解脫道論 一切入義、取地與曼陀羅
前段把行門的問題一次問滿；這一段交三個答案：一切入是什麼意思、取哪種地、壇怎麼作。
一個落差
一切入之義，論只給了兩個字：周普。
而它給的證，是一個比：念佛的人喜生起時充遍全身，觀地的人所觀周滿閻浮提。喜不停在心口一點，觀不停在眼前一壇。
這一門的全部消息就在一個落差裡——所緣起於至小，成就是至遍。眼前是一個外界不過米篩大小的圓；成就處是周滿大地。名為地，義在遍。
兩個不取
地有二種：堅為自相的地，掘出來的作地。作地有四色：白、黑、赤、如明。
論下兩重刪汰：觀自相地，彼分相不起；取白、黑、赤色，所修便成色一切入。這是本段為兩項排除各自明列的結果。
刪汰之後只剩一個：如明相現，取其相。
所緣不是撿現成的，是揀出來的。
一個為新學畫的圓
久修的人，平地一片即見地相，不必造作。新學不然——要親手作壇。
於是有了那份細密的工序：選寂靜處、掃令地燥、和泥濾滓、遮光設座、以規畫圓、圓內無痕、泥不雜色、未燥覆護。原文逐項列出要求，不另說幽闇、行路、無痕與不雜色各自造成何種心理效果。
形可圓可方可三角四角，本師判圓最勝；衣、板、壁皆可作，於地最勝。而末句是「如是先師所說」——整套作法後面站著的是傳承，不是論主自出。
重量所在
一門修法，先立義（周普）、次擇緣（唯取明相）、後與法（為新學造壇）。三個答案由高而低、由義而事，最後落在一雙和泥的手上。
道理至大，入手至小。壇之外界不過米篩大小，所成周滿閻浮提——重量不在壇上，在那個「遍」字上。
The preceding passage asks the whole set of questions for the practice at once. This passage supplies three answers: what kasiṇa means, what kind of earth is taken, and how the disk is made.
One Distance
For the meaning of kasiṇa, the treatise gives only two characters: 周普, pervasive throughout.
Its evidence is a comparison. When joy arises in one who recollects the Buddha, it fills the whole body; the observation of one contemplating earth fills Jambudīpa. Joy does not remain at one point in the heart or mouth, and observation does not remain upon the disk before the eyes.
The whole message of this practice lies in that distance—the object begins at the smallest; the attainment becomes utterly pervasive. Before the eyes is a circle whose outer boundary is no larger than a rice sieve; at fulfillment it fills the whole earth. Its name is earth; its meaning is pervasion.
Two Things Not Taken
Earth is of two kinds: intrinsic earth characterized by hardness, and prepared earth that has been dug. Prepared earth has four colors: white, black, red, and “like brightness” (如明).
The treatise then makes two exclusions. If intrinsic earth is observed, the counterpart sign does not arise; if white, black, or red is taken, the cultivation becomes a color kasiṇa. These are the results that this passage itself explicitly assigns to the two exclusions.
After those exclusions, only one thing remains: when the “like-bright sign” appears, take its sign.
The object is not simply found ready-made; it is selected.
A Circle Drawn for the Beginner
The experienced practitioner sees the earth sign upon a level tract and need not prepare it. The beginner is different: the disk must be made by hand.
Hence the meticulous procedure: choose a quiet place, sweep and dry the ground, mix and strain the mud, screen off the light and establish the seat, draw a circle with compasses, leave no trace within the circle, keep the mud unmixed with another color, and cover and guard it before it dries. The source lists each requirement without separately assigning a mental effect to darkness, a thoroughfare, the absence of traces, or unmixed color.
The form may be circular, square, triangular, or four-cornered; the root teacher judges the circle best. It may be made on cloth, a board, or a wall, but earth is best. The last sentence reads, “Thus it was spoken by the teachers of old.” Behind the complete procedure stands a transmission, not an invention attributed to the treatise author.
Where the Weight Falls
A single method first establishes its meaning—pervasiveness—then selects the condition—only the “like-bright” sign—and finally gives the procedure—the beginner makes a maṇḍala. The three answers descend from meaning to object to action, finally reaching a pair of hands mixing mud.
The principle is immense; the point of entry is small. The outer boundary of the disk is no larger than a rice sieve, while what is attained fills Jambudīpa. The weight falls not upon the disk, but upon the word “pervasive.”
