T614 The Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation

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BDK English Tripiṭaka Series THE SUTRA ON THE CONCENTRATION OF SITTING MEDITATION (Taishō Volume 15, Number 614) Translated from the Chinese of Kumārajīva by

Nobuyoshi Yamabe and

Fumihiko Sueki BDK America, Inc. 2009

Copyright © 2009 by Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai and BDK America, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means —electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of the publisher. First Printing, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-886439-34-4

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2008935153 Published by

BDK America, Inc.

1675 School Street

Moraga, California 94556

Printed in the United States of America

A Message on the Publication of the

English Tripiṭaka

The Buddhist canon is said to contain eighty-four thousand different teachings. I believe that this is because the Buddha's basic approach was to prescribe a different treatment for every spiritual ailment, much as a doctor prescribes a different medicine for every medical ailment. Thus his teachings were always appropriate for the particular suffering individual and for the time at which the teaching was given, and over the ages not one of his prescriptions has failed to relieve the suffering to which it was addressed.

Ever since the Buddha's Great Demise over twenty-five hundred years ago, his message of wisdom and compassion has spread throughout the world. Yet no one has ever attempted to translate the entire Buddhist canon into English throughout the history of Japan. It is my greatest wish to see this done and to make the translations available to the many English-speaking people who have never had the opportunity to learn about the Buddha's teachings. Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the Buddha's eightyfour thousand teachings in a few years. I have, therefore, had one hundred thirtynine of the scriptural texts in the prodigious Taishō edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon selected for inclusion in the First Series of this translation project. It is in the nature of this undertaking that the results are bound to be criticized. Nonetheless, I am convinced that unless someone takes it upon himself or herself to initiate this project, it will never be done. At the same time, I hope that an improved, revised edition will appear in the future.

It is most gratifying that, thanks to the efforts of more than a hundred Buddhist scholars from the East and the West, this monumental project has finally gotten off the ground. May the rays of the Wisdom of the Compassionate One reach each and every person in the world.

NUMATA Yehan

Founder of the English

August 7, 1991 Tripiṭaka Project

v

Editorial Foreword

In January 1982, Dr. NUMATA Yehan, the founder of Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), decided to begin the monumental task of translating the complete Taishō edition of the Chinese Tripiṭaka (Buddhist canon) into the English language. Under his leadership, a special preparatory committee was organized in April 1982. By July of the same year, the Translation Committee of the English Tripiṭaka was officially convened. The initial Committee consisted of the following members: (late) HANAYAMA Shōyū (Chairperson), (late) BANDŌ Shōjun, ISHIGAMI Zennō, (late) KAMATA Shigeo, KANAOKA Shūyū, MAYEDA Sengaku, NARA Yasuaki, (late) SAYEKI Shinkō, (late) SHIOIRI Ryōtatsu, TAMARU Noriyoshi, (late) TAMURA Kwansei, URYŪZU Ryūshin, and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members of the Committee were as follows: KANAZAWA Atsushi, WATA NABE Shōgo, Rolf Giebel of New Zealand, and Rudy Smet of Belgium.

After holding planning meetings on a monthly basis, the Committee selected one hundred thirty-nine texts for the First Series of translations, an estimated one hundred printed volumes in all. The texts selected are not necessarily limited to those originally written in India but also include works written or composed in China and Japan. While the publication of the First Series proceeds, the texts for the Second Series will be selected from among the remaining works; this process will continue until all the texts, in Japanese as well as in Chinese, have been published.

Frankly speaking, it will take perhaps one hundred years or more to accomplish the English translation of the complete Chinese and Japanese texts, for they consist of thousands of works. Nevertheless, as Dr. NUMATA wished, it is the sincere hope of the Committee that this project will continue unto completion, even after all its present members have passed away.

Dr. NUMATA passed away on May 5, 1994, at the age of ninety-seven, entrusting his son, Mr. NUMATA Toshihide, with the continuation and completion of the Translation Project. The Committee also lost its able and devoted Chairperson, vii

Publisher’s Foreword

Editorial Foreword

Professor HANAYAMA Shōyū, on June 16, 1995, at the age of sixty-three. After these severe blows, the Committee elected me, then Vice President of Musashino Women's College, to be the Chair in October 1995. The Committee has renewed its determination to carry out the noble intention of Dr. NUMATA, under the leadership of Mr. NUMATA Toshihide. The present members of the Committee are MAYEDA Sengaku (Chairperson), ISHIGAMI Zennō, ICHISHIMA Shōshin, KANAOKA Shūyū, NARA Yasuaki, TAMARU Noriyoshi, Kenneth K. Tanaka, URYŪZU Ryūshin, YUYAMA Akira, WATANABE Shōgo, and assistant member YONEZAWA Yoshiyasu.

The Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research was established in November 1984, in Berkeley, California, U.S.A., to assist in the publication of the BDK English Tripiṭaka First Series. The Publication Committee was organized at the Numata Center in December 1991. Since then the publication of all the volumes has been and will continue to be conducted under the supervision of this Committee in close cooperation with the Editorial Committee in Tokyo. MAYEDA Sengaku

Chairperson

Editorial Committee of

the BDK English Tripiṭaka

viii

Publisher's Foreword

On behalf of the Publication Committee, I am happy to present this contribution to the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series. The initial translation and editing of the Buddhist scripture found here were performed under the direction of the Editorial Committee in Tokyo, Japan, chaired by Professor Sengaku Mayeda, Professor Emeritus of Musashino University. The Publication Committee members then put this volume through a rigorous succession of editorial and bookmaking efforts. Both the Editorial Committee in Tokyo and the Publication Committee in Berkeley are dedicated to the production of clear, readable English texts of the Buddhist canon. The members of both committees and associated staff work to honor the deep faith, spirit, and concern of the late Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata, who founded the BDK English Tripiṭaka Series in order to disseminate Buddhist teachings throughout the world.

The long-term goal of our project is the translation and publication of the one hundred-volume Taishō edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon, plus a few influential extracanonical Japanese Buddhist texts. The list of texts selected for the First Series of this translation project is given at the end of each volume. As Chair of the Publication Committee, I am deeply honored to serve in the post formerly held by the late Dr. Philip B. Yampolsky, who was so good to me during his lifetime; the esteemed Dr. Kenneth K. Inada, who has had such a great impact on Buddhist studies in the United States; and the beloved late Dr. Francis H. Cook, a dear friend and colleague.

In conclusion, let me thank the members of the Publication Committee for the efforts they have undertaken in preparing this volume for publication: Senior Editor Marianne Dresser, Dr. Hudaya Kandahjaya, Dr. Eisho Nasu, Reverend Kiyoshi Yamashita, and Reverend Brian Nagata, President of the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research.

John R. McRae

Chairperson

Publication Committee

ix

Contents

A Message on the Publication of the English Tripiṭaka NUMATA Yehan v

Editorial Foreword MAYEDA Sengaku vii Publisher's Foreword John R. McRae ix Translators' Introduction Nobuyoshi Yamabe and Fumihiko Sueki xiii Note on the Translation xix The Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation Fascicle One 3

First: The Method of Curing Lust Second: The Method of Curing Anger Third: The Method of Curing Ignorance Fourth: The Method of Curing Discursive Thoughts 10 14

16

18

Fifth: The Method of Curing People Equally [Troubled with Multiple Problems] 33 Fascicle Two 43

[Calling the Buddha to Mind] 62 [Meditation on the Impurities] 64 [Cultivation of Friendliness] 66 [Observation of Dependent Origination] 70 [Mindful Inhalation and Exhalation] 82 Notes 89

Glossary 95

Bibliography 99

xi

Translators’ Introduction

Contents Index 101 A List of the Volumes of the BDK English Tripiṭaka (First Series) 113 xii

Translators' Introduction

The Zuochan sanmei jing(Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation, Taishō No. 614) is a meditation manual compiled by Kumārajīva based largely on Indian sources. Some portions of the text have corresponding Indian originals, as we shall see later, but there is no single text in any Indic language that corresponds to this manual in its entirety. Nor is there a known version in any other classical languages, including Tibetan. Kumārajīva's Chinese version is the only full text of this manual available to us.

The translator Kumārajīva (350?-409?) was born in Kucha, an oasis city on the northern route of the Tarim basin (in present-day Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region, China). His father was an Indian monk and his mother a Kuchean princess. At the age of seven, Kumārajīva became a novice monk, and when he was nine he went to northwest India and studied Traditional ("Hina yana") forms of Buddhism. On his way back to Kucha, he converted to Mahayana Buddhism at Kashgar under the guidance of Sūryasoma, a Mahayanist monk from Yarkand, an oasis city on the southern route of the Tarim basin. In 384, Kumārajīva was captured at Kucha by the Chinese general Lü Guang (337-399), who conquered the city by order of Fu Jian (338-385), king of the Former Qin dynasty. Fu Jian, however, was killed in 385 when Lü Guang was on his way home. Lü Guang reached Guzang (a city in present-day Gansu province) in the same year and learned about the death of his king in the following year, 386. After that, Lü Guang became independent and established his own local kingdom, the Latter Liang, in the Gansu and Xinjiang areas. Kumārajīva was detained for sixteen years in this kingdom. During this long period of detention, he seems to have learned Chinese.

When Yao Xing (366-416), the ruler of the Latter Qin, conquered the Latter Liang in 401, Kumārajīva was invited to Chang'an (present-day Xi'an), the capital of the Latter Qin.

