釋禪波羅蜜次第法門 7.58

7.58

Furthermore, perceiving length within shortness, the absorption is subtle; knowing shortness within length, it is coarse. Why is this? For example, the breath is exhausted from the nose to the chest: although the path traveled is short, the time is long, taking a great while before reaching the navel. This means that the path traveled is short while the duration is long. If evaluated according to this, perceiving length within shortness means the absorption is subtle. As for perceiving shortness within length being coarse: because the mind is coarse, the breath goes from the nose to the navel, the route being extremely long, yet the duration is short, abruptly exiting out to the nose. Why is this? Because the mind is coarse, the breath moves swiftly. Although long, it is short; but this breath's being short is precisely because the mind is coarse. Therefore it is said that length within shortness is subtle, while shortness within length is coarse. In this way, perceiving the duration of long and short, one knows that impermanence arises from the mind, with arising and ceasing being unstable. Now, the characteristics of the length and shortness of the breath are multiple; upon attaining this absorption, the awakening to impermanence becomes even clearer. Realizing the desire-realm absorption is therefore called 'also [possessing] craving'; reflective contemplation awakening to impermanence is therefore called 'also [possessing] spurring.' This briefly explains the third, knowing whether the breath is long or short, which destroys the desire-realm absorption.