聖者善清淨慧菩薩問品第四
Chapter 4: The Inquiry of the Sage, the Bodhisattva of Perfectly Pure Wisdom
爾時，聖者善清淨慧菩薩摩訶薩，依第一義過一異相，白佛言：「世尊！世尊善說希有妙法第一義諦——微細極細甚深之義過一異相——所謂難證。世尊！我憶往昔在於一處，見住信行地諸菩薩等集坐一處，思有為行、第一義諦為一、為異？有諸菩薩言：『有為行相異第一義。』復有菩薩作如是言：『非有為行異第一義。』而作是言：『有為之行不異第一義。』復有菩薩生於疑心而起異意，作如是言：『此諸菩薩中，何者是實說？何者虛妄說？何者是正念修行法？何者是邪念修行法？』世尊！我見彼諸菩薩，作是思惟：『此諸善男子等皆是愚癡，非善黠慧，不善知法，墮邪念中。』何以故？以不能知有為之行微細無相，過一異相，第一義相故。」
At that time, the noble Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Shàn Qīngjìng Huì, based on the ultimate truth that transcends the concepts of sameness and difference, addressed the Buddha, saying:
"World-Honored One, you have well taught the rare and wonderful Dharma, the ultimate truth—a subtle, extremely subtle, and profound meaning that transcends the concepts of sameness and difference—truly difficult to realize.
World-Honored One, I recall that in the past, I was in a certain place and saw a group of bodhisattvas who were abiding in the stage of faith gathered together, contemplating whether conditioned phenomena and the ultimate truth are the same or different.
Some bodhisattvas said: 'Conditioned phenomena are different from the ultimate truth.' Others said: 'Conditioned phenomena are not different from the ultimate truth,' and stated: 'Conditioned phenomena are not separate from the ultimate truth.'
Yet other bodhisattvas, filled with doubt and holding divergent views, said: 'Among these bodhisattvas, who speaks truly? Who speaks falsely? Which practice is based on right mindfulness? Which is based on wrong mindfulness?'
World-Honored One, when I saw those bodhisattvas, I thought: 'These good men are all foolish, lacking in wisdom, not truly understanding the Dharma, and have fallen into wrong views.' Why? Because they fail to understand that conditioned phenomena are subtle and formless, transcending the concepts of sameness and difference, which is the nature of the ultimate truth."
爾時，佛告善清淨慧菩薩摩訶薩言：「善清淨慧！如是，如是。彼諸一切善男子等皆是愚癡，不善黠慧，不知正法，墮邪念中。何以故？以不能知微細行相過一異相，第一義相故。何以故？善清淨慧！若有為行不異第一義相者，一切愚癡諸凡夫等悉亦應見第一義諦即凡夫身，亦應得彼無上清淨涅槃之樂，亦應得彼阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。
At that time, the Buddha addressed the Bodhisattva Mahasattva, Skillful Pure Wisdom, saying: "Skillful Pure Wisdom, it is so, it is so. All those good men are foolish, lacking in wisdom, not knowing the true Dharma, and have fallen into wrong views. Why is that? Because they fail to understand the subtle characteristics of actions, the fault of sameness and difference, and the characteristic of the ultimate truth. Why? Skillful Pure Wisdom, if conditioned actions were not different from the characteristic of the ultimate truth, then all foolish ordinary beings would also be able to perceive the ultimate truth in their own bodies, they would also attain the bliss of supreme, pure Nirvana, and they would also attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi."
