念法品第三
Chapter 3: Recollection of the Dharma
爾時舍利弗白佛言：「世尊！云何為人亦說是法為惡知識？世尊！云何為人亦說是法為善知識？」
Then Shariputra said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, how can it be that someone who expounds this Dharma is considered a harmful spiritual friend? And how can it be that someone who expounds this Dharma is considered a beneficial spiritual friend?"
佛告舍利弗：「若有比丘教他比丘：『比丘！汝今當知念佛事空，念所緣處是不應念，汝所念空念亦復空。是無性空能斷色想、能斷取想。』是人爾時不得無想，何況於念？是人爾時都無所有、寂滅無性，不集諸想、滅一切法，是則名為修習念佛。念佛名為破善不善一切覺觀，無覺無觀寂然無想，名為念佛。何以故？不應以覺觀憶念諸佛，無覺無觀名為清淨念佛。於此念中乃無微細心心念業，況身口業？又念佛者離諸想，諸想不在心，無分別、無名字、無障礙，無欲無得不起覺觀。何以故？舍利弗！隨所念起一切諸想皆是邪見。
The Buddha told Shariputra, “If a monk instructs another monk, saying, ‘Monk, you should now know that the practice of recollecting the Buddha is empty. The object of your mindfulness should not be clung to. What you recollect is empty, and the act of recollection itself is also empty. This nature of emptiness without inherent existence can cut off thoughts of form and can cut off thoughts of grasping.’ At that time, that person does not even attain the notion of no-thought, much less ordinary thoughts. At that moment, that person has nothing at all—still, calm, and without inherent nature. They do not accumulate any concepts; they cease all phenomena. This is what is called cultivating the recollection of the Buddha.
Recollecting the Buddha means breaking through all good and evil states of thinking and discerning. Being without thinking or discerning, still and calm with no conceptualization, is called recollecting the Buddha. Why? Because one should not use thinking and discerning to recollect the Buddhas. Without thinking or discerning is called pure recollection of the Buddha. In this recollection, there is not even the slightest mental activity or karmic thought, let alone physical or verbal karma.
Moreover, one who recollects the Buddha is free from all conceptions. Conceptions do not arise in the mind. There is no differentiation, no names, no obstacles, no desire, no attainment, and no arising of thought or discernment.
Why is that? Shariputra, whatever conceptions arise in the mind when recollecting—all of them are wrong views.”
「舍利弗！隨無所有、無覺無觀、無生無滅，通達是者名為念佛。如是念中，無貪無著、無逆無順、無名無想。舍利弗！無想、無語乃名念佛，是中乃無微細小念，何況麁身口意業？無身口意業處、無取無捨、無諍無訟、無念無分別，空寂無性、滅諸覺觀，是名念佛。
"Shariputra, that which follows nothing at all—no awareness, no observation, no arising, no ceasing. To truly penetrate this is what is called 'Recalling the Buddha.' In such recollection, there is no greed, no attachment, no opposition, no compliance, no name, no concept.
Shariputra, only without concept or speech can it be called 'Recalling the Buddha.' In this, there is not even the slightest thought, let alone coarse actions of body, speech, or mind. Where there is no action of body, speech, or mind, no grasping, no rejecting, no conflict, no argument, no thought, no discrimination—utterly empty, still, devoid of inherent nature, stilling all awareness and observation—this is truly called 'Recalling the Buddha.'"
