高僧傳 3.31

3.31

前頂禮三寶，淨戒諸上座。
濁世多諂曲，虛偽無誠信，
愚惑不識真，懷嫉輕有德。
是以諸賢聖，現世晦其迹。
我求那跋摩，命行盡時至，
所獲善功德，今當如實說。
不以諂曲心，希望求名利，
為勸眾懈怠，增長諸佛法。
大法力如是，仁者咸諦聽。
我昔曠野中，初觀於死屍，
膖脹蟲爛壞，臭穢膿血流。
繫心緣彼處，此身性如是。
常見此身相，貪蛾不畏火。
如是無量種，修習死屍觀，
放捨餘聞思，依止林樹間。
是夜專精進，正觀常不忘，
境界恒在前，猶如對明鏡。
如彼我亦然，由是心寂靖，
輕身極明淨，清涼心是樂，
增長大歡喜，則生無著心。
變成骨鎖相，白骨現在前，
朽壞肢節離，白骨悉磨滅。
無垢智熾然，調伏思法相，
我時得如是，身安極柔軟。
如是方便修，勝進轉增長，
微塵念念滅，壞色正念法。
是則身究竟，何緣起貪欲？
知因諸受生，如魚貪鉤餌。
彼受無量壞，念念觀磨滅，
知彼所依處，從心猨猴起。
業及業果報，依緣念念滅，
心所知種種，是名別相法。
是則思慧念，次第滿足修，
觀種種法相，其心轉明了。
我於爾焰中，明見四念處，
律行從是竟，攝心緣中住。
苦如熾然劍，斯由渴愛轉，
愛盡般涅槃，普見彼三界。
死焰所熾然，形體極消瘦，
喜息樂方便，身還漸充滿。
勝妙眾生相，頂忍亦如是，
是於我心起，真實正方便。
漸漸略境界，寂滅樂增長，
得世第一法，一念緣真諦。
次第法忍生，是謂無漏道，
妄想及諸境，名字悉遠離。
境界真諦義，除惱獲清涼，
成就三昧果，離垢清涼緣。
不涌亦不沒，淨慧如明月，
湛然正安住，純一寂滅相。
非我所宣說，唯佛能證知，
那波阿毘曇，說五因緣果。
實義知修行，名者莫能見，
諸論各異端，修行理無二。
偏執有是非，達者無違諍，
修行眾妙相，今我不宣說。
懼人起妄想，誑惑諸世間，
於彼修利相，我已說少分。
若彼明智者，善知此緣起，
摩羅婆國界，始得初聖果。
阿蘭若山寺，道迹修遠離，
後於師子國，村名劫波利，
進修得二果，是名斯陀含。
從是多留難，障修離欲道，
見我修遠離，知是處空閑，
咸生希有心，利養競來集。
我見如火毒，心生大厭離，
避亂浮于海，闍婆及林邑。
業行風所飄，隨緣之宋境，
於是諸國中，隨力興佛法。
無問所應問，諦實真實觀，
今此身滅盡，寂若燈火滅。

