Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

also a steadfast samatha of samapatti on the entity of
meditation is essential. If one just sees something with
the sixth consciousness (mind-consciousness) and this is
not accompanied by a deep samatha, then there can be
no correspondence with the holy form. We must
emphasize this: Firmness is really derived from the
FORCE OF SAMATHA. Without this (using the sixth
consciousness), one is only thinking about the deity, and
this wrong method can, if persistently practiced, lead to
all sorts of stresses and strains, even to disease and,
worst, to madness.
c. The Holy Pride of Buddhahood (see Appendix I, Part
Two, A, 4). Human pride is a sorrow of egotism, but the
Pride of the anthropomorphic Buddha-body is a merit of
voidness and mercy. All the holy characteristics of
whatever holy being one visualizes must be acquired by
the practitioner, and he should perform many actions for
others, just as that holy being does.
I want to add what I mean by this term. This Holy Pride
of Buddhahood comes from such factors as the function
of saving others through merits and virtues. One often
hears gurus say, "I am a Buddha."
Here Mr. Chen imitated such a guru, sitting up very
straight upon his stool as though it were brocade
throne, and assumed a rather comical but
undeniably haughty expression. He continued,
"These teachers sit in their finery and proudly
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