摩訶止觀 白話全本 · 冊4

Taught by Great Master Zhizhe of Tiantai in the Sui; recorded by his disciple Guanding.

Turning from the Object of the Aggregates, Sense Fields, and Elements to Contemplating Afflictions

Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Eight [Upper].

Second, contemplating the object of afflictions. If one has contemplated the aggregates, sense fields, and elements without being able to awaken and enter, it is not fitting to remain exclusively with that one object forever. If continued contemplation stirs afflictions and greed and anger erupt violently, one should temporarily leave the object of the aggregates, sense fields, and elements and turn to contemplate afflictions. The preceding rebuke of the five desires was meant to recognize the faults of the five desires. Casting off the five hindrances meant relinquishing coverings already present in ordinary life. Contemplating the aggregates, sense fields, and elements sought understanding within dharmas of retribution. What is contemplated now, however, is intense greed and anger that suddenly erupt with flourishing power. When iron does not meet fire, it appears only black; once it meets fire, it suddenly glows red throughout. Dharmas of retribution are present at all times, and rebuking and relinquishing them is comparatively easy. Once afflictions suddenly arise, however, they are difficult to control.

Why is this so? Although someone may be irascible by birth, counsel and guidance can calm the anger. The anger arising now, by contrast, roars with such violence that it inspires fear. Inverted delusive thoughts present from birth arise and cease intermittently; the delusive thoughts arising now knot together and do not depart. Craving for sexual objects present from birth can still be stopped through restraint; the desire arising now does not discriminate even against a dead mare, much less an object of its own kind. This delusion arises from within mind, domineering and blazing. On seeing an external object, mind goes mad and the eyes grow dark. It resembles flowing water whose speed is ordinarily invisible: place a log crosswise to obstruct it and the surface ripples and surges in successive layers. It also resembles a strong person who does not ordinarily know the magnitude of his strength; when someone provokes him, anger and strength become manifest together. Afflictions ordinarily lie concealed, as though present and as though absent. Entering the place of practice to repent and contemplate the aggregates, sense fields, and elements resembles awakening a sleeping lion, whose one roar shakes the earth. If this object's characteristics are not recognized, it can draw one into creating the gravest transgressions. Not only will calming-and-contemplation fail to be accomplished, evil karma will instead increase, one will fall into a dark and deep pit, and no longer possess the strength to escape. Precisely for this reason, the object of afflictions must be contemplated.

Contemplation of this object has four sections: first, briefly explaining the characteristics of afflictions; second, explaining the causes and conditions through which afflictions arise; third, explaining different methods of treatment; and fourth, cultivating calming-and-contemplation through the ten intentions.

The Name Affliction, Sharp and Dull, and the Four Divisions

First explaining the characteristics of afflictions begins with explaining the name. Affliction is a dark and disturbing dharma that vexes and disorders mental awareness. It can also be said to create agitation for mind, causing mind to suffer disturbance. These are the sharp and dull proclivities among delusions of views and thought. Yet dividing views from thought and sharp from dull is only a provisional enumeration. Why must the five dull proclivities be limited to the class of greed and anger? Various crawling insects cannot actually investigate principle, yet they raise their bodies, spread their fins or wings, glare proudly, and magnify themselves. Must the lowest and most ordinary beings first cling to some particular view? Yet amid walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, a mind of self constantly arises. This shows that the five dull proclivities are not devoid of sharp characteristics. Why, likewise, should the five sharp proclivities consist only of delusions of views and be wholly without anger and desire? Know that the names sharp and dull can both extend across delusions of views and thought.

They are now classified according to the practitioner's stage so that the two objects are not confused. Before meditative concentration has arisen, one may possess worldly wisdom, reason well, debate skillfully, and be intelligent, yet the strength of one's views and delusive thoughts remains weak. At this time all ten proclivities are uniformly included under the dull. After views arise from meditative concentration, the mind of views becomes fierce. All ten proclivities then receive their name from whichever aspect is stronger and are uniformly included under the sharp. It resembles two students, one who grasps Dharma meaning and one who grasps only words. When they debate, the person who grasps Dharma meaning is strong and the person who grasps words is weak. Grasping only words resembles not yet possessing meditative concentration; grasping Dharma meaning resembles views already arising from concentration.

If meditative concentration has arisen and produces delusions of views, they belong to the later object of views. Only afflictions arising before concentration has developed are properly the present object. If dull proclivities remain among the sharp, when seeing the truths severs only the sharp proclivities, the dull should remain. Abhidharma masters say that dull proclivities attached to sharp ones are called “proclivities carried on the back.” When seeing the truths severs delusion, removal of the frontal sharp proclivity simultaneously removes the proclivity on its back. The situation with what is severed through cultivation is the same.

Opened in detail, sharp and dull can become eighty-four thousand; they are now gathered into four divisions. The three poisons—greed, anger, and delusion—arising predominantly are three divisions. Equally conditioning all three kinds of object is called the “equal division.” When the three poisons arise predominantly, initial and sustained thought are present but not abundant. When the three poisons arise equally, this is called “abundant initial and sustained thought.” Whether little or abundant, both are called “scattered activity,” and both can obstruct meditative concentration. The indeterminate state is merely “retributive scattered activity” received as retribution and does not obstruct concentration. Scripture says that one emerges from the concentration of cessation and enters scattered mind, then from scattered mind enters the various meditative concentrations. This shows precisely that this kind of scattering does not obstruct concentration. Masters of the Chengshi Lun say scattered mind includes lack of knowledge and that delusion can obstruct concentration. If so, scattered mind also includes anger and desire; why do anger and desire not obstruct concentration? The present explanation has a different intent, as stated previously when casting off the five hindrances.

The characteristics of afflictions are vast and boundless and cannot be exhausted in speech. To distinguish every one in detail would instead impede entry into contemplation. The Lotus says that for twenty years the poor son was constantly made to remove excrement. Excrement means afflictions, defiled dharmas. If the excrement is completely removed, one can receive the day's wage; if one remains only at distinguishing how much excrement there is, one never receives the wage. Contemplating the excrement of afflictions now is for obtaining the wage of wisdom, not for elaborately differentiating the many characteristics of delusions of views and thought at this point.

If so, why did the five hundred arhats still distinguish them extensively? They had to preserve the Buddha-Dharma, lead the assembly, and penetrate many challenges, and therefore had to distinguish them in detail and breadth. We are now about to enter the path but have neither the ability nor the time to do this. For present contemplative practice, it is not an urgent task. One need only know generally that the four divisions of affliction are all filth and diligently cast them off. Only upon entering the provisional from emptiness should they be distinguished in full detail.

Furthermore, sharp and dull are each gathered into four divisions. All are within the three realms and all are severed by practitioners of the two vehicles, so they are called “shared afflictions.” Beyond the three realms are another four divisions that the two vehicles cannot sever, called “particular afflictions.” If shared and particular delusions are said to relate to each other, how could particular delusions exist apart from shared ones? Shared delusions resemble branches, particular delusions the root. Wisdom of the true truth severs the branches; only wisdom of the Middle Way severs the root. Under an inconceivable understanding, afflictions within the three realms are themselves awakening. How, then, could they not also be particular delusions? This has already been explained above.

Four Characteristics of Arising and Three Kinds of Cause and Condition

Second, explaining the causes and conditions through which afflictions arise. There are three kinds of cause and condition, to be explained below. Afflictions have four characteristics of arising: deep but not acute, acute but not deep, both deep and acute, and neither deep nor acute. The fourth alternative is the general characteristic of retributive delusion, continuously present in ordinary life, and is therefore called “neither deep nor acute.” The other three alternatives arise outside the ordinary pattern and therefore constitute the arising characteristics of afflictions. When arising is so deep and heavy that it cannot be restrained, and contact with external objects makes it increasingly flourish so that no one can stop or control it, this is the characteristic “deep.” When it arises again and again and every arising is heavy, it is called “acute.” Acute but not deep and deep but not acute are known by comparison.

Afflictions arise through three causes and conditions: first, seeds of habitual causes; second, the striking force of karma; and third, Māra's fanning.

Habit means that afflictions accumulated through immeasurable kalpas are deep and heavy, their seeds have ripened, and perfuming has continued without interruption. It resembles a swift current flowing downstream: while following it, one does not notice the water's speed, but placing something crosswise reveals its fierce rush. Practitioners have always followed the current of afflictions and drifted along the great sea of birth and death, wholly unaware of its force. Now that they cultivate the factors of the path and travel upstream against the current of the various forms of existence, afflictions surge up imposingly. At this time one must be diligent, make an extraordinary effort, and practice day and night without pause.

Karma means that evil conduct from immeasurable kalpas has ripened. As though bearing old grievances and debts, how could it willingly let one cultivate the path and escape? Evil karma therefore suddenly arises and damages the contemplating mind, preventing wholesome dharmas from becoming established. It resembles river water whose current cannot be seen while still; when a violent wind suddenly arrives, waves rise as high as connected mountains. If sails and rudder are cast aside at will, the boat is destroyed in an instant. If one single-mindedly keeps the fore and aft correctly aligned, the boat can escape disaster.

Māra means that when practitioners engage in demonic affairs they belong to Māra's people, and Māra does not come to disturb them. When practitioners wish to cultivate the path and leave this realm, departing from here and turning toward there, Māra gathers and captures them with ten armies, so deep and acute delusion suddenly arrives. It resembles the waters of the great sea: even without wind or current, when the great makara fish inhales, myriad things rush toward its mouth and human strength cannot resist. Only by single-mindedly invoking the Buddha's name can one escape. In the simile of fire, shaking loose the ember resembles habit, wind fanning the fire resembles karma, and oil poured upon it resembles Māra. The objects of Māra and karma will be explained separately later. Only afflictions arising when contemplative practice stirs habits constitute the object contemplated now.

Five Methods of Treatment and Treatment through the Ultimate Meaning

Third, explaining differences in treatment. The Lesser Vehicle has five methods of treatment: direct treatment, rotated treatment, unrotated treatment, combined treatment, and complete treatment. These five methods together treat the four divisions of affliction. If the karmic signs that obstruct the path arise, they are explained under the later object of karma〔and so forth〕.

Direct treatment means that every division of affliction contains three kinds, making twelve kinds among the four divisions. Against these twelve illnesses twelve treatments are established, like arranging a battle formation against enemy raiders. This is called “direct treatment.”

Rotated treatment means, for example, that contemplation of impurity originally treats sexual desire, but if it does not suit a particular person, one should change to contemplation of purity and attain liberation. One rotates into cultivating loving-kindness, thinking that beings should be made peaceful and happy through pure Dharma; how could one instead inflict filthy humiliation on them? This is called “rotated treatment.” Teaching contemplation of impurity to someone with intense anger, reflection on finitude and infinity to someone with intense delusion, or discriminating wisdom to someone agitated and distracted are likewise cases in which the illness does not rotate but the treatment does. All are generally called “rotated treatment.” If illness and medicine rotate at the same time, this too is called rotated treatment and also belongs to direct treatment.

Unrotated treatment means that although the illness changes, the treatment never changes. If this person is suited to cultivating one Dharma, this treatment alone is always used. Whether or not the illness treated changes, it is treated by this method and therefore called “unrotated treatment.”

Combined treatment means that if several illnesses are combined, several medicines are also used together. For example, if sexual desire combines with anger, contemplation of impurity must be combined with loving-kindness. When illness combines with one or two others, medicine also combines with one or two others. This is called “combined treatment.”

Complete treatment means applying all the preceding methods together to treat one illness. Thus the Lesser Vehicle first uses the five treatments, then wisdom of the truths, and only afterward can enter the true truth.

The treatment explained in the Great Vehicle is not direct treatment, combined treatment, or the rest. It is called “treatment through the ultimate meaning,” like agada medicine capable of curing every illness. The Lesser Vehicle mainly treats through the other three siddhāntas; the Great Vehicle mainly treats through the siddhānta of the ultimate meaning. Within emptiness and non-arising, who is the affliction, and what is the Dharma capable of treatment? Affliction itself is absent, so what illness could be rotated? Since nothing is rotated, there is no combined or complete treatment. The single medicine of non-arising universally treats all. This is explained with extreme brevity and its intent must be understood skillfully.

One Thought of Desire Sequentially Produces the Various Realms

Fourth, cultivating calming-and-contemplation, again unfolds through ten intentions. First, distinguishing the conceivable object. When one thought of desire has just arisen, it is exceedingly subtle. If it is not immediately stopped, it gradually increases. In pursuit of an object of desire, greed leads a person into what is not the path, even to committing the four grave transgressions and creating the five heinous deeds. This is called “affliction producing the hell realm.” Because of desire, one knows neither shame nor conscience, behaves coarsely and domineeringly, assaults others, preserves no propriety or righteousness, and loses the human kind. This is called “greed and desire producing the animal realm.” Again because of desire, one becomes stingy and greedy, cherishes and guards one's own possessions, and also begrudges what belongs to another household. This is called “greed and desire producing the hungry-ghost realm.” Desire also produces jealousy, suspicion, resentment, vigilance everywhere, a constant wish to surpass others, and a hundred poisonous schemes to injure and defeat them. This is called “greed and desire producing the asura realm.”

Again because of desire, one deeply loves present happiness, marries according to ritual, preserves restraint in all affairs, and accords with humaneness and righteousness. To seek future pleasures of desire, one keeps the five precepts. This is called “greed and desire producing the human realm.” When desire arises, one disdains the coarse and inferior desires of the human world and seeks the excellent and wondrous desires of the heavens, diligently cultivating the ten wholesome actions and preventing evil conduct. Once cultivation matures, evil conduct naturally ceases to arise. This is contemplating greed and desire as producing the realm of the six desire heavens. One may also contemplate the mind of desire, cast it off and rebuke it, purify mind, and become able to produce meditative concentration. These are the heavens of the form and formless realms.

Again, one contemplates desire as precisely the truth of accumulation, and accumulation necessarily evokes suffering. Becoming disenchanted with suffering and accumulation and cultivating the path of escape is the śrāvaka realm. One may contemplate desire as ignorance, creating formations through the desire of ignorance and revolving without end. If desire is stopped, ignorance, formations, and the rest also cease. This is the pratyekabuddha realm. Contemplating desire as a covering, one arouses loving-kindness and compassion and practices giving; one also fears impermanence, through contemplating desire as delusion and so forth. This is the realm of the six perfections. Contemplating desire as never having arisen in the past, not abiding now, and not ceasing in the future, desire is itself empty and emptiness is itself nirvāṇa. This is the realm of the Shared Teaching. Again, one contemplates the mind of desire as possessing immeasurable characteristics. Since the truth of accumulation has more than one characteristic, the truth of suffering likewise has immeasurable characteristics. Knowing that beings' faculties, desires, and natures all differ because of the mind of desire and distinguishing them exhaustively without omission is the realm of the Distinct Teaching.

Anger, delusion, and the equal division—the remaining three divisions of affliction—likewise produce all dharmas in this way. One thought of affliction sequentially producing all dharmas is called the “conceivable object.”

The Four Divisions of Affliction Are the Path, Yet Are Neither Followed nor Severed

The inconceivable object is as the Wuxing says: greed and desire are themselves the path, and anger and delusion are likewise; within these three dharmas all Buddha-Dharmas are complete. Although the four divisions of affliction are themselves the path, one still must not follow them. Once followed, they lead one toward evil paths. Nor may they be annihilated. To suppose that they must be completely severed before there is a path is overweening pride. Not severing delusion and craving while producing various illuminations and liberations is what is called the path. One neither abides in discipline nor abides in lack of discipline. Abiding in lack of discipline is the mark of foolish people; abiding in discipline is the Dharma of śrāvakas.

Why? Ordinary people greedily cling to and follow the four divisions of affliction. Birth and death accumulate layer upon layer; they are fierce, perverse, and difficult to tame, and therefore are called “undisciplined.” People of the two vehicles fear birth and death as if pursued by an enemy and swiftly leave the three realms. Arhats are called “undisciplined” because afflictions in the three realms are exhausted and no delusion remains to be treated. This lack of discipline in which no delusion remains to be disciplined is instead called “disciplined.” Yet a scorched and withered seed cannot sprout, and ruined faculties no longer function.

Bodhisattvas are not like this. They are courageous regarding birth and death and do not savor nirvāṇa. Courage regarding birth and death means being born through non-arising without being defiled by the dharma of birth, like a lotus growing in mud and a physician entering among the ill to treat illness. Not savoring nirvāṇa means knowing emptiness without stagnating in emptiness and not realizing and grasping empty dharmas, like a bird flying through space without stopping in space. Entering nirvāṇa without severing afflictions and purifying the faculties without severing the five desires are precisely the meaning of neither abiding in discipline nor abiding in lack of discipline.

The Mango Pit and Eating Salt: The Fault of Seizing One Extreme

Foolish people in the latter age hear that mango fruit is sweet and pleasing, so they break the pit and taste it themselves, finding it extremely bitter. The sweetness that fruit and seed could have produced is thereby lost entirely. People without wisdom who cut the pit to excess are the same. Hearing “neither disciplined nor undisciplined, without obstructing discipline and without obstructing lack of discipline,” they call “nonobstruction” the “unobstructed path.” Then, claiming unobstructedness, they publicly indulge in sexual dissipation and openly engage in unlawful affairs, without the least shame or conscience and no different from birds and beasts. This resembles eating too much salt and becoming ill from saltiness and thirst. Scripture says that people attached to unobstructed Dharma are as far from the Buddha as heaven from earth. The great scripture says that if one claims, “I cultivate signlessness,” this is not cultivating signlessness. Such a person practices what is not the path while deludedly intending to penetrate the Buddha path, but instead obstructs oneself and becomes equal to vulgar commoners. This is abiding in lack of discipline, not nonabiding.

Other practitioners hear “not abiding in discipline and not abiding in lack of discipline,” fear both extremes, and exert themselves to restrain their conduct, wishing to cultivate wisdom of the Middle Way and break both extremes. Such people cannot embody the understanding that greed and desire themselves are the path. They must first sever greed and desire and only afterward call something the path. This is actually abiding in a disciplined mind and likewise is not nonabiding. Practitioners in the north possess both these faults.

Again, some initially study contemplation of the Middle and first sever greed and desire but gain no benefit. They then indulge their minds and engage in undisciplined conduct. The first time they do so, they gain a slight benefit. Thereafter they continue without stopping, obtain no further benefit, and still refuse to change. Because they themselves formerly gained a slight benefit, they teach others to act likewise and cite scriptures as proof. Those transformed by them obtain only the pleasure of desire and not the slightest benefit of the path. People become unrestrained and immersed until this forms a custom, disgraces the precepts, and violates the Three Treasures. The Zhou destruction of the Buddha-Dharma arose from this. This plainly abides both in lack of discipline and in discipline; what has it to do with not abiding in discipline or lack of discipline? It is a great obstruction; what has it to do with unobstructedness? It only increases what is not the path; what has it to do with the Buddha path? In this way, abiding in discipline and abiding in lack of discipline are both called undisciplined because both are ordinary sentiments, not the practice of worthies and sages.

Eight Propositions of Freedom without Partial Abiding

The complete set of propositions taught here is: not abiding in discipline; not abiding in lack of discipline; not abiding in neither discipline nor lack of discipline; not abiding in both discipline and lack of discipline; also abiding in discipline; also abiding in lack of discipline; also abiding in neither discipline nor lack of discipline; and also abiding in both discipline and lack of discipline.

Why is this so? Afflictions are themselves empty, and thus one does not abide in lack of discipline. Afflictions are themselves provisional, and thus one does not abide in discipline. Afflictions are themselves the Middle, and thus one does not abide in both discipline and lack of discipline. Afflictions simultaneously illuminate both, and thus one does not abide in neither discipline nor lack of discipline. Although one does not abide in the propositions of discipline, lack of discipline, and so forth, one actually also abides in them. Although one truly abides in those propositions, one actually also does not abide in them. This is because contemplative practice does not partially seize one proposition; that very proposition is each of the remaining propositions. All dharmas converge upon greed and desire, and greed and desire are the place to which all dharmas return. Carry this intent throughout all propositions. For example, reckoning greed and desire to exist is called abiding in lack of discipline, while reckoning greed and desire to be nonexistent is called abiding in discipline. The remaining propositions can likewise be taught freely〔and so forth〕.

To embody and penetrate this is called the “unobstructed path”; all unobstructed persons emerge from birth and death by one path. How do they emerge? Sometimes one embodies and penetrates greed and desire as ultimately pure, without bonds or defiled attachment, like empty space, and suddenly emerges from birth and death. This is called “gaining benefit by abiding in discipline.” Sometimes one releases thoughts and observes the causes and conditions of this greed and desire from beginning to end: how many are illness, and how many medicine? Like Vasumitrā entering the limit of freedom from desire and liberating beings, one suddenly emerges from birth and death while making this contemplation. This is called “gaining benefit by abiding in lack of discipline.” Sometimes one gains benefit because discipline and lack of discipline are both negated; sometimes because both are contemplated together. Skillfully weighing in this way when one should abide and when one should not abide, both self and others receive benefit and the bodhisattva Dharma is not diminished. This is using the four siddhāntas to weigh one's own choices.

Bodhisattva Xigen taught laypeople a skillful method of crossing and caused them all to attain patience with non-arising. Bhikṣu Shengyi practiced a clumsy method of crossing and accomplished nothing. Later, while traveling among settlements, Shengyi heard Xigen teach that greed and desire are themselves the path and angrily asked why Xigen taught others a Dharma that obstructed the path. He tried to expel Xigen but did not succeed. Xigen spoke a verse for him, and his body immediately sank down. The bodhisattva knew that Shengyi did not believe and would fall into hell, yet still forced himself to teach him Dharma and plant the cause for liberation in a later life. If one can skillfully contemplate the siddhāntas, then whether for oneself or others, whether benefit is immediate or remote, abiding in discipline, lack of discipline, and the rest has no fault, and not abiding in them likewise has no fault. If one does not understand the intent of the four siddhāntas, whether abiding or not abiding one only weaves a net of craving for oneself, arouses ridicule and conceit in others, obstructs oneself and others, and cannot be called unobstructed.

Light and Darkness Present Together in One Thought without Removing Each Other

When one thought of affliction arises, it contains the ten realms and hundred dharmas without mutual obstruction. Although many, they do not truly exist; although one, they are not annihilated. The many do not accumulate, and the one is not dispersed. The many are not mutually different, and the one is not confused sameness. The many are the one, and the one is the many. Scripture says that the shadow of a tree in darkness is unseen because of darkness, yet the divine eye can see it. This is light within darkness. Obstruction to wisdom is exceedingly blind and dark; this is darkness within light. It also resembles a lamp newly lit dwelling together with darkness at the same time. Such light and darkness neither obstruct nor break each other.

Why? It is visibly evident in the world that when a lamp is lit indoors, no one knows where the former darkness goes upon departing. When the lamp is extinguished, the dharma of darkness returns. Darkness has no source when it comes and no trace when it leaves. As with darkness, so with light. Seeking darkness, one finds no truly existent darkness, and thus light has nothing to break. Seeking light, one finds no truly existent light, and thus darkness has nothing to cover. Although no truly existent light or darkness exists, the functions of breaking darkness and covering light are distinctly present.

Therefore there is no receiving, no attachment, no thinking, and no discrimination. What newly arises is called “not receiving,” and what arose formerly “not attaching.” Not grasping inwardly is called “not thinking,” and not grasping outwardly “not discriminating.” Wondrous wisdom is bright and clear, and therefore this is called “inconceivable,” “mutually unobstructed,” and “not mutually removing.” If the lamp of worldly wisdom goes out, the darkness of delusion returns. If the light of wisdom of the Middle Way abides constantly and immovably like a divine jewel that always shines, darkness does not return. Contemplating the darkness of affliction as itself the light of great wisdom reveals the Buddha's awakening, and delusion no longer returns. The rest is known by comparison with the preceding object of the aggregates, sense fields, and elements.

The Subsequent Nine Intentions: Arousing Mind, Settling Mind, Pervasive Breaking, and Passage and Obstruction

While contemplating in this way, one recollects and grieves over one's past faults and also universally feels compassion for all beings. Why? The principle itself is neither light nor darkness. Through delusion, beings produce the darkness of suffering and accumulation; through understanding the treatment, they possess the light of path and cessation. Compassion arises with regard to darkness, and loving-kindness with regard to light. The mind of the vast vows thereby arises together with the contemplated object. This is arousing the mind of awakening.

To fulfill the vows, one must establish the essential practice; among essential gates of practice, none precedes calming-and-contemplation. Embodying and penetrating the four divisions of affliction as themselves empty is called “calming that embodies the real and contemplation entering emptiness.” Observing the many dharmas of affliction, medicine, illness, and the rest is called “calming that follows conditions and contemplation entering the provisional.” Contemplating all afflictions as identical with the true limit is called “calming that rests the two extremes and contemplation entering the Middle Way.” Skillfully settle mind and cultivate these three calmings and three contemplations, accomplishing in one mind the three eyes and three wisdoms.

If eye and wisdom have not yet opened, obstructions must be broken so that breaking through dharmas becomes pervasive throughout. Contemplate every thought of the four divisions of affliction as the three provisionalities, arising neither from itself, another, both self and other, nor apart from self and other. It also belongs to none of the single, repeated, complete, and other propositions, so delusions of views and thought do not arise. Knowing the illness and also recognizing the medicine, dust-and-sand lack of knowledge does not arise. Being neither true cultivation nor conditioned cultivation, ignorance does not arise. This is pervasive breaking both horizontally and vertically.

To create suffering and accumulation within immediate emptiness is “knowing obstruction”; to penetrate suffering and accumulation as themselves empty is “knowing passage.” Turning every Dharma medicine instead into illness is “knowing obstruction”; knowing the corresponding medicine within the various illness-dharmas is “knowing passage.” Turning Dharma-nature over into ignorance is “obstruction”; when ignorance turns, it becomes illumination, which is “passage.”

Factors of the Path, Twelve Assisting Treatments, Stages, Patient Endurance, and Freedom from Attachment

One also contemplates afflictions and cultivates the factors of the path. As soon as a mind of the four divisions of affliction arises, it defiles the five aggregates. Within one aggregate are immeasurable aggregates, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness each likewise are immeasurable. Contemplating the aggregates as empty breaks the inversions of ordinary people and completes the small withered tree. Contemplating the aggregates as provisional breaks the inversions of the two vehicles and completes the great flourishing tree. Contemplating the aggregates as the Middle abolishes the teachings of both withering and flourishing; the two extremes become quiescent and one enters great nirvāṇa. This extends through opening the three gates of liberation and entering the cooling pool.

If coverings and obstructions are deep and heavy, one should cultivate aids to the path. When the strength of understanding and delusion hold each other at a stalemate, assistance must be sought. When external objects evoke sexual desire, assist with contemplation of impurity. When sexual desire arises internally, assist with the liberations. When internal and external jointly evoke sexual desire, assist with the spheres of mastery. When anger arises on meeting an adverse dharma, assist with loving-kindness conditioned by beings. When anger arises on meeting a favorable dharma, assist with loving-kindness conditioned by dharmas. When anger arises from conceptual proliferation, assist with unconditioned loving-kindness. For fixation on annihilation and permanence, assist with dependent origination across three lives. For fixation on self and person, assist with dependent origination across two lives. For fixation on Dharma-nature as truly existent, assist with dependent origination in one thought. When bright and acute initial and sustained thought arise, assist by counting the breath. When dull and sunken initial and sustained thought arise, assist by observing the breath. When they are half sunken and half bright, assist by following the breath. When the strength of aids to the path flourishes, it can open the gate of nirvāṇa.

Before the gate of nirvāṇa has opened, whether one obtains an understanding or a meditative concentration, one should examine it carefully. What is before the eyes is only grass, wood, tiles, and gravel; do not recklessly seize it and call it a beryl jewel. If this is claimed as real realization, which affliction has actually been extinguished? Delusions of views, of thought, dust-and-sand delusions, or ignorance? None of the stages is present, yet one wrongly claims realization, like the squeak of a mouse. If one merely speaks of emptiness upon emptiness, even a bird in empty space is empty. Neither the stage of contemplative practice nor semblance corresponds, and one does not know the stages, yet one usurps and claims a higher stage. This is why one becomes an aberration.

If internal and external obstructions arise, one should patiently endure them well. Failure to endure through them destroys bodhisattva practice. By patiently enduring without movement, the sattva is accomplished and one immediately receives the deserved recompense of meditative concentration and wisdom of the path of semblance.

On receiving this recompense, do not produce attachment to dharmas, because attachment obstructs the real path. If one does not fall from the summit, one becomes free and unobstructed like wind moving through space, enters the copper-wheel stage, breaks the delusion of ignorance, and accomplishes patience with non-arising. It resembles obtaining a great carriage, high and broad, with many servants following, attending, and guarding it; riding this jeweled vehicle, one reaches the place of awakening directly. This is called the four divisions of affliction containing all Buddha-Dharmas. It is also called “practicing what is not the path and penetrating the Buddha path,” “afflictions are awakening,” and “entering nirvāṇa without severing afflictions.”

Thirty-Six and Forty Propositions concerning Nirvāṇa

Explained extensively, “entering nirvāṇa without severing afflictions” has thirty-six propositions. First establish four root propositions: neither severing afflictions nor entering nirvāṇa; severing afflictions and entering nirvāṇa; both severing and not severing, both entering and not entering; neither severing nor not severing, neither entering nor not entering. The first indicates ordinary people, the second those beyond training, the third those still in training, and the fourth the body of principle. These are the four root propositions.

Each root proposition then opens four propositions. The first group is: not severing and not entering; severing and not entering; both severing and not severing, while not entering; neither severing nor not severing, while not entering. The first indicates ordinary people who create evil, the second non-Buddhists who attain meditative concentration, the third non-Buddhists who attain concentration and further produce views, and the fourth indeterminate people.

The second group is: severing and entering; not severing and entering; both severing and not severing, while entering; neither severing nor not severing, while entering. The first indicates those beyond training who analyze dharmas, the second those beyond training who embody dharmas, the third both kinds of trainee—analytical and embodied—and the fourth the intrinsic dark accord of true principle, which is itself entry.

The third group is: both severing and not severing, both entering and not entering; severing, while both entering and not entering; not severing, while both entering and not entering; neither severing nor not severing, while both entering and not entering. The first indicates the two kinds of trainee, analytical and embodied; the second analytical trainees; the third embodied trainees; and the fourth the true principle realized by practitioners still in training and beyond training in the Shared Teaching.

The fourth group is: neither severing nor not severing, neither entering nor not entering; severing, while neither entering nor not entering; not severing, while neither entering nor not entering; both severing and not severing, while neither entering nor not entering. The first indicates the principle in which ordinary and noble are equal; the second the principle of analytical-Dharma noble ones; the third the principle of embodied-Dharma noble ones; and the fourth the principle of analytical and embodied trainees. These sixteen propositions, added to the four root propositions, make twenty propositions of entering nirvāṇa.

There are also sixteen propositions of emerging from nirvāṇa. First establish four root propositions: not severing afflictions and not emerging from nirvāṇa; severing afflictions and emerging from nirvāṇa; both severing and not severing afflictions, both emerging and not emerging; neither severing nor not severing, neither emerging nor not emerging. Each root proposition then opens four propositions.

The first group is: not severing afflictions and not emerging from nirvāṇa; not severing afflictions and emerging from nirvāṇa; not severing afflictions and both emerging and not emerging; not severing afflictions and neither emerging nor not emerging. The first indicates practitioners of the two vehicles who embody dharmas; the second an embodied-Dharma bodhisattva who emerges into the provisional; the third an embodied-Dharma bodhisattva for whom there is both emptiness and provisionality; and the fourth true principle as embodied in dharmas.

The second group is: severing afflictions and emerging; severing afflictions and not emerging; severing afflictions and both emerging and not emerging; severing afflictions and neither emerging nor not emerging. The first indicates one beyond training who analyzes dharmas and assists the Buddha in benefiting beings; the second one beyond training who analyzes dharmas and enters extinction at that point; the third analytical-Dharma trainees benefiting self and others; and the fourth true principle.

The third group is: both severing and not severing, both emerging and not emerging; both severing and not severing, while emerging; both severing and not severing, while not emerging; both severing and not severing, while neither emerging nor not emerging. The first indicates bodhisattvas who enter emptiness using both analytical and embodied dharmas; the second bodhisattvas who emerge into the provisional using both; the third practitioners of the two vehicles using both analytical and embodied dharmas; and the fourth the principle of embodied dharmas darkly according with true principle.

The fourth group is: neither severing nor not severing, neither emerging nor not emerging; neither severing nor not severing, while emerging; neither severing nor not severing, while not emerging; neither severing nor not severing, while both emerging and not emerging. The first indicates the principle of embodied dharmas; the second an embodied-Dharma bodhisattva emerging into the provisional; the third embodied-Dharma practitioners of the two vehicles; and the fourth an embodied-Dharma bodhisattva entering emptiness.

If the four root propositions for emerging and entering are listed separately, there are eight root propositions and forty propositions in all. If the roots of emerging and entering are gathered into four propositions, the total is thirty-six.

Someone asks: Are these thirty-six propositions established only in the Tripiṭaka and Shared teachings, or can they also explain the Distinct and Perfect teachings? The answer is that the intent of embodied dharmas includes everything. If one wishes to explain them separately, they can be distinguished through the four gates of the Distinct and Perfect teachings. Among the four root propositions, neither severing nor entering is the gate of emptiness; severing and entering is the gate of existence; both severing and not severing, both entering and not entering is the gate of both emptiness and existence; neither severing nor not severing, neither entering nor not entering is the gate of neither emptiness nor existence.

Each gate again opens four propositions. In the first gate, for example, neither severing nor entering is the worldly siddhānta; not severing and entering is the siddhānta for persons; not severing and both entering and not entering is the counteractive siddhānta; not severing and neither entering nor not entering is the siddhānta of the ultimate meaning. Four gates can also be made again within this same gate: not severing and not entering is the gate of emptiness; not severing and entering the gate of existence; not severing and both entering and not entering the gate of both emptiness and existence; not severing and neither entering nor not entering the gate of neither emptiness nor existence. Once this gate is understood, each of the remaining three gates is distinguished in the same way.

If entering nirvāṇa through the four gates is so, what are the sixteen gates for emerging from nirvāṇa? They are: not severing and not emerging; not severing and emerging; not severing and both emerging and not emerging; not severing and neither emerging nor not emerging. The first is the gate of emptiness, the second the gate of existence, the third the gate of both emptiness and existence, and the fourth the gate of neither emptiness nor existence. As these four propositions operate in one gate, the remaining three gates are understood by analogy. The thirty-six and forty propositions are likewise known according to the preceding pattern. They thereby universally encompass the meanings of the Lesser and Great Vehicles and of analyzing and embodying dharmas. After understanding this intent, one should contemplate all dharmas by analogy in the same way.

Thirty-Six Propositions concerning Prajñā

Someone asks: If Buddha, nirvāṇa, and prajñā are contemplated in accord with Dharma, these three are the same true mark. Since nirvāṇa has been explained in thirty-six propositions, how is prajñā to be explained? The answer is: since nirvāṇa is itself prajñā, why wait for the question? It will nevertheless now be explained once more.

First establish four root propositions: dharmas arise and prajñā arises; dharmas do not arise and prajñā does not arise; dharmas both arise and do not arise, and prajñā both arises and does not arise; dharmas neither arise nor do not arise, and prajñā neither arises nor does not arise.

The first root proposition then opens four: dharmas arise and prajñā arises; dharmas arise and prajñā does not arise; dharmas arise and prajñā both arises and does not arise; dharmas arise and prajñā neither arises nor does not arise. The first indicates the conventional object producing the prajñā of wisdom of the varieties of the path; the second the conventional object producing the prajñā of omniscience; the third the conventional object producing both kinds of prajñā together; and the fourth the conventional object producing the prajñā of omniscience of all aspects.

