Fifty Demonic States of Mind (1)
At that time, the Buddha was about to leave the Dharma seat, as He rose from the Lion’s Throne and placed His hand on a table nearby, which was wrought of the seven precious gems. But then, He turned His body, which was the color of purple-golden mountains, and as He leaned back again, He said to Ananda and everyone else in the great assembly: “All of you – including those who still need instruction, and those who are Solitary Sages (who are Enlightened by Conditions), as well as those who are Hearers of the Teachings – all of you have turned your minds (away from the Lesser Vehicle) by dedicating yourselves to attaining Supreme Bodhi, the unsurpassable, most wondrous enlightenment. Although I have taught you the way to practice, you have yet to realize the subtle demonic states that can come about once you start cultivating Shamatha-Vipashyana (calm-abiding and contemplative insight).
“If you are not able to recognize a demonic state when it appears, it is because you haven’t properly purified your mind and therefore fall into the grip of wrong views. Demons may arise from your own skandhas or from the heavens. Or you may be possessed by spirits or ghosts. If your mind is not clear enough, you will mistake a burglar for your own child. Or you may feel complacent about some slight accomplishment, just like that Unlearned Bhikshu who reached only the level of the Fourth Dhyana yet claiming that he had realized sagehood. In the heaven when his reward came to an end and the signs of decay appeared, he began to slander Arhatship and consequently fell into the Unrelenting Hell. Now you should all listen carefully while I explain this matter in detail.”
Delightfully, Ananda and those in the assembly who still needed to learn all stood up and prostrated, before readying themselves to receive the Buddha’s compassionate teaching.
The Buddha said to Ananda and the whole assembly: “You should know that although the twelve classes of beings in this world all have outflows, they nonetheless also immanently have perfect Buddha nature, which is fundamentally no different from all the Buddhas of the ten directions. However, because of delusion and confusion, one gives rise to emotional clinging, and the omnipresence of attachment brings about all-pervasive space, and eventually worlds come into being as a result of such ceaseless processes. Thus, in the ten directions, all lands as numerous as dust motes, and beings that have outflows, are all created out of confusion, strong-mindedness, and fundamentally – deluded thinking.
“You should know that in your mind the empty space created is just like a wisp of cloud flecking the infinitely vast scope of your mind, while the worlds in that empty space are even much less significant. If anyone of you returns to the source and discovers the true reality, all the space throughout the ten directions will cease to be. How could the worlds within the space not be obliterated as well?
“When you cultivate Dhyana and enter Samadhi by abiding in a state of perfect purity, the essence of your mind merges with the minds of the Bodhisattvas of the ten directions, as well as with the minds of all the great Arhats who are free of outflows. The demon kings, ghosts, spirits, and lesser gods see their palaces suddenly collapse without apparent reason, with the lands shaking, and creatures everywhere become frightened and restless, while ordinary people in their deep stupor just remain oblivious about these occurrences.
“All the demonic beings have five kinds of supernatural powers, except the freedom from outflows, since they are still deeply attached to worldly toils. How could they watch their palaces destroyed by your meditation without objection? That is why the spirits, ghosts, celestial demons, and goblins will come to disturb you in your Samadhi. However, although they are extremely furious, they are ultimately fettered by worldly strains, while you are in such a wondrous state of enlightenment. Therefore, they can do you no more harm than a wind can blow at a light, or a knife can cut at the water. You are like boiling water, while they are like solid ice doomed to melt in the presence of heat.
“Despite their supernatural powers, the demons are just like guests paying you a brief visit, and they can only try to cause trouble through your mind, which is the host of the five skandhas. Only when the host is befuddled can the guests succeed in their troublemaking. If you remain fully awake and aware in your meditation, free of delusion, whatever they do cannot affect you. As the five skandhas dissolve, you enter the light of enlightenment, and light surely overcomes darkness. Since the demons have to rely on dark energy, they will be destroyed if they get near your light. How could they dare to linger and disrupt your Samadhi then?
“But if you’re not fully awake and aware, and be confused by the skandhas, then Ananda, you would definitely fall into the traps and turn into a demon yourself. Your encounter with the Matanga woman was just a minor incident, for she was only capable of casting a spell on you and trying to make you violate the Buddha’s precepts. Because your mind was pure, in the end you broke only one of the eighty thousand rules of conduct, not all was lost. If the demons had succeeded in completely destroying your precious Dharma-body, however, you would have become like the family of a prime minister who is suddenly removed from his post. The family will be uprooted and exiled, with no one coming to their rescue.”
即時如來將罷法座。於師子床攬七寶机。迴紫金山再來凭倚。普告大眾及阿難言。汝等有學緣覺聲聞。今日迴心趣大菩提無上妙覺。吾今已說真修行法。汝猶未識修奢摩他毘婆舍那微細魔事。魔境現前汝不能識。洗心非正落於邪見。或汝陰魔或復天魔。或著鬼神或遭魑魅。心中不明認賊為子。又復於中得少為足。如第四禪無聞比丘妄言證聖。天報已畢衰相現前。謗阿羅漢身遭後有。墮阿鼻獄。汝應諦聽吾今為汝仔細分別。阿難起立并其會中同有學者。歡喜頂禮伏聽慈誨。
佛告阿難及諸大眾。汝等當知有漏世界十二類生。本覺妙明覺圓心體。與十方佛無二無別。由汝妄想迷理為咎癡愛發生。生發遍迷故有空性。化迷不息有世界生。則此十方微塵國土非無漏者。皆是迷頑妄想安立。當知虛空生汝心內。猶如片雲點太清裏。況諸世界在虛空耶。汝等一人發真歸元。此十方空皆悉銷殞。云何空中所有國土而不振裂。汝輩修禪飾三摩地。十方菩薩及諸無漏大阿羅漢。心精通[淴-心+目]當處湛然。一切魔王及與鬼神諸凡夫天。見其宮殿無故崩裂。大地振坼水陸飛騰。無不驚慴。凡夫昏暗不覺遷訛。彼等咸得五種神通唯除漏盡。戀此塵勞。如何令汝摧裂其處。是故神鬼及諸天魔魍魎妖精。於三昧時僉來惱汝。然彼諸魔雖有大怒。彼塵勞內汝妙覺中。如風吹光如刀斷水了不相觸。汝如沸浪彼如堅氷。煖氣漸隣不日銷殞。徒恃神力但為其客。成就破亂。由汝心中五陰主人。主人若迷客得其便。當處禪那覺悟無惑。則彼魔事無奈汝何。陰銷入明則彼群邪咸受幽氣。明能破暗近自銷殞。如何敢留擾亂禪定。若不明悟被陰所迷。則汝阿難必為魔子成就魔人。如摩登伽殊為眇劣。彼雖呪汝破佛律儀。八萬行中秖毀一戒。心清淨故尚未淪溺。此乃隳汝寶覺全身。如宰臣家忽逢籍沒。宛轉零落無可哀救。
Buddha Mind 