釋摩訶般若波羅蜜經覺意三昧 1.26

1.26

Furthermore, in cultivating correct contemplation there are two types: first, general contemplation; second, successive particular contemplation. First, as for what is called general contemplation: if the practitioner has not yet obtained the power of great skillful means and cannot contemplate true reality in all places, then they should first illuminate and understand the citta and manas while sitting. This is called the general contemplation of citta and manas. Second, as for the reason it is called particular contemplation: if the practitioner possesses skillful means and can always apply the mind in all places, this is successive particular contemplation of citta and manas. Furthermore, if a practitioner wishes to enter samādhi, they must first contemplate citta and manas while sitting, and thereafter they should also contemplate citta and manas in all places. Why is that? Among the four postures, only when sitting are body and mind tranquil, neither sinking nor floating. Because it does not arise from extraneous conditions, the mind investigates carefully, and the matter possesses the method of contemplation. Therefore a sūtra says: 'Sitting upright and contemplating true reality: this is called the foremost repentance.' For this reason, the practitioner should first cultivate samādhi in a quiet room and secluded chamber. How does one cultivate it? The practitioner should properly attune matters such as body and mind. These matters are as explained in the treatises on meditation (dhyāna), and should be broadly elucidated here. Once the practitioner is able to properly attune them, they should at that time, while sitting with correct mindfulness, contemplate that the meanings of the four movements—of citta, manas, and vijñāna, and so forth—are entirely unobtainable. The breaking down and analysis through contemplative practice are entirely as explained above. This time is called cultivating samādhi in seated meditation.

When the practitioner thus knows that citta, manas, and vijñāna are neither seen nor obtained, they should furthermore closely contemplate the outer and inner minds in each and every action undertaken. The outer mind is called the agent; the inner mind is called the recipient. The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra speaks of 'agent' and 'recipient'. When the practitioner contemplates the agent, there are altogether six matters; when contemplating the recipient, there are also six kinds; contemplating both inner and outer comprises twelve kinds. These are the spheres of samādhi capable of generating samādhi, and the practitioner should contemplate them wherever they arise. The six outer activities are: first, walking; second, standing; third, sitting; fourth, lying down; fifth, performing tasks; sixth, speaking. The six inner receipts are: first, the eye receiving forms; second, the ear receiving sounds; third, the nose receiving scents; fourth, the tongue receiving flavors; fifth, the body receiving tangibles; sixth, the manas conditioning dharmas. These are the twelve spheres of contemplation, the gateways to samādhi.

First, when walking, one should contemplate the mental characteristics of prior to walking, intending to walk, walking, and having walked within walking, completely penetrating that they are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity as explained before. Further, one reflects: 'Such movement and action exist as going and coming because they are driven and employed by the mind.' Reflectively contemplating the walking mind, one does not see its dwelling place, and it is devoid of all characteristics of arising and ceasing. One should know that the walker is ultimately empty and tranquil.

Second, when standing, one should closely contemplate that the mental characteristics of prior to standing, intending to stand, standing, and having stood are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity fully as explained before. Further, one reflects: 'Such a standing person erects the body and stands firm because they are controlled by the mind; hence it is called standing.' Reflectively contemplating the standing mind, one does not see its location, still less all characteristics of arising and ceasing. One should know that the stander is ultimately empty and tranquil.

Third, when sitting, one should closely contemplate that the mental characteristics of prior to sitting, intending to sit, sitting, and having sat are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity also as explained before. Further, one reflects: 'Such a sitting person bends the legs and settles the body because they are turned by the mind; hence it is called sitting.' Reflectively contemplating the sitting mind, one sees neither arising nor ceasing, nor is it inner or outer. One should know that the sitter is ultimately empty and tranquil.

Fourth, when sleeping and resting, one should closely contemplate that the mental characteristics of prior to sleeping, intending to sleep, sleeping, and having slept are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity also as explained above. Further, one reflects: 'Such a sleeper gives way to fatigue of the mind and immediately lets go, abandoning the six limbs to lie down; hence it is called sleeping.' Reflectively contemplating the sleeping mind, one does not see its characteristics. One should know that the sleeper is ultimately empty and tranquil.

Fifth, when performing tasks, one should closely contemplate that the mental characteristics of prior to doing, intending to do, doing, and having done are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity also as explained above. Further, one reflects: 'Now moving the body and hands to perform various tasks, lifting the hands and lowering the hands, various affairs are accomplished because they are turned by the mind; hence it is called doing.' Reflectively contemplating the doing mind, one does not see movement or turning. One should know that the doer is ultimately empty and tranquil.