The second group is: dharmas do not arise and prajñā does not arise; dharmas do not arise and prajñā arises; dharmas do not arise and prajñā both arises and does not arise; dharmas do not arise and prajñā neither arises nor does not arise. The first indicates the true object producing the prajñā of omniscience; the second the true object producing the prajñā of wisdom of the varieties of the path; the third the true object producing both kinds of prajñā together; and the fourth the true object producing the prajñā of wisdom of the Middle Way.

The third group is: dharmas both arise and do not arise, and prajñā both arises and does not arise; dharmas both arise and do not arise, and prajñā arises; dharmas both arise and do not arise, and prajñā does not arise; dharmas both arise and do not arise, and prajñā neither arises nor does not arise. The first indicates the true and conventional objects jointly producing both wisdoms; the second the two objects jointly producing conventional wisdom; the third the two objects jointly producing true wisdom; and the fourth the two objects jointly producing wisdom of the Middle Way.

The fourth group is: dharmas neither arise nor do not arise, and prajñā neither arises nor does not arise; dharmas neither arise nor do not arise, and prajñā arises; dharmas neither arise nor do not arise, and prajñā does not arise; dharmas neither arise nor do not arise, and prajñā both arises and does not arise. The first indicates the object of the Middle producing wisdom of the Middle; the second the object of the Middle producing conventional wisdom; the third the object of the Middle producing true wisdom; and the fourth the object of the Middle producing both wisdoms together. This completes the first sixteen propositions.

Next place prajñā first and open another sixteen propositions. The first group is: prajñā arises and dharmas arise; prajñā arises and dharmas do not arise; prajñā arises and dharmas both arise and do not arise; prajñā arises and dharmas neither arise nor do not arise. The first indicates wisdom of the varieties of the path illuminating the conventional object; the second that wisdom illuminating the true object; the third that wisdom illuminating both the true and conventional objects; and the fourth that wisdom illuminating the object of the Middle.

The second group is: prajñā does not arise and dharmas do not arise; prajñā does not arise and dharmas arise; prajñā does not arise and dharmas both arise and do not arise; prajñā does not arise and dharmas neither arise nor do not arise. This means true wisdom illuminating the four kinds of object, and its meaning is known by comparison with the preceding group.

The third group begins with “prajñā both arises and does not arise” and again opens four propositions. This is wisdom of the varieties of the path together with true wisdom equally illuminating the four objects〔and so forth〕.

The fourth group begins with “prajñā neither arises nor does not arise” and again opens four propositions. This is wisdom of the Middle Way illuminating the four objects, as understood from the preceding pattern〔and so forth〕. These sixteen, together with the four root propositions, make the thirty-six propositions concerning prajñā.

Thirty-Six Dharma-Bodies

Someone asks: How is the Dharma-body to be explained? The answer is: since prajñā is itself the Dharma-body, why wait for the question? If one wishes to distinguish it, the meaning can be known from the intent and need not be written out at length again.

Again, take the four bodies—Dharma-body, recompense body, response body, and transformation body—as roots. From each body arise four bodies: from the Dharma-body arise the recompense body, response body, transformation body, and the remaining three bodies simultaneously; each of the recompense, response, and transformation bodies does the same. These make sixteen bodies. Again, from each of the four bodies there is entry into one body; each body likewise has four kinds of entry, making another sixteen bodies. Together with the four root bodies, these are thirty-six bodies. Every body is the Dharma realm, so every body can give rise to all the others and can enter all the others〔and so forth〕.

The Third Object: Why Contemplate Illness?

Third is contemplating the object of illness. As long as one has this body, illness is already present. The four snakes differ in nature, and water and fire oppose one another. Owls share one roost; pythons and rats inhabit one hole. This body resembles a vessel filled with poison, a heavy burden, and a gathering place of many sufferings. It also resembles four neighboring states that invade and destroy one another. While their powers are equal, they remain temporarily at peace; when one takes advantage of another's weakness, it annexes it. From these similes one can understand whether earth, water, fire, and wind—the four elements—are harmonious or not. When buddhas greet one another, the customary question is “Little illness and little distress?” The Buddha accords with the world's custom. Since human beings have illness, expedient manifestation cannot be wholly without it; one can say only that illness and distress are slight.

Illness has two levels of meaning: first, illness genuinely undergone at the stage of cultivating causes; second, illness expediently manifested at the stage of realizing the result.

Vimalakīrti lay ill at Vaiśālī, using illness to raise the teaching. Through his own bodily illness, he instructed ordinary people, rebuked the Lesser Vehicle, admonished the Great Vehicle, and together with Mañjuśrī taught extensively about causal-stage illness and three kinds of discipline, as well as resultant-stage illness and four kinds of consolation. The Tathāgata likewise used entry into extinction to discuss permanence and manifested illness to teach great power. All these use expedient means to enter the Dharma gate of illness and guide everyone afflicted by illness and distress. Such expedient illness is not the illness contemplated in this object.

What is contemplated now is the body born through karmic retribution. The four elements act like four snakes and can obstruct and abolish cultivation of the noble path. If contemplated as they truly are, they can instead intensify one's application of mind. Those of highest wisdom and sharp faculties who have already understood patient endurance through the preceding object can penetrate the object of illness without laboriously hearing it repeated. It is now distinguished further for those who have not understood. This resembles felling a great tree that falls after ten thousand strokes of an axe, or carving a massive rock that is finally pierced after a hundred million blows. Therefore the explanation is repeated.

Prolonged illness and distant travel are great obstructions to meditative concentration. When the body becomes ill, one may lose previously cultivated meritorious karma and create immeasurable transgressions. Scripture says: “Destroying the flotation bladder, dismantling the bridge, and losing correct mindfulness.” Destroying moral discipline because of illness resembles destroying a flotation bladder. Damaging meditative concentration because of illness resembles dismantling a bridge. Producing inverted, wrong mind because of illness, cherishing this foul body of pus and blood, and instead damaging the pure Dharma-body is called “losing correct mindfulness.” For this reason, the object of illness should be contemplated.

Furthermore, some people ordinarily enjoy sound health but drift carelessly, linger, and grow indolent. When illness becomes acute, they instead apply mind more intensely and can accomplish many things. Beings differ in faculties and suitability, and some properly awaken within illness. This is taking the four siddhāntas as causes and conditions; therefore the object of illness must be taught.

Contemplation of illness has five sections: first, explaining characteristics of illness; second, explaining the causes and conditions through which illness arises; third, explaining methods of treatment; fourth, explaining harm and benefit; fifth, explaining how to cultivate calming-and-contemplation.

1. Characteristics of Illness

Those thoroughly versed in medicine can skillfully understand the four elements. The best physician listens to sound, the middling physician examines complexion, and the lesser physician takes the pulse. There is no need here to interpret medicine in detail; only its general outline need be known. The pulse concerns the whole medical art and cannot be explained fully here. Only the illness signs of the five viscera are briefly given: a pulse that is surging, large, and straight is a sign of liver illness; light and floating, a sign of heart illness; sharp and thrusting, a sign of lung illness; linked like a string of beads, a sign of kidney illness; heavy and slow, a sign of spleen illness. Fine distinctions are as taught by medical specialists.

If the body is painfully heavy, hardened and aching, withered and numb, weak and atrophied, or emaciated, these are signs of illness of the earth element. If the body is vacuous, swollen, and distended, these are signs of the water element. High heat throughout the body, aching joints, and breathing suddenly fatigued are signs of the fire element. A mind suspended and unsettled, dazed, distressed, and forgetful is a sign of the wind element.

Again, a face without luster and hands and feet without perspiration are signs of liver illness. A blue-gray complexion is a sign of heart illness. A dark, pear-colored complexion is a sign of lung illness. Lack of bodily strength is a sign of kidney illness. Skin rough like wheat bran is a sign of spleen illness.

If a white substance appears over the liver, causing painful eyes, red vessels spreading into white film; if the eyes are damaged, sores arise above or below them, tears flow on meeting wind and cold, or there is itching, stabbing pain, sunken eyes, and frequent anger in response to affairs, this is illness produced when the lungs harm the liver. It can be treated with he exhalation.

If there is faint heat in the heart, hands and feet cold in reverse, vexation and weakness in the chest, dry and cracked lips and mouth, or a mass beneath the navel; if hot food cannot be eaten, while cold food rushes upward against the chest; if there is dizziness, distress, sleepiness, forgetfulness, swelling of the heart, vertigo, slow speech, tightness in the back and shoulder blades, aching limbs, exhaustion of the heart and steaming heat in the body resembling malaria; or if masses or retained water form; if vision seems veiled by cloth so that only near objects are seen and distant ones are not, this is the kidneys harming the heart. It can be treated with chui and hu exhalations.

If the lungs are distended and full, the chest obstructed, both flanks painful, and both shoulder blades ache as though carrying a heavy load; if head and neck are tight, breathing is coarse and can only go out without coming in; if sores cover the body, the throat itches as though containing worms, yet one can neither swallow nor vomit, sores arise in the throat, and the jaws grow rigid; or if wind illness arises, pus and blood flow from the nose, sight grows dim, the bridge of the nose aches, flesh grows inside the nose so breath cannot pass and odors cannot be distinguished, this is illness caused by the heart harming the lungs. It can also arise when cold water and hot food meet and conflict. It can be treated with xu exhalation.

If the hundred vessels do not flow, every joint aches, the body swells, ears become deaf, nose blocked, waist painful, back rigid, and heart and abdomen distended; if qi surges upward and blocks the chest, the limbs are heavy, the face dark and thin, and the bladder region tight, painful, and distressed; if urination dribbles, the urinary passage is obstructed, and feet and knees become cold in reverse, this is the spleen harming the kidneys. In this class of illness, the illness-ghost described by the text resembles the Lord of the Stove, without head or face; when it arrives, it covers the person's body. It can be treated with 𡁱 exhalation.

If wind-itching arises on body and face, the skin becomes rough and scaly, and the whole body itches and feels oppressed, this is the liver harming the spleen. Its appearance is muffled and indistinct, sometimes like a child beating the wood of a stable, sometimes like a whirlwind circling in a mass. It can be treated with 𡀗 exhalation.

Again, constant dullness and sinking mean that the liver lacks the hun soul. Constantly forgetting what came before and after means that the heart lacks spirit. Frequent fear and madness mean that the lungs lack the po soul. Frequent grief or laughter means that the kidneys lack will. Frequent confusion and circling mean that the spleen lacks intention. Frequent despondency and unhappiness mean that the yin lacks essence. These are called “illness characteristics of the six spirits.”

2. Six Causes and Conditions through Which Illness Arises

Illness arises through six causes and conditions: first, illness caused by lack of harmony among the four elements; second, illness caused by immoderate food and drink; third, illness caused by unregulated seated meditation; fourth, ghosts and spirits gaining an opening; fifth, what Māra creates; sixth, illness arising through the force of karma.

Disharmony among the Four Elements

Disharmony among the four elements means performing labor or walking at inappropriate times, relying on strength to carry heavy loads, and what the original text calls 棠觸寒熱, that is, exposure to cold and heat. External heat increases the body's fire; when fire grows strong it damages water, producing illness from an increase of the fire element. External cold increases water; when water increases it harms fire, producing water illness. External wind increases qi; qi stirs fire, and fire in turn stirs water, producing wind illness. Or the three elements other than earth increase and harm earth, which is called “illness of the equal division.” Or what the original calls the 身分 increases and harms the other three elements; this too is illness of the equal division and belongs to earth illness. Once the four elements are disturbed, many sufferings compete to arise.

Immoderate Food and Drink

Immoderate food and drink can also cause illness. Pungent substances such as ginger and cinnamon increase fire; sweet and cooling substances such as sugarcane and honey increase water; pears increase wind; oils, fats, and rich foods increase earth; cucumbers can become causes and conditions for heat illness. These are foods that do not settle the body. Those who eat must distinguish the qualities of food.

After food enters the abdomen, it undergoes what the original calls “locking transformation.” Its coarse and heavy part becomes feces and urine; its refined part “melts and is locked,” flowing from three openings at the waist into the four limbs. The clear part becomes blood and moistens the whole body, like dust receiving water. If blood within the body is insufficient, the body withers and wastes away. The turbid part becomes fat, so former faculties, after declining, become waste while newly formed faculties congeal into flesh.

Again, the body's fire lies below and can “digest what enters the living store,” causing food and drink to “transform and flow,” change, and penetrate the whole body. A common saying states: “If you wish to age and live long, keep the feet warm and the head uncovered.” If bodily fire is above and one also eats food that does not settle the body, illness and distress arise.

Next, the five flavors each benefit and harm the five viscera. Sourness increases the liver and harms the spleen. Bitterness increases the heart and harms the lungs. Pungency increases the lungs and harms the liver. Saltiness increases the kidneys and harms the heart. Sweetness increases the spleen and harms the kidneys. If one knows which viscus has been harmed, one should abstain from the flavor that harms it, eat the flavor that benefits it, and weigh matters attentively oneself.

Unregulated Seated Meditation

Lack of regulation in seated meditation means sometimes leaning against a wall, pillar, or clothing, or lying down before the assembly has left the hall, with mind contemptuous and indolent. Māra thereby gains an opening and makes the spine emaciated and the joints painful. This is called “infusion illness” and is exceedingly difficult to treat.

Next, unregulated breath-counting often produces chronic ailments and contracts the sinews and vessels. If the eight contacts arise but one breathes in a way that conflicts with the contact, illness also occurs. The eight contacts mean that when mind joins the four elements there are four primary contacts and four dependent contacts, making eight: heavy, as if the body sinks downward; light, as if the body rises; cold, as if inside an icy chamber; hot, as if inside a house of fire; rough, as if being pulled backward; smooth, as if polished with oil; soft, as if boneless; coarse, as if the skin has become a husk. Among the eight contacts, four move upward and four downward. Inhalation follows earth and is therefore heavy; exhalation follows wind and is light. Inhalation also follows water and is cold; exhalation follows fire and is hot. Inhalation again follows earth and is rough; exhalation follows wind and is smooth. Inhalation again follows water and is soft; exhalation follows fire and is coarse. If the heavy contact arises but one repeatedly counts exhalations, breath conflicts with the contact that has arisen and illness occurs at once. The remaining contacts are known by analogy.

Again, using only calming without preparatory means can produce illness. Constantly stopping mind in the lower body often stirs earth illness. Constantly stopping mind in the upper body often stirs wind illness. Constantly gathering mind too urgently often stirs fire illness. Constantly loosening mind too broadly often stirs water illness.

Next, unregulated and one-sided use of contemplation can also produce illness. At initial entry into the womb, conceptual mind arises and summons the mother, who then thinks of the five objects—form, sound, odor, taste, and touch. The slightest movement of qi becomes water; water becomes blood; blood becomes flesh; flesh forms the five faculties and five viscera. If seated meditators now think and contemplate excessively, they damage the five viscera and produce illness: excessive conditioning of form stirs the liver; sound stirs the kidneys; odor stirs the lungs; taste stirs the heart; touch stirs the spleen.

Again, the eye excessively conditioning blue stirs the liver; red, the heart; white, the lungs; black, the kidneys; yellow, the spleen. The ear excessively conditioning calls stirs the liver; speech, the heart; crying, the lungs; chanting, the kidneys; singing, the spleen. The nose excessively conditioning rank odor stirs the liver; scorched odor, the heart; raw odor, the lungs; foul odor, the kidneys; fragrant odor, the spleen. The tongue excessively conditioning sour or vinegary taste stirs the liver; bitter taste, the heart; pungent taste, the lungs; salty taste, the kidneys; sweet taste, the spleen. The body excessively conditioning hard touch stirs the liver; warm touch, the heart; light touch, the lungs; cold touch, the kidneys; heavy touch, the spleen. These belong to mutual production among the five viscera; excessive conditioning produces illness.

In terms of mutual overcoming, excessively conditioning white overcomes the liver; black overcomes the heart; red overcomes the lungs; yellow overcomes the kidneys; blue overcomes the spleen. Sounds and the remaining objects are known according to the same rule.

If illnesses of the five viscera are hidden and difficult to know, they can be examined through what appears in seated meditation and dreams. If one often sees blue in meditation or dreams—blue people or beasts, lions, tigers, and wolves—and fear arises from this, it is liver illness. If one often sees red in meditation or dreams—fire arising, red people or beasts, red blades and staffs, young red men and women approaching, embracing, or holding one, or parents, siblings, and others—and joy or fear arises from this, it is heart illness. The remaining viscera are examined by analogy according to the colors seen.

Again, one-sided contemplation disturbs the four elements. If the contemplated object is not stable and one conditions this at one moment and that at another, contention arises within mind. From contention comes chaotic wind, forming wind illness. It resembles walking while leading an infant: one need only follow the child and proceed slowly; if one pulls urgently, hoping for quick arrival, disaster results instead.

If one single-mindedly guards one object while also producing a mind that expects a response, the force of wind and heat cannot be completely removed and heat illness forms. If a contemplated object arises within mind but one instead thinks it has ceased, or it ceases but one instead thinks it is arising, mind and object conflict and produce itching and pain, forming earth illness. If one cannot understand the contemplated object but forces contemplation, the water element increases and water illness forms.

Ghost Illness

The four elements and five viscera are not ghosts, and ghosts are not the four elements and five viscera. When a ghost enters the four elements and five viscera, this is called “ghost illness.” If one says there is no ghost illness at all, deviant shamans who treat every illness as ghost illness can sometimes still effect a cure. If one says there is no illness of the four elements at all, medical formulas that treat every illness with decoctions can sometimes still effect a cure.

There was once a king whose ghost illness originally occupied an empty place and was repeatedly injured by needles. The ghost king came in person and dwelt upon the king's heart; the person holding the needle could only fold his hands and could not insert it. This shows, according to the text, that ghost illness also exists. A ghost does not make someone ill without any cause. In fact, the person produces various wrong thoughts, such as wanting to know good and bad fortune in advance. The Duhuiluo ghost then creates transformations; blue, yellow, and other colors enter through the five faculties, causing wrong understanding to arise in the mental field, and one thereby knows good and bad fortune concerning a person, household, village, or state. This is not the wisdom of a noble one. If untreated, the text says, it will eventually kill the person.

Māra Illness

Māra illness and ghost illness are not wholly different. A ghost merely makes the body ill and kills the body. Māra, however, damages the contemplating mind and the wisdom-life of the Dharma-body, makes wrong thoughts and delusive conceptions arise, and seizes a person's merit; in this it differs from a ghost. This too occurs because a practitioner in seated meditation wrongly thinks of gain and support. Māra then manifests various clothes, food and drink, seven treasures, and miscellaneous objects. After the practitioner receives them and mind rejoices, these objects enter mind and become illness. Such illness is difficult to treat and will be discussed again among the treatments below.

Karmic Illness

Some karmic illness is created exclusively by the force of past-life karma; some occurs when breaking precepts in the present life stirs past karma. Illness formed through karmic force can still be correlated with the offense through the five faculties. The karma of killing becomes illness of liver and eye. The karma of drinking alcohol becomes illness of heart and mouth. The karma of sexual misconduct becomes illness of kidney and ear. The karma of false speech becomes illness of spleen and tongue. The karma of stealing becomes illness of lung and nose. Karma from violating the five precepts makes the five viscera and five faculties ill; only when karmic force is exhausted does the illness heal.

People who keep precepts in this life may also stir past karmic force by keeping them, thereby forming illness. Thus it is said: “If one has grave transgression, a headache can eliminate it; the recompense originally to be undergone heavily in hell is lightly undergone among humans instead.” Illness arises because karmic force is about to be exhausted. Karmic illnesses have many kinds, such as swelling and fullness, jaundice, and weakness. Whenever illness occurs, its source must be searched out and examined attentively before treatment is applied.

3. Distinguishing Treatments according to the Cause of Illness

Treatment should correspond to the different cause of illness. Illness arising from labor, walking, or food and drink must be cared for with formulas and medicine in order to heal. Illness arising from unregulated seated meditation must still be treated within seated meditation by skillfully regulating breath and contemplation; decoctions alone are not suitable. Ghost and Māra illness require profound strength of contemplative practice and great spirit-incantations in order to heal. Karmic illness uses contemplative strength inwardly and repentance outwardly in order to heal. Since treatments differ, their intent must be skillfully grasped; do not take hold of a blade only to cut oneself.

Only six treatments within seated meditation are now explained briefly: first, calming; second, qi; third, breath; fourth, provisional visualization; fifth, contemplation of mind; sixth, techniques.

First Treatment: Calming

Master Wen says: “Fasten mind within an area the size of one bean at the navel. First loosen your clothing, look closely, and acquire the image. Then close the eyes, bring lips and teeth together, raise the tongue toward the upper palate, and make breath harmonious and compliant. If mind races outward, gather it back. If the acquired image cannot be recalled, loosen the clothing and look again, becoming thoroughly familiar with its appearance, then practice as before.” This can treat various illnesses and also produce many meditative concentrations.

While making this contemplation, immeasurable kinds of contact can also occur: sometimes pain like a needle prick, sometimes tightness like a rope pulling, sometimes itching like an insect bite, sometimes cold like water being poured, sometimes heat like fire burning. When these contacts arise, one should be single-minded and diligent without falling back. If one can pass beyond them, various meditative concentrations can arise. If spirit and thought are quiescent and unmoving, this is the characteristic of lightning samādhi. If this can even enable attainment of dhyāna, how could it fail to heal illness?

Mind is fastened at the navel because breath emerges from the navel and returns to enter there, its coming and going both bounded by the navel; from this, impermanence is readily awakened to. Furthermore, when a person enters the womb, consciousness-spirit first joins with blood, and the umbilical cord is attached at the navel. The navel connects and sustains life and is also the source of intestines and stomach. Tracing this source reveals the body's impurity and calms greed and desire. Contemplating the navel through the four establishments of mindfulness can become an entrance to the establishment of mindfulness of body. When cultivating the six wondrous gates, the navel is also the gate of calming and can concurrently become an entrance to the path. This method is therefore often used.

When calming is formally used to treat illness, this passage calls the cinnabar field the sea of qi and says that it can “lock away and swallow myriad illnesses.” If mind is stopped at the cinnabar field, breath becomes harmonious; this is the meaning in which it can cause illness to heal.

Another teacher says: “For upward qi with a full chest, painful flanks, a tight back, pain at the shoulder well, heat and distress in the heart, vexation and inability to eat, swelling of the heart, cold below the navel, heat above and cold below, disharmony of yin and yang, and qi-cough—these twelve illnesses—all stop mind at the cinnabar field.” The cinnabar field lies two and a half inches below the navel. If pain is urgent, move mind to the point Three Miles. If the pain still does not cease, move it above the transverse line of the nails of the two big toes until healing occurs.

Headache, red and painful eyes, heat in lips and mouth, swellings beside the nose, sudden abdominal pain, deafness in both ears, and rigidity of the neck—these six illnesses require placing a contemplated object between the feet and fixing mind upon it. If the abdomen soon becomes swollen, full, tight, and painful with water, remain single-mindedly focused on that object. If mind becomes vexed, rest briefly; when one can bear it again, resume cultivation, relying heavily on the preceding method. If some relief is felt, treatment must continue. If this produces tightness and pain in waist and feet, imagine a pit one fathom deep beneath the feet, move the former object to the bottom of the pit, and guard it with mind; the illness will naturally heal. Practice should occur in a quiet room.

Again, constantly stopping mind at the feet can treat every illness. Why? The five consciousnesses are all in the head, and mind constantly conditions upward. Mind drives wind, wind stirs fire, fire melts water, and water moistens the whole body. The upper body is therefore regulated while the lower becomes disordered, producing many illnesses and sometimes causing the feet to contract or become lame. The five viscera also resemble lotuses, gently facing downward. Conscious mind mostly conditions upward, so qi forcefully strikes the organs, overturning and damaging them and producing illness. If mind conditions downward, it causes fire to flow downward, allowing food and drink to undergo “locking transformation” and the five viscera to become regulated. Stopping mind at the feet is therefore described as an excellent treatment. The text says it was repeatedly used with profound benefit and was often effective when used to treat others; Jiang, Wu, Mao, and others are cited as examples.

Again, one can follow each site of illness in the body and stop mind there exclusively and attentively. If no other object is conditioned for three days, the text says, all will heal. Why? Open a door and wind enters; close the shutters and wind becomes still. Mind conditioning external objects resembles opening a door; stopping mind at the painful site resembles closing it. According to its principle and enumeration, it should be so. Mind also resembles a king and illness a thief. When mind abides here, the thief scatters and is defeated.

Yet mind need not always be stopped only at the site of illness. The Secret Method of the August Emperor says: “The two qi of heaven and earth join, each possessing the five phases metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, cycling like a ring. Thus metal transforms and produces water; water flows and wood flourishes; wood moves and fire shines; fire blazes and earth becomes firm—this is mutual production. Fire meets water and loses its light; water meets earth and cannot flow; earth meets wood and forms swelling and sores; wood meets metal and is cut and injured—this is mutual overcoming.” For example, metal overcomes wood. When the lungs are strong and the liver weak, stop mind at the lungs and take up white qi; the text says the liver illness will heal. The other four viscera are understood by analogy.

Again, calming treats illnesses of the four elements as follows: urgent calming treats water illness; relaxed calming treats fire illness; stopping mind at the crown treats earth illness; stopping mind at the feet treats wind illness.

Second Treatment: Qi

Treating illness with qi means using the six qi 吹, 呼, 𡁱, 呵, 噓, and 𡀗. All six are exhaled and inhaled between the lips, accompanied by movements of teeth and tongue. Move mind slowly and carefully, performing the qi together with provisional visualization.

For bodily cold use 吹, as when blowing a fire. For bodily heat use 呼. For pain in the hundred joints use 𡁱, which also treats wind. For vexation, fullness, and qi surging upward use 呵. For phlegm use 噓. For labor and weariness use 𡀗.

To treat the five viscera with the six qi: 呵 treats the liver; 呼 and 吹 treat the heart; 噓 treats the lungs; 𡁱 treats the kidneys; 𡀗 treats the spleen. All six can also jointly treat one viscus. If that viscus is cold use 吹; if hot use 呼; if painful use 𡁱; if vexed and full use 呵; if there is phlegm use 噓; if fatigued and weary use 𡀗. The other four viscera are treated likewise.

Again, blow qi from the mouth to remove cold, then slowly draw warm qi through the nose, entering gently without collision. Do this seven times in one sitting, then settle mind. After settling mind briefly, treat again with qi; this is formal application of the treatment. If ordinarily only expelling foul qi, once or twice is sufficient. Exhale 呼 through the mouth to remove heat and inhale coolness through the nose. Make 𡁱 through the mouth to remove pain and wind and draw peaceful qi through the nose. When using 呵 through the mouth to remove vexation, lower qi, and disperse phlegm, imagine phlegm in the upper chest leaving through the mouth and phlegm in the lower part flowing down with breath, so nothing need be replenished through the nose. 噓 removes fullness and distension, with what the original calls “peaceful locking” inside the nose. 𡀗 removes fatigue; draw harmonious qi through the nose to replenish and nourish. Exhalation and inhalation must both be attentive and not excessive. If one weighs them skillfully so increase and decrease are appropriate, the text says one can treat not only oneself but also assist others.

Third Treatment: Breath

Form body and mind depend on each other and thereby have breathing, just as firewood and fire depend on each other and thereby have smoke. From smoke's clarity or turbidity one can know whether the wood is rank or damp. By observing whether breathing is forceful or gentle, one can test whether the body is healthy or ill. If bodily movement produces chaotic wind, causing pain and itching, how could there be leisure to apply mind? It must be treated quickly.

First know that breathing has four accompanying characteristics. With sound it is called wind; guard it and mind scatters. Congealed and obstructed, it is called qi; guard it and it becomes still more obstructed. Unable to enter and leave completely, it is called panting; guard it and one grows fatigued. Only when it is soundless and unobstructed, entering and leaving completely, is it called breath; guard it and concentration can be attained.

One should find a quiet place, sit in full lotus, make the body level and upright, relax it, extend the four limbs, and arrange all the bones and joints so they correspond without leaning or bending. Loosen the belt, turn left and right, and adjust into comfort. Place the left hand upon the right, allowing the two thumbs merely to touch slightly. Relax the cheeks, open the mouth a little, and exhale at length four or five times. Then gradually straighten the head and slowly close the eyes without pressing the lids tightly, keeping the gaze dimly and slightly open. Only then use the breath.

Breath treats illness produced when the eight contacts conflict. If the heavy contact produces earth illness, preferentially use exhalation. If the light contact produces wind illness, preferentially use inhalation. If the cold contact produces water illness, preferentially use exhalation. If the hot contact produces fire illness, preferentially use inhalation. The remaining contacts are handled likewise. Once they are harmonized and equal, breathing can be used as one wishes. What is used here is ordinary breath used in counting breaths, not another kind newly created.

Next, separately use twelve breaths: rising breath, descending breath, scorching breath, filling breath, increasing breath, dissolving breath, cooling breath, warming breath, thrusting breath, sustaining breath, harmonizing breath, and replenishing breath. All twelve accompany provisional visualization. Why? At the first thought of entering the womb, one already has breath obtained as retribution. The fetus gradually grows with the mother's breath. Once pathways of wind become open and smooth, the fetus's breathing no longer enters and leaves with the mother's. After birth, when each occupies a separate place, each possesses its own breath. This is called “retributive breath.” Dependent breath is breathing that arises dependent upon mind. When anger or thoughts of desire arise, for example, breath flourishes. This is called “dependent breath.” The preceding six qi add provisional visualization to retributive breath; the present twelve add provisional visualization to dependent breath and therefore differ from the preceding.

The preceding text says that conditioning the five colors produces illnesses of the five viscera. Such illness arises dependent upon the five viscera, so dependent breath is now used to treat it. Rising breath treats heavy earth illness. Descending breath treats suspended wind illness. Scorching breath treats distension and fullness. Filling breath treats withering and emaciation. Increasing breath can grow the four elements; non-Buddhists who ingest qi presumably ingest only this growing qi. Dissolving breath disperses phlegmatic films. Cooling breath treats heat. Warming breath treats cold. Thrusting breath treats abdominal masses, swellings, and toxins. Sustaining breath treats agitation and unrest. Replenishing breath nourishes deficiency and fatigue. Harmonizing breath integrates the four elements. When making each breath, one causes it to accomplish what mind imagines. One must know the illnesses in detail and use the corresponding breath without error.

Fourth Treatment: Provisional Visualization

The preceding treatments of qi and breath already include provisional visualization. Visualization alone is now used to treat illness. Examples are Master Bian's method of treating a goiter, the needle method for someone with an abdominal mass, the method of using “warm ghee” in the Āgamas to treat depletion, and the method of swallowing the snake〔and so forth〕.

Fifth Treatment: Contemplation of Mind

Contemplation of mind treats illness without provisional visualization or special breathing. It directly contemplates this one thought of mind. Sought inwardly or outwardly, mind cannot be obtained. Who, then, is pressed by illness, and who undergoes it?

Sixth Treatment: Techniques

Techniques seem distant when unknown and immediate once known. Examples include methods for treating the throat and teeth and pinching the big toe to treat the liver〔and so forth〕. Techniques are shallow and immediate and largely belong to what the original calls “displayed illusion.” Monastics do not need them and originally should not study them; if already learned, they should be quickly relinquished. Yet when cultivating the four kinds of samādhi, this fragile, foam-like body is uncertain in harm and benefit. Temporarily borrowing techniques to treat illness, settle the body, and preserve practice of the path should not be blamed. But using techniques to solicit reputation, pursue gain, and agitate worldly custom is Māra's illusion and fraud. Cast it off quickly! Cast it off quickly!

If thirty-six beasts disturb a person, the text directs reciting the incantation three times:

波提陀　毘耶多　那摩那　吉利波　阿違婆　推摩陀　難陀羅　憂陀摩　吉利摩　毘利吉　遮陀摩

When subtle mind is first attained, an external object may suddenly touch mind, startling and throwing it, so breath surges upward, the abdomen distends, the chest becomes oppressed, and the head aches and grows dull. The text explains this as the six spirits roaming throughout the body and losing their guarded places when startled and thrown; external harmful spirits enter the body and seize their dwellings, producing these symptoms. Its treatment is to close the mouth and contract the nose so qi cannot leave. Once qi fills the entire body, release it in a long exhalation; from head to foot, imagine the whole body expelling breath and draw it until completely exhausted. Do this three times and then recite the incantation:

支波晝　烏蘇波晝　浮流波晝　牽氣波晝

After reciting it three times, regulate breath and count from one through ten, directing exhalation and inhalation with the words 阿那波那，阿晝波晝. The text says the illness then heals.

The ancient painful treatment recorded here states that if one suffers red or white dysentery, is suddenly struck by a harmful influence, has a blue complexion, rolled-back eyes, blackened lips, and cannot recognize people, one forcefully pinches and presses the cinnabar field by hand and strikes the painful place on the body forty or fifty times with a staff. The original then asks its own intent and says that no illness is not made by mind. When sorrow and anxious thought are present in mind, harmful qi gains an opening. Pain presses the mind so it has no leisure for wayward delusive thought; harmful qi then departs and the illness disappears.

4. Harm and Benefit

Both harm and benefit have gradual and sudden forms. Overusing breath so that the five viscera suddenly overturn is sudden harm. Even if they do not suddenly overturn at first, the condition can gradually intensify until they finally overturn; this too is harm progressing from gradual to sudden. Some who cultivate skillfully suddenly obtain immediate benefit; this is sudden benefit. Others temporarily remain at a stalemate with illness and heal only gradually afterward. It resembles taking a decoction and gaining benefit step by step over months and years. Inner treatments are the same. Sharp mind with light illness, sharp mind with grave illness, dull mind with light illness, and dull mind with grave illness produce the differences of gradual benefit, sudden benefit, gradual harm, and sudden harm.

Worldly medicines consume both wealth and labor. Their flavors are bitter and astringent, difficult to swallow, and accompanied by many prohibitions. People who cherish life and care for the body still calculate whether to take them, in what the original calls 死計將餌. These inner treatments cost not a coin, take not half a day of labor, bring no anxiety over bitterness in the mouth, and permit food and drink as one wishes, yet people uniformly refuse to practice them. Ordinary people cannot distinguish treasure; few can harmonize with a song in a high mode. I grieve deeply over this.

If ten principles are complete, the text says, good results will necessarily occur. The ten are: first, faith; second, application; third, diligence; fourth, constancy; fifth, distinguishing illness; sixth, preparatory means; seventh, duration; eighth, knowing what to retain and discard; ninth, knowing how to care and protect; tenth, recognizing coverings and obstructions.

Faith is the source of the path and the first gate of entry into the Buddha-Dharma. It resembles the person treating leprosy who believed blood to be milk, or someone revering camel bone as a true śarīra. One must now firmly believe that this method can treat this illness without doubt. Yet faith without application still brings no benefit, like holding a sharp sword without using it against raiders and instead being harmed by them. Failure to apply a treatment is the same.

Why is diligence necessary? During the first, middle, and last watches and morning and evening, one must be single-minded and diligent until perspiration appears. Stop halfway while drilling wood for fire and fire is difficult to obtain. Lack of diligence is the same.

What is constancy? Continuously apply the treatment, with every thought abiding on the object without disturbance. What is distinguishing illness? Discern the cause from which illness arose, as explained above. If illness is not recognized and a treatment is applied recklessly, treatment and illness do not correspond and no actual benefit occurs.

What are preparatory means? Skillfully apply the treatment so exhalation and inhalation each find their place and visualization can be accomplished without losing what is suitable. It resembles zither strings that can be loose or tight. Pegs and bridges must be adjusted repeatedly, and the fingers press and pluck with varying force, before sound and rhythm become harmonious.

