Excerpt from the Sutra on the Divination of the Effects of Good and Evil Actions

Original text: 若学习真如实观者，思惟心性无生无灭，不住见闻觉知，永离一切分别之想，渐渐能过空处、识处、无少处、非想非非想处等定境界相，得相似空三昧；得相似空三昧时，识、想、受、行粗分别相不现在前。从此修学，为善知识大慈悲者守护长养，是故离诸障碍，勤修不废，展转能入心寂三昧；得是三昧已，即复能入一行三昧；入是一行三昧已，见佛无数，发深广行心，住坚信位。

Explanation: Those who cultivate the contemplation of true suchness should contemplate that the nature of mind neither arises nor ceases, does not abide in seeing, hearing, awareness, or knowing—having no seeing, hearing, awareness, or knowing of worldly objects—and forever departs from all thoughts of discriminated states. After recognizing such a true nature of mind, the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses gradually become empty and pure, meditative concentration gradually deepens, and one enters the non-Buddhist states of concentration beyond the fourth dhyāna: the concentration of the sphere of boundless space, the concentration of the sphere of boundless consciousness, the concentration of no-perception, and the concentration of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, thereby attaining the similar emptiness samādhi.

In the similar emptiness samādhi, the state of meditative concentration is primary and supreme; on the level of wisdom, one has not yet realized the emptiness (śūnyatā) of true suchness. It is a state of concentration attained by the mind consciousness, which, due to its cognition of emptiness, becomes pure and tranquil, thereby subduing the manas. The manas has not realized emptiness; it is an emptiness cognized by the mind consciousness alone. This is also a kind of samādhi, possessing both concentration and wisdom, only the power of wisdom is still insufficient. Therefore, only the coarse discriminations of the aggregate of consciousness, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of feeling, and the aggregate of formations of the mind consciousness are no longer manifest, but the subtle discriminations of the aggregates of feeling, perception, and formations still arise ceaselessly.

After cultivating to this state, openly and covertly there will be good spiritual friends and all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas coming to protect and guard one, causing one's wholesome roots to grow and be nurtured. This enables one's practice to avoid the obstruction of karmic hindrances, so that one can continue to practice diligently without giving up halfway.

After continuing to apply effort in this way, one will gradually enter into true emptiness, seeing that mind which is empty and still, thereby realizing the samādhi of the stillness of mind. This is based upon the similar emptiness samādhi, continuing to deepen contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and investigation; the power of wisdom is further strengthened, and the wisdom that contemplates the empty mind becomes deeper and more ultimate. The manas has been successfully perfumed, the mind is empty and tranquil, and then the samādhi of the stillness of mind appears, with prajñā wisdom fully possessed.

After realizing the samādhi of the stillness of mind, one will enter into the samādhi of oneness, mind after mind, thought after thought, at all times and in all places seeing the self-nature Buddha, seeing the Buddhas of the ten directions—that is, being able to see the tathāgatagarbha of all sentient beings, clearly understanding how the tathāgatagarbha of all sentient beings functions within the five aggregates (pañcaskandha), thereby giving rise to profound and vast Bodhisattva conduct, abiding in the firm position of deep faith in the Three Jewels, without regression. If one enters the samādhi of oneness through recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), then in terms of appearances one will see the Buddhas of the ten directions standing before oneself; this is an Image-Only Object, invisible to others, seen only by oneself. Being in profound samādhi, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one is always in concentration, clearly understanding the fundamental mind, possessing prajñā wisdom.

Cultivating the Path to see one's true mind and attain enlightenment requires passing through these three kinds of samādhi. Without meditative concentration, it is impossible to awaken to the true mind and attain enlightenment; even the first level of samādhi will not appear, the coarse discriminations of the mind consciousness cannot be severed, the mind clings and is unsettled, unable to subdue the manas, and is not even in accord with similar emptiness. Yet there are many people who, before even cultivating to the first level of the similar emptiness samādhi, believe they have already awakened—truly they have only deluded themselves.