五陰譬喻經
Sutra on the Five Aggregates
後漢安息三藏安世高譯
Translation by An Shigao, Tripitaka Master from Parthia, Later Han Dynasty
聞如是：
Thus have I heard:
一時，佛遊於靡勝國，度河津見中大沫聚隨水流，即告比丘言：「諸比丘！譬如此大沫聚隨水流，目士見之觀視省察，即知非有、虛無、不實、速消、歸盡。所以者何？沫無強故。如是，比丘！一切所色去來現在，內外麁細好醜遠近，比丘見此當熟省視觀，其不有虛無不實，但病但結但瘡但偽，非真非常，為苦為空為非身為消盡。所以者何？色之性無有強。譬如，比丘！天雨渧水，一泡適起一泡即滅，目士見之觀視省察，即知非有、虛無、不實、速消、歸盡。所以者何？泡無強故。如是，比丘！一切所痛去來現在，內外麁細好醜遠近，比丘見知，當熟省視，觀其不有虛無不實，但病但結但偽但瘡，非真非常，為苦為空為非身為消盡。所以者何？痛之性無有強故。
Once, the Buddha was traveling through the state of Mipheng. While crossing a river, he noticed a large pile of foam floating along with the current. He turned to the monks and said:
"Monks, imagine this great mass of foam drifting on the water. A clear-eyed person who sees it, observes it, and examines it will recognize that it has no true existence, that it is empty, unreal, quickly dissolving, and bound to disappear. Why? Because foam has no substance.
In the same way, monks: all physical forms—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; attractive or ugly; far or near—when a monk sees them, he should carefully examine them. He should recognize that they lack true existence, are empty and unreal, and are nothing but disease, bondage, sores, and illusions. They are not real, not permanent; they are suffering, empty, not-self, and destined to vanish. Why? Because the nature of form has no substance.
For example, monks: when rain falls from the sky, a bubble arises, and then immediately pops. A clear-eyed person who sees it, observes it, and examines it will recognize that it has no true existence, that it is empty, unreal, quickly dissolving, and bound to disappear. Why? Because a bubble has no substance.
In the same way, monks: all feelings—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; attractive or ugly; far or near—when a monk sees them, he should carefully examine them. He should recognize that they lack true existence, are empty and unreal, and are nothing but disease, bondage, illusions, and sores. They are not real, not permanent; they are suffering, empty, not-self, and destined to vanish. Why? Because the nature of feeling has no substance."
「譬如，比丘！季夏盛熱日中之炎，目士見之觀視省察，即知非有、虛無、不實、速消、歸盡。所以者何？炎無強故。如是，比丘！一切所想去來現在，內外麁細好醜遠近，比丘見是當熟省視觀，其不有虛無不實，但婬但結但瘡但偽，非真非常，為苦為空為非身為消盡。所以者何？想之性無有強。
"Consider, monks, a shimmering heat haze on a sweltering summer day at noon. A person with clear vision looks at it, examines it, and realizes that it is not real—it is empty, false, quickly vanishing, and destined to disappear. Why is that? Because a heat haze has no solid substance.
In the same way, monks, all perceptions—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or subtle; pleasant or unpleasant; near or far—a monk should examine them carefully. He should see that they are unreal, empty, and false. They are mere entanglements, festering wounds, deceptions, not truly existent, and not lasting. They are suffering, empty, not a self, and destined to cease. Why is that? Because the nature of perception has no lasting solidity."
「譬如，比丘！人求良材擔斧入林，見大芭蕉鴻直不曲，因斷其本、斬其末、劈其葉，理分分㓟而解之，中了無心何有牢固？目士見之觀視省察，即知非有、虛無、不實、速消、歸盡。所以者何？彼芭蕉無強故。如是，比丘！一切所行去來現在，內外麁細好醜遠近，比丘見此當熟省視知，其不有虛無不實，但婬但結但瘡但偽，非真非常，為苦為空為非身為消盡。所以者何？行之性無有強。
"For example, monks, suppose a person in need of timber takes an axe and enters a forest. There they see a large plantain tree, straight and unbent. They cut it down at the root, trim away the top, peel off the leaves, and split it open layer by layer—yet inside they find nothing solid, no core at all. When a wise person observes this closely, they realize it is empty, insubstantial, unreal, fleeting, and destined to decay. Why is that? Because the plantain tree has no firm essence.
In the same way, monks, whatever exists in the past, present, or future—whether internal or external, coarse or fine, beautiful or ugly, far or near—a monk should examine it thoroughly and see clearly that it is non-existent, empty, and unreal. It is merely craving, a wound, a deception; not true, not lasting; it is suffering, emptiness, not-self, and destined to vanish. Why is that? Because all conditioned things have no lasting essence."
「譬如，比丘！幻師與幻弟子於四衢道大人眾中，現若干幻，化作群象群馬車乘步從。目士見之觀視省察，即知不有、虛無、不實、無形、化、盡。所以者何？幻無強故。如是，比丘！一切所識去來現在，內外麁細好醜遠近，比丘見此當熟省視觀，其不有虛無不實，但婬但結但瘡但偽，非真非常，為苦為空為非身為消盡。所以者何？識之性無有強。」
"Monks, consider this: A magician and his apprentice, in the middle of a busy crossroads with a great crowd of people, conjure up various illusions—herds of elephants, horses, chariots, and marching soldiers. When a clear-eyed person sees them, they look carefully and examine them, realizing they are not real, they are empty, they lack substance, they have no tangible form, they are merely magical creations, about to vanish. Why? Because the core nature of an illusion is insubstantial and fragile. In exactly the same way, monks, all that is perceived—whether past, future, or present, internal or external, coarse or fine, beautiful or ugly, far or near—a monk should examine it wholly and carefully. He should see that it is empty, insubstantial, not real. It is merely desire, merely a fetter, merely a wound, merely a deception. It is not true, not lasting. It is suffering, it is empty, it is not the self, it is a dissolution. Why? Because the very nature of perception is insubstantial."
於是佛說偈言：
The Buddha then spoke this verse:
「沫聚喻於色， 痛如水中泡，
想譬熱時炎， 行為若芭蕉，
夫幻喻如識， 諸佛說若此，
當為觀是要， 熟省而思惟。
空虛之為審， 不覩其有常，
欲見陰當爾， 真智說皆然。
三事斷絕時， 知身無所直，
命氣溫燸識， 捨身而轉逝。
當其死臥地， 猶草無所知，
觀其狀如是， 但幻而愚貪。
心心為無安， 亦無有牢強，
知五陰如此， 比丘宜精勤。
是以當晝夜， 自覺念正智，
受行寂滅道， 行除最安樂。」
佛說如是。比丘聞，皆歡喜。
五陰譬喻經
Sutra on the Five Aggregates