Mahāyāna containers emphasizingbodhicitta and a deeper understanding of Emptiness. Kumārajīva, who is also the translator of treatiseOn Arising Bodhicitta (T.1659) and the propagator of bodhicitta in China, was especially skillful in preserving the old wine in new barrels, and the following treatises on meditation are witnesses of his skill. The first meditation treatise we propose to discuss here is entitled The Sūtra Concerned with Samādhi in Sitting Meditation (坐禅三昧经, T.614, K.991). It is called sūtra, but in fact it is a typical treatise on meditation, which may have been compiled and taught by the translator himself. After a masterly presentation of the theme of impermanence and urgency with a brief mention of the need of purification by morality and repentance for sin, the author introduces five practices leading to samādhi. They are to be chosen after investigating, which of the three poisons is prevalent in the yogis. It is to be decided after a study of inclinations manifested in behavior. If craving is prevalent, it is to be countered by contemplation of the repulsive (aśubhabhāvanā). If it is hatred, it must be countered bymeditation on love (maitri), and delusion is countered bycontemplation of causality (pratītyasamutpāda). To counterpart useless thinking, there is the mindfulness of breathing (anapānasmṛti), and finally for yogis of all inclinations, to purify the mind from past sins, there is the recollection of Buddha (Buddhānusmṛti). There are seven innovations this treatise brings about in dealing with well-known material. To start with it extends the traditional division of yogis into beginners (初习行), advanced (已习行) and well versed (久习行), used normally (seeAbhidharmakośa, Samyuktābhidharma) for contemplation of the skeleton (白骨), to all meditation themes presented. So in case of the loving kindness meditation, the beginner contemplates with maitrī persons dear to him, an intermediate those neither liked nor disliked, and only an advanced yogi brings enemies to mind. As for the contemplation of causality, a beginner contemplates just two links, first and last. An intermediate contemplates the first ten links, and only an advanced yogi extends his meditation to all twelve links in three times. In mindfulness of breath, a beginner does counting, an intermediate follows the breath in whole body, and an advanced yogi calms the breath by entering successively the four dhyānas and does the transitional sixteen exercises to get the mastery of the object. In the recollection of the Buddha meditation, a beginner trains in concentration on an image of Buddha, an intermediate contemplates the primary and secondary marks of great man, and an advanced yogi extends his contemplation to countless Buddhas in all directions and listens to them preaching the Law. He contemplates both theirphysical bodies (身身) and their body of Law (法身), seeing one Buddha as endless Buddhas and innumerable Buddhas as one. After explanation of these five meditation topics the treatise examines the practice of five worldly supernatural powers followed by a brief mention on insight meditation by contemplation of sixteen aspects of the Four Noble Truths. Spirituality Studies 1 (2) Fall 2015 47 (3)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzgxMzI=