Excerpts from the Sūtra of the Divination of Good and Evil Karmic Retribution

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: If one studies the contemplation of true suchness, one must contemplate that the original mind-nature neither arises nor ceases, does not abide in seeing, hearing, awareness, or knowing, has no seeing, no hearing, no awareness, and no knowing of worldly objects, and is forever free from all thoughts of discriminated realms. After recognizing such a true mind-nature, the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses gradually become purified and emptied, meditative concentration gradually deepens, and one enters the non-Buddhist meditative concentrations above 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 semblance emptiness meditative concentration (samādhi).

In the semblance emptiness samādhi, the meditative state is primary and supreme; in terms of wisdom, one has not yet realized the emptiness (śūnyatā) of true suchness. It is a meditative state obtained because the mind consciousness, through 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 volitional formations of the mind consciousness are no longer present, but the subtle discriminations of the aggregates of feeling, perception, and volitional formations still continually appear.

After cultivating to this state, good spiritual friends and all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will protect one, both openly and secretly, and one's roots of goodness will grow and be nurtured. This enables one's practice to avoid the obstruction of karmic hindrances, so that one can continue diligent practice without giving up halfway.

After continuing to practice in this way, one will gradually enter into true emptiness, see that mind which is empty and still, and thereby realize the mind-stillness samādhi. This is based on the semblance emptiness samādhi, continuing to deepen contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and investigation; the power of wisdom is further strengthened, and the wisdom of contemplating the mind of emptiness becomes deeper and more ultimate. The manas has been successfully infused and influenced, the mind is empty and tranquil, and then the mind-stillness samādhi appears, with prajñā wisdom made complete.

After realizing the mind-stillness samādhi, one will enter into the one-practice samādhi, moment after moment, in every place, seeing the self-nature Buddha, seeing the Buddhas of the ten directions — that is, being able to see the tathāgatagarbha of all sentient beings, understanding how the tathāgatagarbha of all sentient beings functions within the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), thereby giving rise to profound and vast bodhisattva conduct, abiding in the firm position of deep faith in the Three Jewels, without regressing. If one enters the one-practice samādhi through recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), then in appearance one will see the Buddhas of the ten directions standing before oneself; this is a subjectively imagined realm, invisible to others, seen only by oneself. Being in profound samādhi, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one is in meditative concentration, understanding the original mind, possessing prajñā wisdom.

Cultivating the Path, seeing the mind, and realizing enlightenment require passing through these three samādhis. Without meditative concentration, it is impossible to see the mind and realize 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, the manas cannot be subdued, and one does not correspond even to semblance emptiness. Yet there are many people who, before even cultivating to the first level of the semblance emptiness samādhi, believe they have awakened — they have truly deceived themselves.