Sixth, when the practitioner is speaking, reciting, and chanting, they should closely contemplate that the mental characteristics of prior to speaking, intending to speak, speaking, and having spoken are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity also as explained above. Further, one reflects: 'Such sounds expressing speech arise because the citta's vitarka and vicāra stir the breath to strike against the six locations—throat, lips, tongue, teeth, palate, and so forth; hence there is this speaking.' Reflectively contemplating the speaking mind, one does not see its traces, and the sound abides in emptiness. One should know that the speaker is ultimately empty and tranquil.

These are the practitioner's contemplation of the six kinds of activities of the outer mind, knowing that all are empty and tranquil, not seeing the agent as possessing any fixed, true reality. Therefore, bodhisattvas cultivate samādhi in all activities. Thus in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the Buddha addressed Subhūti: 'If a bodhisattva-mahāsattva, when walking, knows walking, up to when sitting, knows sitting, when lying down, speaking, or wearing the saṃghāṭī robe, having known all these, they are unobtainable; therefore this is the Mahāyāna of the bodhisattva.'

Furthermore, when the practitioner contemplates the six kinds of receipt of the inner mind, they know there is no recipient. Why is that? Although the various receipts are empty, if one does not contemplate them, they can serve as causes and conditions for immeasurable afflictions and saṃsāra. Therefore, the practitioner should contemplate each of them as the sense faculties receive the sense objects. How does one contemplate? First, when the practitioner's eye sees form, they should closely contemplate that the characteristics of the four movements—prior to seeing form, intending to see form, seeing form, and having seen form—are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity, extensively explained as above. Further, one reflects: 'Such seeing has no characteristic of seeing. Why is that? Within those faculties, objects, space, and light, each lacks seeing and lacks discrimination; when causes and conditions harmonize, eye-consciousness is born; with eye-consciousness as cause and condition, mind-consciousness (manovijñāna) is born. When mind-consciousness arises, it can discriminate various forms; also, dependent on mind-consciousness there is eye-consciousness, and by eye-consciousness as cause and condition one can see forms and produce craving and attachment.' Therefore, one should immediately reflectively contemplate the mind that is mindful of form. When contemplating in this way, one does not see this mind coming in from the outside to produce receipt, nor does one see the mind emerging from the inside to produce discrimination. Why is that? What comes from outside has nothing to do with oneself; if it exists of itself, it does not depend on causes and conditions. One should know that the recipient is ultimately empty and tranquil. Therefore Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti said: 'The form that is seen is equal to blindness.'

Second, when the practitioner's ear hears sound, they should closely contemplate that the characteristics of the four movements—prior to hearing sound, intending to hear sound, hearing sound, and having heard sound—are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity, extensively explained as above. Further, one reflects: 'Such hearing of sound has no intrinsic nature, but arises only from the harmony of faculty and object. Because of the conceptual discrimination of mind-consciousness, one produces afflictions and unwholesome karma toward what is heard.' One should immediately reflectively contemplate the consciousness conditioning sound, not seeing its substantial nature. One should know that the hearer is ultimately empty and tranquil. Therefore Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti said: 'The sound that is heard is equal to an echo.'

Third, when the practitioner's nose smells scent, they should closely contemplate that the mind of the four movements—prior to smelling scent, intending to smell scent, smelling scent, and having smelled scent—is all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity, extensively explained as above. Further, one reflects: 'Such scent is a non-conscious dharma; whatever nose-faculty there is was also originally non-conscious. In harmony they generate consciousness, and by nominal designation it is said to know. The false mind-consciousness obtains what is received and generates discrimination, giving rise to all afflictions and karmic activities of saṃsāra.' One should immediately reflectively contemplate mind-consciousness, not seeing its root source and characteristics. One should know that the receiver is ultimately empty and tranquil. Therefore Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti said: 'The scent that is smelled is equal to the wind.'

