Section 13: Receiving and Upholding in Accord with the Dharma (one should receive and uphold in accord with this Dharma)

爾時，須菩提白佛言：「世尊！當何名此經？我等云何奉持？」

Then Subhuti said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! What should this sutra be called? How should we honor and uphold it?"

佛告須菩提：「是經名為金剛般若波羅蜜，以是名字，汝當奉持。所以者何？

The Buddha said to Subhuti: "This sutra is called the Diamond Prajnaparamita, and by this name you should honor and uphold it. What is the reason?

須菩提！佛說般若波羅蜜，即非般若波羅蜜。是名般若波羅蜜。

Subhuti! The prajnaparamita that the Buddha speaks of (prajna, pronounced "bore" in Chinese, means the wisdom that sees into true reality, different from worldly cleverness; paramita means "gone to the other shore") is not a substance that can be grasped; it is only provisionally called prajnaparamita.

須菩提！於意云何？如來有所說法不？」

Subhuti! What do you think? Does the Tathagata have a Dharma that he teaches?"

須菩提白佛言：「世尊！如來無所說。」

Subhuti said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! The Tathagata has not taught anything."

「須菩提！於意云何？三千大千世界所有微塵，是為多不？」

"Subhuti! What do you think? Are all the specks of dust in the three-thousand great thousand worlds many?"

須菩提言：「甚多，世尊！」

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

「須菩提！諸微塵，如來說非微塵，是名微塵。如來說：世界，非世界，是名世界。

"Subhuti! Of these specks of dust the Tathagata says that they are not real specks of dust to be clung to; they are only provisionally called specks of dust. The worlds that the Tathagata speaks of are also not real worlds to be clung to; they are only provisionally called worlds.

須菩提！於意云何？可以三十二相見如來不？」

Subhuti! What do you think? Can the Tathagata be seen by means of the thirty-two marks?"

「不也，世尊！不可以三十二相得見如來。何以故？

"No, World-Honored One! The Tathagata cannot be seen by means of the thirty-two marks. Why?

如來說：三十二相，即是非相，是名三十二相。」

Because the thirty-two marks that the Tathagata speaks of are not real and unchanging marks; they are only provisionally called the thirty-two marks."

「須菩提！若有善男子、善女人，以恆河沙等身命佈施；

"Subhuti! If a good man or good woman gave in charity as many bodies and lives as there are grains of sand in the Ganges;

若復有人，於此經中，乃至受持四句偈等，為他人說，其福甚多！」

and another person received and upheld this sutra, even only four lines of its verses, and explained them to others, his merit would be far greater!"

爾時，須菩提聞說是經，深解義趣，涕淚悲泣，而白佛言：

Then Subhuti, hearing the Buddha explain this sutra, deeply grasped its meaning and purpose, was moved to tears, and said to the Buddha:

「希有世尊！佛說如是甚深經典，我從昔來所得慧眼，未曾得聞如是之經。

"How rare, World-Honored One! In the Buddha's teaching of such an extremely profound scripture, with the eye of wisdom I have attained in the past, I have never heard such a sutra.

世尊！若復有人，得聞是經，信心清淨，則生實相，當知是人，成就第一希有功德。

World-Honored One! If someone hears this sutra and his faith is pure and unmixed, he will thereby give rise to true reality (the true original face of all things), and you should know that this person has accomplished the foremost rare merit.

世尊！是實相者，則是非相，是故如來說名實相。

World-Honored One! What is called true reality is in fact not a mark that can be grasped; precisely for this reason the Tathagata calls it true reality.

世尊！我今得聞如是經典，信解受持，不足為難；

World-Honored One! That I now can hear such a scripture, and can believe, understand, accept, and uphold it without forgetting, is not yet difficult;

若當來世，後五百歲，其有眾生，得聞是經，信解受持，是人則為第一希有。

if in a future age, in the fifth five-hundred years after the Buddha's passing, there are beings who can hear this sutra and believe, understand, receive, and uphold it, then that person is truly foremost and rare.

何以故？此人無我相、無人相、無眾生相、無壽者相。所以者何？

Why? Because this person has no notion of a self, no notion of a person, no notion of a being, and no notion of a lifespan. What is the reason?

我相，即是非相；人相、眾生相、壽者相，即是非相。何以故？

Because the notion of a self is fundamentally not a real notion; and the notions of a person, a being, and a lifespan are likewise not real notions. Why?

離一切諸相，則名諸佛。」

Because to be apart from all notions is called a Buddha."

佛告須菩提：「如是，如是！

The Buddha said to Subhuti: "Just so, just so!

若復有人，得聞是經，不驚、不怖、不畏，當知是人，甚為希有。何以故？

If someone hears this sutra and is not startled, not alarmed, and not afraid, you should know that this person is extremely rare. Why?

須菩提！如來說：第一波羅蜜，即非第一波羅蜜，是名第一波羅蜜。

Subhuti! The foremost paramita that the Tathagata speaks of is not a foremost paramita that can be grasped; it is only provisionally called the foremost paramita.

須菩提！忍辱波羅蜜，如來說非忍辱波羅蜜。是名忍辱波羅密。

Subhuti! As for the paramita of patience, the Tathagata says it is not a paramita of patience that can be grasped; it is only provisionally called the paramita of patience. (In the source text the last word of the phrase has a miswritten character for "mi", which should be the correct one.)

