101. （一〇一）增上心经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Śrāvastī, staying at the Jeta Grove Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "If a bhikṣu wishes to attain supreme concentration, he should repeatedly contemplate the five characteristics. Having contemplated the five characteristics repeatedly, if unwholesome thoughts arise, they will be extinguished. After the evil thoughts are extinguished, the mind will always abide, resting internally, and attain concentration with one-pointedness.

What are the five? A bhikṣu contemplates the characteristics of good dharmas. If unwholesome thoughts arise, he contemplates other characteristics of good dharmas to prevent the arising of unwholesome thoughts. By contemplating other characteristics of good dharmas, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. It is like a carpenter or carpenter's apprentice using a string to mark the wood, then using a sharp axe to cut and straighten it. In the same way, a bhikṣu contemplates other characteristics of good dharmas to prevent the arising of unwholesome thoughts. By contemplating other characteristics of good dharmas, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. If a bhikṣu wishes to attain supreme concentration, he should repeatedly contemplate this first characteristic. Having contemplated this characteristic, unwholesome thoughts that arise are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration.

Furthermore, a bhikṣu contemplates the characteristics of good dharmas. If unwholesome thoughts arise, he contemplates the faults of those thoughts, thinking, 'These thoughts are unwholesome, these thoughts are evil, these thoughts are despised by the wise. If these thoughts are fully developed, one will not attain the supernormal powers, the path of awakening, or nirvāṇa. They give rise to unwholesome thoughts.' By contemplating the faults in this way, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. It is like a young person who is handsome and attractive, who bathes and washes, puts on bright and clean clothes, anoints the body with fragrance, and trims the beard and hair, making them extremely clean and pure. Then, a dead snake, dead dog, or dead person, half green, bloated, stinking, and oozing with filth, is tied around their neck. They become disgusted, unhappy, and displeased. In the same way, a bhikṣu contemplates the faults of those thoughts, thinking, 'These thoughts are unwholesome, these thoughts are evil, these thoughts are despised by the wise. If these thoughts are fully developed, one will not attain the supernormal powers, the path of awakening, or nirvāṇa. They give rise to unwholesome thoughts.' By contemplating the faults in this way, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. If a bhikṣu wishes to attain supreme concentration, he should repeatedly contemplate this second characteristic. Having contemplated this characteristic, unwholesome thoughts that arise are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration.

"Furthermore, a bhikṣu contemplates the characteristics of good dharmas. If unwholesome thoughts arise, he contemplates the faults of those thoughts. If unwholesome thoughts arise again, that bhikṣu should not contemplate those thoughts, because they give rise to unwholesome thoughts. By not contemplating those thoughts, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. It is like a person with eyes who, when forms are in the light, does not use them to see. They may close their eyes or move their body away. What do you think? Can that person still perceive the forms in the light?"

"No, they cannot."

Thus, a bhikṣu should not contemplate those thoughts, because they give rise to unwholesome thoughts. By not contemplating those thoughts, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. If a bhikṣu wishes to attain superior concentration, he should repeatedly contemplate this third characteristic. After contemplating this characteristic, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen are extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration.

Furthermore, bhikṣus, when contemplating the characteristics of good, unwholesome thoughts arise. When contemplating the faults of unwholesome thoughts, unwholesome thoughts also arise. When not contemplating thoughts, unwholesome thoughts also arise. For those bhikṣus, in order to gradually reduce those thoughts and prevent unwholesome thoughts from arising, they should use contemplation to gradually reduce their thoughts. Unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen will then be extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. It is like a person walking along a path, quickly advancing. They think, 'Why am I walking so fast? I should walk slowly now.' They then walk slowly. They think again, 'Why am I walking so slowly? I should stop now.' They then stop. They think again, 'Why am I standing still? I should sit down now.' They then sit down. They think again, 'Why am I sitting? I should lie down now.' They then lie down. In this way, that person gradually stops their coarse physical activities. Know that bhikṣus are also like this. For those bhikṣus, in order to gradually reduce those thoughts and prevent unwholesome thoughts from arising, they should use contemplation to gradually reduce their thoughts. Unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen will then be extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. If bhikṣus wish to attain superior concentration, they should repeatedly contemplate this fourth characteristic. After contemplating this characteristic, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen will be extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration.

Furthermore, bhikṣus, when contemplating the characteristics of good, unwholesome thoughts arise. When contemplating the faults of unwholesome thoughts, unwholesome thoughts also arise. When not contemplating thoughts, unwholesome thoughts also arise. When using contemplation to gradually reduce thoughts, unwholesome thoughts also arise. For those bhikṣus, they should contemplate in this way. Bhikṣus, because of these thoughts, unwholesome thoughts arise. Those bhikṣus should then clench their teeth and press their tongues against the palate, using their minds to cultivate their minds, to hold and subdue them, preventing unwholesome thoughts from arising. They use their minds to cultivate their minds, to hold and subdue them. Unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen will then be extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. It is like two strong men holding down a weak person. In this way, bhikṣus, clench your teeth and press your tongues against the palate, using your minds to cultivate your minds, to hold and subdue them, preventing unwholesome thoughts from arising. They use their minds to cultivate their minds, to hold and subdue them. Unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen will then be extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. If bhikṣus wish to attain superior concentration, they should repeatedly contemplate this fifth characteristic. After contemplating this characteristic, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen will be extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration.

"If bhikṣus wish to attain superior concentration, they should repeatedly contemplate these five characteristics. After contemplating these five characteristics, unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen will be extinguished. After the unwholesome thoughts are extinguished, the mind abides internally, resting, with one-pointedness, attaining concentration. If bhikṣus contemplate the characteristics of good, unwholesome thoughts do not arise. When contemplating the faults of unwholesome thoughts, unwholesome thoughts also do not arise. When not contemplating thoughts, unwholesome thoughts also do not arise. When using contemplation to gradually reduce thoughts, unwholesome thoughts also do not arise. When using the mind to cultivate the mind, to hold and subdue them, unwholesome thoughts also do not arise. They then attain mastery. When they wish to contemplate, they contemplate. When they do not wish to contemplate, they do not contemplate. If bhikṣus wish to contemplate when they wish to contemplate, and not to contemplate when they do not wish to contemplate, this is called bhikṣus' mastery over all contemplations, mastery over all traces of contemplation."

The Buddha spoke thus. Those bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.