法界次第初門 1.272

1.272

As for expounding the six marvelous gates after the four formless attainments: although the meditative absorptions previously explained are profound and far-reaching, they are all ancient worldly practices. From beginning to end, reviling the lower and striving for the higher, across plane after plane, none possesses contemplative discernment to illuminate the supramundane skillful means; therefore, when ordinary persons and non-Buddhists cultivate and attain these twelve gates of dhyāna, they cannot bring forth genuine realization of the path, which is why saṃsāra does not cease—the reason lies here. As for the present six practices, the first three are meditative absorption, and the latter three are discernment. Meditative absorption calms and discernment examines, capable of bringing forth genuine illumination and escaping saṃsāra—how could they be the same as the former? That these six are collectively called 'marvelous gates' is because nirvāṇa is the marvelous gate; it means that being able to pass through the six practices sequentially connects one to and enables one to arrive at the truly marvelous nirvāṇa; hence they are called marvelous gates. What our lineage elucidates has ten kinds of six marvelous gates; here we only briefly present the single section on their sequential arising. As for taking the six gates as the next sequence: since these six gates are meditative absorptions that are both outflow-bound and untainted, among the other meditative absorptions that are both outflow-bound and untainted they are shallow and limited; therefore they are placed next.