「舍利弗！若人成就如是念者，欲轉四天下地隨意能轉，亦能降伏百千億魔，況弊無明，從虛誑緣起無決定相？是法如是，無想無戲論、無生無滅、不可說不可分別、無闇無明，魔若魔民所不能測，但以世俗言說有所教化，而作是言：『汝念佛時莫取小想，莫生戲論、莫有分別。何以故？是法皆空、無有體性、不可念，一相所謂無相，是名真實念佛，所謂無生無滅、無相無為。何以故？如來不名為色、不名為想、不名為念、不名分別、不逆不順、不取不捨、非定非慧、非明非無明。如來不可說、不可思議、無相，汝今莫樂取相、莫樂戲論。佛於諸法無執無量，不見有法可執可量。是人於佛猶尚不得，何況於念？』舍利弗！如是教者名善知識；第一義中無有決定是善知識、是惡知識。
"Shariputra, if a person realizes mindfulness in this way, they can turn the entire four continents at will and subjugate hundreds of billions of demons—let alone the base ignorance that arises from illusory causes, having no fixed nature. This Dharma is thus: without conception, without conceptual elaboration, without birth, without cessation, ineffable, beyond discrimination, without darkness, without light. Neither demons nor their kind can fathom it; it is only taught through worldly conventions for the sake of guidance, and is spoken of thus: 'When you practice mindfulness of the Buddha, do not grasp at lesser signs, do not indulge in conceptual games, do not engage in discrimination. Why? Because all dharmas are empty, have no inherent nature, and cannot be grasped. They are of a single characteristic—no-characteristic. This is called true mindfulness of the Buddha—that is, no birth, no cessation, no characteristics, no contrivance. Why? Because the Tathagata is not to be called form, not to be called perception, not to be called thought, not to be called discrimination, not opposing, not yielding, not grasping, not rejecting, not concentration, not wisdom, not illumination, not non-illumination. The Tathagata is ineffable, inconceivable, and without characteristics. Now do not delight in grasping signs, do not delight in conceptual games. The Buddha has no attachment or measure regarding all dharmas; no dharma can be seen as something to attach to or measure. That person cannot even obtain the Buddha—how much less obtain thought?'
Shariputra, one who teaches in this way is called a spiritual friend. In the ultimate truth, there is no fixed determination such as 'this is a spiritual friend' or 'this is an evil friend.'
「復次舍利弗！若有比丘教餘比丘：『比丘！汝當分別觀察諸法，亦復莫念法相。』是比丘如是修習心無繫著，則能通達諸法一相所謂無相，是人猶尚不生法想，況我人想？舍利弗！於意云何？念法想者，是人能滅一切法不？」
“Furthermore, Shariputra, suppose a monk instructs another monk: ‘Monk, you should examine and discern all phenomena, yet also do not dwell on the characteristics of phenomena.’ If that monk practices in this way, with a mind free from attachment, he will then penetrate the single nature of all phenomena—what is called the signless. Such a person does not even give rise to the notion of phenomena, much less notions of self or others. Shariputra, what do you think? Can a person who clings to the notion of phenomena put an end to all phenomena?”
「不也。世尊！」
"No, World-Honored One."
「舍利弗！如樹無根，能有枝葉華果實不？」
"Shariputra, without roots, can a tree have branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit?"
「不也。世尊！」
"No, World-Honored One."
「如是舍利弗！若人不得諸法根本，是人能生諸法想不？」
"Thus, Shariputra: If a person cannot grasp the fundamental nature of all things, can such a person give rise to thoughts about these things?"
「不也。世尊！」
「舍利弗！若人不得不念法想，是人能滅一切法不？」
「不也。世尊！」
「是人不得於法、不得法相、不得於滅，亦不分別無生無滅。是人爾時不生不滅，不名得涅槃者；亦復不名無得涅槃。舍利弗！如是教者名善知識；第一義中無善知識、無惡知識。
「舍利弗！若人成就如是相者，世間希有，得不顛倒真實見故，是為正見。復次舍利弗！正見者名為正作、正行、正道、正解。無有顛倒如實而見，是故如來說名正見。舍利弗！若有眾生無有顛倒如實觀者，則有正見。若生我想、人想、眾生想者，當知是人皆是邪行。
「舍利弗！佛及弟子！不說有我、不說有人、不說眾生、不說壽命、不說斷常，是故佛及弟子名為正見。何以故？正觀不顛倒故。
「舍利弗！一切凡夫於此事中無能入者。何以故？一切凡夫都無正見，但有隨順正見得柔順忍，不能如實，舍利弗！是名正見邪見差別。如實見故名為正見；見世樂因增長財利是世間正見，是皆欺誑不免生死。舍利弗！佛說世間正見，是說懈怠下劣者法，賢聖不作是念：『此是正見、此是邪見。』所以者何？一切諸見皆從虛妄緣起。舍利弗！若作是念：『此是正見。』是人即是邪見。舍利弗！於聖法中拔斷一切諸見根本，悉斷一切諸語言道，如虛空中手無觸閡，諸沙門法皆應如是。」