Chapter 29: Majestic Deportment, Perfect Stillness (“The true nature is still and quiet, needing no borrowed dignity”)

「須菩提！若有人言：如來若來若去，若坐若臥，是人不解我所說義。

“Subhuti! If someone says that the Tathagata comes and goes, sits and lies down, this person does not understand what I have said.

何以故？如來者，無所從來，亦無所去，故名如來。」

Why is that? Because the name ‘Tathagata’ means: not coming from anywhere and not going anywhere, and therefore he is called Tathagata.”

「須菩提！若善男子、善女人，以三千大千世界碎為微塵，於意云何？是微塵眾寧為多不？」

“Subhuti! If good men and good women were to grind the three thousand great thousand worlds into fine dust, what do you think? Would these particles of dust be many?”

須菩提言「甚多，世尊！何以故？若是微塵眾實有者，佛則不說是微塵眾。所以者何？

Subhuti said: “Very many, World-Honored One! Why is that? If these particles of dust were truly real, the Buddha would not call them a mass of dust particles. What is the reason for this?

佛說微塵眾，則非微塵眾，是名微塵眾。」

Because what the Buddha calls a mass of dust particles is not a truly real mass of dust particles; it is only provisionally called a mass of dust particles.”

「世尊！如來所說三千大千世界，則非世界，是名世界。何以故？

“World-Honored One! What the Tathagata calls the three thousand great thousand worlds is also not a truly real world; it is only provisionally called a world. Why is that?

若世界實有者，則是一合相。如來說一合相，則非一合相，是名一合相。」

If a world were truly real, it would be a single mark of one whole, a thing fused together. The Tathagata says this mark of aggregation is not a truly real mark of aggregation; it is only provisionally called a mark of aggregation.”

「須菩提！一合相者，則是不可說；但凡夫之人貪著其事。」

“Subhuti! What is called the mark of aggregation is originally something that cannot be spoken of; it is only that ordinary people crave and cling to this matter.”

「須菩提！若人言：佛說我見、人見、眾生見、壽者見。

“Subhuti! If someone says: the Buddha has spoken of the view of a self, the view of a person, the view of a sentient being, and the view of a life span.

須菩提！於意云何？是人解我所說義不？」

Subhuti! What do you think? Does this person understand what I have said?”

「不也，世尊！是人不解如來所說義。何以故？

“No, World-Honored One! This person does not understand the meaning of what the Tathagata has said. Why is that?

世尊說我見、人見、眾生見、壽者見，即非我見、人見、眾生見、壽者見，

Because the view of a self, the view of a person, the view of a sentient being, and the view of a life span that the World-Honored One speaks of are not truly real views of a self, a person, a sentient being, or a life span,

是名我見、人見、眾生見、壽者見。」

but are only provisionally called the view of a self, the view of a person, the view of a sentient being, and the view of a life span.”

「須菩提！發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心者，

“Subhuti! Those who have set out on the mind of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening

於一切法，應如是知，如是見，如是信解，不生法相。

should, toward all dharmas, thus know, thus see, and thus believe and understand, without giving rise to the clinging mark of ‘dharma.’

須菩提！所言法相者，如來說即非法相，是名法相。」

Subhuti! What is called the mark of a dharma, the Tathagata says is not a truly real mark of a dharma; it is only provisionally called the mark of a dharma.”

「須菩提！若有人以滿無量阿僧祇世界七寶，持用佈施；若有善男子、善女人，

“Subhuti! Suppose someone gave in charity seven treasures filling immeasurable asamkhyeya worlds; and suppose there are good men and good women

發菩提心者，持於此經，乃至四句偈等，受持讀誦，為人演說，其福勝彼。

who set out on the mind of bodhi, hold to this sutra, even if only four lines of verse from it, uphold and recite it, and expound it to others; their merit would surpass that of the former.

云何為人演說，不取於相，如如不動。何以故？」

Then how should one expound it to others? By not grasping at any mark, remaining suchness, unmoved. Why is that?”

「一切有為法，如夢幻泡影，如露亦如電，應作如是觀。」

All phenomena produced by conditions are like a dream, like an illusion, like a bubble, like a shadow, like morning dew, and like a flash of lightning; one should look upon them in this way.

佛說是經已，長老須菩提及諸比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷、

When the Buddha had finished teaching this sutra, the elder Subhuti, together with the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas (lay men), and upasikas (lay women),

一切世間天、人、阿修羅，聞佛所說，皆大歡喜，信受奉行。

and all the gods, humans, and asuras of every world, having heard what the Buddha said, were all filled with great joy, and believed, accepted, and put it into practice.