First I bow my head to the Three Jewels, / and to the senior monks of pure precepts.
In an impure world, much is deceit and crookedness; / false and sham, there is no trustworthiness.
The foolish and confused do not recognize the real; / harboring jealousy, they slight the virtuous.
For this reason, the holy and worthy / conceal their traces in this world.
I, Guṇavarman, / have reached the time when the karmic formations of my life are exhausted.
The good merits I have obtained, / I shall now speak of in accordance with reality.
Not with a deceitful mind, / nor hoping to seek fame or gain,
but to exhort the indolent multitudes, / and to augment the Buddhadharmas.
The power of the Great Dharma is like this; / let the benevolent ones all listen attentively.
Formerly, out in the wilderness, / I first meditated upon a corpse:
swollen, rotting with worms, / foul and filthy, with pus and blood flowing.
Tying the mind to focus on that place: / the nature of this body is just like this.
Constantly seeing this bodily appearance, / the greedy moth fears not the fire.
In this way, through countless methods, / I cultivated the contemplation of the corpse,
casting aside other learning and reflection, / relying on dwelling among the forest trees.
That night, dedicating myself to vigorous effort, / never forgetting right contemplation,
the sphere of cognition was constantly before me, / just as if facing a clear mirror.
As with that [corpse], so too with myself; / from this, the mind grew quiet and still.
With a light body, exceedingly clear and pure, / cool and refreshed, the mind found bliss.
Increasing in great joy, / there arose the unattached mind.
It transformed into the aspect of chained bones; / white bones appeared before me.
Decaying, the limbs and joints fell apart; / the white bones were all pulverized and wiped out.
Immaculate wisdom blazed forth, / subduing [the mind] and contemplating the marks of dharmas.
At that time I obtained such a state: / bodily peace, exceedingly pliant and gentle.
Cultivating through such skillful means, / superior advancement further increased:
subtle atoms perishing moment by moment, / the right mindfulness of the dharma of decaying form.
Such then is the ultimate nature of the body; / on what basis could lustful desire arise?
Knowing it arises dependent on feelings, / like a fish craving the bait on the hook.
Those feelings undergo countless destructions; / moment by moment I contemplated their wiping out,
knowing the place on which they rely / arises from the monkey of the mind.
Karma and the retribution of karma, / relying on conditions, perish moment by moment.
What the mind knows in its various ways / are called dharmas of particular characteristics.
This then is the mindfulness of reflective wisdom, / cultivated and fulfilled in gradual sequence.
Contemplating the characteristics of various dharmas, / the mind became ever clearer.
Within those mental objects, / I clearly perceived the four foundations of mindfulness.
From this, the conduct of discipline was completed; / gathering the mind, it dwelt focused upon the conditions.
Suffering is like a blazing sword; / this turns forth on account of craving and thirst.
When craving is exhausted, parinirvāṇa is attained; / everywhere I beheld those three realms.
Blazed upon by the flames of death, / the physical form grew utterly emaciated.
Through the skillful means of joy, breath, and bliss, / the body gradually became full again.
Superior, sublime marks of living beings, / the peak and forbearance [stages] were also like this.
These arose within my mind / as true and right skillful means.
Gradually abbreviating the spheres of cognition, / the bliss of cessation increased.
Attaining the supreme mundane dharma, / in a single thought focusing on the ultimate truth,
consecutively dharma-forbearance arose; / this is called the outflow-free path.
Delusive thoughts and all spheres of cognition, / names and signs—all were left far behind.
The meaning of the ultimate truth of the spheres: / dispelling afflictions, attaining cooling refreshment;
realizing the fruits of samādhi, / the immaculate, refreshing condition.
Neither rising nor sinking, / pure wisdom was like the bright moon,
calm and serene, rightly abiding, / purely identical with the mark of cessation.
It is not something that I can declare; / only a Buddha can verify and know it.
The Nava-abhidharma / speaks of the five causes, conditions, and fruits.
Knowing cultivation through the true meaning, / those who cling to names cannot see it.
The various treatises have disparate approaches, / but the principle of cultivation is not two.
One-sided attachment brings right and wrong; / those who have reached [the truth] have no disputes.
The many sublime marks of cultivation / I shall not declare now,
fearing people will give rise to delusive thoughts / and delude the worldly.
Regarding the marks of the benefit of that cultivation, / I have already spoken a small part.
If there be someone of clear wisdom, / they will know well this dependent arising.
In the realm of the country of Mālava, / I first attained the initial holy fruit.
In the mountain monastery of the Āraṇyaka, / following the tracks of the Way, I cultivated detachment.
Later, in the country of Siṃhala, / in the village named Kāpālī,
advancing in cultivation, I attained the second fruit; / this is called the sakṛdāgāmin.
From this, many obstacles arose, / hindering cultivation of the path of detachment from desire.
Seeing me cultivating detachment, / knowing this was an empty and quiet place,
all gave rise to a sense of rarity; / offerings and benefits vied to assemble.
I saw them as fire and poison, / and my mind gave rise to great revulsion.
To avoid turmoil, I floated upon the sea, / to Javā and to Lin-yi.
Drifted by the wind of karmic actions, / following conditions, I came to the territory of Song.
Within these various countries, / according to my strength, I promoted the Buddhadharma.
Do not question what ought to be questioned; / contemplate with true and faithful reality.
Now this body is completely extinguished, / serene as the going out of a lamp's flame.