Selected Lectures on the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra
Volume Sixty-Three: The Second Part on the Stage of Meditative Concentration (samāhita-bhūmi) in the Section on the Determination of the Meaning
Original text: 复有五种定相违法。一毁犯禁戒。二无无间加行。三无殷重加行。四有沉没。五他所扰恼。
Explanation: Here Maitreya Bodhisattva speaks of five obstructing conditions contrary to meditative concentration (samādhi). When these five situations arise, meditative concentration cannot arise, or else it will be lost.
The first is not observing the precepts, violating the precepts, which makes the mind turbid and not tranquil (praśama), so that meditative concentration cannot manifest. The precepts include the five precepts, the eight precepts, the bhikṣu precepts, the bhikṣuṇī precepts, the śrāmaṇera precepts, the śrāmaṇerikā precepts, the six heavy and twenty-eight light precepts, and the ten heavy and forty-eight light precepts.
The second is that the effort of cultivating concentration cannot be sustained continuously, cannot be maintained persistently, practicing on and off, unable to form uninterrupted effort (prayoga). It is like boiling water: if you stop the fire after boiling for a while, the water will never boil. With intermittent practice, meditative concentration cannot be accomplished.
The third is that when cultivation of concentration reaches a certain degree, one should intensify the effort to bring meditative concentration to swift accomplishment. But at this time the mind is not vigorous, lacking firm faith and strong determination, complying with one's own inner distraction, drifting along with wandering thoughts, without fiercely reproaching one's own mind, so that meditative concentration cannot be accomplished.
The fourth is that the mind is always in a state of torpor, the mind is not clear, lacking mindfulness, unable to concentrate one's energy, and therefore meditative concentration cannot be accomplished.
The fifth is that there are external conditions disturbing and vexing, external conditions invading the mind, and one cannot eliminate the interference, so that the mind cannot become calm, the mind-water becomes turbid, and meditative concentration cannot be accomplished.
Original text: 复有三种远离。一住处远离。二见远离。三闻远离。
Explanation: If one wishes to cultivate tranquility, attain concentration and cessation (śamatha), one must choose a quiet place to dwell, away from clamor and tumult, so that the mind is not drawn by external conditions and can gradually settle down. To attain mental tranquility in cultivating concentration, one must have little contact with external conditions, stay away from noisy places, see little of the six sense objects, hear little of the six sense objects, and reduce seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing; only then can one attain tranquility.
Original text: 复次心清净行苾刍。略有五种等持相违厚重过失。能为定障。一忿。二慢。三欲贪。四萨迦耶见。五不能堪忍。
Explanation: For a bhikṣu who wishes to cultivate pure mental conduct, there are roughly five serious faults contrary to meditative concentration, which can become obstacles to attaining meditative concentration. "Serious" (厚重) means very grave, constituting a heavy obstruction to meditative concentration.
The first is anger (krodha). Anger is rage and resentment, with emotions severely unquiet, the mind-water agitated, the mind not steady and not tranquil, and therefore meditative concentration cannot be initiated.
The second is conceit (māna). Conceit is one's own mind elevating itself and looking down on others; it is a deep-seated emotionalization, also a manifestation of the mind being unbalanced. As long as the mind is unbalanced in any way, there is turmoil, there is distraction, and thus it can obstruct the arising of meditative concentration.
The third is desire-lust (kāma-rāga), that is, craving. Broadly speaking, it refers to craving and love for all dharmas of the world, craving for the realms of the six sense objects, craving for form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; because of craving, one is bound by those realms, the mind adheres to the objects — this is distraction, unable to be unified, and therefore it obstructs meditative concentration. In the narrow sense, desire-lust refers to the sexual desire of sentient beings in the desire realm, including bodily craving and mental craving in thoughts. Whether in bodily conduct or mental conduct, the mind is not tranquil, bound by thoughts of desire, the mind is distracted, unable to devote itself single-mindedly to the Path, unable to unify the mind. Therefore desire-lust can obstruct meditative concentration.
