The Arising of Wholesome Roots

Root Text: If a practitioner is able to cultivate calming and insight skillfully in this way, through the contemplation moving from the conventional into emptiness, then, while seated, body and mind become clear and pure — and at that time, various wholesome roots will begin to arise, which one must be able to recognize.

Commentary: This chapter follows on from the actual-practice chapter above, since cultivating calming and insight in earnest effort stirs into activity the various wholesome roots planted in past lives — without actual practice, these wholesome roots would have no way to arise at all. When a wholesome root of this kind begins to arise, a practitioner must be able to recognize it, one by one... A practitioner who is genuinely able to cultivate the contemplation moving from the conventional into emptiness in this way attains, through the very effort of sitting settled, a body and mind that are clear and pure — and at this time, various signs of wholesome roots arising should appear, which must be clearly recognized and never overlooked.

Root Text: Now, briefly explaining the mark of wholesome roots arising, there are two distinct kinds. The first is the mark of an outward wholesome root arising — such as the wholesome root of generosity, precept-observance, filial devotion to parents and elders, offerings to the Three Jewels, and listening to and studying the Dharma, all beginning to arise. These are outward matters. Since they are not the direct fruit of actual practice, and can be confused with demonic states, they are not further distinguished here.

Commentary: What follows below now divides into sections to explain this. Briefly, the mark of wholesome roots arising is of two distinct kinds. However many wholesome roots there are, briefly they do not exceed two: the mark of an outward wholesome root arising, and the mark of an inward wholesome root arising — between these two, outward and inward, every wholesome root is essentially encompassed.

As for the mark of an outward wholesome root arising: while cultivating calming and insight during a sitting, a joyful heart of generosity may suddenly arise in the mind — wishing to give material goods to others, or to teach the method of practice to others, or to help others with one's own strength, giving them freedom from fear. This is the mark of the wholesome root of generosity arising, since generosity was practiced in a past life. Or a joyful resolve to keep the precepts may suddenly arise... this is because a wholesome root of precept-observance already exists from a past life, now stirred into activity through the cultivation of calming and insight. In the same way, a wholesome root of filial devotion to parents and reverence for teachers may arise, or a wholesome root of burning incense and scattering flowers in offering to the Three Jewels, or the various wholesome roots of listening to sūtras, studying the teaching, bowing, and the rest. These all belong to the realm of outward, ritual-form dharma-gates — the wholesome roots that arise here come precisely from habits cultivated in past lives, opening up from within the mind, and pose no hindrance to one's own effort in practice.

Root Text: Second, the mark of an inward wholesome root arising — that is, the wholesome roots of the various dharma-gates of dhyāna-concentration opening up. This has three aspects; the first explains the mark of wholesome roots arising, of which there are five distinct kinds. The first is the mark of the breath-method wholesome root arising. Because a practitioner skillfully cultivates calming and insight, body and mind become properly regulated, idle thought comes to rest, and, through this, one becomes aware of one's own mind gradually entering concentration, giving rise to desire-realm concentration and access concentration — body and mind dissolving into empty stillness, the settled mind at peace, and within this concentration one no longer perceives any appearance of body or mind at all. Afterward, whether after one or two sittings, or even one or two days, one or two months, this state, neither lost nor regressing, may suddenly give rise, within concentration, to a sensation of body and mind stirred by the eight sensations — that is, feeling the body as painful, itchy, cold, warm, light, heavy, rough, or smooth. When these sensations occur, body and mind become settled, subtly joyful, blissful and pure beyond any comparison. This is the mark of the fundamental dhyāna wholesome root of the breath-method arising.

Commentary: This second part explains how, within the inward mind, wholesome roots from past lives — the habitual traces of dhyāna-concentration cultivated in former lives — now open up through cultivating calming and insight in the present. This too has three aspects: first, explaining the mark of wholesome roots arising; second, distinguishing the genuine from the false; third, nurturing them through calming and insight.

First, explaining the mark of the breath-method wholesome root arising: because a practitioner skillfully cultivates calming and insight, sitting upright with body composed and the breath regulated — that is, regulating the breath through the nose — body and mind become settled, and coarse, floating thoughts fail to arise. Because they fail to arise, one becomes aware of one's own mind gradually entering dhyāna-concentration, giving rise to desire-realm concentration, access concentration, and the like... Through cultivating calming and insight by means of counting the breath, idle thought disappears entirely, the body dissolving into a state like the shadow of a cloud, empty and open, pure, luminously bright — yet one still perceives some appearance of body and mind; though this appearance is not yet entirely forgotten, the body feels like a floating cloud and the mind like a faint shadow, light and at ease both inwardly and outwardly. This is the mark of desire-realm concentration.