There, under Yao Xing's patronage, Kumārajīva translated many important Mahayana sutras, such as the Lotus Sutra(Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, Taishō xiii

Translators' Introduction

No. 262) and the Vimalakīrti Sutra(Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra,Taishō No. 475), into polished Chinese. These scriptures have been very popular and broadly influential among East Asian Buddhists to this day. He also translated several significant philosophical texts, most notably the Treatise on the Middle (Taishō No. 1564) and the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom(Taishō No. 1509), and a few Vinaya texts (though the origin of the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdomhas been questioned). These texts also exerted significant influence over subsequent developments in East Asian Buddhism.

Before Kumārajīva, Buddhism had not yet been introduced to China in any systematic fashion, so the Chinese people's grasp of Buddhism was in many ways limited. Kumārajīva introduced Mahayana thought systematically, based on his profound knowledge of both Traditional and Mahayana Buddhism. He thus significantly advanced the Chinese understanding of Buddhism. He is justifiably included among the four great translators of Buddhist texts into Chinese, along with Paramārtha, Xuanzang, and Amoghavajra.

We should note here that the first text Kumārajīva translated was this Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation.According to the preface to this manual, the Guanzhong-chu chanjing xu(Preface to the Meditation Manual Translated in the Guanzhong Area,T55: 65a-b) by Sengrui (dates uncertain), Kumārajīva translated it only six days after his arrival at Chang'an, upon the request of Seng rui. Thus we can see the keen demand for a clear meditation manual in China.

On the whole, the Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditationis a lucid and well-organized manual that describes the paths for becoming an arhat, a solitary awakened one (pratyekabuddha), or a buddha (the respective goals of the three vehicles). However, since the exposition of the path for becoming a solitary awakened one is very brief, the bulk of this manual consists of a discussion of Traditional and Mahayanist methods of meditation practice. In the Traditional portion, the manual first advises instructors of meditation to observe the inclinations of practitioners. Practitioners are classified into five different types: those who are primarily inclined to lust, anger, ignorance, or discursive thoughts as separate tendencies, and those who are troubled by a combination of these problems. Then an appropriate remedy is prescribed for each type: for those who are inclined to lust, meditation on the impurities of xiv

Translators' Introduction

human bodies; for those who are inclined to anger, cultivation of friendliness; for those who are inclined to ignorance, observation of the twelve links of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda); for those who are inclined to discursive thoughts, mindful inhalation and exhalation; for those who are troubled by several problems, calling the Buddha to mind. By practicing these methods, practitioners attain single-mindedness and can proceed to the four stages of meditation and the four stages of formless concentration. Finally, they attain the five supernatural powers.

If practitioners seek to attain nirvana directly, they first apply mindfulness to the body, sensation, mind, and elements, and observe that they are impermanent, painful, empty, and without self. Then practitioners meditate on, and finally penetrate into, the Four Noble Truths, thereby becoming partially awakened people. They then go through the four supramundane stages and eventually become arhats.

In the Mahayanist portion, practitioners are also classified into the same five types, and the aforementioned five methods are prescribed. By following these methods, practitioners see the Mahayanist truth. They then follow the bodhisattva path and eventually attain the unsurpassable awakening of buddhas (anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi).

Thus, the basic methods of practice are the same for those who seek to become arhats and those who wish to become buddhas. In the Mahayanist section, Mahayanist interpretations are given to the same methods, and the advanced stages described after the five methods are Mahayanist. The general framework of practice, however, is largely the same. This suggests that to Kumārajīva, Mahayanist meditation was not separate from Traditional forms of meditation. When interpreted in the Mahayanist way, the Traditional methods can be followed by Mahayanist practitioners also.

According to Sengrui's preface, portions of this text are based on excerpts from texts by Upagupta, Pārśva, Vasumitra, Kumāralāta, Aśvaghoṣa, Saṅgha rakṣa, and Saṅghasena (see table on following pages). As we can see, Sengrui is silent about the sources of the Mahayanist portion.

It has been confirmed that passages from Aśvaghoṣa's and Saṅgharakṣa's works have indeed been incorporated into this manual precisely at the places specified by Sengrui. This indicates the reliability of his preface. xv

Translators' Introduction Contents References* Sources indicated by Sengrui

1.2 cultivation of friendliness 272b1 (p. 14) 1. Arhat Path (Traditional portion) 1.0.1 introductory verses 269c29 (p. 3) Kumāralāta 1.0.2 temperaments of practitioners 270c28 (p. 7) Saṅgharakṣa 1.1 meditation on the impurities 271c6 (p. 10) Upagupta, Pārśva, Vasumitra, Kumāralāta, Aśvaghoṣa, Saṅgharakṣa, Saṅghasena Upagupta, Pārśva, Vasumitra, Kumāralāta, Aśvaghoṣa, Saṅgharakṣa, Saṅghasena 1.3 observation of dependent 272c10 (p. 16) Upagupta, Pārśva, Vasumitra, origination Kumāralāta, Aśvaghoṣa, Saṅgharakṣa, Saṅghasena 1.4. mindful inhalation 273a12 (p. 18) Upagupta, Pārśva, Vasumitra, and exhalation Kumāralāta, Aśvaghoṣa, Saṅgharakṣa, Saṅghasena; the verses on the six kinds of discursive thoughts in 1.4: Aśvaghoṣa; six stages of mindful inhalation and exhalation in 1.4: "various masters"

1.5 calling the Buddha to mind 276a6 (p. 33) Upagupta, Pārśva, Vasumitra, Kumāralāta, Aśvaghoṣa, Saṅgharakṣa, Saṅghasena 1.6 four stages of meditation; four stages of concentration on the formless realms 277b16 (p. 43)

1.7 five supernatural powers 1.8 those who prefer concentration and those who prefer wisdom 1.9 four applications of mindfulness 1.10 heat, summit, recognition, the supreme among the worldly elements

278b4 (p. 47)

278b27 (p. 48)

278c3 (p. 49)

279b9 (p. 53)

1.11 stream-entrant (srotāpanna), once-returner (sakṛdāgāmin), non-returner (anāgāmin), arhat 2. Solitary Awakened One Path 280a16 (p. 57) 280c24 (p. 61)

xvi

Translators' Introduction

Contents References* Sources indicated by

Sengrui

3. Buddha Path (Mahayanist portion)

3.1 calling the Buddha to mind 3.2 meditation on the impurities 3.3 cultivation of friendliness 3.4 observation of dependent origination 3.5 mindful inhalation and exhalation 3.6 Way of Seeing, six perfections, ten stages 4. concluding verses 281a22 (p. 62)

281b26 (p. 64)

282a1 (p. 66)

282c11 (p. 70)

285a6 (p. 82)

285a9 (p. 82)

285c1 (p. 85) Aśvaghoṣa

* In the page citations, the first number refers to the page, column, and line numbers of the original Chinese text in Taishō vol. 15. The page references in parentheses correspond to the English translation in this volume. In both cases, the numbers indicate only the starting points of each respective section. Most of the authors of the first half were affiliated with the Sarvāstivāda tradition, though not all of them were faithful to the orthodox tenets of this tradition. Upagupta, according to Buddhist legends, was a master of King Aśoka and is considered in the Chinese tradition to have been one of the Sarvāstivāda masters. Pārśva is said to have been a cardinal figure at the convention at which the magnum opus of the Sarvāstivāda school, the Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā (Taishō No. 1545), was compiled. Vasumitra is one of the four major masters frequently quoted in the Mahāvibhāṣā.Kumāralāta was a famous master of Dārṣṭāntika, an unorthodox group of people within the Sarvāstivāda tradition. Aśvaghoṣa was a celebrated Buddhist poet and is well known for his two epics, the Acts of the Buddha(Buddhacarita) and Nanda the Fair(Saundarananda). Saṅgharakṣa was the author of an important meditation manual, known as the Yogācāra bhūmiof Saṅgharakṣa (Xiuxing daodi jing,Taishō No. 606), which is considered to have been one of the precursors of the magnum opus of the Yogācāra school, also entitled Yogācārabhūmi(Taishō No.1579). Not much is known about Saṅghasena, but many of the other masters—Pārśva, Vasumitra, Kumāra lāta, Aśvaghoṣa, and Saṅgharakṣa—were active in northwest India. Therefore, by and large the methods described in the Traditional portion of this manual were based on the meditative tradition within the Sarvāstivāda community in that area. xvii

Note on the Translation

Translators' Introduction

Kumārajīva probably based his manual on the meditation methods he learned while he was there.