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Meaning of Kasiṇa, Choosing Earth, and the Maṇḍala · Doorway · Summer 2026
阿羅漢優波底沙造，梁扶南三藏僧伽婆羅譯《解脫道論》〈行門品〉「一切入義、取地與曼陀羅」· 大正藏 T32n1648〔起 T32 0412c〕。段首〔T32 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄錨。
〔T32 0412c〕
問：一切入何義？答：謂周普一切入。如佛說偈言：
若人念佛德， 生喜充遍身，
觀地一切入， 周滿閻浮提，
此觀緣地生， 心喜亦如是。
修如是觀，見曼陀羅遍一切入。
問：地幾種？何地取相可修？答：地有二種，一自相地、二造作地。堅為自相地界，是謂自相地。若手自掘、若教人掘，造作所成，是謂作地。成四種色，謂白、黑、赤及如明色。於是坐禪人，於自相地不應作意，應除白、黑、赤。何以故？若觀自相地，從此不起彼分相。若取白、黑、赤色，成修色一切入。何以故？觀自相地離白黑赤，若作不作當取其相，如明相現當取其相。
問：云何名不作地？答：處處平坦，離於草莽，無諸株杌，於其眼境當令起心，是名地想，是謂不作地。若舊坐禪，隨樂不樂，即見彼分地相，住於不退。新學初禪，取作地相作曼陀羅，不觀非作地。
問：云何作曼陀羅？答？若坐禪人欲於地作曼陀羅，初從當觀寂寂，或於寺舍，或在石室，或在樹下，不住幽闇無日光處非人行路，於如是處皆遠一尋，洒掃清潔當令地燥。掃於處所如明相現時土色，使與地性得相發起。籌量調適威儀恭敬，取於器物以水和土，刪去草杌却除糞芥，取其衣帊濟漉泥滓，於淨潔地障蔽坐處，遮斷光明安置禪窟。不近不遠以規作圓，圓內平滿無有痕跡，然後以泥泥地不雜餘色，以別色不雜於地應安，乃至未燥當覆守護。若至燥時以異色界，其外或如米篩大、或如搔牢大，或圓或方或三角四角，應當分別。本師所說，最勝圓作曼陀羅。若於衣、若於板、若於壁處，皆作曼陀羅，於地最勝。如是先師所說。
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
周普之義與佛偈
問：一切入是什麼意思？答：是說周普的一切入——周遍普及。並引佛所說偈為證：如果有人念佛的功德，所生的喜充滿遍及全身；觀地一切入的人，其觀周滿整個閻浮提；這個觀依緣於地而生起，心中的喜也是同樣充滿遍及。修這樣的觀，便見曼陀羅周遍於一切入。
地有二種
問：地有幾種？取哪種地的相可以修？答：地有二種——第一是自相地，第二是造作地。以堅為自相的地界，這叫自相地。若是自己動手掘、或教人掘，由造作而成的，這叫作地。作地做成四種顏色：白、黑、赤，以及如明的顏色。
除白黑赤
在這裡，坐禪人不應把注意力放在自相地上，也應排除白、黑、赤三色。為什麼？若觀自相地，由此不能生起「彼分相」；若取白、黑、赤色，所修便成色一切入。「彼分相」在本段沒有解釋。第二個「為什麼」以下原作「觀自相地離白黑赤，若作不作當取其相，如明相現當取其相」；「觀自相地」與「離白黑赤」如何連屬，以及「若作不作」具體指什麼，文面都不能確定。可以確定的是，句末說「如明相」顯現時便取其相；「如明」的意思，本段沒有說明。
不作地
問：什麼叫不作地？答：處處平坦，離於草莽，沒有樹樁，在自己眼睛所對之境上使心生起，這叫地想，這就是不作地。原文接著說，若是久修的坐禪人，「隨樂不樂，即見彼分地相，住於不退」；「隨」「樂不樂」與後句如何連屬，本段不能確定，故不把它定解為不論合意或不合意。新學初禪的人，則取作地之相、作曼陀羅，不觀非作之地。
作曼陀羅
問：怎樣作曼陀羅？答：坐禪人若想在地上作曼陀羅，最初應當觀察寂靜之處——或在寺舍，或在石室，或在樹下；不住於幽闇無日光之處，也不在人來人往的通路上；在這樣的處所，四周都保留一尋的距離。洒掃清潔，使地面乾燥。接著原文作「掃於處所如明相現時土色，使與地性得相發起」；可以確定的是，句中談到所掃之處的土色、「如明相」、地性與「得相發起」，但各部分如何連屬並不清楚，因此不把它改成一條確定的配色規則。下一句「籌量調適威儀恭敬」如何分句、各語如何相連，也沒有說明。其後明確列出的動作是：取來器物，以水和土，除去草、樹樁與糞穢雜物，再用衣帊過濾泥滓。在潔淨的地上遮蔽坐處，遮斷光明，安置禪窟。距離不近不遠，用規畫圓，圓內平整滿實、沒有痕跡；然後用泥塗地，不夾雜別的顏色；原文「以別色不雜於地應安」的句法未定，這裡不替它選定一種解法。泥未乾時應當覆蓋守護。等到乾了，用不同的顏色作外界——它的外圍或如米篩大、或如「搔牢」大，或圓、或方、或三角、四角，應當分別清楚。「搔牢」所指何物，本段沒有解釋。本師所說，以圓形作曼陀羅最勝。在衣上、板上、壁上，也都可以作曼陀羅，但以地上最勝。先師所說如此。
Pervasiveness and the Buddha's Verse
Question: What does kasiṇa mean? Answer: it means the kasiṇa that is “pervasive throughout”—extending everywhere. A verse spoken by the Buddha is cited as evidence: when a person recollects the Buddha's virtues, the joy that arises fills and pervades the whole body; for one who observes the earth kasiṇa, that observation fills the whole of Jambudīpa; this observation arises with earth as its condition, and the joy in the mind likewise fills and pervades. Cultivating such an observation, one sees the maṇḍala pervading the entire kasiṇa.
Two Kinds of Earth
Question: How many kinds of earth are there, and the sign of what kind of earth may be taken for cultivation? Answer: earth is of two kinds. The first is intrinsic earth, and the second is prepared earth. The earth element whose intrinsic characteristic is hardness is called intrinsic earth. Earth made by digging it oneself or having another dig it is called prepared earth. Prepared earth is made in four colors: white, black, red, and a color “like brightness” (如明).
Excluding White, Black, and Red
Here the meditator should not direct attention to intrinsic earth, and should exclude the colors white, black, and red. Why? If one observes intrinsic earth, the “counterpart sign” does not arise from it; if one takes white, black, or red, the cultivation becomes a color kasiṇa. The “counterpart sign” is not explained in this passage. After a second “why,” the source reads: 觀自相地離白黑赤，若作不作當取其相，如明相現當取其相. The relation between “observing intrinsic earth” and “separating from white, black, and red,” and precisely what “whether made or not made” refers to, cannot be determined from the wording. What can be established is the final clause: when the “like-bright” sign appears, its sign should be taken. This passage does not explain the meaning of 如明.
Unprepared Earth
Question: What is called unprepared earth? Answer: a place level throughout, apart from grasses and scrub and without tree stumps, where the mind is made to arise upon the object before one's own eyes—this is called the perception of earth, and this is unprepared earth. The source then says of a long-practiced meditator, 隨樂不樂，即見彼分地相，住於不退. How 隨 and 樂不樂 connect with the following clause cannot be determined here; they are therefore not resolved as meaning “whether agreeable or disagreeable.” A beginner in the first jhāna, by contrast, takes the sign of prepared earth and makes a maṇḍala, without observing unprepared earth.
