Cultivating a Safe Place for Entering Samadhi
“Ananda, you have asked about how to establish a safe practice in order to keep away from demonic disturbances and focus the mind. I am now expounding on the method of entering Samadhi. If you are aspiring to become a Bodhisattva, you must first follow the four precepts on purity (not committing sexual misconduct, not killing, not stealing, not making false claims). Then you will not give rise to greed, hatred and delusion. And you will not commit the four kinds of wrong speech – lying, gossiping, cursing, or flattering. You may not even pay attention to sights, sounds, flavors, tastes, touches, all senses and ideas. If your mind is as pure as glistening frost, it will not go astray like a tree growing twigs and leaves into all directions, then nothing demonic could take hold of you.
“For people who cannot get rid of their deep-set habits, you teach them to recite the Surangama Mantra (the mantra of ‘Great White Canopy’, meaning the mantra of supreme powers, spoken by the Buddha seated amidst the brightest light on a lotus-flower at the crown). For instance, in previous lifetimes you and the young Matanga woman had been entangled in deep-rooted affinities with each other, not for one lifetime but for many eons, yet upon hearing the Surangama Mantra her mind was freed forever from lust and now she is an Arhat, even though she had never undertaken spiritual practice. By the secret superpower of the mantra, she has even become one that needs no further instruction. All the Hearers in this assembly too can become Buddhas boarding the Greatest Vehicle, as effortless as scattering a handful of dust down the wind.
“In the Dharma ending age, people who wish to establish a place where they can practice safely away from demonic influences must first follow the precepts on purity. They should receive the precepts from a teacher or a Sangha that perfectly observes the precepts. After that, they put on clean clothes, light an incense in a quiet place, and then recite the Surangama Mantra for 108 times. Thus, they establish boundaries around the place for protecting their mind and practice.
“Practitioners should pray to all the Buddhas in the ten directions, for them to instill light of wisdom and compassion through the crown of each practitioner. In the Dharma ending age, monks, nuns and laities whose minds are freed of sexual desire and dedicated to upholding the Buddha’s precepts should also make vows to enter the Bodhisattva Path. If they bathe before practice and carry on practicing throughout day and night for twenty-one days without sleep, I will appear before them to bless each one by circling my hand over their crown, thus helping them become enlightened.”
Respectfully, Ananda said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, since I have received the Buddha’s supreme instruction, my mind has awakened, and I myself know how to practice. But beings in the Dharma ending age will need detailed instructions about how to safeguard the boundaries of the place where they carry out practice.”
The Buddha said to Ananda, “Practitioners in the Dharma ending age can start with finding a strong white ox that feeds on the rich grasses and pure streams in the Himalayas. The dung of such an ox is particularly clean and pure. Then they can mix it with sandalwood incense and spread the mixture on the ground around the place. Manure from oxen living elsewhere will be too foul-smelling and unclean to be applied to a place reserved for awakening practice. Alternatively, practitioners can dig up yellow soil from about 5.5 feet under the ground on a plain, mix it with the powders of sandalwood incense, aloeswood incense, frankincense, saffron, basil, storax, birthwort, cloves, spikenard, and teak resin, then apply the mixture to the ground of the place, marking an octagonal altar about sixty-five feet across. A lotus flower made of gold, silver, copper or wood should be placed in the center of the altar. A bowl filled with dew collected in the eighth lunar month should be placed in the center of the flower. An abundance of lotus petals should be placed in the dew water. Then place eight circular mirrors around the flower bowl, with all mirrors facing outward. Then place sixteen lotus flowers in front of the mirrors, alternating with sixteen censers. Only aloeswood incense should be burned in these censers and no flames should be seen.
“Then practitioners should fill sixteen containers with the milk of white cows, together with sixteen dishes of fried cakes made from milk, and sixteen dishes of each of these offerings – raw sugar, butter cakes, rice gruel with milk, storax, honeyed ginger, pure butter, filtered honey, all kinds of nuts, fruits, sweets and drinks, and place all these items in front of the sixteen lotus flowers and sixteen censers, as offerings to all the Buddhas and Mahasattvas.
“At mealtime and midnight, take a pint of honey, add in pure butter, and stir three times. Place a small burner in front of the altar, pour a decoction of storax over the burning charcoal to intensify its blaze, then toss the buttered honey into the hot burner, offering the fragrance of the smoke to all the Buddhas and Mahasattvas.
“Also, hang banners and flowers along the four sides of the whole worshipping area. As for the four inner barriers surrounding the altar, set up images of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The images of Buddha Vairocana, Buddha Sakyamuni, Bodhisattva Maitreya, Buddha Akshobhya, and Buddha Amitabha should be placed in the center on the wall facing south, with images of Avalokiteshvara (the Great Compassion Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva Who Hears the Cries of the World) and Vajra-Treasury Bodhisattvas being placed alongside.
“On each side of the doorways, display the images of Lord Sakra, King Brahma, Ucchusma, Blue Durga, Kundali, Bhrukuti, the four Celestial Kings, and Vinayaka. Also, suspend eight mirrors in the space, directly facing the other mirrors already set up around the altar, so that there are infinite interreflection from the mirrors.