On the other hand, the sources of the Mahayanist portion of this manual are not clear. This portion may well be an original contribution by Kumārajīva, based on his own understanding. In a way, the structure of this manual may reflect the personal history of Kumārajīva, who first studied Traditional Buddhism and then converted to Mahayana. Perhaps more to the point are the arguments of some scholars, who point out that the Mahayanization of Buddhist meditation, which eventually led to the compilation of the voluminous Yogācāra bhūmi, was taking place in northwest India. It is possible that the structure of this manual thus reflects the historical development of Buddhist meditation in India. For the Chinese, this manual provided much-needed clear guidance for meditation. The old meditation manuals translated by An Shigao (second century), the first translator of Buddhist texts into Chinese, had been influential up to and including the lifetime of Dao'an (312-385). The language of these manuals, however, was rather clumsy and not easy to understand. That probably was the reason why Sengrui, Dao'an's disciple, requested the compilation/trans lation of this manual as soon as Kumārajīva came to Chang'an. Kumārajīva might also have intended to answer the questions of Chinese Buddhists about the relationship between Traditional and Mahayanist practices. In any case, the Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditationexerted significant influence on the subsequent development of Buddhist meditation in China, especially on the Tiantai tradition. Therefore, seen from both Indian and Chinese perspectives, the Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditationis a significant text. There is a short "commentary" on this manual, the Zazen sanmaikyō chūshaku,by the Japanese scholarmonk Jiun (1718-1804). However, this is merely a brief unfinished draft, and the content is a very free exposition of the text from a practical point of view. Therefore, it is not very helpful for a literal understanding the text. To the best of the knowledge of the co-translators, there is no prior complete translation of this text into a Western language. Nobuyoshi Yamabe prepared the first draft of this translation, while the final version is the joint effort of Yamabe and Fumihiko Sueki. We thank Dr. Ken'ichi Maekawa for checking our draft against the original Chinese text. We are also deeply grateful to Prof. John R. McRae, Prof. Robert Kritzer, and Mr. Ryan Ward for many helpful comments. xviii

Note on the Translation

We have sometimes inserted numbers that are not found in the original text into this English translation in parentheses for the sake of greater readability. Numbers not in parentheses are those found in the original text. Notes appearing in italics in parentheses are interlineal notes in the original text.

Correspondences to the Saundaranandaare also given in parentheses, e.g., (SauN 15.64). In these references, the first and second numbers respectively refer to the canto and verse numbers.

An asterisk on the title of a text indicates that the Sanskrit title given is a reconstruction.

As discussed in the introduction, in both the Traditional and Mahayanist portions, the main point is the exposition of the five methods of meditation. In the Traditional portion, the original Chinese text gives the section title before each of these methods, but not in the Mahayanist portion. However, it is somewhat unnatural to give these titles only in the Traditional portion when the two portions have almost parallel structures. So, I have inserted section titles in the Mahayanist portion in brackets.

xix

Contents

THE SUTRA ON THE CONCENTRATION OF SITTING MEDITATION Translated by

Tripiṭaka Master Kumārajīva during the Yao Qing Period

Fascicle I

Fascicle One

269c29

It is difficult to encounter a guide who [is willing to] teach and a listener who delights in listening [to the teaching]. That which mature people enjoy listening to but petty people dislike hearing [is the teaching]. To be pitied are sentient beings who fall onto the craggy pathways of old age and death. Uncultivated people enslaved by [the bonds of] obligation and love do not feel fear in awful places due to their ignorance. Whether large or small, in this world no element is permanent. Nothing abides for a long time. Things appear only temporarily like lightning. This body belongs to [the realm of] old age and death and is also subject to various diseases. A thin skin [is all that] covers up the impurities [within the body], deluding ignorant people.

Your youthful appearance is always swallowed up by the rogue of old age. It is like a flower garland that cannot be recovered once it has withered.

King Mūrdhagata1 was meritorious enough to share a throne with Heavenly King Indra. His happy rewards [for his former good deeds] were numerous but where are they all now?

[When] this king was among heavenly and human beings, his enjoyment of desire was incomparable. Still he suffered extreme pain when he died. One should awaken one's mind with this story. Desires are enjoyable in the beginning, but they all turn into great pain in the end. They are like enemies who are nice in the beginning but who eventually destroy one's [entire] clan.

This body is a foul vessel, always releasing filthy things from its nine apertures. It is also like having boils [that are] incurable by any medicine. 270a

3

The Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation 270b

This bony chariot of yours is very weak, entangled [as it is] in muscles and veins, with consciousness evolving. You consider it to be a marvelous vehicle and are shamelessly attached to it. The dead are abandoned in charnel grounds and fill the graveyards. Although [they were] objects of attachment while alive, once dead they are simply discarded.

One should always reflect as follows: One should contemplate singlemindedly and should not be disturbed. [Thus] one destroys the darkness of perverted ignorance, and holding a torch, one clearly contemplates. If one abandons the four applications of mindfulness, there is no evil the mind does not generate. It becomes like an elephant that has been spared the goad and is never able to docilely follow the path. Today one does this, and tomorrow one does that. One is attached [to pleasure] and does not observe suffering; thus one does not realize the arrival of the rogue of death.

People are busily concerned with taking care of their own business, and they do not hesitate to involve themselves in other people's business as well. But the rogue of death does not wait, and once he comes, there is no way to avoid him.

When a thirsty deer comes to a spring, it heads for water to drink [from it]. A hunter, however, has no mercy and kills without waiting for the deer to finish drinking.

2

Foolish people are also like this, busying themselves with various matters. Once death comes, it does not wait. Who will protect them then? People's minds yearn for fortune and status, and the desires of the five senses are never satisfied. Not even kings of large states can avoid this calamity.

Even sages who wield arrows of spells cannot escape the King of Death. When the great elephant of impermanence stamps the earth, ants and leeches are all [crushed].

4

Fascicle One

Putting aside all [common] people, even the truly awakened buddhas who have crossed over the streams of samsara do not abide eternally. Therefore you should know that what you take pleasure in must be all abandoned soon, and you should seek nirvana single-mindedly. Later, when one abandons the body and dies, who will know whether one will be able to encounter the Dharma Jewel again or not? [Only once] in a very long while does the Sun of the Buddha rise and destroy the great darkness of ignorance. Emitting rays of light, he shows people the right and wrong paths.

"From where have I come? From where have I been [re]born? Where shall I achieve deliverance?" Who can answer these questions? The Buddha, awakened and omniscient, appears in this world [only once] in a great span of time. If you are single-minded and diligent, he will destroy the bonds of your doubts.

People do not enjoy the true benefit and are attached to the wicked mind. As the chief among sentient beings, you should seek the reality of [all] elements.

Who knows which path he will follow at the time of death? It is just like a lamp in a wind that does not know when it will be blown out. The Dharma of the supreme path is not difficult, as the Great Sage has explained concretely. The wisdom to teach and the object of wisdom do not depend on the external.

If you are diligent and always practice the path single-mindedly, before long you will attain nirvana, the supreme, eternally blissful abode. The wise associate with good people, wholeheartedly respecting the Buddha-Dharma, and being averted from the defiled and impure body. 3

Thus they can be liberated from suffering and attain deliverance. They silently cultivate tranquility of mind seated cross-legged in the woods. Diligently examining the mind, they awaken their minds and realize the objects [of their meditations].

270c

5

The Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation If one is not averted from being in worldly existence and sleeps at ease without awakening, if one does not keep in mind the impermanence of the world, and if one is not afraid of what is fearful, Then [one's] defilements are bottomless, and the sea of samsara is boundless. The ship to cross over the [sea of] suffering has not yet been built. How can you enjoy sleep?

Therefore, be awake and do not let sleep cover up your mind. Know the right amount of the four types of offerings [you receive] and learn to be content.

You have not yet escaped any of the great fears. [Thus] you should make effort diligently. When all suffering comes, regret will be useless. Wearing a Buddhist robe and seated under a tree, one obtains food according to the prescribed method. One should not harm oneself by being attached to [good] flavors.

When one has finished eating, one should know that there is no difference at all between good and bad flavors. Attachment leads to distress and suffering, and therefore do not develop attachment to anything. In the world-system controlled by karma, there are no good or bad things that have not been experienced before. One has already experienced all of them [in one's previous lives], and thinking of this, one should control oneself.

If one is among animals, one eats grass and thinks it is tasty. In the hells one swallows iron balls, which are red-hot with sparks flying. If one is among hungry ghosts (pretas), one thinks pus, vomited food, fire, excrement, saliva, and other impurities are exquisite. If one is in a heavenly palace, a pavilion decorated with seven jewels, the deities (devas) there eat food that tastes like sudhā,and heavenly ladies are there to amuse one's mind.

Noble status, or seven types of dishes of various flavors in the human world—one has already experienced them all [in one's former lives]. Why should one be attached to them again?

6

Fascicle One

In one's repeated rebirth throughout this world-system, if one is averted from experiencing painful and pleasant things, even if one has not attained nirvana, one should diligently seek for its benefit. When a practitioner of meditation first visits a master, the master should ask him: "Do you keep pure precepts? Have you not committed serious transgressions?" If the practitioner says that he has upheld the five classes of precepts and has not committed serious transgressions, then the master should teach him the Dharma. If the practitioner says that he has broken precepts, the master should further ask him: "Which precepts have you broken?" If the practitioner says that he has broken grave precepts, the master should say: "Just as a person whose ears and nose have been cut off does not need to look in a mirror, [you should realize that] you have to leave here at once. Diligently chant sutras and advise others to cultivate merit. You should thus prepare causes and conditions for practicing the Dharma in future lives. This life has been permanently lost, just as a dead tree cannot grow flowers, leaves, or fruits even if it is watered.

"

If the practitioner has broken other precepts, the master should teach him to repent properly.

If he is already pure, and if the master has attained the heavenly eye and mind-reading wisdom, he should explain the method of practicing the path according to the disease [of the practitioner].

If [the master] has not attained such supernatural abilities, he should observe the marks of the practitioner. Alternatively, [the master] asks [him] as follows: "Which of the three poisons predominates in you? Lust, anger, or ignorance?"

