The Thorough-and-Bright Contemplation

Fascicle Eight
Spoken by the Great Master Zhiyi of Tiantai, of the Sui dynasty
Recorded by his disciple Fashen
Revised and edited by his disciple Guanding
Explaining Dhyāna-Pāramitā's Cultivation and Realization, Topic 7, Part 4

Here, this dhyāna is distinguished, in its general sense, in three parts: explaining the name; distinguishing its sequence of stages; and clarifying its cultivation and realization.

First, explaining the name: as for why this dhyāna is named the thorough-and-bright contemplation, this contemplative method is given in the text of the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra, without any separate name of its own there. The various dhyāna masters of the northern lands, having cultivated and attained this dhyāna and wishing to transmit it to others, not knowing its proper name, at first wished simply to place it among the root dhyānas — but its own dharma-characteristics differ vastly from those. Matched against the sixteen special excellences, its own terms bear no relation to them at all; placed alongside the liberations or the stations of mastery, its own contemplative method and practice differ entirely as well. Since it corresponds properly with neither, in either direction, the various masters accordingly gave it a separate name of its own, calling it the dhyāna of thorough-and-bright contemplation. Some, further, say that this very name is given in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra.

As for what is meant by "thorough": this means that, from the very outset of its cultivation, one thoroughly contemplates all three matters — the breath, form, and mind — together. When contemplating the breath, one thereby illuminates form and mind together as well; and when contemplating form, the same holds all the way through to mind as well. This dharma is bright and pure, able to open the mind's own eye, free of every obscuring darkness — contemplating one, all three are reached at once, seeing through them without any obstruction whatsoever — hence it is named "thorough."

Furthermore: skillfully cultivating this dhyāna is certain to bring forth the six supernormal powers and the three insights. The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra clarifies that, when the dharma-practicing monk cultivates this dhyāna, wishing to attain supernormal powers, he is thereby able to attain them directly. Here, "thorough" refers precisely to being able to attain the six supernormal powers; and "bright" refers precisely to being able to give rise to the three insights. This speaks of the result already within the cause — hence it is called the thorough-and-bright contemplation.

Question: the other dhyānas, too, are able to bring forth the six supernormal powers and the three insights — why, then, is only this dhyāna spoken of as "thorough and bright"? Answer: the other dhyānas do indeed carry this same sense of bringing forth thoroughness and brightness, but not so swiftly and sharply as this dhyāna — hence this alone is named thorough-and-bright.

Question: the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra itself gives a separate explanation of this dhyāna's own name and meaning, the sūtra saying: "As for what is called dhyāna: it is swift, and so is named dhyāna — swift, greatly swift; abiding, greatly abiding; still, utterly still; contemplating cessation, far removed — this is what is named dhyāna." Why, then, is a separate name established here instead? Answer: although that sūtra does give this explanation, its sense, though made clear there, still leaves the name itself somewhat diffuse — since no definite, specific name is actually given there, a further name, "thorough-and-bright," is established here instead.

Second, clarifying its sequence of stages: this dhyāna has no separate sequence of stages of its own — it, too, is established with reference to the sequence of stages of the root four dhyānas and the four formless concentrations. It is simply that, within each single dhyāna, there is, further, a superior, world-transcending dharma of contemplation and concentration present, able to bring forth the uncontaminated, along with the three insights and the six supernormal powers, swiftly and sharply — and, following neither-perception-nor-non-perception, the mind's various mental factors are extinguished, entering the concentration of the cessation of sensation and perception. Hence it differs from the root dhyānas' own dark realization and clinging attachment, which lack any such spiritual, wisdom-bearing capacity at all. Hence, although its sequence of stages is the same as the root dhyānas', its contemplative wisdom differs entirely — and, fearing this might be misunderstood, a separate name is established for it. Though the name differs, the sequence of stages itself shows no difference at all.

Question: if this dhyāna is able to enter the concentration of cessation, how does it differ from the nine sequential concentrations? Answer: at the time this concentration is cultivated, mind follows mind without interruption, and so it, too, may be spoken of as the nine sequential concentrations — yet, in the end, it is not the same as the nine sequential concentrations' own complete dharma. This matter will be seen for itself below. Compared against the Satyasiddhi-śāstra's own explanation of the nine concentrations and the eight liberations, it, too, is complete in this same respect.

Third, clarifying its cultivation and realization: since this dhyāna has no separate sequence of stages of its own, its cultivation and realization, too, are distinguished with reference to the root dhyānas' own sequence of stages.

First, clarifying beforehand the mark of cultivating and realizing the first dhyāna, as the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra says: "As for the first dhyāna: it is named both 'complete' and 'free.' As for 'free': this means free of the five hindrances. As for 'complete': this means complete in the five factors. The five factors are: initial thought, sustained reflection, joy, ease, and concentration. What is meant by initial thought? Suchness-thought, great-thought; deliberation, great deliberation; contemplating the nature of mind — this is named initial thought. What is meant by sustained reflection? Contemplating the conduct of mind, great conduct, pervasive conduct, and conduct at will — this is named sustained reflection. What is meant by joy? Suchness-knowledge, great knowledge; the mind moved all the way to the very heart of mind itself — this is named joy. What is meant by ease? This means ease of mind, ease of body, and ease of sensation, receiving a blissful touch — this is named ease. What is meant by concentration? This means the mind abiding, greatly abiding, undisturbed by any object, unmistaken, free of any inversion whatsoever — this is named concentration." This is precisely that sūtra's own brief explanation of the mark of cultivating and realizing the thorough-and-bright contemplation's first dhyāna. Reasoning through what this sūtra passage clarifies regarding the five factors, this differs vastly from what the other sūtras and treatises clarify — hence it must be explained separately here.

Here, "suchness-thought" is first explained. Suchness-thought is precisely the preliminary expedient concentration that arises before the first dhyāna itself — it is, in fact, the "not-yet-arrived" state, though its realization does not arise on its own, in isolation, but necessarily through cultivation.

How is it cultivated? The practitioner, from the very outset of settling the mind, contemplates that the three matters of breath, form, and mind are all alike without any distinct discrimination between them. To contemplate these three matters, one must first contemplate the path of the breath. How does one contemplate the breath? By gathering the mind and sitting still, regulating and harmonizing the breath, closely contemplating single-mindedly the very conception of the breath going out and coming in throughout the body. If the wisdom-mind is bright and sharp, one perceives the in-breath as gathering nowhere, and the out-breath as scattering nowhere, coming from no particular course and going by no particular path. Although one clearly perceives the breath entering and leaving throughout the body in this way, it is like wind within empty space, its very nature having nothing at all present within it. This, in brief, describes contemplating the breath as suchness-thought.

Next, contemplating form as suchness. The practitioner, already knowing that the breath depends upon the body, and that, apart from the body, there is no breath at all, should then closely contemplate the body's own form as suchness. This form is, in itself, originally without existence at all — it is entirely a matter of past-life deluded thought and causal conditions, drawing together the present life's own four elements, whose form encircles empty space, and is thereby only provisionally named "body." Closely contemplating, single-mindedly, the six parts such as the head and the rest, the thirty-six substances, the four elements, and the four subtle elements, none of these, one by one, is itself the "body" — and even the four subtle elements and the four elements themselves are, each in turn, not truly real, not even existing on their own — how, then, could they possibly give rise to a six-part body, or to the thirty-six substances? No bodily form whatsoever can be found — at this point, the mind is free of any discrimination, and thus penetrates form as suchness.

Next, contemplating mind as suchness. The practitioner should know that it is because mind exists at all that bodily form, coming and going, movement and change, exist as well. Were this mind not present, who would discriminate form? From what would form itself arise? Closely contemplating this very mind, it, too, is found to exist only in dependence on conditions, arising and ceasing with great swiftness, no dwelling-place to be found, and no mark or appearance either — it has only a name, and even this name is itself empty — this, then, penetrates mind as suchness. The practitioner, no longer finding these three natures to be distinctly different from one another, this is named suchness-thought.