The fourth is satkāya-dṛṣṭi, that is, the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi). Because of the view of self, one necessarily grasps the five aggregates with grasping (pañca-upādāna-skandha), necessarily grasps the eighteen realms, necessarily grasps body and mind, and cannot let go of all dharmas; the mind is not tranquil, and thereby obstructs meditative concentration.
The fifth is inability to endure. "Endure" (堪) means to bear, and "forbear" (忍) means to tolerate. Toward the six sense objects that go against one's mind, there is a feeling of resistance in the mind, an inability to bear them, and so the mind is not calm, there is restlessness within, and meditative concentration cannot be attained; toward the six sense objects that accord with oneself, one cannot forbear, becoming joyful and agitated, the mind is not calm, obstructing meditative concentration.
Original text: 有五厚重三摩地相。由彼于此障碍而住。是故说名厚重过失。云何五相。一者获得随宜资具便生喜足。二者好乐求诸善法。三于身财无所顾恋。四于生死及与涅槃见大过失最胜功德。五于加行堪忍勤苦。
Explanation: There are five profound marks of meditative absorption (samādhi). First, when a bhikṣu obtains simple requisites for living, his mind feels joyful and content, not craving for excessive or better things; therefore his mind is pure and he has meditative concentration. Second, delighting in seeking wholesome dharmas — with such a mind, meditative absorption is easily attained. Third, having no attachment to one's own body and wealth, the mind can let go, and one easily enters meditative absorption. Fourth, seeing great faults in birth-and-death (saṃsāra) and seeing the most supreme merit in nirvāṇa, one easily attains meditative absorption. Fifth, in the process of effort (prayoga) for the Path, one can endure the hardship of diligence.
However, if a bhikṣu gives rise to obstructive minds toward these five marks of meditative concentration, he cannot attain meditative absorption; therefore it is said that these obstructive minds have serious faults.
Original text: 此中忿者。谓怀忿故。若往他家不得利养或得而少。或弊或迟或不恭敬。由此便生颦戚愤憾。从此因缘。发恚寻思及害寻思多随寻伺。彼由此故先所未生胜三摩地不能得生。设彼已生还复退失。
Explanation: Here it is said that when a bhikṣu goes on alms rounds, because his mind is not tranquil, when he receives food and drink that is not to his liking, he becomes displeased, his brows knit, his countenance turns bad, and his heart harbors indignation. Because of this, his mental state is not calm, thoughts of anger arise, and thoughts of harming arise. These thoughts entangle the mind, so the mind cannot be tranquil; then the supreme state of meditative concentration that had not yet been cultivated cannot be cultivated. Even meditative concentration already attained will regress and be lost.
For people with heavy minds of resentment, those who love to get angry, those who love to stir up conflicts/disputes/gossip, meditative concentration is very difficult to cultivate. Because the mind has something it dwells on, has attachments, and is not tranquil, the mind-water becomes unbalanced. If one has such a resentful mind, one should first subdue one's own resentment, making the mind dwell nowhere as much as possible, not being picky about the environment or any dharma, and dealing with people and affairs as compliantly and agreeably as possible. When the mind is adjusted to dwelling nowhere or dwelling on little, meditative concentration easily appears.
Before sitting in meditation to cultivate concentration, one should first examine one's own mind. If one finds there are matters in the mind, places that are not tranquil, one must find a way to subdue oneself, level the mind, expel the matters from the mind, and resolve the problems. This is called subduing afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) and afflictions; when afflictions are subdued, meditative concentration naturally appears easily.
Original text: 所言慢者。谓怀慢故。慢所制伏。为性于法不生恭敬。于诸师范尊重福田。不能时时身心卑屈敬问咨请。云何为善云何不善。亦不勤求所有善法。由此不能解了引发三摩地义。从此因缘发起轻慢相应寻思多随寻伺。彼由此故先所未生。如前广说。
Explanation: This obstruction to meditative concentration is the mind of conceit. Conceit arises because there is self and things in the mind, elevating oneself and belittling others; the mind is not tranquil, the mind is not equanimous, the mind-water is not clear, making it impossible to settle the mind and cultivate meditative concentration.
