大乘起信論裂網疏 6.64

6.64

問：修三昧人得見佛菩薩形，安知不是善根開發，感應道交，乃概名之為魔事耶？答：《圓覺經》云「非彼所聞一切境界，終不可取。」良以行人修三昧時，所見境界若與三昧相應，乃名善相，只此善相仍不可作聖解。苟不與三昧相應，定屬魔事。今修根本真如三昧，既非念佛禮懺求感應時，更不可作感應道交妄解，坐受其惑也。

Question: When a person cultivating samādhi gets to see the forms of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, how can one know that this is not the opening of roots of goodness and mutual resonance and interaction along the Path, so that you lump them all together under the name of demonic events? Answer: The *Yuanjue jing* (Sūtra of Complete Enlightenment) states: 'Any realm that is not what that [teaching] hears should never be seized upon.' Truly, when a practitioner cultivates samādhi, if the realm seen accords with the samādhi, only then is it called an auspicious mark; yet even this auspicious mark still must not be taken as an understanding of holiness. If it does not accord with the samādhi, it definitely belongs to demonic events. Now, cultivating the fundamental tathatā samādhi is neither the time of reciting the Buddha's name nor of bowing in repentance to seek response; still less should one falsely interpret it as mutual resonance and interaction along the Path, thereby sitting by and being deluded by it.