摩訶止觀 9.39

9.39

雖爾，猶是色法。呵三種色，滅三種色；緣空得定，不復見色，心得脫色，如鳥出籠，是名「空定」。此定謝已，亦入未到。緣識生定，名為「識處」。此定謝已，緣無所有，入無所有法相應，名「不用處」，舊云「緣少許識」。若爾，即是所有處，亦是用處，何謂「不用」、「無所有」耶？此定過已，忽發非想非非想。此定不緣識處，故非想；不緣不用處，故非非想。更無上法可攀，三界頂禪。世為極妙，外道計為涅槃，實是闇證。具足苦集，垂盡三有，還墮三途。委悉明根本禪，往《修證》中尋之。

Even though this is so, it is still the realm of form. Reproaching the three kinds of form and extinguishing the three kinds of form, one attains concentration by taking space as the object and no longer sees form. The mind attains deliverance from form, like a bird escaping from a cage; this is called the 'concentration of boundless space.' When this concentration has subsided, one likewise enters the preparatory stage. Giving rise to concentration by taking consciousness as the object is called the 'sphere of boundless consciousness.' When this concentration has subsided, taking nothingness as the object and entering into correspondence with the phenomenon of nothingness is called the 'sphere of nothingness' (formerly rendered as 'taking a minute amount of consciousness as the object.' If that were so, it would be a sphere of somethingness and a sphere of utilization; why would it be called 'non-utilization' or 'nothingness'?). When this concentration has passed, the stage of neither-perception-nor-non-perception suddenly manifests. Because this concentration does not take the sphere of consciousness as its object, it is 'neither-perception'; because it does not take the sphere of nothingness as its object, it is 'nor-non-perception.' There is no higher state to be attained; it is the peak dhyāna of the three realms. Mundanely it is considered supremely wondrous, and tīrthikas grasp it as nirvāṇa, but in truth it is a dark realization. Possessing suffering and origination in full, dangling on the verge of the three realms of existence, one falls back into the three bad destinies. For a detailed explanation of fundamental dhyāna, look for it in the Xiuzheng.