Furthermore: the practitioner, contemplating the breath, once the breath itself can no longer be found, thereby penetrates form and mind as empty and still as well. Why is this? Because these three dharmas are never actually separate from one another — form and mind are exactly the same. If these three matters, form, mind, and the rest, cannot be found, then no dharma whatsoever can be found either. Why is this? Because it is precisely through the combining together of these three matters that every aggregate, sense-base, and element, every kind of suffering and affliction, every wholesome and unwholesome karmic action, coming and going through the five realms, turning without cease, is able to arise at all. Once one understands that these three matters are themselves unarisen, then every dharma whatsoever is, in itself, originally empty and still. This, in brief, describes the mark of cultivating suchness-thought.

Second, clarifying the mark of realization: this, too, is complete with the mark of realizing both desire-realm concentration and the "not-yet-arrived" state. The practitioner, contemplating and observing these three natures as already described above, finding none of them at all, the mind now abides spontaneously, of its own accord, in true suchness itself, the mind grown indistinct, bright, and pure — this is named desire-realm concentration. Following this concentration, the mind relies on the dharma of true suchness, the mind entering concentration indistinctly, corresponding with suchness itself, the dharma of suchness sustaining the mind, the concentrated mind unmoving, indistinctly no longer seeing any distinct mark among the three dharmas of body, breath, and mind at all, altogether just like empty space — hence this is named suchness-thought, which is precisely the thorough-and-bright contemplation's own "not-yet-arrived" state.

Next, explaining the mark of the first dhyāna's own arising, as already cited above from the sūtra: this should be explained in full, the mark of realizing all five factors. Here, the factor of initial thought is first taken as the basis — once its sense is established, the remaining four factors may then be readily seen by the same pattern.

Hence the sūtra speaks of "initial thought, great initial thought." As for "initial thought": awakening to the root dhyāna, aware of the mark of tactile sensation's own arising — this is named initial thought. This matter is as already described above, differing only in its degree, light or heavy. As for "great initial thought": the mind's own eye opening suddenly into clarity, clearly seeing the mark of these three matters' own arising — this is named great initial thought. This, however, is only a peripheral explanation, not yet the proper intent.

Furthermore, the sense of initial thought and great initial thought shall now be properly distinguished. As for what is meant by "initial thought": awakening to the mark of the mundane world. "Great initial thought" means awakening to the world-transcending. This corresponds, respectively, to the two truths of the ultimate and the conventional, and to the contaminated and the uncontaminated — the sense intended here lies precisely in this.

Here, "the mundane world" is itself clarified as being of three kinds: first, the root world, which is precisely the five aggregates of one's own present life's karmic retribution; second, the world of meaning, which means knowing that the dharma of the root world is itself interrelated, in principle, with every external dharma whatsoever; and third, the world of phenomena, which means, once the five supernormal powers are brought forth, seeing directly every kind of sentient being and every mundane matter whatsoever. Since the mundane world is thus of three kinds, the world-transcending, too, is correspondingly distinguished into three, set against the mundane. Why is this? Sentient beings' own faculties differ — lower, middle, upper, sharp, and dull, not all the same — and so, although they alike realize this same first dhyāna, the depth of their own state actually differs. Hence realizing the first dhyāna must be distinguished according to these three senses.

First, explaining, with reference to the root world and the world-transcending, how initial thought and great initial thought, together with the five factors, form the mark of the first dhyāna: this itself has two parts — first, clarifying beforehand the mark of the first dhyāna's own arising; and second, explaining how this constitutes the differentiated mark of initial thought, great initial thought, and the five factors. First, clarifying beforehand the mark of the first dhyāna's own arising: this itself has three parts, differing in grade and sequence — the initial arising; the middle; and the final.

First, the mark of initial arising: the practitioner, at the very moment the first dhyāna arises, suddenly sees the ninety-nine thousand pores of one's own body opening loosely, the breath's own energy going out and entering through every pore of the body. Although the mind's own eye clearly sees this going out and entering throughout the whole body, the in-breath gathers nowhere, and the out-breath scatters nowhere, coming by no particular course and going by no particular path — and one thereby sees, within the body, each of the thirty-six substances clearly and distinctly.

The thirty-six substances are: head-hair, body-hair, nails, teeth, thin skin, thick skin, sinews, flesh, bones, marrow, spleen, kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, bladder, gall, feces, urine, grime, sweat, tears, mucus, saliva, pus, blood, vessels, yellow phlegm, white phlegm, lymph, fat, membrane-fat, and brain-membrane. Of these thirty-six substances, ten are external, and twenty-six are internal; twenty-two belong to the earth element, and fourteen belong to the water element.

Having already seen the marks of wind, water, and earth clearly, one further perceives that each of these substances carries its own heat, simmering and boiling — the mark of fire, too, now clear and distinct. Contemplating these four elements, it is as though four snakes shared a single basket together — the four elements as four venomous serpents, each of a differing nature; or it is like a butcher dividing an ox's meat into four portions, closely observing these four portions as entirely unrelated to one another. The practitioner is exactly the same, the mind greatly startled into awakening.

Furthermore: the practitioner, seeing not only that the body's thirty-six substances are the four elements only provisionally combined, impure and repugnant, also becomes aware of five distinct marks of impurity. What are these five? First, seeing the mark of the ten external substances as impure, the mind gives rise to weariness and disgust — this is named the impurity of external mark. Second, seeing the twenty-six internal substances' own inward nature as impure — this is named the impurity of inward nature. Third, becoming aware, of oneself, that this very body, from the moment of kalala onward, is formed from the combined seed and blood of one's parents — this is named the impurity of the seed. Fourth, this body, at the time it dwells within the womb, resides between the two organs of the raw and the cooked — this is named the impurity of the place of birth. And fifth, once this body has died, it is discarded within the graveyard, decaying and rotting, foul and putrid — this is named the ultimate impurity.

One should know that this body, from beginning to end, is made up entirely of impurity, with nothing in it worth delighting in, deeply repugnant — I, having been without eyes, have, since time immemorial, clung to this impure, rotting body, creating the karma of birth-and-death across measureless kalpas, and only now am I first awakening to this, sorrow and joy mingling together in my heart. These five kinds of impurity are given at length within the Mahāyāna treatise. One further perceives that, within this very concentration, mind and consciousness, taking various states as their object, never remain still for a single moment, the various mental factors arising in unbroken succession, the object of each thought differing from the last, not of one kind only — this is named the mark of the first dhyāna's initial realization.

Next, clarifying the mark of the middle realization. The practitioner, abiding within this very concentration, samādhi growing gradually deeper, perceives that, behind the breath, the five internal organs each give rise to their own differing breath-mark — namely, blue, yellow, red, white, and black, each differing according to its own organ's color, issuing out through the pores. Depending on which faculty it enters through, its color, too, differs. Distinguishing in this way, the marks of this energy are not of one kind only.

One further sees that this body's thin skin, thick skin, membranes, and flesh each have ninety-nine layers; the large and small bones number three hundred sixty; and the marrow, too, has ninety-eight layers each. Between this flesh and bone are various parasites, each with four heads, four mouths, and ninety-nine tails, their forms not of one kind only — and one becomes fully aware, further, of their own movement, coming and going, sounds, and speech as well. The brain alone has four sections, each section having fourteen layers. Within the body, the five internal organs, leaf upon leaf covering one another, are just like a lotus flower, their apertures open and porous, inward and outward freely interpenetrating, each likewise having ninety-nine layers. Between these various substances, there are also, in each case, eighty households of parasites dwelling within, each set to their own task, mutually employing one another.

If the practitioner's mind grows still and fine, one may also hear, within this very concentration, the sound of these various parasites' own speech, and, at times, through this, come to understand the samādhi that comprehends the speech of sentient beings. Among the body's various vessels, the heart-vessel serves as the ruling one, and, from within the heart-vessel, the vessels of the four elements arise in turn, each element having ten vessels, and, within each of these ten vessels, nine further vessels each, combining to make four hundred vessels in all. From head to foot, within these four hundred and four vessels, wind, energy, and the flow of blood all pour through and irrigate one another. Within this very blood of the vessels, there are also various fine, subtle parasites dwelling, depending on the vessels for their own existence. The practitioner, knowing all this, thereby knows the body, within and without, to be unreal, just like a plantain trunk. One further contemplates the mental factors, and, whatever object is taken up, sensation, perception, formation, and consciousness, these four states of mind, are each found to differ from one another.

Third, clarifying the mark of the final realization. The practitioner's samādhi and wisdom grow ever deeper, purer, and sharper. One further sees the breath's own energy grown harmonious, become a single, unified mark, like a vessel of lapis lazuli, no longer distinctly blue, yellow, red, or white. One also sees the breath's own entering and leaving as impermanent, arising and ceasing, entirely empty and still, and further sees the body's own mark as ever-new, impermanent, constantly replacing itself.

Why is this? Food and drink are external instances of the four elements; entering the belly and nourishing the body, once this new instance of the four elements has arisen, one should know that the old body correspondingly perishes — just as, with grass and trees, once a new leaf has grown, the old leaf accordingly falls; the body is exactly the same. The foolish, not understanding this, cherish and cling to the body; the wise, within this very samādhi, perceive this bodily mark as shifted by impermanence, ever newly arising and ceasing, empty, without any nature of its own, its form nowhere to be found. Further still, within the arising of a single thought-moment, sixty instants of arising and ceasing are already present. Some, further, say: six hundred instants, arising and ceasing with such swiftness that it, too, is empty, without any nature of its own, the mind itself nowhere to be found.

Second, explaining and completing the mark of the factors of initial thought and sustained reflection: this itself has five parts. First, explaining the factor of initial thought — the sūtra, in speaking of the factor of initial thought, says: "Initial thought, great initial thought; deliberation, great deliberation; contemplating the nature of mind." With reference to these five phrases, the mark of initial thought is now clarified.

Here, the first two phrases, "initial thought, great initial thought," are first explained — these are distinguished with reference to the mundane and the world-transcending states, and so this twofold distinction of initial thought and great initial thought arises accordingly. The mundane state is precisely the mark of difference; the world-transcending state is precisely the mark of suchness. This very pair, suchness and difference, is itself simply another name for the two truths, ultimate and conventional. Discussed with reference to the contemplation-gate, this may be readily seen in its shallowness and depth. This shall now be distinguished in full accordance with the Mahāyāna treatise.

The treatise says: "There are three grades: upper, middle, and lower." Since suchness and difference are thus of three grades, initial thought and great initial thought, too, should correspondingly be of three grades. The treatise's own intent distinguishes: taking the provisional name as difference, and distinguishing the four elements' own real dharma as sharing a single substance, is named the lower grade of suchness; distinguishing the earth element as different from the other three elements is named difference. Recognizing them as alike impermanent, their arising and ceasing not different from one another, is named the middle grade of suchness; impermanent arising and ceasing itself is named difference. Recognizing that this very arising and ceasing is itself empty, without any difference at all, is named the upper grade of suchness. Here, then, with reference to dhyāna, the lower, middle, and upper grades are distinguished, clarifying the mark of the contemplation-gate's own shallowness and depth.

First, clarifying beforehand the mark of the lower grade of initial thought: perceiving the breath entering and leaving, its various colors, blue, yellow, red, white, each distinct from the other, this is named initial thought; perceiving all these breaths as sharing, without difference, the single element of wind, this is named great initial thought. Next, perceiving the thirty-six substances as each distinct from the other, this is named initial thought; perceiving the remaining three elements as without any distinction between them, this is named great initial thought. Perceiving the mental factors as not of one kind only, this is named initial thought; perceiving them as, alike, these same four states of mind, without difference, this is named great initial thought.

Second, clarifying the mark of the middle grade of initial thought: recognizing the breath as the element of wind, this is named initial thought; perceiving the breath's own arising and ceasing as impermanent, this is named great initial thought. Perceiving the remaining three elements as each distinct, this is named initial thought; perceiving them as alike impermanent, their arising and ceasing not different from one another, this is named great initial thought. Perceiving the four states of mind as differing from one another, this is named initial thought; perceiving their impermanent arising and ceasing as not different from one another, this is named great initial thought.

Third, clarifying the mark of the upper grade of initial thought: perceiving the breath's own impermanence as difference — this breath is shifted by eight marks, and so is impermanent. What are these eight marks? Arising; abiding; changing; ceasing; the arising of arising; the abiding of abiding; the changing of changing; and the ceasing of ceasing. These eight kinds of mark, shifting the dharma's own substance, distinct from one another, not of one kind only, this is named initial thought; perceiving the breath as originally empty and still, without any of these eight marks' own difference at all, this is named great initial thought.

Perceiving the remaining three elements as each having these eight marks' own distinction, this is named initial thought; perceiving the remaining three elements as originally empty and still, without any of these eight marks' own difference at all, this is named great initial thought. Perceiving the mind as shifted by these eight marks, distinct from one another, not of one kind only, this is named initial thought; perceiving the mind as originally empty and still, without any of these eight marks' own difference at all, this is named great initial thought.

Why is this? Were the mind itself identical to these eight marks, and these eight marks identical to the mind, this would destroy what remains of their distinction. Why is this? Here, the breath and form, too, would then be identical to these eight marks, and these eight marks identical to the breath and form — and, the eight marks being without difference, the breath, form, and mind, these three matters, ought then to be without difference from one another as well. If this were so, then, whenever mind is spoken of, one ought equally to be speaking of breath and form — but this is, in truth, not so at all, since it would destroy the very mark of conventional truth. It is like calling for fire and expecting water to come instead. To say that mind is, without exception, identical to breath and form suffers from exactly this same fault.

Furthermore: were the eight marks present apart from mind, and mind present apart from the eight marks, then mind would not be the eight marks, and the eight marks would not be mind. If mind is not the eight marks, then mind would have only a name, without any mark at all, and a dharma without any mark cannot properly be named "mind" at all. If the eight marks are apart from mind, then the eight marks would have nothing to shift, and so could not properly be named "the eight marks" either, since the eight marks would then have nothing that they mark at all. Examined and sought after closely in this way, mind and the eight marks are, in themselves, originally without existence at all, nor do they possess any nature dependent on anything else either — their nature is like empty space itself, without any single mark of difference — hence this is named great initial thought. The breath and form already discussed should likewise, each in turn, be distinguished in this same way. This, in brief, describes the mark of the upper grade of initial thought and great initial thought.

Next, explaining the two phrases "deliberation, great deliberation." These, too, are explained with reference to the initial thought and great initial thought already given. Why is this? The initial mind's own awakening to the mark of the ultimate and conventional is named initial thought and great initial thought; the later mind's own repeated deliberation and observation of this is named deliberation and great deliberation. Deliberation is spoken of following the lesser initial thought, and great deliberation following the great initial thought — this sense is readily seen, and need not be explained further here.

Next, explaining "contemplating the nature of mind": this is precisely turning the contemplation back upon the very mind that does this deliberating and great deliberating. Why is this? The practitioner, though able to fully understand the object before them, if unable to turn back and directly contemplate the contemplating mind itself, will fail to meet the true path. Here, then, one turns the contemplation back upon the very mind doing the observing: does it arise from a contemplating mind, or from a non-contemplating mind? Whether it arises from a contemplating mind or from a non-contemplating mind, both alternatives carry their own fault — one should know, then, that the contemplating mind is, in the end, empty and still. This concludes the five phrases explaining the factor of initial thought.

Second, next explaining the factor of sustained reflection. The sūtra says: "Observing the conduct of mind, great conduct, pervasive conduct, and conduct at will." "Observing mind" is precisely the same as "contemplating the nature of mind" already given above.