How can one observe the marks [of the practitioner's predominant tendency]? The marks of a lustful person are as follows: He has a lighthearted personality and has many wives and concubines. He speaks much and believes [things] easily. His countenance is joyful and his speech easy. He has little anger and little distress. He is skilled in many things, willing to learn, and knowledgeable. He loves literature and is good at talking. He is skilled in discerning the feelings of other people and is easily frightened. His mind is attached to bedchambers and likes thin clothes. He lusts for women and is 7

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271b

attached to bedding, dress, ornaments, perfume, and flowers. His mind is mostly tender and is compassionate. He speaks beautifully and likes practicing meritorious acts. In his mind he wishes for rebirth in a heavenly realm, and he has no difficulty being among people. He discriminates between beautiful and ugly people and trusts women. The fire of lust is vehement, and he frequently changes his mind in regret. He likes ornamenting himself and looking at paintings. He is stingy with his own possessions and seeks the lucky acquisition of other people's property. He likes to associate with close friends and does not like solitary places. He is attached to his abode and follows popular trends. Easily surprised, easily afraid, his mind is like a monkey. His view is superficial, and he is thoughtless in his actions. Once his casual action has brought about desired results, he cries in joy. His body is slender, soft, and cannot endure the suffering of coldness. He is easily blocked, easily pleased, and cannot forbear difficulties. When he obtains a little, he is greatly pleased. When he loses a little, he is greatly distressed. He betrays [his own] secrets. His body is warm and his sweat smells. The skin and hair are thin. There are many wrinkles and white spots. [When] he goes out, he keeps his nails and moustache neat, and his teeth white. He likes clean clothes. He is not devoted to learning and likes to play in green gardens. Being sentimental and covetous, his mind is attached to eternalism. He approaches virtuous masters and inquires after them.

He gladly follows the advice of others and patiently endures humiliation. When he hears of a situation, he quickly understands what has been done. He discriminates between the favorable and unfavorable and is sympathetic to people in distress. He is proud, likes to win, and cannot accept violation [from others]. He likes to practice generosity and to receive good people. When he obtains good food and drink, he shares them with other people. Not worrying about small things, his aspiration is directed at big things. His eyes are attracted to sexual desire, and he is never satisfied. He has no long-term plan but is familiar with social custom. By observing the faces of people, he discerns what is in their minds. His speech is pleasant, but his ties with friends are not strong. His hair is scarce, and he sleeps little. He does not deviate from proper demeanor while he is seated, lying down, walking, or standing. He quickly rescues people in emergency with his wealth but later regrets [doing so]. Whatever he is taught he quickly learns, but later easily forgets. 8

Fascicle One

He is attached to his course of action and cannot change it by himself. It is hard for him to be free from his desires. The transgressions he commits are trivial. Such are the marks of a lustful person.

The marks of a resentful person are as follows: He has much distress. He is impetuous and harbors resentment. His bodily actions and speech are rough. He can endure suffering, but he is not pleased with things he experiences. He has much grief and little pleasure. He can do great evils and has no compassion. He likes fighting. His face appears exhausted, and he looks around with a furrowed brow. He is hard to talk to, hard to please, hard to serve, and hard to receive approval from. His mind is like a wound4 and [he] exposes the faults of others. In argument he is stubborn and difficult to persuade. He is hard to move, hard to associate with, and hard to block. If he swallows poison, he does not easily vomit it up. He does not forget what he has been taught to recite. He has many abilities and many skills; his mind is not lazy. He does things quickly. He does not talk even if he wishes something. His intentions are profound and hard to fathom.

When he receives a favor, he can repay it. He is capable of assembling people, and can humbly serve others. He cannot be discouraged and can complete any affair [he has undertaken]. He is hard to be disturbed and has little to fear. He is like a lion who cannot be subdued. He proceeds straight ahead and does not waver. Once he remembers something he does not forget. He reflects and ponders on it well; he recites it [repeatedly] and keeps it in his memory. He can donate many things and does not pocket even a small profit. Once he becomes a master he has superior capacity, is free from desire, and resides in a solitary place with little lust. His mind always aspires for superior things, and is inclined to annihilationism. His eyes are always malicious. His speech is truthful, and his statements clear. He has few close friends and is steadfast in his acts. He memorizes things firmly and does not forget. His muscle power is strong. His shoulders and chest are beautifully large, his forehead wide, and his hair neat. His mind is firm and hard to subdue. He quickly grasps things and does not forget easily. He can detach himself, but [whenever he commits transgressions] he tends to commit grave transgressions. Such are the marks of a resentful person. The marks of a stupid person are as follows: He doubts much, regrets much, is lazy, and has no opinion [of his own]. He is satisfied with himself 9

First: The Method of Curing Lust

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and difficult to convince. He is [also] arrogant and does not accept [good advice]. He does not believe what is to be believed but believes what is not to be believed. He does not know to be [truly] respectful and believes in whatever [he encounters]. He shamelessly and rudely bustles about to many masters. He is thoughtless in his behavior, resists teachings, and is crooked. He does not choose close friends [properly], nor does he ornament himself. He is fond of following non-Buddhist masters and cannot discriminate between the right and the evil.

5 He has difficulty in learning [things] and easily forgets them. He is dull in his capacity and is lazy. He blames those who practice generosity and has no mercy in his mind. He destroys the Dharma-bridge6 and does not understand what he encounters. With eyes wide open, he sees nothing, and he lacks intelligence. He seeks and desires much. He is doubtful and has little faith. He hates good people and slanders the [law of] retribution for sinful and meritorious [deeds]. He cannot distinguish good words [from bad ones], nor can he understand faults. He does not accept admonitions, and [thus even his] relatives abandon and hate him. He does not know courtesy and likes to speak ill of [other people]. His beard, hair, and nails are long, and his teeth and clothes are dirty. He is exploited by others. He is not afraid in fearful situations. He is distressed in pleasant situations and is pleased in distressing situations. He laughs in sad situations and is sad in laughable situations. He follows when he is led, and he can endure painful things. He cannot discriminate flavors, nor can he attain detachment easily. He commits serious transgressions. Such are the marks of a stupid person. If lust is predominant [in a practitioner], he should be cured by the method of impurities. If anger is predominant, he should be cured by the method of friendliness. If stupidity is predominant, he should be cured by the method of meditation on dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda). If discursive thoughts are predominant, he should be cured by the method of mindful breathing. If one is equally [troubled with multiple problems], he should be cured by the method of calling the Buddha to mind. Thus these various diseases are cured by respective [five corresponding] methods. First: The Method of Curing Lust

A practitioner who has much lust practices the meditation on the impurities. From the feet to the hair, [the whole body] is filled with impurities. (1) Head 10

Fascicle One

hair, (2) body hair, (3) nails, (4) teeth, (5) thin skin, (6) thick skin, (7) blood, (8) flesh, (9) tendons, (10) vessels, (11) bones, (12) marrow, (13) liver, (14) lungs, (15) heart, (16) spleen, (17) kidney, (18) stomach, (19) large intestine, (20) small intestine, (21) feces, (22) urine, (23) nasal mucus, (24) saliva, (25) sweat, (26) tears, (27) dirt, (28) dust, (29) pus, (30) brain, (31) placenta, (32) gallbladder, (33) water, (34) thin skin, (35) fat, and (36) meninges. These sorts of impurities are in the body.

Further, the meditation on the impurities consists of [the following nine stages: namely] the visualization of (1) blue pus, (2) swelling, (3) bursting, (4) shedding blood, (5) besmearing [of the blood], (6) stinking pus, (7) being devoured [by scavengers] but not completely consumed, (8) scattering of the bones, and (9) scorched [bones]. [Together,] this is called "the meditation on the impurities.

"

Further, a lustful person has seven types of attachments; namely attachment to (1) pleasant colors, (2) beautiful appearances, (3) deportment, (4) voices, (5) smoothness of touch, (6) people, or (7) all of these. (1) If one is attached to pleasant colors, one should practice the meditation on blue pus. [The meditation on] yellowish or reddish impure colors will also [serve for the same purpose]. (2) If one is attached to beautiful appearances, one should practice the meditation on a swelling body and scattering bones. (3) If one is attached to deportment, one should practice the meditation on the bones of a recently dead person smeared with blood. (4) If one is attached to voices, one should practice the meditation on [someone who is] dying with his throat being choked. (5) If one is attached to smoothness of touch, one should practice the visualization of bones and the meditation on the disease of dry skin. (6) If one is attached to people, one should practice [these] six meditations. (7) If one is attached to all of these, one should practice all of these meditations. At times one does various meditations in turn. This is called the meditation on the impurities.

Question:If the body is impure and like a stinking corpse, how does one develop attachment to it? If one is attached to a pure body, one should also be attached to a stinking and rotten body. If one is not attached to a stinking body, one should not be attached to a pure body; for the two (i.e., pure and impure) bodies are equal.

