持世經卷第四
Volume 4 of the Sutra of the Treasury of the True Dharma
姚秦龜茲三藏鳩摩羅什譯
Translated by Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva of Yao Qin
持世經八聖道分品第八
Chapter 8: The Noble Eightfold Path
「持世！何謂菩薩摩訶薩善能知道、菩薩摩訶薩安住道中？何等為道？所謂八聖道分：正見、正思惟、正語、正業、正命、正精進、正念、正定。
"Shìshì! What is meant by a great bodhisattva's skill in recognizing the path, and how does a great bodhisattva abide in the path? What is the path? It refers to the eightfold noble path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
「持世！何謂菩薩摩訶薩名為行八聖道分？何謂名為得八聖道分方便？菩薩摩訶薩得正見安住正見，為斷一切見故行道，為斷一切諸見故安住於道，乃至斷涅槃見佛見。何以故？持世！一切諸見皆名為邪，乃至涅槃見佛見；破壞一切貪著諸見故，名為正見。又無諸見無取諸見，不念不貪著不緣不行不分別一切諸見，是名正見。以是正見為見何等？見一切世間虛妄顛倒為諸見所縛。如是見時，名為安住斷一切見，於是正見亦不念不見不貪著分別，乃至涅槃見佛見，為不起一切見故行。
Hold Fast! What does it mean for a Bodhisattva-Mahasattva to practice the Eightfold Noble Path? What does it mean to attain skill in the Eightfold Noble Path? A Bodhisattva-Mahasattva gains right view and abides in it, practicing the path to cut off all views. They abide in the path to sever all views, even up to the views of nirvana and of Buddhahood. Why? Hold Fast! All views are called wrong, even the views of nirvana and Buddhahood. Because they destroy all clinging and attachment to views, this is called right view. Furthermore, having no views, not grasping at views, not thinking of them, not clinging to them, not depending on them, not practicing them, and not discriminating any views—this is called right view. With this right view, what is seen? It sees that all worlds are deluded and inverted, bound by views. Seeing thus, one is said to abide in cutting off all views. In this right view, one does not think of it, does not see it, does not cling to it, and does not discriminate, even up to the views of nirvana and Buddhahood, practicing so as not to give rise to any views.
「云何名為正見？一切法寂滅，念相不生不滅同於涅槃。如是亦不念不分別是一切法，不念不分別不現在前，不正不邪不取不捨，是名出世間正見。何故名為出世間正見？是人不得世間不得出世間，度世間已無所分別，是故名為出世間正見。正見者如知見世間，出世間亦如是，是人不復分別是世間是出世間，斷諸憶想分別，名為出世間正見。是人不見邪不見正，斷一切心所念，名為正見。又正見者，於諸法中更無差別，是故說名正見。又正見者，如實知諸邪見義。又正見者，觀諸邪見即是平等。是名菩薩摩訶薩安住正見。
What is called Right View? All phenomena are utterly still; thoughts neither arise nor cease, equal to nirvana. Thus, without thinking or discriminating any phenomenon, without thoughts or distinctions appearing before the mind, without leaning toward right or wrong, without grasping or rejecting—this is called the supramundane Right View. Why is it called the supramundane Right View? Because this person does not grasp the mundane nor the supramundane; having transcended the world, there is nothing left to discriminate. Therefore it is called the supramundane Right View. One with Right View sees the world as it truly is, and likewise sees the supramundane—such a person no longer distinguishes "this is the world" or "this is beyond the world." Cutting off all memories and mental fabrications is called the supramundane Right View. Such a person sees neither wrong nor right, and cuts off all mental grasping—this is called Right View. Furthermore, Right View means there is no longer any distinction among all phenomena, and so it is called Right View. Again, Right View is truly understanding the meaning of all wrong views. And again, Right View sees that all wrong views are inherently equal. This is what it means for a great bodhisattva to abide in Right View.
