"The Śūraṅgama Sūtra, Volume V: The Twenty-Five Sages' Methods of Perfect Penetration – Ucchuṣma"

Original Text: Ucchusma, standing before the Tathagata, bowed with palms joined to touch the Buddha's feet, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "I often recall that in the distant kalpas past, my nature was dominated by greed and desire. A Buddha appeared in the world named King of Emptiness Buddha. He taught that those with excessive lust generate a mass of fierce fire. He instructed me to comprehensively contemplate the cold and warm energies throughout my hundred bones and four limbs. Through inner concentration of divine light, I transformed my lustful mind into the fire of wisdom. Since then, all Buddhas have called me Fire-Head. By the power of the samadhi of fiery light, I attained Arhatship. With my mind set on a great vow, I resolved that whenever Buddhas achieve enlightenment, I will serve as a powerful guardian, personally subduing demons and adversaries. The Buddha now inquires about perfect penetration. I achieved it by thoroughly contemplating the warm touch within body and mind, allowing unimpeded circulation. With all outflows extinguished, a great treasure of flames arose, enabling me to ascend to supreme enlightenment. This is foremost."

Explanation: Ucchusma came before the Buddha, bowed with palms joined to touch the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha: I often recall that in the distant kalpas past, my mind was mostly filled with greed and desire. A Buddha appeared named King of Emptiness Buddha, who told me that places where those with excessive lust are born often accumulate great fierce fire, being burned by the fire of desire. He further instructed me to daily, in meditation, comprehensively and meticulously observe the energies within the hundred bones and four limbs of the body, perceiving all sensations whether cold or warm. In this practice of contemplation, meditation arose, the spirit became concentrated inwardly and ceased scattering outward. The lustful mind was extinguished, and the mind of wisdom was born, skillfully transforming the lustful mind into the fire of wisdom. Since then, all Buddhas have addressed me as Fire-Head. Due to the power of the samadhi of fiery light that I attained, I became a great Arhat. Thus I made this vow: When Buddhas achieve enlightenment, I will serve as a powerful guardian, personally subduing demons and adversaries, protecting the Buddhas. Now the Buddha asks about the method of perfect penetration. I achieved it through deep and subtle contemplation of the warm touch upon body and mind, allowing the warm touch to permeate body and mind completely. With all afflictions and outflows exhausted, a vast flame of wisdom arose in my mind, enabling me to ascend the path of supreme enlightenment. This is the foremost method of perfect penetration through which I practiced.

Why can meditation and samadhi subdue and eradicate the afflictions of greed and desire? Because meditation transforms body and mind, generating blissful sensations within them. This blissful touch is extremely pure and supreme, surpassing the coarse pleasures of human sensual desire, particularly the bliss of the first dhyana and the third dhyana. When one attains a more sublime meditative bliss, one naturally no longer craves the crude pleasure of lust. After attaining samadhi, the bliss of body and mind becomes even more sublime and pure, and the lustful mind transforms into the fire of wisdom. Therefore, meditation can subdue afflictions, and samadhi can eradicate afflictions. To achieve liberation, both are indispensable.