請觀音經疏闡義鈔 3.21

3.21

From "being able as such" onward, it explains realizing the count. What is realized by the lower and middling faculties is the desire-realm concentration. The Chanmen says: "Desire-realm concentration has three types: first, coarse abiding; second, subtle abiding; third, realization of desire-realm concentration. As for coarse abiding: due to the prior cultivation and practice of the various upāyas of the breath-path, the mind gradually becomes empty and congealed, not giving rise to discursive thoughts; this is called coarse abiding. As for subtle abiding: thereafter, the mind dims and turns increasingly subtle; this is subtle abiding. When attaining or about to attain these coarse and subtle abidings, there will inevitably arise a dharmic support for the body. When this dharma arises, body and mind are spontaneously upright, and sitting brings no fatigue or aversion, as if an object were supporting them. Going so far as to remain for the duration of a single sitting without the thought of scattering, this is called desire-realm concentration." As with people of lower faculties nowadays, when the mind is settled and distractions cease, that is coarse abiding. As for "the concentration of the threshold stage": the Chanmen says, "After this desire-realm concentration, body and mind become serenely empty and spacious, and one loses the body of the desire realm. While sitting, one does not see head, hands, bed, or mat, just like empty space. This is the concentration of the threshold stage." The so-called threshold stage is because this stage gives birth to the first dhyāna. In "delighting in giving rise to" and so forth, xi is in the falling tone, meaning to be fond of. Because the practice of this sūtra is the six subtle gates, the Chanmen says: "There are naturally sentient beings who have much wisdom and little samādhi, for whom the six subtle gates are taught." Because there is much wisdom in the six subtle gates, within the desire realm and the first dhyāna one can give rise to the outflow-free, without necessarily passing through all the dhyānas of the higher stages. "All dhyānas" refers to dhyānas with outflows, without outflows, both with and without outflows, and neither with nor without outflows.