13. The Teaching of the Samādhi

爾時，世尊告月光童子言：

At that time, the Bhagavān told Candraprabha, 

「童子！是菩薩摩訶薩於是顯說三昧智應善修習、為人顯示。童子！云何顯示？所謂於一切法起平等心，無有彼此、無有分別、無無分別，無造、無起，無生、無滅，一切妄想、分別憶想、起想皆悉斷除；心所攀緣、意所思作及諸假名皆亦斷除；亦斷一切諸惡覺觀，於陰界入無有自性；斷貪、瞋、癡，謂念慧解脫、慚愧堅固；修行儀式所應行處，謂空閑地、智慧地，絕於去來，一切菩薩所學、一切如來行處、一切功德成就。童子！是謂顯說如是三昧。若能顯說如是三昧，便不離諸定，其心不失一切三昧，無有迷惑，起大悲心利益無量無邊眾生。」

"O Youth! Such a bodhisattva mahāsattva should skillfully cultivate and demonstrate the wisdom of this samādhi. O Youth! How should it be demonstrated? That is, to give rise to an equal mind towards all dharmas, without this and that, without discrimination, without no discrimination, without creation, without arising, without birth, without extinction, all deluded thoughts, discriminations, recollections, and conceptualisations are all cut off; the mind's grasping, the mind's thinking, and all provisional names are also cut off; all evil views are also cut off, and the aggregates, elements, and sense bases have no self-nature; cutting off greed, anger, and delusion, namely, liberation through mindfulness and wisdom, shame and modesty, and firmness; cultivating the ritual of practice and the place to practice, namely, empty and secluded places, the stage of wisdom, cutting off going and coming, all that is studied by bodhisattvas, all the practices of tathāgatas, and all the accomplishments of merit. O Youth! This is called demonstrating such a samādhi. If one can demonstrate such a samādhi, one will not be apart from all samādhis, one's mind will not lose all samādhis, there will be no delusion, and one will give rise to a mind of great compassion to benefit immeasurable and boundless sentient beings."

爾時，世尊即於是時而說偈言：

At that time, the Bhagavān then spoke this gāthā:

「平等非嶮地，  

微寂難可見，

斷除一切想，  

故名為三昧。

"The level ground of equality, is

Subtle and tranquil, difficult to see,

It cuts off all thoughts:

Therefore it is called samādhi.

非妄想分別，  

離見不可取，

其心不可得，  

是名為三昧。

Not discriminating with false thoughts,
Free from views, ungraspable,
Its mind cannot be obtained,
This is called samādhi.

正住如實定，  

不取一切法；

如實不取故，  

故說寂滅定。

Properly abiding in the true meditation,

Not grasping any dharmas;

Because of not grasping the true:

Therefore it is called the meditation of tranquility.

法無少塵許，  

亦無少可得；

無少可得故，  

故名為三昧。

Dharmas have not even a speck of dust [of existence],

Nor is there anything to be obtained;

Because there is nothing to be obtained:

Therefore it is called samādhi.

有得、無得者，  

此名為妄想；

於法離分別，  

故名為三昧。

Having or not having attainment,

This is called false thoughts;

Free from discrimination regarding dharmas:

Therefore it is called samādhi.

以聲故說義，  

是聲事非有，

猶如響呼聲，  

又亦如虛空。

Explaining meaning through sound,

This sound affair is non-existent,

Like an echo calling out a sound,

And also like empty space.

眾生無所住，  

住處不可得；

得與不得音，  

自性不可得；

Sentient beings have no abode,

The place of abiding cannot be obtained;

The sounds of attainment and non-attainment,

Their self-nature cannot be obtained;

若去、若墮落，  

去道不可得；

去與不去音，  

於道如是知。

Whether going or falling,

The path of going cannot be obtained;

The sounds of going and not going,

Understand them in this way on the path.

存有定是取，  

存無定亦然；

無著行菩提，  

證聖道亦爾。

Abiding in meditation is grasping,

Abiding in non-meditation is also so;

Practising without attachment to bodhi,

Realising the holy path is also so.

離嶮平等地，  

是定慧無相，

佛子！修習此，  

善修定相應。

Free from danger, the level ground of equality,

This meditation is signless wisdom,

Buddha-Children! Cultivate this,

Well cultivating the characteristics of meditation.

非文字所能，  

入是深義趣，

捨諸語言事，  

得定無所取。

It cannot be expressed in words,
And enters into the profound meaning.
Abandoning all verbal activities,
One attains meditation without grasping.

得此定菩薩，  

如說相應住，

設火焚世界，  

於中不被燒。

The bodhisattva who attains this meditation

Abides in accordance with the characteristics as taught.

Even if a fire burns the world,

One will not be burned by it.

無量劫火起，  

如空本不然，

若知法如空，  

是人火不燒。

If countless kalpas of fire arise,

Like space, originally not burning,

If one knows the Dharma is like space,

This person will not be burned by fire.

