San mo, Sān mó: 5 definitions

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

三魔 [san mo]—Three Māras—[Nomenclature] First, the Māra of Good Knowledge (善知識魔 [shan zhi shi mo]). Second, the Māra of Samādhi (三昧魔 [san mei mo]). Third, the Māra of Bodhicitta (菩提心魔 [pu ti xin mo]). These are the last three of the Ten Māras (十魔 [shi mo]) mentioned in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra (華嚴經 [hua yan jing]). [Nomenclature] These are the remaining Three Māras when the Māra of Death (死魔 [si mo]) is excluded from the Four Māras (四魔 [si mo]). Bodhisattvas (菩薩 [pu sa]) at the stage of Equal Enlightenment (等覺 [deng jue]) overcome these Three Māras. The Yingluo Benye Jing (瓔珞本業經 [ying luo ben ye jing]) states: "Transcend the Three Māras." See entry for Māra (魔 [mo]). (Māra) The Zhǐchí Huìjí Yīnyì Shì (止持會集音義釋 [zhi chi hui ji yin yi shi]) commentary on the Three Māras states: "1. The Māra of Afflictions (煩惱魔 [fan nao mo]). This refers to all delusions (妄惑 [wang huo]) within the Three Realms (三界 [san jie]). When practitioners are disturbed by these delusions (妄惑 [wang huo]) in their minds and spirits, preventing them from achieving Bodhi (菩提 [pu ti]), this is called the Māra of Afflictions (煩惱魔 [fan nao mo]). The Māra of the Five Aggregates (五蘊魔 [wu yun mo]) is also included within this. 2. The Deva-Māra (天魔 [tian mo]). This Māra (魔 [mo]) belongs to the Sixth Heaven (第六天 [di liu tian]) of the Desire Realm (欲界 [yu jie]). If a person diligently cultivates superior good deeds and wishes to transcend the cycle of birth and death in the Three Realms (三界 [san jie]), this Deva-Māra (天魔 [tian mo]) creates obstacles and initiates various disturbances, preventing the practitioner from achieving supramundane roots of goodness (出世善根 [chu shi shan gen]). This is called the Deva-Māra (天魔 [tian mo]). 3. The Māra of Death (死魔 [si mo]). This refers to the dispersion of the four great elements (四大分散 [si da fen san]) and premature death and demise (夭喪殞歿 [yao sang yun mo]). When practitioners experience such premature death (夭喪 [yao sang]), they cannot continue their wisdom-life (慧命 [hui ming]). This is called the Māra of Death (死魔 [si mo])." This interpretation, in this case, refers to the Three Māras when the Māra of Skandhas (陰魔 [yin mo]) is excluded from the Four Māras (四魔 [si mo]).

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

三摩 [san mo]—(sān mó) — [Story] The Lotus Sūtra (法華經 [fa hua jing], Fǎhuá jīng), Chapter on Entrustment (囑累品 [zhu lei pin], Zhǔlèi pǐn), states that Shakyamuni Tathagata (釋迦如來 [shi jia ru lai], Shìjiā rúlái) touched the crowns of the bodhisattvas (菩薩 [pu sa], púsà) and entrusted the Lotus Sūtra: "At that time, Shakyamuni Buddha rose from his Dharma seat, displayed great divine power, and with his right hand touched the crowns of countless bodhisattva mahasattvas, saying: 'I have cultivated this hard-to-obtain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi Dharma (阿耨多羅三藐三菩提 [a nou duo luo san miao san pu ti], Ānòuduōluó sāmiǎo sānpútí) over countless hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of kalpas. Now I entrust it to you. You should single-mindedly disseminate this Dharma, widely causing it to increase.' Thus, he touched the crowns of the bodhisattva mahasattvas and said: (abbreviated) 'Widely proclaim this Dharma so that all living beings may universally hear and know it.'" It is an abbreviation of the Sanskrit word "samādhi" (地 [de], sānmódì). Xìnglíng shí (性靈十 [xing ling shi]) says: "Believe in the wonderful practice of a single enlightenment, cultivate the unfathomable samādhi (, sānmó)."