Making the Maṇḍala
Question: How is a maṇḍala made? Answer: if a meditator wishes to make a maṇḍala on the ground, one should first examine a quiet place—in a monastery dwelling, in a stone chamber, or beneath a tree. One should not dwell in a dark place without sunlight, nor upon a path used by people. In such a place, a distance of one fathom should be left clear on every side. Sprinkle and sweep it clean, and let the ground dry. The source next reads 掃於處所如明相現時土色，使與地性得相發起. The certain elements in the sentence are the color of the soil at the swept place, the “like-bright sign,” the nature of earth, and “the sign arising”; their precise syntactic relations are unclear, so the sentence is not recast as a definite rule of color matching. The following words, 籌量調適威儀恭敬, likewise do not disclose their punctuation or internal relations. The actions explicitly listed thereafter are these: obtain a vessel; mix earth with water; remove grass, tree stumps, dung, refuse, and other foreign matter; then use a cloth (衣帊) to strain the sediment from the mud. On clean ground, screen off the sitting place, cut off the light, and establish a meditation enclosure. At a distance neither near nor far, draw a circle with compasses; make its interior level and full, without any trace. Then plaster the earth with mud unmixed with any other color. The syntax of 以別色不雜於地應安 is unresolved, and no one construction is selected for it here. The mud should be covered and guarded until dry. Once it is dry, use another color to make an outer boundary. That outer area may be as large as a rice sieve or as large as a 搔牢; it may be circular, square, triangular, or four-cornered, and the forms should be clearly distinguished. What object 搔牢 denotes is not explained here. According to the root teacher, making the maṇḍala circular is best. A maṇḍala may also be made on cloth, a board, or a wall, but one made on earth is best. Thus it was spoken by the teachers of old.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Meaning of Kasiṇa, Choosing Earth, and the Maṇḍala · Vernacular · Summer 2026
行門品開卷把十一個問題一次問滿，前段答到功德為止。本段接連交出三問的答案：一切入是什麼意思、地有幾種而取哪種相、曼陀羅怎麼作。三問看似瑣細，合起來卻是一門修法的三個地基：先立名義，再擇所緣，然後把所緣親手作出來。
名在地上，義在周普
第一問問的是名目：「問：一切入何義？答：謂周普一切入」〔T32 412c01–02〕。
答案只有四個字——周普一切入。周遍、普及。這一門雖然名為「地」，它的義卻不在地上，在遍上。
論不空立此義，引了佛偈為證：
「若人念佛德，生喜充遍身，觀地一切入，周滿閻浮提，此觀緣地生，心喜亦如是」〔T32 412c03–05〕。
偈用的是念佛作比。念佛功德的人，喜生起時不是停在心口一點，是「充遍身」——整個身體都被喜充滿。觀地一切入的人也是這樣：所觀不是停在眼前一壇之地，是「周滿閻浮提」——遍滿整個大地。一邊是喜遍於身，一邊是觀遍於境，兩邊同一個充遍之勢。末二句自己點破這個比：「此觀緣地生，心喜亦如是」——觀依地而起，心喜的遍滿也同它一樣。
於是「修如是觀，見曼陀羅遍一切入」〔T32 412c06〕——修這樣的觀，見到的是壇相周遍於一切處。這一句預先立好了本段末問的分量：下文那個小小的圓壇，成就處是周滿大地。所緣起於至小，成就是至遍——一切入之為義，盡在這個落差裡。
揀地：兩重取捨，一個所緣
第二問揀所緣：「問：地幾種？何地取相可修？」〔T32 412c06–07〕
答：地有二種。「堅為自相地界，是謂自相地」〔T32 412c08〕——以堅硬為自相的地界，是地的自性一面；「若手自掘、若教人掘，造作所成，是謂作地」〔T32 412c08–09〕——自己動手掘、或教人掘出來的，是造作的地。作地做成四種顏色：白、黑、赤，以及如明色。
接下來論文一氣下了兩重取捨：「於自相地不應作意，應除白、黑、赤」〔T32 412c10–11〕——不對地的自性作意，並除去白黑赤三色。
隨後第一個「何以故」把兩重取捨的結果一併交代：「若觀自相地，從此不起彼分相。若取白、黑、赤色，成修色一切入」〔T32 412c11–13〕。第一項的結果是彼分相不起，第二項的結果是所修成為色一切入。青、黃、赤、白四色一切入確在前品列舉〔T32 411a10–11〕；本段本身只排除觀自相地與取白黑赤色，並分別說明上述結果，沒有由此另立適用於全部行處的通則。
第二個「何以故」原作：「觀自相地離白黑赤，若作不作當取其相，如明相現當取其相」〔T32 412c13–14〕。「觀自相地」與「離白黑赤」如何連屬，以及「若作不作」如何解，文面未定，不能把它改寫成確定的兩重規則。能確定的正面準則只到末句：原文說「如明相現當取其相」；「如明」本段不自釋。
老參與新學：不作地與曼陀羅
第三問是隨問：「問：云何名不作地？」〔T32 412c14–15〕
答：「處處平坦，離於草莽，無諸株杌，於其眼境當令起心，是名地想，是謂不作地」〔T32 412c15–17〕——一片平坦無雜的自然地面，在眼境上使心生起地想，這就夠了，不必造作。
然後論文分了兩種人。「若舊坐禪，隨樂不樂，即見彼分地相，住於不退」〔T32 412c17–18〕——可以確定的是，舊坐禪、彼分地相與住於不退都在同句；但「隨」「樂不樂」與後句如何連屬，本段不能確定，故不作合意、不合意之定解。「新學初禪，取作地相作曼陀羅，不觀非作地」〔T32 412c18–19〕——初學的人則取造作之地的相、作曼陀羅，不觀非作地。
這一句把下文整段作法安放在它的位置上：曼陀羅是為新學設的方便。老參之心熟，相隨處可起；新學之心生，須有一個專為起相而造的所緣。次一段那些細密的規矩，都是替一顆還不會安住的心先安排好一切條件。
作壇：逐項工序
第四問：「問：云何作曼陀羅？」〔T32 412c19〕論文答得極細，依次列出選處、治地、備料、設座、畫圓、上泥、守護與界外等工序。
選處。「初從當觀寂寂，或於寺舍，或在石室，或在樹下」〔T32 412c20–21〕——先觀察寂靜之地：寺舍、石室、樹下皆可；「不住幽闇無日光處非人行路」〔T32 412c21–22〕——不住在幽闇無日光處，也不住在行路上。原文只列這兩項禁止，沒有說明各自的理由；「於如是處皆遠一尋」〔T32 412c22〕——四周留出一尋的餘地。
治地。「洒掃清潔當令地燥」〔T32 412c22–23〕；接著原文作「掃於處所如明相現時土色，使與地性得相發起」〔T32 412c23–24〕。句中可確定有處所土色、「如明相」、地性與「得相發起」四項；它們如何連屬，文面未定，故不說場地顏色必須接近某種已定之相。
備料與治泥。「籌量調適威儀恭敬」〔T32 412c24〕的分句與內部連屬未明，這裡保留而不替它指定理由。其後才是明確的工序：「取於器物以水和土，刪去草杌却除糞芥，取其衣帊濟漉泥滓」〔T32 412c24–26〕——取器、和泥、去雜、以布濾滓。
