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Lesson 6 - Maitreya asks about Yogacara

Chapter Six: Vikalpa Yoga / ‘Differentiating Yoga’ 分別瑜伽

Part One - Maitreya asks about śamatha and vipaśyanā in the Mahayana

Q: What does the bodhisattva rely upon and how do they abide in śamatha and vipaśyanā?

A: They rely upon and abide in the standard ways and their commitment to full awakening.

Q: What about the four kinds of objects of śamatha and vipaśyanā?

A: In śamatha there are no images of reflection (differentiated images) In vipaśyanā there are images of reflection (differentiated images) Both śamatha and vipaśyanā are at the limit of objectification (’phenomenal reality’) and both ‘fulfill duty’ (accomplish the task, or the purpose)

  • Q: How does one śamatha and vipaśyanā? A: “Bodhisattvas listen well to [all of the sutras, etc.] and receive them well, the words well understood, the ideas well considered, the view well penetrated. Then, alone in a forested place, they think reflectively (manasikṛta) upon this well reasoned Dharma. Then, from this, they are able to reflect upon the mind, thinking reflectively upon the inner-mind ‘continuity’ (內心相續citta-santāna). From the correct practice of a lot of peaceful abiding like this, there comes about bodily and mental ease. This is called śamatha.” ”With the attainment of ease of body and mind as a basis, they enter the saṃskār-ic imagery of samādhi from that well reasoned Dharma, observing and understanding free of the characteristics of mind, having abandoned them. Then, within knowledge of the meaning of the imagery of samādhi like this, they are able to correctly investigate, to investigate to the furthest extent, to ponder everything, to examine everything, whether patience, joy, wisdom, vision, or awakening, this is called vipaśyanā.

Q: Many questions about ‘all the saṃskār-ic imagery of vipaśyanā-samādhi’ and the ‘continuity of consciousness (相續 ’mindstream’, citta-santāna).

Q: “How does thought focus thinking upon one point?”

A: “It is understanding that all the images in samadhi are nothing but conscious construction, or, having already understood this, the reflecting upon Suchness.”

Part Two - Differentiated and Unified Dharmas

Q: What are differentiated dharmas, and what are dharmas as a unified whole?

A: “When a bodhisattva takes as their object of understanding each point of the Dharma of the scriptures, etc., and practices śamatha and vipaśyanā in regard to these dharmas which they have received and pondered, that is termed śamatha and vipaśyanā that take as their object different dharmas. When a bodhisattva takes as the object of their understanding the Dharma of all the scriptures, etc., and attentively reflects upon all these dharmas as one lump, one accumulation, one whole, one gathering up, all in harmony with Suchness, turning toward Suchness, approaching Suchness, in harmony with wisdom, with cessation, with the conversion of the support (base), going toward these; if, in approaching these doctrines they proclaim the unlimited, incalculable Dharma and with this reflection practice śamatha and vipaśyanā, that is termed śamatha and vipaśyanā that take as their object a unified Dharma.”

Q: What is it to attain śamatha and vipaśyanā upon the unified dharma?

A: “It is due to five conditions:

  1. When reflecting, kṣaṇa-to-kṣaṇa (’moment to moment’), the foundation of ‘gross heaviness’ is melted away
  2. They transcend all the varieties of perception (saṁjñā) and take joy in [the] Dharma
  3. They understand the immeasurable light of the Dharma which has no differentiating characteristics throughout the Ten Directions
  4. The pure, undifferentiated characteristic of the characteristics of the fulfillment of what is to be done are constantly present before them
  5. To now attain fulfillment of the Dharma Body they embrace (saṃgraha) that supreme, wondrous ever-turning cause.

Part Three - Vitarka and Vicāra

Q: This śamatha and vipaśyanā, what is called samādhi with [active] investigation (vitarka) and [passive] consideration (vicāra)? What is called samādhi without investigation and only consideration? And what is called samādhi without investigation or consideration?”

A: “If there are ‘gross’ insights received in regard to the characteristics of dharmas…this is called samādhi with investigation and consideration. If there are no gross insights received…, yet there is a subtlety and the mind, in that light, receives an insight in śamatha and vipaśyanā, this is called samādhi without investigation and only consideration. If there is the reception of insight without any effort [in regard to characteristic(s)…etc.., this is called Samādhi without investigation or consideration.

Part Four - Knowing Dharma and Artha

Q: What is knowing Dharma? What is knowing meaning (ārtha)?”