What is duration? If applying a treatment has not yet brought benefit, continue practicing without interruption, regardless of days or months. What is knowing what to retain and discard? If something benefits, apply it diligently; if it harms, change the treatment. What is knowing how to care and protect? Know the various prohibitions well and do not violate them in walking, standing, going and coming, or food and drink. What is recognizing coverings and obstructions? If treatment brings benefit, do not speak noisily about it. If it has not yet brought benefit, do not doubt or slander it. The text says that if one tells others, an illness not yet healed will fail to heal; even if already healed, it will recur. After recurrence, further treatment again will not heal it; even if it does, twice the effort is required.

If the ten principles are complete and the preceding treatments applied, the text says benefit is certain beyond doubt. The treatise concludes with “guaranteeing and undertaking,” saying that this ultimately will not be false.

Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Eight [Upper].

Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Eight [Lower].

Taught by Great Master Zhizhe of Tiantai in the Sui.

Recorded by his disciple Guanding.

If one skillfully cultivates the four kinds of samādhi with fitting regulation, the treatise says that by power of the path one will necessarily be free of the various illnesses. Even if there is slight conflict, an “unseen blade” will support one and illness naturally dissolve and heal. Suppose many obstructions arise together like mountain peaks: the text establishes the extreme vow of “casting oneself toward death and sacrificing life.” Even if only the faint breath of a remnant life remains, one vows to complete practice in the place of awakening. Once the mind of relinquishment is determined, what transgression cannot be extinguished and what karma cannot be changed? The examples of Chen's needles and Kaishan〔and so forth〕 follow. It then asks in return: could there still be four elements or five viscera that cannot be harmonized and healed?

It resembles Śakra's palace, which minor ghosts reverently avoid. The place of awakening has great spiritual power and does not permit delusive and deviant influences to intrude. It also resembles a strong governor whose city guards are strong; when the governor is timid, the guards panic. Mind is the body's master, and gods of the same name, gods born together, and other spirits can protect people. When mind is firm, guardian spirits are strong. If bodily spirits are already so, how much more the spirits of the place of awakening? It is also like the story told when the Great Treatise explains diligence, in which a ghost sticks to five parts of the body〔and so forth〕. One need only single-mindedly cultivate samādhi, and the text says the various illnesses will be removed.

5. Cultivating Calming-and-Contemplation through the Ten Dharmas

Cultivation of calming-and-contemplation is likewise divided into ten dharmas according to the preceding pattern〔and so forth〕. First, set aside the conceivable object. Illness as a cause and condition can produce mental practices of the ten Dharma realms.

Some people regress from their original mind because of illness, abandon meditative concentration, and slander the Three Treasures. They do not consider the illness a calamity evoked by previous evil karma but instead say cultivating goodness brings no blessed recompense, producing a great wrong view. Others cherish body and preserve life by eating fish, meat, pungent foods, and drinking alcohol without restraint, and by eating at improper times. After illness heals and the body grows strong, they may indulge the five desires. Wholesome mind completely disappears, evil karma blazes, and they create transgressions of upper, middle, and lower grades. This is creating the three evil Dharma realms because of illness.

If someone reflects that the suffering of this illness was evoked entirely by former unwholesomeness, deep shame and conscience arise and one no longer dares to do evil. Even while sunk in grave illness and pain, wholesome mind does not change, and wholesome conduct of upper, middle, and lower grades arises. This is creating the three wholesome Dharma realms because of illness.

If illness causes fear of birth and death and one knows that this ill body is repaying past karmic force, one asks: if more karma of birth and death is created, where will future wandering end? Suffering and accumulation are dangerous and fragile, accompanying one from life to life and making one suffer without cease. One should therefore seek the quiescent and signless nirvāṇa. This is illness producing the śrāvaka Dharma realm.

Again, contemplate this illness. It is one's form body and mind that are ill, and because of this illness they will finally decline, age, and die. Death exists because of birth; birth because of past existence; existence arises from grasping, grasping from craving, craving from feeling, feeling from contact, contact from the six sense fields, and the six sense fields from name and form. Form means the four elements and five faculties; name means the four minds.

Then contemplate from what the five faculties and four elements arise. Blue arises from wood, yellow from earth, red from fire, white from wind, and black from water. Further contemplate wood arising from water, water from wind, wind from earth's yang qi, earth from fire, fire from wood, and wood returning again to arise from water. Pursued in this way, the cycle revolves without end and no dharma can arise from itself. As the external five phases are so, the colors of the internal five viscera are likewise: the liver arises from blue qi, the heart from red qi, the lungs from white qi, the kidneys from black qi, and the spleen from yellow qi.

Ask again: Does this liver arise from itself or from another thing? One then knows that the liver arises from the kidneys, kidneys from lungs, lungs from spleen, spleen from heart, and heart from liver. The liver cannot arise from itself and returns to arising from the kidneys. Seeking inwardly through the four elements and five viscera in this way, since all lack intrinsic substance, why does the body not disintegrate? Because four minds sustain it: consciousness-mind sustains earth, perception-mind sustains wind, feeling-mind sustains fire, and formations-mind sustains water. Therefore the body does not disintegrate.

Ask again: Do the four minds arise from themselves or not from themselves? One then knows that formations-mind arises from feeling-mind, feeling-mind from perception-mind, perception-mind from consciousness-mind, consciousness-mind from past formations, past formations from ignorance, ignorance from delusive conception, and delusive conception again from delusive conception.

A scripture says: “Delusive conception gives rise to delusive conception, revolving through the twelve links of dependent origination.” It resembles a mad and thirsty person who sees a shimmering mirage, takes it for water, and chases southward. Unable to find water, he shouts “Water!” and an echo answers from the sky. Thinking he has traveled far past the south and that water must lie northward, he turns and runs north. He chases in all four directions but finds nothing. In extreme distress, he supposes that the water has burrowed into the ground, claws the earth, and roars in search of it. Exhausted, he finally tumbles into darkness and still finds no water.

Running south represents the tongue faculty pursuing the object of taste. Running north represents the ear faculty pursuing sound. Running west represents the nose pursuing odor. Running east represents the eye pursuing form. Clawing the ground represents the body pursuing touch. Entering darkness represents mind pursuing ignorance. In this way the six faculties run everywhere after the six objects. Not one object can be obtained, nor is the true mark of the conjunction of causes and conditions attained; one only exhausts oneself and suffers.

After becoming aware, the person no longer runs. Because there is no running, body and mind settle. Once mind settles, understanding suddenly opens and correct wisdom concerning causes and conditions arises. One knows that form, mind, and other dharmas have been intrinsically quiescent from the beginning, neither arising nor ceasing. Only through inverted delusive conception are they said to arise and cease. If one no longer follows delusive conception, ignorance ceases, through to aging and death ceasing. Past karma is completed and new karma is no longer created, like ceasing to light a fire and therefore having no smoke. Since ignorance and aging and death are unobtainable, whom could illness make ill? This is contemplating illness and producing the pratyekabuddha Dharma realm.

Again, contemplate that this illness brings many sufferings because one cherishes body, life, and wealth. It also comes from incomplete moral discipline, producing frequent illness and short life; from weak and timid resolve, unable to endure patiently, so bodily spirits do not come to protect one; from weak diligence, with no wholesome dharma to assist in dispelling calamity; from lack of meditative concentration, so illness disturbs one; and from little wisdom, unable to penetrate impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and nonself, so the body is bound by this illness.

From one's own illness one now sympathizes with the illness of other beings, thereby producing loving-kindness and compassion and arousing vows and practice. Relinquish everything without stinginess, endure peacefully in accord with correct principle, apply mind correctly and diligently, and awaken to impermanence. This is illness producing the bodhisattva Dharma realm of the six perfections.

Again, contemplate this illness and know that it arises from inverted delusive conceptions and many afflictions in former lives. These delusive conceptions have no true intrinsic nature; both self and nirvāṇa are empty. This is illness producing the bodhisattva Dharma realm of the Shared Teaching.

Again, contemplate this illness as ultimately empty. Although empty with nothing undergone, one still undergoes the various feelings. Since Buddha-Dharma is not yet complete, feeling should not be extinguished in order to grasp realization. This is illness producing the bodhisattva Dharma realm of the Distinct Teaching.

The various dharmas above arise sequentially because of illness and are called the “conceivable object.” They are not the object directly contemplated now.

First Mode: Contemplating the Inconceivable Object of Illness

The inconceivable object means contemplating one thought of ill mind as neither real nor truly existent, but itself Dharma-nature and the Dharma realm. All dharmas converge upon this one dharma of illness, and no dharma surpasses it. There is only the whole Dharma realm, without distinctions among the remaining nine realms. It resembles a wish-fulfilling jewel, neither empty nonexistence nor real existence, with neither before nor after. Illness is likewise: beyond speech, apart from all characteristics, quiescent and pure, and therefore called “inconceivable.” After penetrating the real limit of illness, what is there to rejoice over and what to grieve? While making this contemplation, illness suddenly disappears and heals.

The Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra says: “Simply hearing this statement, illness is removed and healed.” This is the meaning of the first contemplation. It also says: “Others with deep and grave illnesses difficult to cure came to the elder's dwelling; the elder compounded many medicines for them, and only then did their illnesses heal.” This is the meaning of the subsequent nine contemplations.

Second Mode: Genuinely Arousing the Mind of Loving-Kindness and Compassion

All beings possess this principle in full but cannot recognize it. They follow the current of delusions of views and thought and sink into the great sea of fragmentary birth and death. A bodhisattva feels profound compassion for them and wishes to give them the joy of the truths of path and cessation in which what is not existent is immediately empty. This is an ill bodhisattva regulating one's own mind through contemplation of emptiness. Once mind is regulated, real illness heals; because of loving-kindness and compassion, expediently manifested illness arises again. Born in the land of fragmentary birth and death, the bodhisattva sees people in fragmentary birth and death as an only child. When the child is ill, the parents become ill together and use their own bodily illness to console the child. When the child's illness heals, the parents' illness also heals. This is called “the ill bodhisattva who consoles beings through the two contemplations of embodying and analyzing dharmas.”

Again, contemplate this illness as itself empty and quiescent, yet know that beings are not all liberated through contemplation of emptiness alone. One should therefore recognize the many Dharma gates within emptiness and illness. Because śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not know these gates, they follow the current of ignorance and lack of knowledge, sink into the great sea of transformational birth and death, and cannot distinguish the different categories of illness. Buddha-Dharma therefore cannot appear, nor can beings and pure lands be accomplished.

For this reason the bodhisattva arouses loving-kindness and compassion, removes the suffering of lack of knowledge, and gives the joy of wisdom of the varieties of the path, which skillfully distinguishes. This is an ill bodhisattva regulating one's own mind through contemplation of the provisional. Once mind is regulated, real illness heals; because of loving-kindness and compassion, expedient illness arises again. Born in the land of expedient means, the bodhisattva sees people in that land as an only child. When the child is ill, the parents become ill together and use their own bodily illness to console the child. When the child's lack of knowledge heals, the parents' illness also heals. This is called “the ill bodhisattva in the Distinct Teaching who consoles beings.”

Again, contemplate this illness as itself the Dharma realm, yet know that beings cannot immediately accord with the Middle Way. This principle has not yet become manifest, and beings follow the current of ignorance and sink into the great sea of transformational birth and death. Scripture says: “The three worthies and ten nobles abide in retribution.” These are causal and resultant illnesses in the land of true recompense. For this reason the bodhisattva arouses loving-kindness and compassion, removes the suffering of ignorance, and gives ultimate joy. This is an ill bodhisattva regulating one's own mind through contemplation of the Middle Way. Once mind is regulated, real illness heals; because of loving-kindness and compassion, expedient illness arises again. Born in the land of true recompense, the bodhisattva sees people in transformational birth and death as an only child. When the child is ill, the parents become ill together and use their own bodily illness to console the child. When the child's ignorance heals, the parents' illness also heals. This is called “the ill bodhisattva in the Perfect Teaching who consoles beings.”

These three illnesses arise in one mind; the three forms of regulation are regulated through one contemplation; the three forms of loving-kindness and compassion are perfectly universal loving-kindness and compassion; the three manifestations are the universal-gate manifestation; and the three consolations are teaching in one voice. They are distinguished as above for ease of understanding. In terms of reality, they are themselves inconceivable loving-kindness and compassion.

Only the layman Vimalakīrti fully possesses this Dharma: three real illnesses perfectly removed and three expedient illnesses universally manifested. Few could exchange questions and answers with this person of highest virtue. Kings and elders still possessed all their real illnesses and could not bear his charge. Practitioners of the two vehicles, though they had removed grasping at characteristics, declined to go. Bodhisattvas had only slightly removed adventitious afflictions and would often be subdued by him. Only Mañjuśrī's power of the path approached his, enabling him to strike the capacity and receive the intent, and therefore to go.

Mañjuśrī asks: “Householder, from what cause and condition does this illness arise? How long has it existed? How should it cease?” The householder replies: “My present illness arises from great compassion. Because beings are ill, I am ill; when beings' illness heals, my illness heals.”

Beings' real illness arises from delusion and craving. As soon as delusion and craving arise, great compassion arises with them; as soon as delusion and craving cease, great compassion also ceases. Some beings have healed and some have not. Bodhisattvas likewise sometimes manifest illness and sometimes do not. When a bodhisattva no longer has illness, one knows the child's illness has healed. If illness remains, the work of transformation has not stopped. The inquiry after illness in the square chamber and back pain at Maocheng have this meaning.

Since the bodhisattva's vow equals empty space, the illness manifested also fills the Dharma realm. This is called “inconceivable loving-kindness and compassion.” Its power is so vast that as soon as the bodhisattva arouses this mind, illness heals without waiting to cultivate the subsequent dharmas. The examples of Faxi and Tiantai follow〔and so forth〕. If arousal of mind is insincere, deceiving beings and seeking gain through the Three Treasures, illness will not heal. Genuine honesty has great power.

Third Mode: Skillfully Settling the Mind

When practitioners become ill in the place of awakening, they embody and understand the object of illness and arouse the great mind as above. Then they straighten the body, abide in correct mindfulness, cultivate only calming and only contemplation, and skillfully regulate through the four siddhāntas so that everything is appropriate. In a single sitting they feel cool and refreshed. Illness decreases either suddenly or gradually. This is called “great medicine,” and one no longer chaotically changes to other treatments.

Fourth Mode: Pervasively Breaking through Dharmas

When practitioners are ill, they contemplate whether the form body is ill or mind is ill. If form itself were illness, external forms such as mountains and forests should all be ill and corpses should undergo illness. Yet corpses and forests never experience illness and distress, so form should be known not to be illness. It is only through thought within mind that one reckons this illness truly exists.

Now contemplate ill mind. It arises neither from itself, another, both self and other, nor without cause; none of the four alternatives can be obtained. It is neither within nor without and is ultimately pure. Mind is like empty space: who is ill? The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: “It is not the earth element and does not depart from the earth element. It does not combine with the body because the body's characteristics are unobtainable; nor does it combine with mind because mind is like an illusion.” The arising of ill mind cannot be obtained, and its non-arising likewise cannot be obtained. Both arising and non-arising and neither arising nor non-arising likewise cannot be obtained. Single, repeated, and complete propositions are as explained above when breaking the object of the aggregates and sense fields.

Fifth Mode: Discerning Passage and Obstruction

When contemplating the dharma of illness, discern the four truths, twelve links of dependent origination, and six perfections within every proposition. Whether contemplating illness or wisdom, discern the four truths, twelve links, and six perfections within every proposition, distinctly and without doubt. Understand “letter” and “non-letter,” know what is attainment and what loss, all as explained above.

Sixth Mode: Regulating the Factors of the Path

If one contemplates illness as precisely the four elements, illness is impure. If illness departs from the four elements, it is pure. If illness is neither the four elements nor apart from them, it is neither pure nor impure. Existence and the true, nonexistence and the non-true, emptiness and provisionality, neither emptiness nor provisionality, withering and flourishing, neither withering nor flourishing—all these meanings do not differ from the establishment of mindfulness of body.

Contemplated in this way, feelings in illness are neither suffering nor pleasure; perceptions and formations in illness are neither self nor nonself; ill mind is neither permanent nor impermanent, all known by analogy with the preceding meanings. The thirty-seven factors of the path can all be accomplished while lying ill upon bed and pillow. Knowing suffering while there is no suffering, one enters the cooling pool.

Seventh Mode: Counteraction and Aids to the Path

If illness has still not healed while cultivating correct contemplation, borrow the six treatments explained above: calming, qi, breath, provisional visualization, contemplation of mind, and techniques. Primary and auxiliary practices cultivated together can even enable entry into the path; how could they fail to remove bodily illness?

Eighth Mode: Knowing the Stages

While making this contemplation, although still confined to bed and pillow, know one's present stage deeply. The principle I contemplate with regard to illness is distinctly present, like beryl sunk at the bottom of a deep pool. But my present contemplative wisdom is only at the stage of name. Causal illness has not yet been removed; “resultant illness belongs to its division” refers separately to the stage to which resultant illness belongs.

At the stage of semblance-understanding, causal illness becomes slightly lighter and the mind of the path more mature; resultant illness remains heavy, and various calamities still cannot be avoided. If one realizes patience with non-arising, causal illness is exhausted, yet resultant illness can remain. One should not become arrogant before reaching a corresponding stage and claim one's ill conduct equals that of persons of highest virtue.

Ninth Mode: Patient Endurance

Diligently cultivate primary and auxiliary practice without being obstructed and stopped by inner or outer conditions. The original reads 答正助稽留，疾成道廢; the graph 答 is retained according to the base text, and punctuation remains undecided. It is not corrected to 若 in the vernacular layer. If mind can abide in illness without moving or retreating, what must be done can be accomplished.

Tenth Mode: Freedom from Attachment to Dharmas

Even if illness has diminished and contemplative practice become clear, do not thereby produce greedy attachment or defiled love. When all ten dharmas are accomplished, one swiftly enters the Dharma stream. This is called cultivating Great Vehicle contemplation within the object of illness, attaining patience with non-arising and obtaining one great carriage. The rest can be known by analogy with the preceding〔and so forth〕.

Why Calming-and-Contemplation Makes Karmic Signs Appear

Fourth is contemplating the object of karmic signs.

Since beginningless kalpas, practitioners have created much wholesome and unwholesome karma. Some of it has already produced retribution; some has not. When mind is ordinarily employed in an undisturbed way, these signs do not appear. Now that one cultivates calming-and-contemplation, various former karmas are stirred, so wholesome and unwholesome signs appear.

Someone may object: since the Great Vehicle teaches that all is equal, what signs remain to discuss? This is not so. Precisely because the equal mirror-substance is pure, the images of various karmas can appear. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra says that when a bodhisattva is about to realize the ten grounds, various signs first appear. The Āgamas say that when the first fruit is about to be realized, a snake with eighty-eight heads dies before the practitioner. Both Great- and Small-Vehicle texts say much about signs. The Lotus Sūtra further speaks of deeply penetrating the signs of transgression and merit and illuminating the ten directions throughout; transgression and merit are precisely unwholesome and wholesome karma. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra says that one does not move within ultimate meaning, yet skillfully distinguishes all characteristics of Dharmas. Thus an objection to karmic signs based on equality cannot stand.

The explanation of karmic signs has four parts: first, the causes and conditions through which signs arise; second, the actual arising of karmic signs; third, discerning whether wholesome and unwholesome signs are obstructions; fourth, cultivating calming-and-contemplation in relation to the karmic object.

Internal and External Causes and Conditions for the Arising of Signs

The causes and conditions through which signs arise are internal and external.

The internal causes and conditions consist in using calming-and-contemplation to examine one's own mind. As mind gradually becomes bright and pure, it illuminates various forms of good and evil. Sometimes calming is used to stop evil just as evil is about to cease, and contemplation to contemplate good just as good is about to arise. Sometimes calming is used to stop evil, yet evil instead arises through quiescence; contemplation is used to contemplate good, yet good instead ceases through illumination. Immeasurable karmic signs all emerge from calming-and-contemplation, just as when a mirror is polished bright, myriad images naturally appear.

The external causes and conditions consist in buddhas constantly responding to all beings through loving-kindness and compassion. Beings cannot see this only because they lack responsive faculties. Through the power of calming-and-contemplation, beings can evoke buddhas to display wholesome and unwholesome meditative concentrations, and various karmic signs thereby appear, like someone holding up a garland for the assembly to see. When inner cultivation of contemplation and the outer response of buddhas unite, this is called “internal and external causes and conditions.”

Understanding this meaning enables one to distinguish transgression and merit finely, making black and white clear and preventing their confusion. One can thereby become a teacher of the Vaipulya Dharma gate and discipline others. Yet this passage is now only examining mind and cultivating calming-and-contemplation so that karma subsides, practice succeeds, and one single-mindedly takes up the path. Why make circuitous and intricate distinctions concerning every sign?

Six Ways in Which Karmic Signs Appear

Second is the actual appearance of karmic signs. Their arising has no fixed order; the following sequence is arranged only for convenience in speaking. Wholesome signs are explained first and arise in six ways.

First, only a sign of retributive result appears. Second, only a sign of habitual cause appears. Third, the retributive-result sign appears first and habitual-cause mind afterward. Fourth, habitual-cause mind appears first and the retributive-result sign afterward. Fifth, habitual cause and retributive result appear simultaneously. Sixth, their order is indeterminate. When various karmic signs appear, they interweave and intermingle in myriad forms. Only by recognizing these six meanings can one distinguish them without error.

What are habitual cause and habitual result? Abhidharma masters say that habitual cause is the homogeneous cause and habitual result is the dependent result. “Habitual” also means continuity. Seeds of the same class produce one another in sequence: a later thought arises in continuation of the preceding thought. The preceding thought is cause and the later thought is result. This applies to the three natures—wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate. Other treatise masters speak of habitual continuity only in relation to good and evil, not in relation to indeterminate dharmas.

What are retributive cause and retributive result? These are discussed across different lifetimes. The habitual causes and habitual results just described can all become causes that draw forth a later life and are therefore collectively called retributive causes. Because this cause draws forth a later result, it is named in terms of “retribution.” Receiving a body in a later life among the five paths of hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, and devas is the retributive result.

Within the body of retribution in this very life, good and evil arise again and continue in sequence as habitual cause and habitual result. Viewed collectively from the standpoint of the preceding life, this habitual continuity in the present life is a result. Viewed from the standpoint of the following life, the same habitual continuity is a cause.

The numerical-analysis school says that receiving the bodies of pigeons and sparrows as retribution is a retributive result, while abundant sexual desire is a habitual result. The treatise school says that both the pigeon's body and abundant sexual desire are retributive results; sexual desire arises from craving, and craving is the habitual result. One may also say that afflictions arising in the present life are habitual causes, while karma produced through the afflictions is a retributive cause; afflictions arising in a later life are habitual results, while the pain undergone is a retributive result.

If one sees only various images while sitting in meditation, this is the appearance of a retributive-result sign. Because it comes from a past cause, it can also be called a retributive cause from the side of cause. It may also become a subsequent cause and condition drawing forth future retribution, so the names of cause and result can be borrowed from one another. This passage, however, classifies the seen sign simply as a retributive-result sign.

If one sees no image at all while sitting, but a particular inclination suddenly arises in mind, this is the appearance of a habitual cause. Because this mind can draw forth a later result, it can also be called a habitual result from the side of that later result. Because it answers to a past cause, the names of cause and result may again be used interchangeably. This passage, however, classifies the directly arising mind simply as a habitual cause.

Wholesome Signs: Each of the Six Perfections Has Six Modes of Habit and Retribution

Wholesome signs are many. For now they are discussed through the six perfections of giving, moral discipline, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

When signs of giving appear, a practitioner may suddenly see while sitting an excellent field in which merit can be planted: images of the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha; noble assemblies and persons of great virtue; or parents, teachers, monastics, and virtuous people accepting one's offerings. One may see people worthy of compassion and relief accepting offerings. One may simultaneously see fields of reverence and fields of compassion that do not accept offerings, yet all respond with joy. One may see no field of merit either accepting or refusing, but only implements of giving arrayed in order and filling one's view. One may see no gift, but only a pure land. Some signs indicate the retribution of giving in this life and some the retribution of giving in past lives. One may also see a person who practices giving well approach and praise giving and relinquishment. All such events are appearances of retributive results.

Next, a practitioner may see no sign at all, but suddenly wish to practice giving: reverently offering to the Three Treasures, parents, teachers, and monastics; grieving over impoverished beings and wishing to relieve them; or penetrating the Dharma gate of giving with exceptional clarity of personal understanding. All such minds are appearances of habitual causes.

The mind of giving may arise first and a retributive sign afterward; the retributive sign may appear first and the mind of giving afterward; both may appear simultaneously; or their order may be indeterminate. These are understood through the six preceding meanings.

When signs of moral discipline appear, there are likewise six meanings. A practitioner may see the ten preceptors, robes and bowl, ordination platform, and formal procedure, and feel joy and affection; or may not see these, but see one's own clothing clean and orderly and one's deportment surpassing that of others. One may also see a person who constantly maintains moral discipline, with radiant face and tranquil bearing, approach and praise it. These are appearances of the retributive result of moral discipline.

One may see none of these signs, but suddenly form the intention to maintain moral discipline and declare that the precepts are pure and that nothing among the classes of rules is impossible to uphold. One may wish to correct people who break precepts and return them all to practice in accord with Dharma. Or one may personally understand Vinaya texts and master the divisions of discipline. This is the appearance of the habitual cause of moral discipline. Arising first, afterward, simultaneously, or intermingled can all be understood through the six meanings.

When signs of patient endurance appear, one may see a patient person or see oneself performing acts of patient endurance; see one's own body upright and pure, with hands and feet beautifully ordered in a way rarely found in the world; or see an upright and patient person approach and praise patient endurance. This is its retributive-result sign. One may instead directly produce a patient mind and understand the Dharma gate of patient endurance. This is the appearance of its habitual cause. Arising first, afterward, simultaneously, or intermingled can all be understood through the six meanings.

When signs of diligence appear, one may see a diligent person or see the diligent deeds one performs; see oneself full of strength, physically robust, courageous, and powerful; or see someone constantly diligent who never wastes day or night approach and praise diligence. This is its retributive-result sign. One may instead see no sign but produce a diligent mind, sparing neither body nor life during the first, middle, and last watches; or one may deeply penetrate the Dharma gate of diligence. This is its habitual-cause sign. Arising first, afterward, simultaneously, or intermingled can likewise be understood through the six meanings.

Signs of meditative concentration are explained extensively under the later object of meditative concentration; signs of wisdom are explained extensively under the object of bodhisattvas. Since habitual causes and retributive results within each of the six perfections have six modes, so do all wholesome dharmas. Careful inquiry makes them clearer over time. There is no need to say more here, nor may one speak at will. Only after personally receiving oral instructions may one make extensive distinctions according to one's knowledge.

Owing Property to the Three Treasures: Cultivating the Path and Repaying the Debt

Teachers of the Vaipulya teachings transmit the rule that if one has owed property to the Three Treasures, one must repay it when this karmic sign appears. Great Master Nanyue said that if one possesses property, repayment is certainly good; if one possesses none and would therefore abandon the practice, running about in every direction to seek it, further discrimination is required.

There are two levels of meaning here. The number of beings' past transgressions is truly incalculable, and debts owed to the Three Treasures are not limited to one item. Arhats first directly cultivate the path and realize the result, without even enough leisure to repay all karma beforehand; hence they are said to resist their debts. If practitioners abandon the place of practice in order to repay property, beg in every direction, and pass several years amid disturbance and confusion, would this not instead become demonic affairs?

Repayment may now be deferred, but one must establish resolve with certainty, cultivate the true Dharma of the buddhas, and unfold repayment through the two meanings of “accomplishment” and “establishment.”

“Accomplishment” means waiting until afflictions have been broken and patient endurance concerning nonarising realized. After reaching the stage of the Dharma-body, one extensively makes offerings to all Three Treasures and returns into birth and death to repay all beings. At that point a bodhisattva is no longer called one who resists debts.

“Establishment” means waiting until one's cultivated effort becomes manifest and complete, reputation and conduct become established, and the appropriate retribution naturally arrives, then repaying the Three Treasures. This is not owing a debt without any intention to repay it. One merely limits begging for immediate needs and waits for meritorious practice to become established. Is this not good?

Yet if one has already abandoned the practice and left the place of practice, repayment is definitely required. One may neither read and recite nor listen and study, nor conduct private or communal business; one must find a means of obtaining property and repay the debt. This explanation agrees with the Upāsaka Precepts Sūtra. The scripture means that a person who owes property to the Three Treasures but is single-mindedly cultivating the path and seeking the first fruit through arhatship need not repay it then; one who does not study the path should repay it immediately. If an arhat uses the Buddha's property, there is no offense.

Unwholesome Signs: Each of the Six Obscurations Also Has Six Modes

Next are unwholesome signs. Evils are extremely numerous; for now they are discussed through the six obscurations. Each obscuration likewise has the six preceding meanings.

When signs of the obscuration of stinginess appear, one may see the Three Treasures, teachers, monastics, and parents gaunt, naked and exposed, or dressed in tattered clothing; see them hungry and exhausted and monasteries empty and desolate; or see every kind of property guarded, sealed, and tightly locked. This reverses the preceding signs of giving: before, one rejoiced when facing property; here, on seeing a beggar, one becomes angry and abusive over it. The earlier objects were implements of giving; the present objects are implements of stinginess and craving. One may also see a stingy and covetous person approach. This is the appearance of the retributive result of the obscuration of stinginess. In full, it too has six forms, understood according to the preceding pattern〔and so forth〕.

When signs of breaking moral discipline appear, one may see images of the Three Treasures, monastic teachers, elders, and parents with their heads severed, and may also see what the text calls the ground sinking and not prevailing; another edition reads the graph for “prevailing” as “rising,” and the precise syntax remains unsettled. One may see one's body split open and suffer the pain of whipping and beating; see one's own body and head separated and monasteries scattered and ruined; see parents revile one and the Three Treasures rebuke one; see a butcher fond of killing approach; or see evil birds and venomous insects crawl along one's body and head. These are retributive signs of the obscuration of anger. They also have six meanings, understood according to the preceding pattern〔and so forth〕.

One may see impure feces and urine, corpses, or foul substances blocking the road, or deep water cutting across the path so one cannot proceed. One may see a former sexual partner displaying impure signs, filthy and shameful; see foul places on one's own body; see a person of abundant sexual desire approach and speak of heedlessness; or see animals or people copulating. These are retributive signs of sexual transgression and likewise have six meanings〔and so forth〕.

One may see the place of something stolen in this life, with its owner approaching in anger and abuse, binding and pressing one to recover it; or see an adept thief approach and urge one to steal. These are retributive signs of stealing; the six meanings follow the preceding pattern〔and so forth〕.

One may see parents, monastic teachers, or outsiders disputing and calculating, harboring venomous anger, sowing discord in various ways, and slandering one; or see a person who frequently commits verbal offenses approach. These are retributive-result signs of the four verbal transgressions of false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech. They too have six forms〔and so forth〕.

One may see a drunk person vomiting and collapsed amid disorder, or see one's own body heavy and obscured. These are retributive-result signs of drinking alcohol and likewise have six meanings. All the foregoing belong to retributive-result signs of the obscuration of broken moral discipline. The remaining four obscurations can be understood in the same way and therefore are not recorded in detail〔and so forth〕.

From the side of inner habitual causes, pain within mind is a habit of killing; heaviness within mind is a habit of stealing; agitation within mind is a habit of sexual desire. When all three are present together, this is a habit of the equal division.

Are Wholesome and Unwholesome Signs Ultimately Obstructions?

Third is discerning the different ways in which wholesome and unwholesome signs become obstructions. Four alternatives can be established: originally not obstructive but later becoming obstructive; originally obstructive but later becoming nonobstructive; both the obstructive and nonobstructive sides ultimately becoming obstructive; and both sides ultimately becoming nonobstructive.

Originally not obstructive but later becoming obstructive means that someone first produces a wholesome sign and is then very joyful, but afterward develops craving and arrogance and belittles others. Relying on this sign of realization as a basis for pride, the person gradually becomes attached to reputation, gain, and support. Faults multiply; in the end, the mind of the path retreats, correct Dharma is destroyed, precepts are abandoned, one returns to lay life, and no evil remains undone. When a wholesome sign that was initially no obstruction later creates an immense evil obstruction, is this not “the nonobstructive becoming obstructive”?

Originally obstructive but later becoming nonobstructive means that someone first produces an unwholesome sign, then feels shame, conscience, and fear, diligently repents that evil karma, severs the mind of continuation, and never commits the offense again. The person further cultivates every good and finally accomplishes the great matter. When something begins from obstruction and later becomes nonobstructive, is this not “the obstructive becoming nonobstructive”? Both sides ultimately obstructing and both ultimately not obstructing can be understood accordingly〔and so forth〕.

If a wholesome sign appears just before that good is about to cease, the cessation of good indicates that evil will arise; this is the nonobstructive becoming obstructive. If an unwholesome sign appears just before that evil is about to cease, the cessation of evil indicates that good will arise; this is the obstructive becoming nonobstructive. If both the obstructive and nonobstructive sides ultimately do not obstruct, good does not cease and evil does not arise. If both sides ultimately obstruct, evil does not cease and good does not arise. This analysis begins from good, calling good nonobstructive and evil obstructive, and establishes the four alternatives accordingly.

From the standpoint of the true truth, all the foregoing good and evil are obstructions. Thus the Sūtra on Purifying Karmic Obstructions says that all evil is obstruction and all good is also obstruction. From the standpoint of the provisional truth, the good and evil established by the true truth are again wholly obstructive. From the standpoint of the Middle Way, the good and evil established at the provisional truth are again wholly obstructive. Advancing layer by layer in this way, obstruction has no end.

Intrinsic Good and Evil, Nonmanifest Good and Evil, and Testing for Māra

When habitual-cause minds of good and evil arise, they are comparatively easy to recognize. When signs of wholesome and unwholesome retributive results arise, they are difficult to determine.

When a wholesome retributive sign supports a wholesome habitual-cause mind and the two appear in correspondence before and after, it is generally a sign of intrinsic good. When it suddenly arises alone, it is generally a sign of nonmanifest good. When an unwholesome retributive-result sign supports an unwholesome habitual-cause mind and the two correspond before and after, it is generally intrinsic evil. When habitual mind arises without the support of a retributive sign, it is generally evil created by violating nonmanifest moral discipline.

Furthermore, when wholesome or unwholesome retributive-result signs suddenly arise alone, one may provisionally judge them in terms of nonmanifest karma, but their meaning remains difficult to clarify and signs of Māra can easily become mixed in. To distinguish them, examine them carefully through the ten dharmas of emptiness, brightness, good, evil, and the rest. If they fall into excess or deficiency, they are signs of Māra. Only if they belong to neither may they be nonmanifest signs.

They can also be tested by three characteristics: remaining for a long time, returning again and again, and damaging the mind of meditative concentration. These three indicate signs of Māra. Only in their absence may a sign be judged nonmanifest.

Again, when an unwholesome sign appears angrily the first time, returns more gently the second, and on the third appearance instead seems joyful—or when one awakens after another's admonition or the sign is expelled by another—this should be understood as the unwholesome sign approaching cessation.

May One Judge Signs for Other People?

If one's aspiration is genuine, wisdom and understanding are clear, and one can recognize each sign distinctly without error, one will not be deluded by the various obstructions. Directly applying mind to contemplation of principle will instead increase clarity. If one's cultivation has strength to spare, one may distinguish the gate of karma. Once personally penetrating it with freedom, one may also teach others.