設座。「於淨潔地障蔽坐處，遮斷光明安置禪窟」〔T32 412c26–27〕——原文依次列出障蔽坐處、遮斷光明、安置禪窟三項動作，沒有說明其理由或心理效果。
畫圓與上泥。「不近不遠以規作圓，圓內平滿無有痕跡」〔T32 412c27–28〕——坐處與壇不近不遠，以規畫圓，圓內平滿無痕；「以泥泥地不雜餘色，以別色不雜於地應安」〔T32 412c28–29〕——壇面之泥不雜他色，要用別色時亦不與地色相混。此處只依原文保留平滿、無痕與不雜色三項要求，不另補其心理效果。
守護與界外。「乃至未燥當覆守護」〔T32 412c29〕——未乾之前覆蓋守護，是令其成。乾後「以異色界」〔T32 412c29–413a01〕作外界，大小「或如米篩大、或如搔牢大」〔T32 413a01〕——量皆取日常之物；形制「或圓或方或三角四角，應當分別」〔T32 413a01–02〕。
而後論文給了裁定：「本師所說，最勝圓作曼陀羅」〔T32 413a02–03〕——形制雖有四種，本師判圓為最勝。所依之處亦然：「若於衣、若於板、若於壁處，皆作曼陀羅，於地最勝」〔T32 413a03–04〕——衣、板、壁皆可作，而以地為最勝。可與最勝並存：法門有寬度，傳承有抉擇。
末句「如是先師所說」〔T32 413a04〕——整段工序不是論主自出，是先師相傳之法。「先師所說」之稱在本論他處亦見（如前品之前「先師所說四種受用」〔T32 403c20〕、後文念死門「先師所說修念死」〔T32 432a08〕）；一座小小的圓壇，從選地到守護，每一步後面站著的是傳承。
收束
三問答畢，一門之基已立：名義上，地一切入之義是周普——所緣至小，成就至遍；所緣上，捨自性、捨顏色，唯取如明之相；方便上，老參得之於天然，新學依本段所列工序造作曼陀羅。壇成之後如何修——「問：云何修地法」〔T32 413a04–05〕——論文緊接著答，屬下一段。
The Practice Chapter opens by asking eleven questions at once, and the preceding passage answers through the benefits. This passage supplies the answers to three successive questions: what kasiṇa means, how many kinds of earth there are and which sign should be taken, and how a maṇḍala is made. The three questions may look minute, yet together they provide three foundations for a single practice: establish the meaning of its name, choose the object, and then make that object with one's own hands.
The Name Refers to Earth; the Meaning Lies in Pervasiveness
The first question concerns the term itself: “Question: What does kasiṇa mean? Answer: it means the kasiṇa that is pervasive throughout”〔T32 412c01–02〕.
The answer gives only four characters—周普一切入: pervasive throughout, extending everywhere. Although this practice is named for “earth,” its meaning lies not in earth but in pervasion.
The treatise does not assert this meaning without support. It cites a verse of the Buddha:
“If a person recollects the Buddha's virtues, the joy that arises fills and pervades the body. Observing the earth kasiṇa, the observation fills all Jambudīpa. This observation arises conditioned by earth; the joy of the mind is likewise”〔T32 412c03–05〕.
The verse uses recollection of the Buddha as its comparison. When joy arises in one who recollects the Buddha's virtues, it does not remain at a single point in the heart or mouth; it “fills and pervades the body”—the whole body is filled with joy. So too for one who observes the earth kasiṇa: the observation does not remain upon the patch of earth in front of the eyes, but “fills Jambudīpa”—it pervades the whole earth. On one side joy pervades the body; on the other observation pervades its object. Both have the same movement of suffusion. The last two lines disclose the correspondence themselves: “This observation arises conditioned by earth; the joy of the mind is likewise.” The observation arises in dependence on earth, and the pervasion of joy is like it.
Thus, “cultivating such an observation, one sees the maṇḍala pervading the entire kasiṇa”〔T32 412c06〕. What is seen in such cultivation is the maṇḍala sign pervading everywhere. This sentence establishes in advance the weight of the last question in the passage: the little circular maṇḍala made below reaches fulfillment in filling the earth. The object begins at the smallest; the attainment becomes utterly pervasive. The meaning of kasiṇa lies in that distance.
Choosing Earth: Two Exclusions, One Object
The second question selects the object: “Question: How many kinds of earth are there? The sign of what earth may be taken for cultivation?”〔T32 412c06–07〕
The answer says there are two kinds of earth. “The earth element whose intrinsic characteristic is hardness is called intrinsic earth”〔T32 412c08〕—the earth element characterized by hardness is earth in its intrinsic aspect. “If one digs it oneself or has another dig it, what is produced by preparation is called prepared earth”〔T32 412c08–09〕. Prepared earth is made in four colors: white, black, red, and the “like-bright” color (如明色).
The treatise then makes two exclusions in a single movement: “Attention should not be directed to intrinsic earth; white, black, and red should be excluded”〔T32 412c10–11〕.
