Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Chapter Thirty-Four (67)

Original text: 复有一类闇昧愚痴。于美睡眠之所覆盖。其心似灭非实灭中。起增上慢。谓为现观。此不如是。既得如是趣现观心。不久当入正性离生。即于如是寂静心位。最后一念无分别心。从此无间于前所观诸圣谛理。起内作意。此即名为世第一法。从此已后。出世心生。非世间心。此是世间诸行最后界畔边际。是故名为世第一法。

Explanation: There is another type of person who is dim and foolish, covered by pleasant sleep. Their mind seems to have ceased, but has not actually ceased, and so they give rise to the conceit of superiority, believing this to be direct perception, when in fact it is not. Since this person has already attained such a mind tending toward direct perception, before long they should be able to enter the noble state free from birth. In such a tranquil state of mind, where the mind seems to have ceased but has not truly ceased, there is a final moment of non-discriminating mind; thereafter, without interruption, toward the truths of the Four Noble Truths contemplated previously, an internal attention (manaskāra) arises—this is called the foremost worldly dharma (laukikāgra-dharma). From then on, the supramundane mind arises, and there is no longer any mundane mind. This is the final boundary and limit of all worldly formations, and therefore it is named the foremost worldly dharma.

This passage is very important. It describes the mental state in the final stage before realizing the Path, as well as the final method of practice before realizing the Path, and it also reveals the distinguishing characteristics between the foremost worldly dharma and the realization of the Path. Before realizing the Path, one is at the last of the four stages of intensified practice (nirvedha-bhāgīya): the stage of the foremost worldly dharma. At this stage, the sleep hindrance becomes slight, so that sleep is very light and also very clear; one is between half-asleep and half-awake, the mind during sleep is very lucid and not dull, and the body is very comfortable, so the obstruction to cultivating the Path is very small. The mind seems to have ceased, with no discrimination, but there is still a discriminating nature; it has not ceased—discernment is merely slight, seemingly present yet seemingly absent. Thus the foolish and benighted person gives rise to the conceit of superiority, feeling that they are without mind and have attained direct realization, when in fact this is not so.

However, they are not far from direct realization. If they continue with diligence, before long they will realize and enter the noble state free from birth-and-death. That is, in such a tranquil state of mind, there is still a final moment of non-discriminating mind; with this one moment of non-discriminating mind, from then on, without interruption, toward the truths of the Four Noble Truths contemplated in contemplative practice previously, an internal attention arises—this is called the foremost worldly dharma. From then on, the supramundane mind arises, and the mundane mind is severed and ceases. This is the final boundary and limit of all worldly formations vis-à-vis the supramundane, and for this reason it is called the foremost of the worldly.