二明此处所缘者。
(b’)) Identifying objects of meditation for this context
《广论》【闻·思·修】Lamrim·Meditation
其缘佛身摄持心者，是随念佛，故能引生无边福德；若佛身相明显、坚固，则可缘作礼拜、供养、发愿等积集资粮之田，及悔除、防护等净障之田，极为殊胜；又如前引《三摩地王经》说，临命终时随念诸佛不退失等功德；若修咒道，于本尊瑜伽尤为殊胜，现见有如是等众多所为。又此胜利及思佛之法，广于《现在诸佛现住三摩地经》详明，故如《修次下篇》所说，定应从彼了知。因恐文繁，兹不俱录。故求所缘依处既能成就胜三摩地，余胜所为兼能获得，如是乃为方便善巧。
当以何等如来之像为所缘依处耶？答：如《修次下篇》云：“诸瑜伽师，先当如自所见、所闻如来形像安住其心，修奢摩他。由常作意如来身像黄如纯金色，相好庄严，处众会中，种种方便利益有情。故于佛德发生希欲，息灭沈没、掉举等失，乃至明见如住面前，应于尔时勤修静虑。”《三摩地王经》亦云：“由如金色身，妙严世间怙，心趣此所缘，名菩萨等引。”如此所说而为所缘依处。此复有二，谓由觉新起及于原有令重光显，后于生信尤胜，又顺共乘，故于原有令相明显。
先求持心所缘处时，先当求一画像或铸像等极其善妙大师之像，数数观视执取其相，现为心境而令熟习；或由尊长善为晓喻，思所闻义，令现意中，求为所缘依处。又所缘处非是现为画铸等相，要学现为真佛形相。有说置像于前瞠视而修，智军论师破之甚善，以三摩地非于根识而修，要于意识而修。故三摩地亲所缘境，即是意识直接境，须于意境摄持心故；及如前说，谓须缘于所现实所缘境义共相或影像故。身分亦有粗细二分，于余处说，须先缘取粗分，待彼坚固次缘细分，且体验中，亦极易现粗分，故应先从粗像为所缘处。
《广论》 Pg356LL02-Pg358L03
*《菩提道次第广论》原文改译——大慈恩译经基金会
In this regard, to keep your attention on the physical form of the Buddha is to recall the Buddha, so it gives rise to limitless merit. When your image of that body is clear and firm, then there is a special intensification of your meditative focus on the field in relation to which you amass merit through prostration, offering, aspirational prayer, etc., as well as on the field in relation to which you purify obscurations through confession, restraint, etc. This kind of meditation serves many purposes. As stated earlier in the extract from the King of Concentrations Sutra, it has advantages such as your not losing your mindfulness of the Buddha as you die. And when you cultivate the mantra path, it heightens deity yoga, etc. The Sutra on the Concentration Which Perceives the Buddha of the Present Face to Face gives a very clear and detailed treatment of these benefits, as well as the method for directing your mind toward the Buddha. Therefore, you should definitely come to know them from there, as Kamalasila states in his last Stages of Meditation. Fearing verbosity, I do not write of them here. Consequently, it is skill in means when you seek an object of meditation by which you achieve concentration and also fulfill, along the way, some other special purpose.
How do you use something like the bodily form of the Tathagata as an object of meditation? Kamalasila’s last Stages of Meditation states:
In that regard, practitioners should first fix their attention on whatever they may have seen and whatever they may have heard about the bodily form of the Tathagata, and then achieve serenity. The bodily form of the Tathagata is a golden color like that of refined gold, adorned by the signs and exemplary features, dwells with its retinue, and effects the aims of living beings through various means. By continuously directing their minds toward it, yogis develop a wish for its good qualities and quell laxity, excitement, and so forth. They should continue meditative stabilization for as long as they can see it clearly, as though the Buddha was sitting in front of them.
The King of Concentrations Sutra also says that you should use this kind of object of meditation:
The glorious protector of the world
With a body the color of gold-
The bodhisattva whose mind engages this object
Is said to be in equipoise.
Of the two ways to do this, newly imagining the Buddha’s form and visualizing the Buddha’s form as though actually present, the latter has a distinct advantage in developing faith and fits within the context of practices common to both sutra and tantra vehicles. Therefore, use a visualized image of the Buddha’s form as though it already actually exists. When you seek your object of meditation, the basis upon which you first keep your attention, look for an excellent painting or sculpture of the Teacher’s body and view it again and again. Remembering its features, firmly familiarize yourself with the mental appearance of the object. Or, seek your object of meditation by reflecting upon the meaning of the eloquent descriptions of the Buddha’s form which you have heard from your guru and make this image appear in your mind. Furthermore, do not let the object of meditation have the aspect of a painting or sculpture; rather, learn to have it appear in your mind with the aspect of an actual buddha.
Some set an image before them and immediately meditate on it while staring at it. The master Ye-shay-day‘s rejection of this practice is excellent. He says that concentration is not achieved in the sensory consciousnesses, but in the mental consciousness; thus, the actual object of meditation of a concentration is the actual object of a mental consciousness. Therefore, you must keep your attention on this. He also states what I explained above, that you have to focus your mind on the appearance of the actual concept, or mental image, of the object of meditation.
Furthermore, there are both subtle and gross features of the Buddha’s bodily form. It is stated elsewhere that at first you focus on the gross features, and later, when these are solid, you must focus on the subtle. As experience also shows that it is very easy to raise an appearance of the gross features, you must develop your object of meditation in stages starting with the gross features.
Lamrim Chenmo Pg43L08-Pg44LL05
References 参考资料:
- 《菩提道次第廣論》全文下載
- The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Tib. Lam rim chen mo) (Volume 3), Shambhala Publications
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