The first “Why?” gives the results of both exclusions together: “If one observes intrinsic earth, the counterpart sign does not arise from it. If one takes white, black, or red, the cultivation becomes a color kasiṇa”〔T32 412c11–13〕. The result of the first is that the counterpart sign does not arise; the result of the second is that the cultivation becomes a color kasiṇa. The four color kasiṇas—blue, yellow, red, and white—are indeed enumerated in the preceding chapter〔T32 411a10–11〕. This passage itself, however, only excludes observing intrinsic earth and taking white, black, or red, and states the respective results. It does not derive from them a general rule for every subject of practice.
After the second “Why?” the source reads: 觀自相地離白黑赤，若作不作當取其相，如明相現當取其相〔T32 412c13–14〕. How 觀自相地 connects to 離白黑赤, and how 若作不作 is to be construed, remain indeterminate in the wording; the sentence cannot be rewritten as two certain rules. The positive criterion that can be established extends only to the final clause: the source says that when the “like-bright sign” appears, its sign should be taken. The passage does not explain 如明.
The Experienced and the Beginner: Unprepared Earth and the Maṇḍala
The third question is supplementary: “Question: What is called unprepared earth?”〔T32 412c14–15〕
The answer says: “Level throughout, apart from grasses and scrub, without tree stumps: upon the object before one's eyes, the mind should be made to arise. This is called the perception of earth; this is called unprepared earth”〔T32 412c15–17〕. A naturally level and unobstructed patch of earth, made into a perception of earth upon the visual object, is sufficient; it need not be prepared.
The treatise then distinguishes two kinds of practitioners. “If an experienced meditator, 隨樂不樂, he immediately sees the counterpart earth sign and abides without regression”〔T32 412c17–18〕. It is certain that the experienced meditator, the counterpart earth sign, and abiding without regression all occur in the same sentence. How 隨 and 樂不樂 connect with what follows, however, cannot be determined here, so they are not given a settled interpretation as “agreeable or disagreeable.” “A beginner in the first jhāna takes the sign of prepared earth and makes a maṇḍala, without observing unprepared earth”〔T32 412c18–19〕.
This sentence locates the entire procedure that follows: the maṇḍala is a means established for the beginner. The experienced meditator's mind is practiced, and the sign may arise wherever appropriate; the beginner's mind is new and requires an object made specifically for the arising of the sign. All the meticulous rules in the next passage arrange in advance the conditions for a mind that does not yet know how to abide.
Making the Maṇḍala: The Procedure Item by Item
The fourth question is: “Question: How is a maṇḍala made?”〔T32 412c19〕. The treatise answers in great detail, successively listing the selection of a place, treatment of the ground, preparation of materials, establishment of the seat, drawing of the circle, application of mud, guarding, and the outer boundary.
Selecting the place. “First one should examine a quiet place, whether in a monastery dwelling, in a stone chamber, or beneath a tree”〔T32 412c20–21〕. “Do not dwell in a dark place without sunlight or upon a path used by people”〔T32 412c21–22〕. The source lists only these two prohibitions and gives no reason for either. “In such a place, let all sides be one fathom distant”〔T32 412c22〕—a clearance of one fathom is left all around.
Treating the ground. “Sprinkle and sweep it clean; let the ground dry”〔T32 412c22–23〕. The source then reads, 掃於處所如明相現時土色，使與地性得相發起〔T32 412c23–24〕. Four elements are certain in the sentence: the soil color of the place, the “like-bright sign,” the nature of earth, and “the sign arising.” Their syntactic relations remain indeterminate, so it is not said that the color of the site must resemble some already established sign.
Preparing the materials and mud. The punctuation and internal connection of 籌量調適威儀恭敬〔T32 412c24〕 are unclear; they are retained without an assigned rationale. Only thereafter comes the explicit procedure: “Obtain a vessel and mix earth with water; cut away grass and tree stumps and remove dung and refuse; take a cloth and strain the sediment from the mud”〔T32 412c24–26〕—obtain the vessel, mix the mud, remove foreign matter, and strain the sediment through cloth.
Establishing the seat. “On clean ground, screen off the sitting place, cut off the light, and establish a meditation enclosure”〔T32 412c26–27〕. The source lists these three actions in sequence without explaining their rationale or mental effect.
Drawing the circle and applying mud. “Neither near nor far, use compasses to make a circle; within the circle make it level and full, without any trace”〔T32 412c27–28〕. The sitting place and maṇḍala are neither near nor far; the circle is drawn with compasses, and the inside is level, full, and traceless. “Plaster the earth with mud unmixed with any other color; 以別色不雜於地應安”〔T32 412c28–29〕. The mud of the maṇḍala surface is not mixed with another color; if a distinct color is used, it likewise is not confused with the color of the ground. This reading preserves only the source's requirements of level fullness, absence of traces, and unmixed color; it supplies no mental effect for them.
Guarding and the outer boundary. “Until it is dry, it should be covered and guarded”〔T32 412c29〕. Covering and guarding it before it dries allows it to be completed. Once dry, an outer boundary is made “with another color”〔T32 412c29–413a01〕. Its size may be “as large as a rice sieve, or as large as a 搔牢”〔T32 413a01〕—both measures are taken from everyday objects. Its form may be “circular, square, triangular, or four-cornered, and should be clearly distinguished”〔T32 413a01–02〕.
The treatise then gives a ruling: “According to the root teacher, making the maṇḍala circular is best”〔T32 413a02–03〕. Although four forms are allowed, the root teacher judges the circle best. The supporting surface is treated similarly: “Whether on cloth, on a board, or upon a wall, a maṇḍala may be made in each case; one made on earth is best”〔T32 413a03–04〕. Possibility and what is best can coexist: the teaching has breadth, and the transmission makes a choice.
The closing sentence is, “Thus it was spoken by the teachers of old”〔T32 413a04〕. This entire procedure is not presented as the treatise author's invention, but as a method transmitted by earlier teachers. The expression 先師所說 also occurs elsewhere in the work—for example, “the four kinds of use spoken by the teachers of old”〔T32 403c20〕 and, later, “the cultivation of mindfulness of death spoken by the teachers of old”〔T32 432a08〕. Behind every step in making this small circular maṇḍala, from choosing the earth through guarding it, stands a transmission.
