ONCE THE CITTA HAS BECOME SO WELL-CLEANSED that it is always bright and clear, then when we are in a quiet place, surrounded by complete silence—as in the still of the night—even though the citta has not ‘converged’ in samãdhi, the focal point of its awareness is so exceedingly delicate and refined as to be indescribable. This subtle awareness manifests as a radiance that extends forth in all directions around us. We are unconscious of sights, sounds, odors, tastes, and tactile sensations, despite the fact that the citta has not entered samãdhi. Instead, it is actually experiencing its own firm foundation, the very basis of the citta that has been well-cleansed to the point where a mesmerizing, majestic quality of knowing is its most prominent feature.
一旦心那么充分地净化了，它就会一直光明清澈，然后当我们在安静的地方，为宁静所围绕时——就如在静止的深夜——即使这时心没有集中在三摩地的境界，它觉知的焦点是那么殊胜微妙难以形容。这微细的觉知显现成光明向我们周围所有的方向放射。虽然心此时并没有进入三摩地中，可是我们却没有意识到色、声、香、味、触。事实上，它正在体验自己坚固的基础，心的根本已被充分的净化到剩下令人迷惑、壮丽的能知成为它最凸出的特征。
Seeming to exist independent of the physical body, this kind of extremely refined awareness stands out exclusively within the citta. Due to the subtle and pronounced nature of the citta at this stage, its knowing nature completely predominates. No images or visions appear there at all. It is an awareness that stands out exclusively on its own. This is one aspect of the citta.
这类绝对微妙的觉知似乎独立存在于色身之外，完全从心中凸显出来。在这个阶段由于心的微细和显示出的本质，能知的特性完全占了主导地位。在这里没有任何影像出现。只有觉知独自凸显出来。这是心的一个侧面。
Another aspect is seen when this well-cleansed citta enters meditative calm, not thinking or imagining anything. Ceasing all activity, all movement, it simply rests for awhile. All thought and imagination within the citta come to a complete halt. This is called “the citta entering a state of total calm.” Then, the citta’s essential knowing nature is all that remains. Except for this very refined awareness—an awareness that seems to blanket the entire cosmos—absolutely nothing else appears. For unlike a beam of light, whose range is limited, reaching either near or far depending on the strength of the light, the flow of the citta has no limits, no “near” or “far”. For instance, the brightness of an electric light depends on its wattage. If the wattage is high, it shines a long distance; if low, a short distance. But the flow of the citta is very different. Distance is not a factor. To be precise, the citta is beyond the conditions of time and space, which allows it to blanket everything. Far is like near, for concepts of space do not apply. All that appears is a very refined awareness suffusing everything throughout the entire universe. The whole world seems to be filled by this subtle quality of knowing, as though nothing else exists, though things still exist in the world as they always have. The all-encompassing flow of the citta that has been cleansed of the things that cloud and obscure it, this is the citta’s true power.
当这充分净化的心进入禅定时，就可看到它的另一侧面——没有思维或想象任何东西。停止了一切活动、一切行为，它只是在安止一会儿。心中的一切思维与想象全面停止下来，这称为“心进入完全的定的境界”。在这里，仅仅剩下心知道的根本特性还保留着，除了这微细的觉知——似乎涵盖了整个法界的觉知——绝对没有其他东西。不像光束，照射的范围有限，依据它的强度只照到或远或近的距离，心流没有局限，没有“近”或“远”。譬如，电灯的光强弱是依据它的瓦特数，瓦特数越高照得越远，瓦特数低就照得近。可是心之流与这非常不同，距离不是因素。精确的说，心超越时间与空间的限制而能涵盖一切，远就好像近，空间的概念在这里用不上。唯一呈现的是微细的觉知弥漫整个宇宙的一切，整个世界好像都充满了这觉知的微细特质，其他一切似乎都不存在，虽然世界上的一切都一如既往地存在，这已经清除障碍和遮盖物的心之流无所不包地涵盖一切。这是心真正的力量。
The citta that is absolutely pure is even more difficult to describe. Since it is something that defies definition, I don’t know how I could characterize it. It cannot be expressed in the same way that conventional things in general can be, simply because it is not a conventional phenomenon. It is the sole province of those who have transcended all aspects of conventional reality, and thus realize within themselves that non-conventional nature. For this reason, words cannot describe it.
绝对清净的心比这更难描述，由于它已超越了可以解释的范畴，我不知要如何来界定它。由于它已不是世间相，所以不能像一般世间事物那样子来阐明。它只属于那些超越一切世俗谛、自证胜义谛者的领域，所以语言文字无法描述它。