A: Dharma is knowing five things:

  1. Names (words)
  2. Phrases (sentences)
  3. Writing
  4. Differences (between things)
  5. Unity (of things)

Meaning (ārtha) is knowing ten things:

  1. The limit of existent nature = the five aggregates, the six bases, etc.
  2. The Suchness of existent nature = the Seven Suchnesses

      3. “The suchness of existent nature is there then being bhūtatathatā (True Suchness) among all defiled and purified dharmas. Within what is called the Suchness of existent nature there are these seven kinds:

    1. The True Suchness of transmigration (saṃsāra), which is that all conditionings (saṃskāra) are without the nature of before or after.
    2. The True Suchness of characteristics (lakṣana), which is the self-less nature of the pudgala and the self-less nature of all dharmas.
    3. The True Suchness of discernment (parikalpita), which is all conditionings being of the nature of ‘consciousness-only’.
    4. The True Suchness of the firmly established (supratiṣṭhita), which is the Noble Truth of suffering I have explained.
    5. The True Suchness of erroneous action, which is the Noble Truth of the accumulation of suffering I have explained.
    6. The True Suchness of purification, which is the Noble Truth of the cessation I have explained;
    7. The True Suchness of correct action, which is the Noble Truth of the Path I have explained.
  3. The meaning of subject = the five internal sense bases, mind, thought, and consciousness
  4. The meaning of object = the six external sense bases
  5. The meaning of construct (pratiṣṭhā) = the world as ‘device’, upon which are constructed realms
  6. The meaning of enjoyment (saṃbhoga) = embracing necessities for sentient beings’ enjoyment
  7. The meaning of inversion (viparyaya) = impermanence, suffering, self, and purity
  8. They know the meaning of not being inverted = being without the four inversions
  9. The meaning of defilement (kaṣāya) = by afflictions, karma, and birth
  10. The meaning of purification (viśuddhi) = transcending the three defilements

Meaning (ārtha) is knowing five things:

  1. All-pervasive knowledge of matters = the aggregates, sense bases, etc.
  2. All-pervasive knowledge of meanings = knowing worldly conventions and the ultimate meaning
  3. All-pervasive knowledge of causes = the factors of awakening
  4. All-pervasive knowledge of results = the discipline that severs greed, hatred, and delusion
  5. Fully awakened knowledge of all this = extensively explaining all liberated knowledge

Meaning (ārtha) is knowing four things:

  1. Mental grasping = appropriation of thinking
  2. Experience = i.e. ‘receiving’ sensroy experience
  3. Differentiation (vikalpa) = ‘conscious constructions’
  4. Defilement and purity = what constitutes each

Meaning (ārtha) is knowing three things:

  1. The meaning of expressions = knowing words (language)
  2. The meaning of meaning = knowing ten things
    1. The characteristic of True Suchness (bhūtatathatā-lakṣana)
    2. The characteristic of all-pervasive knowledge
    3. The characteristic of eternal severance
    4. The characteristic of realization
    5. The characteristic of cultivation
    6. The characteristic of those things (b-e) differentiated from the Characteristic of True Suchness (a)
    7. The characteristic of the interdependence between support and the supported
    8. The characteristic of being an obstruction to the Dharma of all-pervasive knowledge, etc.
    9. The characteristic of that which is in accord with those Dharma
    10. The characteristic of the faults of there not being all-pervasive knowledge, etc., and the virtues of there being all-pervasive knowledge, etc.”
  3. The meaning of realms = knowing five kinds of realms
    1. The realm of the material world
    2. The realm of sentient beings
    3. The Dharma Realm
    4. The realm of discipline (vinaya)
    5. The realm of disciplinary upaya

Part Five - How are all characteristics removed?

“Because they reflect upon true Suchness, bodhisattvas abandon characteristics of dharmas and characteristics of meaning (artha). When they lack anything to be attained in names and name-essences, then they no longer pay any regard to the characteristics that support those [names and name-essences]. In such a fashion they abandon them. As it is with names, so it is with phrases and all kinds of meanings. Even in regard to realms and essences of realms they lack anything to be attained, and so they no longer pay any regard to their images. In such a fashion they abandon them.”

Q: Ten kinds of difficult-to-remove characteristics.

  1. Expressions and words, which are correctly gotten rid of because all dharmas are empty
  2. Characteristics of continuous succession of characteristics, which are correctly gotten rid of because all characteristics are empty, and are also without before or after
  3. Characteristics of loving the body and the characteristic of self conceit, which are correctly gotten rid of because internality is empty, and the emptiness of there not being anything to attain
  4. Characteristics of loving possessions, which are correctly gotten rid of because of the emptiness of externality
  5. Characteristics of internal pleasure and external charm, which are correctly gotten rid of because of the emptiness of internality and externality, and the emptiness of original nature
  6. Immeasurable characteristics, which are correctly gotten rid of because of the emptiness of greatness
  7. Characteristics of inner tranquility and liberation, which are correctly gotten rid of because of the emptiness of the conditioned
  8. Characteristics of selfless pudgalas and the characteristic of the selflessness of dharmas, whether characteristics solely of the consciousness or the Characteristic of Ultimate Meaning, which are correctly gotten rid of because of the emptiness of finality, the emptiness of naturelessness, the emptiness of the self-nature of naturelessness, and the emptiness of Ultimate Meaning
  9. The characteristic of the unconditioned and the characteristic of changlessness, which are correctly gotten rid of because of the emptiness of the unconditioned and the emptiness of changlessness
  10. The characteristic of the nature of emptiness, which is correctly gotten rid of because of the emptiness of emptiness.