Conclusion
With the three questions answered, the foundation of the practice is established. In name and meaning, the earth kasiṇa means pervasiveness—the object is very small, the attainment utterly pervasive. In its object, intrinsic nature and color are set aside, and only the “like-bright” sign is taken. In its means, the experienced practitioner obtains the sign from natural earth, while the beginner makes a maṇḍala according to the procedure set out here. How to cultivate once the maṇḍala has been made—“Question: How is the earth practice cultivated?”〔T32 413a04–05〕—is answered immediately by the treatise in the next passage.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Meaning of Kasiṇa, Choosing Earth, and the Maṇḍala · Exposition · Summer 2026
考據Apparatus
全段定位 本段出自〈行門品〉之一，承 412b22 開卷連問（見 08-01），依次接答其中三問：一切入之義、地之幾種與取相之地、曼陀羅之作法（中含不作地一問）。連問中最後一問（修地法）由 413a04「問：云何修地法」起接答，屬下一單元。三十八行處之列舉與九行料簡在前品〈分別行處品〉（列舉底文 411a08–19），本品自品題行 412b21 起逐門展開，本段承其第一門。
一、科判定位
開卷連問十一問，08-01 之答盡於功德；本段接答三問，問答之界逐字可核：
| 問 | 經文起訖逐字（各繫其錨） |
|---|---|
| 一切入何義 | 「問：一切入何義？答：謂周普一切入」〔T32 412c01–02〕…「修如是觀，見曼陀羅遍一切入」〔T32 412c06〕（中含佛偈三行 412c03–05） |
| 地幾種·何地取相 | 「問：地幾種？何地取相可修？」〔T32 412c06–07〕…「如明相現當取其相」〔T32 412c14〕 |
| 云何名不作地 | 「問：云何名不作地？」〔T32 412c14–15〕…「不觀非作地」〔T32 412c18–19〕 |
| 云何作曼陀羅 | 「問：云何作曼陀羅？」〔T32 412c19〕…「如是先師所說。」〔T32 413a04〕 |
單元界與問答界相合：本單元起於 412c01 答語之首、止於 413a04 作壇答語之末，不切斷任何一問。不作地一問雖不在開卷連問之列，是取相之地一問的隨問，附於其後。
全段定位錨
〔T32, 412c01–413a04〕
二、詞義與章內脈絡（逐字各繫其錨）
| 名相 | 本段用法 | 章內接點（可核） |
|---|---|---|
| 周普 | 本段以此二字自釋一切入之義：「謂周普一切入」〔T32 412c01–02〕，佛偈以念佛之喜充遍身為比 | 十一切入之列舉在前品（列舉底文 411a08–19）：「謂十一切入：地、水、火、風、青、黃、赤、白、空處、識處一切入」〔T32 411a09–11〕 |
| 彼分相 | 兩見：「若觀自相地，從此不起彼分相」〔T32 412c11–12〕、「即見彼分地相」〔T32 412c17〕；其義本段不自釋 | 取相與彼分相之辨在本品後文 413c 起（離亂、守相諸段），本節不預取 |
| 自相地·作地 | 「堅為自相地界」〔T32 412c08〕；「若手自掘、若教人掘，造作所成」〔T32 412c08–09〕 | 「堅」為地界自相，與後文觀四大門「堅相」之用語同脈（之五），本節唯誌不引 |
| 如明／如明色 | 作地四色之第四〔T32 412c10〕，亦即取相之所在：「如明相現當取其相」〔T32 412c14〕、「掃於處所如明相現時土色」〔T32 412c23〕 | 照字面保留；其色何指，本段不自明，不以他書補釋 |
| 色一切入 | 「若取白、黑、赤色，成修色一切入」〔T32 412c12–13〕——取色則門換 | 青、黃、赤、白四一切入在前品列舉之中〔T32 411a10–11〕，各門展開在本品後文 |
| 曼陀羅 | 依法所作之壇：於地最勝，於衣、板、壁皆可作〔T32 413a03–04〕；形制圓、方、三角、四角，本師以圓為最勝〔T32 413a01–03〕 | 本品後文以「如到曼陀羅」〔T32 414b08〕為「安」義之喻——壇在章內轉為近禪之地標 |
| 一尋 | 距離之量：「於如是處皆遠一尋」〔T32 412c22〕 | 照用法保留 |
| 衣帊 | 濾泥之布：「取其衣帊濟漉泥滓」〔T32 412c25–26〕 | 照字面保留 |
| 搔牢 | 外界大小之比：「或如米篩大、或如搔牢大」〔T32 413a01〕 | 其物照字面保留，不以他書補釋；本行二字皆有異讀（見目三） |
| 本師·先師 | 兩稱並見：「本師所說，最勝圓作曼陀羅」〔T32 413a02–03〕、「如是先師所說」〔T32 413a04〕 | 所指不由本段自明，本節不代為判定；「先師所說」之稱本論他處亦見（「先師所說四種受用」〔T32 403c20〕、「先師所說修念死」〔T32 432a08〕），「如是先師所說」整式則全論唯此一見 |
| 以別色不雜於地應安 | 「然後以泥泥地不雜餘色，以別色不雜於地應安」〔T32 412c28–29〕 | 「應安」之句讀非一義可定，誌為待考；本文照錄底本語序，白話依上下文作最小疏解 |
三、校記與異讀
本段範圍內大正藏校記（<app>）九處，均誌而不改，本文之讀依大正本：
| 錨 | 底本 | 異讀 | 見證 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 412c06 | 見（見曼陀羅遍一切入） | 是 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c15 | 莽（離於草莽） | 石 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c17 | 若（若舊坐禪） | 答 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c23 | 掃（掃於處所） | 擇 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c23 | 與（使與地性） | 於 | 【明】 |
| 412c25 | 濟（濟漉泥滓） | 擠 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c27 | 窟（安置禪窟） | 座 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 413a01 | 搔（或如搔牢大） | 鈔／䤬 | 鈔＝【宋】【元】【宮】；䤬＝【明】 |
| 413a01 | 牢 | 鑼 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
誌錄不判三事：
