Section 7: Nothing Attained, Nothing Taught (in emptiness nothing is attained; in stillness nothing is said)

「須菩提！於意云何？如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提耶？如來有所說法耶？」

"Subhuti! What do you think? Has the Tathagata attained unsurpassed, perfect awakening? Does the Tathagata have a Dharma that he teaches?"

須菩提言：「如我解佛所說義，無有定法，名『阿耨多羅三藐三菩提』，

Subhuti said: "As I understand the meaning of what the Buddha has said, there is no fixed thing called 'anuttara-samyak-sambodhi',

亦無有定法，如來可說。

and there is also no fixed Dharma that the Tathagata can speak.

何以故？如來所說法。皆不可取、不可說；非法，非非法。

Why? The Dharma that the Tathagata speaks cannot be grasped and cannot be spoken; it is neither 'Dharma' nor 'non-Dharma'.

所以者何？一切賢聖，皆以無為法而有差別。」

What is the reason? Because all worthy ones and sages are distinguished, in the depth of their practice and realization, by the unconditioned Dharma (the Dharma that is not fabricated and neither arises nor ceases)."

「須菩提！於意云何？若人滿三千大千世界七寶以用佈施，是人所得福德，寧為多不？」

"Subhuti! What do you think? If someone filled the three-thousand great thousand worlds with the seven treasures and gave them in charity, would the merit that person obtains be great?"

須菩提言：「甚多，世尊！何以故？是福德即非福德性，是故如來說福德多。」

Subhuti said: "Very great, World-Honored One! Why? Because this merit is not of the nature of merit, but only a conditioned result; precisely for this reason the Tathagata calls it 'great'."

「若復有人，於此經中受持，乃至四句偈等，為他人說，其福勝彼。何以故？

"If another person can receive and uphold this sutra, even only four lines of its verses, and explain them to others, his merit surpasses that of the former person. Why?

須菩提！一切諸佛，及諸佛阿耨多羅三藐三菩提法，皆從此經出。

Subhuti! All Buddhas, and the Dharma of unsurpassed, perfect awakening realized by all Buddhas, come forth from this sutra.

須菩提！所謂佛法者，即非佛法，是名佛法。」

Subhuti! What is called the 'Buddha Dharma' is not a substance that can be grasped; it is only provisionally called the Buddha Dharma."

「須菩提！於意云何？須陀洹能作是念：『我得須陀洹果』不？」

"Subhuti! What do you think? Can a srota-apanna (one who has attained the first fruit) think: 'I have attained the fruit of srota-apanna'?"

須菩提言：「不也，世尊！何以故？須陀洹名為入流，而無所入；

Subhuti said: "No, World-Honored One! Why? Srota-apanna means 'stream-enterer', one who has just entered the stream of the noble ones, yet in truth he has not entered anywhere;

不入色、聲、香、味、觸、法，是名須陀洹。」

he no longer falls into form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or phenomena, and therefore he is called a srota-apanna."

「須菩提！於意云何？斯陀含能作是念：『我得斯陀含果』不？」

"Subhuti! What do you think? Can a sakrdagamin (one who has attained the second fruit) think: 'I have attained the fruit of sakrdagamin'?"

須菩提言：「不也，世尊！何以故？斯陀含名一往來，而實無往來，是名斯陀含。」

Subhuti said: "No, World-Honored One! Why? Sakrdagamin means 'once-returner', one who need go and return between the heavens and the human world only once more, yet in truth there is no going or returning at all, and therefore he is called a sakrdagamin."

「須菩提！於意云何？阿那含能作是念：『我得阿那含果』不？」

"Subhuti! What do you think? Can an anagamin (one who has attained the third fruit) think: 'I have attained the fruit of anagamin'?"

須菩提言：「不也，世尊！何以故？阿那含名為不來，而實無不來，是故名阿那含。」

Subhuti said: "No, World-Honored One! Why? Anagamin means 'non-returner', one who no longer returns to be reborn in the desire realm, yet in truth there is no 'non-returning' at all, and therefore he is called an anagamin."

「須菩提！於意云何？阿羅漢能作是念：『我得阿羅漢道』不？」

"Subhuti! What do you think? Can an arhat think: 'I have attained the path of arhat'?"

須菩提言：「不也，世尊！何以故？實無有法名阿羅漢。

Subhuti said: "No, World-Honored One! Why? Because in truth there is no fixed thing called an arhat.

世尊！若阿羅漢作是念：『我得阿羅漢道』即為著我、人、眾生、壽者。

World-Honored One! If an arhat were to think 'I have attained the path of arhat', that would be attachment to a self, a person, a being, and a lifespan.

