Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 34 (5)

Original text: 又世尊言。苾刍当知。此器世间长时安住。过是已后。渐次乃至七日轮现。如七日经广说。乃至所有大地。诸山大海。及苏迷卢大宝山王。乃至梵世诸器世界。皆被焚烧。灾火灭后灰烬不现。乃至余影亦不可得。由此法门。世尊显示诸器世间是无常性。如是且依至教量理。修观行者净信增上作意力故。于一切行无常之性获得决定。得决定已。即由如是净信增上作意力故。数数寻思观察。一切现见不背。不由他缘。

Explanation: The World-Honored One said in the Sūtra on the Causes and Conditions of the Arising of the World: Bhikṣus, you should know that this inanimate world of the Saha world can still abide stably for a long time. After this period has passed, gradually two suns, three suns, and so forth will appear, until finally seven suns will appear, as extensively described in the Seven Suns Sūtra. At that time, all the great lands, mountains, and oceans within this inanimate world, as well as Mount Sumeru in the desire realm, and even all the inanimate worlds of the form realm, will all be burned up. After the fire calamity passes, even the ashes vanish without a trace, and not even any remaining shadow can be found.

What the World-Honored One taught precisely reveals the impermanent nature of all inanimate worlds. Having heard the World-Honored One's exposition and relying on the authoritative teaching and reasoning spoken by the World-Honored One, those who cultivate contemplative practice have their pure faith in the impermanence of all formations strengthened, and their capacity for mental engagement upon the impermanence of formations is enhanced; thus they attain certainty regarding the impermanent nature of all formations. Having attained certainty, through this very power of pure faith and intensified mental engagement, they repeatedly deliberate and contemplate, directly seeing everything without contradiction, not depending on other conditions.

Contemplating the impermanence of all formations requires relying on the power of pure faith—believing what the World-Honored One said about the impermanence of all formations, with a pure mind free of other thoughts. Only through pure faith can one apply mental engagement to contemplate and investigate the impermanent nature of formations; without pure faith, without believing in the impermanence of formations, one would not apply mental engagement to contemplate. Contemplation is direct manifestation from one's own mind; if it is not directly seen, it cannot be called present observation. Direct manifestation from one's own mind is also called direct perception and realization, direct valid cognition. "Direct" means presently existing, truly existing—not something produced by thinking, imagination, or mental fabrication. Through repeatedly immersing in the World-Honored One's authoritative teaching on the impermanence of all formations, practitioners contemplate the impermanent nature of formations within meditative concentration; when conditions ripen, they will directly see that all formations are indeed impermanent, and thereby personally realize the truth of suffering. Because they directly see that all formations are suffering, they no longer wish to undergo suffering, and the aspiration to extinguish suffering arises.