From this mark of desire-realm concentration, applying further effort still, one advances a further step, until the single mind congeals into deep stillness, and shifts entirely — that is, what had a mark turns into what is markless — and within this, suddenly, everything becomes utterly transparent: one no longer perceives any body, head, bed, or sleep, exactly like vast empty space, still and at peace, with no perception of any body, world, dependent or direct existence at all. At this point, the mark of the body is suddenly empty, since the obstruction of actual affliction is already emptied out — yet the underlying obstruction of afflictive nature still remains... Now that the obstruction of actual affliction is gone, one is empty and still of itself; the defiled, colored realm of the desire-world is entirely empty, and future dhyāna is able to arise — yet the obstruction of one's own underlying nature is not yet gone, and one is not yet able to enter the fundamental concentration of the first dhyāna itself — hence this is called access concentration.

One should know that those who recite the Buddha's name or practice Chan meditation are equally able to attain this state of access concentration — but one must recognize it for what it is, and never cling to it. One often sees confused, deluded practitioners who, encountering this state of an outwardly illusory world and an inwardly empty body and mind, immediately take it to be the state prior to the eon of emptiness, beyond even the sound of majesty itself, clinging to it as the ultimate achievement — from this, giving rise to a notion of having settled, a notion of finality, abandoning further practice on the path, wasting their own time — is this not deeply lamentable?

The duration of this concentration varies: sometimes lasting the burning of a single stick of incense, sometimes several hours, sometimes an entire night or half a day, even one or two days, or one or two months, not fixed — since the power of dhyāna-concentration sustains the body, idle thought does not flow, and even over a long duration, the body suffers no harm from it. But one must not cling to the flavor of this dhyāna itself, or it will obstruct further progress. When this concentration neither regresses nor is lost, in time, within concentration, the eight sensations will arise: one may suddenly feel pain throughout the body, or itching all over, or cold as though plunged into ice water, or heat as though scorched by fire, or lightness as though floating like a goose feather, or heaviness as though weighed down by a great stone, or a sense of blockage, or a sense of smoothness. One should know that these eight sensory states arise, one or two at a time, not fixed, not simultaneously, and not all eight at once.

One often sees practitioners lose their own hard-won progress because of these eight sensations arising, not understanding them, mistaking them for a demonic state appearing, and so retreating from their own resolve on the path. When the eight sensations arise, one should fully understand that this is simply one state within concentration, and remain unmoved by it, body and mind settled. Once the eight sensations have passed, body and mind attain a state of still, empty brightness, pure and blissful, beyond any comparison at all — for the joy of dhyāna-concentration carries a particular, superior flavor entirely incomparable to any of the five worldly pleasures of ordinary human life. This is called the breath-method.

Root Text: A practitioner, within desire-realm or access concentration, may suddenly become aware of the breath's own length as it passes in and out, and every pore of the body opening freely — at once seeing, with the mind's own eye, the thirty-six constituent parts within the body, exactly as if a storehouse had been opened to reveal the hemp and beans stored within. The mind is greatly astonished and delighted, still, settled, and at ease. This is the mark of the excellent breath-following wholesome root arising.

Commentary: "Fundamental dhyāna" refers to the first through fourth dhyānas of the form realm — these four, though still worldly forms of concentration, are the very root of every kind of dhyāna. A practitioner, within access concentration, having passed through the threshold of the eight sensations, attains a further state: suddenly aware of the breath's own length passing in and out through the nose — and not only through the nose, but through all eighty-four thousand pores of the entire body, opening freely — one sees, with the mind's own eye, the thirty-six constituent parts within the body, exactly as if a storehouse had been opened to reveal the hemp and beans within it, utterly clear and distinct...

A practitioner, seeing these thirty-six parts within access concentration, is greatly astonished and delighted — astonished because one has never seen this before and now sees it; delighted because what others cannot see, one is oneself able to see — and in this way the mind becomes still, light, and at ease, refreshingly clear beyond the ordinary. This is called the mark of the excellent breath-following wholesome root arising. "Excellent" refers to the sixteen excellent practices — meaning that each of the six elements of this practice surpasses the four foundations of mindfulness and other forms of dhyāna-contemplation. Beginning with regulating the mind and extending all the way to the state of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, every single stage carries its own contemplative illumination, able to bring forth outflow-free wholesome karma without any fault of aversion or self-harm — hence it receives the name "excellent."