Fourth, when the practitioner's tongue receives flavor, they should closely contemplate that the characteristics of the four movements—prior to receiving flavor, intending to receive flavor, receiving flavor, and having received flavor—are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity, extensively explained as above. Further, one reflects: 'Such receiving of flavor truly has no intrinsic nature. Why is that? Externally, the six flavors have no discrimination; internally, the tongue-faculty is fundamentally non-conscious; tongue-consciousness arises only from harmonized causes and conditions, and this consciousness is also not fixed internally, externally, or between the two. Within this, the citta and manas forcefully grasp the characteristics of flavor and generate attached discrimination; hence all latent afflictions arise.' At that time, one should immediately reflectively contemplate the citta, manas, and vijñāna attached to flavor, not seeing their dwelling place, let alone all characteristics of arising and ceasing. One should know that the discriminator of flavor is ultimately pure. Therefore Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti said: 'The flavor that is eaten is not discriminated.'

Fifth, when the practitioner's body senses tangibles, they should closely contemplate that the characteristics of the four movements—prior to sensing tangibles, intending to sense tangibles, sensing tangibles, and having sensed tangibles—are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity, extensively explained as above. Further, one reflects: 'Such sensing does not arise from within, nor does it come from without. Why is that? Cold, warmth, softness, smoothness, and so forth do not come from outside; apart from cold, warmth, and so forth, there is no separate dharma that comes. The six parts such as body and head are not dharmas of arising; apart from the six parts of the body, neither is there a dharma of arising. When the two harmonize and body-consciousness arises, it is called sensing; yet the nature of this consciousness is neither inside nor outside, possessing nothing to rely upon. It is only that the citta and manas forcefully make discriminations, asserting the realization of various tangibles and producing notions of suffering and pleasure; hence there are all afflictions of craving and anger.' At that time, one should immediately reflectively contemplate the consciousness conditioning tangibles, not seeing its dwelling place, let alone all characteristics of arising and ceasing. One should know that the senser of tangibles is ultimately empty and tranquil. Therefore Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti said: 'Receiving tangibles is like the realization of wisdom.'

Sixth, when the practitioner's manas conditions dharmas, they should closely contemplate that the mental characteristics of the four movements—prior to thinking of dharmas, intending to think of dharmas, thinking of dharmas, and having thought of dharmas—are all unobtainable, dual-illuminating with clarity, extensively explained as above. Further, one reflects: 'Such mind-consciousness grasping dharmas is entirely deceptive and false, lacking any real actuality. Why is that? Dharmas are like illusions, their nature devoid of reality; the mind is like a mirage, without a moment's pause. Dharmas lack fixed nature and cannot be conditioned; the mind has no dwelling place—who is the conditioner? Apart from the conditioner and the conditioned, there is no other conditioning. One should know that it is merely through false recollection that one forcefully discriminates that these are dharmas, generating views, with all afflictions and karmic activities of saṃsāra continuing uninterrupted.' Therefore, in order to shatter false, inverted notions and when following conditioned spheres, the practitioner should immediately reflectively contemplate, reflectively contemplating the root source of citta, manas, and vijñāna. When closely contemplating the mind, one does not see its dwelling or cessation, nor all dharmic characteristics of arising and ceasing. If the mind lacks a dwelling place and the various characteristics of arising and ceasing, one should know that this mind is unobtainable. Mind is not even obtainable, how much less the caittas! If there are no caittas, upon what can all dharmas ultimately depend? Therefore a sūtra says: 'My mind is intrinsically empty; sin and merit have no master. All dharmas are also like this: without dwelling and without destruction.' When the practitioner contemplates citta and manas in this way, they do not obtain any dharma, and should know that the conditioned dharmas are ultimately empty and tranquil. Therefore Vimalakīrti said: 'Know all dharmas as illusory characteristics, lacking self-nature and other-nature; fundamentally they are not thus, and now they have no cessation.' What do such words mean? The earlier refutation of prior to thinking and intending to think corresponds with correct contemplation, and should be explained distinctively in each of the twelve matters.

When the practitioner contemplates in this way, they should also recognize three kinds of mind: first, contemplating the scattered mind; second, contemplating the concentrated mind; third, contemplating the contemplating mind. What is called contemplating the scattered mind? In the various matters explained above, when the practitioner is a beginner and has not understood dharmas, scatteredness arises in all these spheres. Closely contemplating with single-mindedness, one does not see characteristics of mind; then there is no scatteredness. The mind is peaceful; in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, body and mind are calm and quiet, tranquil and unmoved: this is the concentrated mind. If one does not contemplate this concentrated mind, much attachment will arise. As Bodhisattva Vimalakīrti said: 'Greedy attachment to the flavor of meditation is the bondage of a bodhisattva.' Therefore, one should contemplate the concentrated mind as unobtainable. There is not even any mind—where does concentration reside? One should know that this concentration arises from inversion. When contemplating in this way, one sees neither concentration nor non-concentration, does not produce greedy attachment, and is liberated from the bondage of concentration. Therefore the Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: 'Arising through skillful means is the bodhisattva's liberation.' This is called contemplating the concentrated mind through contemplating characteristics.

