初學坐者鬼魅所著種種不安不能得定治之法(尊者阿難所問)
Remedies for Ghosts and Disturbances Affecting Beginners in Meditation(Asked by the Venerable Ananda)
如是我聞：
Thus have I heard:
一時佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園，那利樓鬼所住之處，末利夫人所造講堂。羅旬踰等一千長者子始初出家，請尊者阿難、摩訶迦葉、舍利弗等以為和上，摩訶迦葉教千比丘數息靜處。
At one time, the Buddha was staying in the land of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, at Anāthapiṇḍada's park—a lecture hall built by Queen Mallikā, in a place where the Nalilu spirits resided. A thousand sons of elders, including Luo Xunyu, had just left the household life and entered the monastic order. They invited the venerable Ānanda, Mahākāśyapa, Shariputra, and others to be their teachers. Mahākāśyapa taught the thousand monks to practice counting the breath in quiet places.
鬼魅所著，見一鬼神——面如琵琶，四眼、兩口，舉面放光——以手擊擽兩腋下及餘身分，口中唱言：「垖惕垖惕。」如旋火輪、似掣電光，或起、或滅，令於行者心不安所。
Tormented by spirits, he sees a ghostly apparition—its face shaped like a pipa, with four eyes and two mouths, the whole face radiating light. With its hands it strikes the armpits and other parts of the body, while from its mouth it chants, "Dui ti, dui ti." Like a spinning fire-wheel or a flash of lightning, it rises and vanishes, causing the practitioner's mind to find no peace.
若見此者，當急治之。治之法者，教此行人，垖惕來時，一心閉眼，陰而罵之，而作是言：「我今識汝，知汝是此閻浮提中食火、嗅香、偷臘吉支。汝為邪見，喜破戒種。我今持戒，終不畏汝。」
若出家人，應誦戒序；若在家人，應誦三歸、五戒、八戒，鬼便却行，匍匐而去。
If it is a monk, he should recite the precept preamble; if it is a layperson, he should recite the Three Refuges, the Five Precepts, or the Eight Precepts. The ghost will then retreat backward and crawl away.
爾時，阿難聞此語已，白佛言：「世尊！今此長者子比丘因世尊說治垖惕鬼以免諸惡，不為鬼魅之所縛著。後世比丘——佛涅槃後，過千歲已——欲教比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷數息靜處，念定安般。若諸鬼神為亂道故，化作鼠形，或黑、或赤，掊行者心、搔行者脚、兩手、兩耳，無處不至；或作鳥聲、或作鬼吟、或復竊語；或有狐魅作新婦形莊嚴其身，為於行者按摩調身、說於非法；或現作狗，號哭無度；或作鵰；鷲百類眾鳥，作種種聲，竊語大喚，其音不同；或作小兒，百千為行，十十五五若一、二、三，作種種聲至行者所；或見虻、蠅、蟲、蚤、蛇、蚖，或入耳中如蜂王鳴、或入眼中如迸酪沙、或復觸心作種種亂事。因是發狂，捨離靜處，作放逸行，當云何治？」
At that time, when Ananda heard these words, he asked the Buddha, "World-Honored One! Now this elder's son, the bhikkhu, was able to avoid all evils and not be bound by ghosts and spirits because the World-Honored One taught him the method of subduing the haunting demon. In future ages — after the Buddha's nirvana, when a thousand years have passed — if bhikkhus wish to teach bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, laymen, and laywomen to count their breath in a quiet place, to concentrate the mind through breath meditation, when various ghosts and spirits, in order to disrupt the path, take the form of rats — sometimes black, sometimes red — clawing at the practitioner's heart, scratching their feet, hands, and ears, reaching every part of the body; or make bird sounds, ghostly wails, or secret whisperings; or when fox spirits appear as beautiful brides, adorning themselves to massage the practitioner's body and speak unwholesome words; or appear as dogs howling without restraint; or take the form of eagles, vultures, and all kinds of birds, making various sounds — whispers and loud cries, each different; or appear as children, hundreds and thousands in a row, in groups of ten, five, or one, two, three, making various sounds as they approach the practitioner; or when flies, worms, insects, fleas, snakes, or reptiles appear, or enter the ears like the buzzing of a bee, or enter the eyes like splashing cream, or disturb the mind with various confusions — when practitioners go mad because of these things, abandon their quiet place, and act with negligence, how should this be treated?"
佛告阿難：「諦聽諦聽，善思念之，當為汝說。
The Buddha said to Ananda, "Listen carefully, listen carefully. Reflect on it well, and I will explain it to you."
「若有四眾患此鬼者，汝當為說治鬼之法。此垖惕鬼有六十三名，乃是過去迦那含牟尼佛時，有一比丘垂向須陀洹，因邪命故為僧所擯，瞋恚命終自誓為鬼，乃至今日惱亂四眾。壽命一劫，劫盡命終落阿鼻獄。汝等今日宜識名字，一心繫念，莫為所亂。」
If any of the four assemblies—monks, nuns, laymen, or laywomen—are troubled by this ghost, you should teach them the method to subdue it. This ghost called Dui Ti has sixty-three names. In the time of the past Buddha Kanakamuni, there was a monk who was on the verge of attaining the first stage of enlightenment. But because he resorted to dishonest means of livelihood, he was expelled by the monastic community. Filled with anger, he made a vow upon his death to become a ghost, and to this day he continues to disturb the four assemblies. His lifespan lasts for one cosmic age, and when that age ends, he will fall into the Avici Hell. So now, you should remember these names, keep your minds focused with single-minded devotion, and do not let him disturb you.