Root Text: Second, the mark of the contemplation of impurity wholesome root arising. A practitioner, within desire-realm or access concentration, body and mind empty and still, may suddenly see the death of another man or woman's body — once dead, swelling, rotting, and decaying, worms and pus flowing out, scattered white bones left in disarray — the mind moved by both sorrow and a certain gladness, growing weary of what was formerly loved. This is the mark of the ninefold contemplation wholesome root arising. Or, within still concentration, one may suddenly see one's own inward body as impure, one's own outward body swollen and disordered, one's own body's white bones, from head to foot, joint against joint — seeing this, the settled mind remains at peace, startled awake to impermanence, weary of the five desires, no longer attached to self or other. This is the mark of the liberations wholesome root arising. Or, within concentration, one may see both one's own body and the bodies of others, every bird and beast, every garment and food, every house and forest, all of it entirely impure. This is the mark of the great contemplation of impurity wholesome root arising.

Commentary: The nine contemplations: (1) swelling, (2) discoloration, (3) rupture, (4) blood-smeared, (5) putrefaction, (6) being devoured by worms, (7) scattering apart, (8) bare bones, (9) being burned. These nine contemplations were already explained in detail above [in chapter 6]... Because this ninefold contemplation was cultivated in a past life, it now suddenly appears within calming and insight as the mark of the ninefold contemplation of impurity arising... Having seen this, a practitioner suddenly starts awake to impermanence. One should know that ordinary sentient beings, sunk in delusion across measureless kalpas, all through inverted, upside-down thought, take what is inherently impermanent to be permanent, what is not truly pleasurable to be pleasurable, what is not truly self to be self, what is not truly pure to be pure — and, because of this inversion, cannot escape birth-and-death or transcend the wheel of rebirth. Now, within concentration, startled awake to impermanence, the mind grows weary of the realm of the five desires at every turn, no longer clinging to the mark of self or other. This is the mark of the liberations wholesome root arising.

"Liberations" here means the eight liberations, also called the eightfold emancipation... The Great Perfection of Wisdom Treatise says: "turning one's back on these clean, pure five desires, casting aside the clinging mind — hence it is called 'turning one's back and casting aside.'" Cultivating this contemplation is able to bring forth outflow-free wisdom, entirely severing the afflictions of views and thought within the three realms, realizing the fruit of arhatship — this is called the eightfold emancipation...

The great contemplation of impurity is precisely the eight stations of mastery: once the eight liberations have been cultivated and the contemplating mind has matured, transformation becomes entirely free, and whether an object appears pure or impure, one is able, at will, to break through it — hence it is called a "station of mastery"...

As for why the nine contemplations, the liberations, and the stations of mastery must all be cultivated: it is because ordinary sentient beings' own deluded mind, encountering an agreeable circumstance, gives rise to every kind of craving attachment, drawing it in without ever being satisfied... Hence the Tathāgata, out of great compassion, teaches the cultivation of the contemplation of impurity to counter this — for the craving of sentient beings is not all of one kind: there is outward craving, inward-and-outward craving, and craving pervading every place. If the outward craving is for the physical form of a man or woman, mutual attached affection, one counters it with the ninefold contemplation. If the craving is for one's own body or another's body, one counters it with the eight liberations. If the craving pervades every place, extending even to the five sense-objects and material goods that sustain life, one counters it with the great contemplation of impurity. Because these three contemplations of impurity were cultivated in past lives, this mark of the great contemplation of impurity wholesome root now arises within calming and insight.

Root Text: Third, the mark of the loving-kindness wholesome root arising. A practitioner, through cultivating calming and insight, upon attaining desire-realm or access concentration, may suddenly give rise, within this concentration, to a compassionate, loving mindfulness of sentient beings — perhaps taking as its object a loved one's own happiness, giving rise to deep concentration, the inward mind joyful and pure beyond any comparison — and the same holds equally for a neutral person, an enemy, and, further, every sentient being of the five destinies throughout the ten directions. Rising from this concentration, the mind remains joyful, and whoever one happens to meet, one's own countenance remains constantly warm. This is the mark of the loving-kindness wholesome root arising; the marks of compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity arising can be understood in just the same way.