The conceit spoken of means harboring a conceited mind, being controlled by conceit. Because the mind is controlled and suppressed by conceit, one's mental disposition cannot give rise to reverence for the Dharma; toward the many good teachers, the venerable field of merit (puṇya-kṣetra), one cannot at all times humbly bow body and mind to respectfully inquire and request teachings, cannot ask what is wholesome dharma and what is unwholesome dharma, and does not know that one should diligently seek all wholesome dharmas. Because one does not know and does not seek wholesome dharmas, one cannot know how to bring forth supreme meditative absorption. Because of the disdain in the mind, many mental states and many thoughts arise; the mind is not tranquil, there is restlessness within, with initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra), the thoughts do not cease. Then the supreme meditative concentration that had not yet arisen cannot arise, and meditative concentration already arisen will regress.
From this we can see that afflictions truly obstruct the Path. Where does the affliction of conceit come from? It comes from ignorance (avidyā); because of foolishness there is conceit. Because one does not know the characteristics of afflictions, the mind is not diligent, unable at all times to introspect one's own mind with the power of introspection (pratyavekṣā-bala), and thus one drifts along with one's own mental afflictions and does not obtain the seeds of wholesome dharmas.
If one's own capacity for awakening is poor, one should humbly seek others' help in examining one's own afflictions, asking them to instruct oneself much, without concern for face, for the sake of advancing on the Path. Regarding others' criticism: if there is fault, correct it; if not, take it as encouragement. When the mind is pacified and without turbulence, meditative concentration naturally appears.
Original text: 言欲贪者。谓怀贪故。多诸爱染。于身财等深生顾恋。由此于外五妙欲中多生散乱。从此因缘生欲寻思。眷属寻思。国土寻思族望家势相应寻思。多随寻伺。彼由此故先所未生如前广说。
Explanation: The third factor obstructing meditative concentration is desire-lust, craving. Because there is craving and desire in the mind, there is defilement and adherence; the mind is not tranquil, thoughts are unceasing, the mind cannot be concentrated, the mind cannot cease. Toward the physical body and property, the tools of livelihood, the mind deeply cherishes attachment; being invaded by things, one cannot have peace, and thus cannot attain cessation, cannot attain concentration.
Because of craving, toward the five sense objects of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch, the mind grasps heavily, cannot be mindless toward objects, the distracted mind is heavy, the mind is restless and uneasy, not tranquil, cannot attain cessation, cannot attain concentration. Therefore toward the realms of the five desires there is always a seeking mind, a craving mind — craving for relatives and attendants, with inner thoughts fluctuating without cease; craving for lands, craving for family power and influence, craving for wealth and honor; thoughts are troubled, the mind constantly chases the five desires and six sense objects, with initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra), the mind is not serene. For this reason, the supreme meditative concentration that had not yet arisen cannot arise, and meditative concentration already arisen will disappear.
Each person should examine the craving and desire in their own mind; having examined it, strive to overcome and subdue it, so that the thoughts become tranquil, without desire and without seeking, the mind attains serenity, and meditative concentration naturally appears. As the saying goes: "The skill lies beyond the poem; meditative concentration lies beyond the legs." When the mind is subdued, even if one cannot sit cross-legged, meditative concentration can manifest whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.
A person who inwardly knows contentment has a tranquil mind, and meditative concentration easily appears. A person who is never content always seeks something, the thoughts never stop, distracted and grasping — how could there be concentration? Even if every day one does nothing at all but only examines one's thoughts, that is practice. Is the mind quiet when thinking of nothing? Look at beings in the animal realm: their thoughts are very few — are their minds quiet? Can they easily enter concentration? Even if they had concentration, what use would it be? For extremely foolish people, thoughts are also few, without knowing what they think about; even if they had concentration, it would be of no use.
