconceivable. The present explanation is that there is no mind, no thought, no one who travels, and no one who arrives. This inconceivable principle surpasses those rare events.
15. Do the Ten Dharma Realms Mutually Possess One Another in Cause or Result?
Question: When the ten Dharma realms mutually possess one another, is this in the cause or at the result?
Answer: They mutually possess one another in both cause and result. Results are separated from one another and difficult to reveal, while causal minds communicate and are easy to know. For example, Maitrakanyaka aroused the Buddha-mind within the hell realm. Likewise, if an unpredicted bodhisattva slights one who has received prediction and does not generate remorse, there is no time of release from the resulting offense.
Consider further examples. Ordinary and noble beings both possess the five aggregates, yet one cannot say a noble being’s five aggregates are the same as an ordinary person’s. A buddha possesses five eyes; how could the Buddha-eye be explained in terms of the retribution of humans and gods? A buddha also possesses five practices: illness-practice corresponds to the four evil Dharma realms; infant practice to the human and heavenly realms; noble practice to the Two-Vehicle realms; brahmā practice to the bodhisattva realm; and heavenly practice to the Buddha realm.
16. Possessed through Making a Thought or Possessed Spontaneously?
Question: Does one thought possess the ten Dharma realms only when a thought is made, or does it possess them spontaneously and naturally?
Answer: Dharma-nature is originally so, not accomplished through fabrication, like one mote of dust originally possessing the positional divisions of the ten directions〔and so forth〕.