As for "conduct" and "great conduct": the śrāvaka takes the Four Noble Truths as great conduct — at the very moment mind is observed, one is already complete with the right contemplation of the Four Noble Truths. Why is this? If a person, failing to understand mind, thereby remains in ignorance, and, not understanding this, creates every kind of fettering karma, this is named the truth of accumulation. The causes and conditions of this accumulation are bound to bring about the future's own painful result of name-and-form — this is named the truth of suffering. Contemplating the nature of mind is itself already complete with moral discipline, concentration, and wisdom, practicing the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment — hence this is named the truth of the path. Where there is this right path, present affliction no longer arises, and the future's own painful result is thereby extinguished as well — this is named the truth of cessation. This is the śrāvaka's own great conduct. The pratyekabuddha, by contrast, takes the twelve links of dependent origination as great conduct. And the bodhisattva enters directly into the right path and right contemplation of the unarisen, realizing the still concentration of the lapis-lazuli samādhi, seeing the Buddha through every pore, entering the bodhisattva's own stage. This, in brief, clarifies the mark of the three vehicles' own path of great conduct.

As for "pervasive conduct": when one's contemplative practice is not yet sharp, one still, alike, contemplates the Four Noble Truths with reference to mind alone — this is named great conduct. Here, once the path of contemplation has grown somewhat sharper, one is able to range pervasively through every condition, contemplating the Four Noble Truths, bringing forth the sixteen aspects of contemplation — hence this is named pervasive conduct. As for "conduct at will": within pervasive conduct, although one is able to see every condition while still within concentration, upon emerging from dhyāna-concentration, this contemplation no longer corresponds. Here, "at will" means that, whether entering or emerging from concentration, one contemplates every dharma whatsoever, spontaneously accomplished of its own accord, not dependent on any deliberate intention at all — this is named conduct at will. This, in brief, explains the mark of the factor of sustained reflection.

Third, clarifying the factor of joy. The sūtra says: "Suchness-knowledge, great knowledge; the mind moved all the way to the very heart of mind itself — this is named joy." "Suchness-knowledge" is precisely the true principle of the Four Noble Truths within contemplating the nature of mind, already given above. "Great knowledge" is as within the contemplative practice already given above. If the mind closely examines and dwells within its object, knowing in accordance with contemplation, this is called suchness-knowledge. If one suddenly awakens, knowing in accordance with principle, the mind giving rise to the joy of the Dharma, this is named great knowledge. "The mind moved all the way to the very heart of mind itself" means that, having attained the joy of the Dharma, the mind is moved by it, and, were one to simply follow along with this joy, this would be a form of inversion. Here, understanding that this very joy has no fixed existence, one thereby attains joy's own true nature, and, having attained joy's own true nature, this is named "reaching the very heart of mind" — this is named joy.

Fourth, next clarifying the factor of ease. The sūtra says: "Ease of body, ease of mind, and ease of sensation, receiving a blissful touch — this is named ease." "Ease of body" means that, having fully understood the body's own nature, one is no longer moved by any bodily karma, and thereby attains bodily ease — hence this is named ease of body. "Ease of mind" means that, having fully understood the mind's own nature, one is no longer moved by any mental karma, and thereby attains mental happiness — hence this is named ease of mind. "Ease of sensation" means that the very mind able to observe is itself named "sensation" — knowing sensation as not truly "sensation" at all, severing every such sensation, this is named "happiness" — hence this is named ease of sensation. "Receiving a blissful touch" means that both the mundane and world-transcending kinds of blissful dharma have been accomplished, this blissful dharma meeting the mind directly — hence one receives this very bliss.

Fifth, next clarifying the factor of concentration. The sūtra says: "The mind abiding, greatly abiding, undisturbed by any object, unmistaken, free of any inversion whatsoever — this is named concentration." "The mind abiding" means abiding in the mundane dharma of concentration, sustaining the mind without scattering — hence this is named abiding. "Greatly abiding" means abiding in the dharma of concentration that is true suchness itself, sustaining the mind without scattering.

"Undisturbed by any object" means that, although abiding single-mindedly, one's discrimination of the mundane world's own marks remains undisturbed. "Unmistaken" means free of the fault of deluded mistake — closely understanding true suchness, deluded grasping no longer arises — hence this is called unmistaken. "Free of any inversion" means: were the mind to lean one-sidedly toward grasping the mundane world's own mark, one would then follow the view of existence, sinking into birth-and-death, unable to attain liberation; and were the mind to lean one-sidedly toward grasping the mark of suchness instead, one would then follow the view of emptiness, breaking apart the mundane world's own cause and effect, no longer cultivating any wholesome dharma at all — this is a place of great peril. The practitioner, properly penetrating both the ultimate and the conventional, leaving behind these two deviant modes of livelihood, this is named free of inversion. Furthermore: should a practitioner of the two lesser vehicles attain this very mind, breaking through the four inversions, this, too, is named free of inversion; and should a bodhisattva attain this same single mind, able to break through the eight inversions, this, too, is named free of inversion.

The practitioner, first attaining the accomplishment of the factor of initial thought, perceives the body and breath as unreal, just like a plantain trunk. Now, abiding in this very single-pointed mind, the factor of concentration, too, is accomplished. The mind now still, afterward growing indistinct and fine, one perceives the mark of body and breath as unreal, just like a mass of foam. This, in brief, clarifies the mark of a practitioner of lower faculty realizing the thorough-and-bright contemplation's first dhyāna.

Second, next explaining, with reference to the world of meaning, how a practitioner of middle faculty progresses in realizing the mark of the first dhyāna's five factors: this itself has two parts — directly clarifying the mark of the world of meaning; and explaining how this constitutes the sense of initial thought.

As for the first, explaining the world of meaning: this has two parts — clarifying the external world of meaning; and clarifying the internal world of meaning. Here, explaining the external world of meaning: this, in turn, has three parts — directly clarifying the causes and conditions of the root world; clarifying how the root world is interrelated with the external world; and clarifying the royal way of governance.

First, explaining the sense of awakening to how the root world arises through its own causes and conditions. The practitioner, having just attained the first dhyāna and thereby already realized and seen the root world, may, at this point, either have seen the path or not yet have seen it. Wishing now to know deeply through what causes and conditions this root world's own present-life karmic result actually arises, one closely contemplates, at this point, within samādhi, with a bright and sharp mind, the body's own thirty-six substances, the four elements, and the five aggregates, wishing with the mind to know through what causes and conditions this very body came to exist.

Through the power of samādhi, wisdom, merit, and wholesome roots, one thereupon becomes aware directly: this very body and life are, in every case, sustained through the karmic power of the five precepts from a past life, carried through the intermediate state, neither cut off nor extinguished, and, at the very moment of the parents' union, this karmic power transforms consciousness, taking hold of a portion of the parents' own bodily essence — the combined drop of semen and blood, the size of a bean — as one's own, consciousness lodging itself within this very drop. At this point, the faculty of the body, the faculty of life, and the mind of consciousness are already complete. Consciousness, present within this drop, is already complete with the nature of the five sense-consciousnesses, transforming once every seven days, first like thin whey, then congealed cream, afterward growing gradually larger, like the yolk of a chicken's egg.

Through the causes and conditions of this karmic power, this single body is transformed: within it, first, the five internal organs are established, each housing one of the five consciousnesses. At this point, one comes to know directly: the power of the precept against killing transforms, within this body, what becomes the liver, upon which the "cloud-soul" depends; the power of the precept against stealing transforms, within this body, what becomes the kidneys, upon which the "will" depends; the power of the precept against sexual misconduct transforms, within this body, what becomes the lungs, upon which the "animal-soul" depends; the power of the precept against false speech transforms, within this body, what becomes the spleen, upon which "intention" depends; and the power of the precept against intoxicants transforms, within this body, what becomes the heart, upon which the "spirit" depends. These five, cloud-soul, will, animal-soul, intention, and spirit, are precisely alternate names for the five consciousnesses themselves.

The five organs, serving as their own palace-chambers, now complete, the spirit-consciousness thereby has a place to dwell. Having this dwelling, it must then be nourished and sustained. The karmic power of the five precepts further transforms, within the body, the six repositories' own spirit-energy, these repositories nourishing the five organs and the body as a whole.