For concentration that can give birth to wisdom, there must be a knowing in the mind, a mindfulness; it must be clear and lucid, and unified — this is right mindfulness.
Original text: 彼复不净能为对治。应知不净略有三相。谓粪秽相。彼等流相。能依所依差别相。
Explanation: The desire-lust spoken of here mainly refers to craving for sexual desire. Its antidote is to use the contemplation of impurity (aśubha-bhāvanā) as the counteragent. Contemplate the various impure marks of the physical body in order to extinguish thoughts of lust and achieve a tranquil mind. Before contemplating the impure marks, one must know that impurity has three kinds of marks.
The first mark is the filthy mark of the physical body; from inside to outside, from top to bottom, one must contemplate clearly its stinking, filthy, dirty nature. The first contemplation of the four establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna) speaks of this contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā); it will not be explained in detail now.
The second mark is the mark formed by the continuous outflow of seed-marks in equal measure; therefore it is an illusory, false mark, not an actually existing appearance. The eighth consciousness uses the seeds of the six great elements to form the physical bodies of sentient beings; each kind of seed must flow out equally and uninterruptedly, instant after instant, in order to maintain the existence of the physical body. For example, the seeds of the earth element must flow out continuously, and the seeds of the earth, water, fire, wind, and space elements must all flow out equally and continuously, in order to maintain the existence of the physical body and its continuous metabolism.
The seeds of the five consciousnesses must also flow out equally and continuously in order to form the continuous discriminating nature of the five consciousnesses; the same is true of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses — the seeds of the same kind must flow out continuously, instant after instant, forming the continuous operation of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses; only then can sentient beings have a discriminating nature and have the activities of the physical body. Without the outflow of these six great-element seeds, the physical body could not be constituted, and there would be no activities of the physical body.
The eighth consciousness also relies on karmic seeds to continuously transform and create the physical body, change the physical body, and sustain the existence of the physical body. Therefore it is said that the physical body is just a mark formed by the outflow of the seeds of the four great elements; it has not a shred of reality and should not be craved.
Although our mind consciousness can very easily understand these contents, it is useless; there is not a shred of liberating merit and benefit. However one craved before, one still craves the same way. To subdue desire-lust, one must through the mind consciousness's contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) penetrate deep into the manas's inner mind, letting the manas clearly understand this principle and realize that the physical body is indeed thus; only then can the psychology of desire-lust be subdued.
Very often, the mind consciousness clearly knows that what it says, thinks, and does is wrong, and even constantly scolds itself and hates itself, but it is useless — the mind consciousness cannot be the master; what can be done? What the mind consciousness scolds is of course the manas; it just does not know whom it is scolding. Some people even point at their own nose in front of a mirror and scold themselves, but it is still useless; the bad habits remain hard to change. How stubborn the manas is, so hard to educate. Is it easy for the manas to understand principles? Extremely difficult, but as long as the manas understands the principles, everything becomes easy to handle. For those who do bad deeds yet never reproach themselves or scold themselves, the manas is even harder to educate — utterly stubborn, old and obstinate, unenlightened.
The third mark: the physical body is the supporting mark of the five consciousnesses and the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, and also the supported mark. Without the seven consciousnesses, the physical body would be no different from wood or stone, and it could not exist long like wood or stone; it would necessarily vanish and scatter. The seven consciousnesses can operate depending on the physical body, performing all the activities of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha); the physical body is the object upon which the operation of the seven consciousnesses depends. Therefore it is said that the physical body lacks self-mastery (avaśatā); lacking self-mastery, it is a false appearance that exists only through conditions. Therefore it is not worth craving, not worth performing craving-defiled wrong actions.
