尼乾子問無我義經
馬鳴菩薩集
Collection of Bodhisattva Asvaghosa
西天譯經三藏朝散大夫試鴻臚少卿宣梵大師賜紫沙門臣日稱等奉 詔譯
Translated by the Tripitaka Master of the Western Regions, Court Gentleman for Court Service, Acting Junior Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial
爾時尼乾子等，心懷異見發起疑惑，尋求往詣解大乘者所。到已作禮，合掌恭敬問無我義，使除暗鈍。「如佛所說為我開示。若說此身無有我者，彼最上我亦無所有，何故身中現見啼笑嬉戲、忿怒我慢、嫉妬兩舌等事？於有於無不能決了，唯願仁者為我除斷。」解大乘者謂尼乾子言：「汝先所執最上我者，決定虛妄。以何名有、以何名無？於此二中都無所得。若以自身髮甲皮肉筋骨脂髓膓胃手足一切身肢為最上我，內外尋求何有可見？」時尼乾子白智者言：「我以肉眼故不能見，餘有天眼彼可得見。」智者曰：「亦非天眼之所能見。彼非顯色亦非形色，自性空故，何有可見？」尼乾子言：「彼定無耶？」智者曰：「若說無者，云何現見從因緣生啼笑等相？或說為有、或說為無，二皆邪妄，非其正理。」尼乾子言：「若有若無俱不應說，如何此身現有所住？」智者曰：「無有少分見所住相。」尼乾子言：「若無住著，即同虛空。」智者曰：「如汝所說，如虛空故。」尼乾子言：「若爾，啼笑等相當云何遣？」智者曰：「於是義中而有二種，一者世俗、二者勝義。依世俗說，則有自、他、命者、士夫、補特伽羅、作者、受者、財寶、妻子、親眷、朋屬如是差別。依勝義說，則無自他命者乃至朋屬等事，亦無少分差別等相。若世俗說，則有生滅善惡果報；若勝義中，則無生滅善惡果報。彼真如法自性清淨，無有煩惱、無有染污亦無覺了，本來寂靜。此說是名真如自性。」重明此義，以偈頌曰：
At that time, the Nirgranthas were filled with doubts and held divergent views. Seeking clarity, they went to visit a master of the Great Vehicle. Upon arriving, they paid their respects, joined their palms in reverence, and asked about the meaning of selflessness, hoping to dispel their ignorance. "As the Buddha taught, please reveal this to us. If it is said that this body has no self, then even the supreme self would be nothing at all. Yet why do we see laughter, crying, playfulness, anger, pride, jealousy, and divisive speech in this very body? We cannot decide whether it exists or does not exist. We only ask that you, compassionate one, dispel our doubts for us."
The master of the Great Vehicle said to the Nirgranthas: "The supreme self you previously clung to is certainly illusory. What does it mean to say it exists, and what does it mean to say it does not? In either case, nothing can be obtained. If you take the body—hair, skin, flesh, bones, marrow, intestines, stomach, hands, feet, and all its parts—to be the supreme self, then whether you search within or without, what can you actually find?"
The Nirgranthas then said to the wise one: "We cannot see it with our physical eyes, but others with heavenly eyes may be able to perceive it."
The wise one replied: "It cannot be seen even with heavenly eyes. It has no manifest color and no manifest form. Since its nature is emptiness, what is there to perceive?"
The Nirgranthas asked: "Then does it truly not exist?"
The wise one said: "If you say it does not exist, then how can we observe that laughter, crying, and other such signs arise from causes and conditions? Saying it exists and saying it does not—both are false and deviant, not in line with true reasoning."
The Nirgranthas asked: "If neither existence nor non-existence should be asserted, then how does this body appear to dwell in the present?"
The wise one said: "There is not even the slightest mark of dwelling to be found."
The Nirgranthas said: "If there is no dwelling, then it is like empty space."
The wise one said: "As you have said, it is like empty space."
The Nirgranthas asked: "If that is so, how should the signs of laughter and crying be dispelled?"
The wise one said: "On this point, there are two kinds of truth—one is conventional, the other ultimate. In the conventional sense, there exist self, other, life, person, sentient being, agent, experiencer, wealth, wife, children, relatives, and friends—all such distinctions. In the ultimate sense, there is no self, no other, no life, and no friends or companions; there is not even the slightest difference. In the conventional sense, there are birth and death, good and evil, and their karmic results. In the ultimate sense, there is no birth and no death, no good and no evil, no karmic results. Suchness itself is inherently pure by nature—free of afflictions, unstained, and without any awakening; it is originally still. This is what is called the self-nature of Suchness."
To further clarify this meaning, a verse was spoken:
The self and what belongs to self—both are empty, Like bubbles, mirages, and dreams. If one sees all dharmas as unconditioned, That is the vision of true Suchness.
Conventional truth arises from causes and conditions, Ultimate truth is stillness and peace. Those who penetrate both of these Are forever free from attachment and grasping.
The body is but a gathering of elements, The mind is but a chain of thoughts. When wise ones see this clearly, They rest in uncreated calm.
Do not cling to existence or non-existence, Neither dwell on self nor other. When conceptual extremes are fully abandoned, That is the state beyond all words.
For stillness itself is the true nature, And emptiness is the supreme peace. Those who know this as it is— They are the awakened ones, quenched forever.
「世俗勝義諦， 二種今當說，
世俗即世法， 勝義無過上。
有情依世俗， 增長於煩惱，
久處於輪回， 不了勝義法。
由依世俗故， 自他生遍計，
起分別疑惑， 而受諸苦惱。
彼愚癡凡夫， 長時受逼迫，
不修出離因， 何知解脫理？
愚人常依止， 世間生滅法，
馳流五趣中， 相續而不斷。
由不達勝義， 則無滅苦要，
展轉受輪回， 如蠶自纏縛。
亦如於日月， 旋轉無休息，
眾生三有中， 來往亦如是。
諸行悉無常， 剎那而遷變，
遠離世俗法， 當求勝義諦。
乃至住諸天， 及乾闥婆等，
不免彼無常， 此皆世俗果。
夜叉鬼神等， 得持明成就，
不免墮惡趣， 此皆世俗果。
帝釋轉輪王， 福報無與等，
不免墮傍生， 此皆世俗果。
人天五欲樂， 決定當棄捨，
於彼菩提心， 以惠常觀察。
自性無所著， 一切悉皆空，
超越諸戲論， 是菩提心相。
非剛非柔軟， 非熱亦非冷，
非觸非執受， 是菩提心相。
非長及非短， 非圓亦非方，
非微細非麁， 是菩提心相。
非白及非紅， 非黑亦非黃，
非形色顯色， 是菩提心相。
非色非光明， 非動非纏縛，
非住如虛空， 是菩提心相。
離思惟觀察， 非外道境界，
與般若相應， 是菩提心相。
無似無對待， 無等常寂靜，
自性本凝然， 是菩提心相。
如聚沫浮泡， 如幻化陽焰，
無我亦無常， 一切非堅固。
是身如坏器， 虛幻而充滿，
與三毒相應， 畢竟空無有。
如月處雲中， 剎那而不現，
以甚深般若， 達有為如幻。
眾生器世間， 一切皆如夢，
由自心分別， 彼心亦如夢。
若人依正理， 以惠而修習，
棄背諸障染， 速得無上道。
此最勝般若， 諸佛所稱讚，
智者善籌量， 勤求無上法。
離有為過失， 證真常勝德，
由此解脫故， 一切無染著。」
時彼外道眾， 聞已生歡喜，
善觀察除疑， 得悟大乘智。
尼乾子問無我義經