Commentary on the Samādhi Meditation Sūtra
Chapter Eight: Contemplating the Faults of the Desire Realm and Realizing the Four Dhyānas and Eight Meditative Absorptions
Original text: 尔时行者。虽得一心。定力未成。犹为欲界。烦恼所乱。当作方便。进学初禅。呵弃爱欲。云何呵弃。观欲界过。欲为不净。种种不善。当念初禅。安隐快乐。
观欲云何。知欲无常。功德怨家。如幻如化。空无所得。念之未得。痴心已乱。何况已得。淫欲缠覆。天上乐处。犹不常安。何况人中。人心着欲。无有厌足。如火得薪。如海吞流。如顶生王。虽雨七宝。王四天下。帝释分座。犹不知足。如那睺沙（姓也。）转金轮王为欲所逼。堕蟒蛇中。又如仙人。食果衣草。隐居深山。被发求道。犹复不免。欲贼所坏。
Explanation: At this time the meditator, although having attained a meditative state of single-pointed mind, has not yet achieved true power of meditative concentration and is still disturbed by the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion within the desire realm. At this time he should devise skillful means to further cultivate the first dhyāna, reproaching and abandoning sensual desire. How does one reproach and abandon it? One should contemplate the various faults of the desire realm, know the various impure and unwholesome characteristics of sensual desire, and keep in mind the peace and happiness of the first dhyāna.
What is the result of contemplating sensual desire? One knows that sensual desire is impermanent, that it can rob away the merit of cultivating the path and is the enemy of merit, and that sensual desire, like all dharmas, is illusory and conjured, empty with nothing to be gained. When the mind dwells on sensual desire, even before obtaining it the mind is already turbid and disturbed—how much more so when one has fallen into lust and is bound by the desiring mind. Even in the wondrous and blissful places of the heavens, devas often feel insecure—how much more so amid the human realm where suffering and joy are mixed. The human mind infatuated with sensual desire is never satiated: like fire that blazes ever brighter when firewood is added; like the ocean that surges ever more violently as it swallows the streams; like King Māndhātṛ of old who, although he could make the rain of the seven treasures fall and ruled the four continents, still did not know contentment even when Śakra, lord of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, offered him half of his seat; like Nahuṣa, a golden-wheel-turning king who, driven by desire, fell into the body of a python; and like the hermit who ate mountain fruits, wore grass garments, dwelt in seclusion deep in the mountains, wore his hair long, and single-mindedly sought the Way, yet his mind for the Way could not avoid being destroyed by the thief of lust.
Original text: 欲乐甚少。怨毒甚多。着欲之人。恶友相近。善人疏远。欲为毒酒。愚惑醉死。欲为欺诳。走使愚人。疲苦万端。不得自在。唯有离欲。身心安隐。快乐无极。欲无所得。如狗咬枯骨。求欲勤劳。极苦乃得。得之甚难。失之甚易。如假借须臾。势不得久。如梦所见。恍惚即灭。欲之为患。求之既苦。得之亦苦。多得多苦。如火得薪。多益多炽。欲如搏肉。众鸟竞逐。
Explanation: The pleasure obtained from lust is far too little, while the resentment and poison within it are very many. Those attached to lust find evil friends drawing near while good friends grow distant. Lust is like poisoned wine, making people foolish and deluded, dying in drunken stupor; lust is deception, driving foolish people until body and mind are exhausted, suffering in myriad ways, without freedom. Only those free of desire have peace of body and mind and boundless happiness. After lust there is nothing gained, like a dog gnawing a dry bone. Laboriously pursuing lust, one obtains it only amid extreme suffering; the pleasure of lust is very hard to obtain yet very easy to lose, like borrowed enjoyment lasting but a moment whose force soon vanishes; like what is seen in a dream, vanishing in a daze. The faults of lust are extremely many: pursuing it is suffering, obtaining it is also suffering, and the more one obtains the more one suffers. Like fire obtaining firewood—the more it gets, the more fiercely it burns, and the more ash remains. Lust is like flesh being torn at, with many birds competing to snatch it.