爾時，世尊即說曰：「垖惕垖惕是惡夜叉，亦名夢鬼。夢見此時即便失精，當起懺悔：『垖惕來也。我是過去惡因緣故，遇此破戒賊害惡鬼，我今鞭心束縛諸情不使放逸。』
At that time, the World-Honored One spoke, saying: "Beware, beware—this is the evil yaksha, also known as the Dream Demon. If you see this in a dream, it will cause loss of vital energy. You should rise and repent, saying: 'The Beware has come. Because of my past evil karma, I have encountered this destructive, precept-breaking thief and harmful demon. Now I discipline my mind, restraining all emotions and not allowing them to run loose.'"
「如此鬼神，住虛空時名虛空鬼、在床褥間名腹行鬼。復有三名：一名深索(沙劇反)迦伏丘那丘泥脂隷覆嗅覆嗅阿摩勒迦沙禍訶，方道鬼、魑魅鬼、魍魎鬼、飡膿鬼、食唾鬼、水神鬼、火神鬼、山神鬼、園林神鬼、婦女鬼、男子鬼、童男鬼、童女鬼、剎利鬼、婆羅門鬼、毘舍鬼、首陀羅鬼、步行鬼、倒行鬼、騎乘鬼、驢耳鬼、虎頭鬼、猫子聲鬼、鳩鴿鬼、車鵂聲鬼、士鵁鳥鬼、角鵄鳥鬼，或復化作八部鬼神、虛耗鬼、八角鬼、白鼠鬼、蓮華色鬼、狐魅鬼、鬼魅鬼、百蟲精魅鬼、四惡毘舍遮鬼、鳩槃荼鬼。如是等醜惡鬼神六十三種，是鬼神名。
Such ghosts and spirits take different names according to where they dwell: when they abide in space, they are called space ghosts; when they linger around beds and mats, they are called belly-crawling ghosts. There are also three further names: the Deep Noose, the One Who Drags and Holds, and the One Who Devours Fragrances—these refer to road ghosts, demonic spirits, phantoms, pus-eaters, saliva-feeders, water spirits, fire spirits, mountain spirits, garden and grove spirits, female ghosts, male ghosts, boy ghosts, girl ghosts, noble ghosts, priestly ghosts, merchant ghosts, laborer ghosts, walking ghosts, inverted-walking ghosts, riding ghosts, donkey-eared ghosts, tiger-headed ghosts, cat-voiced ghosts, dove ghosts, owl-voiced ghosts, crane birds, horned owls—some even transform into the eight classes of supernatural beings, wasting ghosts, eight-cornered ghosts, white rat ghosts, lotus-colored ghosts, fox spirits, phantom spirits, insect spirits of a hundred kinds, four evil piśāca ghosts, and kumbhāṇḍa ghosts. These are the sixty-three kinds of foul and hideous ghosts and spirits—these are their names.
「鬼為亂時，應當數息極令閑靜，應當至心念過去七佛、稱彼佛名——南無毘婆尸佛、尸棄佛、提舍佛、鳩樓孫佛、迦那含牟尼佛、迦葉佛、釋迦牟尼佛——稱彼佛名已，應當憶持一切音聲陀羅尼。」
即說呪曰：
Then he spoke this mantra:
「阿彌阿彌迦梨奢酸地利腹棄㝹翅偷涕他偷涕他摩訶迦樓尼迦彌多羅菩提薩埵
Amita, Amita, Karisha, Sandri, Fuqi, Niu, Chi, Tou, Ti, Ta, Tou, Ti, Ta, Maha Karunika, Mitra, Bodhisattva.
「若有亂心為垖惕鬼所惑亂者——或作種種諸幻境界——應當誦持此陀羅尼七佛名字、彌勒菩薩，一心數息誦波羅提木叉經一百遍，此諸惡鬼各各調伏，終不惱亂行道四眾。」
"If there are those whose minds are disturbed and confused by deceptive ghosts and spirits—whether through various illusory realms—they should recite this Dharani while calling upon the names of the Seven Buddhas and Maitreya Bodhisattva, focusing the mind and counting breaths while reciting the Pratimoksha Sutra one hundred times. These malicious entities will each be subdued, and will never again trouble or disturb the four assemblies who practice the path."
佛告阿難：「汝好持是淨身口意調伏威儀擯惡鬼法，為得增長四部弟子——使不起亂念、得入三昧——當好受持，慎莫忘失。」
The Buddha told Ananda, "You should uphold well this Dharma of purifying body, speech, and mind, of taming one's conduct, and of warding off evil spirits. This is to help the fourfold assembly grow in virtue—so that they may not give rise to wandering thoughts and may enter samadhi. You should receive and uphold it with care, and take care never to forget it."
