Commentary on the Samādhi Meditation Sūtra
Chapter 4: The Dharma Gate for Treating Hatred
Original text: 若瞋恚偏多。当学三种慈心法门。或初习行。或已习行。或久习行。若初习行者。当教言。慈及亲爱。云何亲及。愿与亲乐。行者若得种种身心快乐。寒时得衣。热时得凉。饥渴得饮食。贫贱得富贵。行极时得止息。如是种种乐。愿亲爱得。系心在慈。不令异念。异念诸缘。摄之令还。
Explanation: If someone's mind of hatred (dveṣa) is somewhat predominant, they should cultivate and study the three kinds of dharma gates of the mind of loving-kindness (maitrī). Teach them separately according to the three types of practitioners: first, those who are just beginning to practice; second, those who have already practiced for some time; third, long-term practitioners who have practiced for a very long time.
For those who are just beginning to practice, one should teach them to extend loving-kindness and compassion to those dear and beloved to themselves. How does one extend loving-kindness to those close to oneself, wishing to bring happiness to one's dear ones? Practitioners of this dharma, upon obtaining various kinds of physical and mental happiness—such as obtaining clothing when cold, coolness when the weather is hot, food and drink when hungry and thirsty, wealth and honor when poor and lowly, and rest when weary from travel—should wish all such physical and mental happiness for their loved ones. Every thought should be this mind of loving-kindness, not allowing the mind to have other scattered thoughts and notions. If the mind's thoughts shift and scattered thoughts arise, gather the mind back.
Original text: 若已习行当教言。慈及中人。云何慈及中人而与乐。行者若得种种身心快乐。愿中人得。系心在慈不令异念。异念诸缘摄之令还。
若久习行当教言。慈及怨憎。云何慈及彼。而与其乐。行者若得种种身心快乐。愿怨憎得。得与亲同。同得一心。心大清净。亲中怨等广及世界。无量众生皆令得乐。周遍十方靡不同等。大心清净。见十方众生。皆如自见在心目前。了了见之。受得快乐。是时即得慈心三昧。
Explanation: For those who have already practiced for some time, one should teach them to extend loving-kindness and compassion to people toward whom they feel neither closeness nor aversion. How does one extend loving-kindness to those neither close nor disliked, and give them happiness? If practitioners obtain various kinds of physical and mental happiness, they should wish that those toward whom they feel neither closeness nor resentment could also obtain it. Every thought should abide in this mind of loving-kindness, without other scattered thoughts or deluded imaginings. If the mind's thoughts shift and scattered thoughts arise, gather the mind back.
For those who have long cultivated this dharma, one should teach them to extend loving-kindness and compassion to their enemies and those they detest. How does one extend loving-kindness to those one detests? If practitioners obtain various kinds of physical and mental happiness, they should wish that their enemies and those they loathe could also obtain it, with the happiness obtained being equal to that obtained by their own loved ones. With single-minded aspiration that all people obtain the same happiness, the mind becomes vast and pure; loved ones, those neither close nor resentful, and enemies are all treated with equal regard. The mind of loving-kindness expands to encompass the entire world, so that immeasurable sentient beings can all obtain happiness. This mind pervades the worlds of the ten directions, everywhere the same pure and vast mind-capacity. One sees the sentient beings of the ten directions as if beholding them with one's own mind's eye, very clearly seeing within the mind that all sentient beings obtain happiness, distinctly and vividly. At this moment, one realizes the samādhi of the mind of loving-kindness (maitrī-citta-samādhi).
Original text: 问曰。亲爱中人。愿令得乐。怨憎恶人云何怜愍。复愿与乐。答曰。应与彼乐。所以者何。其人更有种种好清净法因。我今云何以一怨故而没其善。复次思惟。是人过去世时。或是我亲善。岂以今瞋。更生怨恶。我当忍彼。是我善利。又念行法。仁德含弘。慈力无量。此不可失。
Explanation: Someone asked: We can manage to let our loved ones obtain happiness, but how can we manage to feel compassion for evil people, hoping that those enemies and loathsome people can likewise obtain happiness? The answer: One should give happiness to all of them. Why is this said? Among these people there are various favorable conditions for delighting in pure dharmas; they even more wish to purify themselves and obtain happiness. How can I now, on account of a single knot of resentment, deprive and obscure their wholesome dharmas, not letting them obtain the benefit of wholesome dharmas?