Commentary: This third section explains the mark of the contemplation of loving-kindness wholesome root arising. Across measureless kalpas, when have we ourselves never cultivated the effort of calming and insight, or great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity?... A practitioner has, in a past life, cultivated the four immeasurables of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, but not yet brought them to completion — hence, upon cultivating calming and insight in the present and attaining desire-realm or access concentration, this root from a past life is suddenly stirred into activity, giving rise, within this concentration, to a compassionate, loving mindfulness of sentient beings, perhaps taking as its object a loved one's own happiness.

There are three kinds of loved one: the higher kind, meaning parents and teachers; the middle kind, meaning brothers and sisters; and the lower kind, meaning friends and acquaintances. Happiness likewise divides into three: taking the higher loved one as object, one experiences a buddha's own happiness; taking the middle loved one as object, one experiences a bodhisattva's or arhat's own happiness; taking the lower loved one as object, one experiences the happiness of the heavens. Through happiness of this kind, deep concentration arises, the inward mind joyful and content, pure and light beyond any comparison.

Taking a neutral person as object — that is, one neither loved nor disliked — and an enemy — that is, a hated foe — these too are of three kinds: one who has harmed a lower loved one is a lower enemy; one who has harmed a middle loved one is a middle enemy; one who has harmed a higher loved one is a higher enemy. Whether toward an enemy or a neutral person, one likewise takes their own happiness as the object of contemplation — and so, further, toward every sentient being of the five destinies throughout the ten directions, one takes their own happiness as the object as well.

A practitioner, within dhyāna-concentration, extends this mindfulness comprehensively to every sentient being of the six destinies throughout the ten directions, loved one and enemy alike, every one of them met with great loving-kindness and great compassion, this loving mindfulness — enemy and loved one equal, self and other both empty. Giving rise to this loving mindfulness within concentration, and rising from concentration, the mind remains joyful and content — whoever one happens to meet, loved one or enemy alike, not a single thought of aversion or resentment arises, and one's own countenance remains constantly warm. This is the mark of the contemplation of loving-kindness wholesome root arising. As loving-kindness is like this, so too are compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity — hence it is said, "these can be understood in just the same way."

Root Text: Fourth, the mark of the contemplation of dependent origination wholesome root arising. A practitioner, through cultivating calming and insight, upon attaining a body and mind still and settled in desire-realm or access concentration, may suddenly give rise to a mind of realization, tracing through the causes and conditions of ignorance, volitional formations, and the rest across the three time periods, finding no self or other within them, thereby leaving behind both the extreme of annihilation and the extreme of permanence, breaking through every clinging view, attaining a settled, peaceful concentration, understanding and wisdom opening up, the mind filled with joy in the Dharma, no longer dwelling on worldly matters — and this same discernment extends likewise to the five aggregates, the twelve sense-fields, and the eighteen elements. This is the mark of the contemplation of dependent origination wholesome root arising.

Commentary: This fourth section explains the mark of the contemplation of dependent origination wholesome root arising. "Cause" here means the direct cause; "condition" means the supporting condition — that is, the twelve links of dependent origination across the three time periods... The Fourfold Teaching Ceremonial says that the twelve links of dependent origination take three distinct forms: across three time periods, across two time periods, and within a single thought...

The threefold-time version breaks the extremes of annihilation and permanence; the twofold-time version breaks attachment to a self; the single-thought version breaks belief in any real, fixed nature. From beginningless time, when have we ourselves not already cultivated these three contemplations of dependent origination? It is only through the confusion between one life and the next, the delusion of entering the womb again, that we remain oblivious to this fact. Now, in this present life, through cultivating calming and insight, body and mind grow still, and a mind of sudden realization arises, tracing through the causes and conditions of ignorance, volitional formations, and the rest across the three time periods, finding no self or other within them, thereby leaving behind both extremes and breaking through every clinging view.

From the very start, ignorance conditions volitional formations, volitional formations condition consciousness, and so on, through existence conditioning birth, birth conditioning old age and death — forming the three paths of delusion, karma, and suffering. Tracing this backward: from where does old age and death actually come? It comes from birth. Birth comes from existence. Existence comes from grasping. And so on, until consciousness comes from volitional formations, and volitional formations come from ignorance. From where, then, does ignorance itself come? It comes from inverted, upside-down thought — and tracing this inverted, upside-down thought further, it has no place it comes from and no place it goes to; its very substance is, from the start, illusory ignorance, its own substance ultimately unfindable. Once ignorance ceases, volitional formations cease, and so on, until old age and death themselves cease!

