Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 63

The Saṃgraha-vyākhyā section, on the stage of meditative concentration (samāhita-bhūmi), Part Two

复有五种定相违法。一毁犯禁戒。二无无间加行。三无殷重加行。四有沉没。五他所扰恼。

Explanation: Here Bodhisattva Maitreya speaks of five kinds of obstructing conditions that run counter to meditative concentration. The first is not observing the precepts—violating the precepts, which makes the mind turbid and lacking tranquility, so that meditative concentration cannot manifest.

The second is that the effort one makes in cultivating concentration cannot be sustained continuously and cannot last; one cultivates and then stops, cultivates and then stops again—like boiling water: you boil it for a while and then turn off the fire, and the water will never come to a boil. Thus meditative concentration cannot be accomplished. The third is that when cultivating concentration, the mind is not vigorous, lacking firm conviction and strong determination; one follows the mind's own distraction, letting deluded thoughts scatter and flow, without fiercely reproaching one's own mind, so that meditative concentration cannot be accomplished. The fourth is that the mind is always in a state of torpor, not clear and lucid, lacking mindfulness, unable to concentrate one's energy; therefore meditative concentration cannot be accomplished.

The fifth is that there are external conditions that entangle and disturb; external conditions invade the mind, making it impossible for the mind to become calm—the waters of the mind become turbid, and meditative concentration cannot be accomplished.

复有三种远离。一住处远离。二见远离。三闻远离

Explanation: If a practitioner wishes to attain tranquility, to attain concentration and śamatha, one must choose to dwell in a quiet place, away from clamor and tumult, so that the mind is not drawn along by external conditions and can gradually settle and cease. To attain mental tranquility in cultivating concentration, one must have little contact with external conditions, see the six sense-objects less, hear the six sense-objects less, and reduce seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing; only then can one attain tranquility.

复次心清净行苾刍。略有五种等持相违厚重过失。能为定障。一忿。二慢。三欲贪。四萨迦耶见。五不能堪忍。

Explanation: For a bhikṣu wishing to have pure mental conduct, there are five kinds of grave faults that run counter to meditative concentration and can become obstacles to attaining it. "Grave" means very serious—constituting a heavy obstruction to meditative concentration.

The first is wrath (krodha). Wrath is anger and resentment, a severe agitation of the emotions; the waters of the mind are disturbed, the mind is not stable and not pure, and therefore meditative concentration cannot arise.

The second is conceit (māna). Conceit is the mind elevating itself and looking down on others; it is a deep-seated emotionalization, also a manifestation of the mind's lack of equanimity. As long as the mind is not even and balanced, there is turmoil and distraction, and thus it can obstruct the arising of meditative concentration.

The third is desire and greed (kāma-rāga), that is, sensual craving. Broadly speaking, it refers to craving and attachment to all dharmas of the world, craving for the objects of the six sense-objects, craving for form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; because of craving, one is bound by those objects—the mind adheres to sense-objects, which is distraction, unable to be unified, and therefore obstructs meditative concentration. In the narrow sense, desire and greed refers to the sexual desire of sentient beings in the desire realm, including bodily craving and mental craving in thoughts and mental conduct. Whether in bodily conduct or mental conduct, the mind is impure, bound by desire; the mind is distracted and cannot be devoted single-mindedly to the Path, cannot be unified in one-pointedness. Therefore desire and greed can obstruct meditative concentration.

The fourth is satkāya-dṛṣṭi, that is, self-view. Because of self-view, one necessarily grasps at the five aggregates subject to grasping, necessarily grasps at the eighteen elements, necessarily grasps at body and mind, and cannot let go of all dharmas; the mind is impure, and thereby meditative concentration is obstructed.

The fifth is inability to endure. "Endure" means to bear and to tolerate. When facing the six sense-objects that go against oneself, the mind resists and cannot bear them, so the mind is not calm, there is inner agitation, and meditative concentration cannot be attained; when facing the six sense-objects that accord with oneself, one cannot tolerate them either—there is joyful agitation, the mind is not calm, and this obstructs meditative concentration.