Chapter 16: Being Able to Purify Karmic Obstructions (“If one can be pure, karmic obstructions are wholly dissolved”)

「復次，須菩提！善男子、善女人，受持讀誦此經，

“Furthermore, Subhuti! If good men and good women uphold and recite this sutra,

若為人輕賤，是人先世罪業，應墮惡道，

and yet are instead looked down upon and despised by others, it is because the sins of that person’s past lives should have caused him to fall into the evil realms,

以今世人輕賤故，先世罪業則為消滅，當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」

but because he is despised and belittled in this present life, the sins of his past lives are thereby extinguished, and he will surely attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”

「須菩提！我念過去無量阿僧祇劫，於燃燈佛前，

“Subhuti! I recall that in the past, through immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas, before I met Dipamkara Buddha,

得值八百四千萬億那由他諸佛，悉皆供養承事，無空過者；

I met eight hundred four thousand myriads of nayutas (an immensely large unit of number) of Buddhas, and I made offerings to and served every one of them, none passing by in vain;

若復有人，於後末世，能受持讀誦此經，所得功德，

yet if someone in the later Age of Decline is able to uphold and recite this sutra, the merit he gains,

於我所供養諸佛功德，百分不及一，千萬億分、乃至算數譬喻所不能及。」

compared with the merit of my making offerings to so many Buddhas, mine does not come up to one hundredth of his, nor one part in a thousand myriads of billions, and not even any number or analogy can compare with it.”

「須菩提！若善男子，善女人，於後末世，有受持讀誦此經，

“Subhuti! If good men and good women in the later Age of Decline uphold and recite this sutra,

所得功德，我若具說者，或有人聞，心則狂亂，狐疑不信。

and I were to tell in full the merit they gain, some who heard it might become mentally confused, filled with doubt and unwilling to believe.

須菩提！當知是經義不可思議，果報亦不可思議！」

Subhuti! You should know that the meaning of this sutra is inconceivable, and its karmic fruit is also inconceivable!”

爾時，須菩提白佛言：「世尊！善男子、善女人，

At that time Subhuti said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! When good men and good women

發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，云何應住？云何降伏其心？」

set out on the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, where should they let this mind abide? And how should they subdue it?”

佛告須菩提：「善男子、善女人，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心者，

The Buddha told Subhuti: “Good men and good women who have set out on the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening

當生如是心：我應滅度一切眾生。滅度一切眾生已，而無有一眾生實滅度者。何以故？

should give rise to this thought: I should lead all sentient beings to liberation. Yet after all sentient beings have been liberated, in truth not a single sentient being has been liberated. Why is that?

須菩提！若菩薩有我相、人相、眾生相、壽者相，則非菩薩。所以者何？

Subhuti! If a Bodhisattva still has the mark of a self, the mark of a person, the mark of a sentient being, or the mark of a life span, he is not a Bodhisattva. What is the reason for this?

須菩提！實無有法，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心者。」

Subhuti! Because in reality there is no fixed thing called ‘one who sets out on the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’”

「須菩提！於意云何？如來於燃燈佛所，有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不？」

“Subhuti! What do you think? When the Tathagata was with Dipamkara Buddha, was there any dharma by which he attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?”

「不也，世尊！如我解佛所說義，佛於燃燈佛所，無有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」

“No, World-Honored One! As I understand the meaning of what the Buddha has said, when the Buddha was with Dipamkara Buddha, there was no dharma by which he attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”

佛言：「如是，如是！須菩提！實無有法，如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。

The Buddha said: “Just so, just so! Subhuti! In reality there is no dharma by which the Tathagata attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.

須菩提！若有法，如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提者，燃燈佛則不與我授記：

Subhuti! If there really were a dharma by which the Tathagata attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, Dipamkara Buddha would not have given me the prediction, saying:

『汝於來世，當得作佛，號釋迦牟尼。』以實無有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，

‘In a future age you will become a Buddha, named Shakyamuni.’ It is precisely because in reality there is no dharma by which one attains unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening

是故燃燈佛與我授記，作是言：『汝於來世，當得作佛，號釋迦牟尼。』

that Dipamkara Buddha gave me the prediction, saying: ‘In a future age you will become a Buddha, named Shakyamuni.’

何以故？如來者，即諸法如義。」

Why is that? Because ‘Tathagata’ means the suchness of all things, that ‘thus’ which they originally are.”

「若有人言：如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。

“If someone says: the Tathagata has attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening,

須菩提！實無有法，佛得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。

Subhuti! in reality there is no dharma by which the Buddha attained unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.

