[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [請觀音經疏闡義鈔](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1801) › 4.17 # 請觀音經疏闡義鈔 4.17 請觀音經疏闡義鈔 4.17 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [4.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1801.4.17) 廣明經文，應分為二：初、從「云何」下，明方便；二、從「安庠」去，明修證。「禪法」，即次第禪門也。云云者，謂具五緣、訶五欲、棄五蓋、調五事、行五法，故有二十五種也。故《禪門》云「方便者，善巧修學之異名。行者於初緣中善巧修習，故名方便。」「事理兩解」者，如《止觀》約觀心釋方便即理解，《禪門》中但有事解。調五事者，謂調食令不飢不飽、調眠令不節不恣、調身令不寬不急、調息令不澁不滑、調心令不沈不浮。然此五事，食眠則定外各調，後三則定內合調。今經於五事中但示合調。三方便者，從要而說，行者必須備二十五法，具如《禪門》。「始於三事」等者，正明今經從要之意。《大集經》云「歌羅邏時即有三事：一命、二煖、三識。」出入息者名為壽命。不臭不爛名之為煖，即是業持，火大故地水等色不臭爛也。此中心意名之為識，即是剎那覺知心也。三法和合，從生至長無增無減。愚夫不了，於中妄計我人眾生，作諸業行心生染著，顛倒因緣往來三界名迷；若尋其原本，不出此之三法名解。「修此六字」者，即是欲修六妙門，故須用此為前方便也。「端身」者，即跏趺坐也。「是約戒」者，戒防身口，故約端身。定制亂心，故約「正心」。慧能念念分別，故約「相續」。 > The detailed explanation of the sūtra text should be divided into two: first, from "how" downward, it explains the preliminary expedients; second, from "composed and serene" onward, it explains the cultivation and realization. "Methods of dhyāna" refers to the sequential gates of dhyāna (Ci di chan men). Saying "and so forth" means possessing the five conditions, reproaching the five desires, abandoning the five hindrances, harmonizing the five matters, and practicing the five dharmas, thus making twenty-five kinds. Therefore, the Chan men states: "'Expedient' is another name for skillful study and practice. When a practitioner practices skillfully amid the initial conditions, it is called an expedient." Regarding "both phenomenal and principle explanations," just as the Zhiguan explains expedients in terms of contemplating the mind, which is the explanation in terms of principle, the Chan men contains only the phenomenal explanation. Harmonizing the five matters means: harmonizing food so that one is neither hungry nor satiated; harmonizing sleep so that it is neither curtailed nor indulged; harmonizing the body so that it is neither loose nor tense; harmonizing the breath so that it is neither rough nor slippery; and harmonizing the mind so that it is neither sunken nor agitated. However, among these five matters, food and sleep are each harmonized outside of absorption, while the latter three are harmonized together within absorption. The present sūtra only shows the harmonizing together among the five matters. The three expedients are spoken from the essentials; the practitioner must be equipped with the twenty-five dharmas, fully as in the Chan men. Regarding "beginning with the three matters," and so forth, it directly clarifies the intention of the present sūtra in following the essentials. The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra states: "At the time of the kalala, there are three matters: first, vitality; second, warmth; third, consciousness." The incoming and outgoing breath is called vitality. Not decaying and not rotting is called warmth, which is maintained by karma; because of the fire element, form such as earth and water does not decay or rot. The mind within this is called consciousness, which is the mind of awareness from moment to moment. When the three dharmas harmonize together, from birth to growth there is neither increase nor decrease. The foolish do not understand; among them, they falsely conceptualize a self, a person, and a sentient being, performing various karmic actions with minds generating defiled attachment, and due to inverted causes and conditions they transmigrate in the three realms—this is called delusion. If one traces back to their source, they do not go beyond these three dharmas—this is called understanding. Regarding "cultivating these six characters," this means desiring to cultivate the six subtle gates; hence one must use this as the preliminary expedient. "Uprighting the body" refers to the full lotus posture. Regarding "this pertains to precepts," precepts guard against bodily and verbal \[misconduct\], hence it is explained in terms of uprighting the body. Concentration regulates the scattered mind, hence it is explained in terms of "correcting the mind." Wisdom can discriminate moment to moment, hence it is explained in terms of "continuity." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 4.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1801.4.16) - [Next: 4.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1801.4.18) - [Up: 4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1801.4) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1801~en-mt.4.17) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1801.4.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1801.4.17) · Pramāṇa