Perfect Enlightenment 25: Buddha Teaches 25 Expedient Practices, Part 4

Chinese:

「若諸菩薩以變化力種種隨順，而取至靜；此菩薩者，名先修三摩鉢提，後修奢摩他。

「若諸菩薩以變化力種種境界，而取寂滅；此菩薩者，名先修三摩鉢提，後修禪那。

「若諸菩薩以變化力而作佛事，安住寂靜，而斷煩惱；此菩薩者，名先修三摩鉢提，中修奢摩他，後修禪那。

「若諸菩薩以變化力無礙作用，斷煩惱故，安住至靜；此菩薩者，名先修三摩鉢提，中修禪那，後修奢摩他。

「若諸菩薩以變化力方便作用，至靜、寂滅二俱隨順；此菩薩者，名先修三摩鉢提，齊修奢摩他、禪那。

「若諸菩薩以變化力種種起用，資於至靜，後斷煩惱；此菩薩者，名齊修三摩鉢提、奢摩他，後修禪那。

「若諸菩薩以變化力資於寂滅，後住清淨，無作靜慮；此菩薩者，名齊修三摩鉢提、禪那，後修奢摩他。

English:

“Some bodhisattvas use transformation power to make various kinds of accordance, and thereby attain perfect quiescence. These bodhisattvas are called practitioners of samapatti first and śamatha next.”

“Some bodhisattvas use transformation power to create various realms, and thereby attain cessation-extinction. These bodhisattvas are called practitioners of samapatti first and dhyāna next.”

“Some bodhisattvas use transformation power to carry out Buddha-works. Then, abiding in cessation-quiescence, they sever affliction. These bodhisattvas are called practitioners of samapatti first, śamatha next and dhyāna last.”

“Some bodhisattvas use transformation power’s unhindered function to sever affliction, and are therefore able to abide in perfect quiescence. These bodhisattvas are called practitioners of samapatti first, dhyāna next and śamatha last.”

“Some bodhisattvas use transformation power for the activity of expedient teaching and then practice within both perfect quiescence and extinction together. These bodhisattvas are called practitioners of samapatti first, followed by simultaneous śamatha and dhyāna.”

“Some bodhisattvas use the various arising functions of transformation power to aid in the attainment of perfect quiescence and subsequently sever affliction. These bodhisattvas are called practitioners of simultaneous samapatti and śamatha, followed by dhyāna.”

“Some bodhisattvas use transformation power to aid in extinction, and subsequently abide in pure uncreated quiescence of thought. These bodhisattvas are called practitioners of simultaneous samapatti and dhyāna followed by śamatha.”

11. Samāpatti first and śamatha next. Because of the practice of samāpatti the practitioner attains the observation of all phenomena like illusion so that one transcends the illusory appearances so as to carry out activities in accordance with the illusion (activities such as the four dharma of quelling disasters, increasing benefits, lovingkindness, extinction of negative karma). Here, one then practices śamatha to enter the meditation of quiescence. Through the quiescence one enters the mind of pure awareness. This is the conduct of a bodhisattva.

In the tantric practice, one practices the perfection dharma. At the ultimate, one directly realizes the virtue of dharmakaya pervades all worlds. Relying on the merits of meditation, one then carries out activities benefitting all sentient beings. If the practitioner finds the activities an obstruction to the quiescent wisdom, that one cannot enters cessation in activities, then one has to further one’s practice of śamatha, through the coalescence of quiescence-illusory-activities to accomplish cessation-extinction. This is the realm of like illusion like transformation.

12. Samāpatti first and dhyāna next. Like previously, from samāpatti one attains the free-from-illusion fruition to carrying out activities. If one opts to not enter nirvāṇa through cessation, one can go via dhyāna to cessation-extinction, severing afflictions to enter nirvāṇa. This is a different path taken by those who enter nirvāṇa by practicing only samāpatti, for whom the quiescent wisdom is awakened through being free from illusion, where the illusion-like activities are sufficient to lead to cessation. Here, the practitioner requires the additional push of dhyāna to enter nirvāṇa.

In the tantric practice, this is analogous to practicing perfection dharma to the accomplishment of activities, where one has to further practice the coalescence of development and perfection dharma to remove one’s attachment to dharma activities. This is critical for those who commit to the wrathful deity practices, or they may become attached to the practice itself, never wanting to let it go.

13. Samāpatti first, śamatha next and dhyāna last. The previous type of practitioners need not the cessation practice to enter nirvāṇa. Here, being from illusion, there is still a need to meditation on cessation, or the primordial awareness is not awakened to cessation-extinction. Thus, subsequent to the samāpatti practice, but prior to the practice of dhyāna, one has to practice śamatha. With śamatha, while carrying out activities, the oneness-mind remains unmoved. Then, through the practice of dhyāna, cessation-extinction becomes possible, one enters nirvāṇa.