Answer:If one seeks for the two as substantial [elements], neither purity 11

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[nor impurity] is perceivable. People's minds are deluded and covered up with perverted views. Thus one considers the impure to be pure. If the perverted mind is destroyed, one attains the meditation on the reality of [all] elements. Then one knows that the impure is unreal and false. Further, a corpse has no heat, no life, no consciousness, and no sense faculties. [When] one clearly knows this, one's mind is not attached [to it]. Because the body has heat, life, consciousness, and unimpaired sense faculties, one's mind is delusively attached to it. Also, when one's mind is attached to [a pleasant] appearance, one considers it to be pure. When the attachment ceases, one knows it to have been impure. If the [body] were indeed pure, it should be always pure. This, however, is not the case. It is like a dog that eats excrement and thinks it is pure, but a human being sees it and thinks it is extremely filthy.

Inside and outside the body, there is nothing pure anywhere. If one is attached to the external [appearance] of the body, [consider that] thin skin covers up the whole body and barely [conceals impurities], like [the skin of] a mango, but that [the body is] still impure. How much more so the thirtysix items inside the body? Further, if one considers the causes and conditions for the body, they are all impure. [The body] arises from a combination of impure semen and "blood" of the parents. Once a body is formed, it constantly discharges impurities. Clothing and bedding are also foul-smelling and impure. How much more so a place where someone is dead.

From these reasons, one should know that inside and outside the body, whether alive or dead, everything is impure. (What follows until the beginning of the second method is the text of a sutra.)7

Also, there are three classes of meditation: introductory, intermediate, and advanced practice.

If [the practitioner] is at the introductory level, [the master] should teach that person as follows: "Create an image of broken skin. Remove impurities and visualize a man of red bones. Fix your mind and meditate, without letting your mind be distracted by other objects. If your mind is distracted, you should concentrate it and return it [to the original objects of meditation]. "

If [the practitioner] is at the intermediate level, [the master] should teach him as follows: "Remove the skin and flesh in your imagination. Meditate 12

Fascicle One

on the skull exhaustively, without letting your mind be distracted by other objects. If your mind is distracted, you should concentrate it and return it [to the original object of meditation].

"

If [the practitioner] is at the advanced level, [the master] should teach him as follows: "[First, mentally] remove the skin and flesh [and reveal] the heart of 'one inch' in the body, and [then] fix your mind to five spots: head, forehead, the area between the brows, the tip of the nose, and the heart. Put your mind on these five spots and meditate on the bones without letting your mind be distracted by other objects. If your mind is distracted, you should concentrate it and return it [to the original objects of meditation]. "

One should always mindfully observe the mind, and if the mind is distracted, one should control it. If the mind is exhausted, it will be fixed on the objects of mindfulness. It will abandon other objects and stay [there]. It is just like a monkey that becomes quiet only after it has been tied to a pole for a long time. The object is like a pillar, mindfulness like ropes and chains, and the mind is compared to a monkey. It is also like a nursemaid, who always watches the baby without letting it fall. A practitioner should watch his mind in the same way; he should control the mind step by step and fix it on the object of meditation.

If one's mind is fixed for a long time, it conforms to the state of meditation. If one attains meditation, there are three signs: (1) The body becomes comfortable, soft, and light; (2) white bones emit rays of light like white jade; (3) the mind becomes tranquil. This is called the meditation on the pure. At that time, one obtains the mind [belonging to] the realm of form (rūpa dhātu). These are called the first signs of meditation practice. If one obtains the mind [belonging to] the realm of form, the mind conforms to the state of meditation, which is an attribute of the realm of form. The mind attains this attribute, but the body rests in the realm of desire (kāma dhātu). The four gross elements become soft and comfortable to the fullest extent. The complexion is pure, shining, and agreeable. Namely, one attains the joy and comfort [belonging to the first stage of meditation]. 8

The second [sign] is that, during the aforementioned meditation on the bones, when one visualizes the image of white bones, rays of light illuminate universally and turn everything into pure white.

The third [sign] is that the mind is fixed on one spot, which is called 13

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pure meditation. Since one removes the flesh and observes the bones, [this meditation] is called pure meditation.

These three signs can be perceived by oneself but not by others. Among the aforementioned three levels of practitioners, an elementary practitioner refers to someone who has not yet made a resolve [to practice Buddhist meditation]; an intermediate practitioner refers to someone who has practiced for three or four lifetimes; an advanced practitioner is someone who has practiced for one hundred years with his own body. Second: The Method of Curing Anger

If anger is predominant, one should practice three types of cultivation of friendliness: introductory, intermediate, and advanced practice. If [the practitioner] is at the introductory level, [the master] should teach him as follows: "Extend friendliness to people one likes. How does one extend friendliness to people one likes and wish to give them comfort? If a practitioner obtains various comfortable things for body and mind, such as clothing when it is cold, coolness when it is hot, food and drink when one is hungry and thirsty, richness when one is poor, rest when one has traveled too much, the practitioner wishes [to extend] these comforts to people he likes. One can fix the mind on friendliness, without letting one's mind be distracted by other objects. If the mind is distracted, [one should] concentrate it and return it [to the original object of meditation]. "

If [the practitioner] is at the intermediate level, [the master] should teach him as follows: "Extend friendliness to neutral people. How does one extend friendliness to neutral people and give them comfort? If a practitioner obtains various comfortable things for body and mind, the practitioner wishes that neutral people acquire them. One can fix the mind on friendliness and does not let the mind be distracted by other objects. If the mind is distracted, [one should] concentrate it and return it [to the original object of meditation]. "

If [the practitioner] is at the advanced level, [the master] should teach him as follows: "Extend friendliness to hostile people. How does one extend friendliness to them and give them comfort? If a practitioner obtains various comfortable things for body and mind, the practitioner wishes that hostile people obtain them. Thus the practitioner can view [hostile people and] people he likes in the same way. [If] one attains the mind equal [to any kind of people], 14

Second: The Method of Curing Anger

Fascicle One

one's mind will be greatly purified. Thus one can widely give comfort to a boundless number of people in the world, whether they are intimate, neutral, or hostile. [If one views everyone] in the ten directions equally, [one's] mind will be greatly purified. One sees sentient beings in the ten directions like seeing oneself. With the mental eye, one vividly sees those sentient beings obtain comfort. At that time one attains the concentration on friendliness. "

Question:One might wish that intimate or neutral people obtain comfort. How can one be friendly to hostile people and wish to give them comfort? Answer:One should give them comfort. Why? [One should think as follows:] "They also have various good points and causes of pure elements. How can I ignore their good [elements] merely because of one [instance of] antagonism?" One should further think as follows: "They might have been my friends in past lives. How can I develop further hatred from [my] present anger? I should be patient with them. This is for my own benefit. "

One should also reflect that the benevolent virtue of the practice contains the boundless, vast power of friendliness, and that one should not lose it. One should also contemplate as follows: "If there were no hostile people, how could I cultivate patience? Giving rise to patience depends on hostile people, and thus hostile people are my benefactors. Also, the retribution for anger is most grave, and thus anger is the worst of all evils; nothing surpasses anger in seriousness. When one extends anger to others, the harm is hard to control. Though one wishes to burn others, in fact one harms oneself. "

Further, one reflects this way: "Outside one wears a Dharma robe, and inside one practices patience. Such a person is called a monk. How can he use a harsh voice, show [an angry] face, and cover up his mind? Moreover, the five aggregates are thickets of various suffering and the target of evils. When suffering comes, how can one escape from it? Just like thorns that prick the body, the thorns of suffering are boundless. Hostile people are so many that one cannot rid oneself of them. One should protect oneself and put on leather sandals of patience.

" As has been said by the Buddha:

If one repays anger with anger, the anger will come back to oneself. If one does not repay anger, one can defeat a great army. Being free from anger is a characteristic of a great person. The anger of a petty person is immovable like a mountain.

15

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Third: The Method of Curing Ignorance

The Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation

Anger is a serious poison that harms many people. If one cannot destroy it, one will harm oneself and perish.

Anger is a great darkness, in which even a person with an eye [for the truth] cannot see. Anger is dust, which taints the pure mind. Thus one should immediately remove anger; if a poisonous snake is in a room, and if one does not remove it, it will harm people. Likewise, various poisons of anger are boundless. One should always cultivate friendliness and remove anger.

Thus is the method of the concentration on friendliness. Third: The Method of Curing Ignorance

If ignorance is predominant, one should practice three stages of contemplation: introductory, intermediate, and advanced practice.

If [the practitioner] is at the introductory level, [the master] should teach him as follows: birth (jāti) conditions old age and death (jarā-maraṇa); ignorance (avidyā) conditions conduct (saṃskāra). One [should] contemplate this way without letting one's mind be distracted by other objects. If one's mind is distracted, [one should] concentrate it and return it [to the original objects of meditation].

If [the practitioner] is at the intermediate level, [the master] should teach him as follows: conduct conditions consciousness (vijñāna); consciousness conditions "name" and form (nāma-rūpa); "name" and form condition the six realms of cognition (ṣaḍāyatana); the six realms of cognition condition contact (sparśa); contact conditions sensation (vedanā); sensation conditions attachment (tṛṣṇā); attachment conditions grasping (upādāna); grasping conditions existence (bhava).