“In the Great Vehicle the overall characteristic of Emptiness refers to the final separation of those characteristics clung to by imagination, with all their varieties of defilement and purity, from both the characteristic of other-dependency and the characteristic of full perfection.”

Part Six - Obstacles to śamatha and vipaśyanā

Five ‘entanglements’ (bonds, bandhana)

  1. Desire for bodies and possesions = obstructs śamatha
  2. Lack of interest in Dharma = obstructs vipaśyanā
  3. Pleasurable images = obstructs śamatha and vipaśyanā
  4. Shallowness (rather than profundity) = obstructs śamatha and vipaśyanā
  5. ???

Five Hindrances (nīvaraṇa)

  1. Restlessness and worry (auddhatya-kaukritya) = obstructs śamatha
  2. Sloth and torpor (thīna-middha) = obstructs vipaśyanā
  3. Doubt (vicikitsā) = obstructs vipaśyanā
  4. Desirousness (kāmacchanda) = obstructs śamatha and vipaśyanā
  5. Resentment/bitterness (vyāpāda) = obstructs śamatha and vipaśyanā

Five Distractions (vikṣepa)

  1. Distractions of mental attention
  2. Distractions from outside the mind
  3. Distractions from inside the mind
  4. Distractions of characteristics
  5. Distractions of ‘Coarse Heaviness’.

The Counteracting of Obstacles in Ten Stages

  1. The initial bodhisattva stage = counteracts the obstruction of afflicted karma that leads to evil destinies and the arising of defilement.
  2. In the second stage, the obstruction of the appearance of subtle transgressions is counteracted.
  3. In the third stage, the obstruction of craving is counteracted.
  4. In the fourth stage, the obstruction of the love of meditation and even love of the Dharma is counteracted.
  5. In the fifth stage, the obstruction of being singularly focused on rejecting birth & death for Nirvana is counteracted.
  6. In the sixth stage, the obstruction of the appearance of gross characteristics is counteracted.
  7. In the seventh stage, the obstruction of the appearance of subtle characteristics is counteracted.
  8. In the eighth stage, the obstruction of not having attained mastery of the usefulness of characteristiclessness and the unattainability of characteristics is counteracted.
  9. In the ninth stage, the obstruction of not having attained mastery of all the various kinds of skillful speech and diction is counteracted.
  10. In the tenth stage, the obstruction of not having attained realization of the perfect Dharma Body is counteracted.
  11. In the stage of a Thus Come One, the obstruction of the most subtle affliction and the obstruction to the knowable is counteracted. Based upon the conditions of this accomplishment of [their] objective, they are installed in the ultimately pure Dharma Body.

Part Seven - Realizing anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi

“Having already attained śamatha and vipaśyanā, the bodhisattvas support themselves upon the Seven Suchnesses (see above). With minds well concentrated upon the Dharma [they have] heard and pondered, within themselves they truly reflect upon the nature of Suchness as it has been well considered, well examined, and well established. Because of their reflection upon Suchness, they are able to abandon the appearances of all subtle characteristics:

  • characteristics appropriated by mind
  • characteristics of experience
  • differentiating characteristics
  • characteristics of purity and defilement
  • the characteristic of interiority
  • the characteristic of exteriority
  • the characteristic of both interiority and exteriority
  • the characteristic of practice for the benefit of all sentient beings
  • the characteristic of Correct Knowledge
  • the characteristic of True Suchness
  • the characteristics of suffering, its accumulation, its cessation, and the Path
  • the characteristic of being conditioned
  • the characteristic of the unconditioned
  • the characteristic of being eternal
  • the characteristic of being impermanent
  • the characteristic of suffering having a nature transmutable into something different
  • the characteristic of suffering being without a nature transmutable into something different
  • the characteristic of the difference between all the characteristics of the conditioned
  • the characteristic of the similarity between all the characteristics of the conditioned
  • the characteristic of the knowledge of everything already being everything
  • the characteristic of a selfless pudgala
  • the characteristic of Dharma without self

“Because [all] characteristics are gotten rid of, the ‘coarse heaviness’ is also gotten rid of. Because they forever eliminate the coarse heaviness of all characteristics, during each of the stages onward, the mind is gradually refined, as one refines gold, until they realize attainment of anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi.”