Original text: 以要言之。如蛾赴火。如鱼吞钩。如鹿逐声。如渴饮咸水。一切众生为欲致患。无苦不至。是故当知。欲为毒害。当求初禅。灭断欲火。行者一心。精勤信乐。令心增进。意不散乱。观欲心厌。除结恼尽。得初禅定。离欲盛火。得清凉定。如热得荫。如贫得富。是时便得。初禅喜觉。思惟禅中。种种功德。观分别好丑。便得一心。
Explanation: In summary, lust is like a moth darting into fire and being burned to ashes; like a fish swallowing the hook and being harmed by it; like a deer chasing the echo in an empty valley, expending its strength in vain; like a thirsty person drinking salt water, growing thirstier the more he drinks. All sentient beings harmed by desire meet with endless suffering. Therefore one should know that lust is poison and harm and should stay far away from it. Hence one should pursue the first dhyāna to extinguish the fire of desire. The practitioner single-mindedly and diligently takes faith and delight in the first dhyāna, letting the mind's joy continuously advance, with the mind not scattering or wandering. Contemplating the faults of lust, the mind gives rise to revulsion, removing the fetters and bonds of the affliction of desire. Attaining the first dhyāna, one leaves the blazing fire of desire and obtains the cool bliss of dhyāna, like gaining shade on a hot day, like a poor person gaining wealth. At this time one attains the joy and the initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra) of the first dhyāna. Contemplating the various merits within dhyāna and observing and discerning the good and bad of one's own mind, one attains the single-pointed meditative state.
Original text: 问曰。修行禅人得一心相。云何可知。答曰。面色悦泽。徐行端正。不失一心。目不着色。神德定力。不贪名利。击破憍慢。其性柔软。不怀毒害。无复悭嫉。直信心净。论议不诤。心无欺诳。易可与语。柔软惭愧。心常在法。勤修精进。持戒完具。诵经正忆。念随法行。意常喜悦。瞋处不瞋。
四供养中。不净不受。净施则受。知量止足。寤起轻利。能行二施。忍辱除邪。论议不自满。言语鲜少。谦恪恭敬。上中下座。善师善知识。常亲近随顺。饮食知节。不着欲味。乐独静处。若苦若乐。心忍不动。无怨无竞。不喜斗讼。如是等种种相。得知一心相。
Explanation: Someone asks: how can one know that a meditator has reached the single-pointed meditative state? The answer: if this person's countenance is pleasant and lustrous, and his bodily and verbal actions are slow, gentle, and proper, one knows he is abiding in the single-pointed meditative state. If, facing objects, this person's gaze does not chase after sense objects and he is not attached to them, with a composed and at-ease demeanor, one knows this person has the power of dhyāna. This person is not attached to fame and offerings, has broken the arrogance within his own mind, has a gentle disposition, harbors no malicious intent, and no longer has stinginess or jealousy. This person's mind is upright and sincere, inwardly pure; in discussion he does not quarrel, has no competitive mind of winning or losing, and no intent to deceive others; he is easy to talk with, harboring gentleness and a sense of shame. This person's mind constantly abides in the Dharma, cultivating diligently and earnestly. He strictly keeps the precepts with complete observance of the disciplinary rules; when reciting sutras he can maintain right recollection, his thoughts following the Dharma without transgressing. His mind is constantly joyful, and he does not become angry even where anger could arise.
