釋禪波羅蜜次第法門 1.93

1.93

First, the dharma of breath is not fixed solely as a gate of mundane dhyāna. How is this known? As in the Vinaya, the Buddha taught his śrāvaka disciples the practice of the sixteen aspects, such as observing the breath, and the disciples cultivated them according to his teaching and all attained the noble path; hence we know that it is also a supramundane dhyāna gate. As for it being a Mahāyāna gate: the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra states, "Ānāpāna is the Mahāyāna of the bodhisattva." Furthermore, the Sūtra on Invoking Avalokiteśvara explains the six-character verse based on counting the breath to elucidate the three vehicles attaining the path. How could this merely be a gate of mundane dhyāna?