「持世！菩薩摩訶薩住正見中，如實知正思惟，作是念：『一切思惟皆為是邪，乃至涅槃思惟佛思惟皆是邪思惟。何以故？斷諸分別名為正思惟。』無所分別名為正分別，斷分別是正分別。何以故？是人知見一切思惟相已則無有邪，是人更不分別是此是彼，住如是正分別中，更不得諸分別若正若邪。如是之人離諸分別、過諸分別故，說名正思惟。正思惟者，即是分別知見一切分別皆虛誑不實從顛倒起，諸分別中無有分別。是人安住正思惟，更不得分別若正若邪，離諸分別、過諸分別、斷諸分別故，說名正分別。是人爾時於一切分別中無所繫縛，知見諸分別性皆平等故，是名安住正思惟。
"Upholding the World! A great bodhisattva who abides in right view truly understands right thought, thinking: 'All thoughts are wrong, even thoughts of nirvana and thoughts of the Buddha are wrong thoughts. Why? Because cutting off all discrimination is called right thought.' Non-discrimination is called right discrimination; cutting off discrimination is right discrimination. Why? Because such a person, having seen and understood the nature of all thoughts, has no wrongness. Such a person no longer discriminates between 'this' or 'that.' Abiding in such right discrimination, they no longer find any discrimination, whether right or wrong. Such a person, being free from all discriminations and having gone beyond them, is said to have right thought. Right thought is precisely the discrimination that sees and understands all discriminations as false, unreal, and arising from delusion, and within all discriminations there is no discrimination. Such a person, abiding in right thought, finds no discrimination, whether right or wrong, and being free from all discriminations, having gone beyond them, and having cut them off, is said to have right discrimination. At that time, such a person is not bound by any discrimination, and seeing and understanding that the nature of all discriminations is equal, this is called abiding in right thought."
「持世！菩薩摩訶薩勤集正語，是人見一切語言虛妄不實從顛倒起，但憶想分別從眾因緣有，作是念：『是語言相語言中不可得，滅一切語，如實知一切口業，名為正語。是語言無所從來亦無所去，能如是見者，名為正語。是人爾時安住實相中，有所語言皆是正語，是故說安住正語中。是人得住第一清淨口業，亦知見諸口業相，亦通達一切語言。是人所說終不有邪，是故說名住於正語。』
"Someśvara! A great bodhisattva who diligently cultivates right speech sees that all words are illusory and unreal, arising from delusion. They are merely mental fabrications and discriminations that come into being through various conditions. Reflecting thus: 'The nature of speech cannot be found within speech itself. When all speech ceases, one truly understands all verbal actions—this is called right speech. Speech does not come from anywhere, nor does it go anywhere. One who sees it this way is said to possess right speech.' At that moment, this person abides in reality itself, and whatever they say is right speech. Therefore, it is said that they dwell in right speech. Such a person attains the foremost pure verbal action, sees and understands the characteristics of all verbal actions, and comprehends all forms of language. What such a person says is never false, and thus they are described as one who dwells in right speech."
「持世！菩薩摩訶薩善知一切語業皆是邪業，知一切諸業虛妄無所有不作不起。何以故？諸業中無一決定，滅一切業名為正業。正業者，於業不分別若正若邪，入諸業平等故，不分別業若正若邪，是故說名正業。又正業者，則是不繫三界義，如實知見義，如實平等中更無分別是正是邪。菩薩行如是正業，如實知見一切業故，如實於法無取無捨，是故說名行正業。正業中無有邪業，是人如實知見故，說名住於正業中。
"Śūraṅgama, a great bodhisattva-mahāsattva truly understands that all forms of verbal action are actually misdirected actions. He understands that all actions are illusory, without inherent existence, not created, and not arising. Why? Because within any action, there is no fixed essence. The cessation of all actions is called right action. As for right action, one does not distinguish between right and wrong actions, because one has entered into the equality of all actions. Without discriminating between actions as right or wrong, this is therefore called right action. Moreover, right action means not being bound by the three realms of existence, and it means seeing and knowing reality as it truly is. In true equality, there is no further distinction between right and wrong. A bodhisattva who practices such right action, because he truly sees and knows all actions, genuinely neither grasps nor rejects phenomena. This is therefore called practicing right action. Within right action, there is no wrong action. Because this person truly sees and knows, he is said to abide in right action."