Among the four kinds of offerings—food, clothing, medicine, and bedding—if the offering is impure he does not accept it; if it is a pure offering he may accept it, and he knows measure and contentment. After rising from sleep, body and mind are light and agile, and he can practice the two kinds of generosity: the giving of Dharma and the giving of fearlessness. He is always patient, removing wrong views; in discussion with others he is never self-satisfied. He speaks very little, is humble and modest, and is respectful to senior, middle, and junior fellow practitioners. He constantly draws near to and follows good teachers and good spiritual friends. He is moderate in eating and drinking, not attached to the taste of desires. He delights in solitary quiet places; whether in states of suffering or happiness, he bears them with forbearance and remains unmoved. His mind has no resentment or contention, and he does not like fighting and litigation. Seeing such characteristics as these, one knows this person has attained the single-pointed meditative state.
These are the characteristics of the first dhyāna; if one does not accord with them, then one has no dhyāna. People who love quarreling and fighting have no dhyāna in their minds, much less can they realize the Dharma. Those whose mental conduct is crooked, who like to deceive others and set up traps, likewise have no dhyāna, much less can they realize the Dharma.
Original text: 此觉观二事。乱禅定心。如水澄静。波荡则浊。行者如是。内已一心。觉观所恼。如极得息。如睡得安。是时次第。无觉无观。生清净定。内净喜乐。得入二禅。心静默然。本所不得。今得此喜。是时心观。以喜为患。如上觉观。行无喜法。乃离喜地。得贤圣所说乐。
Explanation: Having initial application and sustained examination in the mind can disturb the mind's attainment of dhyāna, just as when the surface of clear, still water is rippled by waves the water becomes turbid. The practitioner is the same: although the mind has already reached the single-pointed state, if there is initial application and sustained examination in the mind, it will vex the mind and the dhyāna will be lost. Just as one gains rest when utterly fatigued, or a sleeping person gains peace, at this time one should devise means to sequentially remove initial application and sustained examination, reach the state without them, and give rise to a purer dhyāna, with inner purity, joy, and bliss, entering the second dhyāna. The mind is silent and still. Such tranquil dhyāna was never attained before; now that this joy is obtained, the mind surges with delight. At this time one contemplates with the mind's eye that the inner joy and bliss, like the aforementioned initial application and sustained examination, still have faults; therefore one must cultivate further so that the mind has no joy, removing the joyful mind, and thereby leaves the joyful ground of the second dhyāna and attains the bliss spoken of by the noble ones.
Original text: 一心谛知念护。得入三禅。已弃喜故。谛知忆念乐护。圣人言乐护。余人难舍。乐中第一。过此以往。无复乐也。是故一切圣人。于一切净地中。说慈为第一乐。乐则是患。所以者何。第一禅中。心不动转。以无事故。有动则有转。有转则有苦。是故三禅以乐为患。
Explanation: Single-mindedly and thoroughly knowing this state and skillfully guarding the mindfulness, one will realize and enter the third dhyāna, because the joy of the second dhyāna has already been abandoned. Afterwards one carefully recollects and contemplates the feeling of bliss in the third dhyāna; one should skillfully guard one's own mind and not attach to the feeling of bliss, because attachment to bliss also carries the fault of birth and death, so it should be abandoned. Only noble ones can cultivate away the feeling of bliss; all others find it very hard to abandon, because the bliss of the third dhyāna is the foremost bliss among all blisses, with nothing surpassing it. Beyond this bliss there is no more bliss; therefore all noble ones, in all pure grounds, declare loving-kindness to be the foremost bliss. Yet the feeling of bliss is itself a fault. Why? Because in the highest dhyāna the mind does not move or turn, since there is no activity therein. Where there is movement there is turning; where there is turning there is suffering. Therefore the bliss of the third dhyāna is a fault: it has movement and turning, hence suffering and calamity.