If one cannot distinguish each karmic sign in minute detail, it is enough to know generally that it is an obstruction, grasp no sign, and directly apply mind to contemplation of principle. Karma then cannot impede one.

If one originally lacks a mind of understanding, forms an intention that is deviant, crooked, and partial, and develops craving and attachment after seeing these signs, Māra gains an opening, enters, and indicates good and bad fortune. People then cling to one another, trading signs for property and food, and after death fall into the ghost path. If this is not ghostly dhyāna, what would ghostly dhyāna be?

To correct oneself and then correct others, one must genuinely master this meaning. Only after personally undergoing actual verification and receiving oral instructions from a teacher may one explain it publicly. One must not recklessly promote oneself or rashly make pronouncements of cold and heat. The calamity thereby incurred will be immense. Take this deeply to heart! Take this deeply to heart! Later students must be cautious!

Someone asks: since Dharma-protecting spirits guard the place of practice, how can hostile creditors enter and disturb it?

The answer: guardian spirits certainly exist. They resemble scouting officers on patrol in a worldly army: they are responsible only for inspection and cannot prevent a genuine karmic debt. When a creditor presses for repayment of property, that is not something they can stop. Former karma pursuing a debt and exacting retribution should be understood through this simile.

Furthermore, complete discussions of the names, teachings, substance, and characteristics of the various karmas can be found in the Abhidharma and the Chengshi Lun. Complete methods for breaking karma through contemplation can be found in the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā. Each of the two schools has strengths and deficiencies. The present intent differs from both. It is enough to make good and evil clear and prevent their confusion at the level of phenomena. Extensively distinguishing karmic signs obstructs the correct path. Merely breaking karma while wholly failing to understand how the factors of the path, correct practices, and assisting practices are mediated leaves the method incomplete. The present calming-and-contemplation does not seek elaborate breadth in distinguishing karmic signs, but has ample scope in applying contemplation.

Cultivating the Ten Modes of Contemplation in Relation to the Karmic Object

Fourth is cultivating calming-and-contemplation in relation to the karmic object. It has ten meanings.

First is the conceivable karmic object. Karma that evokes retribution in the three evil paths has upper, middle, and lower grades; karma that evokes retribution in the three wholesome paths also has upper, middle, and lower grades. Unmoving karma further evokes retribution in the form and formless realms. These karmas bring forth body and consciousness; beings then become deluded about form and mind and produce the four inversions of permanence, happiness, self, and purity, so birth and death continue unbroken.

Now contemplate that karma has no fixed karmic nature, preventing inversion and delusion from arising until the outflows and afflictions are exhausted. This is a śrāvaka's contemplation of karma. To contemplate that karma exists because of ignorance, that volitional formations exist because of ignorance, name and form because of volitional formations, and so forth through aging and death; and to know ignorance so that grasping and existence no longer arise, and with the cessation of ignorance the formations cease—this is a pratyekabuddha's contemplation of karma. To contemplate karmic activity as illusion, illusion itself as empty, and emptiness itself as nirvāṇa is a Shared-Teaching contemplation of karma. To contemplate karma as the great earth, able to produce various sprouts, so that the dharmas of all ten Dharma realms arise from karma is a Distinct-Teaching contemplation of karma. All these belong to the conceivable object and are not the Perfect contemplation employed in this passage.

First Mode: The Karma of One Thought Is the Inconceivable Object

The inconceivable object is explained from the scripture's statement “deeply penetrating the signs of transgression and merit.” Transgression means the three evil paths; merit means the three wholesome paths. Understanding karmic signs of the three evil paths but not those of the three wholesome paths of humans and devas does not count as deep penetration. Penetrating both good and evil is deep penetration.

Merely knowing wholesome and unwholesome karmic signs as good and evil is likewise not deep penetration. Going further, both good and evil can be called evil from the standpoint of attachment, while separation from both good and evil can be called good from the standpoint of liberation. This is deeper. Yet penetrating the good and evil of humans and devas remains on the side of birth and death, while penetrating the Two Vehicles' separation from good and evil remains on the empty side of nirvāṇa. Neither extreme is deep penetration; if one grasps the two extremes, both are again evil, so this is still not deep penetration.

Bodhisattvas of the Distinct Teaching first penetrate shallow levels of the two extremes and then gradually enter more deeply, so this is called deep penetration. Yet the Distinct Teaching's gradual depth is still not the deepest meaning of the Perfect Teaching. The Perfect Teaching penetrates profound karma within shallow and immediate karmic signs; only this can truly be called “deeply penetrating the signs of transgression and merit and illuminating the ten directions throughout.”

Such deep penetration neither circuitously and intricately distinguishes the three realms to exhaustion nor passes beyond karmic signs to fall directly into the extreme of emptiness. This is precisely the preceding meaning.

Contemplate one thought as it arises: it immediately contains the ten realms, called the ten directions. The ten directions are the dependent retribution; the ten realms are the direct retribution. Without dependent retribution there is no direct retribution. Once direct retribution exists, the hundred dharmas of nature, characteristic, beginning, end, and the rest are present; these can also be called the hundred directions. All these dharmas are the karma of one thought. Thus “one karma is all karma.”

The Avataṃsaka Sūtra raises a question: since mind-nature is one, why can it produce various karmas? It answers with the simile of the earth: although the earth is one, it can produce various sprouts. When the earth receives rain, poisonous and medicinal sprouts flourish together. Now when the ground of Dharma-nature receives the rain of practicing the path, sprouts of wholesome and unwholesome karma contend to arise within one thought. Karma is called the Dharma realm, the place where all dharmas converge; hence it is called the inconceivable object.

Second Mode: Arousing Loving-Kindness and Compassion through Deep Penetration of the Karmic Object

Having deeply penetrated the karmic object and known that good and evil together converge upon one thought, one arouses loving-kindness and compassion.

From the standpoint of the conventional truth, the principle of transgression and merit has no fixed opposition or accord. Opposing causes and conditions becomes transgression; according with causes and conditions becomes merit. Name and form, and all obstructive material things spoken of conventionally, likewise have no fixed opposition or accord. Stealing them becomes transgression and creates karma of the three evil paths; giving them becomes merit and creates karma of the three wholesome paths. A bodhisattva deeply penetrates that the conventional has no fixed opposition or accord, generating compassion for those who oppose and loving-kindness for those who accord.

From the standpoint of the true truth that is immediately empty, there is no path for speech and no fixed opposition or accord. Opposing immediate emptiness becomes the outflowed karma of the six paths; according with immediate emptiness becomes the outflow-free karma of the Three Vehicles. A bodhisattva deeply penetrates that immediate emptiness has no fixed opposition or accord, generating compassion for those who oppose and loving-kindness for those who accord.

From the standpoint of the truth of the Middle Way, the Middle Way likewise has no fixed opposition or accord. Opposing the Middle Way falls into the two extremes of outflowed and outflow-free karma; according with the Middle Way becomes the karma of the Middle Way, neither outflowed nor outflow-free. In this treatise, the Lotus Sūtra's words “obtained through karma cultivated over a long time” are used to indicate this level of karma. A bodhisattva deeply penetrates that the true mark of the Middle Way has no fixed opposition or accord, generating compassion for those who oppose and loving-kindness for those who accord.

In genuine deep penetration, only the mind of one thought has no fixed opposition or accord; there are no three separate and mutually isolated distinctions. There is likewise only the loving-kindness and compassion of one thought, without anyone first or last. This is called the genuine mind of awakening.

Third Mode: Skillfully Settling the Mind

Settle mind upon the emptiness of karma: good accords and evil ceases. The cessation of evil is called calming; the accord of good is called contemplation. Settle mind upon the provisionality of karma: again evil ceases and good accords. Settle mind upon the Middle of karma: again evil ceases and good accords. Because good accords, it is called contemplation; because evil ceases, it is called calming. This is skillfully settling the mind while contemplating karma.

Fourth Mode: Pervasively Breaking through Dharmas

Pervasively breaking through Dharmas first presents the positions of two schools. Abhidharma masters say that after karma subsides and ceases, it enters the past, where the rope of possession binds it to the practitioner so that retribution will be received in the future. Chengshi masters say that karma passes from the present into the future and receives retribution there.

Now contemplate this karma. If karma is in the past, the past has already subsided and ceased; how could karma still exist? If karma is in the future, the future does not yet exist; how could karma exist? If karma is in the present, the present never remains for even a thought. A thought that has passed belongs to the past; one that has not arrived belongs to the future. Arising, it immediately ceases—what can be called the present?

If one says that karma exists while something is presently departing and is therefore called present, one must ask further: is the time of departure karma, or is the departing agent karma? Does the time of departure depart, or does the departing agent depart? Since the present is unobtainable, karma too is unobtainable.

Seeking and examining in this way throughout past, present, and future, searching everywhere horizontally and vertically, no wholesome or unwholesome karma can be obtained; all is ultimately pure. Yet the world still uses conventional names in language to distinguish wholesome and unwholesome karma. One must not hear a name and assume that it has a fixed substance. Why? Cultivation of contemplation originally seeks true meaning, not false names. A false name has no intrinsic nature; although one provisionally distinguishes it, this resembles pointing a finger into empty space. Within karma there is neither a fixed agent nor a fixed recipient. The three truths of empty, provisional, and Middle are all quiescent. This is pervasively breaking through Dharmas.

Fifth Mode: Discerning Passage and Obstruction

Within the four alternatives—karma, non-karma, both karma and non-karma, and neither karma nor non-karma—clearly recognize suffering and accumulation in each. Within every thought, further understand path and cessation distinctly. When this is achieved with examined certainty, it is passage. The exact meaning of the source graphs 終不蟲字 remains to be determined. This is discerning passage and obstruction.

Sixth Mode: Regulating the Factors of the Path

The Chengshi masters say that when mental karma arises alone, it has not yet become karma. Mind receives real dharmas; perception distinguishes provisional names; formations move together with the object. Only then is mental karma accomplished, so mind, perception, and formations can be unfolded as three establishments of mindfulness. Bodily and verbal karma belong to form and correspond to the establishment of mindfulness of body.

Abhidharma masters say that the mind-king and mental factors arise simultaneously. The mind-king is the establishment of mindfulness of mind; the mental factor of feeling is the establishment of mindfulness of feeling; perception and all remaining mental factors belong to the aggregate of formations and therefore form the establishment of mindfulness of dharmas. Mind-king and mental factors arise in dependence on the form body, so the form body is the establishment of mindfulness of body. Whether one teaches simultaneous or sequential arising, both can be correlated with the four establishments of mindfulness.

Now contemplate that this karma possesses the five aggregates of the ten Dharma realms and therefore possesses all four establishments of mindfulness. Forms of the same class within all karma are the establishment of mindfulness of body; this body cannot be fixed as either pure or impure. The four aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness of the same class unfold as the other three establishments of mindfulness. These three cannot be fixed as suffering or happiness, self or nonself, permanence or impermanence. They are therefore the nirvāṇa of the twin trees, neither one-sidedly flourishing nor one-sidedly withered, and unfold through the three liberations. These are the factors of the path.

Seventh Mode: Counteraction as an Aid to the Path

In counteraction as an aid to the path, one should recollect the thirty-two marks and other attributes of the Buddha's response-body, and also recollect the immeasurable merits of the Buddha's recompense-body, together breaking unwholesome karma of habitual cause. Recollecting the Buddha of Dharma gates can break habitual causes; recollecting the thirty-two marks can break retributive results〔and so forth〕. Recollecting the Buddha of Dharma gates further assists in breaking unwholesome karma of retributive result. Through the power of recollecting the Buddha, unwholesome karmic obstructions are transformed and one can enter the gate of nirvāṇa.

Eighth through Tenth Modes and the Retribution of the Three Bodies

While cultivating this contemplation, do not falsely claim the stages of higher noble ones. One should patiently endure various internal and external obstructions so cultivation remains unhindered. If only a state resembling the path has arisen, it is not yet genuine understanding and one must not produce attachment to Dharma. When attachment to Dharma does not arise, one naturally moves without stagnation and naturally flows into the cool ground.

This Great-Vehicle tenfold contemplation can obtain immeasurable pure, outflow-free retribution, obtain unsurpassed retribution, and obtain sovereign karma. Ultimately deeply penetrating transgression and merit without defilement is called “pure” and is the Dharma-body. Returning to the origin and source, with wisdom's illumination perfected to the utmost, is called “unsurpassed” and is the recompense-body. Extending bodily forms into the nine paths and manifesting according to the universal gate is called “sovereign” and is the response-body.

These three bodies are the Great Vehicle's lofty and broad great road, proceeding directly to the place of awakening. The remainder is as previously explained〔and so forth〕.

Why Demonic Affairs Appear Just as Wholesome Dharma Is about to Arise

The fifth object is contemplating the object of demonic affairs. When practitioners cultivate the four kinds of samādhi, unwholesome dharmas are about to decline and wholesome Dharma about to arise. Māra fears that they will turn away and escape his realm. He also fears that they will later transform others, depriving him of his subjects and emptying his palace. He further worries that after they attain great powers of superknowledge and wisdom, they will enter a great conflict with him, subduing, controlling, and troubling him. Māra therefore comes to destroy wholesome roots before cultivation is accomplished. This is why demonic affairs occur.

While a practitioner's power of the path remains weak, it does not yet alarm Pāpīyas. All ghosts and spirits are governed by the sixth heaven, and ordinarily only defenders of this realm come to interfere. Scripture says that one who does not explain demonic affairs and demonic offenses to bodhisattvas is their evil spiritual friend. If one penetrates the deviant and the correct with a tranquil heart, knows the suchness of the Māra realm and the suchness of the Buddha realm as one suchness rather than two, equal and of one characteristic, neither grieves because of Māra nor rejoices because of Buddha, and abides in the real limit, the deviant cannot invade the correct. Even if disturbance actually arises, Māra's arrival becomes precisely a condition for contemplative illumination.

Demonic affairs are now explained in five parts: first, distinguishing similarities and differences; second, explaining the characteristics of their arising; third, explaining obstruction and damage; fourth, explaining methods of treatment; fifth, cultivating through calming-and-contemplation.

Similarities and Differences among the Four Māras

First are similarities and differences. The Māra of the aggregates has already been included in the object of aggregates, sense fields, and elements; the Māra of afflictions in the object of afflictions; and death-Māra in the object of illness because illness is a cause of death. The present object directly explains Māra as a heavenly son.

The relation between the four inversions and four Māras is this: the four inversions themselves are only the Māra of afflictions. Because the Māra of afflictions exists, there is the Māra of aggregates and sense fields. Because the Māra of aggregates and sense fields exists, there is death-Māra. Since one has not yet left the three realms, one also remains subject to Māra as a heavenly son.

Distinguished beyond the three realms, once the four inversions within them have been broken, the Māras of fragmentary birth and death have been passed beyond. Only the four inversions beginning with impermanence remain; these are the Māra of afflictions beyond the realms. Because that Māra exists, there is form without equal and the like, which is the Māra of the aggregates beyond the realms. Once the Māra of aggregates exists, there is also death. The three worthies and ten nobles abide in retribution. Up through equal awakening, three Māras have been passed beyond and only one portion of death-Māra remains; these are called the three Māras beyond the realms. Beyond the realms there is no Māra of the sixth heaven. The name “Māra as a heavenly son” is only borrowed because the red samādhi has not yet reached culmination. At wondrous awakening, the substance of principle is perfect and ignorance exhausted, so there are no afflictions; one does not abide in retribution, so there is no death; and the red samādhi is perfect. Only this is the culmination of demonic affairs. The ten Māras taught in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra do not go beyond this intent.

Three Kinds of Demonic Sign

Second are the signs arising with Māra. Because all these different classes are governed within the same system, they are collectively called Māra. Examining their collateral differences carefully, they do not go beyond three: first, the Chuiti ghost; second, time-sprite ghosts; third, Māra ghosts. Each has distinct signs when it arises.

When the Chuiti ghost acts, practitioners sitting in meditation may feel something climbing along head and face, or moving down and back up the body repeatedly without stopping. Although not painful, the minute disturbance is difficult to bear. It may bore into ears, eyes, or nose, embrace, strike, and knock against the body, as if a real thing were present. Yet when one reaches for it, nothing can be caught; after being driven away, it returns and makes chirping sounds that disturb the ears. This ghost's face resembles a pipa, with four eyes and two mouths〔and so forth〕.

When a time-sprite ghost acts, the situation differs. The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra says that twelve beasts cultivate loving-kindness conditioned by Dharmas on a jeweled mountain and govern the various sprites. Those manifesting expediently do not necessarily come to trouble people; actual beings of these classes can disturb practitioners. People who sit in meditation with deviant conceptions are often possessed and disturbed by time-sprites. They may transform into young men, young women, old men, old women, birds, or beasts in widely differing forms. Sometimes they entertain people; sometimes they command or admonish them.

To determine which time-beast it is, observe the time at which it repeatedly arrives and identify the beast by that period. The tiger corresponds to the hour of the tiger, continuing in sequence through the ox at the hour of the ox. Each double-hour has three divisions, so the twelve periods contain thirty-six beasts. The three at the hour of the tiger are first the leopard cat, then the leopard, then the tiger. The three at the hour of the rabbit are fox, rabbit, and raccoon dog. The three at the hour of the dragon are dragon, jiao dragon, and fish. These nine belong to the east and wood; according to the beginning, middle, and end of their season, the nine objects are transmitted in this sequence.

The following group of three is cicada, carp, and snake. The three at the hour of the horse are deer, horse, and muntjac. The three at the hour of the goat are sheep, wild goose, and hawk. These nine belong to the south and fire. The three at the hour of the monkey are black gibbon, gibbon, and macaque. The three at the hour of the rooster are crow, rooster, and pheasant. The three at the hour of the dog are dog, wolf, and jackal. These nine belong to the west and metal. The three at the hour of the boar are boar, yu beast, and pig. The three at the hour of the rat are cat, rat, and bat. The three at the hour of the ox are ox, crab, and soft-shelled turtle. These nine belong to the north and water.

The center belongs to earth and rules during the four seasons. When the four directions operate, they are also employing earth, represented by fish, hawk, jackal, and soft-shelled turtle. Three cycles make thirty-six beasts; unfolding three further forms from each makes 108 time-beasts. If one profoundly understands this meaning and calls a sprite's name according to the time at which it appears, the time-sprite retreats. If its possession continues even a little longer, it can make people wild and disoriented, falsely proclaiming good and bad fortune and even becoming heedless of water and fire〔and so forth〕.

Māra's Inner Shooting and Outer Fanning

Next is Māra. To destroy two kinds of good and increase two kinds of evil, Māra delights in attacking through the five faculties in forceful and gentle ways. The Great Perfection of Wisdom Treatise names Māra “flower arrows” and also “five arrows”: each arrow shoots one faculty, and together they damage the mental faculty. Each of the five faculties lasts for only one instant; once the instant turns, it belongs to the mental faculty. If mind is damaged, how could the five faculties be preserved?

The eye seeing an agreeable form is a flower arrow, a gentle thief. Seeing a fearful form is a poisoned arrow, a forceful thief. Seeing an ordinary form is a thief neither forceful nor gentle. The remaining four faculties are the same. Each of the five faculties has three, making fifteen. Once they turn into the mental faculty in an instant, the corresponding mind has another three, making eighteen arrows in all, also called eighteen feelings. One should therefore neither accept nor grasp these feelings. Once grasped, they become illness; after becoming illness they are difficult to treat, permanently obstruct meditative concentration, and after death cause one to fall into the path of Māra.

If Māra shoots arrows internally but cannot enter, he externally fans donors, monastic teachers, fellow students, and disciples and releases another eighteen arrows. Once a monk was troubled internally by Māra while externally receiving praise and blame from donors. Neither the forceful nor gentle side could break him, so Māra departed weeping. Practitioners should carefully notice responses among teachers and disciples and donors. Sometimes the Dharma master says something different and followers become angry; sometimes followers speak resentfully and the master rebukes them. Such causes and conditions are extensively taught in the Large Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra. Eighteen arrows within and eighteen outside make thirty-six arrows from the sides of oneself and others.

Māra is also highly skillful. First he causes people to turn from wholesome Dharma and begin evil conduct. If practitioners do not follow, he instead traps them exclusively in worldly good deeds, keeping them busy building stūpas and monasteries so distraction obstructs meditative concentration. If they still do not follow, he makes them fall into the Two Vehicles. Māra does not actually understand the Two Vehicles; he merely indicates that route so people cannot enter the Great Vehicle. It resembles an ignorant child who initially follows such an indication, abandons the Great Vehicle, and studies the Lesser instead. Once much effort has been spent, later regret is useless. The person making this indication understands neither Great nor Small Vehicle.

Māra also leads people into a view of emptiness without skillful preparatory means, causing them to say there is no Buddha and no being and fall into partial emptiness; or he causes them to fall into partial provisionality. He opens various branch roads so people cannot enter the Perfect path. Ānanda, Gupta, and those studying nonretrogression were all disturbed by Māra. How could people first arousing mind guarantee freedom from the thirty-six arrows of both self and other?

If one knows that both Māra and Buddha enter the real limit, fear no longer arises. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says that disciplining Māra is taught for śrāvakas, while for Great-Vehicle practitioners disciplining Māra is not taught. When one mind accords with the substance of principle, who remains to debate forceful or gentle?

Three Kinds of Harm and Three Hundred Deviant Dharmas

Third are the obstruction and disturbance of demonic affairs. When forceful, gentle, and other arrows first shoot in through the five faculties, they can cause three faults: first, making a person ill; second, causing loss of the contemplating mind; third, causing attainment of deviant dharmas.

Illness has various signs. What enters through the eye faculty makes the liver ill; the other faculties are known by analogy. When the body suffers illness, mind becomes confused and desolate, until meditative concentration is lost and even death occurs. Loss of the contemplating mind means that one's original contemplative and wholesome practices were stable and ordered, but after seeing and hearing through the five faculties, the ground of mind suddenly becomes confused and its former sequence disappears. Attaining deviant dharmas means comparing them with ten classes of correct Dharma and distinguishing twenty deviant signs.

The first pair is existence and nonexistence. “Existence” means that after form enters through the eye faculty, one sees mountains and rivers, stars, the palaces inhabited by sun and moon, and various shapes in darkness, and can point out their directions. This is excessive existence. “Nonexistence” means that after form enters through the eye faculty, one says all dharmas are like annihilated empty space, reduced to ashes with not one dharma remaining, terrifying people. This is excessive nonexistence.

The second pair is brightness and darkness. “Brightness” means that after form enters, one's view constantly opens into brightness like the shining of sun and moon. “Darkness” means pitch-black obscurity and complete lack of clarity.

The third pair is concentration and disorder. “Concentration” means that after form enters, mind resembles wood or stone and remains rigidly still. “Disorder” means that after form enters, mind moves cunningly, flings itself about, and conditions everything.

The fourth pair is foolishness and wisdom. “Foolishness” means that after form enters, mind and intelligence become obscure, shallow, crude, and unknowing, even to the point of standing naked without shame. “Wisdom” means that after form enters, one appears intelligent, clever, quick, and responsive.

The fifth pair is grief and joy. “Grief” means that after form enters, one becomes anxious and distressed, crying and shedding tears. “Joy” means that after form enters, one sings in heedless pleasure and remains joyful for a long time.

The sixth pair is suffering and happiness. “Suffering” means pain throughout the body's hundred joints, as though burned by fire. “Happiness” means bodily ease and intoxication resembling enjoyment of the five desires.

The seventh pair is calamity and blessing. “Calamity” means constantly bringing calamity upon oneself, creating it for others, and knowing the misfortunes afflicting them. “Blessing” means constantly bringing blessed retribution upon oneself and being able to create blessings for others.

The eighth pair is evil and good. “Evil” means committing every evil and causing others to do evil. “Good” means oneself practicing giving and other wholesome conduct and causing others to practice giving.

The ninth pair is hatred and love. “Hatred” means being unable to bear seeing people, withdrawing from them, and living alone. “Love” means profound longing and entangling attachment.

The tenth pair is rigidity and softness. “Rigidity” means that mind is hard; advancing, retreating, entering, and leaving cannot occur freely; one is as difficult to change as tile or stone and does not accord with the wholesome path. “Softness” means that resolve is weak and easily destroyed, like soft clay that cannot be formed into a vessel.

Whether excessive or deficient, all these are called deviant signs. One faculty contacts the three types of object—agreeable, fearful, and ordinary—and produces three feelings. One feeling has twenty deviant dharmas, so three feelings make sixty; extending them through the five faculties makes three hundred deviant dharmas. Although the ninety-five non-Buddhist paths contain different forms of deviance, their deviant dharmas must initially enter through the five faculties. Careful examination among the three hundred will necessarily find correspondence with such deviant signs. Chuiti generally makes people lose meditative contemplation; time-sprites generally make people attain deviant dharmas; Māra possesses both kinds of harm.

Treating the Three Classes of Demonic Affairs

Fourth are methods of treatment. To treat Chuiti, first know its origin. During the final Dharma of Buddha Kanakamuni, a monk delighted in troubling the monastic community. The community expelled him, so he made an evil vow to trouble people sitting in meditation constantly. This was the progenitor of such ghosts. That individual's retribution may long since have ended, yet ghosts born through the same karma can still trouble people. Rebuking their original ancestor now makes them feel shame and leave.

In rebuke say: “I know your name. You are the evil yakṣa Chuiti. In the time of Buddha Kanakamuni, you broke precepts, stole the laji zhi, craved food, and smelled fragrances. I now uphold precepts and do not fear you.” After this rebuke it should leave. If it does not, silently recite the precept preface and the rules. When the spirits of the precepts return to guard one, the precept-breaking ghost departs.

To treat a time-sprite, skillfully recognize the twelve times and thirty-six time-beasts. Know the time at which it comes and call the corresponding name; the time-sprite then departs. Forest hermits and practitioners of dhūta often suspend a square mirror behind their seat. A time-sprite can transform its own appearance but cannot change the colored image reflected in the mirror. Practitioners recognize it by looking into the mirror and can then dismiss it themselves. Calling its name is internal treatment; reflecting it in a mirror is external treatment. Together they are the two treatments, internal and external.

There are three methods for treating Māra. First, rebuke and stop it as soon as it is noticed, like a gatekeeper stopping an evil person and refusing entry. The Buddha tells a monk: “Accept no object that comes from outside.” That is, do not grasp an external object. This method of nonacceptance can treat every demonic affair coming from oneself or another.

Second, if it has already been accepted within, inspect everything carefully from head to foot. Seek Māra and find it unobtainable, then seek one's own mind and find it unobtainable as well. From where does Māra come? What does it intend to disturb? This resembles an evil person breaking into a house and the owner illuminating and inspecting every place, leaving nowhere for the intruder to remain.

Third, if it still does not leave after such examination, strengthen mind and resist with all one's power, setting death as the limit and resolving never to dwell together with it. Skillfully turning among these three treatments is sufficient; nothing more need be said.

Contemplating Demonic Affairs through the Ten Dharmas

Fifth is cultivation through calming-and-contemplation, applying the ten dharmas according to the established pattern.

First, consider the conceivable object. When demonic affairs arise, following Māra's conduct and creating various evils produces the dharmas of the three evil paths. If one follows Māra into good—for example, practicing giving in order to appropriate others and make them one's dependents—one may be born in a wholesome path, yet life after life remain mutually entangled with Māra. Sometimes Māra may possess such a person and speak through that person's mouth. If one consequently abandons body and life, one receives the corresponding retribution. Even if wishing to cultivate the path, one encounters myriad obstructions. Scripture says that some bodhisattvas have Māra and some have no Māra; this is its meaning. These are the three wholesome Dharma realms.

Māra may further urge: “It is enough for you to enter nirvāṇa yourself. What do beings' affairs have to do with you? Rather than suffer in vain, attain realization quickly.” This produces the Dharma realms of the Two Vehicles. Māra may also make people adopt circuitous and awkward methods of liberation so they cannot swiftly enter the path of awakening. Passing from shallow to profound through each separate Dharma realm in this way all belongs to the conceivable object.

Second, contemplate the inconceivable object. Within this very demonic affair, the ten Dharma realms and hundred dharmas are fully present in one thought. All dharmas proceed toward Māra, just as every affair is present in one dream. One Māra is all Māras and all Māras are one Māra, yet they cannot be fixed as one or as all. One may also say one Māra is all Māras and one Buddha all buddhas. No Māra realm exists apart from the Buddha realm; the two realms are nondual and not different. Contemplated in this way, the place where Māra is subdued is itself the place of awakening.

People of sharp faculties and wisdom can reveal principle while treating Māra, make Māra an attendant, and feel no fear, like firewood added to a fire only making it blaze more strongly. Cultivation accomplished only through conditioned practices cannot make quiescence and illumination simultaneous. Bodhisattva Chisui did not detect Māra's scheme and instead said “Welcome.” A person genuinely cultivating quiescent illumination need not wait to form a separate contemplation: one immediately knows the visitor is Māra, not Śakra. Because the Distinct Teaching cannot patiently endure what is contrary to Dharma, it says “This is not what I should receive.” Because the Perfect Teaching settles it within the real limit, it says “This is precisely what I should receive.” Not fearing nonhuman beings and being courageous toward birth and death is the inconceivable object.

Third, arouse loving-kindness and compassion. The Māra realm is originally the Buddha realm, but beings do not know this. Lost within the Buddha realm, they arbitrarily produce the Māra realm; within awakening they produce afflictions. Practitioners therefore arouse compassion. To enable beings to embody the Buddha realm precisely within the Māra realm and embody awakening precisely within afflictions, they arouse loving-kindness. Wishing to enable immeasurable beings to embody the happiness of the Buddha realm within the Māra realm is called loving-kindness toward immeasurable buddhas. Wishing to remove the suffering of immeasurable beings who lose the Buddha realm and arbitrarily produce the Māra realm is called compassion toward immeasurable Māras. This immeasurable loving-kindness and compassion is the one great unconditioned loving-kindness and compassion.

Fourth, settle mind through calming-and-contemplation. To fulfill this vow and reveal this principle, one should subdue Māra and accomplish the place of awakening. That eighty billion beings from Māra's host cannot shake one's mind is calming. Penetrating the Māra realm as itself the Buddha realm is contemplation. Practitioners use only the four siddhāntas to settle mind through calming-and-contemplation.

Fifth, pervasively break through Dharmas. As soon as a demonic affair arises, break it through the four alternatives. Whether horizontal or vertical, single or compound, breaking proceeds without obstruction.

In the Tripiṭaka Teaching, the four Māras are initially subdued. When one sits at the place of awakening, breaking the Māra of afflictions obtains the path of awakening, and obtaining the body of Dharma-nature breaks the Māra of aggregates and sense fields; these two together break death-Māra. Beneath the tree of the path, one attains immovable samādhi, transforms the three jade women, and breaks eighty billion demonic troops. Māra's crown, canopy, and sword each fall; this is breaking Māra as a heavenly son.

In the Shared Teaching, one initially attains patient endurance concerning nonarising; at the sixth ground one attains the path of awakening, as above; at the eighth ground, path and contemplation flow together, which is immovable samādhi and breaks Māra as a heavenly son. Śrāvakas in both Tripiṭaka and Shared Teachings break only three Māras. Gupta was long troubled by Māra and later attained superknowledge, but merely controlled Māra without breaking it〔and so forth〕.

At the ten abodes of the Distinct Teaching, the four Māras within the three realms have been broken. After ascending the grounds, partially attaining the path of awakening breaks the Māra of afflictions; partially attaining the Dharma-body breaks the Māra of aggregates; partially attaining red samādhi breaks Māra as a heavenly son. According to the Sūtra of the Original Acts, three Māras are exhausted at equal awakening and only one portion of death-Māra remains. Yet the three should not already be exhausted first, nor should death-Māra remain alone. This is only a preparatory-means explanation of the Distinct Teaching.

At the first abode of the Perfect Teaching, all eight Māras are broken simultaneously. Attaining the path of awakening breaks the Māra of afflictions〔and so forth〕; only at wondrous awakening are all eight Māras ultimately and permanently exhausted. Although the first abode is said to break them, it cannot be fixed as only the first abode doing the breaking. Although later awakening is said to break them, it cannot be fixed as only later awakening doing the breaking. Yet breaking does not depart from the first abode and later awakening. This is pervasively breaking through Dharmas.

Sixth, discern passage and obstruction. Within each preceding method of breaking Māra, distinguish suffering, accumulation, ignorance, the six obscurations and six perfections, and letters and nonletters.

Seventh, cultivate the factors of the path. The Māra realm possesses all form. Form itself is empty, so form is impure; form itself is provisional, so it is named pure; form itself is the Middle, so it is neither pure nor impure. The remaining four aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise. One establishment of mindfulness is therefore all establishments of mindfulness, continuing in sequence through the three gates of liberation.

Eighth, employ aids to the path. If the three gates of liberation have not opened, phenomenal obstructions must be present. Since distant kalpas, practitioners have been driven by Māra: they practice Māra's giving to seek retribution; maintain Māra's precepts to seek gain and support; cultivate Māra's patience from fear of others; perform Māra's diligence to seek reputation; attain Māra's dhyāna and sink into ghostly dharmas; or delight in Māra's wisdom and fall into the net of discriminating views. Although these six have wholesome names, in reality all are Māra. Precisely because these deviant obstructions conceal them, the three gates of liberation remain blocked.

One should now use the correct six perfections to treat the six obscurations. As the obscurations retreat and the perfections are accomplished, the flame grows brighter like a lamp supplied with abundant oil. If afflictions are mixed in, use the preceding four-division contemplation as an assisting treatment. If karmic obstructions are mixed in, use recollection of the two buddhas as an aid to treatment.

Ninth, know stages. At the Small Vehicle's path of subduing, everything can be called only wisdom through hearing. Even through the five grades of the Perfect Teaching, it remains the stage of wisdom through hearing. Since this stage is not yet accomplished, how could one confuse it with a real stage and produce overweening pride?

Tenth, patiently endure and become free from attachment to Dharma. If one wishes to enter the real stage, one should patiently endure single-mindedly and no longer let Māra shake and disturb one. One must also investigate and illuminate the subtlest points, strengthen mind, rebuke, and resist.

If one enters a stage resembling realization and receives a bestowal of Dharma, one must not produce pride or attachment. A person who has performed great service but is demoted to a small district may lose salary or even life. Producing attachment to Dharma resembles committing an offense: merely arousing semblance-understanding is like being demoted to a small district; losing semblance-understanding, like losing salary; falling into the ground of the Two Vehicles, like losing life, because the Great Vehicle's family enterprise and ancestral shrine have been extinguished. Without attachment to Dharma, one can pass from semblance to the real, discipline Māra as an attendant, and proceed directly to the place of awakening.

At another level, losing wisdom resembles losing merit, losing meditative concentration resembles losing salary, and losing concentration and wisdom together resembles losing life. One general intent may also be applied throughout as a contemplative method. Practitioners of dull faculties first understand the shared intent, then enter each specific contemplation section by section. Every chapter of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā has a different intent, yet all converge upon nonarising. The general and specific intents mutually reveal one another; once understood, each establishes the other.

Must Wholesome Dharma Arise after Māra Departs?

Question: After demonic disturbance ends and wholesome Dharma next arises, is this an inherent necessity, like winter's cold passing and spring arriving?

Answer: It is not invariably so. Sometimes a difficult pass has already been crossed but wholesome Dharma still does not arise. Māra is evoked by unwholesome conditions; good is created through one's own power of mind.