「善清淨慧！若有為行不異第一義相者，見第一義諦時應見有為行相。若有為行相是有相者，相即是縛，不應得解脫。若見實諦不離相縛者，不應得解亦不得脫煩惱之縛；以不離彼二種縛故，不應得彼無上清淨涅槃之樂，亦不應得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。
Shariputra, if conditioned phenomena were not different from the ultimate truth, then when one sees the ultimate truth, one should also see the characteristics of conditioned phenomena. If the characteristics of conditioned phenomena are considered to be real characteristics, then characteristics themselves become a bondage, and liberation would be impossible. If, upon seeing the true reality, one does not free oneself from the bondage of characteristics, then one cannot be liberated from the bondage of afflictions either. Because one does not free oneself from these two kinds of bondage, one cannot attain the supreme, pure bliss of Nirvana, nor can one attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
「善清淨慧！以是義故，愚癡凡夫不見實諦，亦非即此凡夫之身得彼無上清淨涅槃，亦非即彼凡夫之身能得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。是故，見實諦者不應見彼有為、無為行相一之與異。是故，彼人見有為行相、第一義相，一、異之義不成一、異。善清淨慧！汝當應知，彼諸菩薩言有為之行、第一義相是一、是異者，彼諸菩薩非正念，是邪念。
Virtuous Pure Wisdom, for this reason, the foolish ordinary person does not see the true reality. It is not through this ordinary person’s body that one attains that supreme, pure Nirvana, nor is it through that ordinary person’s body that one attains Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, one who sees the true reality should not see conditioned and unconditioned phenomena as either identical or different. Thus, for that person, the idea that conditioned phenomena and ultimate truth are identical or different cannot be established as either identical or different. Virtuous Pure Wisdom, you should understand: those bodhisattvas who say that conditioned phenomena and ultimate truth are identical or different—they are not in right mindfulness, but in wrong mindfulness.
「復次，善清淨慧！若有為行相、第一義相二不異者，如有為行墮在染相，第一義相亦應墮染。善清淨慧！若有為行相離第一義相異者，如是，一切有為之行不應與彼第一義同故。善清淨慧！第一義諦不墮一切煩惱染中，以是得言有為之行、第一義諦得言同相。是故，善清淨慧！汝不應言有為行相、第一義諦有一、有異。
Furthermore, O Virtuous and Pure Wisdom! If the nature of conditioned phenomena and the nature of ultimate reality were not distinct, then just as the nature of conditioned phenomena is subject to defilement, the nature of ultimate reality would also be subject to defilement.
O Virtuous and Pure Wisdom! If the nature of conditioned phenomena were separate and distinct from the nature of ultimate reality, then all conditioned phenomena would not share the same essence as that ultimate reality.
O Virtuous and Pure Wisdom! The ultimate truth is not tainted by any afflictions or defilements. Therefore, it can be said that conditioned phenomena and the ultimate truth share a common nature. For this reason, O Virtuous and Pure Wisdom, you should not assert that the nature of conditioned phenomena and the ultimate truth are either identical or different.
「復次，善清淨慧！若有為行相、第一義相二不異者，第一義諦不異有為一切諸行，如是一切有為之行亦應不異第一義相；而彼有為異第一義——若不異者，如實行者見聞覺知有為行相，不應更求無上勝法。
Furthermore, O Virtuous Pure Wisdom, if the nature of conditioned phenomena and the nature of ultimate truth were not distinct, then ultimate truth would be no different from all conditioned phenomena. In that case, all conditioned phenomena would also be no different from the nature of ultimate truth. Yet, conditioned phenomena are distinct from ultimate truth. If they were not distinct, then practitioners who truly observe, hear, perceive, and know the nature of conditioned phenomena would have no need to seek the supreme, unsurpassed Dharma.
「善清淨慧！若有為行相、第一義相不異者，即有為行應名無我無自體相，是第一義相。
Sharply Pure Wisdom! If the conditioned phenomena and the ultimate truth were not different, then conditioned phenomena should be called selfless and without inherent nature—this is the characteristic of the ultimate truth.
