六妙法門 1.23

1.23

What is meant by shallow absorption not advancing, and cultivating the six gates to make it advance? If a practitioner first obtains the dharma of body-holding and the dharmas of coarse and fine abiding, and spends months and days without increasing and advancing, at that time one should cultivate counting with a subtle mind; if counting does not bring advancement, one should further cultivate following; if following does not bring advancement, one should condense the mind finely and cultivate cessation; if cessation does not bring advancement, in absorption one should contemplate the dharmas of aggregates, sense bases, and elements; if contemplation does not bring advancement, one should turn back to examine anew the source of the mind; if turning back does not bring advancement, one should quietly experience purity. When using these six methods, if one happens to advance by means of a single method, one should skillfully cultivate it at once.