The Explanatory Treatise says that in a past life Śākyamuni lived during an evil age when no Buddha was present in the world. He diligently sought Dharma but could not obtain it. Māra transformed into a brahmin and deceived him, saying: “I possess one verse of the Buddha. If you can use skin as paper, bone as brush, and blood as ink, I will give the verse to you.” The bodhisattva delighted in correct Dharma, immediately stripped off his own skin, exposed it to dry, and prepared to write the verse. Māra vanished. Knowing the bodhisattva's mind of seeking Dharma, a buddha emerged from below, taught him a profound scripture, and enabled him to attain patient endurance concerning nonarising. This proves that Māra's retreat and the arising of good each have their own causes and conditions. Wholesome Dharma must ultimately be brought forth by one's own power of mind〔and so forth〕.

Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Eight〔Lower〕.

〔Section §1〕 Why Meditative Concentration Must Also Become an Object of Contemplation

Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Nine〔Upper〕.

Taught by Great Master Zhizhe of Tiantai in the Sui and recorded by his disciple Guanding.

Sixth is contemplating the object of meditative concentration. Prolonged illness and distant travel both obstruct meditative concentration. The Lokaprajñaptyabhidharma says: “Constant admonition and dispute, and busily conducting many affairs, also obstruct meditative concentration. Furthermore, excessive reading and recitation likewise obstruct meditative concentration.” The Mañjuśrī Questions on Bodhi Sūtra says: “Meditative concentration has thirty-six defilements.” Defilement here means obstruction.

Practitioners who have already entered the cool pool through the preceding objects and joined the stream need not further contemplate the object of meditative concentration. Yet if demonic affairs have passed but genuine luminous wisdom has not arisen, even without separately cultivating a dhyāna method, continually cultivating calming-and-contemplation in general can stir habits from past lives and cause various meditative signs to appear in profusion. One should then set demonic affairs aside and take the dhyānas that arise as the contemplated object. Why? Meditative joy is exquisite and readily inspires delight and addiction, so defilement deepens day by day. Mistaking a meditative object for the true path causes one to fall into overweening pride. Rebuking and abandoning it indiscriminately makes one wholly lose a preparatory means for cultivating the path. Faults of this kind are too numerous to record individually. One may escape harm from Māra only to be bound by meditative concentration, like avoiding fire and falling into water; this brings no benefit to samādhi. For this reason, the object of meditative concentration must be contemplated.

Yet the factors of dhyāna and the various concentrations genuinely aid cultivation of the path, and Great- and Small-Vehicle scriptures praise them alike. The four dhyānas and eight concentrations are explained in detail in the Abhidharma and the Chengshi Lun; the nine dhyānas of intrinsic nature are clearly explained in the Bodhisattvabhūmi and Ten Grounds. Their arising signs are now also explained briefly under four general headings: first, opening and combining; second, causes and conditions for the arising of dhyāna; third, characteristics of arising; fourth, cultivating calming-and-contemplation.

〔Section §2〕 How the Ten Gates Are Opened and Combined

First is opening and combining. Dhyāna gates are immeasurable; here they are provisionally grouped into ten: first, the four root dhyānas; second, the sixteen special excellences; third, penetrating illumination; fourth, the nine perceptions; fifth, the eight relinquishments; sixth, great impurity; seventh, loving-kindness; eighth, causes and conditions; ninth, recollection of the Buddha; tenth, superknowledge.

How are these ten gates the same as or different from five and fifteen gates? They differ only in the manner of opening and combining.

Opening the five gates into ten means opening the one gate of breath-counting into the two gates of sixteen special excellences and penetrating illumination, and opening the one gate of impurity into the two gates of eight relinquishments and great impurity. Loving-kindness and causes and conditions retain their original names. In the Abhidharma, the gate of recollecting the Buddha is named a preparatory means at the element; in the dhyāna scriptures, recollection of the Buddha. The original name is retained here. Superknowledge arises in dependence upon nine kinds of dhyāna and cannot be assigned exclusively to one meditative method.

When fifteen gates are combined into ten, the three gates of breath-counting and the three of impurity remain uncombined. Loving-kindness originally has three gates; only one is retained here, loving-kindness conditioned by beings. The other two names are hidden because dhyāna methods are entrances and sequences that explain phenomenal dharmas. Loving-kindness conditioned by Dharmas is the Two Vehicles' contemplation entering principle, and unconditioned loving-kindness is the Great Vehicle's contemplation entering principle. The two principial contemplations are therefore hidden and only one phenomenal loving-kindness retained. If the two principial contemplations were listed, they would respectively belong under the objects of the Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas.

Causes and conditions also have three gates. The meaning of cyclic movement through three lives is coarse, while dependent origination of retribution and dependent origination in one thought are subtle. Subtle meanings belong with contemplation of principle and the coarse with phenomena, so the subtle meanings are hidden and the coarse retained, named only the gate of three-life causes and conditions. Recollection of the Buddha also has three gates; only recollection of the response-body Buddha is taken here. Among superknowledges, only the five are taken. Taking only five gates would leave some content unembraced, while taking all fifteen would mix the meaning of phenomenal dhyāna with contemplation of principle. This chapter therefore selects out contemplation of principle and opens phenomenal dhyāna. Although five, ten, and fifteen gates differ in opening and combining, each arrangement has its own intent.

〔Section §3〕 Outflowed, Outflow-Free, and Belonging to Both

Next are the outflowed and outflow-free. According to the Abhidharma classification, all ten dhyānas are named outflowed dhyānas. Only when cultivated through wisdom conditioning the four truths are they named outflow-free. If not cultivated in this way but only by conditioning phenomena, they are outflowed dhyānas. The Chengshi Lun teaches the same: the root dhyānas and the rest are outflowed; only cultivation through minds of emptiness and signlessness is named outflow-free.

The present classification differs slightly. Although the substance and characteristics of the ten dhyānas are all outflowed and belong to phenomenal dhyāna, just as a cucumber can become a condition for the outbreak of a fever, whether the ten phenomenal dhyānas can become conditions for the arising of the outflow-free requires further distinction.

The four dhyānas originally exist in the world and are shared by ordinary people and non-Buddhists. Cultivating the four dhyānas alone produces only outflowed concentration. In self-cultivation there are twelve gates; in transforming others, praising the Dharma and praising practitioners of that Dharma. The Great Sūtra's “so-called forty-eight years” has this meaning.

Even without a buddha appearing in the world, ordinary people of sharp faculties can cultivate the sixteen special excellences and penetrating illumination, but they do not produce the outflow-free. If a tathāgata teaches them, however, these practices can also produce it. Although their power to produce the outflow-free is weaker than that of the remaining contemplative dhyānas, each is superior to the root dhyānas. They are therefore called “both outflowed and outflow-free.”

The nine perceptions and related dharmas are supramundane guest-dharmas. Although phenomenal, they prevent the faults of defilement by desire and can produce the outflow-free without waiting for a separately arisen wisdom of the truths. For example, the five hundred arhats of Kāṭhina each heard the four truths seven times but still could not awaken to the path. As soon as the Buddha taught contemplation of impurity, they produced the outflow-free. Because the force of revulsion toward defilement by desire is strong, these are classified as outflow-free. If they were not outflow-free, they should not be named noble moral discipline, noble concentration, and noble wisdom. “Noble” means correct; what correct Dharma could surpass the outflow-free?

The Great Sūtra says: “The so-called noble practice is the object of buddhas and cannot be understood by the Two Vehicles. Yet the Buddha teaches this Dharma and the Two Vehicles practice it according to the teaching; therefore it is named noble practice.” The Buddha now teaches a noble Dharma and the Two Vehicles practice it—how could it not be outflow-free? The Large Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra further says: “The root dhyānas are a worldly gift of Dharma; impurity and the other methods are supramundane gifts of Dharma.” Since they are called supramundane, how could they not be outflow-free? Scripture also says: “From the nine perceptions, contemplation of impurity unfolds; from contemplation of impurity, the establishment of mindfulness of body; from the establishment of mindfulness of body, the other three establishments; from the other three establishments, the thirty-seven factors of the path; from the thirty-seven factors, nirvāṇa.” As the first condition for nirvāṇa, how could they not be outflow-free?

To say that they must be outflowed because they are phenomenal dhyāna resembles taking two mineral medicines, one of which heats the body and the other cools it. Although both are mineral medicines, their effects differ as hot and cold. Phenomenal dhyānas should likewise differ as outflowed and outflow-free. If the ability to condition the outflow-free were enough to name something outflow-free, then when views are severed at the sixth ground and thought at the seventh, the root dhyānas serving as supports should all be named outflow-free. Yet views and thought cannot be severed at those grounds through root dhyāna alone; the wisdom of the truths must be joined to it, merely arising in reliance upon those grounds. Root dhyāna alone cannot condition the outflow-free. Impurity and related methods differ: contemplation of impurity alone can directly serve as a condition for producing the outflow-free〔and so forth〕.

This chapter does not include the ten perceptions because the first three belong to the path of seeing, the middle four to the path of cultivation, and the final three to the path beyond learning; all belong to contemplation of principle. Nor does it include the eight recollections, because people who have accomplished the nine perceptions are no longer afraid and because recollection of the Buddha among them has already been included under its own gate.

Contemplation of loving-kindness belongs to both outflowed and outflow-free. Loving-kindness arising in dependence upon root dhyāna is outflowed; loving-kindness arising in dependence upon impurity and the other contemplative dhyānas is outflow-free. Loving-kindness itself has no separately established stage, but establishes its level according to the dhyāna ground upon which it relies: when accomplished through root dhyāna it is loving-kindness conditioned by beings; when accomplished through relinquishment, loving-kindness conditioned by Dharmas.

Causes and conditions likewise have no separate meditative stage. Recollection of the Buddha and the five superknowledges must also be judged by the levels of other dhyāna methods upon which they depend, just as loving-kindness belongs to both outflowed and outflow-free〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §4〕 Distinct Rationale, Shallowness and Depth, and Mutual Arising

Next is the difference between the rationale of this chapter and other dhyāna gates. Someone asks: how are the ten gates explained here the same as or different from the Sequential Dharma Gate of Dhyāna and the dhyāna methods previously taught under counteraction as an aid to opening?

Answer: The Sequential Dharma Gate of Dhyāna aims to accomplish dhyāna pāramitā. The meditative wholesome roots it addresses are sharp, so dhyāna arises first and is afterward tested as wholesome or unwholesome. This chapter aims to accomplish prajñā. The meditative wholesome roots it addresses are dull: first obstructed by afflictions, they then encounter the karmic object and the object of Māra, and only afterward produce the meditative object. Dhyāna methods taught under counteraction as an aid to opening aim to break obscurations and cultivate dharmas assisting the path. The dhyānas in this chapter arise naturally without intentional effort and, after arising, must still become objects contemplated through calming-and-contemplation. Although the dhyāna gates spoken of are the same, each has a distinct intent〔and so forth〕.

Next is why the ten gates are arranged in this sequence from shallow to profound. The four dhyānas are root dhyānas, dark realization without contemplative wisdom, dhyānas whose savor inspires craving. They are shared by ordinary and noble people and can be attained through slight cultivation. The sixteen special excellences possess a little contemplative wisdom, do not inspire craving for savor, and are not dark realization. Horizontally they correspond to the four establishments of mindfulness and vertically to the root dhyānas. Savor-dhyāna is therefore listed first, followed by pure dhyāna. Penetrating illumination possesses contemplative wisdom and realizes signs that are deeper and subtler, so it follows the special excellences' general characteristics.

The three gates of root dhyāna, special excellences, and penetrating illumination all belong to root direct contemplation, yet remain weak in treating afflictions. The nine perceptions are the initial gate of constructed-image contemplation and can subdue desire like a vanguard, so they come next. The nine perceptions are revolted only by external objects and do not yet treat inner mind, so the eight relinquishments follow. Although the eight relinquishments can break inner and outer craving, their contemplation still takes general characteristics without discrimination and is not yet free toward its objects. Great impurity therefore follows, breaking attachment to direct and dependent retributions. Although both general and specific characteristics can treat craving, great merit has not yet been cultivated extensively, so loving-kindness follows. Although grave inner craving has been treated and merit cultivated outwardly, without entering causes and conditions through contemplation one still lacks correct worldly views, so causes and conditions follow. Knowing three-life cyclic movement as lacking ruler and self becomes correct worldly view. Yet its objects remain inferior beings at the causal stage and its generated merit weak, so one next conditions the superior fruit of buddhahood and makes merit vast. Although the preceding concentrations have arisen, their power and function of sovereign transformation remain absent, so superknowledge is explained last〔and so forth〕.

Next are differences in mutual arising. The ten gates can mutually arise according to their sequence in eight ways, understood by comparison with the object of aggregates, sense fields, and elements〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §5〕 Inner Causes and External Conditions for the Arising of Meditative Concentration

Second are the causes and conditions through which meditative concentration arises. The Great Sūtra says: “All beings possess the savor-dhyāna of the first ground. Whether they cultivate it or not, they will certainly attain it in the future.” Viewed only from the nearer situation, beings during the kalpa of world-destruction did not cultivate dhyāna; traced into the distant past, they had nevertheless once escaped the five coverings. It resembles memorizing a scripture: if abandoned only briefly, learning it again is easy; if abandoned for a long time, difficult. One can therefore know that if the past cultivation was sequential, the present arising is sequential; and if one formerly cultivated phenomena through phenomena, now phenomena arise through phenomena. The other forms of mutual arising are known in the same way〔and so forth〕.

This resembles the earth fully possessing all kinds of seed. Once moistened by rain, each sprouts and grows. They grow earlier or later and do not fruit simultaneously: plum trees fruit in four months, peach in seven, pear in nine, and persimmon in ten. Although they encounter the same condition of rain, their fruits ripen differently. Past habits are like seeds, present cultivation of calming-and-contemplation like rain, and the various dhyānas that arise like fruits ripening at uneven times. In summary, these are the eight preceding kinds of mutual arising. This is called arising through internal causes and conditions.

Furthermore, although beings possess wholesome roots that should sprout, they must rely upon the Buddha's majestic power before those roots can develop. The earth may contain seeds, but without sunlight they do not sprout. Buddhas have no discrimination of hatred or attachment and benefit beings equally according to conditions. If beings possess causes and conditions for sequential arising, a buddha provides sequential aid; if they possess causes and conditions for cultivating phenomena and producing phenomena, a buddha provides the corresponding phenomenal aid. A great bell allows anyone to strike it, while the loudness depends upon the mallet. Buddha-aid remains constantly equal; the shallowness or depth of what arises depends upon beings' former habituation.

The Great Treatise says: “If lotuses in a pond do not receive sunlight, shade will make them die. If beings' wholesome roots do not receive aid, they sink and cannot manifest.” One passage in the Sūtra on Pure Liberation says: “Beings merely liberate themselves; the Buddha adds nothing to them.” Bodhisattva Pure Liberation also says: “If beings do not hear the Buddha's twelve divisions of scripture, how could they be liberated?” The two teachings appear opposed but together establish one meaning: beings possess wholesome causes within themselves and still require a corresponding buddha-condition. This is called arising through external causes and conditions.

〔Section §6〕 General Heading for the Arising Signs of the Ten Gates

Third are the signs that arise with the various meditative concentrations. Root dhyāna also arises during cultivation of the Pratyutpanna Samādhi, but less often; it arises more frequently during constantly seated samādhi and the other practices. The present explanation begins with seated meditation.

〔Section §6.1〕 Desire-Realm Concentration and Access Concentration

When the body is upright, thoughts gathered, and breath regulated, the paths of mental activity gradually seem to disappear. Mind becomes clear and quiet, stable and continuous as it enters more deeply. Although still conditioning something, it no longer races outward. This is called coarse abiding. Afterward thoughts become still more stable and continuous; this is subtle abiding.

Before, after, and between the minds of coarse and subtle abiding, a power supporting the body necessarily appears. When this power arises, the body naturally sits upright without fatigue or pain, as if something were holding it. If the supporting power is unwholesome, it comes with constriction, rigidity, and pain and departs with looseness and exhaustion; this is a coarse, unwholesome body-supporting dharma. A wholesome body-supporting dharma sustains the body amid coarse and subtle abiding without the faults of excessive tension or looseness.

After one or two double-hours, days, or months, practitioners gradually feel the concentrated object deepen and become subtler. Suddenly a portion of the ground of mind opens into clarity and purity. The body appears like cloud or shadow, bright and pure, corresponding with the dharma of concentration. Mind is gathered and held without movement; turbid defilement within the breast is removed, leaving freshness and coolness. Although one feels emptiness and purity, signs of body and mind remain, and the forestlike merits of the factors of dhyāna have not yet arisen. This is desire-realm concentration.

The Chengshi Lun names it “mind corresponding with the ten wholesome acts” and says it flickers and should not be inhabited for long. Here desire-realm concentration is compared to an unfired clay brick, fragile and unstable, and is therefore called flickering; this does not mean that concentrated mind moves like a lamp flame. Some also call it a lightning flash, but the passage on which they rely actually asks: “Apart from the seven supports, is there a concentration capable of producing the outflow-free?” It answers: “Yes. Desire-realm concentration can produce the outflow-free; its arising is swift and sudden like lightning. If the outflow-free does not arise, desire-realm concentration can remain a long time.” The Bequeathed Teaching Sūtra says: “Like seeing lightning at night, one can temporarily see the path.” When Ānanda urged his thoughts he could not awaken; in the instant he relaxed mind and reached for his pillow, he entered the lightning-flash samādhi. This lightning flash is also vajra samādhi. Vajra samādhi does not arise alone without cause, but enters the outflow-free from desire-realm concentration. Because the outflow-free arises swiftly, it is compared to lightning. Desire-realm concentration itself is not named lightning.

One may abide in desire-realm concentration for months or years. The dharma of concentration gathers and sustains inner mind without indolence or pain; one can remain continuously in concentration for several days. After this mind, there is another silent turn and advance: in open vacuity, the head, body, clothing, and bed previously present in desire-realm concentration are no longer seen. All resembles empty space, bright, pure, and stable. The phenomenal body is an obstruction preventing the future dhyāna from arising. Now that the phenomenal obstruction is removed and the bodily sign empty and quiescent, future dhyāna can arise. This is the sign of the access ground.

People who do not understand this attainment think they have realized patient endurance concerning nonarising. Yet the obstruction of nature remains and the first dhyāna has not been entered. How could they misname it a concentration of nonarising? This resembles fire covered by ash and a fool carelessly stepping upon it because no fire seems present.

According to the Chengshi Lun, no future dhyāna exists, so it asks: “Is the future dhyāna you teach not simply what I call desire-realm concentration?” The Abhidharma says that a future dhyāna exists. Venerable Ghoṣa and the Explanatory Treatise explain it in detail. The Buddha-Dharma contains both positions; each treatise author emphasizes one side. One should now judge according to what actually arises in each practitioner. Some remain for months after attaining desire-realm concentration and enter the first dhyāna shortly after reaching access concentration; thus only desire-realm concentration is named and access concentration not separately discussed. Others remain only briefly in desire-realm concentration but ten days in access concentration; thus only access is discussed and desire-realm concentration not mentioned. Still others remain long in both, so both names are used. One position cannot be grasped exclusively. Following the Great Treatise, both are listed here. The deviant and correct signs at every stage are explained in detail in Cultivation and Realization. Because the first dhyāna lies close to the desire realm like a national frontier where many dangers occur, a brief distinction must still be made.

〔Section §6.2〕 Four Divisions and Eight Contacts

From coarse abiding through the concentration of neither perception nor nonperception, all possess four divisions: retreat, protection, abiding, and advance.

Retreat has two kinds: natural loss and loss triggered by a condition. Triggering conditions are internal or external. Among the twenty-five external preparatory means, improper regulation of exhalation and inhalation is retreat triggered by an external condition. Within quiescent mind, the three obstructions and four Māras arise and produce grief or attachment; this is retreat triggered by an internal condition. After losing an attainment, some can cultivate and regain it, while many cannot despite renewed cultivation.

Protection means skillfully using internal and external preparatory means to guard concentrated mind from loss. Abiding sometimes occurs because skillful protection keeps it stable and sometimes naturally without effort; both are called abiding. Advance sometimes happens naturally and sometimes through diligent urging. Each has horizontal and vertical dimensions, and each dimension has gradual and sudden arising. Advancing gate by gate through the twelve gates is vertical gradual advance; possessing all twelve at once, vertical sudden advance. The successive arising of each grade of the sixteen special excellences and penetrating illumination is horizontal gradual advance; all arising at once is horizontal sudden advance. Each of the four divisions of retreat, protection, abiding, and advance again contains all four divisions, as explained in detail in Cultivation and Realization〔and so forth〕.

The present explanation first takes the vertical division of advance. Within access concentration, body and mind gradually feel empty and quiescent, with no body seen within or object without. This concentrated object may continue for a day, a month, or a year without damaging concentrated mind. Within it, one suddenly feels body and mind moving and vibrating subtly and continuously. Sometimes the eight contacts of movement, itching, lightness, heaviness, cold, warmth, roughness, and smoothness arise.

Some say that because the application of mind has become subtle, the pure form dharmas of the form realm contact the desire-realm body. For example, when the pure form dharmas of the desire realm are present upon the faculties, they can produce seeing and hearing. According to this explanation, contact comes from outside. Another teaching relies on “all beings possess the savor-dhyāna of the first ground” and compares dhyāna to the wealth intrinsically possessed by the blind child of a rich household, or fire intrinsically present in bamboo. Although dhyāna lies within mind, it cannot arise simultaneously with coarse afflictions. When phenomenal obstructions are coarse, dhyāna cannot arise. Now that cultivation of mind gradually sharpens and the obstruction of nature is removed, subtle dharmas arise accordingly. Why must they come from outside?

Why do subtle dharmas arise? Counting breaths transforms mind; mind transforms the fire element; fire transforms wind; wind transforms water; water transforms earth. The four elements progressively become subtle and therefore produce the eight contacts. This resembles wheat becoming ferment, ferment becoming mash, and mash becoming wine. Mash represents desire-realm concentration and wine the first dhyāna; both have wheat as their root and do not come from outside. Grasping that contact arises only from oneself or only from outside falls into the faults of self-nature or other-nature. Following the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, the four natures of arising from self, other, both, and no cause are first broken; only afterward does one conventionally distinguish internal emergence and external arrival.

The eight contacts are the substance and function of the four elements. Movement and lightness belong to wind; itching and warmth to fire; cold and smoothness to water; heaviness and roughness to earth. Each of the four elements has substance and function; combining them makes eight contacts.

〔Section §6.3〕 Ten Merits and Distinguishing Deviant from Correct

When the contact of movement arises, it may begin at the head, back, waist, ribs, feet, or elsewhere and gradually fill the whole body. Movement is felt inside while no motion appears externally, like a slight wind arising and moving gently and continuously. Arising from the head generally becomes the division of retreat; from the waist, abiding; from the feet, advance.

The contact of movement bears forestlike merits, summarized in ten: emptiness, brightness, concentration, wisdom, wholesome mind, softness, joy, happiness, liberation, and correspondence with the object.

“Emptiness” means that when the contact of movement arises, inner mind opens into clear vacuity, unlike before when the obstruction of nature remained. “Brightness” means a wondrous lucidity whose clarity admits no simile. “Concentration” means one mind stable and free of scattered movement. “Wisdom” means no longer being obscure or entangled in nets of doubt; mind understands with quiescence and acuity. “Wholesome mind” means shame, conscience, faith, and reverence arise: one is ashamed that this Dharma was never attained before; reflecting that one has only now reached this point, one feels conscience; believing that all worthies and nobles possess still more profound and wondrous dharmas, one reveres them immeasurably. “Softness” means leaving the rigid and coarse mind of the desire realm and becoming like cured cowhide that can be rolled and unrolled at will. “Joy” means delighting in the Dharma attained. “Happiness” means that the dharma of contact pleases inner mind with peaceful wonder. “Liberation” means that the five coverings no longer operate. “Correspondence with the object” means that mind corresponds without confusion to the contact of movement and all the preceding merits; mindfulness can further gather and sustain them, corresponding without forgetting or loss. One may abide stably in this way for a day, month, or year; whenever mind is gathered, the meditative sign appears again.

As repeated cultivation continues, the grades of the movement contact gradually deepen; this is vertical arising. The vertical arising of the remaining seven contacts is known by analogy. If movement has arisen, whether or not it has retreated, and cold next arises; then whether or not cold retreats, another contact arises, interweaving like the eight preceding forms of mutual arising—this is horizontal arising.

Although the eight contacts can arise horizontally or vertically and in different sequences, examination through the eight contacts, ten merits, and five factors prevents confusion. Yet one cannot suppose that all eight contacts are completed simultaneously within one thought. Why? The eight contacts belong to the four elements, and water and fire oppose one another and cannot be accomplished at once. Each of the eight contacts has ten merits, making eighty adornments of merit. Although their names are the same, the delight and happiness they cause differ, like boiling broth, hot meat, mackerel, and chilled plums, each with a different flavor and pleasure. The remaining six contacts likewise differ from one another.

If the eight contacts arise within desire-realm concentration, all are deviant contacts, illness contacts, or affliction contacts, explained in detail in Cultivation and Realization and not discussed here. The present passage concerns only the eight contacts of the first dhyāna and must distinguish deviant from correct. Why? First, the first dhyāna lies at the border of the form realm, close to the desire realm. Second, it still carries desire-realm mind, so deviant dharmas easily exploit an opening and enter, as thieves enter when a gate opens. Ghosts may follow deviant dharmas into dhyāna, but dhyāna itself is not a ghost. Failure to distinguish them destroys correct contact and leaves only deviant, unwholesome contact.

Deviant contact is still distinguished through the eight contacts and ten merits by whether it is excessive or deficient. When movement contact arises, the body should merely move naturally and gently within, neither slowly nor quickly. If it suddenly becomes urgent and rapid, with hands and feet ceaselessly scratching and agitating, it is excessive. If there is no movement at all, as though the body were bound, it is deficient. The remaining seven contacts of cold, warmth, and the rest are distinguished in the same way.

Next, each of the ten merits beginning with emptiness that accompany movement contact is distinguished as excessive or deficient. Correct emptiness is simply open and unobstructed. Quiescence so complete that awareness disappears is excessive; continued rigidity and obstruction are deficient. Correct brightness is clear and luminous like the moon in a mirror. Brightness like full daylight or visions of various lights and colors are excessive; seeing nothing at all is deficient. Correct concentration is simply one mind clear and quiet. Being bound and stuck so one cannot move is excessive; racing and scattering among myriad objects is deficient. The final merit of correspondence and all those between are distinguished in the same way. Thus one movement contact has twenty deviant signs. The remaining seven contacts each have twenty as well, making 160 deviant dharmas.

Strictly speaking, correct dhyāna should have no deviant sign. That deviant signs nevertheless appear resembles taking sweet flag and becoming very angry just as its medicinal power is about to arise, or taking Solomon's seal and becoming lustful just as its power is about to arise. The medicines do not produce anger or desire. Their power drives an existing coarse illness, which momentarily becomes strong as it is expelled. Within desire-realm concentration alone, only deviant contacts arise; they increase illness and the five coverings and possess no correct merit. Once form-realm concentration has been entered, the eight contacts and ten merits beginning with emptiness and brightness exist, yet 160 deviant signs may appear as well and must be distinguished.

The Great Treatise says: “Some winds produce rain and some destroy it.” Clouds gathering in the northeast bring rain; clouds scattering in the southwest destroy it. Dhyāna is the same. The eight contacts and ten merits allow feeling to accomplish correct dhyāna; the 160 deviant signs cause feeling to destroy meditative concentration. If one dharma among them bears deviance, the others are also stained, like one thief among travelers turning the rest into an evil band. If the first contact has no deviant sign, the remaining merits are all wholesome and correct.

〔Section §6.4〕 Five Factors of the First Dhyāna

Correct dhyāna has five factors. The initial contact touches the body and mind conditions it; this is awareness. Fine mental distinction of the eight contacts and their ten attendant merits is examination. Rejoicing that what was formerly unattained is now attained is joy. Peaceful pleasure is happiness. Quiescence without scattering is one-pointed mind.

The Abhidharma says that twenty-three mental factors arise simultaneously, but takes the five with strongest function as the five factors. All five are the substance of dhyāna; preparatory means preceding that substance are as explained above. The Chengshi Lun instead says that the five factors arise sequentially: the first four are preparatory means and only one-pointed mind is the substance of concentration. The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra says that a sixth, silent mind is the substance of concentration. Some locate the five factors in the ninth desire-realm mind and others before desire-realm concentration; neither location is yet the five factors of the first dhyāna.

The present distinction of dhyāna with awareness and examination is properly made from the first dhyāna. How can the five factors be simultaneous yet established sequentially? They arise simultaneously, but their strength and weakness obscure one another, so the five factors are established according to the strong factor accomplished in sequence. It resembles one strike of a bell: within one sound, the beginning is coarse and heavy and the later sound subtle. The five factors are the same. When the object is initially conditioned, awareness is strong. This does not prevent examination and the other three factors from already existing simultaneously, but awareness is strong and examination not yet clear. When awareness ceases, examination becomes manifest. Joy was present from the beginning, but only when examination ceases is the factor of joy accomplished. Happiness was also present from the beginning, but had not yet filled feeling; when joy ceases, the factor of happiness is accomplished. One-pointed mind was also present, but agitated by the preceding four; only when happiness subsides is its factor accomplished.

This resembles first opening a treasury and immediately recognizing that it is filled with valuables and that they are precious. Joy, happiness, and stability are all simultaneously present, but one does not yet know which treasure is which. Next one distinguishes gold and silver; once clearly distinguished, one receives them and joy arises. Through joy one experiences happiness and finally rests in one-pointed mind. It also resembles a person who, having eaten one's fill, has no further need, or someone sleeping deeply before the five desires. Thus the treatise says: “Like a person obtaining a treasury”〔and so forth〕.

If all four dhyānas take one-pointed mind as substance, how do they differ? The first dhyāna is distinguished here as one-pointed mind corresponding with awareness and examination, so the four dhyānas differ. To enter the second, one need only rebuke and abandon awareness and examination; the first dhyāna then ceases and the specific sign of the second becomes manifest. From the general standpoint, all four dhyānas take one-pointed mind as substance. Detailed explanations of the names, meanings, and signs of the five factors appear in Cultivation and Realization〔and so forth〕.

Furthermore, the eight contacts and merits that initially arise are coarse and shallow. Arising repeatedly, they become progressively deeper and sharper. Some say there are three grades, others nine, and one may also say immeasurable grades. Various meditative contacts bring delight to one another, and the many noisy merits instead prevent one-pointedness, like song, dance, and music continuing without pause, or many guests arriving in turn: as soon as one has been received, another appears. They temporarily disappear when one emerges from concentration into scattered mind, but return as soon as thoughts are slightly gathered.

To transcend the first dhyāna, simply rebuke and abandon awareness and examination. After the first dhyāna subsides, a single intermediate concentrated mind arises, also called the mind turning toward quiescence, the ground of receding dhyāna, or the bamboo-shaving mind. Within this solitary quiescent mind, the first dhyāna of the lower ground has been lost while the second dhyāna above has not yet arisen. If grief and regret arise then, this portion of concentration is also lost. Without regret, the factor of inner purity arises. There is no longer reception and discrimination of the eight contacts, so it is named concentration of one consciousness. The forms of the four elements combine into one pure form, the illuminating mind turns pure, and the factor of joy arises with it. Because this is no longer a borderland, no sign of demonic deviance appears. Happiness arises after joy; when happiness subsides, one enters one-pointed mind.

The joy of the second dhyāna makes mind float, and this happiness remains unstable, so joy should be rebuked and abandoned. When joy subsides, one enters access concentration for the third dhyāna. The third dhyāna suddenly arises together with happiness. Form dharmas have become still subtler and happiness no longer depends on joy. The genuine happiness of the third dhyāna fills the entire body; noble ones can relinquish it, while ordinary people find this difficult. The third dhyāna has five factors: equanimity, mindfulness, wisdom, happiness, and one-pointed mind. Although scriptures and treatises list them in slightly different orders, these are only minor differences in cultivation.

The happiness of the third dhyāna stands opposite suffering. Rebuking and abandoning happiness makes the third dhyāna subside, and one passes through access concentration for the fourth. When that access concentration subsides, immovable concentration arises; form dharmas have again become subtler. Because suffering and happiness do not move it, it is named immovable concentration. The dharma of concentration is stable, exhalation and inhalation cease, and it possesses neither-suffering-nor-happiness, equanimity, purity of mindfulness, and one-pointed mind.

Even at the fourth dhyāna, form dharmas ultimately remain. Rebuking and abandoning the three kinds of form makes them cease. Turning to condition empty space, one attains concentration, no longer sees form, and mind escapes form dharmas like a bird flying from a cage. This is the concentration of the sphere of boundless space. When it subsides, one first enters access concentration, then conditions consciousness and produces concentration, called the sphere of boundless consciousness. When that subsides, one turns to condition nothing whatsoever, corresponds with the dharma of nothingness, and enters the sphere of nothingness. An older explanation interprets it as conditioning a little consciousness. Yet if even a little consciousness remains, there is still an object and still a mental function. How could it be called nonuse or nothing whatsoever?

When the sphere of nothingness has passed, the concentration of neither perception nor nonperception suddenly arises. Because it does not condition the sphere of consciousness it is called nonperception; because it does not condition the sphere of nothingness, non-nonperception. No dharma remains above it to be conditioned; it is the highest meditative concentration in the three realms. Worldly people consider it supremely subtle, and non-Buddhists take it for nirvāṇa, yet it remains dark realization without contemplative wisdom and fully possesses the truths of suffering and accumulation. Even when the three existences are almost exhausted, once its power of concentration is lost, one still falls into the three evil paths. Details of the root dhyānas can be sought in Cultivation and Realization.

〔Section §7〕 Sixteen Special Excellences

Next are the arising signs of the sixteen special excellences. According to the teaching sequence recorded in the Vinaya, the special excellences should follow contemplation of impurity; according to the actual sequence of practice, they precede it. The Vinaya says that when the Buddha taught monks contemplation of impurity, they developed such powerful revulsion that they could no longer dwell with this foul body. Some even gave their robes and bowls to non-Buddhist followers of Deer-Staff and asked to be killed. The Buddha therefore instructed the monks to set aside contemplation of impurity and cultivate the sixteen special excellences instead.

Rhubarb and croton purge so forcefully that people of weak bodily strength are harmed by the medicine, so other medicines must be combined with them, purging and nourishing at once. Nourishing represents caring for body and mind; purging, urging liberation. The sixteen special excellences urge more strongly than root dhyāna while accommodating body and mind better than contemplation of impurity. Because they possess contemplative wisdom they are called also outflow-free; because their counteractive power is weaker, also outflowed. Someone who loves meat may still force oneself to eat pig intestine after recognizing it as a vile vessel for feces. Yet on seeing the putrid corpse of a pig in the sixth month, covered in maggots and flies, one can no longer eat. The sixteen special excellences are contemplation as things truly are and still allow relaxed abiding. Contemplation of impurity is constructed-image contemplation, severe in force, and need not be bearable〔and so forth〕.

When the sixteen special excellences arise, practitioners suddenly see exhalation and inhalation as long or short. They know breath comes from nowhere and goes nowhere; inhalation does not accumulate within the body and exhalation does not disperse outside it. Correlated with root dhyāna, this stage is coarse and subtle abiding. Seeing breath come and go throughout the whole body corresponds to the access ground of root dhyāna. Root dhyāna, however, is dark realization: practitioners suppose body, bed, and the rest have wholly disappeared, although in reality they have not. This resembles ash covering fire and a fool stepping upon it; eating in darkness; or a blind man touching a woman—none clearly understands the encountered object. The sixteen special excellences now possess contemplative wisdom and see breath fill the whole body, while concentrated mind is bright, pure, and stable. They therefore differ from dark realization.

