The Lankavatara Treasure Sutra, Fascicle One

此諸妄想性，即是彼緣起，

These natures of imagination are that very conditioned arising,

妄想有種種，於緣起妄想。

imagination has many kinds, and imagines about conditioned arising.

世諦第一義，第三無因生，

Conventional truth, the highest meaning, and the third, arising without cause,

妄想說世諦，斷則聖境界。

imagination speaks of conventional truth, and cutting it off is the sage's realm.

譬如修行事，於一種種現，

As in the work of practice, in one kind various ones appear,

於彼無種種，妄想相如是。

and there there are no various ones; the marks of imagination are the same.

譬如種種翳，妄想眾色現，

As with various eye-cataracts, imagination shows all colors,

翳無色非色，緣起不覺然。

the cataract has no color and is not color, and conditioned arising, not realized, is just so.

譬如鍊真金，遠離諸垢穢，

As in refining true gold, far from all dirt and defilement,

虛空無雲翳，妄想淨亦然。

space has no clouds or cataract, and the purity of imagination is the same.

無有妄想性，及有彼緣起，

If there is no nature of imagination, and there is that conditioned arising,

建立及誹謗，悉由妄想壞。

establishing and slandering are both destroyed by imagination.

妄想若無性，而有緣起性，

If imagination has no nature, yet there is the nature of conditioned arising,

無性而有性，有性無性生。

then no nature yet has nature, and what has nature arises from no nature.

依因於妄想，而得彼緣起，

Relying on the cause of imagination, one then gains that conditioned arising,

相名常相隨，而生諸妄想。

mark and name always follow each other, and give rise to the many imaginations.

究竟不成就，則度諸妄想，

In the end it is not accomplished, and so one passes beyond the many imaginations,

然後知清淨，是名第一義。

and then knows purity, which is called the highest meaning.

妄想有十二，緣起有六種，

Imagination has twelve kinds, and conditioned arising has six,

自覺知爾炎，彼無有差別。

self-awareness knows the knowable, and there there is no difference.

五法為真實，自性有三種，

The five dharmas are real, and self-nature has three kinds,

修行分別此，不越於如如。

practice discriminates these, and does not go beyond suchness.

眾相及緣起，彼名起妄想，

Of all marks and conditioned arising, that name gives rise to imagination,

彼諸妄想相，從彼緣起生。

those marks of imagination arise from that conditioned arising.

覺慧善觀察，無緣無妄想，

With wisdom of awareness, observing well, there are no conditions and no imagination,

成已無有性，云何妄想覺？

once accomplished there is no nature, so how could there still be imagined awareness?

彼妄想自性，建立二自性，

That self-nature of imagination establishes two self-natures,

妄想種種現，清淨聖境界。

imagination shows itself in many ways, and purity is the sage's realm.

妄想如畫色，緣起計妄想，

Imagination is like painted color, and conditioned arising clings to imagination,

若異妄想者，即依外道論。

if it is taken as different from imagination, it follows the non-Buddhist doctrines.

妄想說所想，因見和合生，

Imagination speaks of what is imagined, and view and combination give rise to it,

離二妄想者，如是則為成。」

one who leaves the two imaginations, thus is accomplished."

大慧菩薩摩訶薩復白佛言：「世尊！唯願為說自覺聖智相及一乘，若說自覺聖智相及一乘，我及餘菩薩善自覺聖智相及一乘，不由於他，通達佛法。」

The Bodhisattva-mahasattva Mahamati again said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! I beg you to explain the mark of self-realized sage wisdom and the One Vehicle. If you explain the mark of self-realized sage wisdom and the One Vehicle, the other Bodhisattvas and I will know well the mark of self-realized sage wisdom and the One Vehicle, and without depending on others will penetrate the Buddha's Dharma."

佛告大慧：「諦聽，諦聽！善思念之，當為汝說。」

The Buddha told Mahamati: "Listen carefully, listen carefully! Think it over well, and I will explain it to you."

大慧白佛言：「唯然受教。」

Mahamati said to the Buddha: "Yes, we receive your instruction."