- 412c17「若舊坐禪」，三本與宮本作「答」——作「答」則此句自成一答之首；底本作「若」則屬上答之續。句讀之勢隨字而別，並錄不判。
- 413a01「搔牢」二字同行雙異（鈔／䤬、鑼）——宋、元本與宮本讀作「鈔鑼」，明本作「䤬鑼」，與底本「搔牢」所指之器物遂異。此為本段異讀中唯一涉及名物者，並錄不判，本文從底本。
- 412c19「問：云何作曼陀羅？答？」——句末重問號為底本標點之舊，照錄不改。
校本零命中二項：本段正文缺字（造字）零命中；夾註零命中。
四、論主引據
本段引據一處：「如佛說偈言」〔T32 412c02〕引佛偈三行〔T32 412c03–05〕，以證「周普」之義——此為論主自引佛說為經證，非修辭之飾。偈之出處論文未標經名，本節不代為考定。
五、譬喻·修辭
- 佛偈之比〔T32 412c03–05〕：以念佛德者之喜「充遍身」比觀地者之觀「周滿閻浮提」——一內一外，同一充遍之勢；末二句「此觀緣地生，心喜亦如是」自點其合。此為本段唯一之譬（引據身分見目四）。
- 量之取譬皆日常物：距離以「一尋」〔T32 412c22〕、大小以「米篩」「搔牢」〔T32 413a01〕——作壇之文不用天文之量而用手邊之物，與其逐步可操作之文體一致。
- 修辭：答文以並列句式鋪陳——選處「或於寺舍，或在石室，或在樹下」〔T32 412c20–21〕、形制「或圓或方或三角四角」〔T32 413a01–02〕；禁制以雙「不」為式——「不近不遠」〔T32 412c27〕「不雜餘色」〔T32 412c28〕「不雜於地」〔T32 412c28–29〕。一「或」一「不」，開合之間即是規矩。末以「本師所說」〔T32 413a02〕「如是先師所說」〔T32 413a04〕雙結，作法之文收於傳承之口。
六、章內互讀
- 前指：三十八行處列舉〔T32 411a08–19〕（十一切入、十念在列）；行門品開卷連問〔T32 412b22–412c01〕（本段所答三問之所出）。
- 後指：「問：云何修地法」〔T32 413a04–05〕起接答連問末問；取相、彼分相、守相諸段自 413c 起；「安為和合義，如到曼陀羅」〔T32 414b08〕。
七、傳本
作者、譯者與傳本諸問題，本編不於考據內立說。
Location of the complete passage This passage belongs to the first practice in the Practice Chapter. Continuing the opening questions at 412b22 (see 08-01), it answers three of them in sequence: the meaning of kasiṇa; the kinds of earth and the earth whose sign is taken; and the method of making a maṇḍala, including a supplementary question on unprepared earth. The last opening question, on cultivating the earth practice, begins at “Question: How is the earth practice cultivated?” at 413a04 and belongs to the next unit. The thirty-eight subjects of practice and their ninefold classification occur in the preceding chapter, “Distinguishing Subjects of Practice” (enumeration at 411a08–19). The present chapter begins its practice-by-practice exposition with the chapter title at 412b21, and this passage continues the first practice.
1. Structural Location
The opening presents eleven questions. The answers in 08-01 end with the benefits; this passage answers three further questions. Their question-and-answer boundaries are textually verifiable:
| Question | Exact beginning and end of the source passage, with anchors |
|---|---|
| Meaning of kasiṇa | From the question “What does kasiṇa mean?” and the answer “pervasive throughout”〔T32 412c01–02〕 through the statement that cultivation sees the maṇḍala pervading the entire kasiṇa〔T32 412c06〕, including the three-line Buddha verse at 412c03–05 |
| Kinds of earth and the earth whose sign is taken | From the question asking how many kinds of earth there are and what earth may supply the sign〔T32 412c06–07〕 through the instruction to take the sign when the 如明 sign appears〔T32 412c14〕 |
| What is called unprepared earth | From the question on unprepared earth〔T32 412c14–15〕 through the beginner's not observing unprepared earth〔T32 412c18–19〕 |
| How a maṇḍala is made | From the question on making the maṇḍala〔T32 412c19〕 through the closing statement that this was spoken by the teachers of old〔T32 413a04〕 |
The unit boundary coincides with the question-and-answer boundary. The unit begins with the first words of the answer at 412c01 and ends with the final words of the answer on making the maṇḍala at 413a04; no question is cut in two. Although the question on unprepared earth is absent from the opening series, it is a supplementary question to the one on the earth whose sign is taken and is attached immediately after it.