「持世！何謂菩薩摩訶薩善知一切諸命皆是邪命？何以故？若有命相法相取相，乃至涅槃相佛相，乃至清淨佛法相，住於是中作清淨命，皆名邪命。正命者，捨諸資生所著，斷諸販賣，不分別不戲論，過一切戲論，是名正命。正命中更不分別是邪命是正命，即得一切清淨命，是故說名得清淨正命。又一切諸命皆不生，無有邪正，是人名為得清淨命。安住正道無有戲論，住是正命中，不取正命不捨邪命，是故說名住正命中。是人爾時不名住正不名住邪，得清淨平等命，離於命相無動無作，不念命不念非命，但名為如實知者如實見者，是故說名住正命中。
"Upholder of the World! What does it mean for a Bodhisattva Mahasattva to skillfully know that all forms of livelihood are erroneous? Why? If one holds to a view of life, a view of phenomena, or clings to any sign—even up to a sign of nirvana, a sign of Buddhahood, or a sign of pure Buddhist teachings—and rests in these, considering it a pure livelihood, all of this is called erroneous livelihood.
Right livelihood means letting go of attachments to material sustenance, abandoning all forms of buying and selling, not discriminating, not engaging in conceptual elaboration, and going beyond all conceptual elaboration. This is called right livelihood. Within right livelihood, one no longer distinguishes between erroneous livelihood and right livelihood, and thereby attains all pure livelihood. Therefore, it is said that one has attained pure right livelihood.
Furthermore, all forms of livelihood are unborn by nature—there is no erroneous or right. Such a person is said to have attained pure livelihood. Abiding on the right path without any conceptual elaboration, dwelling in this right livelihood, one neither clings to right livelihood nor rejects erroneous livelihood. Therefore, it is said that one dwells in right livelihood.
At that time, such a person is not said to dwell in right or to dwell in erroneous, but has attained a pure and equal livelihood, free from the notion of livelihood, unmoving and unconditioned. One does not think of livelihood or non-livelihood, but is merely called one who knows reality as it is and sees reality as it is. Therefore, it is said that one dwells in right livelihood."
「持世！何謂菩薩摩訶薩善知正精進、菩薩摩訶薩住正精進？若菩薩為斷一切精進道故，名為住正精進。何以故？一切精進皆為是邪，諸有所發有作有行皆名為邪。何以故？一切法皆是邪作，有所發作皆是虛妄，若虛妄者即亦是邪。正精進者，無發無作無行無願，一切法中斷有所作。是菩薩於一切法中斷有所作，乃至涅槃相佛相中不生有所作相，是人善知一切所作皆為虛妄，為無所作故行道若是。正者則無所作，一切法平等無差別，無有所作過所作相。是菩薩善知精進非是精進道，不取不捨故說名住正精進。正精進者，即是諸精進不可得義，即是諸法如實知見義。所謂正精進如是見者，不復分別是邪精進是正精進，是故說名正精進。
「持世！何謂菩薩摩訶薩善知正念？菩薩摩訶薩知見一切念皆是邪念，有所念處皆是邪念。何以故？一切念是邪念，若於處所念生皆是邪念，無憶無念是名正念。何以故？一切念從虛妄因緣起，是故有生念處皆為邪念。若於處所無生無滅是名正念，無有處所起念業，是名安住清淨念中，無處生邪念。是人知見一切法皆為是邪，是正法中無念，是故說安住正念中。
"Śribhadra! What does it mean for a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva to skillfully understand right mindfulness? The Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva sees and knows that all thoughts are erroneous thoughts—wherever there is thought, it is erroneous. Why? Because all thoughts are erroneous. Wherever thought arises, it is erroneous. No memory and no thought—this is called right mindfulness. Why? Because all thoughts arise from false causes and conditions, therefore any place where thought arises is erroneous. Where there is neither arising nor ceasing—this is called right mindfulness. Without any place where thoughts arise as actions, this is called abiding in pure mindfulness, with no place for erroneous thoughts to arise. Such a person sees and knows all dharmas as erroneous, and in this true dharma there is no thought. Therefore, it is said they abide in right mindfulness."
「又正念者，於法無有分別是正念是邪念，是人通達一切念皆無念相，常行六捨心故說名住正念。是人更無所貪樂，亦不分別是無念，以諸法平等通達一切念。是人如實知見一切念故，若念若非念無取無捨，是故說安住正念中。是人所念更不分別是等是不等，於念非念不隨不緣，以無緣故知一切念非念，若念若非念不復在心。是人安住正念故，不可說不可示，斷一切語言，離一切語言，如實知一切語言，不分別此彼故，說名安住正念。
Moreover, regarding right mindfulness: one does not distinguish between right mindfulness and wrong mindfulness regarding phenomena. Such a person understands that all mindfulness is devoid of any fixed characteristic of mindfulness. Because they constantly practice the six kinds of equanimity—letting go with an equal mind—they are said to abide in right mindfulness.
