法華三昧懺儀 1.121

1.121

云何當知上根行者得證之相？所謂慧根清淨故。就中亦有三品：下品慧根淨相者，若於三七日中若三七日滿，若於行坐之中入諸禪定，忽覺身心如雲如影夢幻不實，因是覺心內發，智慧分明了達諸法，方便巧說無有障閡，通達十二部經隨義解釋難問無滯，說法無盡，是名下品慧根淨相也。中品慧根淨相者，所謂行者於行坐誦念之中，身心寂然猶如虛空，入諸寂定，於正慧中面見普賢菩薩乘六牙白象，與無量菩薩眾而自圍遶，以一切眾生所喜見身現其人前，是人以見普賢菩薩故，即得三昧及陀羅尼，其名曰旋陀羅尼，百千萬億旋陀羅尼，法音方便陀羅尼。陀羅尼者，即是大智慧也。得是大智慧故，諸佛所說一聞不忘通達無閡，於一句中通達一切義說無窮盡，如虛空中風。得如是種種諸智慧門，是名中品慧根淨相也。上品慧根淨相者，行者亦於行坐誦念之中，身心豁然清淨入深禪定，覺慧分明心不動搖，於禪定中得見普賢菩薩，釋迦多寶分身世尊及十方佛，得無閡大陀羅尼獲六根清淨，普現色身開佛知見，入菩薩位，廣說如《普賢觀經》中，是名上品慧根淨相。此則略說三根行者得證之相差別不同。是三種正相中，或有魔事相似，若證此法，應善分別，不得即生等心也。是故行者若欲得此大功德利者，應當三七日中，一心精進修前方法；若三七日不得，當復加功，勿得懈息。若得障道罪漸滅，而三昧諸深法門未現在前，欲常行三昧，未必悉依上十法，但取〈安樂行品〉中所說之意，一心修習，即自得六根清淨，見十方佛獲普現色身，開佛知見入菩薩位也。當知三七日為期，作如上所說六時而行者，為教新學菩薩，未能入深三昧，先以事法調伏其心，破重障道罪，因此身心清淨得法喜味；若欲一心常寂入深三昧，即須廢前所行，直依安樂行常好坐禪，觀一切法空如實相，不起內外諸過，大悲憐憫一切眾生心無間念，即是修三昧也。若依前法則事煩為妨，是故行者既得此意，當自以智力斟酌，一期所說不可全用，初學之者未能善巧，且依今文用前方法修三昧也。

How should one know the signs of verification for practitioners of superior faculties? This is because of the purification of the faculty of wisdom. Within this there are also three grades: As for the sign of the purification of the faculty of wisdom in the lower grade, if during the three periods of seven days or upon their completion, while walking or sitting they enter various meditative absorptions, and suddenly perceive body and mind to be like clouds, like shadows, like dreams and illusions, unreal; through this the awakened mind arises internally, wisdom is clear, thoroughly penetrating all dharmas, expedients skillfully spoken without obstruction, thoroughly mastering the twelve divisions of scriptures, explaining according to their meaning without stagnation when faced with difficult questions, expounding the Dharma inexhaustibly—this is called the sign of the purification of the faculty of wisdom in the lower grade. As for the sign of the purification of the faculty of wisdom in the middling grade, while walking, sitting, reciting, or contemplating, the practitioner's body and mind are quiescent like empty space, entering various tranquil concentrations; within correct wisdom, they see Samantabhadra Bodhisattva face to face riding a six-tusked white elephant, surrounded by an immeasurable assembly of bodhisattvas, appearing before that person in the body pleasing to all sentient beings; through seeing Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, this person immediately attains samādhis and dhāraṇīs, named the turning dhāraṇī, the hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of turning dhāraṇīs, and the dharma-sound expedient dhāraṇī. A dhāraṇī is great wisdom itself. Because of obtaining this great wisdom, once having heard what the Buddhas have spoken, they do not forget it, penetrating it without obstruction; within a single phrase they thoroughly master all meanings, expounding inexhaustibly like the wind in empty space. Obtaining various wisdom gates such as these is called the sign of the purification of the faculty of wisdom in the middling grade. As for the sign of the purification of the faculty of wisdom in the superior grade, the practitioner also, while walking, sitting, reciting, or contemplating, has body and mind open clearly and purely, entering deep meditative absorptions, their awakened wisdom distinct and mind unmoving; within meditative absorption, they are able to see Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, the emanated World-Honored Ones of Śākyamuni and Prabhūtaratna, and the Buddhas of the ten directions, obtaining the unobstructed great dhāraṇī, acquiring the purification of the six sense faculties, universally manifesting physical forms, opening the Buddha's knowledge and vision, and entering the bodhisattva stages—explained at length as in the Sūtra on the Contemplation of Samantabhadra. This is called the sign of the purification of the faculty of wisdom in the superior grade. This briefly explains the differences among the signs of verification obtained by practitioners of the three faculties. Among these three kinds of correct signs, there may be demonic affairs that resemble them; if one experiences these phenomena, one should distinguish them well and must not immediately produce an equal mind [taking them as genuine]. Therefore, if a practitioner wishes to obtain this great merit and benefit, they should, during the three periods of seven days, single-mindedly and energetically apply themselves to cultivate the preceding methods. If they do not obtain them within the three periods of seven days, they should apply further effort and must not grow lax. If the transgressions that obstruct the Path are gradually eliminated, yet the various deep Dharma gates of samādhi have not appeared before them, and they wish to constantly practice samādhi, they do not necessarily have to rely entirely on the above ten methods, but merely taking the intent explained in the 'Chapter on Peaceful Practices' and cultivating it with a single mind, they will naturally attain purification of the six sense faculties, see the Buddhas of the ten directions, acquire the universal manifestation of physical forms, open the Buddha's knowledge and vision, and enter the bodhisattva stages. It should be known that setting the three periods of seven days as the period and practicing according to the six intervals of the day as explained above is for teaching newly practicing bodhisattvas who are not yet able to enter deep samādhi; one first subdues their mind with phenomenal practices and crushes the heavy transgressions that obstruct the Path, whereby their body and mind become pure and obtain the flavor of Dharma joy. If one wishes to have the mind constantly quiescent and enter deep samādhi, one must set aside what was practiced before and directly rely on peaceful practices, constantly taking delight in seated meditation, contemplating all dharmas as empty like the true mark, not giving rise to internal and external faults, with great compassion pitying all sentient beings without an interval of thought—this itself is cultivating samādhi. If one relies on the former methods, phenomenal complexities will become an obstacle. Therefore, since practitioners have grasped this meaning, they should deliberate with their own power of wisdom; what was explained for one period cannot be applied in its entirety. Beginners, not yet being skillful, should for now rely on the present text to use the preceding methods to cultivate samādhi.