As for these repositories: the gallbladder is the liver's own repository, holding fluid as its energy, jointly moistening the liver. The small intestine is the heart's own repository — the heart is red, and the small intestine, too, is red; the heart governs blood and energy, and the small intestine, too, circulates blood and energy, moistening the heart, entering the body as a whole. The large intestine is the lungs' own repository — the lungs are white, and the large intestine, too, is white; it governs the elimination of waste, benefiting the lungs, completing the body's own transformation. The stomach is the spleen's own repository — the stomach is yellow, and the spleen, too, is yellow; the stomach's own movement governs the space between, regulating the spleen, its energy entering the four limbs. The bladder is the kidneys' own repository — the kidneys' repository is black, and the bladder, too, is black; it circulates moisture, nourishing the kidneys, benefiting the lower intestine's own function. The triple burner combines to form a single repository, divided into parts, each governing its own function: the upper burner governs the circulation of bodily fluids and the clear, warm energy; the middle burner governs the circulation of blood, vessels, and vital energy; and the lower burner governs the circulation of solid waste. The triple burner governs the benefit of the five organs' own spirit, above and below, dividing to govern the six repositories, the six repositories' own energy thereby completing the spirit of the five faculties, governing the sense of the body as a single whole.

The repositories and organs, mutually sustaining one another, give rise to the seven bodily constituents. The kidneys give rise to two: bones, and marrow — the kidneys belong to water, and, since water contains within it sand and stone, this is precisely the sense of bone. The liver gives rise to two: sinews, and intestines — the liver is wood, and wood is the earth's own sinew, hence it gives rise to sinews and intestines. The heart gives rise to blood and vessels — the heart's own color is red, belonging to blood, circulating the spirit's own energy, its course entirely natural. The spleen gives rise to flesh and skin's own surface — the spleen is earth, and flesh and skin's surface are earth as well. The lungs give rise to the skin — the lungs sit above the other organs, and so the skin, too, is the body's own uppermost layer. This, then, is how the five organs are able to give rise to the seven bodily constituents, also named the seven supports.

The lungs serve as the great minister, positioned above and below, setting aside what is unrighteous. The liver serves as the commandant. The benevolent heart resides at the very center, receiving the various kinds. The spleen resides between them, harmonizing the five flavors. The kidneys reside below, driving the four energies, causing the seven bodily constituents to grow and complete the body. Bone serves as its pillar; marrow, its ointment; sinew, its binding; vessels, its circulation; blood, its moistening; flesh, its wrapping; and skin, its covering — and, through these very causes and conditions, the great divisions of the body arise: head, torso, hands, and feet. The remainder of the bone becomes the teeth; the remainder of the flesh becomes the tongue; the remainder of the sinew becomes the nails; the remainder of the blood becomes the hair; and the remainder of the skin becomes the ears.

Consciousness and spirit, present within, through the causes and conditions of the precepts' own power, cause the five bodily orifices to open outward, the four elements' own produced form becoming pure, transformed into the five faculties of feeling — and so, in response to a sense-object, one knows it through this very faculty; through the causes and conditions of the five colors, mind-consciousness thereby arises; and, once the sense-object has passed, consciousness returns once more to the five organs. The body's own single-life karmic result, the four elements, the five aggregates, the twelve sense-bases, the eighteen elements, is thereby complete in full. This, in brief, describes the root cause of the single-life karmic result, the reason behind the world of meaning.

Question: if it is said that consciousness comes forth from within, present among the five faculties, distinguishing the five sense-objects, how does this differ from the non-Buddhist teaching's own view? Answer: as the Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: "Without relinquishing the eight deviant paths, one enters the eight correct ones." It also says: "The sixty-two views are themselves the very seed of the Tathāgata." What is meant by this? Such senses as these are all given in the Sūtra of Trapusa, clarifying that this is not the work of any person's own contrivance. Should this sense not be fully understood here, it will be seen for itself further below.

Second, explaining the mark of how the internal world is interrelated with the external land. The practitioner, through the power of samādhi, wisdom, and the wish-to-know, closely contemplating the body, thereby knows that this body is complete with, and corresponds to, every mundane and conventional matter of heaven and earth alike. Why is this?

As for this bodily mark: the head is round, resembling heaven; the feet are square, corresponding to earth; within, there is the space-element, which is precisely empty space itself. The belly is warm, corresponding to spring and summer; the back is firm and strong, corresponding to autumn and winter. The body's own four seasons correspond to the four seasons of the year; the twelve great joints correspond to the twelve months; the three hundred sixty small joints correspond to the three hundred sixty days. The breath issuing from the nose and mouth corresponds to the wind and energy found among mountains, marshes, valleys, and streams. The eyes correspond to the sun and moon; the eyes opening and closing correspond to day and night. The hair corresponds to the stars; the eyebrows are the Northern Dipper; the vessels are the rivers; the bones are jade and stone; the skin and flesh are the earth and soil; and the body-hair corresponds to forests and groves.

The five organs, present within, correspond, in heaven, to the five planets; on earth, to the five sacred peaks; in yin and yang, to the five phases; and, within the mundane world, to the five constant virtues. Inwardly, they are the five spirits; cultivated, they are the five virtues; their messengers are the eight trigrams; their governance of transgression is the five punishments; their governing officials are the five offices; ascending, they are the five clouds; and, transformed, they are the five dragons. The heart is the Vermilion Bird; the kidneys are the Dark Warrior; the liver is the Azure Dragon; the lungs are the White Tiger; and the spleen is the Yellow Dragon Star. These five kinds of beings thereby encompass every mundane bird and beast whatsoever, all contained within them.

They also correspond to the five clan-names — gong, shang, jiao, zhi, and yu — every family name in the ten thousand whatsoever contained within them as well. Matched against the classic texts, they are the five classics, every book and history whatsoever issuing forth from them. Matched against craft and skill, they are the five sciences and the six arts, every technique and skill whatsoever emerging from between them. One should know, then, that although this body is small, its own sense is interrelated with heaven and earth alike. Speaking of the body in this way, it is thus not merely the world of the five aggregates alone, but the world of the land itself as well.

Third, explaining the sense of the royal law of governance present within the body. The practitioner, through the power of samādhi and the wish-to-know, further becomes aware that, within the body, the mind serves as the Great King, exalting righteousness above and benevolence below, dwelling within a hundredfold enclosure, and, upon going forth, attended by officials and guards before, behind, to the left, and to the right. The lungs serve as the Minister of War; the liver as the Minister of the Masses; the spleen as the Minister of Works; and the kidneys as the great ocean, within which dwells the spirit-tortoise, breathing the primal energy, moving the wind and bringing the rain, circulating energy through the four limbs. The four limbs are the king's own subjects and children — the left hand serves as the Controller of Fate, and the right as the Controller of Records, governing the recording of human life.

Within the navel dwells the Lord of the Great Unity, also the very pillar upholding the person, the Great General of Heaven and Specially Advanced Sovereign King, governing the body's own twelve thousand great spirits. The Great Unity has eight envoys, these being precisely the eight trigrams, together forming the nine ministers. The triple burner and the pass at the origin serve as the altars of soil to the left and grain to the right, governing traitors and thieves. The upper burner, circulating energy, entering the head, forms the ancestral temple, where the king himself governs and transforms from within.

If the mind practices the correct dharma, the multitude below all follow accordingly, and governance is thereby correct and at peace — hence the five organs are harmonized, the six repositories function smoothly, the four elements are at ease, free of every affliction and trouble, and one's own years and life are thereby preserved to their fullest. But if the mind practices what is not the dharma, then the assembled officials fall into disorder, harming one another in turn — hence the four elements grow unregulated, the various faculties darken and become obstructed, and, because of this, illness is contracted and life comes to its end — all of this arising from the mind's own practice of unwholesome dharma. Hence the sūtra says: "Losing the cloud-soul brings disorder; losing the animal-soul brings madness; losing intention brings confusion; losing the will brings forgetfulness; and losing the spirit brings death. One should know that the royal way of governance established outwardly is, in every case, simply this same dharma present within the body itself." Such senses as these are all given in full within the Sūtra of Trapusa.

