You should be aware of this in advance and not get caught up in the cycle of transmigration. If you are confused and do not understand, you will fall into the Relentless Hells.

You should be aware of this well in advance and not get caught up in the cycle of transmigration of the demon king. If you are confused and do not understand, if you do not wake up, you will fall into the Relentless Hells.

Further, in the unhindered clarity and wonder that ensues after the feeling skandha is gone, this good person is untroubled by any deviant mental state and experiences perfect, bright concentration. Within samadhi, his mind craves long life, so he toils at investigating its subtleties as he greedily seeks for immortality. He wishes to cast aside the birth and death of the body, and suddenly he hopes to end the birth and death of thoughts as well, so that he can abide forever in a subtle form.

Further, in the unhindered clarity and wonder that ensues after the feeling skandha is gone, now that the skandha of feeling has become empty, clear, and subtle, this good person who is cultivating samadhi is untroubled by any deviant mental state and experiences perfect, bright concentration. Within that perfect, subtle samadhi, a change suddenly occurs. What is it? His mind craves long life. All of a sudden he thinks, “It would be most wonderful to live forever and not have to die.” So he toils at investigating its subtleties. He painstakingly searches into its most esoteric and subtle aspects as he greedily seeks for immortality. He wants to live forever and never grow old.

He wishes to cast aside and renounce the birth and death of the body, literally “share-and-section birth and death.” This refers to each individual’s birth and death. Each person has a share, and each person has a section. What is meant by “share”? You have a body, and I have a body, too. You are a person, and I am also a person. You have your share, and I have my share. What about “section”? It is the life span, the interval from birth to death. “Section” can also refer to the physical stature—from head to toe. And he suddenly hopes to end the birth and death of thoughts as well. Ordinary people undergo the physical birth and death of the body. A fourth stage Arhat has ended that kind of birth and death, but still has to undergo the birth and death of thoughts [literally “change birth and death”]. This refers to the continual passage of thoughts—the ever-changing thought process in which one thought is produced and another perishes in an endless flow. When he no longer undergoes physical birth and death, he suddenly hopes to end the birth and death of thoughts as well, so he can abide forever in a subtle form, a very refined and attentuated form. To abide forever means to obtain eternal life.

At that time a demon from the heavens seizes the opportunity it has been waiting for. Its spirit possesses another person and uses him as a mouthpiece to expound the Sutras and the Dharma.

Right when he entertains a thought of greed for long life, at that time a demon king from the heavens seizes the opportunity it has been watching and waiting for. Its spirit possesses another person. The demon king sends one of its followers to possess a person and uses him as a mouthpiece to expound the Sutras and the Dharma for the cultivator.

This person, unaware that he is possessed by a demon, claims he has reached unsurpassed Nirvana. When he comes to see that good person who seeks long life, he arranges a seat and speaks the Dharma.

Since this person’s mind is totally controlled by the demon from the heavens, he himself is unaware that he is possessed by a demon. He claims that he has reached the wondrous fruition of unsurpassed Nirvana. When he comes to see that good person who seeks long life, he arranges a Dharma-seat and speaks the Dharma.

To be continued