Anchor for the complete passage
〔T32, 412c01–413a04〕
2. Terms and Intratextual Context (Each with Its Own Exact Anchor)
| Term | Use in this passage | Verifiable intratextual connection |
|---|---|---|
| 周普, pervasive throughout | The passage explains the meaning of kasiṇa with these two characters〔T32 412c01–02〕. The Buddha verse compares it to the joy from recollecting the Buddha filling the body | The eleven kasiṇas are enumerated in the preceding chapter (enumerated base text 411a08–19): “namely the ten kasiṇas—earth, water, fire, wind, blue, yellow, red, white, the sphere of space, and the sphere of consciousness”〔T32 411a09–11〕 |
| 彼分相, counterpart sign | Occurs twice: “若觀自相地，從此不起彼分相”〔T32 412c11–12〕 and “即見彼分地相”〔T32 412c17〕. This passage does not define it | The distinction between 取相 and 彼分相 is treated later in this chapter, beginning at 413c, in the passages on disturbance and guarding the sign. This section does not anticipate that account |
| 自相地 and 作地, intrinsic earth and prepared earth | Hardness (堅) defines intrinsic earth〔T32 412c08〕; earth dug by oneself or another and produced through preparation is prepared earth〔T32 412c08–09〕 | 堅 is the intrinsic characteristic of the earth element and belongs to the same terminological line as 堅相 in the later contemplation of the four elements (section five); this is only noted here, not adduced as an explanation |
| 如明 / 如明色, “like brightness” / “like-bright color” | The fourth of the four colors of prepared earth〔T32 412c10〕 and the locus for taking the sign: “如明相現當取其相”〔T32 412c14〕 and “掃於處所如明相現時土色”〔T32 412c23〕 | Retained according to its wording. What color it denotes is not made clear in this passage and is not supplied from another work |
| 色一切入, color kasiṇa | Taking white, black, or red makes the practice a color kasiṇa〔T32 412c12–13〕—taking a color changes the practice | The blue, yellow, red, and white kasiṇas occur in the preceding chapter's enumeration〔T32 411a10–11〕 and are developed later in the present chapter |
| 曼陀羅, maṇḍala | A prepared disk: best on earth, but it may also be made on cloth, a board, or a wall〔T32 413a03–04〕. Its forms may be circular, square, triangular, or four-cornered, with the circle judged best by the root teacher〔T32 413a01–03〕 | Later in the chapter, “如到曼陀羅”〔T32 414b08〕 is the simile for the meaning of 安; the maṇḍala becomes an intrachapter landmark for approaching jhāna |
| 一尋, one fathom | A measure of distance: “於如是處皆遠一尋”〔T32 412c22〕 | Retained according to its use |
| 衣帊, cloth | Cloth for filtering mud: “取其衣帊濟漉泥滓”〔T32 412c25–26〕 | Retained literally |
| 搔牢 | A comparison for the size of the outer boundary: “或如米篩大、或如搔牢大”〔T32 413a01〕 | The object is retained according to its wording and is not explained from another work. Both characters have variant readings in this line (see section 3) |
| 本師 and 先師, root teacher and teachers of old | Both designations occur: “本師所說，最勝圓作曼陀羅”〔T32 413a02–03〕 and “如是先師所說”〔T32 413a04〕 | Their referents cannot be established from this passage. The apparatus does not decide them. 先師所說 occurs elsewhere in “先師所說四種受用”〔T32 403c20〕 and “先師所說修念死”〔T32 432a08〕; the complete formula 如是先師所說 occurs only here in the work |
| 以別色不雜於地應安 | “然後以泥泥地不雜餘色，以別色不雜於地應安”〔T32 412c28–29〕 | The punctuation and construction of 應安 do not yield a single certain meaning. It is marked unresolved; the source order is retained, and the vernacular gives only a minimal contextual construal |
3. Editorial Notes and Variant Readings
There are nine Taishō apparatus entries (<app>) within this passage. All are recorded without emendation, and the present text follows the Taishō reading:
| Anchor | Base reading | Variant | Witnesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 412c06 | 見 (見曼陀羅遍一切入) | 是 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c15 | 莽 (離於草莽) | 石 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c17 | 若 (若舊坐禪) | 答 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c23 | 掃 (掃於處所) | 擇 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c23 | 與 (使與地性) | 於 | 【明】 |
| 412c25 | 濟 (濟漉泥滓) | 擠 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 412c27 | 窟 (安置禪窟) | 座 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 413a01 | 搔 (或如搔牢大) | 鈔 / 䤬 | 鈔＝【宋】【元】【宮】; 䤬＝【明】 |
| 413a01 | 牢 | 鑼 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
Three matters are recorded without adjudication:
- At 412c17, the Taishō reads 若舊坐禪, while the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Gong editions read 答. With 答, the sentence begins a separate answer; with 若, it continues the preceding answer. The punctuation changes with the character; both are recorded without decision.
- At 413a01, both characters of 搔牢 have variants in the same line—鈔 / 䤬 and 鑼. The Song, Yuan, and Gong editions read 鈔鑼, the Ming edition 䤬鑼, so that the object differs from the Taishō's 搔牢. This is the only variant in the passage involving the identity of an object. The readings are recorded without adjudication, and the present text follows the Taishō.
- At 412c19, “問：云何作曼陀羅？答？” contains an additional question mark after 答 in the base punctuation. It is retained without alteration.
Two zero-hit checks against the edition: no missing-character glyph occurs in the passage, and no inline parenthetical note occurs.
4. The Treatise Author's Citation
There is one citation: “如佛說偈言”〔T32 412c02〕 introduces a three-line verse spoken by the Buddha〔T32 412c03–05〕 as evidence for the meaning of 周普. This is the treatise author's citation of the Buddha's words as canonical support, not merely ornament. The treatise gives no sūtra title, and this apparatus does not identify one on its behalf.
5. Simile and Rhetoric
- The comparison in the Buddha's verse〔T32 412c03–05〕: the joy of one recollecting the Buddha's virtues “fills and pervades the body,” compared with the observation of earth “filling Jambudīpa.” One is inward, the other outward; both move by suffusion. The final two lines, “此觀緣地生，心喜亦如是,” state the correspondence themselves. This is the passage's sole simile; its status as a citation is treated in section 4.
- Every comparison for measure uses an everyday object: distance is measured by “one fathom”〔T32 412c22〕 and size by a “rice sieve” and 搔牢〔T32 413a01〕. The maṇḍala instructions use things at hand, not astronomical measures, in keeping with their step-by-step practical register.
- Rhetoric: the answer unfolds through parallel clauses—the selection of a place, “或於寺舍，或在石室，或在樹下”〔T32 412c20–21〕, and forms, “或圓或方或三角四角”〔T32 413a01–02〕. Prohibitions use repeated 不: “不近不遠”〔T32 412c27〕, “不雜餘色”〔T32 412c28〕, and “不雜於地”〔T32 412c28–29〕. The alternation of 或 and 不 opens possibilities and closes boundaries; between them lies the procedure. The ending doubles “本師所說”〔T32 413a02〕 and “如是先師所說”〔T32 413a04〕, closing the instructions in the voice of transmission.
6. Intrachapter Cross-Reading
- Backward references: the enumeration of the thirty-eight subjects of practice〔T32 411a08–19〕 (the eleven kasiṇas and the ten recollections stand in it); and the opening questions of the Practice Chapter〔T32 412b22–412c01〕, from which the three questions answered here arise.
- Forward references: “問：云何修地法”〔T32 413a04–05〕 begins the answer to the final opening question. The treatments of the acquired sign, counterpart sign, and guarding the sign begin at 413c. “安為和合義，如到曼陀羅”〔T32 414b08〕 later uses arrival at the maṇḍala as a simile.
7. Transmission
This edition does not advance a position in the apparatus on questions concerning the author, translator, or textual transmission.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Meaning of Kasiṇa, Choosing Earth, and the Maṇḍala · Apparatus · Summer 2026