須菩提！如來所得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，於是中無實無虛。

Subhuti! The unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening attained by the Tathagata is, within it, neither real nor unreal.

是故如來說：一切法皆是佛法。

Therefore the Tathagata says: all dharmas are Buddha-dharmas.

須菩提！所言一切法者，即非一切法，是故名一切法。」

Subhuti! What are called ‘all dharmas’ are not all dharmas that can be grasped; precisely for that reason they are called all dharmas.”

「須菩提！譬如人身長大。」

“Subhuti! It is like saying that a person has a huge, tall body.”

須菩提言：「世尊！如來說：人身長大，則為非大身，是名大身。」

Subhuti said: “World-Honored One! What the Tathagata calls a huge body is not a truly real body that can be grasped; it is only provisionally called a huge body.”

「須菩提！菩薩亦如是。若作是言：我當滅度無量眾生，則不名菩薩。何以故？

“Subhuti! It is the same with a Bodhisattva. If he says: I will liberate immeasurable sentient beings, then he cannot be called a Bodhisattva. Why is that?

須菩提！實無有法名為菩薩。是故佛說一切法，無我、無人、無眾生、無壽者。」

Subhuti! Because in reality there is no fixed thing called a Bodhisattva. Therefore the Buddha says that all dharmas have no self, no person, no sentient being, and no life span.”

「須菩提！若菩薩作是言：『我當莊嚴佛土』，是不名菩薩。何以故？

“Subhuti! If a Bodhisattva says: ‘I will adorn Buddha-lands,’ then he cannot be called a Bodhisattva. Why is that?

如來說：莊嚴佛土者，即非莊嚴，是名莊嚴。」

Because the Tathagata says: what are called the adornment of Buddha-lands are not adornments that can be grasped; they are only provisionally called adornment.”

「須菩提！若菩薩通達無我、法者，如來說名真是菩薩。」

“Subhuti! If a Bodhisattva thoroughly understands the principles of ‘no self’ and ‘no dharma,’ the Tathagata says that he is truly called a Bodhisattva.”

「須菩提！於意云何？如來有肉眼不？」

“Subhuti! What do you think? Does the Tathagata have the physical eye?”

「如是，世尊！如來有肉眼。」

“Yes, World-Honored One! The Tathagata has the physical eye.”

「須菩提！於意云何？如來有天眼不？」

“Subhuti! What do you think? Does the Tathagata have the heavenly eye?”

「如是，世尊！如來有天眼。」

“Yes, World-Honored One! The Tathagata has the heavenly eye.”

「須菩提！於意云何？如來有慧眼不？」

“Subhuti! What do you think? Does the Tathagata have the wisdom eye?”

「如是，世尊！如來有慧眼。」

“Yes, World-Honored One! The Tathagata has the wisdom eye.”

「須菩提！於意云何？如來有法眼不？」

“Subhuti! What do you think? Does the Tathagata have the Dharma eye?”

「如是，世尊！如來有法眼。」

“Yes, World-Honored One! The Tathagata has the Dharma eye.”

「須菩提！於意云何？如來有佛眼不？」

“Subhuti! What do you think? Does the Tathagata have the Buddha eye?”

「如是，世尊！如來有佛眼。」

“Yes, World-Honored One! The Tathagata has the Buddha eye.”

「須菩提！於意云何？如恆河中所有沙，佛說是沙不？」

“Subhuti! What do you think? Of the grains of sand in the Ganges River, has the Buddha said that they are sand?”

「如是，世尊！如來說是沙。」

“Yes, World-Honored One! The Tathagata has said that they are sand.”

「須菩提！於意云何？如一恆河中所有沙，有如是沙等恆河，是諸恆河所有沙數，佛世界如是，寧為多不？」

“Subhuti! What do you think? Suppose there were as many Ganges Rivers as there are grains of sand in a single Ganges River; and suppose the number of all the grains of sand in all those Ganges Rivers were the number of Buddha-worlds. Would that be many?”

「甚多，世尊。」

“Very many, World-Honored One.”

佛告須菩提：「爾所國土中，所有眾生，若干種心，如來悉知。何以故？

The Buddha told Subhuti: “Among all those lands, the Tathagata fully knows every kind of thought in the minds of all the sentient beings there. Why is that?

如來說：諸心皆為非心，是名為心。所以者何？

Because the Tathagata says: all these minds are not truly real minds that can be grasped; they are only provisionally called minds. What is the reason for this?

須菩提！過去心不可得，現在心不可得，未來心不可得。」

Subhuti! The past mind has already passed and cannot be grasped; the present mind does not stay for even an instant and cannot be grasped; the future mind has not yet arrived and likewise cannot be grasped.”