The shurangama mantra The shurangama mantra | Page 233

【THE SHURANGAMA SUTRA _ EXTRACTION.】
pressure in his mind, he is suddenly
overwhelmed with such boundless
sadness that he looks upon even
mosquitoes and gadflies as newborn
children. He is filled with pity and
unconsciously bursts into tears. 8:52
”If he realizes that and remains
unconfused, then after a time it will
disappear. But if he considers himself
a sage, then a demon of insanity will
enter his mind. As soon as he sees
someone, he will boast about himself.
He will become extraordinarily
haughty, to the point that he
recognizes no Buddha above him and
no people below him. Lacking proper
samadhi, he will certainly fall. 8:56
”This is called ‘overexertion in
suppressing the mind in the course of
cultivation.’ If he understands, then
there is no error. This experience
does not indicate sage-hood. If he
realizes that and remains unconfused,
then after a time it will disappear.
8:53
”Further, in this state of samadhi the
good person sees the disintegration of
the form skandha and understands the
feeling skandha. With no new
realization immediately ahead of him,
and having lost his former status as
well, his power of wisdom weakens,
and he enters an impasse in which he
sees nothing to anticipate. Suddenly a
feeling of tremendous monotony and
thirst arises in his mind. At all times
he is fixated in memories that do not
disperse. He mistakes this for a sign
of diligence and vigor. 8:58
”But if he considers himself a sage,
then a demon of sadness will enter
his mind. Then, as soon as he sees
someone, he will feel sad and cry
uncontrollably. Lacking proper
samadhi, he will certainly fall. 8:53
”Further, Ananda, in this state of
samadhi, the good person sees the
disintegration of the form skandha
and understands the feeling skandha.
At that time he has a sublime vision
and is overwhelmed with gratitude.
In this situation, he suddenly evinces
tremendous courage. His mind is
bold and keen. He resolves to equal
all Buddhas and says he can
transcend three asamkhyeyas of eons
in a single thought. 8:54
”This is called ‘cultivating the mind
but losing oneself due to a lack of
wisdom.’ If he understands, then
there is no error. This experience
does not indicate sagehood. 8:59
”But if he considers himself a sage,
then a demon of memory will enter
his mind. Day and night it will hold
his mind suspended in one place.
Lacking proper samadhi, he will
certainly fall. 8:59
”This is called ‘being too anxious to
excel in cultivation.’ If he
understands, then there is no error.
This experience does not indicate
sagehood. 8:56
”Further, in this state of samadhi, the
good person sees the disintegration of
the form skandha and understands the
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