Having contemplated the concentrated mind, if the practitioner has not yet awakened to the principle, they may calculate: 'I can contemplate the mind, and therefore I see no characteristics of concentration or scatteredness. One should know that such wondrous wisdom is most supreme.' Attached to this contemplative wisdom, they immediately become arrogant, thinking: 'Others cannot understand.' When having such a thought, this is called the obstacle of knowledge (jñeyāvaraṇa), identical to that of non-Buddhists. Therefore the Treatise explains: 'These non-Buddhists fondly cling to the wisdom that contemplates emptiness and do not attain liberation.' The practitioner, knowing that calculating an observer is a great obstacle and does not accord with nirvāṇa, should immediately reflectively contemplate the mind that can contemplate, seeing no dwelling place, nor any arising and ceasing. One should know that ultimately there is neither an observer nor a non-observer. Since there is no observer, who contemplates dharmas? Not obtaining the contemplating mind, one is free from thoughts of contemplation. Therefore the Treatise says: 'When notions, thoughts, and contemplation are removed, / The mind of conceptual proliferation is extinguished. / Immeasurable sins are eliminated, / And the pure mind is always unified. / Such an exalted and wondrous person / Is able to see prajñā.' This is called contemplating the nature of the mind. Therefore the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra also says: 'Contemplating the mind's mind.'

These three contemplations are the three samādhis. Why is that? In the first contemplation, one can destroy all various existent characteristics, seeing neither inner nor outer: this is the emptiness samādhi. In the second contemplation, one can destroy the characteristics of emptiness: this is called the signless samādhi. In the third contemplation, one does not see an agent: this is called the wishless samādhi. When a bodhisattva practices these samādhis, they can destroy the three inversions, the three poisons' characteristics of citta, manas, and vijñāna, and the streams of the three existences, and can also subdue the four kinds of māra adversaries. Why is that? Afflictions are all scattered confusions. Contemplating emptiness in this way, one can understand afflictions. Their nature has no movement or change: this is bodhi. Therefore the Sarvadharmāpravṛtti Sūtra says: 'Greed is itself the Path; / Anger and delusion are also like this. / Within these three dharmas, / All Buddha-dharmas are complete.' If afflictions are bodhi, how could bodhi further afflict bodhi? If one knows that the characteristics of afflictions are empty, that is bodhi, crossing beyond the affliction māra. The other three māras are also like this. As to why this is so: as the Viśeṣacintā Sūtra says: 'Ignorant of the aggregates, realms, and bases, / Yet wishing to seek bodhi— / Aggregates, realms, and bases are themselves it; / Apart from these, there is no bodhi.' One should know that contemplating emptiness crosses beyond the skandha-māra. As the Viśeṣacintā Sūtra also says: 'Saṃsāra is nirvāṇa, / Because there is no falling away or arising.' One should know that contemplating emptiness crosses beyond the death māra (mṛtyu-māra). The Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: 'The suchness of the māra realm is the suchness of the Buddha realm; the suchness of the māra realm and the suchness of the Buddha realm are one suchness without duality.' Thus, without leaving the māra realm, one attains the Buddha realm. One should know that contemplating emptiness crosses beyond the devaputra-māra of Paranirmitavaśavartin. When a bodhisattva practices the correct contemplation of the three emptinesses, they immediately no longer fear the four māras, nor do they obtain the four māras, and are able to cross beyond the four māras. Therefore the Treatise says: 'Except for the true reality of dharmas, all else is called māra's deeds; if one can properly cultivate true reality, there are no māra's deeds.' Therefore, when the practitioner properly contemplates this meaning and cultivates samādhi, there will never be māra's deeds. If one departs from this contemplation to discriminate and conceptualize, one will definitely fall into māra's net. Therefore the Treatise says: 'If one discriminates and conceptualizes, / That is Māra's net; / Unmoving and without discrimination, / This is called the Dharma seal.' Furthermore, when the practitioner can properly cultivate the above three contemplations, shattering all dharmas with a mind free of attachment, although they know the empty characteristics of sentient beings, they constantly remember great compassion, do not abandon all sentient beings, train in the pāramitās, give rise to the ten powers, contemplate the various Dharma-gates of the Dharma realm, and nurture all wholesome merits.