Dhyāna Samādhi Sūtra (Part 1)

Hard to encounter is the guide,     hard too is the joy of the hearer.

Pleasing to the noble-minded,    detestable to the petty.

Pitiable are sentient beings,    fallen onto the perilous path of aging and death.

Slaves to affection in the wilderness,    dwelling in fear yet unaware of folly.

Whether the world be large or small,    no dharma is permanent.

All things do not long endure,    momentary like a flash of lightning.

This body belongs to aging and death,    gathering place of all ailments.

Covered by thin skin over impurity,     fools are deceived by it.

You are constantly devoured by the thief of age,    consuming your prime vigor.

Like a withered garland, rotten,    ruined and worthless.

Explanation: Śākyamuni Buddha, the Great Guide of the Three Realms, stated that this Dhyāna Samādhi Sūtra is difficult to encounter and hard to obtain. It is also rare for those who hear it to give rise to joyful faith. Those who resolve upon the supreme Buddha Way are willing to hear it, while those with narrow minds, unwilling to seek supreme enlightenment, are not. Sentient beings are truly pitiable and lamentable, fallen onto the perilous path of birth, aging, sickness, and death, becoming slaves to affection in the wilderness of birth and death, dwelling in fearful places yet unaware of fear. Whether the world is large or small, all worldly dharmas are impermanent and do not last forever. All dharmas do not linger long; they appear temporarily and vanish swiftly like lightning.

This impermanent physical body is the gathering place for all afflictions of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Thin skin covers filthy impurities, and the foolish are deceived by this impure body. You are constantly devoured by the thief of aging, consuming your healthy and vigorous body, just as a withered and rotten garland becomes utterly worthless.

King Citrāṣṭi's merits,    shared the seat with Śakra, Lord of Devas.

His karmic rewards and blessings were vast,    where are they all today?

This king, among gods and men,    possessed the supreme objects of desire and pleasure.

At death, he suffered extreme agony,    this should awaken understanding.

All desires bring soft pleasure at first,    later all become great suffering.

Just as an enemy seems kind at first,    the calamity of clan destruction follows.

This body is a filthy vessel,    nine orifices constantly discharge impurities.

Like an incurable sore,    beyond the reach of medicine.

The bone-chariot has little strength,    consciousness turns bound by sinews and veins.

You consider it a fine carriage,    enduring it without shame.

Gathering place of the dead,    discarded, filling burial grounds.

Cherished and protected in life,    all abandoned after death.

Explanation: In ancient times, King Citrāṣṭi, the Wheel-Turning Sage King, after ruling the four continents, ascended to heaven and shared a seat with Śakra, Lord of the Devas, sharing dominion over the heavenly realms. His karmic rewards were supreme and his blessings vast. Where is he now? This King Citrāṣṭi possessed the most supreme objects of desire and pleasure among gods and men, yet at the moment of death, he suffered extreme agony. From this, one should realize a truth: all worldly pleasures of the five desires may be comfortable and joyful at first, but later they all become immense suffering. It is like encountering an enemy; initially, all seems amicable, but the calamity of clan destruction follows closely behind.

This body of the five aggregates is a vessel full of filth; its nine orifices constantly discharge impure and foul matter. It is also like a malignant sore, beyond any cure by medicine. The chariot made of bones has very little pulling power; consciousness turns, bound by sinews and veins. You all consider it a very fine carriage, enduring its torments without feeling any shame, finally discarding it in the wilderness, the gathering place of the dead, among graves. Cherished and protected with every effort during life, it is utterly discarded after death.

Always contemplate thus,    observe single-mindedly without distraction.

Shatter the dark night of deluded folly,    hold the torch to observe clearly.

If one abandons the four foundations of mindfulness,    no evil the mind will not create.

Like an elephant loose without hook,    never follows the tamed path.

Today they engage in this task,    tomorrow they pursue that affair.

Delighting without seeing the suffering,    unaware the death-thief arrives.

Hurrying for their own affairs,    other matters also leave no leisure.

The death-thief waits for no season,    arriving, there is no escape.

Like a thirsty deer rushing to a spring,    having drunk, facing the water.

The hunter shows no kindness,    does not let it finish drinking, kills it.

Foolish people are likewise,    diligently pursuing all affairs.

Death comes without waiting,    who will protect you then?

Explanation: You should always have such thoughts, single-mindedly observing this Dharma without letting the mind scatter. You must shatter the dark mansion of deluded ignorance and folly, holding the torch of wisdom to observe with clear vision. If one abandons the śamatha-vipaśyanā practice of the four foundations of mindfulness, the mind will commit every evil. It is like an elephant roaming freely without hook or restraint, never following the path indicated by the elephant trainer. Today they do this, tomorrow they manage that, delighting in their activities without observing the suffering within, and unknowingly, the thief of death arrives. Throughout their lives, they hurriedly build their own enterprises, while also toiling over other matters. But the thief of death does not wait for the season; when it arrives, there is no chance of escape. It is like a wild deer, thirsty, rushing to a spring; just as it drinks the water it has found, the hunter shows not a shred of kindness or mercy, killing the deer without letting it finish drinking. Foolish people are likewise, diligently creating all kinds of karma; death comes without choosing the time. Who then will protect you?