...If one is able to leave both extremes of annihilation and permanence far behind, no longer reckoning a fixed self or other, the settled mind remains at peace, understanding and wisdom open up, the mind utterly clear and distinct, filled with joy in the Dharma, no longer dwelling on any dusty circumstance of the world. The five aggregates are form, sensation, perception, formation, and consciousness — these five are able to cover over one's own true nature, hence they are called "aggregates" [literally, "shadows"]. The twelve sense-fields are the six faculties and six sense-objects; adding the six consciousnesses gives the eighteen elements — and tracing through the aggregates, sense-fields, and elements in just the same way, none of them can ultimately be found either. This is the mark of the wholesome root of the contemplation of dependent origination, cultivated in a past life, now stirred into activity through calming and insight.

Root Text: Fifth, the mark of the buddha-recollection wholesome root arising. A practitioner, through cultivating calming and insight, upon attaining desire-realm or access concentration, body and mind empty and still, may suddenly recollect the buddhas' own merit and inconceivable, excellent marks — every one of their ten powers, fearlessnesses, unshared samādhis, liberations, and other inconceivable qualities; their inconceivable spiritual powers, transformations, unhindered teaching of the Dharma, and vast benefiting of sentient beings; every one of these measureless, inconceivable merits. As this recollection occurs, a loving, reverent mind arises, samādhi opens up, body and mind become blissful, pure and settled, with no evil appearance at all — and, rising from this concentration, the body feels light and agile, and one becomes aware of one's own towering merit, loved and revered by others. This is the mark of the buddha-recollection samādhi wholesome root arising.

Commentary: This fifth section explains the mark of the buddha-recollection wholesome root arising... Buddha-recollection itself takes three distinct forms: recollecting the Dharma-body buddha, recollecting the reward-body buddha, and recollecting the response-body buddha. Because sentient beings give rise to delusion and create karma in different ways, carrying different kinds of obstruction, the World-Honored One's own remedy differs accordingly. If one carries the obstruction of dullness and darkness — such as drowsiness or a blank, neutral state — one should recollect the response-body buddha, contemplating the Buddha's thirty-two major marks and eighty minor excellent features, to remedy it. If one carries the obstruction of evil, deliberate thought — wishing to commit one of the five heinous offenses or ten evils — one should recollect the reward-body buddha to remedy it... If one carries the obstruction of circumstances pressing in upon oneself... one should recollect the pure Dharma-body, Vairocana Buddha, to remedy it...

Because a practitioner has, in a past life, cultivated these three forms of buddha-recollection, now, upon cultivating calming and insight, body and mind empty and still, one suddenly recollects the buddhas' own merit and inconceivable, excellent marks. This state occurs after concentration has been attained, when both the outward body and the inward mind have become entirely empty and still — one should know that this emptiness is the stilling of the mark of clinging to existence, yet, being empty, it is not truly empty at all, but wondrous existence itself — hence one suddenly recollects, within it, the buddhas' own merit and inconceivable, excellent marks. This is the mark of the response-body wholesome root arising... [reflecting on the ten powers and fearlessnesses] is the mark of the reward-body wholesome root arising. Spiritual powers, transformations, unhindered teaching of the Dharma, and benefiting sentient beings are the mark of the Dharma-body wholesome root arising...

Having measureless, boundless, inconceivable merits of the buddhas of this kind — as this reflection occurs in the mind, a loving, reverent mind arises, samādhi opens up from this, and body and mind feel settled, pure and blissful, with no unwholesome discursive thought at all — this is the mark within concentration. Rising from this concentration, the body feels light and agile, and one becomes aware of one's own towering merit, solitary and transcendent, loved and revered by others. A practitioner who, while cultivating calming and insight in concentration, has a state of this kind, is said to have the mark of the buddha-recollection contemplation wholesome root arising.

One should know that our own mind is, from the start, itself buddha — it is only through inverted, upside-down thought that we fail to realize this ourselves. If one is able to cultivate and steep oneself in it, then this very mind is buddha, this very mind creates buddhahood — but the actual realization of this mind creating buddhahood depends entirely on one's own practice, exactly as a fish in the water alone knows whether it is warm or cold!