Original text: 复以善妙。舍此苦乐。先弃忧喜。除苦乐意。护念清净。得入第四禅。不苦不乐。护清净念一心。是故佛言。护最清净第一。名第四禅。以第三禅乐动故。名之为苦。是故四禅除灭苦乐。名不动处。渐观空处。破内外色想。灭有对想。不念种种色想。观无量空处。常观色过。念空处定。上妙功德。习念是法。逮得空处。
Explanation: Then, with skillful means, one abandons these feelings of suffering and bliss. First removing the mind of sorrow and joy and eliminating the thoughts of suffering and bliss, one makes the mindfulness pure and enters the fourth dhyāna, feeling neither suffering nor bliss, with pure mindfulness and single-pointed mind. Therefore the Buddha said that the place where guarding mindfulness is most pure is the fourth dhyāna. Because the third dhyāna still has the surging of the blissful mind, it is also called a place of suffering; therefore the fourth dhyāna eliminates all feelings of suffering and bliss and is called the immovable place. From here one gradually contemplates the sphere of space, breaking the notions of internal and external form within the mind; whatever notion arises in the mind, one extinguishes it, not entertaining any notion of any form. Contemplating the boundless sphere of space, constantly observing the faults of the various forms, keeping in mind the supreme and wondrous merits of the concentration on the sphere of space, and cultivating such mindfulness, one can attain the concentration on the sphere of space.
Original text: 念无量识处。观空处过。念无量识处功德。习念是法。逮得识处。念无所有处。观识处过。念无所有处功德。习念是法。便得无所有处。念非有想非无想处。若一切想。其患甚多。若病若疮若无想。是愚痴处。是故非有想非无想。是第一安隐善处。观无所有处过。念非有想非无想功德。习念是法。便得非有想非无想处。
Explanation: Then one keeps in mind the sphere of infinite consciousness, observing the faults of the concentration on the sphere of space and keeping in mind the various merits of the sphere of infinite consciousness. Cultivating such mindfulness, one can attain the dhyāna of the sphere of infinite consciousness. Then one keeps in mind the sphere of nothingness, observing the faults of the dhyāna of the sphere of infinite consciousness and keeping in mind the various merits of the concentration on the sphere of nothingness; cultivating such mindfulness, one can enter the concentration on the sphere of nothingness.
Then one keeps in mind the concentration of neither perception nor non-perception: if there is any kind of perception, it has extremely many faults—it is a perception of illness, a perception of sores, or a perception of no perception, all being places of folly. Therefore the concentration of neither perception nor non-perception is said to be the most peaceful and wholesome place among all dhyānas. Observing the various faults of the concentration on the sphere of nothingness and keeping in mind the various merits of the concentration of neither perception nor non-perception, cultivating such mindfulness, one can attain the concentration of neither perception nor non-perception.
Original text: 或有行者。先从初地。乃至上地。复于上地。习行慈心。先自得乐。破瞋恚毒。次及十方无量众生。是时便得。慈心三昧。悲心怜愍。众生之苦。能破众恼。广及无量众生。是时便得。悲心三昧。能破不悦。令无量众生。皆得喜悦。是时便得。喜心三昧。能破苦乐。直观十方无量众生。是时便得。护心三昧。二禅亦复如是。三禅四禅除喜。
Explanation: Some practitioners begin from the first ground, the concentration of the desire realm, and then proceed upward to the ground of the first dhyāna, where they cultivate the samādhi of loving-kindness, first gaining bliss themselves and breaking the poison of hatred. Then their loving-kindness extends to infinite sentient beings in the ten directions, and at this time they attain the samādhi of loving-kindness. With compassion pitying the suffering of sentient beings, they can break sentient beings' afflictions; when their compassion, vast and great, pervades infinite sentient beings, they can realize the samādhi of compassion. Being able to break displeasure and make infinite sentient beings all joyful, they then realize the samādhi of joy. Being able to break the mind of suffering and bliss and directly contemplate infinite sentient beings in the ten directions, they then realize the samādhi of protection (equanimity). The same cultivation applies in the ground of the second dhyāna; when cultivating in the grounds of the third and fourth dhyānas, there is no samādhi of joy.
