Muni's PlaySamatha and Vipasyana
This note contains definitions of śamatha (calm abiding) and vipaśyanā (insight) from the Bodhisattva-bhūmi.
Reference: Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon
1. Bhāvanā (Cultivation)
Sanskrit
भावना कतमा। समासतश्चतुर्विधा वेदितव्या। शमथो विपश्यना शमथविपश्यनाभ्यासः शमथविपश्यनाभिरतिश्च।
Word-by-word
भावना (cultivation), कतमा (what), समासतः (briefly), चतुर्विधा (fourfold), वेदि-तव्या (should be known), शमथः (calm), विपश्यना (insight), शमथ-विपश्यना-अभ्यासः (practice of calm-insight), शमथ-विपश्यना-अभिरतिः (delight in calm-insight), च (and).
Translation
What is cultivation? Briefly, it should be known as fourfold: calm abiding, insight, the practice of calm and insight, and delight in calm and insight.
2. Śamatha (Calm Abiding)
Sanskrit
तत्र शमथः कतमः। यथापि तद्वोधिसत्त्वः अष्टाकारायाश्विन्तायाः सुसमाप्तत्वान्निरभिलाप्ये वस्तुमात्रेऽर्थमात्रे आलम्बने चित्तमुपनिबध्य सर्वप्रपञ्चापगतेन सर्वचित्तपरिप्लवापगतेन संज्ञा-मनसिकारेण सर्वालम्बनान्यधिमुच्यमानः अध्यात्मसमाधिनिर्मित्तेषु चित्तं संस्थापयति अवस्थापयति विस्तरेण यावदेकोतीकरोति समाधत्ते। अयमुच्यते शमथः।
Word-by-word
तत्र (therein), शमथः (calm), कतमः (what), यथापि (just as), तत् (that), बोधिसत्त्वः (Bodhisattva), अष्टाकारायाः (eightfold), चिन्तायाः (of reflection), सुसमाप्तत्वात् (due to perfect completion), निरभिलाप्ये (in the inexpressible), वस्तुमात्रे (in the mere entity), अर्थमात्रे (in the mere meaning), आलम्बने (on the focal object), चित्तम् (mind), उपनिबध्य (having fixed), सर्व-प्रपञ्च-अपगतेन (free from conceptual proliferation), सर्व-चित्त-परिप्लव-अपगतेन (free from mental wandering), संज्ञा-मनसिकारेण (by perception-attention), सर्वालम्बनानि (all objects), अधिमुच्यमानः (resolving), अध्यात्म-समाधि-निर्मित्तेषु (on internal signs of concentration), चित्तम् (mind), संस्थापयति (establishes), अवस्थापयति (settles), विस्तरेण (in detail), यावत् (until), एक-ओतीकरोति (makes one-pointed), समाधत्ते (composes), अयम् (this), उच्यते (is called), शमथः (calm).
Translation
Therein, what is calm abiding? It is when a Bodhisattva—having perfectly completed the eightfold reflection—fixes the mind on a focal object that is inexpressible, a mere entity, and a mere meaning; by means of perception and attention free from conceptual proliferation and mental wandering, he establishes and settles the mind upon the internal signs of concentration until it is one-pointed and composed.
3. Vipaśyanā (Insight)
Sanskrit
विपश्यना कतमा तेनैव पुनः शमथपरिभावितेन मनस्कारेण यथा चिन्तितानां धर्माणां निमित्तमनसिक्रिया विचयः प्रविचयो धर्मप्रविचयः विस्तरेण यावत्पाण्डित्यं प्रज्ञाचारः। इयमुच्यते विपश्यना।
Word-by-word
विपश्यना (insight), कतमा (what), तेनैव (by that very), पुनः (furthermore), शमथ-परिभावितेन (permeated by calm), मनस्कारेण (by attention), यथा (as), चिन्तितानाम् (reflected upon), धर्माणाम् (of phenomena), निमित्त-मनसिक्रिया (attention to signs), विचयः (investigation), प्रविचयः (thorough investigation), धर्म-प्रविचयः (thorough investigation of phenomena), विस्तरेण (in detail), यावत् (until), पाण्डित्यम् (erudition), प्रज्ञाचारः (wisdom-conduct), इयम् (this), उच्यते (is called), विपश्यना (insight).
Translation
What is insight? Furthermore, by means of that very same mental attention permeated by calm, it is the attention to the signs of phenomena as they were reflected upon; it is investigation, thorough investigation, and the thorough investigation of phenomena, including erudition and the active application of wisdom.
4. Śamatha-Vipaśyanā-Abhyāsa (Practice)
Sanskrit
शमथविपश्यनाभ्यासः कतमः। यः शमथविपश्यनायाञ्च सातत्यप्रयोगः सत्कृत्यप्रयोगश्च।
Word-by-word
शमथ-विपश्यना-अभ्यासः (practice of calm-insight), कतमः (what), यः (which), शमथ-विपश्यनायाम् (in calm-insight), च (and), सातत्य-प्रयोगः (continuous application), सत्कृत्य-प्रयोगः (earnest application), च (and).