A person with heavy craving in the mind cannot have meditative concentration appear; thoughts are unceasing, the mind is restless without stop, fundamentally unable to settle the mind, the mind cannot be tranquil. Among these, improper diet can also cause desires to arise unceasingly. As the Śūraṅgama Sūtra records, the World-Honored One once admonished that the five pungent foods most easily induce lust and resentment, and one should eliminate meat and pungent foods and eat a vegetarian diet to maintain inner tranquility.
The environment for cultivating concentration is also very important; the energy field is also important. Residential areas are rather noisy, the energy field is not good enough, and the mind does not easily quiet down. If the rooms at home are disorderly, untidy and unclean, this also affects the mind's tranquility. If the room is too crowded and the space narrow, it also affects meditative concentration. If the space is too open and vast, not gathering qi, not gathering sound, the mind also easily scatters and does not easily concentrate. Monastics easily accomplish meditative concentration; when lay practitioners have time, they can go to a monastery for a period of quiet cultivation to consolidate their meditative concentration, then return home to practice. When the power of concentration is insufficient, they can go to the monastery again for a period of quiet cultivation; in this way the power of concentration can be cultivated.
Original text: 萨迦耶见者。谓由身见制伏因缘会遇世法。便为高欣下戚涂染。设欲弃舍便为身见相违而住。
Explanation: Satkāya-dṛṣṭi is the view of self that takes the five aggregates as self. Because the view of the body is not severed, taking the physical body as oneself, one is constrained by the physical body, the mind attaches to worldly dharmas, and there is conceit of self in the mind, comparing high and low with others on the physical body and the five aggregates, the mind giving rise to attachment to worldly desires. Sometimes one wants to abandon these mental states, but because the view of the body has not been eradicated, bodily and mental conduct still dwell in the view of self, so that the thoughts cannot become tranquil and meditative concentration cannot arise.
Attaching to the view of self, attaching to the view of the body, is attaching to the worldly; with attachment, it is necessarily difficult to cultivate concentration; the mind cannot be empty and serene, and bodily, verbal, and mental actions necessarily revolve around the so-called self. As long as the inner self cannot be subdued and eliminated, the thoughts cannot become serene.
Very often we know these thoughts and mental states disturb our own mind, but whenever we want to abandon them, the self within emerges to make trouble, and it is very hard to abandon the miscellaneous and scattered thoughts.
Original text: 又即于彼世法众相。亲爱恒流之所漂溺。设欲弃舍便为身见相违而住。
Explanation: To transcend birth-and-death, one must clarify the worldly dharmas that should not be grasped — what belongs to the worldly, what kinds there are, and what obstructive effect they have on one's own liberation. Just like catching thieves, through contemplation and examination one catches these thieves red-handed, rendering them powerless; then our mind will not be hijacked and we attain freedom.
These worldly dharmas are nothing more than the people, affairs, things, and objects confronted by the eye faculty. Among people there are close relatives, there are creditors of enmity and affection, there are all kinds of people one likes and dislikes; among affairs there are good and bad affairs, joyful and dreadful affairs; among things there are good and bad things; among circumstances there are favorable and adverse circumstances. When the eye faculty confronts these dharmas, one must see through them: they are all enemies of birth-and-death coming to entangle oneself, preventing one's liberation; grasping (upādāna) at them means being deceived.
One must analyze the arising-and-ceasing nature, illusory nature, unreal nature, illusoriness, emptiness/voidness (śūnyatā), and suffering nature of these dharmas, clearly recognizing that in essence they are not anything at all; then let go of them in the mind as much as possible, passing the years in accordance with conditions, responding to people and affairs according to conditions, while also cultivating much merit, doing much repentance of karmic obstructions and afflictions, and reducing adverse conditions. Not delighting in favorable circumstances, not hating adverse circumstances, with the mind open and at ease, peaceful and secure, meditative concentration naturally easily accomplishes.
