念僧品第四
Chapter 4: Contemplating the Sangha
舍利弗白佛言：「世尊！何等為聖眾？」
Shariputra asked the Buddha, "World-Honored One, what is the Noble Sangha?"
「舍利弗！若有人能信解通達一切諸法無生無滅、無起無相，成就如是忍尚不得我，況得須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含？況得阿羅漢？況復得法？況得男女？何況得道？況得如是等事？是名聖眾，是亦不得。
Shariputra! If there is someone who can believe, understand, and fully realize that all phenomena neither arise nor cease, neither appear nor have any fixed characteristics—even if they attain such forbearance, they still do not attain a self. How much less could they attain the stage of Stream-enterer, Once-returner, or Non-returner? How could they attain Arhatship? How could they attain any dharma? How could they attain male or female? How could they attain the Way? How could they attain such things as these? This is called the Noble Assembly, and even this is not attained.
「復次舍利弗！眾生少能信解無生無滅無相法者，若能信解無生無滅無相法者，心無顛倒共相知解，以法和合不受後有，知諸世間但從虛妄緣起。是人則更不住是身，以是因緣說名聖眾。是人於是語言亦復不得，謂諸名相但集無相無戲論事，是名僧寶，應受供養。得無顛倒真實義故，是人以是方便念僧，是事亦空。舍利弗！如是教者名善知識。
Furthermore, Shariputra! Few beings are able to believe in and understand the unborn, the unceasing, and the signless Dharma. Those who can believe in and understand the unborn, the unceasing, and the signless Dharma will have minds free from distortion and will share in mutual understanding. Through harmony with the Dharma, they will not undergo future existence, knowing that all worldly phenomena arise merely from empty delusion. Such persons will no longer dwell in this body; for this reason, they are called the Noble Sangha. For them, even language cannot be grasped—they understand that names and signs are merely collections of the signless and the non-conceptual. This is called the Jewel of the Sangha, worthy of offerings. Because they have attained the undistorted true meaning, these persons, through this skillful means, recollect the Sangha—yet even this is empty. Shariputra! One who teaches in this way is called a true spiritual friend.
「舍利弗！斷一切語言道，名為聖眾。何以故？於聖法中所因語言說真實義，如是語言亦不可得，是故當知斷諸語言，名為聖眾。
Shariputra! To cut off all paths of speech is called the Noble Assembly. Why? Because within the sacred Dharma, the true meaning is spoken of through language, yet even such language cannot be grasped. Therefore, know that cutting off all speech is called the Noble Assembly.
「舍利弗！或有人言：『若於此中無有言說、無有定者，何名為僧？』舍利弗！我於此中有如是答：『眾僧名為示如實事，此事決定亦不可得，俱同一學一忍一味，是事亦以世俗語故說，非第一義。第一義中無有定實名為僧法，常不壞者。』聖人若說言有是法，是即為污。所以者何？若人作是分別，是男是女、是天、是龍、是夜叉、是乾闥婆、是鳩槃茶、是法是非法。作是分別已，得種種事，得種種事故作是言：『是坐是臥是行是住。』聖人得諸法實相故，亦不分別是男是女、是天是龍，乃至是法是非法。不分別故，不得種種法。不得種種法者，能作是說，是坐是臥是行是住不？」
Shariputra, someone might ask: 'If there is no speech and no fixed entity here, what is meant by the Sangha?' Shariputra, I answer this: 'The Sangha refers to those who reveal things as they truly are—yet even this "revelation" cannot be grasped as a fixed thing. They share the same training, the same acceptance, and the same taste. But even this is said in conventional terms, not in ultimate truth. In ultimate truth, there is no fixed reality called the Sangha, something that never changes.' When a sage says 'there is such a thing,' that itself is a stain. Why? If someone makes distinctions—'this is male or female, a god, a dragon, a yaksha, a gandharva, a kumbhanda, this is a dharma or not a dharma'—then they obtain various phenomena. Having obtained various phenomena, they say: 'This is sitting, lying down, walking, or standing.' But because the sage has realized the true nature of all phenomena, they do not distinguish 'male or female, a god or a dragon,' or even 'dharma or not dharma.' Without discrimination, they do not obtain various phenomena. When one does not obtain various phenomena, how could they say, 'This is sitting, lying down, walking, or standing'?
「不也。世尊！」
"No, World-Honored One."
