法苑珠林 45.20

45.20

Furthermore, the Madhyama-āgama says: "Dhyāna has sound as its thorn. The World-Honoured One also taught that sound is a thorn. Why is this? In truth, I teach that dhyāna has thorns: For one who upholds the precepts, violating the precepts is a thorn. For one who guards the sense faculties, adorning the body is a thorn. For one who cultivates [contemplation of] impurities, signs of purity are a thorn. For one who cultivates a mind of loving-kindness, anger is a thorn. For one who abstains from alcohol, drinking alcohol is a thorn. For one who practices brahma-conduct, seeing female form is a thorn. For one who enters the first dhyāna, sound is a thorn. For one who enters the second dhyāna, initial and sustained thought are thorns. For one who enters the third dhyāna, joy is a thorn. For one who enters the fourth dhyāna, inhalation and exhalation are thorns. For one who enters the sphere of infinite space, perception of form is a thorn. For one who enters the sphere of infinite consciousness, perception of the sphere of space is a thorn. For one who enters the sphere of nothingness, perception of the sphere of consciousness is a thorn. For one who enters the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, perception of the sphere of nothingness is a thorn. For one who enters the cessation of perception and sensation, perception and sensation are thorns. Furthermore, there are three thorns: the thorn of desire, the thorn of anger, and the thorn of delusion. These three thorns have already been severed and fully known by the arhat whose outflows are exhausted; having uprooted their foundation, they are extinguished and do not arise again. This is called the thornless arhat." (Removing these thorns is called accepting admonition.)