Practitioners further see the body's thirty-six substances, like opening a granary and seeing rice, millet, hemp, beans, and other grains. Correlated with root dhyāna, this is the stage of the first dhyāna. Although the eight contacts previously touched the granary of the body, the mind-eye had not opened and could not see its contents. Because the sixteen special excellences possess contemplative wisdom, once contact opens the bodily granary, the mind-eye sees its thirty-six substances: liver like green beans, heart like red beans, kidneys like black beans, spleen like millet; channels of large and small intestines connected together, with blood vessels pouring through like rivers. The inner layer has twelve substances including liver, heart, phlegm, and retained fluids; the middle twelve include membranes, skin, fat, and grease; the outer twelve, hair of the head, body hair, and the rest. Exhalation and inhalation embrace and penetrate them. Practitioners see the body as impure, impermanent, suffering, empty, and nonself. All bodily activities then cease and one ultimately no longer creates evil karma for the body's sake. This is called removing all bodily activities.

Correlated with the factors of the path, this is the establishment of mindfulness of body; with root dhyāna, the factors of awareness and examination. The initial opening of the mind-eye is awareness; accurately distinguishing the thirty-six substances is examination.

Mind experiences joy, corresponding to the joy factor of the first dhyāna. The joy of root dhyāna is hidden, defiled, and attached to savor; the joy of the sixteen special excellences is unhidden, undefiled, and able to know savor. It is Dharma-joy rather than ordinary felt joy. Mind experiencing happiness is likewise not happiness attached to pleasant feeling. Knowing that the three feelings of suffering, happiness, and neither-suffering-nor-happiness within a pleasant object lack genuine happiness is the factor of happiness. Receiving various mental activities is the factor of one-pointed mind. One knows that various different mental signs are all one mind but does not, like root dhyāna, conceive one mind as truly existent. Correlated with the factors of the path, all these belong to the establishment of mindfulness of feeling.

Making mind joyful and making mind gathered: the preceding joy arose from contemplating the thirty-six substances, but now joy is made directly in relation to mind, so this corresponds to the second dhyāna. The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra says that the second dhyāna has only three factors and does not separately establish inner purity; the present making of mind joyful is close in intent. “Making gathered” means that when joy moves, mind readily scatters; gathering it enables entry into one-pointed mind. Root dhyāna merely receives joy within inner purity; the sixteen special excellences possess contemplative wisdom and can constantly gather the joyful mind.

Making mind liberated corresponds to the third dhyāna. The happiness of root dhyāna depends upon joy and fills the whole body, making it difficult for ordinary people to relinquish. The sixteen special excellences possess contemplative wisdom and do not attach to the savor of happiness; hence mind is made liberated. From making mind joyful through making it liberated all belong to the establishment of mindfulness of mind.

Beginning with contemplating impermanence corresponds to the fourth dhyāna. Impermanence is contemplated at other meditative stages too, but not as a specific counteraction. At immovable concentration, practitioners readily crave its savor and take it as permanent. Contemplative wisdom now knows that although suffering and happiness have been left, this ultimately remains a form dharma and remains impermanent. It should not be defiled by attachment, so contemplating impermanence is named separately.

Contemplating departure and contemplating dispersal correspond to the sphere of space. The three kinds of form cease like a bird flying from a cage, hence departure; one turns to condition empty space, hence dispersal. Although empty space is conditioned, contemplative wisdom remains. Contemplating freedom from desire corresponds to the sphere of consciousness. Excessively conditioning space makes mind diffuse, and this diffuseness is named desire. The contemplative wisdom of the special excellences leaves scattered mind, hence freedom from desire. Contemplating cessation corresponds to the sphere of nothingness. The contemplative wisdom of the special excellences sees both abundant and slight consciousness return to nothing, hence contemplating cessation. Contemplating relinquishment corresponds to the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception. After relinquishing the spheres of consciousness and nothingness, another subtle concentration is named neither perception nor nonperception. Ordinary people mistakenly consider it nirvāṇa; Buddhist disciples know that although it has no coarse afflictions, subtle ones remain, so they do not crave its savor and it is named pure dhyāna. From contemplating impermanence through contemplating relinquishment, all belong to the establishment of mindfulness of dharmas.

These sixteen dharmas differ in their horizontal and vertical counteractions, each section distinct. Root dhyāna is dark realization with thin merits, like food without salt. The sixteen special excellences possess abundant merits, like food with salt. Their arising signs are explained in detail in Cultivation and Realization〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §8〕 Penetrating Illumination

Next are the arising signs of the dhyāna of penetrating illumination. While cultivating the sixteen special excellences, contemplative wisdom remains general and abbreviated, and the realized signs seen among the thirty-six substances remain general. In penetrating illumination, contemplative illumination is finer and more wondrous, and on realization each sign is more distinct. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra also uses the name penetrating illumination. The Jewel-Torch Dhāraṇī taught in the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra is precisely this class of dhyāna, and the Invocation of Avalokiteśvara has the same intent. During cultivation, the three affairs of body, breath, and mind are practiced as mutually penetrating and can produce the three knowledges and six superknowledges. Cultivation of the Jewel Torch can even enter the attainment of cessation of feeling and perception. This gate therefore fully possesses the eight liberations, three knowledges, and six superknowledges and is named penetrating illumination.

The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra gives the names of the five factors of this dhyāna. Awareness like mind, great awareness, reflection, great reflection, and contemplation of mind-nature are together called the factor of awareness. Contemplating mental activity, great activity, and pervasive activity form the factor of examination. Knowing as things truly are, great knowing, and the movement of mind through its joy form the factor of joy. Bodily ease, mental ease, and reception of pleasant contact form the factor of ease. Abiding of mind, great abiding, and nondistraction from the conditioned object form the factor of concentration.

At the beginning of cultivated contemplation, body, breath, and mind mutually penetrate. Upon realization, all three return to one characteristic; hence awareness like mind. Practitioners awaken to and illuminate the true truth: form, breath, and mind silently become one without difference. They also discern the conventional truth, seeing ninety-nine layers each of skin, flesh, bone, and the rest; knowing the five viscera produce five kinds of qi; and seeing the entrances where insects dwell within the body. Nothing about the insects' movement, sounds, or other details is too subtle to know.

Practitioners can further know the aggregate-body at its initial implantation in the womb. Past karma of ignorance resembles wax and the parents' present reproductive fluids clay. Because past karma does not remain, the seal is said to break; because consciousness is implanted in the present life and name and form become complete, the impression is said to form. The fetus dwells below the mother's receptacle for undigested food and above that for digested food, within the womb. Its form is exceedingly subtle, with only one thought of delusive conception; form and mind depend upon one another as if existent, as if nonexistent, as in a dream.

Through the force of karmic activity, one thought of volitional mind naturally arises and summons the mother. The mother consequently thinks of blue color, shouting sound, rank odor, and sour flavor. The force of this thought produces one thread of qi; qi becomes water, water blood, and blood flesh. The mother's inhalation and exhalation nourish and moisten it, forming the liver; above, the eye; below, the thumbs and big toes. If the mother thinks of white color, crying sound, raw odor, and pungent flavor, the lungs form; above, the nose; below, the second fingers and toes. Thinking of red color, speaking sound, scorched odor, and bitter flavor forms the heart; above, the mouth; below, the third fingers and toes. Thinking of yellow color, singing sound, fragrant odor, and sweet flavor forms the spleen; above, the tongue; below, the fourth fingers and toes. Thinking of black color, chanting sound, foul odor, and salty flavor forms the kidneys; above, the ears; below, the fifth fingers and toes. The subtle formation of every bodily part can be understood by analogy.

Reflection and great reflection mean distinct reflection upon the true and conventional truths. Contemplating mind-nature means contemplating all as empty. True and conventional alike enter mind-nature. The Invocation of Avalokiteśvara says: “Each enters the limit of suchness.” Compared with the preceding dhyāna methods, such a factor of awareness is doubly excellent.

Mental activity and great activity: the preceding factor of awareness belongs to understanding. Beginning with mental activity, one turns into contemplative practice. Mind acts within the conventional truth and is therefore called activity; it acts within the true truth and is called great activity; body, breath, and mind act together and are therefore called pervasive activity.

Abiding of mind means attaining one-pointed mind in the conventional truth. Great abiding means attaining one-pointed mind in the true truth. Nondistraction from objects means that although one sees the immeasurable objects of true and conventional truths, inner mind makes no error. Detailed explanations of every sign appear in the extensive account of contemplating penetrating illumination.

When this concentration arises, one sees body, breath, and mind alike as plantain trunks without solidity; this is the sign of the access ground. Seeing all three as foam is the first dhyāna; as floating clouds, the second; as shadows, the third; as images in a mirror, the fourth. Next, one extinguishes the three affairs and wholly enters space; extinguishes space and conditions consciousness; extinguishes consciousness and conditions nothingness; extinguishes nothingness and conditions neither perception nor nonperception; finally extinguishes the three kinds of feeling and perception in neither perception nor nonperception, personally realizing the dharma of cessation of feeling and accomplishing liberation.

Because penetrating illumination has contemplation of the conventional truth, it is also called outflowed; because it has contemplation of the true truth, also outflow-free. This dhyāna is complete in phenomena and principial contemplation, and its stages are complete. Followers of the Chengshi Lun could originally use it conveniently to explain concentration of the path and entry into the eight liberations, yet refuse to adopt it. Abhidharma treats the eight relinquishments as complete in phenomena and principle and wholly different from non-Buddhist dhyāna; it can therefore establish a person liberated in both respects. The Chengshi Lun takes only principle without phenomena and cannot establish such a person. If non-Buddhist dhyāna is counted as phenomenal dhyāna, one should likewise count the ten wholesome acts as moral discipline and worldly intelligence as wisdom. Since moral discipline and wisdom differ from those of non-Buddhists, why should concentration alone be identical? If it were, the visiting physician would have no visiting concentration and the eight medical arts could not be established. Detailed signs appear in Cultivation and Realization〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §9〕 Nine Perceptions

Next are the arising signs of the dhyāna of impurity. The nine perceptions come first and have two classes: practitioners who destroy the Dharma-support and those who preserve it.

Practitioners who destroy the Dharma-support cultivate the nine perceptions: first, swollen; second, ruptured; third, blood-smeared; fourth, festering; fifth, livid; sixth, devoured; seventh, scattered; eighth, bones; ninth, burned. They seek only to end suffering and finally burn away the contemplated skeleton, urgently attaining the fruit beyond learning without aspiring to the various merits of phenomenal contemplation. Once the skeleton has been burned away, no skeleton remains to contemplate and therefore no meditative concentration, transformations through superknowledge, vow-knowledge, or summit dhyāna. Although the skeleton is said to be burned away, the fleshly body actually remains, just as one enters cessation of feeling and perception and personally realizes it with the body〔and so forth〕.

Such practitioners readily retreat. The Abhidharma says that all four fruits have signs of retreat, like sand settled at the bottom of a well. An Āgama tells of a noble person at the third fruit who retreated from the precepts and returned home, destroying the discipline of individual liberation but not the moral discipline shared with the path. Laypeople consequently slandered him, saying noble Dharma did not exist at all. The Buddha said: “Once his desires have been satisfied, he will again become disenchanted. Before long he will return and request ordination.” The monks refused to ordain him, so the Buddha personally did so, and he immediately realized arhatship. Ānanda asked: “Venerable One, was this a learner's retreat or one beyond learning?” The answer was: “A learner's retreat.” According to this account, it was a person liberated through wisdom who severed delusion with worldly wisdom and could therefore retreat; it was not a case of using outflow-free wisdom to sever one grade of delusion, advance one grade of understanding, and then retreat. Producing the nine perceptions without the merits of the various meditative concentrations is being a practitioner who destroys the Dharma-support.

Practitioners who preserve the Dharma-support cultivate the nine perceptions from swollen through bones and stop there without entering the perception of burning. They can therefore possess streaming light, relinquishments, spheres of mastery, and the merits of contemplation, training, cultivation by infusion, higher cultivation, transformations through superknowledge, vow-knowledge, and summit dhyāna. Possessing every merit, they become persons liberated in both respects. In actual cultivation, those with abundant craving contemplate an external corpse; those with abundant attachment to views contemplate their own body; those in whom views and craving are equal contemplate both internally and externally. Arising signs can be classified in the same way.

While seated in meditation, practitioners suddenly see a corpse lying on the ground. This person was speaking only a moment ago—how has the person suddenly departed? Breath is exhausted, body cold, consciousness gone, complexion changed. When transferred by impermanence, noble and base, old and young, beautiful and ugly alike find no escape. A loving father and filial child cannot die in one another's place. The corpse lies rank and foul, exposed to wind and sun, utterly unlike the living person.

Sometimes one corpse is seen and sometimes many, which is a sign of great contemplation of impurity. Sometimes corpses fill a settlement or country. Sometimes one corpse changes color; sometimes many change together. Although a corpse is not numbered among the nine perceptions, it is their root and is therefore explained first. These corpses are dark, rigid, with hands and feet swollen and spread open. The whole body expands like a leather bag filled with wind, while filth flows from its nine openings, exceedingly foul and repulsive. Practitioners think: “My body will also become like this; I have not escaped or been liberated. The people I love will become the same.” When this sign arises, they attain a portion of concentrated mind, secluded, profound, peaceful, and pleasant.

In an instant, they see the swollen corpse exposed to wind and sun: skin and flesh decay, the body splits, and form and color change beyond recognition. This is the ruptured perception. Blood flows from the ruptures, disperses and spills, smears every place in mottled patches, pours onto the ground, and sends up a surging stench. This is the blood-smeared perception. Next they see putrid pus flow without cease like wax melting before fire. This is the festering perception. Next they see remnants of skin and flesh dried and scorched by wind and sun, putrid, dark, half blue and half bruised, shriveled and cracked beyond endurance. This is the livid perception. Next they see foxes, wolves, owls, and vultures contesting to devour the corpse, chaotically seizing, tearing, and pulling it. This is the devoured perception. Next they see head and hands scattered in different places and the five viscera split apart, impossible to reassemble. This is the scattered perception. Next they see two kinds of bones: one still covered with pus and grease, the other pure white. Sometimes they see one skeleton and sometimes skeletons filling a settlement.

As these signs transform in sequence, concentrated mind deepens with them, secluded, quiescent, sunk in stillness, peaceful, pleasant, and wondrous, its happiness beyond measure. Practitioners who preserve the Dharma-support stop their contemplation here. Before seeing these signs, defilement by desire was powerful; afterward, desire ceases completely, and even a distant object of desire becomes intolerable. This resembles being able to eat before seeing feces but vomiting immediately upon suddenly smelling the stench. It also resembles a brahmin who maintained pure dharmas being seized and forced to eat a cake smeared with marrow from a sore; after coming to his senses, he strikes his own head and reproaches himself: “I am ruined!”

Once this sign is realized, even someone before one with high brows and emerald eyes, clean white teeth, and crimson lips appears merely like cosmetics spread over a pool of urine or a putrid corpse temporarily dressed in gorgeous silk. One does not wish even to glance again, much less approach the body. Cultivators of impurity may even hire Deer-Staff non-Buddhists to kill them—how could they still seek sexual pleasure through song and embrace? The nine perceptions are a rhubarb decoction treating the grave illness of sexual desire. It also resembles a glutton who knows pig intestine is an organ containing feces but still forces it down. If one personally sees the maggots within and smells its stench, could one continue eating? The preceding sixteen special excellences are weaker and cannot decisively sever desire. The present power of contemplating the nine perceptions is strong and swiftly extinguishes the fire of sexual desire. Hence it is said: “When contemplation of the nine perceptions is accomplished, the six thieves of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are gradually removed.” Practitioners thereby recognize the deception of attachment and hostility and know that constructed and real characteristics are both empty. Such revulsion not only removes desire; it can produce the outflow-free and also accomplish the Great Vehicle.

After explaining the perception of death and change, the Explanatory Treatise next discusses the six pāramitās and four immeasurable minds. Various masters all say that the text's meaning is disordered. Seen now, a bodhisattva possesses the Great Vehicle while cultivating the very first perception; after extensively explaining the various dharmas, the text immediately says, “The perception of burning is likewise.” How could this passage be a misplaced textual fragment?

〔Section §10〕 Eight Relinquishments

Next are the arising signs of the eight relinquishments. The first three classes—root dhyāna, special excellences, and penetrating illumination—belong in sequence to savor-dhyāna and pure dhyāna. From the nine perceptions through the totalities is named contemplation; the nine sequential concentrations, training; the Lion's Ferocity Samādhi, cultivation by infusion; the Transcending Samādhi, higher cultivation. All four are phenomenal concentrations. The relinquishments are explained first.

Relinquishment has general and specific dimensions. In general it is shared by the Two Vehicles; specifically it belongs to bodhisattvas. Its name is not fixed. Sometimes the result is named within the cause and relinquishment is called liberation; sometimes the cause is named within the result and liberation called relinquishment. To classify them definitively, only when afflictions are exhausted and phenomena and principle complete is it called liberation. When afflictions are not exhausted and meditative concentration incomplete, it is only relinquishment. “Turning one's back” means becoming disenchanted with the pure five desires of a lower ground and one's current meditative ground. “Relinquishing” means abandoning defiled attachment; hence relinquishment. To break abundant defilement by desire, an external sign arises as explained above; to break abundant attachment to views, an internal sign. The internal signs are the eight relinquishments: first, having form internally and contemplating form externally, through the eighth, the relinquishment of cessation of feeling and perception.

Having form internally and contemplating form externally means not destroying or extinguishing the internal form body: internally one contemplates white bones, skin, and flesh; externally corpses and the like. The cultivation method appears in detail in the Dhyāna Gate; only its arising sign is given briefly here. Practitioners suddenly see the skin of their toes resembling water bubbles, gradually spreading through shins and waist and throughout the body to the crown. In an instant the whole body becomes rigid, swollen, and constricted; five fingers spread, legs resemble pillars, waist and abdomen a jar, head a basin, every part swelling together like a leather bag filled with wind.

When this sign arises, it sometimes proceeds from feet to head and sometimes from head to feet. The swollen body fills an entire rope bed. Skin stretches taut and flesh splits, about to burst. After bursting, pus flows out and soaks every place. Then from head to foot, skin and flesh fall away by themselves, leaving only white bones whose joints support one another, firm and unmoving. The fallen skin and flesh gather in one place, foul and ugly like a heap of worms. When this sign arises, one becomes profoundly disenchanted with one's own body and regards it like feces. How much less would one begrudge and cling to spouse or wealth?

The bodhisattva who gave his body and people who hired Deer-Staff to kill them had attained this kind of contemplation. Internally no self is conceived, externally no attachment to what belongs to self; one therefore bows the head in shame and conscience, with disenchantment continuing unbroken〔and so forth〕. The Great Sūtra says: “Remove skin and flesh and carefully contemplate the white bones. Bind mindfulness between every joint, contemplate forward and backward, and make the white bones pure and clean.” This is having form internally.

Contemplating form externally means outwardly seeing corpses swollen and festering, filling a settlement or country, like the impurity contemplated in the preceding nine perceptions; hence contemplating form externally. This stage lies in desire-realm concentration. As the dharma advances, one sees the white bones produce the four colors blue, yellow, white, and dove-gray, their light glittering as if about to arise but not yet fully arisen. Blue produces blue light and so through dove-gray light, flowing like water. Light covers the skeleton like sunlight reflected in a mirror amid dusty haze. If mind conditions the feet, light follows downward; if the head, upward. Blue light illuminates the ten directions and everything seen is blue, as the face of Mount Sumeru takes the color of its direction. Yellow, white, and dove-gray are the same. While these colored lights are about to arise but not yet fully arisen, the stage is access concentration.

After a long time, the light should arise naturally. If it still does not, gather mindfulness, examine the space between the brows carefully, and relax slightly; light then appears. At first it resembles a bamboo opening emitting a thin wisp of smoke, then expands vastly. Four colors revolve and issue from between the brows, illuminating the ten directions with sudden great brightness. Each color also possesses ten merits, eight contacts, five factors, and signs of correct and deviant.

The first arising of one color is awareness; distinguishing eight colors is examination. Formerly one knew there were bones within flesh but not eight colors within bone. Seeing an object never seen before, one both rejoices and feels grief and conscience; this is the factor of joy. When colored light arises, inner mind deeply experiences Dharma-happiness and the ground of mind becomes peacefully pleasant; this is the factor of happiness. Concentrated mind is limpid, abiding without movement, secluded and continuously deepening. Emptiness, brightness, wisdom, concentration, faith, reverence, shame, and conscience arise. One no longer slanders or damages correct Dharma, leaves the five coverings, and corresponds with dhyāna. Even if contacts such as cold and warmth arise in clusters, none becomes confused; hence a forest.

Because the mind-eye is open and bright and the Dharma profound with weighty happiness, the movement, itching, emptiness, brightness, five factors, and other signs here differ from root dhyāna, the sixteen special excellences, and penetrating illumination. Those meditative signs still carry skin and flesh, and tactile feeling cannot penetrate completely. Now contact is directly with the skeleton, so the Dharma is profound and wondrous. If a deviant sign enters the eight colors, blue may appear indistinct, mottled, and ugly; this is a deviant sign, and the remaining seven colors are the same. Dark realization lacks contemplative wisdom, like night in which thieves abound. The present dhyāna possesses contemplative wisdom, like daytime when deception is rarer and easily removed if it appears.

Someone in the Tripiṭaka Teaching says: “The eight colors are form-realm dharmas. Contacting the desire-realm skeleton, they cause various merits to arise.” This is said according to root outflowed dhyāna. The merits of moral discipline, concentration, and wisdom explained in the Great Vehicle cannot be exhausted. Why? After life decays and the form through which one received precepts is lost, the nonmanifest substance of moral discipline still does not cease. Although meditative concentration only subdues delusion, the severance of delusion is no longer distant, like a parasitic worm entering the body and harming the five viscera: although death has not occurred, it will not be long. The path of wisdom never retreats or is lost. Even if one at the first fruit must undergo seven further births and deaths, outflow-free wisdom remains limpid. One should therefore know that Great-Vehicle moral discipline and concentration are outflow-free dharmas. If so, the eight colored lights are dharmas beyond the three realms.

When this sign arises, the first relinquishment is accomplished at the first dhyāna. The Chengshi Lun says: “The first two relinquishments are embraced by the desire realm; pure relinquishment by the form realm; the four formless relinquishments by the formless realm; cessation relinquishment transcends the three realms.” The Abhidharma says: “The first and second relinquishments extend through the desire realm and first two dhyānas; pure relinquishment lies in the four dhyānas. The third dhyāna has too much happiness, so no relinquishment is established there.” Others say: “The third dhyāna has no sphere of mastery, and the fourth no relinquishment.” The three schools differ. The present account follows the Explanatory Treatise: the first relinquishment and first two spheres of mastery are both embraced by the first dhyāna. Possession of its five factors verifies that it belongs there.

Second, having no form internally, contemplate external form with an impure mind. Since the skeleton is produced from reproductive fluids, it should be rebuked, abandoned, and extinguished by analyzing the white bones into the particles of the four elements. Great-Vehicle contemplation embodies dharmas and knows the skeleton arises from mind. Mind is like an illusion and the skeleton false, so the skeleton disappears by itself. It resembles a fine horse following a person's intent, or good people working together whose coming and going never conflict. When the skeleton has departed but a new dharma has not yet arrived, excessive joy easily causes retreat; therefore one contemplates external form only with an impure mind.

External form first means external corpses and the like, and also the eight colors emitted by the skeleton. External form is still contemplated because this stage remains close to the desire realm and must continue contemplating external impurity. Intentionally cultivating destruction of the skeleton has a separate contemplative method; only spontaneous arising signs are discussed now. Practitioners suddenly see the skeleton naturally wear away, leaving only the eight colors and external impurity. Its dissolution occurs in intermediate concentration. Next the eight colors and inner purity arise simultaneously, with blue, yellow, and other lights brightening further. The four factors of inner purity, joy, happiness, and one-pointed mind are all superior to before. This is the second relinquishment, at the second dhyāna.

Third, personally realizing pure relinquishment. The first and second dhyānas do not have happiness filling the body, while the fourth has no happy feeling. Through what, then, is personal realization made? Followers of the Chengshi Lun consider pure relinquishment shared by all four dhyānas; the present account treats it as embraced jointly by the third and fourth. Since the third has happiness filling the body and can be used for personal realization, it is the initial arising of pure relinquishment. Only at the fourth is it fully accomplished and able to possess the spheres of mastery. Pure relinquishment therefore lies in the third dhyāna.

Concerning “pure,” the Explanatory Treatise says it is “named pure because the conditioned object is pure.” The eight colors are already pure dharmas, but have not yet been refined by a pure conditioned object. Pure form is most complete in the fourth dhyāna; when it arises it makes the eight colors more luminous and pure, hence purity through a pure object. “Feeling throughout the body” refers to the third dhyāna as the highest happy feeling. The third and fourth dhyānas are therefore combined as pure relinquishment.

Purity has four meanings. First, impurity within impurity: the desire-realm body is originally impure and is now swollen, hence impure impurity. Second, purity within impurity: removing skin and flesh and carefully contemplating the white bones, free of sinews and blood in the abdomen and white as shell, is impure purity. Third, impurity within purity: the eight colored lights emitted from between the brows are originally pure but not yet refined through counteraction, hence pure impurity. Fourth, purity within purity: the third relinquishment is further refined through a pure object, hence pure purity.

Fourth is the relinquishment of space. Transcend all forms, extinguish resistant forms, and no longer recollect various forms. “All forms” means internal and external desire-realm forms. “Resistant forms” means the forms confronting the five faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body. These two classes were extinguished in the first three relinquishments, leaving only the eight colors that transform with mind, hence various forms. Now rebuke and abandon the eight colors and condition space. No additional dharma is involved; this is simply entering the sphere of space. Ordinary people are deeply defiled by attachment and readily cherish the concentration of space. Noble ones arouse profound mind and possess sharp wisdom, allowing them to advance continuously without turning back; hence relinquishment.

Conditioning space too much makes mind diffuse, and the object of space is false and unreal, so one relinquishes space and conditions consciousness. Correspondence with the dharma of consciousness is the relinquishment of the sphere of consciousness. Next one contemplates consciousness as arising and ceasing, impermanent and false. The external conditioned object no longer exists and only the conditioning mind remains; hence the sphere of nothingness. The sphere of consciousness resembles an abscess and nothingness a sore. Relinquishing both consciousness and nonconsciousness is neither perception nor nonperception. Although no coarse perception remains, subtle afflictions do. Now one further relinquishes the feeling and perception that condition neither perception, and no perception of an agent of cessation remains. The dharma of concentration gathers and sustains the body in silent nonperception, like a fish in water or an insect hibernating in winter.

If the name were established only from the lower ground that is extinguished, how would this differ from ordinary climbing upward and rejecting what is below? The present name is established from what performs cessation: it extinguishes its own ground and other grounds, so it is called the relinquishment of cessation of feeling and perception. Details appear in Cultivation and Realization.

The Abhidharma says that one who attains cessation concentration is liberated in both respects, while one who lacks it is only liberated through wisdom. The Chengshi Lun says that attaining lightning-flash concentration is liberation through wisdom, while possessing every worldly dhyāna is liberation in both respects. It regards the final four relinquishments as having no separate dharma. If it means cultivating the final four through outflow-free mind, that can be established. But why does it also say the first three have no separate dharma while borrowing only non-Buddhist dhyāna?〔and so forth〕

If one attained the eight concentrations in a past life, former habituation can arise in the present. Cessation concentration, however, must be outflow-free; without outflow-free wisdom it cannot be accomplished through cultivation, so spontaneous arising of cessation concentration from former habituation is not discussed. Ordinary people cannot cultivate and attain the nine sequential concentrations, Transcending Samādhi, and related practices according to the Tripiṭaka Teaching, so their arising through former habituation is likewise not discussed. According to the Great Vehicle, such a meaning should exist, but it is not treated here.

〔Section §11〕 Great Impurity and Great Relinquishment

Next are the arising signs of great contemplation of impurity, also called great relinquishment. The preceding contemplation and arising removed the skin and flesh to which desire clings and carefully contemplated the skeleton and corpse as impure. Sometimes one corpse or two was contemplated, sometimes impurity overflowing through a city or settlement, but all concerned only the direct retributions of oneself and other beings; hence small impurity. Disenchantment and relinquishment based upon this are called relinquishment, with general and specific dimensions〔and so forth〕.

Great contemplation of impurity sees not only the overflowing impurity of direct retribution but also dependent retribution: houses, money and wealth, grain and rice, clothing, food and drink, mountains and rivers, gardens and groves, the Yangzi and Huai rivers, pools and marshes—all form dharmas—as impure. Insects are everywhere, pus flows, and stench and rankness abound. Houses resemble tombs, money dead snakes, soup fecal liquid, rice white worms, clothing stinking skin, mountains heaps of flesh, pools rivers of pus, gardens dry bones, and rivers and seas vast expanses of filth. The Great Sūtra says: “On seeing delicious soup, form the perception of putrid liquid.” This is the contemplative method.

While seated in meditation, one suddenly sees these objects and signs and finds nowhere on the whole earth worthy of delight. Neither dependent nor direct retribution merits attachment. This is the arising of great impurity. It resembles first kindling a fire: even while drilling wood forcefully, smoke and flame remain small. Once the fire gains strength it no longer selects its fuel and can burn even rivers dry. At first, contemplation of impurity sees only one corpse or one country and sexual desire still arises and ceases. Now that the power of concentration is established and revulsion strong, every dependent and direct retribution is impure and desire ceases forever.

Furthermore, how could anything have a fixed characteristic? Beings evoke and see things differently according to their retributions. Wholesome karma evokes pure form and unwholesome karma impure form. Devas see jeweled grounds and palaces. Rich and happy human beings can even take tile and stone and make them become gold and silver. All are evoked by the force of wholesome karma, with dependent and direct retribution both pure. The hells taught in the Saṅgharakṣa Sūtra have different signs: some see their own flesh as land plowed by others; some their body as a forest broken by a crowd; some their body as mountain, house, or clothing. There are 120 kinds, all impure forms evoked by unwholesome karma.

If one grasps pure form as truly existent and cherishes it firmly, the great power of contemplation must break great attachment and reverse the great inversion, accomplishing great contemplation of impurity. Why? Illusionists mostly deceive, but dharmas of superknowledge accord with the principle by which things transform; every object can change. Clarified butter, wax, gold, and iron flow like water when heated and solidify like earth when cooled. This contemplative method accords with the principle of transformation and occurs through the power of concentration.

Root dhyāna alone can remove attachment to a lower ground but not one's own ground. Cultivating small and great relinquishment can remove attachment both to lower and current grounds even before becoming outflow-free. When outflow-free contemplation conditions all and penetrates it, attachment to lower, current, and higher grounds can all be removed.

When great impurity arises, the relinquishment entered is also great and is embraced by the first dhyāna. When no skeleton exists within and one outwardly contemplates only the eight colors and the two retributions, dependent and direct, the vastness of the conditioned object makes this the second great relinquishment, embraced by the second dhyāna. Entering pure relinquishment from great impurity makes that attainment great as well, and so through cessation relinquishment.

Great spheres of mastery refine relinquishment further, giving practitioners sovereign transformation of the conditioned object. The Great Treatise says people of dull faculties cultivate the spheres of mastery and totalities only after completing the eight relinquishments; those of middling faculties cultivate spheres of mastery and the rest in the fourth dhyāna after completing the first three relinquishments; those of superior faculties can proceed to cultivate all dharmas after only the first relinquishment. The present explanation follows middling faculties.

“Many” and “few” still concern dependent and direct retribution. One corpse is few and two many, and increasing numbers are understood in sequence. One garment, portion of food, mountain, or river is few; immeasurable garments, foods, mountains, and rivers are many. Initial cultivation proceeds from few to many; spontaneous arising signs should now be the same.

“Beautiful” and “ugly”: upright form obtained through wholesome karma is beautiful; inferior form obtained through unwholesome karma, ugly. Yet in both cases, what accords with my intent and I consider pleasing is beautiful; what opposes it and I consider repellent is ugly. Both are beautiful with wisdom and ugly with delusion; wealth and honor are beautiful, poverty and baseness ugly. Beautiful and ugly alike are impure. Mountains, rivers, countries, clothing, food, and houses, whether beautiful or ugly, are all impure. One may also say both direct and dependent retributions are ugly, while the eight colors emitted by the skeleton are beautiful. Going further, unrefined eight colors are ugly and only refined ones beautiful. Beautiful and ugly remain equally impure. These two spheres of mastery are embraced by the first dhyāna.

When no form exists internally and one contemplates form externally, whether many or few, beautiful or ugly, one knows and sees with mastery. The inner skeleton has disappeared while eight colors remain outside, together with the many and few, beautiful and ugly, direct and dependent retributions, all as explained above〔and so forth〕.

Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Nine〔Upper〕.

Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Nine〔Lower〕.

Taught by Great Master Zhizhe of Tiantai in the Sui and recorded by his disciple Guanding.

“Knowing with mastery” means this thought of mind masters form dharmas and is not bound by them. Mind can further transform form, hence knowing with mastery. “Seeing with mastery” means that pure and impure objects can be transformed freely within one's own mind; contemplative understanding is accomplished, hence seeing with mastery. These two spheres of mastery are embraced by the second dhyāna.

When the spheres of mastery are accomplished, practitioners do not cherish even their own body, much less wealth and others' bodies. Ancient worthies could yield fame and position, relinquish countries, or wash their ears because someone led an ox to drink from their stream. They had cultivated this contemplation in past lives until it naturally became their nature and defiled attachment no longer remained. Without understanding this principle, a person clings to fame and position until death. How could one suddenly regard glory lightly and abandon a throne?

The final four spheres of mastery are accomplished in the fourth dhyāna. The third has too much happy feeling to transform with sovereignty. This classification belongs to the śrāvaka Dharma. In bodhisattva Dharma, every dhyāna can transform; how could any wholly lack it? The Great Treatise speaks of blue, yellow, red, and white, from the standpoint of real dharmas. The Sūtra of the Original Acts speaks of earth, water, fire, and wind, from provisional names; the two teachings can embrace one another. Within these four spheres of mastery, internal and external form are exhausted and only the eight colors remain. There is transformation of many and few, but no further transformation of beautiful and ugly.

The ten totalities are all accomplished in the fourth dhyāna. The first has much awareness and examination, the second moving joy, and the third moving happiness; none can become vast and pervasive and fill every place. Only the fourth dhyāna's unmoving mindfulness and wisdom can become vast and pervasive. Blue fills the ten directions so everything seen is blue; the remaining colors likewise fill them and are therefore called totalities.

“Entry of totalities” means that when blue fills everything, yellow enters blue and likewise fills every place. The basic characteristics of blue and yellow remain individually intact; they enter one another without confusion. The other colors are the same. This is entry of totalities. Clearly it is colored light released from inner mind that fills every place. How could an external leaf be taken as the conditioned object and then said to fill every place? Without a dharma of transformation inside mind, how could an external leaf be transformed? One must first transform one's own mind before transforming a leaf. The Great Treatise uses a blue lotus as an example because it fears people will not understand, borrowing an outer object to illustrate inner mind. One cannot grasp the simile as the true meaning. Cultivators of penetrating illumination have no skeleton within and emit no eight colors; when cultivating spheres of mastery they may perhaps borrow an external conditioned object. Practitioners who preserve the Dharma-support can release the eight colors from inner mind and need not borrow an external object.

Furthermore, bodhisattvas cultivating spheres of mastery can fully possess the various practices. Without penetrating the true signs of dependent and direct retribution, they develop attachment and stinginess. When this contemplation becomes clear, they wish to relinquish even the body—how much less would they cherish their own wealth or crave another's property? This is the pāramitā of giving.