「舍利弗！若人言，是男是女、是天是龍，乃至是法是非法。是人所說非虛妄耶？」
「虛妄。世尊！」
「舍利弗！若不入是虛妄者，名為聖眾。不顛倒故，名為聖眾。舍利弗！所有不善、所有可知、所有可得，如是一切諸不善法，皆以名相為本。此賢聖法中斷諸名相，又不念名相不得名相，云何當言是聖是眾？斷諸名相名為聖眾。若有法處可破可斷，賢聖法中無名無相無有語言，斷諸語言無有合散，若言無僧則破聖眾，是亦不得。所謂名相虛妄想故，著種種邪見，因是邪見更受後身，貪著諸見則五陰生。舍利弗！五陰皆是虛妄貪著，是名惡道，是名邪見。賢聖眾者無有此事，但知虛妄緣故起於三界，知是事故名為聖眾。
「舍利弗！凡所有見，於聖眾中皆不可得，謂：我見、眾生見、壽命見、人見、男見、女見、天見、地獄見、畜生見、餓鬼見、陰、入、界見、貝聲見、鼓聲見、地聲見、水火風聲見，持戒聲見、毀戒聲見，正道聲見、邪道聲見、垢聲淨聲、禪定三昧八聖道聲、須陀洹果、斯陀含果、阿那含果、阿羅漢果聲見、解脫聲見、得果聲見、佛聲見、法聲見、僧聲見、滅聲見、涅槃聲見。舍利弗！是名虛妄音聲等見。賢聖眾者，於第一義不得是見，通達種種音聲一相，所謂無相，無違無諍成就不顛倒法忍故，名為聖眾。
"Shariputra, within the community of noble disciples, all views cannot be found. These include: the view of self, the view of a being, the view of a life span, the view of a person, the view of male, the view of female, the view of heaven, the view of hell, the view of animals, the view of hungry ghosts, the views of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements, the view of the sound of conch shells, the view of the sound of drums, the view of the sound of the earth, the view of the sounds of water, fire, and wind, the view of the sound of observing precepts, the view of the sound of breaking precepts, the view of the sound of the right path, the view of the sound of the wrong path, the view of the sounds of defilement and purity, the view of the sound of meditative absorption, samadhi, and the Noble Eightfold Path, the view of the sounds of the fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and arhatship, the view of the sound of liberation, the view of the sound of attaining the fruit, the view of the sound of the Buddha, the view of the sound of the Dharma, the view of the sound of the Sangha, the view of the sound of cessation, and the view of the sound of nirvana. Shariputra, these are called the views of false sounds. The community of noble disciples, regarding the ultimate truth, do not obtain these views. They have thoroughly realized that all kinds of sounds have a single characteristic — what is called the characteristic of no-characteristic. Because they have accomplished the patient acceptance of the truth without opposition or contention, and are free from inverted views, they are therefore called the holy community."
「舍利弗！是不顛倒法忍即是無相。無相故無取無捨、無逆無順、無生無滅，是中自然歸滅。無修無壞、無起無得，不分別此彼故，心常捨離。所以者何？於是忍中無此岸無彼岸、無分別無非分別，通達無相成就是忍名為聖眾，破和合故名為聖眾。
"Shariputra, this irreversible acceptance of the truth is itself signless. Because it is signless, there is no grasping or rejecting, no opposing or following, no arising or ceasing. In this state, one naturally attains cessation. There is no cultivation or destruction, no arising or attainment, and because there is no distinction between this and that, the mind constantly dwells in detachment. Why is this so? In this acceptance, there is no this shore nor the other shore, no distinction nor non-distinction. Realizing this signless state and perfecting this acceptance is called the noble assembly—it is called the noble assembly because it transcends all conditioned combinations."