Second, clarifying how the internal world of meaning is interrelated: everything already discussed above is likewise interrelated with this external sense of meaning. Why is this? Before the Buddha appeared in the world, the various immortals and worldly sages had already penetrated this very dharma, matching its names and senses in just this way — hence what was given above is spoken of as the external world's own sense of meaning. Although these immortals possessed worldly wisdom, eloquence, and intelligence, able to penetrate the mundane world, should one remain fixed within this kind of discrimination, one's own mental conduct still, in the end, remains outside true principle, never yet having seen the truth — and, within the Buddhadharma, such a person is not named a sage at all, but remains, still, an ordinary person, turning through the three realms' twenty-five states of existence, never yet having left birth-and-death behind. Transforming sentient beings in this way is named the "old physician," also called the "worldly physician" — hence the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "What the worldly physician treats, once cured, relapses once again. But what the Tathāgata himself treats, once cured, never relapses again." This will be discussed further below.

Here, what is spoken of as the internal world of meaning is precisely the Tathāgata's own appearance in the world, broadly expounding the mark of every teaching-gate's own name and sense, in order to transform sentient beings. The practitioner, within the concentrated mind, wishing to come to know the mark of how the Buddhadharma's own teaching-gates correspond to the body, through the power of samādhi, wisdom, and wholesome roots, thereupon becomes aware of this directly.

How does one know, as the Buddha teaches, that the sense of the five precepts corresponds to the five organs? This has already been given above: the four elements, the five aggregates, the twelve sense-bases, the eighteen elements, the Four Noble Truths, and the twelve links of dependent origination are, in every case, present within the body itself. One thereby knows that the sense of the four elements corresponds to the five organs in this way: wind corresponds to the liver; fire corresponds to the heart; water corresponds to the kidneys; and earth corresponds to the lungs and spleen.

Hearing the name of the five aggregates, one likewise becomes aware directly of their correspondence to the body's five organs: form corresponds to the liver; consciousness corresponds to the spleen; perception corresponds to the heart; sensation corresponds to the kidneys; and formation corresponds to the lungs. Though the names do not follow in the same sequence, their sense is nonetheless interrelated.

Hearing of the twelve sense-bases and the eighteen elements, one likewise knows their correspondence to the internal five organs directly — the ten sense-bases and fifteen elements' own sense may be seen for themselves; the remaining two sense-bases and three elements shall now be distinguished. The five sense-consciousnesses are, all together, the mind-base and mind-element; the external five sense-objects and the internal dharma-object together form the dharma-base and dharma-element. This accounts for the interrelation of these twenty-three elements. As for the mind-consciousness element: the five sense-consciousnesses first arise as its own faculty, and, in response to the external dharma-object, mind-consciousness thereupon arises — this is named the mind-consciousness element.

Hearing of the five faculties, one likewise knows their correspondence to the internal five organs: the faculty of sorrow corresponds to the liver; the faculty of suffering corresponds to the heart; the faculty of joy corresponds to the lungs; the faculty of happiness corresponds to the kidneys; and the faculty of equanimity corresponds to the spleen. Through the causes and conditions of these five faculties, the three realms, too, are thereby complete: the faculty of sorrow corresponds to the desire realm; the faculty of suffering corresponds to the first dhyāna; the faculty of joy corresponds to the second dhyāna; the faculty of happiness corresponds to the third dhyāna; and the faculty of equanimity corresponds to the fourth dhyāna, and, further still, all the way through the four formless concentrations, all of which are named the dhyāna joined with equanimity. One should know, then, that the three realms, too, correspond to the five organs, their sense mutually interrelated.

Hearing of the four kinds of birth, one likewise becomes aware that this sense, too, relates to the five organs. Why is this? The desire realm is complete with the five faculties; the five faculties relate to the five organs; the five organs relate to the four elements; and the four elements correspond to the four kinds of birth. Every kind of egg-birth is, for the most part, of the nature of the wind element, since the body is able to rise up lightly; every kind of moisture-birth is, for the most part, of the nature of the water element, since it arises through moisture; every kind of womb-birth belongs, for the most part, to the nature of the earth element, since its body is heavy and dull; and every kind of transformation-birth belongs, for the most part, to the nature of the fire element, since fire's own substance is absent and then suddenly present, and also possesses its own radiance.

The Tathāgata, in order to transform the three realms and the four kinds of birth, teaches the Four Noble Truths, the twelve links of dependent origination, and the six pāramitās — one should know that these three dharma-medicines, this very spirit-elixir, are, in every case, taught precisely as an antidote for sentient beings' own five organs, five faculties, and aggregates.

Why is this? As the Buddha teaches the sense of the Four Noble Truths within a single mind, one should know: the truth of accumulation corresponds to the liver, since its cause belongs to what first arises; the truth of suffering corresponds to the heart, since its result is what comes to completion; the truth of the path corresponds to the lungs, since metal is able to sever and cut through; and the truth of cessation corresponds to the kidneys, the dharma of winter's own storing away, what once existed now returned to nothing. This single mind already corresponds to the spleen, since it opens up and penetrates all Four Noble Truths at once. And, further still, the twelve links of dependent origination and the six pāramitās may likewise be understood by this same pattern.

These three kinds of dharma-treasury thereby broadly encompass every one of the Tathāgata's own teaching-gates — hence the practitioner, should the mind be bright and sharp, closely contemplating the bodily mark, thereby comes to understand the name and sense of the whole Buddhadharma directly. Hence the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: "One who clearly understands this very body has thereby penetrated everything whatsoever." This, then, explains the mark of how the internal world of meaning is interrelated with the world of meaning generally — its intent lies in the deeply hidden and subtle, not to be spoken of by anyone lacking realization.

Second, next explaining and completing the sense of the five factors' own initial thought: this, too, has three senses — lower; middle; and upper.

Here, the three senses of the factor of initial thought are first explained. First, the lower initial thought and great initial thought: the practitioner, within the stilled mind, perceives fully the mark of these two kinds of world, internal and external, already given above, distinguishing their differing names and senses — this is precisely the mark of their own separation, hence this is named perceiving the world of meaning. Perceiving the world of meaning in this way, this is named initial thought.

As for great initial thought: perceiving that, although every external name and sense differs, none of them possesses any real substance of its own, all instead depending on the five organs — as, for instance, taking the liver as the basis for speaking of the precept against killing, Jupiter, Mount Tai, the Green Emperor, the wood-soul, eye-consciousness, benevolence, body-hair, the Book of Odes, the note jiao, its nature, thunder, and every other such dharma — none of these dharmas differs from the liver, and the liver's own sense does not differ from the precept against killing and the rest — this is precisely suchness, hence this is named great initial thought. Perceiving every other dharma as suchness, corresponding to the remaining four organs, follows this same pattern.

Second, next clarifying initial thought and great initial thought: the practitioner, perceiving that although the liver is suchness with respect to the precept against killing and every other such dharma, the liver is nonetheless not the lungs, spleen, heart, kidneys, and every other such dharma, clearly understanding this distinction, this is named initial thought. Perceiving that the liver and the other organs' own dharmas are impermanent, arising and ceasing, no different from the impermanence of the remaining four organs and their own dharmas, this is named great initial thought.

Third, next clarifying the upper initial thought and great initial thought: the practitioner, perceiving that the liver and the other organs' own dharmas each bear the eight marks' own distinction, this is named initial thought. Perceiving that the liver and these other organs' own dharmas are originally empty and still, without any mark of difference at all, this is named great initial thought.

Distinguishing initial thought and great initial thought, and the mark of the mundane and the world-transcending, in this way, although the same as what was given before, nonetheless differs from it as well — examined deeply, this may be seen for oneself. Next, explaining deliberation and great deliberation, and the sense of contemplating the nature of mind, these follow the same pattern as already given before. This, in brief, clarifies, with reference to the conventional truth of the world of meaning, the mark of the first dhyāna's own factor of initial thought; the remaining factors of sustained reflection, joy, ease, and concentration should likewise each, in turn, be distinguished in this same way.

