大乘起信論義記 3.457

3.457

問：如現佛菩薩像說甚深法，或是宿世善根所發。云何揀別定其邪正？答：此事實難。所以然者，若是魔所作謂是善相而心取著，則墮邪網。若實是善根所發之境謂為魔事，心疑捨離，則退失善根終無進趣，是故邪正實難取別。今且依古德相傳，略以三法驗之：一、以定研磨。二、依本修治。三、智慧觀察，如經言：「欲知真金，三法試之，謂燒打磨。」行人亦爾，難可別識。若欲別之，亦須三驗：一則、當與共事；共事不知，當與久處；久處不知，智慧觀察。今則借此意以驗邪正，謂如定中境相發時邪正難知者，當深入定心，於彼境中不取不捨，但平等定住，若是善根之所發者，定力逾深善根彌發；若是魔所為，不久自壞。第二、依本修治者，且如本修不淨觀禪，今則依本修不淨觀，若如是修境界增明者，則非偽也；若以本修治，漸漸壞滅者，當知是邪也。第三、智慧觀察者，觀所發相推驗根源，不見生處，深知空寂心不住著，邪當自滅，正當自現；如燒真金益其光色，若是偽金即當焦壞。此中真偽當知亦爾。定譬於磨，本治猶打，智慧觀察類之以燒，以此三驗邪正可得知也。

Question: "If manifestations of the forms of Buddhas and bodhisattvas preaching profound Dharma are perhaps aroused from roots of goodness in past lives, how does one discriminate to determine what is heterodox and what is orthodox?" Answer: "This matter is truly difficult. Why is this so? Because if it is produced by a demon and one takes it to be an auspicious sign, mentally grasping and clinging to it, one falls into the heterodox net. If it is genuinely a realm aroused by roots of goodness and one deems it a demonic activity, mentally doubting and abandoning it, one retreats from and loses one's roots of goodness, ultimately making no progress. Therefore, it is truly difficult to distinguish heterodox from orthodox. Now, provisionally relying on the transmission of ancient worthies, it is briefly tested with three methods: first, refining through samādhi; second, cultivating in accord with the original [practice]; third, observing with wisdom. As a sūtra says: 'If one wishes to know true gold, test it with three methods: burning, beating, and polishing.' Practitioners are also like this: they are difficult to distinguish. If one wishes to distinguish them, three tests are also needed: first, one should work together with them; if one does not know from working together, one should dwell together for a long time; if one does not know from dwelling together for a long time, observe with wisdom. Now this idea is borrowed to test the heterodox and orthodox: when phenomenal objects arise in samādhi and it is difficult to know whether they are heterodox or orthodox, one should delve deeply into the mind of samādhi, neither grasping nor rejecting within that realm, but merely remaining established in equalized absorption. If it is aroused by roots of goodness, the deeper the power of samādhi, the more the roots of goodness will manifest; if it is produced by a demon, it will soon disintegrate of itself. Second, 'cultivating in accord with the original [practice]': for example, if one originally cultivated the dhyāna of the contemplation of impurity, one now cultivates the contemplation of impurity in accord with the original. If, by cultivating thus, the realm becomes increasingly clear and bright, then it is not spurious; if, by cultivating in accord with the original, it gradually disintegrates and ceases, one should know it is heterodox. Third, 'observing with wisdom': observing the manifested marks, one examines and tests their root source and sees no place of arising; knowing deeply their emptiness and tranquility, the mind does not abide or cling. The heterodox will naturally cease, and the orthodox will naturally appear—just as burning true gold increases its radiant color, whereas spurious gold will immediately scorch and be destroyed. One should know that the true and spurious here are also like this. Samādhi is likened to polishing, the original practice to beating, and observation with wisdom is compared to burning. By means of these three tests, the heterodox and orthodox can be known."