「善清淨慧！復有過失，謂於一時差別異相——此是染相、此是淨相。是故，善清淨慧！第一義相異有為行相，而非不異有為行相。是故，彼諸如實行者見聞覺知，更求勝法。以如實知有為行故，得於無我第一義名，而不一時有染、有淨二相差別。是故，離彼有為行相、第一義相，不一、不異，義亦不成。
"Virtuous Pure Wisdom! There is yet another fault, which is to perceive at one time different characteristics—this is a defiled characteristic, that is a pure characteristic. Therefore, Virtuous Pure Wisdom! The ultimate truth's characteristic is different from the conditioned characteristics, yet it is not entirely separate from the conditioned characteristics. For this reason, those who practice according to reality, through seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing, seek even more sublime teachings. By truly understanding the conditioned characteristics, they attain the name of the ultimate truth of selflessness, yet they do not perceive at one time the two characteristics of defilement and purity. Therefore, apart from those conditioned characteristics and the ultimate truth's characteristic, they are neither identical nor different, and the meaning of this cannot be established."
「善清淨慧！彼諸菩薩作如是言：『有為行相、第一義相，不一、不異者，彼諸菩薩不名善說。』善清淨慧！汝當應知，彼諸菩薩不名正念如實修行，是名邪念。
Venerable Shanjinghui! Those bodhisattvas who make such a statement—'the conditioned nature and the ultimate truth are neither identical nor different'—are not speaking correctly. Venerable Shanjinghui! You should understand that those bodhisattvas are not practicing with right mindfulness in accordance with reality; this is called wrong mindfulness.
「善清淨慧！譬如珂白不可說一、不可說異；如是，金黃箜篌妙聲、沈水香味、蓽茇辛味、訶梨勒苦味、苷蔗甜味、兜羅柔軟蘇，乃至醍醐，不可說一、不可說異。善清淨慧！如是，一切有為行體、無常之相，不可說一、不可說異；一切有漏、所有苦相，不可說一、不可說異；一切法中無、我之相，不可說一、不可說異；貪瞋癡染、不寂靜相，不可說一、不可說異。善清淨慧！如是，一切有為之行、第一義相，不可說一、不可說異。
Excellent Pure Wisdom! Consider this: just as a conch shell cannot be said to be exactly one thing, nor can it be said to be entirely different from other things, so it is with all phenomena.
The beautiful sound of a golden harp, the fragrance of sandalwood, the pungent taste of long pepper, the bitter taste of myrobalan, the sweet taste of sugarcane, the softness of silk-cotton wool, and even the finest clarified butter—none of these can be said to be exactly one thing, nor can they be said to be entirely different from other things.
Excellent Pure Wisdom! In the same way: * The nature of all conditioned things—their impermanent characteristic—cannot be said to be exactly one thing, nor can it be said to be entirely different. * All that is tainted—its characteristic of suffering—cannot be said to be exactly one thing, nor can it be said to be entirely different. * The characteristic of non-self in all phenomena cannot be said to be exactly one thing, nor can it be said to be entirely different. * The characteristic of being stained and unpeaceful due to greed, hatred, and delusion cannot be said to be exactly one thing, nor can it be said to be entirely different.
Excellent Pure Wisdom! In this way, the ultimate nature of all conditioned things cannot be said to be exactly one thing, nor can it be said to be entirely different.
「善清淨慧！如是，我得細微細深甚深難證極難證過一異相第一義諦覺，覺已為人說示、開示、現示、建立。」
"Sharply Clear Wisdom! Thus, I have realized the ultimate truth that is subtle, profound, and extremely difficult to perceive, surpassing all distinctions of unity and difference. Having realized it, I explain, reveal, demonstrate, and establish it for others."
爾時，如來而說偈言：
At that moment, the Tathagata spoke these verses:
「有為界、實諦， 一、異相離相，
若分別一、異， 彼癡非正念。
彼人為相縛， 及為煩惱縛，
修毘婆奢那、 奢摩他得脫。」
The conditioned world and ultimate truth, are beyond the concepts of oneness and difference. If one clings to ideas of one or many, such confusion is not right mindfulness.
Bound by appearances and entangled by afflictions, one can be liberated through insight and calm abiding.