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[Lamrim·Meditation] PREPARING FOR MEDITATIVE SERENITY P19

二明此处所缘者。

(a) The benefits of cultivating serenity and insight

《广论》【闻·思·修】Lamrim·Meditation

  尤为要者,谓如下说乃至未得如欲定时,一切种中不可多迁异类所缘修三摩地。以若更换众多异类所缘修三摩地,反成修止重大障碍。故于修定堪资定量之《瑜伽师地论》及三篇《修次》等,皆就初修定时唯依一所缘而说修习,未说迁变众多所缘。圣勇论师于修静虑时亦明显云:“专固一所缘,坚稳其意志,若转多所缘,意为烦恼扰。《道炬论》亦云:“随于一所缘,令意住善境。”是以“于一”之指定词而说。故先应缘一所缘境,待得止已后乃缘多。《修次初篇》云:“若时已能摄其作意,尔时乃能广缘蕴、界等差别。如《解深密》等,亦由瑜伽师缘十八空等差别,说多所缘之相。
  如是初得持心所缘依处之量,谓先数返次第明了攀缘一头、二臂,身体余分及二足相。于末作意身总体时,心中若能现起半分粗大支分,纵无明晰具光明等亦当即以尔许为足,于彼持心。此中因相,若不以此为足而持其心,更求显了数令明现,所缘虽可略为显了,然非仅不得心安住分之三摩地,且障得定;又若所缘虽不明显,然于半分所缘持心,亦能速得妙三摩地,其后明显既转增进,则易成就明了分故。此出智军论师教授,现见极为重要。
  所缘依处现显之理,虽见二种四句之说,然因补特伽罗种性,而现行相有难有易,即已现中有明不明,此二复有坚不坚固,见有种种故无决定。若修密咒天瑜伽时,天尊行相定须明显,乃至未能明显之时,须修多种明显方便;此中天尊行相若极难现,可于前说随一所缘而持其心,主要所为唯在成就寂止定故。此若仍缘天身而修,相既不现然又持心,不能成办所乐之义,故须行相现而持心。又随所现持身总相,若身一分极其明现即持彼分,若彼转晦仍持总相。若时欲修为黄而现为红,显色不定;或欲修坐而现为立,形色不定;或欲修一而现为二,数量不定;或欲修大而现极小,大小不定,则全不可随逐彼等,唯应于前根本所缘为所缘依处。

《广论》 Pg358L04-Pg359LL05

*《菩提道次第广论》原文改译——大慈恩译经基金会

 An especially important point is that, until you have accomplished satisfactory concentration as explained below, it is never appropriate for you to cultivate meditative concentration by shifting your focus to many different types of objects of meditation. For, if you cultivate concentration by moving to many dissimilar objects of meditation, it will be a great impediment to achieving serenity. Thus, authoritative texts on achieving concentration, such as Asanga’s texts on the levels and Kamalasila’s three Stages of Meditation, explain that when first achieving concentration, you do so in relation to a single object of meditation; they do not say that you shift among many objects of meditation. Aryasura also clearly states this [in his Compendium of the Perfections:
  Solidify your mind’s reflection
  By being firm on one object of meditation;
  Letting it flow to many objects
  Leads to a mind disturbed by afflictions.

He says this in the section on achieving meditative stabilization. Also, Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment states:
  Settle your mind in virtue
  On any single object of meditation.

He makes his point with the phrase “on any single.”
 Thus, having first focused on one object of meditation and attained serenity, you may then focus on many objects of meditation. Kamalasila’s first Stages of Meditation states:
  Only when you have earned concentrated attention should you focus in detail on the particulars of objects, such as the aggregates and constituents. It is in light of the particulars of yogis’ meditation on objects such as the eighteen emptinesses that the Buddha states in sutras such as the Sutra Unravelling the Intended Meaning that there are many aspects of objects of meditation.

 Accordingly, the measure for having first found the object of meditation upon which you keep your attention is as follows: Visualize several times in sequence the head, two arms, the rest of the trunk of the body, and the two legs. After that, if when you bring your attention to the body as a whole you can raise before your mind just half of the gross components, then – even without radiant clarity – you should be satisfied with just this and fix your attention upon it. Why? If, dissatisfied with just that, you fail to fix your attention on it and want more clarity instead, then, as you visualize it again and again, the object of meditation will become a bit clearer but you will not obtain a stable concentration; in fact, you will prevent yourself from getting this. Even though the object of meditation is not very clear, if you keep your attention on precisely this partial object of meditation, you will quickly obtain concentration. Since this then intensifies clarity, you will readily achieve clarity. This comes from the instructions of Ye-shay-day; it is of great importance.
 As for the manner in which the object of meditation appears, you can describe two sets of four possibilities: for various types of persons, it is easy or difficult to have an image appear, and its appearance may be clear or unclear; moreover, both clear and unclear images may be either stable or unstable. However, as there is considerable variation, you cannot definitely determine what will occur.
 When you are practicing deity yoga in the mantra vehicle, you definitely have to establish a clear image of the deity. So until this arises, you must use many methods for developing it. However, in this non-tantric context, if you have great difficulty in making an image of a deity appear, you may adopt any one of the objects of meditation presented above and keep your attention on it because the main purpose is simply to achieve a concentration of meditative serenity. Also, in this non-tantric context, if you practice by focusing on the body of a deity and you keep your attention there even though the image is not appearing, then you will not achieve your desired aim. Thus, you have to keep your attention on an image that does appear.
 Keep your attention on the entirety of the body to the extent that it appears. If some parts of the body appear especially clearly, keep your attention on them. When they become unclear, return your attention to the entirety of the body. At that time, there may be uncertainty as to color, as when you want to meditate on gold, but red appears; or uncertainty as to shape, as when you want to meditate on a sitting shape, but a standing shape appears; or uncertainty as to number, as when you want to meditate on one thing, but two things appear; or uncertainty as to size, as when you want to meditate on a large body, but a tiny body appears. As it is utterly inappropriate to pursue such distortions, you must use only the original object of meditation, whatever it may be, as your object of meditation.

Lamrim Chenmo Pg44LL04-Pg46LL01


References 参考资料:​​
  1. 《菩提道次第廣論》全文下載
  2. The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Tib. Lam rim chen mo) (Volume 3), Shambhala Publications
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