“During the first seven days, bow with utmost sincerity to the Buddhas, the Mahasattvas, and the Arhats of the ten directions. And recite the Surangama Mantra throughout day and night while circumambulating the altar, single-mindedly repeating the Mantra 108 times in each session. During the next seven days, focus the mind solely on the Four Great Vows of Bodhisattvas: (1) Beings are countless, but I vow to save them all. (2) Afflictions are limitless, but I vow to end them all. (3) Dharmas are innumerable, but I vow to acquire them all. (4) The Buddhas’ Way is most supreme; but I vow to realize it.
“During the third week, single-mindedly recite the Surangama Mantra throughout the twelve periods of day and night, then on the final day all the Buddhas from ten directions will appear at the same time. In the infinite interreflection of light, the Buddhas will instill their blessings through the crown of the practitioner.
“Cultivating Samadhi practice in such way, even in the Dharma ending age one can purify their body and mind perfectly. However, if the precept-instructor or any Bhiksu of the Sangha from which the practitioner received the precepts was not pure, then the practice will most likely fail to succeed.
“After the three weeks, sit upright and still for a hundred days. Those with deep and strong Dharma roots will remain sitting until attaining the stage of Srotapanna. Even if they do not reach the level of sage right away, they become certain they will realize Buddhahood without question. You have asked how to establish a place for Samadhi practice, and now you’ve got it.”
阿難汝問攝心。我今先說入三摩地。修學妙門求菩薩道。要先持此四種律儀。皎如氷霜。自不能生一切枝葉。心三口四生必無因。阿難如是四事若不失遺。心尚不緣色香味觸。一切魔事云何發生。若有宿習不能滅除。汝教是人一心誦我佛頂光明摩訶薩怛多般怛囉無上神呪。斯是如來無見頂相無為心佛從頂發輝坐寶蓮華所說心呪且汝宿世與摩登伽。歷劫因緣恩愛習氣。非是一生及與一劫。我一宣揚愛心永脫成阿羅漢。彼尚婬女無心修行。神力冥資速證無學。云何汝等在會聲聞。求最上乘決定成佛。譬如以塵揚于順風有何艱險。若有末世欲坐道場。先持比丘清淨禁戒。要當選擇戒清淨者。第一沙門以為其師。若其不遇真清淨僧。汝戒律儀必不成就。戒成已後著新淨衣然香閑居。誦此心佛所說神呪一百八遍。然後結界建立道場。求於十方現住國土無上如來。放大悲光來灌其頂。阿難如是末世清淨比丘。若比丘尼白衣檀越。心滅貪婬持佛淨戒。於道場中發菩薩願。出入澡浴六時行道。如是不寐經三七日。我自現身至其人前。摩頂安慰令其開悟。
阿難白佛言世尊。我蒙如來無上悲誨。心已開悟自知修證無學道成。末法修行建立道場云何結界。合佛世尊清淨軌則。
佛告阿難若末世人願立道場。先取雪山大力白牛。食其山中肥膩香草。此牛唯飲雪山清水其糞微細。可取其糞和合栴檀以泥其地。若非雪山其牛臭穢不堪塗地。別於平原穿去地皮五尺已下。取其黃土。和上栴檀沈水蘇合。薰陸欝金白膠青木。零陵甘松及雞舌香。以此十種細羅為粉。合土成泥以塗場地。方圓丈六為八角壇。壇心置一金銀銅木所造蓮華。華中安鉢。鉢中先盛八月露水。水中隨安所有華葉。取八圓鏡各安其方圍繞花鉢。鏡外建立十六蓮華。十六香鑪間花鋪設。莊嚴香鑪純燒沈水無令見火。取白牛乳置十六器。乳為煎餅并諸沙糖油餅乳糜。酥合蜜薑純酥純蜜。及諸菓子飲食葡萄石蜜種種上妙等食於蓮華外各各十六圍繞華外。以奉諸佛及大菩薩。每以食時。若在中夜取蜜半升用酥三合。壇前別安一小火鑪。以兜樓婆香煎取香水。沐浴其炭然令猛熾。投是酥蜜於炎爐內。燒令煙盡饗佛菩薩。令其四外遍懸幡華。於壇室中。四壁敷設十方如來。及諸菩薩所有形像。應於當陽張盧舍那。釋迦彌勒阿閦彌陀。諸大變化觀音形像。兼金剛藏安其左右。帝釋梵王烏芻瑟摩。并藍地迦諸軍茶利。與毘俱知四天王等頻那夜迦。張於門側左右安置。又取八鏡覆懸虛空。與壇場中所安之鏡方面相對。使其形影重重相涉。於初七日中。至誠頂禮十方如來。諸大菩薩及阿羅漢。恒於六時誦呪繞壇至心行道。一時常行一百八遍第二七中一向專心。發菩薩願心無間斷。我毘奈耶先有願教第三七中於十二時。一向持佛般怛羅呪至第四七日十方如來一時出現。鏡交光處承佛摩頂即於道場修三摩地。能令如是末世修學。身心明淨猶如瑠璃。阿難若此比丘本受戒師。及同會中十比丘等。其中有一不清淨者。如是道場多不成就。從三七後端坐安居。經一百日有利根者。不起于座得須陀洹。縱其身心聖果未成。決定自知成佛不謬。汝問道場建立如是。
Buddha Mind 