Translation
What is the practice of calm and insight? It is the continuous and earnest (devoted) application toward both calm and insight.
5. Śamatha-Vipaśyanā-Abhirati (Delight)
Sanskrit
शमथविपश्यनाभिरतिः कतमा। तेष्वेव शमथविपश्यना-निमित्तेषु यच्चित्तस्याचलनं स्वरसेनैवाभिसंस्कारवाहितास्थानं संग्रहोऽविसरणा। इयमुच्यते शमथविपश्यनाभिरतिः
Word-by-word
शमथ-विपश्यना-अभिरतिः (delight in calm-insight), कतमा (what), तेषु (in those), एव (very), शमथ-विपश्यना-निमित्तेषु (in signs of calm-insight), यत् (which), चित्तस्य (of the mind), अचलनम् (unwavering), स्वरसेन (by its own natural force), एव (even), अभिसंस्कार-वाहिता-स्थानम् (state of effortless flow), संग्रहः (gathering/concentration), अविसरणा (non-scattering), इयम् (this), उच्यते (is called), शमथ-विपश्यना-अभिरतिः (delight in calm-insight).
Translation
What is delight in calm and insight? It is the mind’s unwavering state regarding those very signs of calm and insight, remaining in an effortless flow by its own natural force, gathered and free from scattering; this is called delight in calm and insight.
6. Conclusion on Purification
Sanskrit
तत्र बोधिसत्त्वो यथा यथा शमथविपश्यनाभ्यासं करोति तथा तथा शमथविपश्यनाभिरतिः संतिष्ठते। यथा यथा शमथविपश्यनाभिरतिः संतिष्ठते तथा तथा शमथो विपश्यना च परिशुध्यतः। यथा यथा शमथः विशुध्यति तथा तथा कायप्रस्रब्धिश्चित्तप्रस्रब्धिः पृथुवृद्धिवैपुल्यतां गच्छति। यथा यथा विपश्यना विशुध्यति तथा तथा ज्ञानदर्शनं पृथुवृद्धिवैपुल्यतां गच्छति। एतावच्च भावनायाः करणीयम्। यदुताश्रयगतञ्च दौष्ठुल्यमनपनेतव्यं सर्वत्र च ज्ञेये ज्ञानदर्शनं विशोधयितव्यं च। चैतत्सर्वं भावनाकर्मानया चतुराकारया भावनया बोधिसत्त्वस्य संपद्यते।
Word-by-word
तत्र (therein), बोधिसत्त्वः (Bodhisattva), यथा यथा (as), शमथ-विपश्यना-अभ्यासं (practice of calm-insight), करोति (does), तथा तथा (so), शमथ-विपश्यना-अभिरतिः (delight in calm-insight), संतिष्ठते (is established), यथा यथा (as), शमथ-विपश्यना-अभिरतिः (delight in calm-insight), संतिष्ठते (is established), तथा तथा (so), शमथः (calm), विपश्यना (insight), च (and), परिशुध्यतः (are purified), यथा यथा (as), शमथः (calm), विशुध्यति (is purified), तथा तथा (so), काय-प्रस्रब्धिः (physical pliancy), चित्त-प्रस्रब्धिः (mental pliancy), पृथु-वृद्धि-वैपुल्यताम् (great growth and abundance), गच्छति (reaches), यथा यथा (as), विपश्यना (insight), विशुध्यति (is purified), तथा तथा (so), ज्ञान-दर्शनम् (knowledge and vision), पृथु-वृद्धि-वैपुल्यताम् (great growth and abundance), गच्छति (reaches), एतावत् (this much), च (and), भावनायाः (of cultivation), करणीयम् (to be done), यदुत (namely), आश्रयगतम् (residing in the basis), च (and), दौष्ठुल्यम् (dysfunction/impurity), अपनेतव्यम् (to be removed), सर्वत्र (everywhere), च (and), ज्ञेये (in the knowable), ज्ञान-दर्शनम् (knowledge and vision), विशोधयितव्यम् (to be purified), च (and), एतत् (this), सर्वम् (all), भावना-कर्म (work of cultivation), अनया (by this), चतुराकारया (fourfold), भावनया (by cultivation), बोधिसत्त्वस्य (for the Bodhisattva), संपद्यते (is accomplished).
Translation
In this regard, as the Bodhisattva performs the practice of calm and insight, delight in them becomes established; as that delight is established, both calm and insight are purified. As calm is purified, physical and mental pliancy reach great growth and abundance; as insight is purified, knowledge and vision reach great growth and abundance. This is all that is to be done through cultivation: namely, the removal of dysfunction residing in the basis and the purification of knowledge and vision regarding all that is to be known. All this work of cultivation is accomplished by the Bodhisattva through this fourfold meditation.