釋禪波羅蜜次第法門 10.30

10.30

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.