釋禪波羅蜜次第法門 10.30

10.30

四、虛空背捨者，行者於欲界後，已除自身皮肉不淨之色；初背捨後，已滅內身白骨之色；二背捨後，已却外一切不淨之色，唯有八種淨色至第四禪。此八種色皆依心住，譬如幻色，依幻心住，若心捨色，色即謝滅。一心緣空，與空相應，即入無邊虛空處，此明滅色方便異於前也。證虛空處定，義如前說。行者欲入虛空背捨，當先入空定。空定即是背捨之初門，背捨色緣無色故。凡夫人入此定，名為無色；佛弟子入此定，深心一向不迴，是名背捨。云何名深心？善修奢摩他故。云何名一向不迴？於此定中，善修毘婆舍那、空、無相、無作、無願故，能捨根本著心，即不退沒，輪轉生死，故名一向不迴。

Fourth is the liberation of space: after the desire realm, the practitioner has already eliminated the impure forms of the skin and flesh of their own body; after the first liberation, they have eliminated the form of the white bones of the internal body; and after the second liberation, they have removed all external impure forms, leaving only the eight kinds of pure form up to the fourth dhyāna. These eight kinds of form all abide based on the mind, just as illusory forms abide based on an illusory mind: if the mind abandons form, form immediately perishes. Single-mindedly focusing on space and harmonizing with space, one enters the sphere of boundless space; this clarifies how the expedient means for eliminating form differs from before. The realization of the absorption of the sphere of space has the meaning explained earlier. When the practitioner wishes to enter the liberation of space, they must first enter the absorption of space. The absorption of space is the initial gateway to liberation, because one turns away from and abandons form by taking formlessness as object. When ordinary persons enter this absorption, it is called 'formless'; when disciples of the Buddha enter this absorption, their deep mind is resolutely irreversible—this is called 'liberation.' What is called the deep mind? Because they skillfully cultivate śamatha. What is called resolutely irreversible? Because within this absorption they skillfully cultivate vipaśyanā, emptiness, signlessness, unconditionedness, and wishlessness, they are able to abandon the fundamental clinging mind, thus not falling back into transmigration in saṃsāra; hence it is called resolutely irreversible.