Four Additional Practices
“Ananda, once the good practitioner has been through the previously mentioned forty-one stages and completely purified his mind, he then moves on to four wondrously perfect additional practices.
“First, the enlightenment of a Buddha and its functioning are about to become the norm of the good practitioner’s mind, which can be compared to the point where a piece of wood is about to ignite when it is drilled to generate fire. This is called ‘The Practice of Kindling‘.
“Second, he continues on the path that the Buddhas have treaded, seemingly relying on it and yet not really relying on it, just like climbing a lofty mountain to the summit where his body is in the vast space while there is still a little ground beneath his feet. This is called ‘The Practice of Summiting‘.
“Third, his mind and the Buddha are two but also one, thus he has truly realized the Middle Way. It is as if he’s enduring something that can neither be repressed nor be expressed. This is called ‘The Practice of Enduring‘.
“Fourth, as measurement and delineation are now gone, the good practitioner no longer makes distinctions between confusion and enlightenment or the Middle Way. This is called ‘The Practice of Being the Foremost‘.
Ten Grounds
“Ananda, the good practitioner has fully realized the Great Bodhi, attained the same level of awakening as the Tathagatas, and all the way reached the state of the Buddha’s mind. This stage is called ‘The Ground of Happiness‘.
“Now all differences become identical, while the notion of identity ceases to be. This stage is called ‘The Ground Free of Filth‘.
“In ultimate purity there is light. This stage is called ‘The Ground of Emanating Light‘.
“In the brightest light there is full awakening. This stage is called ‘The Ground of Blazing Wisdom‘.
“All identity and difference have become a thing of the past. This stage is called ‘The Ground of Invincibility‘.
“The unconditioned suchness of True Reality has now revealed its pure nature. This stage is called ‘The Ground of Manifestation‘.
“The farthest edges of True Reality have been reached. This stage is called ‘The Ground of Traveling Far‘.
“The essence of this One Truth is called ‘The Ground of Immovability‘.
“The function of this True Suchness is called ‘The Ground of Skillful Wisdom‘.
“Ananda, at this point all Bodhisattvas have completed their cultivation and perfected their merit and virtue. This stage, where all practice is done, where the wonder of compassion encompasses the Sea of Nirvana, is called ‘The Ground of the Dharma Cloud‘.
“The Tathagatas reverse the course while the Bodhisattvas advance along the path and so both come across at the meeting point between awakening and practice. It is therefore called Equivalent Enlightenment. Ananda, the good practitioner has progressed from the stage of Dry Wisdom to the stage of Equivalent Enlightenment by drying up ignorance in the Vajra-mind, going through a total of twelve stages, including various levels, single or complex. Thus, he finally realizes Wondrous Awakening and Unsurpassed Way.
“At each of the levels and stages, with his Vajra-mind the good practitioner has been applying the Ten Profound Analogies to contemplate on the illusionary nature of everything. (Ten Profound Analogies – 1. All karma is like illusion. 2. All phenomena are like mirage. 3. All physical bodies are like the moon in water. 4. All wondrous forms are like flowers in air. 5. All wondrous sounds are like echoes in a valley. 6. All Buddha lands are like cities of the gandharvas. 7. All deeds of the Buddha are like dreams. 8. The Buddha body is like a reflection. 9. The Reward body is like a shadow. 10. The Dharma body is like a transformation.)
“And in Shamatha (peaceful abiding), the good practitioner uses the Tathagatas’ Vipashyana (special vision) to cultivate pure mind, gradually going deeper and deeper, bringing his pure practice to fulfillment.
“Ananda, all good practitioners have been relying on the three gradual steps (Samatha, Samapatti, Dhyana), before they can accomplish each of the fifty-five stages along the True Bodhi Path. Such contemplations are called proper contemplations; anything other than this is simply not proper.”
阿難是善男子盡是清淨四十一心。次成四種妙圓加行。即以佛覺用為己心。若出未出猶如鑽火。欲然其木名為煖地。又以己心成佛所履。若依非依如登高山。身入虛空下有微礙。名為頂地。心佛二同善得中道。如忍事人非懷非出。名為忍地。數量銷滅迷覺中道。二無所目名世第一地。
阿難是善男子。於大菩提善得通達。覺通如來盡佛境界。名歡喜地。異性入同同性亦滅。名離垢地。淨極明生名發光地。明極覺滿名焰慧地。一切同異所不能至。名難勝地。無為真如性淨明露。名現前地。盡真如際名遠行地。一真如心名不動地。發真如用名善慧地。
阿難是諸菩薩從此已往。修習畢功功德圓滿。亦目此地名修習位。慈陰妙雲覆涅槃海名法雲地。如來逆流如是菩薩。順行而至覺際入交名為等覺。阿難從乾慧心至等覺已。是覺始獲金剛心中初乾慧地。如是重重單複十二。方盡妙覺成無上道。是種種地皆以金剛。觀察如幻十種深喻。奢摩他中。用諸如來毘婆舍那。清淨修證漸次深入。阿難如是皆以三增進故。善能成就五十五位真菩提路。作是觀者名為正觀。若他觀者名為邪觀。
The Name of the Discourse
Then the Dharma Prince Manjushri stood up in the midst of the assembly, bowed at the Buddha’s feet and asked, “What should we name this Sutra? And how should all beings uphold and practice it?”
The Buddha said to Manjushri: “It is called ‘The Sutra of the Supreme Seal of the White Canopy Mantra, Spoken Above the Crown of the Great Buddha, Representing the Pure and All-Encompassing Vision of the Tathagatas of the Ten Directions’. It may also be called ‘The Sutra of Rescuing Ananda (the Buddha’s relative) and Enlightening Nature (a Bhikshuni in the assembly)’. It may also be called ‘The Tathagatas’ Secret of Realizing the Ultimate Truth’. It may also be called ‘The Sutra of the Most Expansive Teachings, the Wondrous Lotus King, and the Dharani Mantra – the Mother of All Buddhas’. It may also be called ‘The Sutra Imparting the Foremost Surangama and the Myriad Practices of the Bodhisattvas’. You should all uphold it respectfully and practice accordingly.”
爾時文殊師利法王子。在大眾中即從座起。頂禮佛足而白佛言。當何名是經。我及眾生云何奉持。佛告文殊師利。是經名大佛頂悉怛多般怛囉無上寶印十方如來清淨海眼。亦名救護親因度脫阿難。及此會中性比丘尼。得菩提心入遍知海。亦名如來密因修證了義。亦名大方廣妙蓮華王十方佛母陀羅尼呪。亦名灌頂章句諸菩薩萬行首楞嚴。汝當奉持。
Buddha Mind 