Root Text: Second, distinguishing the genuine from the false has two parts. The first is recognizing the mark of a false, demonic form of dhyāna arising. When a practitioner brings forth any of the states of dhyāna explained above, various things may occur alongside it: the body twitching, or feeling heavy as though pressed down by something, or feeling light as though about to fly, or feeling bound, or slack and drowsy, or chilled, or feverish; various strange states may be seen; the mind may grow dark and obscured, or evil thoughts may arise, or the attention may scatter outward toward various worldly, wholesome-seeming matters; there may be an agitated excitement, or sorrowful, melancholy thought; a repulsive sensation, hair standing on end; or an intoxicating bliss. States of this deviant kind, arising alongside dhyāna, are called false and demonic.

If a person loves and clings to a deviant concentration of this kind, this accords with one of ninety-five kinds of demonic spirit-practice, and often brings on a loss of one's own mind, madness and derangement. At times these spirits, knowing that a person craves and clings to their own particular practice, add their own power to it, causing all manner of deviant concentration, deviant wisdom, eloquence, and spiritual power to arise, deceiving and stirring up the people of the world. Ordinary, foolish onlookers, seeing this, take it to be the fruit of the path attained, and place their faith and submission in it entirely — while the practitioner's own inward mind remains upside-down, devoted entirely to a demonic practice, deceiving and disturbing the world. When such a person's life ends, they will never again encounter a buddha, and fall back into the realm of ghosts and spirits instead. If, while seated, one carries out much evil practice of this kind, one falls into hell.

When a practitioner, cultivating calming and insight, realizes a form of dhyāna of this kind, bearing marks of this false and demonic sort, one should reject it at once. How does one reject it? Recognizing it as illusory and deceptive, keeping the mind correct, neither accepting nor clinging to it, it will fade away of itself. Applying correct contemplation to break through it will likewise dissolve it at once.

Commentary: The three parts explaining the mark of inward wholesome roots arising are now explained — the first, the mark of the five kinds arising, already explained above; this second explains distinguishing the genuine from the false... This has two aspects: recognizing the mark of a false, demonic form of dhyāna arising, and recognizing the mark of a genuine, correct form of dhyāna arising.

When a practitioner, within calming and insight, brings forth any of the wholesome-root marks explained above, various things may occur alongside it — a sensation of being pressed down by something heavy, or a slack, listless decline of spirit — and whatever the particular form, whether twitching, heavy pressure, drowsy sluggishness, chills, or fever, every such strange state is false and demonic, not a genuine mark of dhyāna arising at all. Within one's own mind, one may feel a dull, covering darkness, muddled and closed; or evil, deviant thoughts may arise; or an agitated excitement, or sorrowful, melancholy thought; or a repulsive sensation with hair standing on end, or an intoxicating bliss — states of this deviant kind, arising at the same time as the dhyāna itself, are all called false. A state of this kind is, in truth, hard for anyone applying real effort to avoid entirely, since when one genuinely cultivates calming and insight with real effort, the true mind and the false mind contend with each other, and both inward and outward demons arise together as a result — hence one must recognize this for what it is.

As the ancients said: "Before the hall of the withered tree, wrong paths abound." Without the clarity of correct wisdom, the slightest carelessness can lead one ten thousand miles astray, with boundless harm resulting — a hairsbreadth's error making the difference between heaven and the depths. Anyone applying real effort cannot be too careful about this.

The deviant states of concentration described above are extraordinarily numerous, but a practitioner must never, under any circumstance, give rise to even a single thought of fondness or attachment toward them. Should such fondness and attachment arise, this accords with one of India's own ninety-five kinds of deviant, demonic, non-Buddhist practice, and one very often loses one's own correct mindfulness and true mind, frequently driving a person to madness and derangement. Though demons and spirits do not match an arhat's own excellent spiritual powers, they nonetheless possess the five outflow-bound supernormal powers, including knowledge of others' minds — and so are able to know exactly what practice a given practitioner happens to be fond of and attached to, adding their own power to whatever it is, making that fondness grow stronger still, and causing the practitioner to bring forth every kind of deviant concentration, deviant wisdom, deviant eloquence, and deviant spiritual power, in state after state — their whole aim being to destroy the practitioner's own progress on the path, making them a follower of the demon-king instead, permanently sunk in the wheel of rebirth thereafter.

One should know that "Buddha" means awakening, realization — that is, turning one's back on the dust of the world and joining oneself to awakening. The way of ghosts and spirits is deluded, unawakened — that is, turning one's back on awakening and joining oneself to the dust of the world instead. One delusion, one awakening, utterly different from each other — one walking west, the other walking east — hoping the two might ever meet is simply impossible; hence it is said, "will never again encounter a buddha."