Third, explaining the world of witnessed phenomena: this is based on obtaining the six supernormal powers upon attaining the first dhyāna, seeing the phenomena of conventional truth with utter clarity, like observing an āmalaka fruit resting in the palm of one's hand. This, then, is a matter of directly witnessing the manifold phenomena themselves, unlike what was explained above, which proceeded by analogical reasoning from sense, inferring and distinguishing worldly affairs through comparison alone. Now, in clarifying the world of witnessed phenomena, this too has two aspects: first, directly seeing the mark of the world of witnessed phenomena; second, explaining how the five factors of initial thought and the rest come to completion.

Now, explaining the first, the mark of the conventional truth of witnessed phenomena: for a practitioner of superior faculty, whose merit and wisdom are sharp, upon realizing the first dhyāna, there are two causes and conditions by which the five supernormal powers are obtained — first, spontaneous arising; second, cultivated attainment.

First, spontaneous arising: when this person enters the first dhyāna, deeply contemplating the three matters of the root world, one thereby becomes able to penetrate the mark of the world of meaning directly. As one perceives the conventional truth of meaning, samādhi and wisdom turn ever more deeply sharp, and the supernormal powers thereupon arise of themselves — one further attains the accomplishment of the form realm's four elements as pure derived matter, forming the eye. Through this eye of the pure-matter mind, one sees through, in every direction, all form whatsoever — its mark distinct, one's discrimination unconfused — and this is named the heavenly eye. The remaining powers — the heavenly ear, knowledge of others' minds, knowledge of past lives, and the power over the body — are likewise obtained in just this way. Having obtained these five powers, one clearly sees, throughout every direction and the three times, the differing realms of form and mind, the manifold kinds of sentient beings, and the countless features of every land, each and every one distinct from the rest — this is directly witnessing the differentiated marks of the world of witnessed phenomena. Hence the sutra says: "Deeply cultivating dhyāna concentration, one obtains the five supernormal powers."

Second, cultivated attainment. As for seeing the world of witnessed phenomena through the five cultivated powers, the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra says: "The dharma-practicing monk, having obtained the first dhyāna, once entered into dhyāna and wishing to obtain the power over the body, fixes the mind at the tip of the nose, contemplating the breath entering and going out, deeply seeing the breath entering and going out through ninety-nine thousand pores, and seeing that the body is, throughout, empty — and, further still, that the four elements are likewise so. Having contemplated in this way, one grows distant from the mark of form and thereby obtains the power over the body — and, further still, this holds true all the way through the fourth dhyāna as well.

"How does the dharma-practicing monk obtain the heavenly eye? Should a monk who has obtained the first dhyāna contemplate the breath entering and going out, he truly sees form. Having seen form in this way, he reflects thus: whatever form throughout the three times I now see, wishing to see it, I see it exactly as I wish — and, further still, this holds true all the way through the fourth dhyāna as well.

"How does the dharma-practicing monk obtain the heavenly ear? Kauṇḍinya! Should a monk who has obtained the first dhyāna contemplate the breath entering and going out, and, in due order, contemplate sound — further still, this holds true all the way through the fourth dhyāna as well.

"How does the dharma-practicing monk obtain the wisdom-knowledge of others' minds? Should a monk contemplate the breath entering and going out and, upon obtaining the first dhyāna, cultivate calming and insight, this is named the wisdom-knowledge of others' minds — and, further still, this holds true all the way through the fourth dhyāna as well.

"How does the dharma-practicing monk obtain knowledge of past lives? Kauṇḍinya! Should a monk who contemplates the breath entering and going out, upon obtaining the first dhyāna, thereupon obtain the heavenly eye. Having obtained the heavenly eye, he observes the time of the first kalala-stage, and, further still, the arising and ceasing of the five aggregates — and, further still, this holds true all the way through the fourth dhyāna as well."

Having obtained these five powers, one is thereupon able to see, throughout the three times and every direction, the manifold kinds of beings — noble and ordinary alike — across the nine realms of existence, and every land, each and every feature distinguished from the rest without confusion. This is named the cultivated attainment of the supernormal powers, penetrating the world of witnessed phenomena without any obstruction whatsoever.

Second, next explaining how the five factors of initial thought and the rest come to completion. Here, initial thought is first explained, likewise having three senses: lower; middle; and upper.

Lower initial thought and great initial thought: through the heavenly eye's own power, seeing through and distinguishing every form directly, the kinds of sentient beings not being of a single sort, the features possessed by every land differing one from another, their very names likewise distinct — this is named initial thought. Great initial thought: perceiving that everything the world possesses is merely a provisional designation, closely contemplating the four elements, one thereby no longer sees any differentiated mark belonging to the world at all, this utterly clear and distinct — this is named great initial thought. The remaining four powers follow this same pattern.

Second, clarifying the middle grade of initial thought and great initial thought: through the heavenly eye's own power, seeing the form of the four elements, one thereby knows that their own natures each differ from one another — this is named initial thought. Knowing that the four elements are impermanent, arising and ceasing, their nature without any differentiation at all — this is named great initial thought. The remaining four powers follow this same pattern.

Third, clarifying the upper grade of initial thought and great initial thought: through the heavenly eye's own power, clearly seeing that the impermanent dharma bears the eight marks, each distinct from the rest — this is named initial thought. Perceiving that this very dharma of the eight marks is originally empty and still, a single mark that is no mark at all — this is named great initial thought. The remaining four powers follow this same pattern. This, then, briefly explains, through the five supernormal powers, the mark of initial thought and great initial thought within the world of witnessed phenomena. Deliberation and great deliberation, contemplating the nature of mind, and the accomplishment of the mark of the factor of initial thought all follow the same pattern as already given before; the remaining factors — sustained reflection, joy, ease, and concentration — should likewise, each in turn, be distinguished in this same way.

The practitioner should know: should a śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha obtain this dhyāna, then, based upon this concentration, one obtains the indestructible liberation, the unobstructed liberation, the three insights, and the six supernormal powers — hence this is named the thorough-and-bright contemplation. Should a bodhisattva-mahāsattva abide in this dhyāna, one thereupon obtains the unobstructed great dhāraṇī — and, further still, this holds true all the way through the fourth dhyāna as well.

Next, clarifying the second dhyāna. From here on, all the way through the dharma-gate of the concentration of cessation following neither-perception-nor-non-perception, the matter grows ever more deep and subtle, its phenomena no longer singular — how could it be treated in full? Here, only the sutra's own text shall be set out separately, its main sense explained in brief.

As for the second dhyāna, the sutra says: "The second dhyāna is likewise named departure, and likewise named completeness. Departure means departing equally from the five hindrances; completeness means being complete with three factors, namely joy, ease, and concentration." Explanation: the practitioner, after the first dhyāna, whose mind grows troubled by the first dhyāna's own initial thought and sustained reflection, agitated and scattered, gathers the mind within concentration, no longer accepting initial thought and sustained reflection, and also knows that the higher stage is not yet real. Closely contemplating the three natures of breath, form, and mind, the mind one-pointedly fixed within, initial thought and sustained reflection thereupon cease, and internal purity's own great joy-samādhi thereupon arises — within concentration, one sees the body as a bubble, complete with the second dhyāna's own practice.

Next, clarifying the third dhyāna, the sutra says: "The third dhyāna is likewise named departure, and likewise named completeness. Departure means departing equally from the five hindrances; completeness means being complete with five factors, namely mindfulness, equanimity, wisdom, ease, and concentration." Explanation: the practitioner, after the second dhyāna, whose mind grows weary of the great joy, agitated and scattered, gathers the mind and no longer accepts it, and also knows that the higher stage is not yet real. Gathering the mind and closely contemplating, the dharma of joy thereupon withdraws, and bodily happiness arises — within concentration, one sees the body as a cloud, accomplishing the third dhyāna's own practice.

Next, clarifying the mark of the fourth dhyāna, the sutra says: "The fourth dhyāna is likewise named departure, and likewise named completeness. Departure means departing equally from the five hindrances; completeness means being complete with four factors, namely mindfulness, equanimity, neither-suffering-nor-happiness, and concentration." Explanation: the practitioner, after the third dhyāna, whose mind grows weary of the dharma of happiness, one-pointedly no longer accepting it, and also knows that the fourth dhyāna is not yet real. Closely contemplating the three natures, the mind thereupon opens out, bright and pure — samādhi and wisdom arise together with equanimity, the mind no longer relying upon good nor attaching to evil, abiding correctly within — within concentration, one sees the body as a shadow, complete with the fourth dhyāna's own practice.

