仁王般若波羅蜜護國經二諦品第四
Chapter 4: The Two Truths
爾時波斯匿王言：「第一義諦中有世諦不？若言無者，智不應二；若言有者，智不應一。一二之義，其事云何？」
At that time, King Prasenajit asked: "Does the Ultimate Truth contain conventional truths? If it is said not to, then wisdom should not be twofold. If it is said to contain them, then wisdom should not be one. How do we understand this matter of oneness and duality?"
佛告大王：「汝於過去七佛已問一義二義。汝今無聽，我今無說。無聽無說，即為一義二義故。諦聽，諦聽！善思念之，如法修行。七佛偈如是：
The Buddha told the Great King: "You have already asked about the single principle and the two principles in the presence of the seven Buddhas of the past. Now there is nothing for you to hear, and nothing for me to say. This 'no hearing' and 'no speaking' is precisely the meaning of the single principle and the two principles. Listen carefully, listen carefully! Reflect deeply on this, and practice according to the Dharma. The verses of the seven Buddhas are as follows:"
「無相第一義， 無自無他作，
因緣本自有， 無自無他作。
法性本無性， 第一義空如，
諸有本有法， 三假集假有。
無無諦實無， 寂滅第一空，
諸法因緣有， 有無義如是。
有無本自二， 譬若牛二角，
照解見無二， 二諦常不即。
解心見不二， 求二不可得，
非謂二諦一， 非二何可得。
於解常自一， 於諦常自二，
通達此無二， 真入第一義。
世諦幻化起， 譬如虛空華，
如影三手無， 因緣故誑有。
幻化見幻化， 眾生名幻諦，
幻師見幻法， 諦實則皆無，
名為諸佛觀， 菩薩觀亦然。
The ultimate truth has no form, No self, no other that creates it. Conditions and causes exist by themselves, No self, no other that gives rise to them.
Reality’s nature is without an inherent nature, The ultimate truth is empty like space. All existing things are grounded in their own laws, Yet are temporarily assembled through three illusions.
Neither "existence" nor "non-existence" is ultimately real, Silence and stillness is the supreme emptiness. All phenomena arise through causes and conditions, The meaning of existence and non-existence is thus.
Existence and non-existence are two from the start, Like the two horns on a cow. When truly understood, they are seen as not-two, The two truths are always distinct yet never separate.
A clear mind sees them as not-two, Seeking a "two" is nowhere to be found. This does not mean the two truths are one, If they are not two, what can be obtained?
For enlightened insight, they are always one, In conventional truth, they remain two. By thoroughly penetrating this non-duality, One truly enters the ultimate truth.
The worldly truth arises like illusions, Like flowers blooming in empty space. Like shadows or hands—three yet absent, Deceptively existing because of conditions.
Illusions see illusions, Sentient beings are named the "illusory truth." The illusionist who sees illusory dharmas, Finds no real substance in them at all. This is called the Buddha’s vision, And the Bodhisattva’s vision too.
「大王！菩薩摩訶薩於第一義中，常照二諦化眾生。佛及眾生一而無二。何以故？以眾生空故得置菩提空，以菩提空故得置眾生空。以一切法空故空空。何以故？般若無相，二諦虛空，般若空，從無明乃至薩婆若，無自相、無他相故，五眼成就時見無所見，行亦不受，不行亦不受，非行非不行亦不受，乃至一切法亦不受。菩薩未成佛時以菩提為煩惱，菩薩成佛時以煩惱為菩提，何以故？於第一義而不二故，諸佛如來乃至一切法如故。」
"Great king! A Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, from the perspective of ultimate truth, constantly illuminates both levels of truth to teach sentient beings. The Buddha and sentient beings are one, not two. Why? Because sentient beings are empty, it establishes the emptiness of enlightenment; because enlightenment is empty, it establishes the emptiness of sentient beings. Because all phenomena are empty, emptiness itself is empty. Why? Because prajna-wisdom is formless; the two truths are like space. Prajna-wisdom is empty; from ignorance to omniscience, there is no intrinsic nature, no nature of another. When the five eyes are perfected, one sees without seeing; one neither clings to action, nor clings to inaction, nor clings to neither action nor inaction—indeed, one clings to nothing at all, even all phenomena.
Before a Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, enlightenment is seen as affliction. When a Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, affliction is seen as enlightenment. Why? Because, from the perspective of ultimate truth, they are not two. Thus the Buddhas, the Tathagatas, and all phenomena are perfectly equal."
白佛言：「云何十方諸如來、一切菩薩不離文字而行諸法相？」
The Buddha said: "How is it that the Tathagatas of the ten directions and all bodhisattvas, without departing from words and letters, practice the characteristics of all dharmas?"
「大王！法輪者：法本如、重誦如、受記如、不誦偈如、無問而自說如、戒經如、譬喻如、法界如、本事如、方廣如、未曾有如、論議如，是名味句音聲果文字記句一切如。若取文字者，不行空也。
"Great King, what is called the Dharma wheel: the Dharma itself is thus, the repetitions are thus, the predictions are thus, the verses without prompting are thus, the discourses spoken spontaneously are thus, the precept texts are thus, the parables are thus, the realms of reality are thus, the past life stories are thus, the extensive teachings are thus, the unprecedented events are thus, and the analytical discussions are thus. These are known as meanings, phrases, sounds, results, words, records, and sentences — all are thus. If one clings to the words, one does not practice Emptiness."