9 One should contemplate this way without letting one's mind be distracted by other objects. If the mind is distracted, [one should] concentrate it and return it [to the original objects of meditation]. If [the practitioner] is at the advanced level, [the master] should teach him as follows: ignorance conditions conduct; conduct conditions consciousness; consciousness conditions "name" and form; "name" and form condition the six realms of cognition; the six realms of cognition condition contact; contact 16

Fascicle One

conditions sensation; sensation conditions attachment; attachment conditions grasping; grasping conditions existence; existence conditions birth; birth conditions old age and death. One should contemplate this way without letting one's mind be distracted by other objects. If the mind is distracted, [one should] concentrate it and return it [to the original objects of meditation]. Question:All wise people have wisdom, and all the others lack wisdom. Here, what is meant by "lack of wisdom" (i.e., ignorance)? Answer:Ignorance means complete lack of understanding. Ignorance can bring about one's existence in the next life. If [wisdom] exists, [future lives] will not exist, but if [wisdom] does not exist, [future lives] will exist. Abandoning the good, grasping the evil, [ignorant people] destroy the reality [of elements] and are attached to delusion. As is said in the "Chapter on the Aspects of Ignorance":10

Not understanding elements that cover up oneself, and not knowing virtuous karma,

11 one makes causes for binding defilements, like a fire that arises from kindling.

[Due to ignorance] one's mind is attached to bad elements and abandons good elements. [Ignorance] is a thief who steals wisdom from sentient beings; even past and future wisdom is stolen.

[Due to ignorance] one conceives the five aggregates as permanent, blissful, having self, and pure; nor can one understand the teachings of suffering, origin, extinction, and path (i.e., Four Noble Truths). A blind person follows various difficult paths of distress. Because of defilements karma is accumulated, and because of karma suffering evolves.

Such a person takes things that ought not to be taken and conversely abandons things that ought to be taken. Running in darkness and following a wrong path, such a person will stumble over a stump and fall on the ground.

A person who has [physical] eyes but no wisdom can be compared to this blind person. When this condition (i.e., ignorance) ceases, the illumination of wisdom appears like the rising sun. 17

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Fourth: The Method of CuringDiscursive Thoughts

The Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation

Thus in brief [I have described only the meditation on ignorance]. [All the items] from ignorance up to old age and death should be understood in the same way.

Question:The [theory of] dependent origination in Buddhism is profound. How can an ignorant person observe dependent origination? Answer:There are two types of ignorant people, one being those who are like cattle or sheep, the other being those who hold onto wrong views. For [the latter type of] ignorant people who are obscured by delusion and hold onto wrong views, the Buddha taught that they should practice concentration by observing dependent origination. Fourth: The Method of Curing

Discursive Thoughts

If discursive thoughts are predominant, one should practice the method of the concentration on [mindful] inhalation and exhalation. (SauN 15.64) There are three levels of practitioners: introductory, intermediate, and advanced. If [the practitioner] is at the introductory level, [the master] should teach him in the following way: "Concentrate on mindfully counting inhalations and exhalations. Whether the breathing is long or short, count it from one to ten. "

If [the practitioner] is at the intermediate level, [the master] should teach him as follows: "Following the breath coming in and out, you should count [your breaths] from one to ten. Your mindfulness and your breathing should be kept together, and your mind should be fixed on one point. "

If [the practitioner] is at the advanced level, [the master] should teach him as follows: "Counting the breath, following the breath, fixing the mind on one point, contemplation, shifting, and purification. The concentration on [mindful] inhalation and exhalation have these six methods and sixteen aspects. "

"What is the method of counting the breath? [The practitioner is] singlemindedly aware of inhalations. When an inhalation is over, you should count it as 'one.

' When an exhalation is over, you should count it as 'two. ' If you

count the number when the inhalation or exhalation is not over, it is miscounting. If you count from two to nine and then miscount, you have to start over from one. This is just like an accountant who gets two by adding one and one, gets four by adding two and two, and then gets nine by adding three and three.

"

18

Fascicle One

Question:Why should one count [the breath]?

Answer:[Counting the breath] allows one to realize impermanence easily, allows one to sever discursive thoughts, and allows one to attain single-mindedness. Although body and mind arise and cease and are impermanent, since they continue in similar forms, their impermanence is hard to perceive. [By contrast,] inhalation and exhalation arise and cease [palpably] and their impermanence is easy to realize. Also, by fixing the mind on counting, one can sever discursive thoughts. Discursive thoughts include thoughts of lust, anger, harm, relatives, lands, and immortality. One who wishes to purify one's mind and enter the correct path should first remove the three types of coarse thoughts, and then the three types of subtle thoughts. After removing the six types of thoughts, one will attain all pure elements. (SauN 15.67) It is just like a gold miner who first removes coarse pebbles, then fine sand, and finally gets refined gold dust. (SauN 15.66) QuestionWhat are the coarse diseases, and what are the subtle diseases? Answer:Thoughts of lust, anger, and harm; these three are called coarse diseases. Thoughts of relatives, land, and immortality; these three are called subtle diseases. After removing these thoughts, one attains all pure elements. QuestionOne who has not attained awakening has not severed binding defilements. These six types of thoughts are powerful and disturb people at will. How can one sever them?

Answer:If the mind is averted from the world, correct observation can suppress binding defilements, though it cannot uproot them. When one attains undefiled awakening later, one can uproot binding defilements. What is correct observation?

One sees that, for a lustful person, seeking for something is painful; attaining and guarding something is also painful; losing something and regretting it is also greatly painful. Even if the mind obtains the desired object, the mind is not satisfied, which is painful. (SauN 15.9) Desire is impermanent, vain, and conducive to distress. Everyone has such [desire]; one should realize and abandon it. If a poisonous snake enters one's chamber, and if one does not remove it immediately, one will certainly be harmed. (SauN 15.8) 19

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The Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation Unstable, unreal, and valueless is the perverted pleasure of various desires (SauN 15.11). As an arhat with six supernatural powers taught his lustful disciple in the following way: "You should not break the precepts [but maintain] them in purity. Nor should you stay with a woman in the same chamber. Poisonous snakes of binding desires fill the chamber of your mind; entangling attachment will never leave.

"[Even though] you know that the precepts on bodily conduct should not be broken, your mind constantly stays with the fire of lust. You are a practitioner who has left your family and is seeking awakening. How could you indulge your mind so much? "Your parents gave birth to you, cherished you, and brought you up, and your relatives had both favor and affection for you. All of them cried and tried to dissuade you [from leaving the family]. You could even abandon and disregard [such great affection]. "Nevertheless your mind always entertains lustful thoughts; it wishes to play with them without aversion. It always enjoys being with the fire of lust; [the mind] rejoices in the pleasure of attachment and does not leave it even for a moment.

"

Thus one should fault lustful thoughts in various ways. These sorts of correct observations remove lustful thoughts.

Question:How does one eliminate thoughts of anger? Answer:

Since [the time] one was born from within the womb, [life] has always been painful. In this [painful life], people should not develop anger and harmful thoughts.

If you entertain anger and harmful thoughts, friendliness and compassion disappear. Friendliness and compassion on the one hand and anger and harmful thoughts on the other are not comparable. If you cherish friendliness and compassion, anger and harmful thoughts disappear, like brightness and darkness that cannot occupy the same place. (SauN 15.12-13)

20

Fascicle One

If you keep the pure precepts but entertain anger, you destroy the benefit of the Dharma by yourself. It is just like elephants that smear their bodies with mud after bathing in water. (SauN 15.14) People always have old age, disease, and death, and [experience] hundreds of thousands of sufferings [as if beaten with] various whips and rods. How can a good person, while keeping sentient beings in mind, add [his] anger and harmful thoughts to their suffering? (SauN 15.15) If you give rise to anger and wish to harm someone, before reaching that person [the anger] will burn yourself. (SauN 15.16) For these reasons, you should always apply your mind to practicing friendliness and compassion. Do not let anger, harmful thoughts, and evil intentions arise in your mind. (SauN 15.17) If one always mindfully practices the good elements, one's mind always emulates the thoughts of the Buddha. (SauN 15.18) For these reasons, one should not pay any regard to evil; [instead] one should always reflect on good elements and gladden one's mind. Then one will attain happiness in this life as well as in the next; one will further attain the eternal happiness of awakening, which is nirvana. (SauN 15.19)

If evil thoughts are accumulated in one's mind, one loses one's own benefits and harms others. (SauN 15.20)

That is why people say that the evil is detrimental to both oneself and others, because it effaces the pure minds of other people. (SauN 15.21) It is just like a practitioner in the wilderness who raises his hands, cries, and says,

"A thief robbed me!"

Someone asks,

"Who robs you?"

[The practitioner] replies,

"Thieves of possessions I do not fear. I do not collect possessions or seek worldly benefits. What thieves of possessions can rob me? I, however, do collect roots of merit and Dharma jewels. Discursive thoughts, like thieves, come to me and destroy my benefits. Thieves 21

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The Sutra on the Concentration of Sitting Meditation of possessions can be avoided, because there are many storehouses. When, on the other hand, thieves of merit come, there is no way to avoid them. "

One should fault anger in these various ways. These sorts of various correct observations remove thoughts of anger.

Question:How does one eliminate thoughts of harming others? Answer:Hundreds of thousands of types of diseases constantly visit in turn and torment sentient beings. Death, like an enemy, catches people and always tries to kill them. Thus beings are plunged into boundless suffering.