Reflecting further: in past lives, these people may well have been my loved ones and benefactors. How could I, because of present hatred, again give rise to resentful and hateful thoughts? I should be patient with them, and through such patience I gain benefit in wholesome dharmas. One should also know that the virtue of benevolence and righteousness in practicing this wholesome dharma is vast and encompassing, and its power of loving-kindness and compassion is immeasurably great; I should not let slip this opportunity.
Original text: 复思惟言。若无怨憎。何因生忍。生忍由怨。怨则我之亲善。复次瞋报最重。众恶中上。无有过是。以瞋加物。其毒难制。虽欲烧他。实是自害。
复自念言。外被法服。内习忍行。是谓沙门。岂可恶声。纵此变色憋心。复次五受阴者。众苦林薮。受恶之的。苦恼恶来。何由可免。如刺刺身。苦刺无量。众怨甚多。不可得除。当自守护。着忍革屣。
Explanation: Reflecting further: if there were no enemies or loathsome people, what condition would I have for giving rise to the power of patience (kṣānti)? The power of patience can only arise through the condition of adversaries; therefore, those who vex and anger me are in fact my dear friends. Furthermore, the karmic retribution of giving rise to hatred is the heaviest, the foremost among all evils, with nothing surpassing it. When hatred is inflicted upon others, this poisonous mind is difficult to restrain. Although such hatred can burn and torment others, in truth it is harming oneself.
One should further reflect to oneself: only when a monastic outwardly wears the dharma robes, the kaṣāya, and inwardly cultivates the practice of patience, is he truly a śramaṇa. How could one utter harsh words, indulging one's hateful mind, causing one's countenance to change drastically and one's heart to feel stifled? Moreover, the five aggregates subject to grasping (upādāna-skandha) are the gathering place of all suffering, the very site where evils are endured—how could the arrival of afflictions, resentment, and evils be avoided? It is like many needles piercing the body: the thorns of suffering and poison are immeasurable, and the harms from the many adversaries are extremely numerous, fundamentally impossible to eliminate completely. Therefore one should guard oneself, at all times wearing the shoes of patience. Coming to the Sahā world is precisely coming to undergo suffering, repay debts, and dissolve karma. If the five-aggregate body does not undergo this kind of suffering, it will undergo that kind; one way or another, suffering must be endured. Since it cannot be avoided, then just bear it. From now on, whenever situations arise, console yourself in this way—it will surely work. When the mind is calm and tranquil, free of disturbances, meditative concentration easily arises.
Original text: 如佛言曰。
以瞋报瞋 瞋还着之 瞋恚不报 能破大军
能不瞋恚 是大人法 小人瞋恚 难动如山
瞋为重毒 多所残害 不得害彼 自害乃灭
瞋为大瞑 有目无睹 瞋为尘垢 染污净心
如是瞋恚 当急除灭 毒蛇在室 不除害人
如是种种 瞋毒无量 常习慈心 除灭瞋恚
是为慈三昧门。
Explanation: As the Buddha said: To retaliate against hateful deeds with hatred—the hatred still clings to one's own mind. Having hatred yet not retaliating can break the great army of afflictions. Being able to endure without giving rise to hatred is the conduct of great beings—bodhisattvas of vast mind-capacity. Petty-minded people delight in hatred; their hateful mind is hard to shake, like a mountain. Hatred is a deadly poison, harming many people far and wide. If one no longer harms others, one will likewise no longer harm oneself. A mind harboring hatred is great darkness, like having eyes yet being unable to see forms. Hatred is dust and defilement, staining one's own pure mind. Such hateful states of mind should be swiftly eliminated. It is like a venomous snake in the room: if it is not driven out, it will harm people. Such various poisons of hatred are immeasurable in number. Constantly cultivate the samādhi of the mind of loving-kindness so as to eliminate the poison of hatred. The above is the dharma gate of the samādhi of the mind of loving-kindness.