何以故？須菩提！如我昔為歌利王割截身體，我於爾時，無我相、無人相、無眾生相、無壽者相。

Why? Subhuti! Just as when I was cut apart limb by limb by King Kali in the past, at that time I had no notion of a self, no notion of a person, no notion of a being, and no notion of a lifespan.

何以故？我於往昔，節節支解時，若有我相、人相、眾生相、壽者相，應生瞋恨。

Why do I say this? Because when I was dismembered joint by joint in the past, if I had still had the notion of a self, a person, a being, or a lifespan, I would have given rise to anger and hatred.

須菩提！又念過去，於五百世，作忍辱仙人，於爾所世，無我相、無人相、無眾生相、無壽者相。

Subhuti! I also recall that in the past, for five hundred lifetimes, I was a sage practicing patience, and in all those lifetimes I likewise had no notion of a self, no notion of a person, no notion of a being, and no notion of a lifespan.

是故須菩提！菩薩應離一切相，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。

Therefore, Subhuti! A Bodhisattva should be apart from all notions in giving rise to the mind of unsurpassed, perfect awakening.

不應住色生心，不應住聲、香、味、觸、法生心，應生無所住心。若心有住，則為非住。」

He should not give rise to a mind attached to form, nor to a mind attached to sound, smell, taste, touch, or phenomena; he should give rise to a mind that is attached to nothing. If the mind is attached to or dwells on something, that is, on the contrary, not true abiding."

「是故佛說：菩薩心不應住色佈施。須菩提！菩薩為利益一切眾生故，應如是佈施。

"Therefore the Buddha says: the mind of a Bodhisattva should not practice giving while attached to form. Subhuti! For the benefit of all beings, a Bodhisattva should give in just this way.

如來說：一切諸相，即是非相。又說：一切眾生，即非眾生。

The Tathagata says: all notions are not real notions. He also says: all beings are not beings that can be grasped.

須菩提！如來是真語者、實語者、如語者、不誑語者、不異語者。」

Subhuti! The Tathagata is one who speaks the truth, one who speaks what is real, one who speaks things as they are, one who does not speak falsely, and one who does not say one thing and then another."

「須菩提！如來所得法，此法無實無虛。

"Subhuti! The Dharma attained by the Tathagata is neither real nor unreal.

須菩提！若菩薩心住於法而行佈施，如人入暗，則無所見；

Subhuti! If a Bodhisattva's mind is attached to the Dharma in giving, he is like a person who enters darkness and can see nothing;

若菩薩心不住法而行佈施，如人有目，日光明照，見種種色。」

if a Bodhisattva's mind is not attached to the Dharma in giving, he is like a person who has eyes and is lit by the light of the sun, and can see all kinds of forms and colors."

「須菩提！當來之世，若有善男子、善女人，能於此經，受持讀誦，則為如來，以佛智慧，

"Subhuti! In future ages, if there are good men or good women who can receive, uphold, and recite this sutra, the Tathagata, with the wisdom of a Buddha,

悉知是人，悉見是人，皆得成就無量無邊功德。」

fully knows and fully sees these people, and they will all accomplish immeasurable and boundless merit."

「須菩提！若有善男子、善女人，

"Subhuti! If there were a good man or good woman who,

初日分以恆河沙等身佈施，

in the first part of the day, gave in charity as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges,

中日分復以恆河沙等身佈施，

in the middle part of the day gave again in charity as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges,

後日分亦以恆河沙等身佈施，

and in the last part of the day likewise gave in charity as many bodies as there are grains of sand in the Ganges,

如是無量百千萬億劫，以身佈施；

and who went on giving bodies in this way for immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of kalpas;

若復有人，聞此經典，信心不逆，其福勝彼，何況書寫、受持、讀誦、為人解說。」

“But if another person hears this sutra and his faith does not turn to opposition, his merit surpasses that of the former person; how much more so if he goes on to copy it, uphold it, recite it, and explain it to others.”

「須菩提！以要言之，是經有不可思議、不可稱量、無邊功德。

“Subhuti! To put it briefly, this sutra has inconceivable, immeasurable, boundless merit.

如來為發大乘者說，為發最上乘者說。

The Tathagata teaches it for those who have set out on the Great Vehicle, and for those who have set out on the Supreme Vehicle.

若有人能受持讀誦，廣為人說，如來悉知是人，悉見是人，

If someone is able to uphold and recite it and explain it widely to others, the Tathagata fully knows that person and fully sees that person,

皆得成就不可量、不可稱、無有邊、不可思議功德。」

and they will all accomplish merit that is immeasurable, indescribable, boundless, and inconceivable.”

「如是人等，則為荷擔如來阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。

“Such a person is carrying the Tathagata’s unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening on his own shoulders.

何以故？須菩提！若樂小法者，著我見、人見、眾生見、壽者見，

Why is that? Subhuti! Those who delight in the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle are attached to the view of a self, the view of a person, the view of a sentient being, and the view of a life span,

則於此經不能聽受、讀誦，為人解說。」

and so they cannot hear and accept this sutra, nor recite it, nor explain it to others.”

「須菩提！在在處處，若有此經，一切世間，天、人、阿修羅，所應供養；

“Subhuti! Wherever this sutra is found, all the gods, humans, and asuras of every world should come to make offerings there;

當知此處，則為是塔，皆應恭敬，作禮圍遶，以諸華香而散其處。」

you should know that this place is equal to a stupa, and everyone should respectfully bow to it and walk around it in circumambulation, scattering all kinds of incense and flowers in this place.”