How can a good person cause beings additional harm [by] slandering and plotting to hurt them mercilessly? [If he does such a thing,] the harm will not reach the intended person but return to himself. If a layman gives rise to harmful thoughts, that might be admissible. This is a worldly practice and becomes a cause for bad karma, but [a layman] does not claim that he cultivates good. If a practitioner who has left his family and is seeking pure awakening gives rise to anger and entertains envious mind,

He lights a violent fire in cool clouds. Know that the evil sin of this act is extremely serious. If a practitioner in the wilderness gives rise to envy, there is an arhat who can read other people's minds. [The arhat] gives [that practitioner] instructions and bitterly reprimands him, saying: "How foolish you are! Envy naturally destroys your roots of merit. If you seek alms, you should by yourself collect roots of merit and adorn yourself [with them].

"If you do not keep the precepts, nor [practice] meditation or [engage in] much learning, and if you destroy your Dharma body by falsely wearing a dyed robe,

12 you are just an evil beggar. How can

you seek alms and benefit yourself?

"Sentient beings are always harmed by hundreds of thousands of sufferings, such as hunger, thirst, cold, and heat. Their bodily and mental agonies are endless. How can a good person do additional harm to them?

22

Fascicle One

"Doing so is just like piercing ailing wounds with a needle. It is also like a prisoner who is on trial but has not yet been sentenced. His body is entangled in pain and agonies accumulate [in him]. How can a friendly and compassionate [person] aggravate his agonies?" Thus one should fault thoughts of harming others in various ways. These sorts of various correct observations remove thoughts of harming others. Question:How does one eliminate thoughts of relatives? Answer:[The practitioner] should reflect in the following way. Beings in samsara are drawn by their own karma through the world-systems. Who are relatives, and who are not? Merely owing to one's ignorance, one erroneously develops attachment and believes someone to be one's relative. (SauN 15.31) Strangers in the past have become relatives, and strangers [in this life] will become relatives in the future. Relatives in this life were strangers in the past. (SauN 15.32) It is just like birds that flock together on one tree in the evening but fly away [from each other] the [next] morning according to their respective conditions. (SauN 15.33) Families and relatives are the same way. (SauN 15.34) Born in this world, individual people have separate minds. They become relatives because conditions meet, and they become distant because conditions disperse. There are no stable causes, conditions, fruits, or retribution that keep people together. It is just like a lump of dry sand grasped in the hand. Conditioned by grasping, it stays together; but conditioned by releasing, it is scattered. (SauN 15.35) Parents bring up children [thinking that they] will be rewarded in their old age. Children should repay [their parents later] because they have been embraced and brought up [by them]. (SauN 15.36) If [relatives] comply with one's mind, they become close, but if they are against one's mind, they become enemies. (SauN 15.37) There are relatives who do more harm than good, and there are strangers who do great service and no harm. People develop affection due to causes and conditions, and the affection is severed due to causes and conditions. (SauN 15.38) Just like painters who paint women and are attached to their own [paintings], one develops one's own attachments and is attached to external objects. (SauN 15.39) What can the relatives in your past lives do for you in this life? You also cannot benefit your relatives in the past, nor can they benefit you. Neither [you nor your former relatives] can benefit each 274a

23

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other. (SauN 15.40) In vain one regards others as relatives or strangers. In these world-systems, [in fact the distinction between relatives and strangers] is indefinite, and there is no [clear] boundary [between them]. (SauN 15.41) As an arhat teaches a novice disciple who has attachment for his relatives, saying: "You are like a foul person who vomits up food and wants to eat it again. You have already left your family. How can you still be attached to it? Your tonsured head and dyed robe are marks of deliverance. Attached to your relatives, you cannot attain deliverance and, on the contrary, are bound by the attachment. The triple world is impermanent, ever changing, and indeterminate. Whether [someone is] a relative or a stranger, [that distinction is only temporary]. Even if some people are relatives now, they will cease to be so in the long run. In this way the sentient beings in the ten directions transmigrate. Relatives are indeterminate, and they are not [eternally] your relatives. "When a person is about to die, he has no mind or consciousness. He looks straight ahead and does not turn [his eyes]. His breathing stops, and the life expires. It is just like falling into a dark hole. At that time, where are the relatives and family members?

"When a person is newly born, strangers in the past life have been forcibly gathered to become relatives. When he dies, again they cease to be relatives. "

Thus contemplating, one should not be attached to relatives. When a child dies, parents in the three realms cry at the same time. The parents, wife, and children in heaven consider those in the human realm to be false.

13 The parents among nāgas consider those in the human realm to be false.

These sorts of various correct observations remove thoughts of relatives. Question:How does one eliminate thoughts of lands?

Answer:If a practitioner thinks that a land is prosperous, peaceful, and is inhabited by many good people, he is constantly drawn, as by a rope, by thoughts of lands that lead people to the place of transgressors. 14 (SauN 15.42)

Realizing that one's own mind is in such a state, if one is a wise person, one should not be attached to [thoughts of lands]. Why? It is because lands are [always] burned by [people's] various faults. (SauN 15.43) Because seasons change, and because there are famines that exhaust [people's] bodies, there is no land whatsoever that is constantly peaceful. (SauN 15.44) In addition, there is no land that is free from the suffering of old age, disease, and death. 24

Fascicle One

(SauN 15.46) Leaving the bodily suffering of this place, one will encounter [other] bodily suffering at another place. Any land one goes to, one will not be freed from suffering. (SauN 15.47) Even if there is a land that is peaceful and prosperous, if there are binding agonies that cause suffering in one's mind, it is not a good land. (SauN 15.48) If a land could remove evil, if it could attenuate binding defilements, and if it could free the mind from agonies, [that land] would be called a good land.

15 All sentient beings have two sorts

of suffering: bodily and mental suffering. [Since] constantly there are agonies, [we know that] there is no land where these two sorts of suffering do not exist. (SauN 15.49)

In addition, there are lands that are extremely cold, lands that are extremely hot, lands that are stricken with famine, lands that are plagued with diseases, lands that have many thieves, and lands that are not ruled properly. One should not be attached to these sorts of evils of lands in one's mind. (SauN 15.45)

These sorts of various correct observations remove thoughts of lands. Question:How does one eliminate thoughts of immortality? Answer:[The master] should teach the practitioner as follows: If one is born in a good family, if one belongs to an eminent clan, or if one's talents and skills are superior to those of others, one should not pay any regards to them. Why?

When death visits all people, it comes regardless of one's age, status, talents, or power. This body constitutes the causes and conditions of all [forms of] distress and agony. Anyone who feels at peace by thinking that one is young and has a long lifespan is foolish. (SauN 15.54-55) Why? This [body] as the cause for distress and agony is based on the four gross elements. The material elements composed of the four gross elements do not harmonize with each other, like four poisonous snakes. Who can be peaceful? (SauN 15.56) Breathing out, one expects to breathe in, but there is no assurance of this. (SauN 15.57) Further, when one goes to bed, one expects to wake up without fail; this matter is also hard to rely on. (SauN 15.58) From the [moment of] conception until old age, fatal accidents always come to seek moments of death [for beings]. [Even if these accidents] say:16 "You will never die,

" who can put faith in this? [Fatal accidents] are like murderers who draw out swords and fit arrows, constantly seeking to kill people without 25

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mercy. (SauN 15.59) To the people who are born in this world, nothing is stronger than the power of death. Nothing wins over the strong power of death. Even the most distinguished person of the past could not escape from death. In the present also, there is no wise person who can win over death. (SauN 15.60) Neither gentle entreaty nor cunning deception can help one evade death. Nor can keeping precepts or diligence turn away death. (SauN 15.61) For these reasons, you should know that [the fate of] human beings is always precarious and cannot be relied upon. Do not [erroneously] believe in permanence and think that your life will last long. Death, as a murderer, always takes people away; it does not wait for old age to kill people. (SauN 15.62) As an arhat teaches a disciple who is troubled by various thoughts by saying: "Why do you not understand [the significance of] leaving the world and entering religious life? Why do you generate these thoughts? Some people die before birth. Some people die when being born. [There are also people who die] while being nursed, in the weaning period, during childhood, in the prime of life, and in old age. All stages of life are mixed with the realm of death. It is just like a blossom of a tree that sometimes falls when in bloom, sometimes when its fruit has ripened, sometimes when [the fruit] is still immature. Therefore, know that one should make effort and diligently seek for peaceful awakening. Since you are in the company of a powerful murderer, [your life is] unreliable. This murderer skillfully hides himself like a tiger. Thus the murderer of death always seeks to kill people. Everything in the world is empty like a bubble. How could one say that one will wait until the right time and enter religious life? Who could testify that you will definitely [live until you] become old and can practice the path? It is just like a big tree on a cliff, which is being blown by heavy winds above and whose foundation is eroded by big waves below. Who could trust that this tree will remain long? Human life is exactly the same; it is unreliable even for a short period. Father is like a grain; mother like a good field; causes, conditions, transgressions, and merits in the past are like rainfall. Sentient beings are like grains, and samsara is like harvesting.

"Various deities and human kings have wisdom and virtue. For example, Heavenly King [Indra] assists deities, defeats the army of combative demons (asuras), and enjoys various pleasures, highest honor, and great light. [Even he] will [eventually] fall back to darkness. Therefore, do not rely on life and say,

'I will do this today. I will do that later.