Having attained this contemplation, they could never break moral discipline for wealth or sex, kill the owner of property and take it, then use a hundred deceptions to preserve themselves. Such a thing is impossible; this is the pāramitā of moral discipline. When this contemplation is attained, even if others trouble and dispossess them, anger never arises; they do not contend over things like feces. This is the pāramitā of patient endurance. Once this contemplation is accomplished, they do not depend upon an impure corpse-body or lose concentrated mind halfway because their country is impure. This is the pāramitā of diligence. This contemplation fully possesses contemplation, training, cultivation by infusion, higher cultivation, transformations through superknowledge, vow-knowledge, summit dhyāna, and the rest. This is dhyāna pāramitā. When this contemplation is attained, neither contemplating agent nor contemplated object of any dharma can be obtained; neither arising nor ceasing, all is ultimately pure. This is prajñā pāramitā.

Every Dharma gate of concentration of the path is accomplished within the spheres of mastery's sovereign transformation. Concentrated mind is sovereign and can turn, send away, and settle the conditioned object, establishing various Dharma gates and accomplishing whatever mind wishes, like a swift horse that can break an enemy formation and stop itself at will. Mind is now bright and pure, with no further demonic affairs. Mind can employ Māra; Māra cannot destroy mind. When cultivators of the four kinds of samādhi produce this Dharma, many turn into the stage of disciples of the five grades. Why? The force assisting the path is great and can quickly bring people near the cool pool. At this point, it is both a sign of the arising of contemplative dhyāna and of Great-Vehicle dhyāna. As for profound concentrations of training, cultivation by infusion, higher cultivation, and the rest, ordinary people cannot even study them, so spontaneous arising from former habituation cannot be discussed. If another scripture or treatise clearly teaches it, nothing more need be said.

〔Section §12〕 Loving-Kindness

Seventh are the arising signs of loving-kindness. Loving-kindness arises before or after root dhyāna〔and so forth〕. Practitioners suddenly condition all beings and apprehend the sign of their attaining happiness. Mind has neither hostility nor harm and is pleased and at ease. Sometimes beings are seen attaining human happiness and sometimes heavenly happiness. Through skillful cultivation one attains understanding; concentrated mind becomes distinct and no being fails to attain happiness. At first thoughts are continuous, fine, and quiet; afterward the power of concentration deepens.

The conditioned beings have three classes. Conditioning loved ones as attaining happiness is named broad; neutral people, great; enemies, immeasurable. Three classes can also be established by direction: conditioning beings in one direction as attaining happiness is broad; in the four intermediate directions, great; in the ten directions, immeasurable.

Loving-kindness concentration can be hidden or unhidden. When mind internally conditions beings and decisively forms the perception that they attain happiness, with mind and object exceedingly clear, but externally one does not see beings actually receiving happiness, it is unhidden within and hidden without. When mind is bright and pure within and one externally sees beings attain happiness, it is unhidden both within and without.

If loving-kindness concentration is attained first and the five factors of the first dhyāna arise afterward: initially knowing all beings attain happiness, mind joins concentration, one is happy inwardly, and skillful cultivation brings understanding—this is the factor of awareness. Clearly distinguishing the happiness beings attain, whether human or heavenly and in immeasurably different classes, is examination. Being equal toward enemies and loved ones, no longer suffering from fear of enemies or worry for loved ones, is joy. When the movement of joy ceases, spirit becomes peacefully pleased, like the sign of happiness attained by conditioned beings; this is happiness. The dharma of concentration deepens and gathers inner mind without movement; this is one-pointed mind.

The five factors of loving-kindness concentration have the same names as root dhyāna, yet their Dharma-flavors always differ, just as syrup and water are both cool but taste different. Root dhyāna alone produces retribution only among Brahmā's Assembly and Ministers; attaining loving-kindness concentration can produce the retribution of a Brahmā king. Since the retribution is superior, the causal ground is also vaster. If root dhyāna is attained first and loving-kindness cultivated afterward, the root dhyāna also becomes more profound.

Within loving-kindness concentration, the second dhyāna may arise and accomplish the four factors beginning with inner purity; then the third, accomplishing five factors led by happiness; then the fourth. Each joins its corresponding dhyāna, possessing a forest of factors and doubling the preceding Dharma-flavor, as in the earlier simile. Yet loving-kindness originally conditions others attaining happiness. Internally receiving pleasant concentration and externally seeing others attain happiness occurs only through the third dhyāna. At the fourth, one merely sees others attain happiness while no happy feeling remains within, because suffering and happiness have been relinquished. This is the Small Vehicle's distinction.

To break attachment to causal relations, the Buddha sometimes says: “Cultivating loving-kindness produces merit through the Heaven of Pervasive Purity; compassion through the sphere of space; appreciative joy through the sphere of consciousness; equanimity through the sphere of nothingness.” Yet bodhisattvas constantly abide with loving-kindness and compassion. On what meditative ground would these be absent? Loving-kindness and compassion infuse every wholesome Dharma; how could they reach only the third dhyāna? The preceding classification is merely an initial explanation through preparatory means. The same applies when root dhyāna arises first and loving-kindness concentration afterward. Both can be dark realization and hidden, or unhidden within and hidden without〔and so forth〕.

When loving-kindness concentration arises in dependence upon the sixteen special excellences or penetrating illumination, the supporting concentration has its own set of merits and the supported loving-kindness attaches and arises without confusion. Since the supporting concentration has contemplative wisdom, loving-kindness concentration is also unhidden and its five-factor Dharma-flavor doubly superior to root dhyāna. Sometimes loving-kindness concentration produces the sixteen special excellences or penetrating illumination; loving-kindness is then likewise unhidden and its meditative flavor profound. Sometimes loving-kindness produces small or great contemplation of impurity.

Someone asks: Contemplation of impurity apprehends the destruction of beings' bodies. Since no being remains to condition, who could attain happiness?

Answer: Although no outflowed happiness attained by a being remains, the happiness of nirvāṇa exists. This produces loving-kindness conditioned by Dharmas.

Another asks: Loving-kindness conditions the pure signs of beings, without anger or harm, apprehending their beautiful characteristics. Contemplation of impurity destroys the signs of beings and apprehends their ugly characteristics. How can these opposed contemplations produce one another?

Answer: There is no obstruction. Although seeing the body as impure, one may simultaneously see a pure person upright and neatly clothed. Although loving-kindness concentration arises, contemplation of impurity may also arise. Loving-kindness can further adorn relinquishment and other contemplations, doubling and deepening their merits beyond impurity alone. The two contemplations can produce one another〔and so forth〕.

The mutual arising of the remaining three immeasurable minds—compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity—can be understood by comparison with loving-kindness concentration.

When the four immeasurable minds arise attached to root dhyāna, they are outflowed. Attached to the sixteen special excellences or penetrating illumination, they are both outflowed and outflow-free. Attached to contemplation of impurity, they are outflow-free. Since causes and conditions differ, loving-kindness concentration and the rest have hundreds of thousands of shallower and deeper differences that cannot all be explained.

This resembles the four elements of form in the desire realm producing various lands distinguished as blue, yellow, red, white, high, and low; various trees, flowers, plants, and fruits distinguished as sweet, bitter, pungent, sour, medicinal, poisonous, fragrant, and foul; various people distinguished as upright, ugly, intelligent, dull, poor, rich, good, and evil; and various birds and beasts, some hairy, some horned, some flying, some running. Their classes are boundless and grades do not mix; each is accomplished according to its intrinsic limits and the extent of its power.

People of thin merit live only upon barnyard millet and cannot believe sugarcane and grapes exist. Pure form-realm dharmas are the same. Merits of the factors of dhyāna transform into various flavors that add to and mingle with one another without confusion. By the four immeasurable minds, objects become still vaster. Why? Beings are immeasurable, so perceptions of beings attaining happiness are immeasurable. Dharmas are immeasurable, so the Dharma-flavors of factors of dhyāna arising in dependence upon different dharmas are likewise incalculable. Beings of thin merit do not believe in meditative concentration. Even if they believe one meditative method, they do not believe it possesses immeasurable merits, like people in a remote mountain region who know no delicacies, or a frog in a well unable to believe what the sea spirit sees. This is truly pitiable. Those able to believe know that the objects of noble ones are inconceivable and do not slander them〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §13〕 Arising of Dependent-Origination Dhyāna

Eighth are the arising signs of dependent-origination dhyāna. When practitioners have great meritorious achievement, the buddhas confer the samādhi of meditative concentration upon them; for others, concentration on dependent origination arises sooner or later because of past habituation〔and so forth〕.

While seated in meditation, practitioners suddenly consider what mind conditions, whether a wholesome mind or an evil mind. The existence of conditioning subject and conditioned object is the link of existence among the twelve links. Existence can contain future retribution. This existence comes from grasping: when mind grasps wholesomeness or evil, existence is formed; without grasping, this existence would not be present. One therefore knows that existence arises from grasping. One further knows that grasping arises from craving, for one grasps only because one craves. For example, one craves the form-body and continues to grasp it until death; without craving, one would not grasp.

Craving arises from feeling. Because one receives wholesome or evil objects, craving arises; without receiving them, craving does not arise. Feeling in turn comes from contact: the six objects of form, sound, fragrance, flavor, touch, and dharmas contact the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and feeling therefore arises; without contact, there is no feeling. A scripture says, “With the six contacts as causes and conditions, various feelings arise.” Feeling therefore arises from contact.

One further knows that contact comes from the six entrances of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Without the six consciousnesses governing the six faculties, they could not enter among the six objects and produce contact. Contact arises from the sense fields, and the sense fields in turn exist through name-and-form. Form by itself cannot contact, like a corpse; name by itself likewise cannot contact, like someone blind and deaf. Only when form and mind combine is there contact. Form is the form aggregate; mind is the four aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Discerning this form is the consciousness aggregate; receiving it is the feeling aggregate; greed and anger concerning it belong respectively to the aggregates of perception and formations. Only when all five aggregates are present is there conscious contact. One therefore knows that contact arises from name-and-form.

Name-and-form exists through the consciousness first implanted in the womb. At the initial implantation it is called kalala and already possesses three matters: first, life; second, warmth; and third, consciousness. Retributive wind is present, and “life” is provisionally established in dependence upon this wind. That the reproductive fluids of the parents neither stink nor decay is called warmth. The mental activity within them is called consciousness. Only because consciousness is implanted in the womb do embryonic signs such as coagulated butter and thin curds develop, the six vesicles gradually open, and name and form combine. From this one knows that name-and-form arises precisely from consciousness.

Consciousness comes from karmic formations. Wholesome karma from having upheld the five precepts in the past causes one to receive human name-and-form in the next life. Evil karma from having broken the five precepts in the past causes birth in the three evil destinies. One therefore knows that consciousness comes from karma, and karma is the link of formations. Formations in turn exist through ignorance: delusion, craving, and defilement construct various formations, causing consciousness to flow from the past into the present. Present craving and grasping then condition existence; existence contains retribution and draws forth future birth and death. Causes and conditions thus revolve through three lives, empty within and without a master.

When contemplative wisdom arises through reflection in this way, deviant attachment to a person and self is broken. Concentrated mind becomes stable and continuous, moving from coarse to subtle through desire-realm concentration and access concentration and onward to the root first dhyāna, where the merits of the five factors arise in sequence. Awareness that dependent origination is empty and without a ruler is the factor of awareness. Clearly distinguishing how circulation through the three lives depends upon one link after another without error is examination. Having gained the wisdom of dependent origination and deeply known the three lives, how could one not rejoice and celebrate? This is the factor of joy. The dharma of concentration gathers and sustains inner mind, making it peaceful, pleased, and wondrous; this is happiness. Concentrated mind is lucid, without grasping at objects or delusive thoughts; this is one-pointed mind.

The samādhi of dependent origination is inherently wisdom in character. Because this wisdom is clear, it can bring forth root dhyāna. Sometimes root dhyāna and dependent-origination samādhi join one another, and their Dharma-flavor becomes pure, thick, and intense, unlike the five factors arising alone. This samādhi too can be hidden or unhidden. If inwardly one merely understands the Dharma of dependent origination and no longer produces the inversion of self, yet this understanding only corresponds with root dhyāna and remains implicit within it, this is called hidden. If, when samādhi arises, inner mind is bright and pure and one sees the kalala, the development of the five vesicles, and their place of birth and abiding; sees the wholesome and evil karmic formations made in the past and the beauty or ugliness formed from them; and also sees future matters of birth and death, so that all three lives are distinct, this is an unhidden sign.

Both hidden and unhidden forms fully possess the ten dharmas beginning with emptiness and brightness. This is root dhyāna arising through dependent-origination samādhi. The sixteen special excellences, penetrating illumination, relinquishments, and other dhyānas likewise each have hidden and unhidden forms and can arise through dependent-origination samādhi.

When contemplation of dependent origination arises from root dhyāna, practitioners suddenly consider within concentration: all the root concentrations are accomplished through causes and conditions. The causes and conditions that accomplish them and the dhyāna they accomplish constitute existence. Coarse abiding and fine abiding contain the existences of the Yāma and Tuṣita heavens; where existence is born, death necessarily follows. Desire-realm concentration is also an existence accomplished through causes and conditions. Since existence contains a result, one will in the future receive birth in the Heaven of Enjoying Transformations; where birth exists, death follows. Access concentration is likewise an existence accomplished through causes and conditions. Since it contains a result, one will in the future receive existence in the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others’ Transformations. Correspondence with the first dhyāna contains existence in the heavens of the first dhyāna; the same applies all the way through the concentration of neither perception nor non-perception.

All these existences come from grasping. Grasping the sign of the first dhyāna resembles the various hopes in mind described among the preceding twenty-five preparatory means: one grasps what the signs of dhyāna are like. One therefore knows that existence arises from grasping. Grasping in turn comes from craving: hearing others describe the merit of the first dhyāna, one craves its flavor. Craving in turn comes from feeling: only after mind receives what it hears about those merits does craving arise. Feeling in turn comes from the sense fields, which are the six faculties; without the six faculties entering their objects, there would be nowhere to receive. Feeling also comes from contact with objects, for only when faculty and object make contact is there entrance. Contact comes from name-and-form, for only when the five aggregates combine is there contact. Name-and-form comes from the three matters of life, warmth, and consciousness when consciousness is first implanted in the womb. These three matters come from karma through which the body is received. Karma in turn arises from ignorance, and thus there is the consciousness that receives birth, continuing through aging-and-death.

From the highest concentration of neither perception nor non-perception down to the lowest coarse abiding, one can clearly see the twelve links within each. The sixteen special excellences, penetrating illumination, and other concentrations that arise through root dhyāna can be understood in the same way〔and so forth〕.

Because contemplation of dependent origination breaks the inversion of self, its intent is the same as the element preparatory means that breaks attachment to self; it is named dependent-origination samādhi only in accordance with the Dhyāna Sūtra. Tracing cause and result through three lives belongs to wisdom in character, yet it is still called a contemplation for settling mind. Only when mind has come to rest like a sealed room without wind can one proceed to cultivate the establishments of mindfulness. Only when contemplation through the establishments of mindfulness is accomplished is it called wisdom from hearing, which is already contemplation of principle.

When Pūrṇa gained understanding, he said, “I have understood and known.” “How do you know?” “If one knows ignorance, grasping and existence will no longer arise.” This expresses wisdom from hearing. The present contemplation of dependent origination still precedes the establishments of mindfulness and does not yet possess the power of wisdom from hearing; it therefore belongs to phenomenal contemplation.

The dependent-origination gate differs according to sentient beings’ faculties. The Pusa Yingluo Benye Jing teaches ten kinds of twelvefold dependent origination, the Great Collection teaches dependent origination as retribution and dependent origination in one thought, and various masters mostly transmit dependent origination through three lives. Nāgārjuna begins the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā with the “Examination of Conditions.” Some treatise masters hold that dependent origination cannot embrace every Dharma and that the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā therefore does not take it as the treatise’s cardinal principle, counting it only as conventional truth. They say that only after dependent origination has been broken entirely is there ultimate truth, and therefore take the two truths as the treatise’s cardinal principle.

The present text asks in return: what chapter of the entire treatise does not first explain conventional truth and then break attachment to it completely? This is merely the method used throughout the treatise, not the distinctive cardinal principle of one particular chapter. The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā first contemplates dependent origination in general. The “Examination of Defilement” and subsequent chapters separately break the links of craving and grasping; the “Examination of the Six Faculties” separately breaks the links belonging to the result of suffering; and the final two chapters further explain how śrāvakas contemplate dependent origination. The various intents of general and specific contemplation all lie in contemplating dependent origination. How could one say the treatise does not take dependent origination as its cardinal principle? Northern treatise masters take the remedial meaning in the final chapter and establish six causes and four conditions as the cardinal principle. Yet that is only arising-and-ceasing dependent origination, the intent of the final two chapters, not the true cardinal principle of the whole treatise. After the Buddha’s passing, people’s faculties grew increasingly dull. They clung to dependent origination as having fixed real marks and could not understand the Buddha’s intent. Nāgārjuna therefore composed the treatise to illuminate the contemplative gate of the twelve links.

〔Section §14〕 Cultivating the Ten Modes of Contemplation through Dependent Origination

Now that the Dharma of dependent origination has arisen, calming-and-contemplation is explained through dependent origination, likewise in ten meanings〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §14.1〕 Conceivable and Inconceivable Objects and the Four Teachings

First is the conceivable object. In past states of ignorant mind, constructing black karma and various unwholesome formations accomplishes the Dharma realms of the three evil destinies: hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. Constructing various white and unmoving karmas accomplishes the Dharma realms of the three wholesome destinies: humans, gods, and asuras.

Transforming ignorance into discerning wisdom that contemplates arising and ceasing is contemplation by inferior wisdom and attains śrāvaka awakening. Outflowed formations are transformed into world-transcending practices assisting the path. For the seven kinds of trainees, residual karma is not yet exhausted and they are still born in wholesome destinies. Those beyond training employ outflow-free karma; moreover, because they are attached to ultimate truth, this craving combines with root ignorance and they are born in the Land of Expedient Means with Residue, receiving name-and-form in that land. There, encountering objects, they again produce craving and anger and proceed to grasping and existence. This is the śrāvaka Dharma realm.

Transforming ignorance into the illumination of neither arising nor ceasing is middling wisdom and attains pratyekabuddha awakening. The Invocation of Avalokiteśvara says, “Contemplate the twelve links as a dream, an illusion, and a plantain tree, and one accomplishes the pratyekabuddha path.” This is its meaning. Outflowed formations are transformed into outflow-free practices assisting the path. Whether the fetters and karma are exhausted or not follows the preceding case. This is the pratyekabuddha Dharma realm.

Transforming ignorance into prajñā and unwholesome formations into the five perfections of giving, moral discipline, patient endurance, diligence, and meditative concentration—while ultimate truth has not yet arisen and the twelve links within the three realms are still present—is the Dharma realm of bodhisattvas practicing the six perfections. Transforming ignorance into the wisdom of emptiness and formations into the six perfections—while delusion remains unexhausted before the sixth and seventh grounds of the Shared Teaching—likewise follows the preceding case. Once delusion is exhausted, one is born in the Land of Expedient Means, only with merit and wisdom somewhat surpassing those of the Two Vehicles. This is called contemplation by middling wisdom and attains the awakening of a bodhisattva of the Shared Teaching.

Transforming ignorance into sequential illumination and formations into distinct sequential practices, while delusion remains unexhausted through the ten faiths and ten abodes of the Distinct Teaching but has been exhausted through the ten practices and ten dedications, follows the preceding account concerning birth. This is called contemplation by superior wisdom and attains the awakening of the Distinct Teaching.

Transforming ignorance into the illumination of buddha-wisdom means knowing from the initial arousal of mind that the twelve links are precisely the three buddha-natures. Contemplating in general the true principle of suchness in the twelve links is the proper-cause buddha-nature. The wisdom contemplating the twelve links is the discerning-cause buddha-nature. The mind contemplating the twelve links and fully possessing various practices is the conditioning-cause buddha-nature.

Correlated individually, ignorance, craving, and grasping are the discerning-cause buddha-nature; formations and existence are the conditioning-cause buddha-nature; and the seven links of consciousness, name-and-form, six sense fields, contact, feeling, birth, and aging-and-death are the proper-cause buddha-nature. Why? The path of suffering is birth and death; transforming the body of birth and death is Dharma body. Afflictions are Dharmas of darkness; transforming ignorance makes illumination. Karmic formations are Dharmas of bondage; transforming bondage makes liberation. In their very identity, the three paths are the three virtues of Dharma body, prajñā, and liberation.

Intrinsically complete at the time of cause, the three buddha-natures are neither vertically successive nor horizontally arrayed. Manifested through cultivation at the time of result, the three virtues are likewise neither vertical nor horizontal, like the three dots of the Sanskrit graph yi. This is called the nirvāṇa of the three virtues. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says, “All sentient beings are precisely great nirvāṇa, are precisely buddhas, and are precisely awakening.” This is its meaning. It is called contemplation by the most superior wisdom and attains a buddha’s awakening.

The five grades of the Perfect Teaching have not yet severed delusion and resemble trainees. On entering the iron-wheel station of the ten faiths, one forever parts from the sea of suffering and resembles one beyond training. Although transformational birth and death remains, the five faculties and merit received in birth are vastly different from those of the Two Vehicles. The Great Treatise says, “People of the Two Vehicles who receive a Dharma-nature body still have faculties that are dark and dull because they take a circuitous route on the Buddha path.”

The Distinct and Perfect Teachings can break ignorance and directly disclose the Dharma that is true as such within the path of suffering, receiving real retribution from real Dharma. They can also directly perfect various practices within the two links of formations and existence and obtain direct and circumstantial retributions free of obstruction. Their faculties are sharp and merit profound, unlike those of middling and inferior faculties. The three worthies and ten sages abide at resultant stations in the Land of Unobstructed Real Reward, all accomplishing the twelve links of that land. At the stage of equal awakening, only the dependent origination of a final life remains.

Finally exhausting the root-source of ignorance and bringing craving and grasping to ultimate exhaustion is ultimate prajñā. Exhausting the seven resultant links beginning with consciousness is ultimate Dharma body. Exhausting formations and existence is ultimate liberation. Although exhaustion is spoken of, in reality there is no Dharma that can be severed; this is inconceivable severance. Without needing to sever ignorance, craving, and grasping, one enters the nirvāṇa of perfect purity. Without needing to sever the seven links beginning with name-and-form, one enters the nirvāṇa of purity by nature. Without needing to sever the wholesome and evil within formations and existence, one enters the nirvāṇa of purity through skillful means. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says, “One attains liberation through the marks of the five heinous acts, yet is neither bound nor released.” Examined in this way, the twelve links are precisely all the immeasurable Buddha-Dharmas. This is called the inconceivable object.

〔Section §14.2〕 Ten Suchnesses, Ten Objects, and One Thought

Next correlate the twelve links with the ten suchnesses of the Lotus Sūtra. “Suchness-nature” corresponds to ignorance. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says, “If one knows the nature of ignorance, it is precisely the nature of illumination.” “Suchness-mark” corresponds to formations; “suchness-substance” to the seven links beginning with consciousness; “suchness-power” to craving and grasping; “suchness-function” to the cause of existence, namely the habituated causes of ignorance, craving, and grasping; “suchness-condition” to formations and existence; “suchness-result” to the habituated result in which ignorance is transformed and wisdom arises; and “suchness-recompense” to the five kinds of nirvāṇa obtained through formations and existence. Within “the suchness of the ultimate equality of beginning and end,” beginning corresponds to the three paths and three buddha-natures, while end corresponds to the nirvāṇa of the three virtues.

Next correlate the twelve links with the ten objects. The objects of aggregates, sense fields, and elements in the ten Dharma realms and the object of illness correspond to the seven links beginning with consciousness. The objects of afflictions, views, overbearing pride, and the rest correspond to ignorance, craving, and grasping. The objects of karma, Māra, meditative concentration, the Two Vehicles, bodhisattvas, and the rest correspond to formations, existence, and related links.

If the twelve links, ten suchnesses, and ten objects are dispersed among different thoughts, they arise and cease and are conceivable. If they are present in one thought of mind, they neither arise nor cease and are inconceivable. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says, “The twelve links are within one thought of mind.” The Great Collection says, “The twelve links are all fully present in one person’s single thought.” Even this formulation is abbreviated. Only if one person’s single thought fully possesses the ten Dharma realms, ten suchnesses, and twelve links can it be called the Great Vehicle’s inconceivable twelvefold dependent origination.

Someone asks: The Twelve Gates Treatise says, “Conditionally arisen Dharmas are in reality unborn. If one says they arise, do they arise within one mind or within many minds?” If so, how can one say the twelve links are in one thought?

Answer: The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says, “Within one are immeasurables; the immeasurables are within one.” The Great Perfection of Wisdom says, “All Dharmas tend toward ignorance, and no Dharma exceeds this tendency; through to all Dharmas tending toward aging-and-death, with no Dharma exceeding it.” What fault is there in now saying that one mind possesses the twelve links? Moreover, “one thought” does not mean the thought of a fixed single mark or different mark grasped by worldly people. One is provisionally spoken of within neither-one-nor-different. For example, when torpor covers mind, one thought within a dream can pass through immeasurable lives, as taught in the Lotus Sūtra〔and so forth〕.

As for the true mind of awakening: if compassionate vows are aroused only in dependence upon arising-and-ceasing, non-arising, provisionally named, or other forms of the twelve links, they are still not true. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra therefore speaks of a Māra of the mind of awakening. Only when compassion is aroused in dependence upon the inconceivable twelve links, universally covering, protecting, delivering, and freeing all, is it called true.

Removing suffering has two aspects. First, remove the five causal sufferings of ignorance, craving, grasping, formations, and existence in the ten Dharma realms. Second, remove the seven resultant sufferings of consciousness, name-and-form, six sense fields, contact, feeling, birth, and aging-and-death in the ten Dharma realms. Loving-kindness that gives happiness likewise has two aspects. Contemplate ignorance, craving, and grasping in the ten Dharma realms and make them the correct path of wisdom-practice; transform formations and existence into the assisting path of practice-practice. This is giving the cause of happiness. Further contemplate the seven links beginning with name-and-form in the ten Dharma realms as originally the nature of peace and happiness, precisely great nirvāṇa, with nothing more to extinguish. This is giving the result of happiness.

In dependence upon these four meanings—removing the cause of suffering, removing the result of suffering, giving the cause of happiness, and giving the result of happiness—arouse the four vast vows. “Cause those not yet delivered to be delivered” means delivering the resultant suffering of birth and death in the seven links of the ten Dharma realms. “Cause those not yet freed to be freed” means freeing the five links of ignorance, craving, grasping, formations, and existence that form the causal accumulation of the ten Dharma realms. “Cause those not yet at peace to be at peace” means settling ignorance, craving, grasping, formations, and existence in the ten Dharma realms within the correct and assisting paths. “Cause those not yet attaining nirvāṇa to attain nirvāṇa” means making the seven links beginning with consciousness manifest as the nirvāṇa of peace and happiness〔and so forth〕.

Skillfully settle mind: skillfully contemplate the seven links beginning with consciousness in the ten Dharma realms as themselves Dharma-nature, no longer producing ignorance, craving, grasping, or the delusions of the eight inversions; this is contemplation. The various inverted formations and existences of the ten Dharma realms come to rest; this is calming〔and so forth〕.

Pervasively break through Dharmas: horizontally break the twelve links of the ten Dharma realms, all of which are only one thought. This thought arises neither from itself, another, both, nor no cause, and therefore all ten Dharma realms are unborn. Vertically break the delusions of views and thought, dust-and-sand delusions, lack of knowledge, and ignorance within formations and existence in the ten Dharma realms, causing them not to arise, through to the forty-two grades in which even nonarising does not arise. This is called great nirvāṇa.

Skillfully discern passage and obstruction: penetrating the ultimate truth of dependent origination is passage; producing defiled attachment through views and thought is obstruction. Stagnating in ultimate truth is not passage; penetrating the phenomenal marks of dependent origination is not obstruction. Producing Dharma-attachment toward the three paths is obstruction; penetrating the principle within dependent origination is passage. If ignorance, craving, grasping, formations, and existence arise anew within every level of contemplation, this is loss; if wisdom is present at every level, this is gain. One can also directly discuss obstruction through suffering and origination in the four kinds of Four Truths beginning with the constructed, and passage through their path and cessation; or directly take the three provisionalities as obstruction and breaking them to realize nonarising as passage. This applies to general delusion and likewise to specific delusion. One can also directly take the four views producing the ten afflictive agents as obstruction and breaking views as passage〔and so forth〕.

Skillfully cultivate the factors of the path. In a general classification, all form Dharmas within the dependent origination of the ten Dharma realms are called body; all Dharmas of receiving are called feeling; all Dharmas of consciousness are called mind; and all perceptions and formations are called dharmas.

In a specific classification, take the form portion of the link name-and-form; the five entrances of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body within the link of six sense fields; the five contacts and five feelings produced by the five faculties within the link of contact; and the form portions of the links birth and death. All are included in the establishment of mindfulness of body. Take the consciousness portion of name-and-form, the mind entrance within the six sense fields, and the consciousness portions of birth and death. All are included in the establishment of mindfulness of mind. Take perception and formations within the links of ignorance, formations, and name-and-form; mental contact produced by the Dharma-object within contact; perception and formations within craving, grasping, existence, and birth; and perception and formations within death. All are included in the establishment of mindfulness of dharmas.

Another account treats ignorance as past craving, while craving is the defiled five aggregates. Correlating only the twelve present links: ignorance is included in the establishment of mindfulness of dharmas; formations in dharmas; consciousness in mind; name-and-form in body and mind; the six sense fields condition the six objects, so the objects are included in dharmas while the entrances of the five faculties are included in body; contact is included in dharmas; feeling in feeling; craving, being defiled, in body and mind; grasping in dharmas; existence in formations; and birth and death, as the arising and ceasing of form Dharmas, also in dharmas.

Someone asks: The Sarvāstivādins hold that birth and death are both formations dissociated from mind. They should therefore be included only in the establishment of mindfulness of dharmas. Why say they extend through the establishments of body, mind, and dharmas?

Answer: The Great Sūtra says, “The five aggregates of this life cease and the five aggregates of the next life arise in continuity, like pressing a wax seal into clay: the wax seal is destroyed while the writing in the clay is formed.” One therefore knows that the Dharmas of birth and death do not depart from the five aggregates and can be classified as above〔and so forth〕.

When perfect contemplation contemplates the various forms within the dependent origination of the Shared and Distinct Teachings, it sees form as neither defiled nor pure while simultaneously illuminating defilement and purity; this is the establishment of mindfulness of body. Contemplating the various feelings within Shared and Distinct dependent origination, it sees feeling as neither suffering nor happiness while simultaneously illuminating suffering and happiness; this is the establishment of mindfulness of feeling. Contemplating the mental consciousness within Shared and Distinct dependent origination, it sees mind as neither permanent nor impermanent while simultaneously illuminating permanence and impermanence; this is the establishment of mindfulness of mind. Contemplating perceptions and formations within Shared and Distinct dependent origination, it sees dharmas as neither self nor no-self while simultaneously illuminating self and no-self; this is the establishment of mindfulness of dharmas.

These four establishments of mindfulness can break the eight inversions within the twelve links: permanence, happiness, self, and purity, together with impermanence, suffering, no-self, and impurity. The eight inversions turn into the four witherings and four flourishings; one then abides in neither withering nor flourishing and, between them, enters nirvāṇa and sees buddha-nature. Diligently cultivating these four contemplations is the four right efforts. The four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and Noble Eightfold Path that follow are as explained above.

〔Section §14.3〕 Three Liberations, the Assisting Path, and the Buddhas’ Deportment

Contemplate that the root of the twelve links has none of the four alternatives of arising from self, another, both, or no cause. In its very identity it neither arises nor ceases and is ultimate emptiness. This emptiness fully possesses the eighteen emptinesses, while the eighteen are only one emptiness. A Vaipulya scripture says, “Small emptiness and great emptiness all return to one emptiness.” The Great Perfection of Wisdom says, “The one solitary emptiness.” This is the gate of liberation through emptiness. All Dharmas enter this emptiness. One does not grasp the four marks of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing upon Dharma-nature; does not receive or become defiled and attached; and does not recollect or discriminate new and old, inner and outer〔and so forth〕.

If mind has no dependence, sees true buddha-nature through nonseeing, and abides in great nirvāṇa by not abiding in a single Dharma, this is the gate of liberation through signlessness. This great nirvāṇa is neither contrived through cultivation nor made by conditioned activity. It does not arise from itself and therefore has no self-cause; does not arise from another and therefore has no other-condition; does not arise jointly and therefore is not a conjunction; and does not arise without cause and therefore is not apart from causes. Since within it there is neither cultivation nor attainment, this is the gate of liberation through nonaction.

Next is counteraction through aids to the path. The preceding factors of the path directly condition only principle and transform ignorance, craving, and grasping into luminous wisdom. Although correct wisdom is already present, entry still may not occur. Why? Ignorance, craving, and grasping are the evil of principial delusion and hold one another in check with principial wisdom. Moreover, the phenomenal evils formed by the two links of formations and existence help cover principial wisdom, like a multitude of thieves against one person. One must therefore additionally cultivate phenomenal good within formations and existence to assist in opening the gate of nirvāṇa.

When formations and existence of stinginess and greed arise, transform them into formations and existence of giving so the wholesome root of dāna arises. When formations and existence of broken moral discipline arise, transform them into formations and existence of keeping moral discipline so the wholesome root of śīla arises. When formations and existence of anger arise, transform them into formations and existence of patient endurance so the wholesome root of kṣānti arises. When formations and existence of indolence arise, transform them into formations and existence of diligence so the wholesome root of vīrya arises. When formations and existence of distracted movement arise, transform them into formations and existence of meditative concentration so merits like a forest of dhyāna factors arise. When formations and existence of delusion arise, transform them into formations and existence awakening to impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, so phenomenal wisdom becomes distinct and assists in breaking principial delusion.

The presence of even one obscuration prevents vision of principle; how much more when all six obscurations are present? It is enough first to break the strongest obscuration, and the weaker ones will be removed along with it. The profound strength of aids to the path can accomplish every merit, regulate and subdue the faculties, fulfill the six perfections, and fully possess the Buddhas’ deportment, including the ten powers, four fearlessnesses, marks and excellences, and the rest. The remaining meanings are as explained above; practitioners should reflect and apply them themselves.

The “Buddhas’ deportment” means that the Buddhas’ sitting at the site of awakening, turning the Dharma wheel, and entering nirvāṇa can all be explained through the twelve links. The Great Perfection of Wisdom says, “Profoundly contemplating the twelve links is precisely sitting at the site of awakening.” There are four kinds of site. When the arising and ceasing of the twelve links is contemplated to culmination, the Buddha of the Tripiṭaka Teaching sits at the site of awakening, with a wooden tree as the bodhi tree and grass as the seat. When the immediate emptiness of the twelve links is contemplated to culmination, the Buddha of the Shared Teaching sits at the site of awakening, with a seven-jeweled tree as the bodhi tree and a celestial robe as the seat. When the provisional naming of the twelve links is contemplated to culmination, Rocana Buddha of the Distinct Teaching sits at the site of awakening, with the seven jewels as the seat. When the Middle Way of the twelve links is contemplated to culmination, Vairocana Buddha of the Perfect Teaching sits at the site of awakening, with empty space as the seat. From this one knows that the Great- and Small-Vehicle sites of awakening do not go beyond contemplation of the twelve links.

