The Tenth of Ten Wrong States – Dwelling in the State of Solitary Sage
“Further, the good practitioner has completely emptied the skandha of mental formations and put an end to mental arising and ceasing, but he has not perfectly realized the subtle wonder of Nirvana. Now in his investigation about the perfect and pure enlightenment, if he comes to the conclusion that the deep wonder is Nirvana and ceases to make progress, believing that he has thus realized the ultimate truth, then he makes the mistake of becoming a Solitary Sage with Fixed Nature. His companions will be Solitary Sages, including those enlightened by Conditions and those enlightened on their own. Confused about the Bodhi of the Buddhas, he wanders off from the Path of the Buddhas’ Right Knowledge and Proper Views.
“This is the tenth wrong state, where the practitioner perfects the awareness of the mind and realizes the fruition of clarity and brightness. Instead of advancing towards perfect enlightenment, he proceeds in the opposite direction and turns his back on the City of Nirvana, thus sowing the seeds in his continuity as a Solitary Sage with all-pervading yet imperfect illumination.”
“Ananda! The above ten states of Dhyana are all due to confusion occurred along the way that leads the practitioner to believe that he has attained complete realization while in fact he has not. All these states are the result of interactions between the consciousness skandha and the practitioner’s mental exertion. For practitioners who are confused and without proper self-evaluation, when encountering these circumstances, they will choose based on likings or habits to abide in their personally preferred state and suppose it to be the ultimate refuge in peace. They will make the claim that they have fulfilled the Supreme Bodhi and thus commit a great lie, which will lead them onto wrong paths and, once the karma is exhausted, to fall into the Unrelenting Hell. As for the Hearers and the Solitary Sages, the consequence is that they will make no further progress on the Path.
“You all must devote yourselves to the Path of the Tathagatas, and after my Nirvana, transmit the Dharma to beings in the Dharma Ending Age, helping all beings to awaken to the teachings’ true essence. Do not allow the demons of views to lead anyone fall into their own mental pits. Offer protection, comfort and refuge to all practitioners. Dispel wrong views. Lead them to enter the Buddha’s Wisdom and Vision with both body and mind. Help them stay on the Path from the beginning to the end and never go astray. It is through this Dharma-door that countless Tathagatas have opened their minds and attained the Ultimate Way.
“Once the consciousness skandha has come to an end, all your sense faculties will function interchangeably, through which you may attain Vajra Dry Wisdom (one of the Bodhisattva Levels). In that perfect, illuminating and refined state of mind, where your mind becomes like pure crystal containing a precious moon, you will transcend all the stages of the Bodhisattva Path – the Ten Stages of Faith, the Ten Abodes, the Ten Practices, the Ten Transferences, the Four Additional Practices, the Vajra-like Ten Grounds, and the Equivalent of Perfect Enlightenment. Finally, you enter the Tathagatas’ sea of wondrous magnificence and attain the State of Bodhi, which is the state of non-attainment.
“These are the subtle demonic states discerned by all Buddhas of the past, all the World-Honored Ones, when they practiced Shamatha-Vipashyana (calm abiding and deep insight). If you can clearly recognize a demonic state when it occurs and cleanse your mind of filth, you will not fall into deviant views. The demons of the skandhas will eventually be eradicated, the celestial demons will be obliterated, the mighty spirits will flee, and ghosts of all sorts will no longer dare to show up. You will proceed all the way to realize Bodhi without weariness, progressing from lower levels until reaching Great Nirvana, without ever becoming confused or discouraged.
“If dull-witted beings in the Dharma Ending Age fail to understand Dhyana correctly or fail to explain the Dharma correctly, yet they take delight in practicing Samadhi, then you should devote yourselves to exhort them to uphold the Surangama Mantra, lest they fall into wrong views. If they cannot memorize and recite it, as long as they have it written and placed in the meditation halls or carry it with them, then no demon can disturb them.
“To sum up, you must hold all the teachings by the Tathagatas of the ten directions in the greatest reverence!”
又善男子，穷诸行空，已灭生灭，而于寂灭精妙未圆。若于圆融，清净觉明，发研深妙，即立涅槃，而不前进 ，生胜解者。是人则堕定性辟支，诸缘独伦，不回心者，成其伴侣。迷佛菩提，亡失知见。是名第十，圆觉[淴-心+日]心，成湛明果 。违远圆通，背涅槃城，生觉圆明不化圆种。
阿难！如是十种禅那，中途成狂，因依迷惑，于未足中，生满足证。皆是识阴用心交互，故生斯位。众生顽迷，不自忖量，逢此现前，各以所爱先习迷 ，心而自休息，将为毕竟所归宁地。自言满足无上菩提，大妄语成。外道邪魔，所感业终，堕无间狱；声闻缘觉 ，不成增进。汝等存心秉如来道，将此法门，于我灭后，传示末世，普令众生觉了斯义。无令见魔自作沉孽 ，保绥哀救，消息邪缘。令其身心入佛知见，从始成就，不遭歧路。如是法门，先过去世恒沙劫中微尘如来 ，乘此心开，得无上道。
识阴若尽，则汝现前诸根互用。从互用中，能入菩萨金刚干慧，圆明精心于中发化，如净琉璃内含宝月。如是乃超十信、十住、十行、十回向、四加行心，菩萨所行金刚十地 、等觉圆明。入于如来妙庄严海，圆满菩提，归无所得。
此是过去先佛世尊奢摩他中，毗婆舍那，觉明分析微细魔事。魔境现前，汝能谙识，心垢洗除，不落邪见。阴魔销灭，天魔摧碎，大力鬼神褫魄逃逝，魑魅魍魉无复出生。直至菩提，无诸少乏 。下劣增进，于大涅槃心不迷闷。若诸末世愚钝众生，未识禅那，不知说法，乐修三昧。汝恐同邪，一心劝令 ，持我佛顶陀罗尼咒。若未能诵，写于禅堂，或带身上，一切诸魔所不能动。汝当恭钦，十方如来究竟修进，最后垂范。
Buddha Mind 