Such a person no longer craves or clings to anything, nor do they discriminate between being mindful or not being mindful. Since all phenomena are equal, they fully understand all forms of mindfulness. Because they see clearly and truly into all mindfulness, they neither grasp nor reject what is mindful or not mindful. Therefore, they are said to rest peacefully in right mindfulness.
What they are mindful of is no longer divided into equal or unequal states. They do not follow or attach to mindfulness or non-mindfulness. Because there is no attachment, they realize that all mindfulness is, in essence, not mindfulness. Whether it is mindfulness or not mindfulness, it no longer occupies their mind.
Because such a person abides in right mindfulness, it cannot be described or shown. They have cut off all speech, transcended all language, and yet truly understand all language. Without discriminating between this or that, they are said to abide in right mindfulness.
「持世！何謂菩薩摩訶薩安住正定？菩薩摩訶薩觀一切定皆是邪定。何以故？凡諸法中，所取緣定相，所取知定相，所取三昧戲論定相，皆名為邪。邪者即是貪著義，是定不爾，如所緣取相不取相，無求無戲論無憶念，名為正定。若不貪著不分別此彼，斷貪著喜不受定味，壞取定相心無所住，是名正定。又正定者，不依止一切定中而不戲論，如實通達法之本體，善知定相心不貪著，欲破彼此念道，如是語亦不分別，斷一切分別故，名為正定。
"Śriputra! What is meant by a bodhisattva-mahāsattva abiding in right concentration? A bodhisattva-mahāsattva observes that all concentrations are actually wrong concentration. Why? Because in all phenomena, any concentration that relies on grasping at characteristics, any concentration that relies on grasping at knowledge, any concentration that involves conceptual proliferation about meditative absorption—all these are called wrong. 'Wrong' means attachment. But this concentration is not like that; it does not grasp at characteristics nor reject them, it has no seeking, no conceptual proliferation, no recollection—this is called right concentration. If one does not attach, does not discriminate between this and that, cuts off attachment and delight, does not savor the taste of absorption, destroys the grasping at concentration's characteristics, and the mind rests nowhere—this is called right concentration. Furthermore, right concentration does not rely on any concentration, yet does not engage in conceptual proliferation. It truly understands the essence of phenomena, skillfully knows the characteristics of concentration without attachment, and seeks to transcend thoughts of 'this' and 'that.' Even such words are not discriminated, because all discrimination is cut off—this is called right concentration.
「又正定中更不生邪正想，破一切想、斷一切想、滅一切想故，名為正定。正定者，不生邪正不分別邪正，是名正定。何以故？是菩薩通達諸定方便住是正定中，不復為若定若定相所繫，過諸定相，故說名正定。正定名於法無所戲論，諸法平等中無有戲論，所謂是正是邪。正定者，即是諸法平等義。正定者，能出諸禪定三界一切有為法，能如實知見一切五道生死義。持世！是名諸菩薩摩訶薩住如是定中，名為得正定方便，名為善知道、善知道方便，所謂如實知見能至涅槃道。
Furthermore, in true samādhi, one no longer holds even the concepts of "proper" or "improper." Because it shatters all concepts, severs all concepts, and extinguishes all concepts, it is called true samādhi. In true samādhi, one does not give rise to distinctions between proper and improper, nor does one discriminate between them—this is what is called true samādhi.
Why? Because this bodhisattva has thoroughly penetrated all samādhis through skillful means. Abiding in this true samādhi, he is no longer bound by either samādhi or the characteristics of samādhi. Having gone beyond all characteristics of samādhi, it is called true samādhi.
True samādhi means having no mental fabrication regarding all phenomena. Within the equality of all phenomena, there is no fabrication such as "this is proper" or "this is improper." True samādhi is precisely the meaning of the equality of all phenomena.
True samādhi can transcend all meditative absorptions, the three realms, and all conditioned phenomena. It enables one to see and know, as they truly are, the nature of birth and death across the five realms of existence.
Holder of the Treasury! This is what is called: when all great bodhisattvas abide in such samādhi, they are said to have attained the skillful means of true samādhi. They are said to be skilled in knowing the path, skilled in the means of knowing the path—namely, seeing and knowing, as it truly is, the path that leads to nirvāṇa.