'"

26

Fascicle One

These types of various correct observations remove thoughts of immortality. Thus one first removes the coarse thoughts and then the subtle thoughts. The mind is purified, and one attains correct awakening. All binding defilements are exhausted, by which one attains a peaceful abode. This is called the fruit of entering religious life. The mind becomes free, and the threefold karma (i.e., bodily, verbal, and mental actions) becomes ultimately pure; thus one will not be reborn again. One will read various sutras and become learned. At that time, one will attain rewards. When one thus attains rewards, they are not empty. One defeats the army of demon kings and attains a reputation of the greatest bravery. If one is driven by defilements within the world, one is not called strong. If one can defeat the rogues of defilements, and if one puts off the fire of the three poisons, one will attain cool pleasure, be purified, and sleep peacefully in the woods of nirvana. Pure winds of various types of meditation, moral faculties, powers, and the seven elements of awakening arise in the four [directions]. One will reflect on the sentient beings sunk in the sea of the three poisons. If one has such excellent powers of virtues, one is called strong.

Thus if one's mind is distracted in these ways, one should mindfully inhale and exhale, learn the six methods [of meditation], and sever the [six kinds of] thoughts. For this reason, one should mindfully count the breath. Question:If one can also sever thoughts by the other four types of meditations such as [the meditation on] the impurities and calling the Buddha to mind, why does one only count the breath?

Answer:It is because [the objects of] the other meditations are slow and hard to lose, but [the object of] counting the breath is quick and easy to turn away. To illustrate, when one releases cattle, since they are hard to lose, keeping them is an easy business. When one releases monkeys, however, since they are easy to lose, keeping them is a difficult task. The matter is the same here. When counting the breath, the mind cannot think of other things even for a moment. Once the mind thinks of other things, it will lose the number. For this reason, when one first [attempts to] sever thoughts, one should count the breath. When one has already attained the method of counting, one should practice the method of following [the breath] and sever thoughts. When inhalation is 27

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completed, one should follow it without counting "one. " When exhalation

is completed, one should follow it without counting "two. " It is just like a

creditor who follows a debtor and does not let him go. Think as follows: "This inhaled air goes out again, but it is not the same thing. Exhaled air comes in again, but it is not the same thing.

" At that time, one will know that

inhalation and exhalation are different. For what reason? Exhalation is warm, but inhalation is cool.

Question:[Is it not that] inhalation and exhalation are one [continuous] breath, because the exhaled air enters again? It is just like water that is warm in one's mouth but becomes cool when spit out; a cool thing gets warm again, and a warm thing further gets cool.

Answer:This is not the case. Because the inner mind moves, breath goes out. Once it has gone out, it ceases to exist. [Because] the nostrils draw in the external air, breath comes in. Once it has come in, it ceases to exist. There is no air that is about to move out, nor is there air that is about to move in. Furthermore, [one should consider the cases of] young people, adults, and old people. In the case of young people, inhalation is longer. In the case of adults, inhalation and exhalation are of the same [length]. In the case of old people, exhalation is longer. Therefore, [inhalation and exhalation] cannot be one breath.

Also, wind arises near the navel and appears to keep going. Breath goes out of the mouth and nose. Once it goes out, it ceases, just like the wind in bellows that ceases when the bellows are opened. If [the air] is drawn in by means of the mouth and nose, wind enters [the body]; this [wind] arises anew based on causes and conditions. It is just like a fan that produces wind when it meets with various conditions.

At that time, one knows that inhalation and exhalation depend on causes and conditions and are delusive and unreal; they are impermanent [and not free from] arising and ceasing. One should contemplate in the following way: exhalation is drawn in by the mouth and nose as causes and conditions. The causes and conditions of inhalation are brought about by the movement of mind. A deluded person, however, does not know this and thinks that it is his own breath.

Breath is none other than wind, which is not different from external wind. Earth, water, fire, and space are also in the same way. Because these five gross 28

Fascicle One

elements come together as causes and conditions, consciousness arises. Therefore, even consciousness is not one's own possession. The five aggregates, the twelve realms of cognition, and the eighteen constituent elements are also in the same way. Knowing this, one follows the breath coming in and going out. For this reason, [this method] is called "following [the breath]. "

When one has mastered the method of following, one should practice the method of fixing. The fixing method is to fix the mind to the gates of wind (i.e., the nostrils) and be mindful of inhalation and exhalation, after the mind of counting and following is completed.

Question:For what reason does one fix [one's mind]?

Answer:It is because one [needs to] sever various discursive thoughts, because one [should not] let the mind be distracted, because the mind is unfixed and preoccupied when one counts and follows the breath, because when one fixes [the mind] the mind becomes restful and freed from preoccupations, and because the mind rests at one point. Being mindful of inhalation and exhalation is just like a gatekeeper who stays by the gate and who watches the people going in and out. In the same way, the fixed mind knows that when the breath goes out, it goes from the navel to the heart, chest, throat, and then reaches the mouth and nose. [The fixed mind further knows] that when the breath comes in, it comes from the mouth and nose to the throat, chest, heart, and then reaches the navel. That way one fixes the mind to one spot, and this [method] is called "fixing.

"

Then, while one practices the method of fixing the mind, one should dwell in [the method of] "contemplation.

" The five aggregates, which arise and

cease when one inhales, are different from those, which also arise and cease when one exhales. Thus, when the mind is disturbed, one should remove the disturbance immediately. One should contemplate single-mindedly and make one's contemplation more intense. This is called the "contemplation" method. One dispenses with abiding at the gates of wind (i.e., the nostrils) and gives up the method of coarse contemplation. When one gives up the method of coarse contemplation, one knows the impermanence of the breath. This is called the "shifting" contemplation. One contemplates the impermanence of the five aggregates and also reflects on the impermanence of inhalation and exhalation. One sees that the initial breath does not come from anywhere 29

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and observes that the subsequent breath also leaves no trace. They come into being because [their] causes and conditions meet, and they cease to exist because [their] causes and conditions disperse. This is called the method of "shifting" contemplation, which removes the five obstacles [of meditation] and various defilements.

Though one attained calming and contemplation before, they were compounded with defilements and impure mind. Now in this pure method, the mind only attains purity [without any defilements mixed in]. Furthermore, the previous contemplation was a practice similar to non-Buddhist teachings of mindful inhalation and exhalation. The present one is a practice close to undefiled wisdom, and, though [still] defiled, it is a good path. This is called "purification.

"

Next, first one observes part of the application of mindfulness to the body; gradually [one observes] all the applications of mindfulness to the body. Then one practices the application of mindfulness to sensation and to the mind. In these [three types of applications of mindfulness, the practice is] impure and far from undefiled wisdom. So, being mindful of inhalation and exhalation, one observes their sixteen aspects. Thus one attains the stages of "heat,

" "summit,

" "recognition,

" "supremacy in the mundane realm,

" and

further "recognition of the elements of suffering" up to the "awareness of extinction [of all defilements]" of an accomplished practitioner who has nothing [more] to learn. This is called "purification. "

Among the sixteen methods, (1) the first practice of inhalation [includes] the sixfold practice of inhalation and exhalation (i.e., counting, following, fixing, contemplation, shifting, and purification).

(2) So does the practice of exhalation.

(3) Single-mindedly one is mindful of inhalation and exhalation [and knows] whether they are long or short. For example, a person running in terror, climbing a mountain, carrying a heavy load, or being upset; in such situations, the breath becomes short. When in times of peril one attains a great relief and joy, acquires profit, or is released from jail, in such cases the breath becomes long. All breaths are classified into two categories: long and short. For this reason it is said: "The breath is long, " "The breath is short.

"

Thus [observing the length of the breath], one also practices the sixfold practice of inhalation and exhalation.

30

Fascicle One

(4) Being mindful of the breath pervading the body, one is still mindful of the breaths going out and coming in. One thoroughly observes the exhalations and inhalations within one's body. One perceives the breath pervading the body and filling all pores, down to those on the toes, just like water soaking into sand. When the breath goes out, one perceives the breath pervading all pores, from those on the feet to those on the head, also like water soaking into sand. Just like the air that fills bellows, whether it is going out or coming in, the wind blowing in and out through the mouth and nose [fills the body]. One observes the whole body that the wind fills, like holes of a lotus root [filled with water] and a fishing net [soaked in water]. Further, it is not that the mind only observes the breath coming in and going out through the mouth and nose. [The mind] sees the breath coming in and going out through all pores and the nine apertures [of the body]. Thus one knows that the breath pervades the body.

(5) Eliminating various [unfavorable] physical functions, 17 one is again

mindful of inhalation and exhalation. When one first practices [mindful] breathing, if one feels laziness, sleepiness, and heaviness in one's body, one should eliminate them all.

(6) The body becomes light, soft, and fitting for meditation; thus the mind experiences joy. Again by being mindful of inhalation and exhalation, one eliminates laziness, sleepiness, and heaviness of mind. The mind becomes light, soft, and fitting for meditation; thus the mind experiences joy. Having completed the application of mindfulness to breathing, next one practices the application of mindfulness to sensation. [Namely,] having attained the application of mindfulness to the body, now one further attains the application of mindfulness to sensation; thus one truly experiences joy. Further, having understood the reality of the body, one now wishes to know the reality of the mind and mental functions. For this reason, one experiences joy. (7) By being mindful of inhalation and exhalation, one experiences comfort. By being mindful of inhalation and exhalation, joy increases; it is called comfort.

Alternatively, the first pleasure that arises in the mind is called joy. The subsequent joy that fills the body is called comfort. Also, the comfortable sensations in the first and second stages of meditation are called joy. The comfortable sensations in the third stage of meditation are called comfort. 31

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