Original text: 次学五通。身能飞行。变化自在。行者一心欲定。精进定一心定慧定。一心观身。常作轻想。欲成飞行。若大若小(以欲定过为大以欲定减为小)。此二俱患。精进翘勤。常能一心。思惟轻观。如能浮人。心力强故。而不沉没。亦如猿猴。从高上堕。心力强故。身无痛患。此亦如是。欲力精进力。一心力慧力。令其广大。而身更小。便能运身。
Explanation: After cultivating the four immeasurable minds of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, one then studies the five supernatural powers, whereby the body can fly and the material body can be transformed at will. The practitioner single-mindedly cultivates dhyāna, giving rise to the desiring mind wishing to initiate dhyāna and supernatural powers to transform the material body, wishing to gain freedom; with this desiring mind one enhances the power of dhyāna, fulfilling the basis of supernatural power of aspiration (chanda-ṛddhipāda). Diligently cultivating this dhyāna, hoping to quickly fulfill one's aspiration and manifest the power of supernatural powers, one continuously increases the power of dhyāna, fulfilling the basis of supernatural power of diligence (vīrya-ṛddhipāda). One also cultivates the power of concentration, single-mindedly wishing to gain the freedom of supernatural powers, continuously increasing the power of dhyāna to fulfill the basis of supernatural power of mind (citta-ṛddhipāda). The practitioner further cultivates wisdom contemplation, continuously strengthening the power of dhyāna to fulfill the basis of supernatural power of contemplation (mīmāṃsā-ṛddhipāda).
The practitioner single-mindedly contemplates and practices upon the material body, often visualizing the body as becoming ever lighter, as if about to fly. The power of his dhyāna is at times great and at times small, determined by the dhyāna power of the basis of supernatural power of aspiration: exceeding the concentration of the aspiration basis means great power; falling short of the concentration of the aspiration basis means small power. Whether great or small, both these concentrations have faults. The practitioner then cultivates with diligence, constantly concentrating on visualizing the body as light, single-mindedly contemplating the body rising lightly and soaring. Like a person who can float on water, whose body does not sink because his mental power is strong; also like a monkey falling from a height to the ground, whose body is unharmed and free of pain because its mental power is strong. Visualizing the body as light so as to fly is just the same: through the power of the basis of supernatural power of aspiration, the power of diligence, the power of mind, and the power of contemplation, the mental power becomes vast and the material body becomes smaller, and thus one can move the body at will.
Which mind possesses the basis of supernatural power of aspiration? When cultivating dhyāna, the mind that wishes to soar and transform—which does it refer to? It all refers to the manas. Thereupon the tathāgatagarbha cooperates with the manas' mental factor of volition (cetanā), fulfilling the manas' needs and desires, enabling the material body to fly and transform. The basis of supernatural power of aspiration is mainly the desire of the manas; when the manas' desire is fulfilled and the manas has power, wishing to achieve a certain goal, the tathāgatagarbha has no choice but to satisfy the manas. If the manas has no power, the tathāgatagarbha has no way to cooperate. Within this, it still relies on the mind consciousness's visualization and drawing force, cooperating with the manas to achieve the goal. It can be seen that the manas makes use of the six consciousnesses and the eighth consciousness to realize all its mental designs. The power of the manas is the power of meditative concentration. The basis of supernatural power of aspiration is mainly the samādhi of the manas: through the cultivation of the mind consciousness, the manas is given the power to reach the goal and fulfill the manas' desires.