At the same time one must also have wisdom, distinguishing wholesome from unwholesome (kuśala-akuśala); it is not that one should not do the wholesome — the wholesome must still be done, the unwholesome must still be punished, yet the mind does not attach or dwell. Doing this is very difficult, but at the very least one must have a goal and direction of practice, so that a journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet.
When the ear faculty confronts sounds, one must also see through them in this way: all sounds are by nature illusory — good sounds and bad sounds, sounds of praise, sounds of slander — all are empty, unmoved by sounds. But what should be done must still be done, what should promote the wholesome must still be promoted, what should punish the unwholesome must still be punished, while inwardly not dwelling or attaching. Although doing this is difficult and the measure is hard to grasp, one must still have a goal to strive toward.
When the nose faculty confronts the object of smell, one knows the illusoriness, unreality, and emptiness of the object of smell, does not crave pleasant fragrances, does not detest odors, has no attachment to the scents of the smell object; whether fragrant or foul makes no difference, the mind is naturally tranquil, and in the future there will be no obstruction to the arising of the first dhyāna concentration.
When the tongue faculty confronts the object of taste, one does not crave food and drink, is not picky about food, does not attach to the object of taste; being full is good, no longer racking one's brains to seek and buy delicious food, filling the belly according to one's own conditions; in this way the mind is naturally tranquil, and in the future the first dhyāna concentration will also easily arise without obstruction.
When the body faculty confronts the object of touch, one sees clearly the arising-ceasing and illusory nature of the various touch objects, does not crave fine clothing, comfortable bedding, living environments, and so on; when the mind does not attach, the mind is naturally tranquil and meditative concentration easily arises. Clearly recognizing the illusoriness of the six sense objects, the mind naturally no longer has miscellaneous scattered thoughts; defilement decreases and lightens; apart from contemplation of the Buddha-Dharma, there is little worldly worry and hindrance; the mind is simple and clear, meditative concentration easily appears, and obstructions are few.
If one attaches to the view of the body, one cannot clearly recognize the illusory nature of these worldly dharmas; the mind will necessarily attach to the appearances of enemies and loved ones, of favorable and adverse, entangled without cease, unable to attain liberation. That meditative concentration is very difficult to arise is precisely because the view of self and view of the body obstruct the Path. Therefore, contemplating and examining that the five aggregates are without self can remove the causes obstructing the Path, and the mind attains emptiness and serenity.
Original text: 又即世法众相所生不正寻思之所烧恼。设欲弃舍便为身见相违而住。又即于彼世法众相追求之时。种种扰乱散动所逼。设欲弃舍便为身见相违而住。
Explanation: Moreover, worldly dharmas are composed of many characteristics and appearances, extremely complex; sentient beings do not easily observe the empty, illusory, unreal nature of these dharmas, and thus take all these worldly dharma-marks as very real, actually existent dharmas. From this arise thoughts that are not in accord with reason, not in accord with reality, and incorrect; facing objects they must stir the mind and give rise to thoughts — how could this not burn and vex one's own mind, bringing myriad sufferings? Some sentient beings, after feeling the suffering, want to abandon these sufferings and no longer concern themselves with these worldly appearances; but because the view of the body and view of self have not been destroyed, they cannot truly leave these worldly appearances and are still entangled by them.
Also, many sentient beings, while entangled by the many appearances of these worldly dharmas, oppressed by the various disturbing and distracting appearances of worldly affairs, with minds scattered and suffering, may give rise to an awakened mind wanting to abandon these tumultuous and chaotic appearances; but because the view of the body and view of self have not been destroyed, obstructed by the view of the body, they cannot abandon and depart from these worldly disturbances, and must still dwell amid these chaotic worldly appearances, undergoing suffering.
So how important it is to sever the view of the body and view of self! It can eliminate the birth-and-death sufferings of countless kalpas, purify the mind and attain liberation — nothing in the world, no affair, no wealth, no person can substitute for it. Clearly the suffering is beyond suffering; why still cannot one see through worldly appearances, cannot depart from worldly appearances, and seek liberation of body and mind?
