摩訶止觀 9.26

9.26

Now, to explain the progressive portion vertically: from the preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), one gradually feels body and mind becoming empty and quiescent, neither seeing the physical body within nor external objects without. This may last for a day, or even months or years, with the concentrated mind remaining unbroken. Within this concentration, one then feels body and mind stir subtly and move continuously, or one gives rise to motion, itching, lightness, heaviness, coldness, warmth, roughness, and smoothness. Some say: 'Through the subtleness of mental application, the pure matter of the form realm touches the body of the desire realm.' This is analogous to how the pure matter of the desire realm situated upon the sense faculties possesses the functions of seeing and hearing. According to this meaning, the touches come from without. If one says that 'all sentient beings inherently possess the tasting dhyāna of the first stage,' it is like a blind son in a wealthy family, or fire contained within bamboo: the afflictions in the mind do not arise together [with it], and dhyāna is also like this. Obstructed and coarsened by factual obstacles, it is unable to manifest. Now, through cultivation, the mind gradually sharpens; when natural obstacles have been eliminated, the subtle phenomena still arise, so why must they come from without? Why is this? Counting breaths can transform the mind; the mind transforms fire, fire transforms wind, wind transforms water, and water transforms earth. Because the four great elements become subtler, the eight touches occur. It is like wheat turning into yeast, yeast turning into distillers' grains, and grains turning into wine. The grains are a metaphor for the desire concentration, and the wine is a metaphor for the first dhyāna; having wheat as their basis, it does not come from without. If one definitely grasps at arising from oneself or coming from without, one falls into the error of self-nature (svabhāva) and other-nature (parabhāva). Now, relying on the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, after refuting the four natures, we merely discuss arising from within or coming from without. Furthermore, the eight touches are the four great elements: motion and lightness are wind; itching and warmth are fire; coldness and smoothness are water; heaviness and roughness are earth. When substance and function are added together, there are simply these eight touches.