釋摩訶衍論 9.4

9.4

The root [text] says: 'There may be sentient beings who lack the power of good roots and are thus deluded and confused by various māras, non-Buddhists, and ghosts and spirits. In the midst of sitting [in meditation], they may manifest terrifying forms, or manifest the appearances of handsome men and beautiful women. One should be mindful that it is mind-only; the sense-objects will then disappear, and they will never cause afflictions. Or they may manifest images of devas or images of bodhisattvas, or even make the image of a Tathāgata fully endowed with marks and signs; or they may speak dhāraṇīs; or they may speak of giving, morality, patience, diligence, dhyāna-concentration, and wisdom; or they may speak of equal emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, no enmity and no affection, no cause and no fruit, [saying that] ultimate emptiness and tranquility is true nirvāṇa. Or they may cause a person to know past events of past lives, or also know future events, obtain knowledge of others' minds, and have unimpeded eloquence, yet cause sentient beings to greedily cling to worldly matters of fame and profit. Furthermore, they may cause a person to frequently become angry and frequently become joyous, with no constant standard in their nature; or to have much affectionate love, much sleepiness, or much illness, with their minds becoming indolent; or to suddenly arouse diligence, only to abandon it later and produce lack of faith, with much doubt and much anxious deliberation. Or they may abandon their original superior practice to cultivate miscellaneous karma anew, or become attached to worldly affairs and various entanglements. They can also cause a person to obtain various samādhis, which have a slight degree of resemblance [to genuine ones], but these are all what is attained by non-Buddhists, not true samādhi. Or furthermore, they may cause a person to remain in meditative concentration for one day, two days, three days, or up to seven days, naturally obtaining fragrant and delicious food and drink, with body and mind relaxed and pleased, free from hunger and thirst, causing the person to become attached. Or they may also cause a person's eating to have no measure, suddenly copious and suddenly scarce, with their complexion changing. For this reason, the practitioner should always observe with wisdom and not let this mind fall into the net of heterodoxy. One should diligently maintain right mindfulness, neither grasping nor clinging, and then one will be able to leave these karmic obstructions far behind. One should know that all samādhis possessed by non-Buddhists do not depart from views, craving, and egotistical pride, because of greedy attachment to worldly fame, profit, and veneration. As for the tathatā-samādhi, it does not abide in the characteristics of views, nor does it abide in the characteristics of attainment; even upon emerging from concentration, there is no laxity or pride, and all afflictions gradually become tenuous. If ordinary persons do not cultivate this method of samādhi, for them to be able to enter the lineage of the Tathāgatas is impossible. Because when one cultivates worldly dhyāna-samādhis, one mostly produces attachment to their taste, relies on the view of self, is bound to the three realms, and is shared with non-Buddhists. If one is separated from the protection of good spiritual friends, one will give rise to non-Buddhist views.'