Original text: 又即由彼身见因缘。恒常执着世法所依无常诸取。由是因缘为忧悲等之所逼恼。设欲弃舍便为身见相违而住。
Explanation: Furthermore, because of the view of the body, one constantly and perpetually grasps at the impermanent aggregates with grasping upon which worldly dharmas depend — grasping at the form grasping-aggregate, feeling grasping-aggregate, perception grasping-aggregate, volitional formations grasping-aggregate, and consciousness grasping-aggregate. Because of this, one is oppressed by worldly affairs, with sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa) unceasing. If one awakens and wants to abandon these sufferings, due to the obstruction of the view of the body, one cannot relinquish them, and must still dwell amid worldly appearances, with sorrow and grief unending.
When you yourself encounter suffering and afflictions and cannot attain liberation, observe the illusory nature of the three — faculties, objects, and consciousnesses — letting the mind detach a little from the objects; then you can gain a little coolness and freedom. Do not let the mind sink into the midst of affairs and be deluded by appearances.
Eliminate some of these factors obstructing the cultivation of concentration; with no obstructions in the mind, one is more relaxed and at ease, cultivating concentration becomes easier, and various contemplative practices (vipaśyanā-caryā) can be taken up readily; realizing the Buddha-Dharma and eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) is then not very difficult.
Original text: 又复即彼为欲除遣下地垢秽。勤修善时。于彼加行不生喜乐。于此所治设欲弃舍。便为身见相违而住。如为除遣下地垢秽。为遣上地所有垢秽当知亦尔。
Explanation: Some people, in order to remove the defilements of the lower stage and lower level of mind, while diligently cultivating wholesome dharmas, never give rise to joy and delight in such effort. That is, the joy factor of enlightenment (prīti-saṃbojjhaṅga) never manifests; wanting to abandon the defiled afflictions within, they also cannot eliminate and subdue them. The reason is the obstruction of the view of the body, the fault of grasping at the body; they can only dwell amid defiled afflictions, unable to extricate themselves.
Making effort (prayoga) to remove defilements of a lower level is like this; removing deeper-level defilements is also like this — all are difficult. Why? Because of the obstruction of the view of the body and view of self. For beginningless kalpas one has grasped too strongly at body and self, and there is no way to part the clouds and mists of the so-called self.
Because of the obstruction of the view of the body and view of self, effort (prayoga) cannot advance, skill cannot progress, the mind of joy cannot arise, the seven factors of enlightenment cannot be cultivated, afflictions cannot be subdued, and progress on the Path cannot be made. If the joy factor of enlightenment cannot be cultivated, practice will feel dry and tedious — fishing for three days and drying the nets for two, advancing and retreating, lazy and slack.
Toward the dharma being cultivated, without a mind of joy and love, one cannot be diligent; the seven factors of enlightenment cannot be fulfilled, and realizing the fruits will be indefinitely distant. Whoever has not cultivated the seven factors of enlightenment yet claims to have eradicated the view of self is a person of great false speech, with fearsome retribution. One who has cultivated the seven factors of enlightenment has joy within, afflictions lessen; it is impossible that they would still have the mind to commit unwholesome karma, with a head full of wicked schemes. One who has the factors of tranquility (praśrabdhi), diligence, and concentration has inner peace and freedom, and even more impossible would it be for them to have crooked intestines, scheme wickedly, vex and harm others, and commit various unwholesome karma. It is evident that some people's "eradication of the view of self" is only severed at the mouth; heart and lungs are still full of self — their view of self is even heavier.
One of the seven factors of enlightenment is the concentration factor of enlightenment. If the concentration factor is not accomplished and there is no meditative concentration, one cannot eradicate the view of self and realize the fruits, nor can one see the mind and see the nature. Some practitioners simply hate meditative concentration, insisting on digging it out and discarding it, making an enemy of meditative concentration, contradicting the Buddha's teachings. One can see what their so-called realization of fruits and seeing the mind amounts to in terms of realization: it is all the mind consciousness's understanding — emotional speculation and intellectual interpretation — relying on clever brains and strong comprehension to "understand" it. Nowadays such people are increasing; how lamentable for the Buddhist community!
