釋禪波羅蜜次第法門 6.153

6.153

第一、明證相者，行者既一心專精，加功不已，其心任運，住在緣中，於後忽然真實定發，不見有無相貌，泯然寂絕，心無動搖，恬然清淨，如涅槃相。是定微妙，三界無過，外道證之，謂是中道、實相、涅槃、常、樂、我、淨，愛著是法，更不修習。彼若正觀，如步屈蟲行至樹表，更不復進，到退迴還。如經中說：「凡夫證此定法，如繩繫鳥，繩盡則還。」已其不知四陰和合而有自性。然其雖無麁煩惱，而亦成就十種細煩惱，以不知故，謂是真實，外道入此定中，不見有無，而覺有能知非有非無之心，即計此心謂是真神不滅，故言神至細，不破神能知。若佛弟子，知是四陰和合而有，虛誑不實，是中心想，故知無別神知。

First, explaining the signs of realization: when the practitioner, having unified the mind with focus and diligence, continues to apply effort without cease, their mind functions naturally and abides in the cognitive object. Later, the true absorption suddenly arises: one does not see the characteristics of existence or non-existence, obliterated and serenely extinguished, the mind unmoving, tranquil and pure, like the characteristics of nirvāṇa. This absorption is subtle and marvelous, unsurpassed in the three realms. Non-Buddhists who realize it consider it to be the Middle Way, true reality, nirvāṇa, permanence, bliss, self, and purity, becoming attached to this dharma and cultivating no further. If they contemplate correctly, they are like an inchworm that crawls to the edge of a tree and can advance no further, turning back and regressing upon reaching it. As a sūtra says: 'An ordinary person who realizes this dharma of absorption is like a bird tied with a cord: when the cord reaches its end, it returns.' This is because they do not know that it exists through the combination of the four aggregates and [lacks] inherent nature. However, although they are without coarse defilements, they nevertheless accomplish ten kinds of subtle defilements; because they do not know this, they deem it to be real. When non-Buddhists enter this absorption, they do not see existence or non-existence, but perceive a mind capable of knowing neither-existence-nor-non-existence; they then grasp this mind, considering it to be the true, imperishable spirit, and therefore say the spirit is extremely subtle, not refuting that the spirit is capable of knowing. A disciple of the Buddha, however, knows that this exists through the combination of the four aggregates, deceptive and untrue, being a mental perception therein, and thus knows that there is no separate knowing spirit.