爾時，尊者阿難聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。
At that time, the Venerable Ananda, having heard what the Buddha said, rejoiced and faithfully put it into practice.
「復次，阿難！若行者坐時，患兩耳滿、骨節疼痛、兩手掌癢、兩脚下痛、心下動項、筋轉眼眩，坐處肶鬼來竊語、或散香花作種種妖怪，當疾治之。
"Furthermore, Ananda, if a practitioner, while sitting, suffers from a feeling of fullness in both ears, pain in the joints, itching in the palms, pain in the soles of the feet, a fluttering sensation in the chest, stiffness in the neck, twitching of tendons, dizziness in the eyes, or if strange beings whisper nearby, scatter fragrant flowers, or create various other apparitions—these should be swiftly treated.
「治之法者，先當觀藥王、藥上二菩薩手執金瓶持水灌之。次復當觀雪山神王持一白花至行者所覆其頂上，白光流入潤身毛孔即得柔軟，更無異相。然後復見闍婆童子持仙人花散行者上，一一花間雨諸妙藥潤於毛孔，諸肶疼癢、種種苦痛、音聲細語、諸鬼神輩永盡無餘。
The method to cure this is: first, visualize the two Bodhisattvas, Medicine King and Medicine Superior, holding golden bottles and pouring water over you. Next, visualize the Snow Mountain Spirit King carrying a white flower to where you are, placing it on top of your head. White light flows into your body, entering through the pores, making you soft and relaxed, with no other signs of affliction. Then, see the Youth Jiva scattering celestial flowers upon you, and from within each flower, wondrous medicines rain down, penetrating your pores. All pain, itching, various sufferings, faint whispers, and all ghostly entities are completely eliminated, never to return.
「藥王菩薩、藥上菩薩為說平等摩訶衍法，香山、雪山、一切神王、闍婆童子亦隨其根為說種種十二門禪、隨病湯藥、醫方呪術。因是得見尊者賓頭盧及諸羅漢、五百沙彌淳陀婆等，一時悉來至行人所，一一聲聞所說種種治病之法。
Medicine King Bodhisattva and Medicine Superior Bodhisattva taught them the great Dharma of equality. Fragrant Mountain, Snow Mountain, and all the spirit kings, along with the boy Jivaka, also taught according to each person's capacity various methods of meditative concentration, herbal remedies suited to specific ailments, and healing incantations. Through this, practitioners came to see the venerable Piṇḍola and the other arhats, as well as the five hundred novices such as Cunda and others, all arriving together at the practitioner's place, each disciple of the Buddha teaching various methods for curing illnesses.
「或有羅漢隨佛所說，教此比丘剜於頂上使漸漸空，舉身皆空以油灌之；梵天持藥——其藥金色——灌身令滿；菩薩醫王說種種法。若發聲聞心，隨賓頭盧所說得須陀洹；若發大乘心，隨藥王、藥上二菩薩所說，即得諸佛現前三昧。」
Some arhats, following the Buddha’s teachings, instructed this monk to carve open the top of his head, gradually making it hollow until his entire body was empty, then pouring oil into it. Brahma brought a golden-colored medicine and filled the body with it. The Bodhisattva King of Medicine then expounded various teachings. If one aroused the mind of a voice-hearer, following the words of Piṇḍola, they would attain the stage of stream-enterer. If one aroused the mind of the Great Vehicle, following the teachings of the two Bodhisattvas, Medicine King and Medicine Superior, they would immediately attain the samādhi of seeing all Buddhas appear before them.
佛告阿難：「佛滅度後，四部弟子若欲坐禪，先當寂靜端坐七日，然後修心數息七日。復當服此除病等藥，除聲去肶、定心守意、修心修身，調和諸大令不失時。一心一意不犯輕戒及與威儀，於所持戒如護眼目、如重病人隨良醫教。行者亦爾，隨數數增不令退失，如救頭燃，順賢聖語，是名治病服煖身藥。」
The Buddha told Ananda: "After my passing, if disciples of the four assemblies wish to practice seated meditation, they should first sit quietly in stillness for seven days. Then they should train the mind by counting breaths for another seven days. After that, they should take medicinal preparations to dispel illnesses, eliminate sluggishness and bloating, settle the mind and guard awareness, cultivate both mind and body, and harmonize the elements so that they function in due season. With single-minded focus, they should not transgress even minor precepts or rules of deportment. They should protect their vows as carefully as they protect their eyes, and follow the guidance of a good physician as faithfully as a seriously ill patient. Practitioners should likewise steadily increase their efforts without allowing themselves to regress, as urgently as one who rushes to put out a fire on their head. Following the words of the wise and holy, this is called 'taking the warming medicine to heal the body.'"
佛告阿難：「汝好受持，慎莫忘失。」
The Buddha said to Ananda, "Hold these teachings well in your heart, and be careful never to forget them."
時尊者阿難聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。
Then the Venerable Ananda, hearing what the Buddha had said, rejoiced and put it into practice.
治禪病祕要法卷下
Essential Methods for Curing Meditation Sickness, Volume 2