世尊！佛說我得無諍三昧，人中最為第一，是第一離欲阿羅漢。

World-Honored One! The Buddha has said that I have attained the samadhi of non-contention (a meditative state in which the mind does not quarrel with others or give rise to opposition), and that I am foremost among people, the foremost arhat free from desire.

世尊！我不作是念：『我是離欲阿羅漢。』

World-Honored One! Yet I do not think: 'I am an arhat free from desire.'

世尊！我若作是念：『我得阿羅漢道。』世尊則不說須菩提是樂阿蘭那行者。

World-Honored One! If I had thought 'I have attained the path of arhat', the World-Honored One would not have said that Subhuti is one who delights in the practice of aranya (the practice of quiet, non-contending seclusion).

以須菩提實無所行，而名須菩提，是樂阿蘭那行。」

Precisely because Subhuti in truth has no thought of 'I am practicing something', he is called Subhuti, who delights in the practice of aranya."

佛告須菩提：「於意云何？如來昔在燃燈佛所，於法有所得不？」

The Buddha said to Subhuti: "What do you think? In the past, when the Tathagata was with Dipankara Buddha, did he attain anything in the Dharma?"

「不也，世尊！如來在燃燈佛所，於法實無所得。」

"No, World-Honored One! When the Tathagata was with Dipankara Buddha, he in fact attained nothing in the Dharma."

「須菩提！於意云何？菩薩莊嚴佛土不？」

"Subhuti! What do you think? Do Bodhisattvas adorn Buddha lands?"

「不也，世尊！何以故？莊嚴佛土者，即非莊嚴，是名莊嚴。」

"No, World-Honored One! Why? What is called adorning a Buddha land is not truly an adornment that can be grasped; it is only provisionally called adornment."

「是故，須菩提！諸菩薩摩訶薩，應如是生清淨心，

"Therefore, Subhuti! All great Bodhisattvas should give rise to a pure mind in this way:

不應住色生心，不應住聲、香、味、觸、法生心，應無所住而生其心。」

They should not give rise to a mind attached to form, nor give rise to a mind attached to sound, smell, taste, touch, or phenomena; they should give rise to that mind without attachment to anything."

「須菩提！譬如有人，身如須彌山王，於意云何？是身為大不？」

"Subhuti! Suppose someone had a body as tall as Sumeru, king of mountains; what do you think? Would this body be great?"

須菩提言：「甚大，世尊！何以故？佛說非身，是名大身。」

Subhuti said: "Very great, World-Honored One! But why do I say so? Because the Buddha says that this is not a real body that can be clung to; it is only provisionally called a great body."

「須菩提！如恆河中所有沙數，如是沙等恆河，於意云何？是諸恆河沙，寧為多不？」

"Subhuti! Suppose there were as many Ganges rivers as there are grains of sand in the Ganges; what do you think? Would the grains of sand in all those Ganges rivers be many?"

須菩提言：「甚多，世尊！但諸恆河，尚多無數，何況其沙。」

Subhuti said: "Very many, World-Honored One! Those Ganges rivers alone would already be too many to count, to say nothing of the grains of sand in them."

「須菩提！我今實言告汝：若有善男子、善女人，

"Subhuti! I now tell you the plain truth: if there were a good man or good woman

以七寶滿爾所恆河沙數三千大千世界，以用佈施，得福多不？」

who filled as many three-thousand great thousand worlds as there are grains of sand in all those Ganges rivers with the seven treasures and gave them in charity, would the merit obtained be great?"

須菩提言：「甚多，世尊！」

Subhuti said: "Very great, World-Honored One!"

佛告須菩提：「若善男子、善女人，

The Buddha said to Subhuti: "If a good man or good woman

於此經中，乃至受持四句偈等，為他人說，而此福德，勝前福德。」

receives and upholds even only four lines of verse from this sutra and explains them to others, this merit surpasses the former merit."

「復次，須菩提！隨說是經，乃至四句偈等，

"Furthermore, Subhuti! Wherever this sutra is explained, even only four lines of its verses,

當知此處，一切世間，天、人、阿修羅，皆應供養，如佛塔廟。何況有人，盡能受持讀誦。

you should know that all the devas, humans, and asuras of all the worlds should come to make offerings at that place, just as they would to a stupa or temple of the Buddha. How much more so if someone can fully receive, uphold, and recite the whole sutra.

須菩提！當知是人成就最上第一希有之法，若是經典所在之處，即為有佛，若尊重弟子。」

Subhuti! You should know that such a person has accomplished the supreme, foremost, rare Dharma. Wherever this scripture is, it is as if the Buddha is present, and as if the disciples revered by the Buddha are present."