This is why a practitioner, cultivating calming and insight, upon encountering any mark of this false and demonic kind, must reject it at once, never craving or clinging to it, but must fully understand that whatever has a mark at all is entirely illusory, and whatever is seen is entirely a false view. Should some deviant wisdom or spiritual power arise, one should recognize it at once as illusory — one should know that the Buddhadharma does not take spiritual power itself as liberation, but takes resolving birth-and-death and fully accomplishing the buddha-path as the true goal. "Keeping the mind correct, neither accepting nor clinging" means that a practitioner cultivating dhyāna must keep the mind correct and the intention sincere, neither accepting nor clinging, neither startled nor afraid, neither delighted nor angered — subject and object both forgotten, aversion and craving both dismissed together, giving rise to not the slightest discrimination within it. With not a single thought arising, the red sun of correct wisdom breaks through the frost and dew of deviant demons, so that every deviant concentration and deviant wisdom dissolves of itself, without even needing to be forcibly dissolved at all!

Commentary: Long ago there was a practitioner who, at first, applied himself with courageous diligence, but who, after a long time, began to feel a certain joy while in concentration, laughing with delight. A spiritual friend asked him what he was laughing about within concentration, and he answered: "While seated within it, I see a golden-maned lion come and play with me — hence my joy." The spiritual friend said: "This is Māra himself causing disturbance, catering to exactly what you happen to be fond of. You should know that whatever is seen within concentration is entirely illusory — never cling to it." He then gave the practitioner a pair of scissors, and told him: the next time it appears, stab it with these. The practitioner did as instructed, and, sure enough, saw the lion appear again within concentration; he stabbed it with the scissors, and suddenly felt his own flesh in pain — looking down, it was his own leg. This is enough to show that Māra makes it his own particular task to disturb a practitioner and destroy their progress on the path — a practitioner applying real effort must remain constantly on guard against this, exactly as one guards the pupil of one's own eye, never to be treated carelessly.

Root Text: Second, recognizing the mark of a genuine, correct form of dhyāna arising. When a practitioner, while sitting, brings forth any form of dhyāna, with none of the deviant states described above present, then, whatever form of dhyāna arises, it feels immediately in accord with concentration itself — empty, bright, and pure, the inward mind joyful, calm and content, with nothing covering it over; the wholesome mind opens up, faith and reverence increase, wisdom and insight grow clear, body and mind become soft and pliant, subtle, wondrous, and empty-still, weary of the world, free of striving and craving, entering and leaving concentration entirely at ease. This is the mark of genuine dhyāna arising. It is like keeping company with an evil person, who constantly causes friction and trouble, as against keeping company with a good person, whose fine qualities become apparent only over time — distinguishing the deviant and correct marks of dhyāna arising is exactly the same.

Third, nurturing every wholesome root through calming and insight. When, while seated, any wholesome root arises, one should apply the two methods of calming and insight to cultivate and advance it. Where calming is fitting, cultivate it through calming; where insight is fitting, cultivate it through insight — exactly as explained before; only the general outline is given here.

Commentary: This second part explains the mark of genuine dhyāna-concentration arising. When a practitioner, while seated, brings forth any form of dhyāna, the mind neither craves nor detests it, neither startled nor afraid, with none of the various deviant forms of dhyāna described above present — whatever form of dhyāna arises, it is empty, bright, pure and clear, exactly like a clear sky stretching ten thousand miles, with nothing at all there — one is aware, within one's own mind, only of a certain natural, wondrous bliss, with nothing covering it over, and through wisdom's own discernment, quite naturally, one does not accord with any false, defiling state at all. This is called the mark of genuine dhyāna-concentration arising. The simile that follows is a constructed comparison, distinguishing, overall, the two marks of deviant and genuine dhyāna-concentration arising. One should know that our own mind is, at root, neither good nor evil, but carries the capacity to follow either condition, and so is able to become either good or evil...

The third part explains nurturing wholesome roots through calming and insight: this means that when a practitioner, while seated, has any inward or outward wholesome root opening up, one should cultivate calming and insight to advance it further — but one must never apply the wrong remedy carelessly, that is, calming where calming is fitting, insight where insight is fitting. This method of cultivating calming and insight is explained fully in the actual-practice chapter; only the general outline is given here.