In the tantric practice, those who practice the perfection dharma, alternates the primary practice with śamatha to cultivate the quiescent wisdom. This would be equivalent to the coalescence of quiescence and illusion. In the subsequent practice of dhyāna, one transcends the quiescent-illusory coalescence to accomplishment. Consider a grossly simplified example. Consider the observation of a mirage. In samāpatti, the appearance of water is illusory, the appearance of fire is also illusory. If one does not make the observation abiding only to the appearance, observing as it is as per the mind-itself, this can be said to be the first step towards the appearance of coalescence of quiescence and illusion. In this realm one practices dhyāna, awareness begins to emerge. Perhaps through an example like this, the reader may get a glimpse of this particular practice.

14. Samāpatti first, dhyāna next and śamatha last. Via samāpatti, the practitioner dwells in the illusory realm carrying out activities. If one further yearns but does not succeed to transcend the illusion, one further practices dhyāna to accomplishment through its force. However, this transcending is with intention and effort, so that there is yet quiescence. Through the subsequent practice of śamatha, one abides in the realm of cessation, one’s mind becomes rested to quiescence, one attains nirvāṇa. This is quiescence subsequent to activities, which is different from the previous type, where activities are carried out subsequent to quiescence. The two practices are different alternating practices to achieving the ultimate.

In the tantric practice, this is analogous to practicing perfection dharma, where one has yet comfort and ease through the various luminous transformation, where one further needs the coalescent practice of development and perfection to eliminate one’s attachment to the transformation. Here, the practitioner tends to be with intention to remove the attachment, one needs further development stage practices, where the appearance of luminous transformation coalesces with the intention of the self-deity’s pride, naturally giving rise to an uncommon luminosity of perfection dharma. This can be said to be the luminous awareness giving rise to the luminous wisdom. At the ultimate, this “luminous wisdom” is the luminous awareness.

15. Samāpatti first, followed by simultaneous śamatha and dhyāna. With the various illusion in samāpatti, if one cannot attain quiescent to transcend the illusion, or one has the quiescent intention in the transcendence, then there is a need to alternative with the simultaneous practice of śamatha and dhyāna. By simultaneous, it is in reality śamatha first, then dhyāna while maintaining the realm of śamatha, such that one transcends the effort of quiescence to transcend illusion. This practice is an antidote to the quiescent intention.

In the tantric practice, if the practitioner intends on the pride of self-deity giving rise to luminosity, it is easy to commit the mistake of being biased in the effort of quiescence. Here, one should simply practice cessation so as to allow the pride of the deity to arise naturally. One then further practices the coalescence of development and perfection, removing the attachment to the pride of the deity, where the attachment to the illusory luminosity is quelled as well. This is an accomplishment through cessation-extinction.

16. Simultaneous samāpatti and śamatha, followed by dhyāna. In the illusory meditation, when one transcends the illusion, the practitioner also attains quiescence. Note that attaining quiescence while transcending the illusion is not all that easy, for one can become biased towards transcending the illusion, or towards the attainment of quiescence, such that one ends up attaining neither. As well, in the simultaneous samāpatti and śamatha, it is also easy to fall into extremes. With this simultaneous practice, one can alternate it with dhyāna, whenever one falls into extreme, the dhyāna practice becomes an antidote. The primordial awareness reveals itself only when one does not fall into extreme.

In the tantric practice, here, the perfection dharma is the main practice, such that it is a simultaneous practice of perfection and development dharma. By simultaneous, during the perfection dharma, one meditates on the development of perfection; during the development dharma, one meditates on the perfection of development. In the simultaneous practice, the nature of awareness beyond words arises. One then practices the coalescence of the two after, which is analogous to knowing the back of the hand by observing the palm, for seeing the back of the hand to becoming aware of the palm. This way, one surpasses the understanding of the palm and the back of the hand, seeing the one(ness of) hand. In the tantric practice, this is a common alternating practice.

17. Simultaneous samāpatti and dhyāna followed by śamatha. In this practice, one meditates on illusions, then enters cessation-extinction to transcend illusions. Here, when all illusory transformations only becomes cessation-extinction, the realm of coalescing cessation and illusion (development and perfection) is also lost. Then one needs to further practice śamatha, where the realm of cessation-extinction becomes a coalescence of cessation and observation through the realm of development in śamatha. There is no longer an attachment to cessation-extinction in this realm, which is the true dhyāna.

In the tantric practice, some practitioners intentionally alternate the perfection dharma with the coalescence of the development and perfection. That is, it is only the perfection dharma that is being alternated, where there is an under-emphasis on the development dharma. For example, in the development dharma, if one cares only the perfection of the development, in the simultaneous practice with the coalescence, it becomes difficult to enter the virtue of dharmakaya. Consider the analogy of the images on the television screen. To coalesce with the screen, but one has yet realized the screen, nor the capacity of the television, then one has to meditate on the development of images as an antidote. Analogously, only knowing the moon on water, but not having meditated on the continuum of water waves, one has to meditate on the moon reflection, for from the continuum of moon reflection, one realizes the movement of water waves.