法界次第初門 1.275

1.275

Third is the gate of stopping. Quieting the mind and stilling reflection is called 'stopping'. Although the practitioner's mind is tranquil, clear, and pure due to following the breath, meditative absorption has not yet arisen. If the mind relies on following, there is still the subtle disturbance of generating conceptualizations. For limpidity and peaceful ease, nothing surpasses stopping; therefore, one abandons following to cultivate stopping, and herein one mostly utilizes the stopping of concentrated mind. When the mind is concentrated and reflections are stilled, so that the mind has no stirring or agitation, the various meditative absorptions will naturally open and unfold; therefore, stopping is taken as a gate.