若燒佛剎時，  

在定作是願，

滅彼火無餘，  

人及地不毀。

If a buddha realm is burning,

While in meditation, make this vow:

Amidst extinction without remainder,

People and land will not be destroyed.

彼神足無邊，  

遊空無罣礙，

隨學定而住，  

菩薩獲是德。

Their supernormal powers are boundless,

Traveling through space without obstruction,

Abiding in accordance with the training of meditation,

The bodhisattva attains this virtue.

若生、若退沒，  

無起亦無滅，

若能如是知，  

得此定不難。

Whether born or perishing,

There is no arising and no extinction.

If one can know this,

Attaining this meditation is not difficult.

世間有生、滅，  

如來之所說，

若能知此定，  

當知是世親。

The world has birth and extinction,

As taught by the Tathāgata.

If one can know this meditation,

One will know the world's friend.

於世間不染、  

世法不能礙，

身若無礙者，  

能往諸佛剎。

Not defiled by the world,

Worldly dharmas cannot obstruct.

If the body is unobstructed,

One can go to buddha lands.

常見於淨土，  

及見世導師，

彼得聞正法，  

在諸剎演說。

Always seeing the pure lands,

And seeing the world's guide,

They hear the true Dharma,

Expounding it in various lands.

彼不起無知，  

而說法性時，

能通達諸法，  

如隨於法性。

They do not give rise to ignorance,

And when they speak of the nature of dharmas,

They are able to penetrate all dharmas,

Just as they follow the nature of dharmas.

於億劫演說，  

辯才而不斷，

能變作多身，  

其餘諸菩薩。

They can expound for kalpas,

With eloquence uninterrupted,

And transform many bodies,

As well as other bodhisattvas.

變化諸菩薩，  

往遊諸佛剎，

千葉蓮花上，  

加趺而安坐。

The transformed bodhisattvas

Travel to buddha lands,

Sitting cross-legged

On lotuses with a thousand petals.

顯示佛菩薩，  

總持修多羅，

并餘億諸經，  

修習寂定故。

They manifest buddhas and bodhisattvas,
Upholding this sūtra
And other billions of sūtras,

Due to cultivating tranquility.

唯除不退轉，  

餘不思議人，

莫能盡其辯，  

顯示佛菩提。

Except for those who have attained nonretrogression,

Other inconceivable beings,

They cannot exhaust their eloquence,
Manifesting the bodhi of buddhahood.

乘重閣而去，  

種種寶嚴飾，

布散諸妙花，  

氛馥甚可樂。

They ride on a lofty palace,

Adorned with various jewels,

Scattering wonderful flowers,

With a fragrant atmosphere that is very pleasant.

散布諸末香，  

并燒勝妙香，

或散無量寶，  

為於菩提故。

They scatter powdered incense,

And burn excellent fragrances,

Or scatter immeasurable jewels,

For the sake of bodhi.

菩薩救濟者，  

如是無量德，

斷除諸煩惱，  

獲得勝神足。

Bodhisattvas who save others

Have such immeasurable virtues,

Eliminating all afflictions,

And attaining supreme supernormal powers.

不起於煩惱，  

清淨甚光耀，

無為不可壞，  

是菩薩境界。

They do not give rise to afflictions,

Pure and very radiant,

Unconditioned and indestructible,

This is the realm of bodhisattvas.

寂靜深寂靜，  

離惱無煩惱，

超過於戲論，  

樂無戲論法。

Quiet and deeply tranquil,

Free from afflictions and afflictionlessness,

Transcending all frivolous arguments,

Enjoying the Dharma of non-frivolous argument.

文字無能入，  

諸法無相故，

智知唯音聲，  

是故名定者。

Words and letters cannot enter therein,

Because all dharmas are without characteristics,

Knowing only through sound,

Thus is is one called a meditator.

無盡勝寂滅，  

無功用不見，

一切佛境界，  

實際無家宅。

Inexhaustible, supreme, and tranquil,

Without effort, not seeing,

All the Buddha's realm,

The ultimate truth without a home.

從諸佛修學，  

一切法自性，

學是佛功德，  

到功德彼岸；

Learning from the buddhas,

The self-nature of all dharmas,

Learning these buddha qualities,

Reaching the other shore of merit;

非此亦非彼，  

本際無分別，

是故一切佛，  

到功德彼岸；

Not here, nor there,

Without discrimination of the original limit,

Therefore all buddhas

Reach the other shore of merit;

於未來不去，  

已知法性故，

無功用戲論，  

到功德彼岸。」

Not going in the future,

Because they already know the nature of dharmas,

Without effort or frivolous argument,

They reach the other shore of merit."

Note: Where the character does not indicate a transliteration of samādhi or dhyāna, "meditation" is used (i.e. for 定).