Original text: 复次观身空界。常习此观。欲力精进力。一心力慧力。极为广大。便能举身。如大风力。致重达远。此亦如是。初当自试。离地一尺二尺。渐至一丈。还来本处。如鸟子学飞。小儿学行。思惟自审。知心力大。必能至远。学观四大。除却地大。但观三大。心念不散。便得自在。身无挂碍。如鸟飞行。当复学习。远作近想。是故近灭远出。
Explanation: Furthermore, one contemplates the space element of the material body, regarding the body as empty, and constantly cultivates this contemplation. The power of aspiration becomes more vast, and the power of diligence, the power of concentration, and the power of wisdom of contemplation become extremely vast; then one can lift the body up, the body gradually leaving the seat and rising into space. Just as a very strong wind can carry a heavy object far away, lifting the body is the same. At the beginning one should test oneself bit by bit, letting the body leave the ground by one or two chi (Chinese feet), gradually up to one zhang (ten chi), and then return to the original place. Just like a fledgling bird learning to fly, or a small child learning to walk. One continuously deliberates, examines, and weighs one's own mental power, until at a certain point one knows that one's mental power is already great and one can surely fly to distant places.
Then one cultivates the contemplation of the four great elements of one's own body—earth, water, fire, and wind—removing the earth element from the mind and contemplating only the water, fire, and wind elements, letting the mind be single-pointed and undispersed; thereafter the body gains freedom, without any obstruction, like a bird in flight. At this time one should further learn to contemplate regarding the far as near, extinguishing the notion of spatial distance, so that the body can instantly reach a distant place as if it were nearby.
Why is it that by regarding the far as near and extinguishing the notion of spatial distance, the body can instantly reach a distant place as if nearby? Because thinking this way makes the manas believe it; once the manas truly believes it, it holds this view; when the manas holds this view, the tathāgatagarbha will necessarily follow the manas to transform and create such a realm. Supernatural powers work this way, and all dharmas work this way: whatever the manas believes will appear; changing the manas can change everything. Therefore true self-confidence is the manas' faith: as long as the manas believes, nothing cannot be accomplished—becoming a Buddha works on this very principle. Then, if the manas realizes no-self and believes in no-self, how great would the power of that no-self be? It would sever self-grasping and all afflictions, extinguish all notions of self, the mind would gain liberation, and one would enter tranquil nirvāṇa.
Original text: 复能变化诸物。如观木地种。除却余种。此木便变为地。所以者何。木有地种分故。水火风空金银宝物。悉皆如是。何以故。木有诸种分故。是初神通根本。
四禅有十四变化心。初禅二果。一者初禅。二者欲界。二禅三果。一者二禅。二者初禅。三者欲界。三禅四果。一者三禅。二者二禅。三者初禅。四者欲界。四禅五果。一者四禅。二者三禅。三者二禅。四者初禅。五者欲界。余通如摩诃衍论中说。
Explanation: After cultivating supernatural powers such as the supernormal power of travel, one can transform material form and change matter. For example, by contemplating the earth-element seed nature of a piece of wood and setting aside the water, fire, and wind seeds without contemplating them, the piece of wood can turn into great earth. Why is this so? Because the wood contains the seed of the earth element. Discerning and contemplating the seeds of the water, fire, wind, and space elements in the wood to turn the wood into gold, silver, and jewels also follows the same principle. Why? Because the wood contains the seeds of these various elements. These contemplative practice methods are the fundamental basis of the initial supernatural transformations.
The fourth dhyāna has fourteen kinds of transformational minds. The first dhyāna has two fruit realizations: one is the fruit of the first-dhyāna concentration, and one is the fruit of the desire-realm concentration. The second dhyāna has three fruit realizations: first, the fruit of the second-dhyāna concentration; second, the fruit of the first-dhyāna concentration; third, the fruit of the desire-realm concentration. The third dhyāna has four fruit realizations: first, the fruit of the third-dhyāna concentration; second, the fruit of the second-dhyāna concentration; third, the fruit of the first-dhyāna concentration; fourth, the fruit of the desire-realm concentration. The fourth dhyāna has five fruit realizations: first, the fruit of the fourth-dhyāna concentration; second, the fruit of the third-dhyāna concentration; third, the fruit of the second-dhyāna concentration; fourth, the fruit of the first-dhyāna concentration; fifth, the fruit of the desire-realm concentration. The other supernatural powers are as explained in the Mahāyāna Śāstra.