「大王！如如文字修諸佛智母，一切眾生性根本智母，即為薩婆若體。諸佛未成佛，以當佛為智母，未得為性，已得為薩婆若。三乘般若，不生不滅，自性常住。一切眾生，以此為覺性故。若菩薩無受無文字，離文字，非非文字，修無修為修文字者，得般若真性般若波羅蜜。大王！若菩薩護佛、護化眾生、護十地行，為若此。」
"Great King! Just as written words are the mother of the Buddhas' wisdom, the fundamental wisdom-nature of all beings is likewise the mother of wisdom—this is the very essence of omniscience (Sarvajñatā). Before Buddhas attain Buddhahood, their potential to become Buddhas serves as the wisdom-mother; before realization it is called inherent nature, and once realized it is called omniscience. The three vehicles' prajñā is neither born nor extinguished; its self-nature abides eternally. All beings possess this as their nature of awakening. Therefore, if a bodhisattva, without grasping and without words, transcends words yet is not merely non-verbal, and cultivates non-cultivation as the cultivation of words, they attain the true nature of prajñā—prajñāpāramitā. Great King! If a bodhisattva protects the Buddhas, protects sentient beings to be transformed, and protects the practices of the ten stages, this is how it is done."
白佛言：「無量品眾生，根亦無量，行亦無量。法門為一為二、為無量耶？」
The Buddha said, "Among the countless beings, their faculties (roots) are also countless, and their practices vary endlessly. Are the Dharma doors (teachings) one, two, or innumerable?"
「大王！一切法觀門非一非二，乃有無量。一切法亦非有相，非非無相。若菩薩見眾生，見一見二，即不見一不見二、一二者，第一義諦也。
"Great King! The gateways for contemplating all dharmas are neither one nor two—they are immeasurable. All dharmas are neither possessed of characteristics nor devoid of them. If a bodhisattva sees sentient beings and perceives them as one or as two, then they do not truly see them as one or as two. What is called 'one' or 'two' refers to the ultimate truth."
「大王！若有若無者即世諦也。以三諦攝一切法，空諦、色諦、心諦故，我說一切法不出三諦。我人知見五受陰空，乃至一切法空，眾生品品根行不同故，非一非二法門。
"Great King, 'existence and non-existence' — this is worldly truth. The three truths encompass all phenomena: the truth of Emptiness, the truth of Form, and the truth of Mind. Therefore I say that all phenomena do not go beyond the three truths. The self, person, knowledge and views, the five aggregates of grasping — all are empty, and so too all phenomena are empty. Because the faculties and practices of sentient beings differ from one category to another, the Dharma-gates are neither one nor two.
「大王！七佛說摩訶般若波羅蜜，我今說般若波羅蜜，無二無別。汝等大眾，應當受持讀誦解說。是經功德，有無量不可說不可說諸佛，一一佛教化無量不可說眾生，一一眾生皆得成佛；是佛復教化無量不可說眾生，皆得成佛；是上三佛說般若波羅蜜經八萬億偈；於一偈中復分為千分；於一分中說一分句義不可窮盡，況復於此經中起一念信！是諸眾生超百劫千劫十地等功德，何況受持讀誦解說者功德，即十方諸佛等無有異。當知是人即是如來，得佛不久。」
"Great King, the seven buddhas taught the perfection of wisdom, and I now teach the perfection of wisdom—there is no difference, no distinction between them. All of you in this great assembly should receive, uphold, read, recite, and explain it. The merit of this sutra is such that there are immeasurable, inexpressible numbers of buddhas, and each one of those buddhas teaches immeasurable, inexpressible numbers of sentient beings, and every one of those sentient beings attains buddhahood; those buddhas in turn teach immeasurable, inexpressible numbers of sentient beings, all of whom attain buddhahood. These three buddhas above taught the Perfection of Wisdom sutra in eight trillion verses; within a single verse are further divided a thousand parts; within a single part, the meaning of a single phrase is inexhaustible—how much more so for one who gives rise to a single thought of faith in this sutra! Such sentient beings surpass the merit of a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, and the ten stages—how much more the merit of those who receive, uphold, read, recite, and explain it, which is equal to that of the buddhas of the ten directions, with no difference at all. You should know that such a person is the Tathāgata himself and will attain buddhahood before long."
時諸大眾聞說是經，十億人得三空忍；百萬億人得大空忍、十地性。
When the great assembly heard this sutra being taught, one billion people attained the Threefold Patience of Emptiness, and a hundred trillion people attained the Great Patience of Emptiness and the nature of the Ten Grounds.
「大王！此經名為『仁王問般若波羅蜜經』。汝等受持般若波羅蜜經，是經復有無量功德，名為護國土功德，亦名一切國王法藥服行無不大用護舍宅功德，亦護一切眾生身。即此般若波羅蜜，是護國土，如城塹牆壁刀劒鉾楯，汝應受持般若波羅蜜，亦復如是。」
"Great King, this sutra is called the 'Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom Spoken in Response to the King of Benevolent Kings.' You should uphold the Perfection of Wisdom sutra. This sutra also has immeasurable merit: it is called the merit of protecting the nation; it is also called the Dharma medicine for all kings—taken and practiced, it brings great benefit in protecting dwellings and their grounds, and it also protects the bodies of all sentient beings. This very Perfection of Wisdom is the protection of the nation, like city moats and walls, swords and spears, shields and armor. You should uphold the Perfection of Wisdom in the same way."
佛說仁王般若波羅蜜經卷上
Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom of the Benevolent King, Volume One