釋禪波羅蜜次第法門 7.31

7.31

第一、釋名者，所言十六特勝者：一、知息入；二、知息出；三、知息長短；四、知息遍身；五、除諸身行；六、受喜；七、受樂；八、受諸心行；九、心作喜；十、心作攝；十一、心作解脫；十二、觀無常；十三、觀出散；十四、觀欲；十五、觀滅；十六、觀棄捨。所以通名十六特勝者，十六即是數法。

First, explaining the name. As for the term "sixteen sublime practices": (1) knowing the breath entering; (2) knowing the breath leaving; (3) knowing whether the breath is long or short; (4) knowing the breath pervading the body; (5) eliminating bodily activities; (6) experiencing joy; (7) experiencing bliss; (8) experiencing mental activities; (9) gladdening the mind; (10) collecting the mind; (11) liberating the mind; (12) contemplating impermanence; (13) contemplating dispersion; (14) contemplating [freedom from] desire; (15) contemplating cessation; (16) contemplating relinquishment. As for why they are generally called the "sixteen sublime practices," "sixteen" is a numerical designation.