Next, clarifying the sphere of infinite space, the sutra says: "Contemplating the body with weariness and aversion, growing distant from every mark of bodily contact — the touch of the body, the touch of joy, and the touch of happiness — distinguishing the mark of form, growing distant from the aggregate of form, and one-pointedly contemplating the sphere of infinite space: this is named a monk's attainment of the concentration of the sphere of space." Explanation: this may be given two senses — first, a comprehensive contemplation spanning both the lower and higher stages; second, a reading confined to one's own stage and above alone.

As for the comprehensive reading spanning both stages: the sutra's "contemplating the body with weariness and aversion, growing distant from the mark of the body" means deeply knowing that the body of the desire realm bears faults too numerous to count, and that no part of the body can be found at all. The three touches of the body and the rest correspond, respectively, to the first, second, and third dhyānas — this may be seen for itself. "Distinguishing the mark of form" means distinguishing that the form-body of the desire realm, and, further still, the form belonging to the fourth dhyāna, are each and every one distinct from one another and not real, and also knowing that the sphere of space has not yet departed from the dharma of form. "Growing distant from the aggregate of form" and "contemplating the sphere of infinite space" both correspond, as before, to the extinguishing of the three kinds of form-dharma within the root dhyānas already given above, in correspondence with empty space itself.

Second, as for the reading confined to one's own stage alone: "contemplating the body with weariness and aversion, growing distant from the mark of the body" means growing weary and averse to the shadow-like form that covers over the mind, contemplating that this shadow-like form, too, cannot be found at all. "The three touches of the body and the rest" means that, the faculty of joy having already been broken off earlier, this is the fourth dhyāna's own form giving rise to touch, the mind thereby generating these three kinds of touch. "Distinguishing the mark of form" means distinguishing that the fourth dhyāna's own joy and happiness, and the shadow-like form, are all empty and illusory. "Growing distant from the aggregate of form" and "contemplating the sphere of infinite space" do not differ from what was already explained above.

Next, clarifying the mark of the concentration of the sphere of consciousness, the sutra says: "Should a monk cultivate calming and insight, contemplating mind, intellect, and consciousness, he knows of himself that this body no longer accepts the three kinds of sensation, having thereby obtained distance from these three kinds of sensation: this is named a monk's attainment of the concentration of the sphere of consciousness." Explanation: as for "mind, intellect, and consciousness" — "mind" here means precisely relinquishing the concentration on emptiness, taking the three natures as its object, and entering the concentration of the sphere of consciousness. The practitioner, using samādhi to gather in wisdom, although knowing that the three natures are not real, in order to avoid the difficulty of emptiness, one-pointedly takes consciousness as the object and thereupon enters the concentration of the sphere of consciousness.

As for "knowing of himself that this body no longer accepts the three kinds of sensation": taking form as the object, the four propositions regarding the sphere of space, although departing from the first proposition, still accept the remaining three. Now, the sphere of consciousness takes consciousness as its object and enters concentration, thereby departing entirely from the four propositions of the form realm — the four kinds of sensation possessed all belong, instead, to consciousness — hence it is said that one knows of himself that this body no longer accepts the three kinds of sensation, which may also be said as no longer accepting the three sensations of suffering, happiness, and the rest. Having already obtained distance from these three kinds of sensation: this is the mark of the concentration of the sphere of consciousness.

Next, clarifying the mark of the concentration of the lesser sphere of consciousness, the sutra says: "Should a monk contemplate the emptiness of the three times, knowing that every conditioned formation both arises and ceases, and that the sphere of space and the sphere of consciousness likewise both arise and cease — having contemplated in this way, he next, in due order, contemplates consciousness itself: this consciousness of mine now is itself neither consciousness nor non-consciousness. If it is not consciousness, this is named stillness — why, then, should I now seek to sever this consciousness? This is named the attainment of the concentration of the lesser sphere of consciousness." Explanation: "contemplating the emptiness of the three times, every conditioned formation both arising and ceasing" means deeply contemplating that the mental factors of one's own stage, and of the stages both above and below, are, in every case, the mark of the conditioned — empty and illusory, not real. "In due order, contemplating consciousness" means contemplating that the sphere of consciousness, too, is itself consciousness. "Neither consciousness nor non-consciousness" means thoroughly knowing that no dharma whatsoever can be found. "If it is not consciousness, this is named stillness — why, then, should I now seek to sever this consciousness" is precisely the skillful means of extinguishing the thought of consciousness, taking the dharma of non-consciousness as the object, and thereby entering the concentration of the lesser sphere of consciousness.

Next, clarifying the concentration of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, the sutra says: "Should a monk possess the perception that is not-mind, he reflects thus: 'This perception of mine now is suffering, is defilement, is a wound, is an abscess, is not stillness itself. If I am able to sever both this not-perception and non-not-perception, this is named stillness.' Should a monk be able to sever this not-perception and non-not-perception, this is named the attainment of the liberation-gate of no-perception. Why is this? The dharma-practicing monk reflects thus: 'Whether there is the perception of sensation, or the perception of consciousness, or the perception of touch, or the perception of space, or the perception of neither-perception-nor-non-perception — all of these alike are named coarse perception. If I now cultivate the samādhi of no-perception, I will thereby be able to forever sever every perception of this kind — hence I see, with respect to neither-perception-nor-non-perception, that it is itself a place of stillness.' Having seen in this way, and having entered the concentration of non-not-perception, no longer accepting it and no longer attached to it, one thereupon breaks through ignorance; having broken through ignorance, this is named the attainment of the fruit of arhatship."

Explanation: "possessing the perception that is not-mind" means precisely the concentration of no-perception. "Is suffering, is defilement," and the rest, is precisely contemplating the faults of the concentration of no-perception. "If I am able to sever both this not-perception and non-not-perception, this is named stillness" — "not-perception" here means precisely the concentration of no-perception; "and non-not-perception" means that, having already anticipated the fault belonging to the higher stage, one ought to sever it as well; "this is stillness" means that, through breaking the concentration of not-perception, one obtains the stillness of nirvāṇa itself. "Should a monk be able to sever this not-perception, obtaining the liberation-gate of no-perception" means that every concentration belonging to the three realms is, in every case, named perception — now, severing this perception, one obtains the samādhi of no-perception, and is thereby able, within the concentration of not-perception, to break through ignorance, give rise to the undefiled, obtain the fruit of arhatship, and realize nirvāṇa itself. From "the dharma-practicing monk, whether there is the perception of sensation" onward, this is precisely a repeated explanation drawing out the sense already given above — its meaning may be seen for itself.

The sutra further says: "The first three concentrations may be severed by either of the two paths; the fourth and final concentration, however, can never be severed by the mundane path alone. Although the ordinary person, within the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, has departed from the coarse afflictions, they nonetheless still possess, in full, the ten kinds of subtle dharmas. Because they lack the coarse afflictions, every ordinary person supposes this to be nirvāṇa itself." This is explained at length, as in the sutra. Explanation: this clarifies that the ordinary person's own worldly wisdom is, within the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, unable to give rise to the undefiled.

Next, the sutra says: "Kauṇḍinya! Should a monk cultivate and practice the noble path, growing weary of and departing from the four dhyānas and the four formless spheres, contemplating the path adorned with cessation —" Explanation: this clarifies the comprehensive contemplation, by which, after neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one is able to enter the attainment of cessation itself. This sense will be given in full below, within the section on the eight forms of detachment.

The practitioner who enters this dharma-gate, without grasping at the ultimate so as to make it one's own final proof, complete with great compassion's skillful means with respect to the whole Buddhadharma, gives rise to the six supernormal powers and delivers sentient beings across — this, then, is clarifying the Mahāyāna itself with reference to a single dharma-gate alone.