「舍利弗！我餘經說：『若人見法是為見我，如來非法亦非非法。』何以故？調達愚人及諸外道，皆以色身見佛。舍利弗！如來不應以色身見，亦復不應以音聲見。舍利弗！若人以色身見佛，是去佛遠。所以者何？佛不名見色，名為見佛。舍利弗！若人能見諸法無相、無名無觸、無憶無念、無生無滅、無有戲論；不念一切法、不念涅槃、不以涅槃為念、不貪涅槃，信解諸法皆是一相所謂無相。舍利弗！是名真見佛。謂一切法無求無戲論無生，於此事中亦不念不分別，是名見佛。若有人於此法中無憶想分別，無取無捨、無貪無違、無想無想業。不貪言說，知法假名，皆無所有，斷語言道，無有差別亦無戲論，是名無生無想行者，於世間中名為聖眾。
「舍利弗！見何法故名為見佛？所謂無想、無分別、無戲論，不受一切法。若以空門、若寂滅門、若離門，不念見不得見，是事亦不得，所謂名字，是處亦不得，所謂涅槃。何以故？舍利弗！我尚不念涅槃，云何當說汝等當念涅槃、當得涅槃？舍利弗！若人得涅槃者，是人不隨如來出家，隨六師出家。舍利弗！當知是人為是法賊入我法中；當知是人污辱我法；當知是人為是大賊，如大城邑中有大賊。所以者何？如是癡人尚不得涅槃，何況我、人？舍利弗！如是癡人我以手遮，非我弟子，不入眾數，我非彼師。舍利弗！若知諸法無生無滅、無念無想，得是法忍者尚不得涅槃，何況我、人？舍利弗！佛說如是名為見法，能見是事名為見佛。
「舍利弗！云何名為佛？一切法如不異不壞，是名如來。若人於是法中無有疑悔，是名聖眾。
「舍利弗！過去世中有一癡人不識獼猴，入一大林見獼猴群叢聚一處，是人曾聞有忉利天，便謂為是忉利諸天。即出樹林還本聚落，多人眾中作如是言：『汝等曾見忉利天不？』眾人答言：『未曾見也。』即時語言：『我已得見。汝欲見不？』皆言：『欲見。』即將大眾詣彼林中示獼猴群：『汝等觀此忉利諸天。』眾人皆言：『非忉利天，此是獼猴，樂住林中。汝癡倒故不識獼猴，又亦不識忉利諸天。』舍利弗！是人空將大眾詣彼林中。
「如是舍利弗！於未來世當有比丘至白衣家作是言：『汝欲見佛聖眾，聽佛法不？』中有白衣信佛法者皆言：『欲見聽受佛法。』舍利弗！中有白衣貪樂語言入於塔寺，有諸比丘好於言說能通諸經，依止語言樂於文飾，是諸沙門隨順為說，謂是真道，但充眾數如放牛人；但樂讀經不入真際；但悅人意貴於名利，善巧世事不淨說法；但能巧語行世間道，無有威德破涅槃因，捨聖默然、不樂禪定，晝夜常好談論諍訟，臥厚被褥，尚無一念隨順禪定，何況能得成沙門果？是人睡眠常與俗心相應，初夜後夜不修順忍樂於下法，是人亦多得供養衣服飲食。何以故？是人常為惡魔所攝樂淺近語，於第一義不能勤學，不能誦持第一深經，聞則驚畏，捨於淳濃而取糟粕。有諸凡夫見得利養，生貪著心作是念言：『我等亦當習是言論。』舍利弗！是人捨於無上法寶墮在邪見，是沙門旃陀羅。有諸白衣往詣其所，如此惡人而為說法，以利養故稱讚於佛及法與僧，但求活命為財奴僕，貪重衣食讚己所樂：『若行布施得生天上。』於佛法中施為下法，讚以為最而作是言：『大施因緣，得生天上。』不知語言不解義趣，但知初入淺近下法，貪著我、人，捨第一義。
「舍利弗！如是說法，或時有人生信出家，與諸惡人而共和合，不能勤求第一深義。有所得者說有我、人、壽者、命者，憶想分別無所有法，於阿毘曇、修妬路中自為議論，或說斷常、或說有作、或說無作。
「舍利弗！我法爾時多外道法，令諸眾生正見心壞。如是舍利弗！我清淨法以是因緣漸漸滅盡。舍利弗！我久在生死受諸苦惱所成菩提，是諸惡人爾時毀壞。舍利弗！若有比丘，不能捨是有所得見、我見、人見，不解如來隨宜所說，而言決定有我、人法。如是之人，我則不聽受一飲水。或時是人得聞空法，信心清淨而不驚疑，即便還應導引眾人入實相義，便應出家受具足戒。何以故？舍利弗！若人不捨如是見者，是名外道。
「舍利弗！我以世俗因緣假說有我，非第一義。若有人言：『我亦復以世俗因緣而說有我。』是人若能通達無生無滅、無相之法，與我所說不相違者，是我弟子。舍利弗！若有人言：『如來何故隨世因緣，於無我法而說有人？如來不應為世間故作不實語；又諸經中多說有人，佛所說者不應虛也？』舍利弗！應答是人：『佛說諸法皆空無主無性，但是虛妄非第一義，如來不以第一義故，說有我、人。』聖人言說無所貪著，無智慧人無與佛等亦無過者。
「舍利弗！如來智慧不可思議，以是智慧知眾生心，寧當有人與佛等者？佛為大龍大法之王，不應難言：『佛說有人。』一切世間常共我諍，我常不與世間共諍。
「舍利弗！說有我者，甚可哀愍，此中無法亦無有我，多有眾生不解如來隨宜所說，違逆法寶多墮惡趣。舍利弗！我知邪見而不為邪見，能知邪見者即是正見。舍利弗！邪見終不變作正見；見不知見。
「舍利弗！諸佛如來阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，一切世間所難得信，我於諸天一切世間，是最可信非不可信。舍利弗！我所說法為至彼岸，是中亦無至彼岸者；我所說法為盡諸行，是中亦無盡諸行者；我所說法為寂滅故，是中亦無有寂滅者；我所說法為滅度故，是中亦無有滅度者；我所說法為解脫故，是中亦無有解脫者；我所說法為諸智故，是中亦無有諸智者；我所說法為淨垢故，是中亦無有淨垢者。舍利弗！如來為天說法亦無有天；為人說法亦無有人；為眾生說法亦無有眾生。舍利弗！如來說明及與解脫，是中無明及與解脫。我說念佛，佛不可念；我說空行，空不可行亦不可念。舍利弗！是名如來所說經法章句。是中無有說者，諸惡人等得此章句為他人說，亦復以我為師，無有如來聖眾功德，而自為僧數。舍利弗！譬如獼猴群不似忉利天。如是眾惡人，不似我聖眾。舍利弗！是諸惡人，但以音聲語言，自謂沙門，似如癡人見獼猴群謂忉利天。
「舍利弗！中有出家人喜樂問難，得值善師，為說名色寂滅、語言道斷，無起無失，通達無相。得聞如是無生無滅、無相之法，不驚畏者，當知是人已曾供養無量諸佛，能知我法，可名聖眾。」