All buddhas likewise turn the Dharma wheel in dependence upon contemplation of the twelve links. At the site of quiescent cessation, through seven places and eight assemblies, they teach sharp-facultied bodhisattvas that the twelve links neither arise nor cease, that they are provisional names, and that they are the meaning of the Middle Way. At Deer Park they teach dull-facultied disciples the arising-and-ceasing marks of the twelve links. The twelve divisions of the Vaipulya scriptures teach the twelve links as arising and ceasing yet immediately empty, provisional, and the Middle. The Mahāprajñāpāramitā teaches the twelve links as immediately empty, provisional, and the Middle. The Lotus Sūtra teaches the twelve links as immediately the Middle and relinquishes the three kinds of expedient means. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra teaches that the twelve links fully possess the intent of the four teachings and all have buddha-nature, like milk intrinsically possessing the nature of ghee. Although the four teachings and five flavors differ, all skillfully distinguish in dependence upon the twelve links and disclose, teach, and guide in accord with sentient beings’ faculties.

The teaching that poison is placed into milk is the indeterminate teaching illuminated through the twelve links in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. The statement, “When I first accomplished the path, bodhisattvas of the ten directions had already asked about this meaning,” is the secret teaching illuminated through the twelve links in that sūtra. Why? At first the arising-and-ceasing marks of the twelve links were taught to dull-facultied disciples, yet sharp-facultied bodhisattvas were also present in the Dharma assembly and secretly heard the non-arising-and-non-ceasing marks of the twelve links. They immediately awakened to buddha-nature and attained forbearance concerning nonarising. This is the secret meaning. All the foregoing are signs of turning the Dharma wheel in the Land Where Ordinary and Noble Dwell Together.

All buddhas likewise enter parinirvāṇa in dependence upon contemplation of the twelve links. For dull faculties, the cessation of ignorance through the cessation of aging-and-death, with both direct agents and residual habits entirely exhausted, is the nirvāṇa with residue and without residue of a Buddha of the Tripiṭaka Teaching. Causing ignorance through aging-and-death to cease by contemplation of immediate emptiness is the nirvāṇa with residue and without residue of a Buddha of the Shared Teaching. Causing ignorance through aging-and-death to cease through contemplation of the provisional naming and Middle Way of dependent origination is the nirvāṇa of permanence, happiness, self, and purity of a Buddha of the Distinct Teaching. Contemplating the three paths within the twelve links as precisely the three buddha-natures and therefore the three nirvāṇas—nirvāṇa being called the Dharma realm of all buddhas—is the four-virtue nirvāṇa of Vairocana Buddha of the Perfect Teaching.

These are the four kinds of nirvāṇa displayed by the buddhas in the Land Where Ordinary and Noble Dwell Together, drawn from the Sūtra Resolving Doubts during the Semblance Dharma. Accomplishing the path, turning the Dharma wheel, and entering nirvāṇa in the Land of Expedient Means with Residue and the Land of Unobstructed Real Reward can be understood accordingly. The foregoing is called the meaning of the twelve links embracing all Dharmas〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §14.4〕 Stages, Patient Endurance, and Freedom from Dharma-Attachment

Know the stages: heavier and lighter states within the three evil destinies are all caused by ignorance, evil formations, unwholesome craving, and grasping. Higher and lower states within the three wholesome destinies are likewise caused by ignorance, wholesome and unmoving formations, craving, grasping, and existence.

When ignorance, craving, and grasping are transformed and wisdom contemplating arising and ceasing is produced, there are the higher and lower stations and practices of worthies and nobles liberated through wisdom in the Tripiṭaka Teaching. When formations and existence are transformed and the meritorious practice-practices of contemplation, refinement, cultivation by infusion, and higher cultivation arise, there are the higher and lower stations and practices of worthies and nobles liberated in both respects in the Tripiṭaka Teaching. The stages of minor and major kalā can be understood accordingly.

Transforming the preceding five perfections makes formations and existence into prajñā-practice; transforming ignorance, craving, and grasping regulates and subdues the faculties. Thus there are the various stages and practices across three asaṃkhyeya kalpas. Transforming ignorance, craving, and grasping, embodying and penetrating them as immediately true; transforming formations and existence and cultivating the six perfections like planting a tree in empty space—thus there are higher and lower practices at the four forbearance stages of the Shared Teaching. Transforming ignorance, craving, and grasping produces wisdom of the varieties of the path; transforming formations and existence accomplishes cultivation of the perfections through successive kalpas, superknowledges, purification of buddha lands, and accomplishment of sentient beings—thus there are higher and lower practices at the six wheel-stations of the Distinct Teaching. Transforming ignorance, craving, and grasping so that they are themselves the blazing lamp of complete awakening—thus there are higher and lower practices within the Six Identities of the Perfect Teaching.

The twelve links are all fully present in one person’s single thought. Delusion is inexhaustible like empty space, and aging-and-death is likewise inexhaustible like empty space. Within emptiness there is neither exhaustion nor nonexhaustion; emptiness is precisely the Great Vehicle. The Twelve Gates Treatise says, “Emptiness is called the Great Vehicle. Because great beings such as Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī ride it, it is called the Great Vehicle.” The Great Perfection of Wisdom says, “This vehicle neither moves nor departs. Even if someone wished to make Dharma-nature and reality-limit depart, this vehicle would still neither move nor depart.” The Great Sūtra says, “All sentient beings are precisely the One Vehicle.” That these names are immediately so in principle is called identity in principle.

Because there is identity in principle, there can be identity in name. From the initial arousal of mind, one hears the Great Vehicle taught and knows that sentient beings are precisely buddhas. Yet mind still grasps erroneously and cannot truly engage in contemplative practice, like a worm boring into wood and accidentally forming a written character. Because there is identity in name, there can be identity in contemplative practice. When the seven rounds of contemplation explained above are penetrated without obstruction, this is the place of practice. Because there is identity in contemplative practice, there can be identity in resemblance.

When the first grade arises, there is only perfect faith. In the second grade, reading and recitation assist faith. In the third, teaching Dharma to others likewise assists faith. These first three all have the vehicle urgent and moral discipline lax. The fourth grade can also cultivate moral discipline in part. In the fifth, phenomenal cultivation and contemplation of principle are both urgent; various samādhis and dhāraṇīs then arise, the six faculties are purified, and one enters the iron-wheel station.

Because there is identity in resemblance, there can be identity in partial realization. The three paths are immediately the three virtues; one suddenly awakens, sees the three buddha-natures, abides in the three nirvāṇas, and enters the secret treasury. The pure and wondrous Dharma body remains lucid and unmoving while universally responding to all. Through the stage of equal awakening, all belongs to identity in partial realization. Transforming ignorance and producing the illumination of wisdom resembles the moon from the first through the fourteenth day, its light gradually becoming full. Transforming formations and existence and producing liberation resembles the moon from the sixteenth through the twenty-ninth day, its shadow gradually receding. The Dharma body disclosed through the original consciousness and name-and-form resembles the body of the moon itself becoming gradually manifest.

Because there is identity in partial realization, there can be ultimate identity. The three virtues are perfected: prajñā is ultimate, Dharma body wondrous to the utmost, and liberation sovereign and free. Beyond the Sanskrit letter cha, no written character remains to be taught. From this one knows that all Great- and Small-Vehicle stages are established in dependence upon the twelve links of the ten Dharma realms.

If one speaks from quiescent suchness, what stages could remain? The first ground is precisely the second. All grounds arise from suchness, while suchness originally has no arising; one may also say all grounds cease through suchness, while suchness originally has no ceasing. All sentient beings are in their very identity great nirvāṇa and cannot be extinguished again. What higher or lower, great or small stages could remain? The non-arising of non-arising is inexpressible, yet where causes and conditions obtain it can also be provisionally expressed. The ten Dharmas of dependent origination serve as causes for the arising of cultivation, like drawing in empty space or provisionally planting a tree there; only as skillful means are all stages taught. If someone does not understand the stages above, grasps erroneously, and produces overbearing pride, that person is a caṇḍāla among bodhisattvas.

Patient endurance: while contemplating dependent origination in the ten Dharma realms, various Dharmas that obstruct the path will arise—the three obstructions, four Māras, and various adverse and favorable objects. The objects of karma, Māra, meditative concentration, the Two Vehicles, and the various practices of bodhisattvas all arise from the two links of formations and existence. If one can patiently endure them, one can accomplish the Tathāgata’s merits of formations and existence, namely the resultant marks of purification of the six faculties.

When the obstruction of afflictions arises, it consists of greed, anger, deviant reckoning, profound and acute views, pride, the wisdom-practices of the Two Vehicles, and the wisdom-practices of bodhisattvas in the Shared, Distinct, and Tripiṭaka Teachings. All arise from the three links of ignorance, craving, and grasping. If one can understand and patiently endure them, the Buddha’s knowledge and vision opens. When the obstruction of retribution arises, it consists of various aggregates, sense fields, and elements; the various eight winds; and various illnesses. All arise from the seven links beginning with consciousness. If one knows that they are themselves buddha-nature and does not move into grasping or rejecting them, so mind resembles empty space, then without severing birth and death one enters nirvāṇa, and without destroying the aggregates and sense fields one reveals the real Dharma body.

Penetrating in this way, one has no obstruction amid the three obstructions. One abides on the ground of patient endurance, gentle and compliant rather than coarse or impetuous, while mind is likewise not alarmed. This is called accomplishment of the mind of patient endurance. For example, once a śrāvaka abides in the Dharma of forbearance, that person will never retreat to commit the five heinous acts or become an icchantika. Once a bodhisattva abides on the ground of endurance, that bodhisattva likewise will never again produce grave offenses obstructing the path.

Not producing Dharma-attachment toward what follows the path has two levels, resemblance and the real. A bodhisattva advances from the initial forbearance of subduing into pliant forbearance and produces the merits of resemblance-understanding at the iron-wheel station, yet does not become defiled and attached to three Dharmas: resembling wisdom, resembling merit, and resembling Dharma-nature. Why should one not attach to them? Ignorance, craving, and grasping still remain within wisdom; the karma of formations and existence still remains within merit; and name-and-form and birth and death still remain within Dharma-nature. None should therefore be objects of defiled attachment.

If attachment to these three Dharmas arises, one can neither enter the bodhisattva stage nor fall back into the Two Vehicles. This is called falling from the summit and is also called following the path. Contemplating ignorance, craving, and grasping follows the path of wisdom-practice. Contemplating formations and existence follows the path of practice-practice. Contemplating the seven links beginning with consciousness follows the path of Dharma-nature. Because one follows these three paths, one does not fall to the śrāvaka ground; because one attaches to the three paths, one also cannot enter the bodhisattva ground.

How does Dharma-attachment arise? It resembles someone entering a campaka grove and no longer smelling any other fragrance. A bodhisattva loves only the merits of the buddhas and no longer thinks of the Two Vehicles or other expedient paths; this is called attachment. Because of this attachment, one cannot transform ignorance, craving, and grasping into true illumination; cannot transform formations and existence into wondrous practice; and cannot make consciousness and name-and-form manifest as Dharma body. If the three paths cannot be transformed, how could one enter the bodhisattva stage?

If one does not become defiled and attached to the three resembling Dharmas and has no Dharma-attachment toward what follows the path, immeasurable offenses can be eliminated and pure mind remain constantly one-pointed. Only such an honored and wondrous person can see prajñā. If one does not attach even to prajñā, how much less to other Dharmas?

“Prajñā that enters principle is called abiding.” Thus, at the initial abode one immediately accomplishes correct awakening, knows the real nature of all Dharmas, fully possesses the wisdom body, and awakens without depending upon another. To “see prajñā” means truly seeing the three paths as precisely the three kinds of prajñā. From then onward, thought after thought becomes quiescently extinguished, naturally flowing into the ocean of wisdom of all modes as immeasurable ignorance is naturally broken.

The Great Treatise asks, “Why is the samādhi that breaks ignorance taught everywhere?” It answers, “Ignorance has many grades. From the initial arousal of mind through the Diamond Summit, ignorance is continuously broken and Dharma-nature disclosed, until only one grade remains. If this final grade is removed, one is called a buddha.” The Tathāgata’s body is a vajra-substance; every evil is severed, every good universally converges, and the three virtues are ultimate. Beyond the Sanskrit letter cha, no written character remains to be taught. This is called riding this jeweled vehicle straight to the site of awakening and abiding within wisdom of all modes. The remaining meanings are as explained above〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §15〕 Arising Signs of Recollection of the Buddha

Ninth are the arising signs of recollection of the Buddha. Sometimes recollection of the Buddha arises first and various dhyānas arise afterward; sometimes the various dhyānas arise first and recollection of the Buddha then arises through dhyāna.

While seated in meditation, practitioners suddenly consider that the merits of the buddhas are immeasurable, boundless, and inconceivable. Faith, reverence, shame, conscience, and profound longing arise in mind. They hold in contemplation that the buddhas possess great spiritual power, great wisdom, great merit, and great marks and excellences. This mark and excellence arises from this merit; that mark and excellence from that merit. This mark and excellence possesses this kind of merit; that mark and excellence possesses that kind. Practitioners know the substance of each mark, its result, and its karma. They illuminate and penetrate every Dharma gate distinctly, deeply understand the ocean of marks, and have no doubt or obstruction. Concentrated mind becomes stable and continuous, without movement or confusion. Abiding in this concentration, it gradually deepens until coarse abiding and fine abiding, desire-realm concentration, and access concentration suddenly arise, followed by entry into the first dhyāna and the rest.

The Dharma of recollecting the Buddha and root dhyāna each have their own domain. Awareness of the present object of recollecting the Buddha is the factor of awareness. Distinguishing the various marks and various meritorious Dharma gates in recollecting the Buddha, recognizing them all clearly, is examination. Having seen in this way, mind rejoices greatly and celebration fills within; this is the factor of joy. One mind becomes stable and the entire body pleased; this is happiness. Without conditioning or delusive thought, one enters deeply into lucidity; this is the factor of one-pointed mind.

These five factors arise together with the Dharma of recollecting the Buddha. Perfused by the power of the Tathāgata’s merit, their Dharma-flavor doubles that of other dhyāna factors and cannot be fully expressed; those who realize it know for themselves. Since the merits, marks, and excellences of the Buddha-Dharma are immeasurable, the samādhis that arise should likewise be immeasurable, and the five factors that arise likewise immeasurable—inexpressible, inexpressible. Every set of five factors fully possesses the ten attendant merits, like branches and leaves forming a forest. This is the first dhyāna arising through the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha. The four formless concentrations, sixteen special excellences, penetrating illumination, impurity, relinquishments, loving-kindness, and the rest can likewise all arise in dependence upon this samādhi〔and so forth〕.

How does the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha arise through dhyāna? After root and other dhyānas arise, practitioners suddenly recollect the buddhas and tathāgatas within concentrated mind. They clearly understand that the merit that moves and inspires arises from marks and excellences, while marks and excellences arise from wholesome karma. These three Dharma gates—responsive merit, marks and excellences, and wholesome karma—correspond with mind and become suddenly clear. When this Dharma arises, the five factors of the existing meditative concentration become doubly wondrous. The same applies when recollection of the Buddha arises within the four dhyānas, sixteen special excellences, relinquishments, and other concentrations.

The concentration of recollecting the Buddha also has two kinds: first, hidden; second, unhidden. If a hidden sign is attained first, one inwardly understands the Buddha’s merits and recollects and distinguishes them clearly. If an unhidden sign is then attained, one distinctly sees the Buddha’s light and marks and looks up to and attends the Buddha’s spiritual form, definite and clear. This is not a sign of Māra. It can increase merit and make the branches and leaves of one’s existing wholesome roots flourish.

Through recollecting the Buddha, one can further penetrate broadly the Dharma gate of the six recollections. The Dharma gate of the Buddha’s merits that one recollects, as a Dharma of meaning, is recollection of Dharma. The Buddha’s disciples receive and practice it; recollecting the conjunction of the three matters of the karma, substance, and result of their marks is called recollection of the Saṅgha. Skillfully displacing various evil thoughts through recollection of the Saṅgha, Buddha, and Dharma is recollection of relinquishment. Faith, reverence, shame, and conscience present during these recollections are recollection of moral discipline. Recollecting the forest-like merits of the dhyāna factors within concentration and the marks of the gods is recollection of deities. Recollection of the Buddha, Saṅgha, and deities concerns others; recollection of Dharma, relinquishment, and moral discipline concerns oneself. From this one may penetrate all Dharmas and accomplish the Great Vehicle within the gate of recollecting the Buddha.

When Sadāprarudita saw a buddha, he obtained immeasurable Dharma gates and neither inward mind nor outward marks were hidden. If inward mind is dark and hidden so that not one meritorious Dharma gate can be distinguished, while outwardly dazzling marks of light are seen, this is a sign of Māra. It breaks the sprouts and stems of wholesome roots and damages the flowers and fruits of the path. People today who claim to see a buddha while no corresponding Dharma gate is present in mind have not encountered a true buddha-object.

If this meaning is understood, only whether the Dharma gate is correct should be taken as the standard, not a form-mark. If form-marks alone were taken, Māra could transform into a buddha-mark, and clay sculptures, wooden carvings, and painted images would all have to be true buddhas. Moreover, the Tathāgata manifests freely and without obstruction. Why would he invariably manifest a ten-foot radiance? That form merely displays conformity with an upright human being.

A buddha can universally manifest a body that beings delight in, a body suited to their faculties, a body that counteracts their illness, or a body through which they can be delivered. When any form-image—a teacher, monastic, parent, deer, horse, or monkey—is seen in accord with the present capacity, only if a correct Dharma gate arises together with it and it further increases the practitioner’s existing wholesome roots is this called the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §16〕 Arising Signs of Superknowledge

Tenth are the arising signs of superknowledge. They are briefly divided into five: divine-eye superknowledge, knowledge of others’ minds, divine-ear superknowledge, knowledge of past lives, and superknowledge of bodily mastery. Outflow-free superknowledge belongs to a later object and is explained there.

Superknowledge can arise only through dhyāna; dhyāna cannot arise through superknowledge. Why? The various dhyānas are all Dharmas of concentration and can mutually bring one another forth. The dhyānas are the substance of superknowledge, while superknowledge is their function. Function can arise from substance, so superknowledge arises attached to the substance of concentration. Function cannot arise in isolation; how could it bring forth its own substance in return? A scripture says, “Deeply cultivating meditative concentration, one attains the five superknowledges.” This is the meaning.

Speaking generally, all five superknowledges can arise within every dhyāna. Distinguished according to where each arises more readily, root dhyāna generally cannot produce superknowledge; even when it does, the power is neither swift nor acute. The sixteen special excellences and penetrating illumination often produce bodily superknowledge of lightness and elevation. The relinquishments and spheres of mastery often produce bodily superknowledge of transformation at will, sovereign and unobstructed. Concentration of loving-kindness conditions a person’s form and appearance and apprehends the sign of that person attaining happiness; from outward form it knows inward mind and distinguishes another’s suffering and happiness, so it often produces knowledge of others’ minds. Since it can know mind by relying upon form, it can also know another’s words and sounds and therefore produces divine-ear superknowledge. Contemplation of dependent origination contemplates a person’s three lives: illuminating past matters, it often produces knowledge of past lives; illuminating future matters, it often produces divine-eye superknowledge. When the concentration of recollecting the Buddha is unhidden, it often produces divine-eye superknowledge.

When the superknowledges become fine and precise, they correspond to the three illuminations, though they are not yet the outflow-free three illuminations. If a blind person’s eyes suddenly saw or a deaf person’s ears suddenly heard, that person would rejoice greatly. How much more when beings, inwardly blind in the five faculties for immeasurable kalpas, now break the five coverings and purely bring forth the five superknowledges?

Each superknowledge contains five factors. When the obstruction of the eyes is broken, awareness of the eye faculty facing a form-object is the factor of awareness. Distinguishing the immeasurable kinds and marks of form is examination. When this superknowledge opens, great celebration is the factor of joy. Happiness received within mind is the factor of happiness. Abiding lucidly without conditioning or delusive thought is the factor of one-pointed mind. The remaining four superknowledges are the same.

If one considers only the concentrated substance of the various dhyānas, inward understanding sometimes occurs while outward marks remain unclear, so a hidden form is possible. Superknowledge is the function produced by the substance of concentration, and whenever that function appears it must be clear. The five superknowledges are therefore all unhidden signs.

〔Section §17〕 Cultivating Calming-and-Contemplation after Dhyāna Arises

Fourth is the explanation of cultivating calming-and-contemplation. If practitioners have brought forth various dhyānas but lack skillful means and greedily attach to their flavor, this is a bodhisattva’s bondage. They will receive birth according to the dhyāna to which they are attached and continue revolving through birth and death. If they seek the essential path of escape, they should contemplate through ten meanings〔and so forth〕.

〔Section §17.1〕 First Contemplate How Dhyāna Can Produce the Ten Dharma Realms

Contemplate meditative concentration as one would contemplate a cucumber: it can serve as a cause and condition producing the ten Dharma realms. When concentration first arises, body and speech become gentle and subdued, like a snake entering a bamboo tube and becoming straight because of dhyāna. Later, after leaving contemplation and encountering objects, body, speech, and mind become crooked again and afflictions arise anew. At first the afflictions resemble a small amount of water, but later they fill a large vessel. Having lost the Dharma of dhyāna, practitioners break moral discipline, turn against the correct path, and may even create immediate-retribution karma.

When the Buddha was in the world, a bhikṣu attained the four dhyānas but believed he had realized the four fruits; there are also the accounts of Xiongzi and others〔and so forth〕. Bodhisattva Shengyi became self-exalting through attachment to meditative concentration and slandered and rejected Bodhisattva Xigen〔and so forth〕. Some have no evil thoughts while in concentration but produce evil and create karma after emerging. If they later lose concentration, evil karma pulls them into an evil destiny. If concentration is not lost, they first experience its retribution; when that retribution is exhausted, evil karma emerges and they receive the body of a flying civet that devours fish and birds. This is the principle. Before attaining dhyāna, fame and profit do not arrive; after dhyāna is accomplished, one may use it to create the Dharma realms of the three evil destinies.

If one becomes defiled and attached to the marks of concentration within dhyāna yet, after emerging, can still produce loving-kindness, benevolence, righteousness, and ritual propriety, and if concentration is not lost, then after its retribution is exhausted one can be born in the human destiny. If dhyāna contemplation perfumes the ten wholesome actions so they become naturally accomplished without separate guarding, this forms heavenly karma—the retribution in the form and formless realms produced by the four dhyānas and four formless concentrations. Exclusive cultivation of root dhyāna only increases human and heavenly retribution and never provides a time of escape. In the age of Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Buddha, the Brahmā kings themselves said, “One hundred and eighty kalpas passed in vain without a single buddha appearing, and the three evil destinies became full.” Not one person escaped birth and death.

If one exclusively cultivates contemplative dhyānas such as impurity and relinquishment, outflow-free wisdom can arise without waiting separately for wisdom concerning the truths, accomplishing the śrāvaka Dharma realm. If one contemplates that the various dhyānas can break the six obscurations—stinginess and greed, broken moral discipline, anger, indolence, distraction, and delusion—the obscurations are origination, and origination draws forth the result of suffering; the contemplation that can break them is the path, and the path can reach cessation. This belongs to the śrāvaka Dharma realm and also to the Dharma realm of bodhisattvas practicing the six perfections.

Furthermore, entry into dhyāna necessarily abandons the defilement of desire; this is giving. If moral discipline is not maintained, samādhi does not appear; this is moral discipline. Because attainment of dhyāna leaves no angry mind, this is patient endurance. Because attainment of dhyāna leaves no mixed thoughts, this is diligence. The Dharma itself is called meditative concentration. Knowing that all Dharmas are impermanent is wisdom. This is the Dharma realm of bodhisattvas practicing the six perfections arising through dhyāna.

Further contemplate dhyāna as a Dharma born of causes and conditions. Contemplating the various dhyānas as the link of existence, existence as arising from grasping, and continuing in sequence through aging-and-death as explained above is the pratyekabuddha Dharma realm. Further contemplating the various dhyānas as Dharmas born of causes and conditions and therefore empty in their very identity—the immediate emptiness of arisen Dharmas being the truth of the unborn path—is the Dharma realm of śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, and others of the Shared Teaching.

Further contemplate the conditionally arisen Dharma of dhyāna as immediately empty, provisional, and the Middle. The ten Dharma realms arise through dhyāna and also cease through dhyāna. Why? If the three evil destinies or the six destinies arise through dhyāna, the twenty-five existences increase, the six Dharma realms of the six destinies arise, and the four noble Dharma realms become hidden and cease. If the relinquishments and other Dharmas arise through dhyāna, the twenty-five existences can be subdued and the Dharma realms of the six destinies can be crushed and covered.

Contemplating the relinquishments and other Dharmas as impermanent uses the clumsy method of the arising-and-ceasing teaching to break the twenty-five existences, extinguishes six Dharma realms, and brings forth the single śrāvaka realm. Contemplating conditionally arisen dhyāna as immediately empty uses the skillful method of the non-arising teaching to break the twenty-five existences, extinguishes seven Dharma realms, and brings forth the single realm of Shared-Teaching bodhisattvas. Contemplating dhyāna as immediately provisional uses the clumsy method of the immeasurable teaching to break the twenty-five existences and adventitious afflictions, extinguishes eight Dharma realms, and brings forth the single realm of Distinct-Teaching bodhisattvas. Contemplating conditionally arisen dhyāna as immediately the Middle uses the skillful method of the one-real teaching to break the twenty-five existences and the delusion of ignorance, extinguishes nine Dharma realms, and brings forth the single Buddha Dharma realm.

In this way the king samādhi is accomplished and universally gathers in all samādhis. Root dhyāna and the relinquishments all enter it like streams returning to the ocean, and are thereby all transformed into the Great Vehicle. Gathering in resembles water flowing into the ocean; becoming hidden and extinguished resembles the disappearance of fresh flavor; arising resembles the formation of salt flavor. The perfection of dhyāna transforms the existing concentration of loving-kindness into great unconditioned loving-kindness and compassion; transforms the existing recollection of the Buddha into the great ocean of recollecting the Buddha, with all buddhas of the ten directions present before one’s eyes; and transforms the existing superknowledges into the Tathāgata’s skillful means that function without deliberation.

In summary, when all moral discipline, concentration, and wisdom in the nine Dharma realms enter the king samādhi, they are transformed and named noble practice. What noble practice corresponds with is the principle of truth; abiding in that principle is named heavenly practice. Heavenly practice possesses objectless loving-kindness of the same substance; this is brahmā practice. Speaking only of compassion as sharing one substance with sentient beings’ afflictions and wishing to remove their suffering is illness-practice. Speaking only of loving-kindness as sharing one substance with sentient beings’ slight wholesome roots and wishing to give them happiness is infant-practice. These five practices produce the ten merits and continue through ultimate accomplishment of great nirvāṇa.

Thus the ten Dharma realms arise and cease through dhyāna, while the three truths of emptiness, provisionality, and the Middle become hidden or manifest and arise in sequence. Layer by layer they turn, advance, and are gathered in to become Buddha-Dharma, all fully present within the king samādhi of immediate identity with the Middle. This remains a conceivable object, not the inconceivable object that is truly to be contemplated now.

〔Section §17.2〕 One Thought of Concentrated Mind Is the Inconceivable Object

In inconceivable contemplation, when one thought of concentrated mind arises—whether savor-attached dhyāna, pure dhyāna, or even superknowledge—one immediately knows that this thought of mind is precisely ignorance, Dharma-nature, and the Dharma realm. The ten Dharma realms and hundred Dharmas, together with immeasurable meditative concentrations and distractions, are all fully present in one thought.

Why? Because of delusion about Dharma-nature, every distracted evil Dharma exists. Because of understanding Dharma-nature, every wholesome Dharma of meditative concentration exists. Since concentration and distraction are in their very identity ignorance, ignorance is also in its very identity Dharma-nature. Delusion and understanding, concentration and distraction, are nondual in intrinsic nature, wondrous and difficult to conceive; here the path of language is cut off. Trying to calculate with ordinary emotion and thought only produces futile exhaustion. How could this be an object ordinary people or the Two Vehicles can know to the utmost? Although it surpasses ordinary emotion, it does not depart from any sentient being.

A scripture says, “All sentient beings are precisely the attainment of cessation.” Although it may be named concentration in terms of mind, sentient beings have never been wholly identical with concentration and have never been wholly different from it. Why? If sentient beings were left behind, where else could concentration be sought? Sentient beings have therefore never been wholly different. Yet if one says sentient beings are themselves concentration, concentration is not an ordinary sentient being governed by emotion; sentient beings have therefore never been wholly identical. Because they are not wholly identical, they are not the same; because they are not wholly different, they are not separate. In neither identity nor separation lies the wondrous, difficult to measure like empty space and exhaustively fathomed only by buddhas together with buddhas.

As with meditative concentration in one thought, so with every object. If one contemplates in this way and suddenly awakens and enters, merely hearing this meaning directly cures the grave illness of afflictions; the following nine modes of contemplation need not be applied.

〔Section §17.3〕 Arousing Mind, Settling Mind, Pervasive Breaking, and Passage and Obstruction

If contemplation has not yet brought awakening, arouse loving-kindness and compassion. The substance of principle is originally quiescent, yet sentient beings produce delusion. The conceptual proliferation of ignorance covers the tathāgatagarbha and forms a dense forest of afflictions. Therefore arouse compassion to remove this grave suffering at its root. Moreover, because ignorance is in its very identity Dharma-nature and afflictions in their very identity awakening, wish to make sentient beings disclose the true in the midst of phenomena and manifest the Dharma body. Therefore arouse loving-kindness to give ultimate happiness.

Such vows are pure and true. They seek the Buddha path above and transform sentient beings below, contain no poison or harm, incline neither one-sidedly nor deviantly, have no dependency, and leave the two extremes of existence and nonexistence. This is called arousing the mind of awakening. When this mind arises, some suddenly awaken and enter, like a swift horse that merely sees the shadow of the whip and already races onto the correct road.

If awakening still does not occur, one should skillfully settle mind in calming-and-contemplation, turn the thought of mind around, and cultivate through skillful means, sometimes calming and sometimes contemplation. Contemplating the two extremes of existence and nonexistence within one thought of meditative concentration as quiescently extinguished is called calming that embodies truth. Illuminating Dharma-nature as pure and unobstructed is contemplation entering emptiness.

Further contemplating dhyāna-mind as immediately empty and provisional while simultaneously illuminating the ultimate and conventional truths without moving the true limit is expedient calming that follows conditions. Penetrating various medicines and illnesses and applying each appropriately according to the immediate capacity is contemplation entering the provisional. Contemplating dhyāna-mind still more deeply and seeing it as immediately empty, provisional, and the Middle, with the three neither dual nor different, is calming that ceases discrimination. Penetrating the true mark, tathāgatagarbha, and ultimate truth as neither dual nor different is contemplation of the Middle Way.

The three calmings and three contemplations are together within one thought of mind, neither before nor after, neither one nor different. To break the two extremes of existence and nonexistence, they are skillfully named one and the Middle. To break one-sided attachment and arising and ceasing, they are skillfully named perfect and quiescently extinct. To break sequential cultivation of the three calmings and three contemplations, they are skillfully named three contemplations in one mind. In reality there is no fixed mark of Middle, perfect, or one mind. One should settle mind through calming-and-contemplation in this way〔and so forth〕.

If grinding inner mind with the two Dharmas of calming and contemplation still does not bring entry, know that before true wisdom arises, the various objects of mind are all delusion and confusion. Use the three contemplations in one mind to break pervasively every horizontal and vertical delusion. When delusion is eliminated, wisdom arises; when distraction ceases, meditative concentration is accomplished.

If awakening still does not occur, one is obstructed and cannot penetrate. One should further contemplate which Dharma fails to pass and which Dharma does not obstruct. If it does not obstruct, it should be passage; if passage still does not occur, continue contemplating. Know written signs without attaching to written signs and distinguish gain and loss within contemplation of the Four Truths.

〔Section §17.4〕 Factors of the Path, Assisting Counteractions, and the Final Three Dharmas

If awakening still does not occur, one does not know how to regulate the factors of the path. Why? One thought of dhyāna-mind fully possesses the five aggregates of the ten Dharma realms. Contemplating all aggregates as immediately empty breaks the four inversions within the three realms—permanence, happiness, self, and purity—and accomplishes the four witherings. Contemplating all aggregates as immediately provisional breaks the four inversions beyond the three realms—impermanence, suffering, no-self, and impurity—and accomplishes the four flourishings. Contemplating all aggregates as immediately the Middle, neither inner nor outer, neither flourishing nor withered, one enters parinirvāṇa between withering and flourishing. In this way the four establishments of mindfulness open the gate of the factors of the path, and the factors of the path open the three gates of liberation and enter nirvāṇa. Path and concentration are both fully present.

If this is so, why does awakening still not occur? Past obstructions must remain, while in the present one again greedily attaches to the flavor of dhyāna and cannot relinquish it. Past and present assist one another and together form the obscuration of stinginess. How could the path arise? One should repent with utmost earnestness, relinquish body, life, and wealth, relinquish greedy attachment to savor-attached dhyāna, and cultivate the perfection of giving to assist in counteracting the obstruction of stinginess.

Again, greedily savoring various dhyānas destroys moral discipline that follows the path and may even destroy the complete precepts. Past and present assist one another and together form the obscuration of broken moral discipline. One should repent with utmost earnestness and make phenomenal conduct careful and pure, assisting in counteracting the obstruction to śīla.

Again, even the Brahmacārin Black Teeth and Great Brahmā each possessed anger. How could the mere arising of phenomenal dhyāna now leave no anger at all? Every conditioned meditative concentration is neither unborn nor quiescently extinct and does not constitute forbearance concerning beings or Dharmas; anger therefore still arises spontaneously. Past and present assist one another and together form the obstruction of anger. One should repent with utmost earnestness and additionally cultivate phenomenal loving-kindness to assist in counteracting the obstruction to patient endurance.

Again, greedy attachment to the flavor of dhyāna is covered by heedlessness and delusion and still mixed with distracted movement. Past and present assist one another and together form indolence. One should become diligent with utmost earnestness and cultivate continuously without interruption, assisting in counteracting the obstruction to diligence.

Again, karmic signs arising within dhyāna trouble and confuse dhyāna-mind, preventing lucid one-pointedness. The Two Vehicles sever only afflictions; they offset karmic power through wisdom and leave the three realms, without separately speaking of severing karma. After bodhisattvas sever afflictions and receive a Dharma-nature body, some Dharma gates still develop while others do not, showing that they remain subject to karmic obstruction. One must cultivate various wholesome karmas with utmost earnestness. If this remains true even of a Dharma-nature body, how could a fleshly body in birth and death lack karmic obstruction? Cultivate wholesome karma, therefore, to assist in counteracting the obstruction to meditative concentration.

Again, greedy attachment to the flavor of meditative concentration wholly fails to understand that the various dhyānas are impermanent, arising and ceasing. How much less could it understand that attachment to their flavor is in its very identity neither arising nor ceasing? Past and present assist one another and together form the obstruction of delusion. One should repent with utmost earnestness and counteract phenomenal confusion and deviance.

The foregoing only briefly explains counteractions; an extensive explanation could not be exhausted. If practitioners have cultivated according to the methods of contemplation this far and still cannot awaken, their faculties are extremely dull and their obstructive offenses extremely grave. Lest those karmic obstructions cause them to create still more faults, three final meanings are taught. Knowing stages inwardly prevents overbearing pride. Cultivating patient endurance outwardly guards against the eight winds. Removing Dharma-attachment prevents falling from the summit.

When the ten Dharmas are accomplished, one can swiftly enter nonarising, obtain one great carriage, roam in the four directions, and proceed directly to wondrous awakening; break the twenty-five existences and realize the king samādhi. One’s own practice and transformation of others are fully present from beginning to end. The remaining meanings are as explained above〔and so forth〕.

Mohe Zhiguan, Fascicle Nine〔Lower〕.