Original text: 由此因故虽作是心。我当于彼生死涅槃观大过失观胜功德。便复颠倒。由此因缘先虽获得诸三摩地。然于未生圣谛现观胜三摩地。不能得生。不堪忍者。谓怀不忍故。虽已获得圣谛现观胜三摩地。不能堪忍蚊虻等苦。舍离加行多生懈怠。
Explanation: Because of the inability to remove the obstructing defilements of the lower and higher stages of mind, although one resolves to contemplate and examine the faults of birth-and-death in order to abandon it, and to contemplate and examine the supreme merit of nirvāṇa in order to aspire toward it, one now inevitably becomes inverted, complying with adverse conditions, dwelling amid defiled afflictions unable to extricate oneself.
Because these contemplations are not accomplished, the meditative concentration originally attained also cannot accomplish the contemplative wisdom of the Four Noble Truths and cannot eradicate the view of self. The reason is that during the process of practice, the mind cannot endure, cannot tolerate the environment of life and practice, cannot bear suffering, and gives rise to retreat and discouragement. Some people, although able to contemplate the principle of the Four Noble Truths and attain supreme states of meditative concentration, because they cannot endure the suffering of mosquito and gnat bites, abandon the practice of the four efforts (prayoga), the mind becomes lazy, they cannot accomplish and cannot eradicate the view of self.
Original text: 由此因缘于所未生之根本定不能生起。设复已生还即退失。前三过失能为最初三摩地障。次一过失为谛现观三摩地障。后一过失为入根本三摩地障。
Explanation: Due to the above causes, meditative concentration not yet arisen cannot arise, and meditative concentration already arisen will regress and be lost. The first three faults — anger, conceit, and desire-lust — are the initial obstructing conditions for the arising of meditative concentration. Next, the fault of the view of self can obstruct deep and subtle contemplation, becoming an obstruction to meditative concentration. The last one, inability to endure, is the most fundamental obstruction to entering meditative concentration.
Original text: 复有差别。谓有八种弃舍近住弟子因缘。于彼杂染之所染污。由染污故彼便弃舍近住弟子。非无烦恼诸阿罗汉常善住念有如斯事。
云何为八。谓性于彼近住弟子有憎恶心。唯欲自身受于恭敬。如欲恭敬。欲受利养亦复如是。近住弟子多所毁犯行不正行。
又于近住诸弟子众饶益损减。便有所须及与不须。于增上戒教授折伏不能堪忍。于增上心增上慧住教授折伏不能堪忍。于营众务所有扰恼。不能堪忍。
Explanation: There are also further differentiating marks: there are eight causes for abandoning the attending disciples who dwell nearby, because one can be defiled by these disciples' defiled conditions; being defiled, one then abandons the attending disciples. A person whose mind has afflictions cannot help acting this way. But arhats without afflictions are not defiled by the disciples' defilements, and arhats also do not abandon their disciples to dwell alone.
What are the eight? One's mental disposition harbors a hateful mind toward the attending disciples nearby, wanting only oneself to receive others' reverence. Just as one wants reverence, so too one wants to receive offerings (pūjā). One's attending disciples commit many violations and engage in improper bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and so one abandons the attending disciples. The many beneficial matters for the attending disciples gradually diminish, so the disciples have things they need and things they do not need regarding benefits for cultivation; the disciples cannot endure the instruction and subduing regarding the higher training in precepts (adhiśīla), cannot endure the instruction and subduing regarding the higher training in mind (adhicitta) and higher training in wisdom (adhiprajñā), and feel vexed and unwilling about participating in communal affairs, unable to endure. Due to one's own inner defilement and laziness, these eight causes for abandoning disciples arise.