佛告大慧：「前聖所知，轉相傳授，妄想無性，菩薩摩訶薩，獨一靜處，自覺觀察，不由於他，離見妄想，上上昇進，入如來地，是名自覺聖智相。大慧！云何一乘相？謂：得一乘道覺，我說一乘。云何得一乘道覺？謂：攝所攝妄想，如實處不生妄想，是名一乘覺。大慧！一乘覺者，非餘外道、聲聞、緣覺、梵天王等之所能得，唯除如來。以是故，說名一乘。」

The Buddha told Mahamati: "What the former sages knew, handed down in turn, is that imagination has no nature. A Bodhisattva-mahasattva, alone in a quiet place, self-aware and observing, not depending on others, leaves the views of imagination, ascends higher and higher, and enters the stage of the Tathagata; this is called the mark of self-realized sage wisdom. Mahamati! What is the mark of the One Vehicle? It is that one attains awakening to the path of the One Vehicle, and I speak of the One Vehicle. How does one attain awakening to the path of the One Vehicle? It is that, regarding the imagination of the grasper and the grasped, in the place of suchness, imagination does not arise; this is called awakening of the One Vehicle. Mahamati! What is called the awakening of the One Vehicle cannot be attained by other non-Buddhists, shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, the Brahma kings and the like; only the Tathagata can. For this reason it is called the One Vehicle."

大慧白佛言：「世尊何故說三乘，而不說一乘？」

Mahamati said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, why do you speak of three vehicles and not of the One Vehicle?"

佛告大慧：「不自般涅槃法故，不說一切聲聞、緣覺一乘。以一切聲聞、緣覺，如來調伏，授寂靜方便，而得解脫，非自己力，是故不說一乘。

The Buddha told Mahamati: "Because it is not the Dharma of entering parinirvana by oneself, I do not speak of the One Vehicle for all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas. Because all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas are tamed by the Tathagata and given the skillful means of tranquility before they attain liberation, which is not by their own power, I do not speak of the One Vehicle.

「復次，大慧！煩惱障業習氣不斷，故不說一切聲聞、緣覺一乘。不覺法無我，不離分段死，故說三乘。大慧！彼諸一切起煩惱過習氣斷，及覺法無我。彼一切起煩惱過習氣斷，三昧樂味著非性，無漏界覺。覺已，復入出世間上上無漏界，滿足眾具，當得如來不思議自在法身。」

"Furthermore, Mahamati! Because the hindrance of affliction and the habit-energy of karma are not cut off, I do not speak of the One Vehicle for all shravakas and pratyekabuddhas. They do not awaken to the selflessness of dharmas and do not leave segmented death, and so I speak of three vehicles. Mahamati! Once all their active afflictions, faults and habit-energies are cut off, and they awaken to the selflessness of dharmas, and once all their active afflictions, faults and habit-energies are cut off, they relish the joy of samadhi as a non-nature and awaken to the undefiled realm. Having awakened, they again enter the highest and higher undefiled realm beyond the world, perfect all their supports, and will attain the Tathagata's inconceivable, free Dharma body."

爾時，世尊欲重宣此義而說偈言：

At that time the World-Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke in verse:

「諸天及梵乘，聲聞緣覺乘，

"The vehicle of the devas and of Brahma, the vehicle of the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas,

諸佛如來乘，我說此諸乘，

the vehicle of the Buddhas and Tathagatas: I speak of all these vehicles,

乃至有心轉，諸乘非究竟。

as long as there is mind turning, the vehicles are not ultimate.

若彼心滅盡，無乘及乘者，

If the mind there is wholly extinguished, there is no vehicle and no one who rides it,

無有乘建立，我說為一乘，

there is no vehicle established, and I speak of the One Vehicle,

引導眾生故，分別說諸乘。

in order to lead beings, I distinguish and speak of the many vehicles.

解脫有三種，及與法無我，

Liberation has three kinds, together with the selflessness of dharmas,

煩惱智慧等，解脫則遠離。

afflictions, wisdom and so on, and liberation is far from them.

譬如海浮木，常隨波浪轉，

Like a floating log in the sea, always turning with the waves,

聲聞愚亦然，相風所飄蕩。

the foolish shravakas are the same, tossed by the wind of marks.

彼起煩惱滅，除習煩惱愚，

Their active afflictions are extinguished, and they remove the habit-energy and the foolishness of affliction,

味著三昧樂，安住無漏界。

relishing the joy of samadhi, they abide in the undefiled realm.

無有究竟趣，亦復不退還，

They have no ultimate goal, and do not turn back either,

得諸三昧身，乃至劫不覺。

they gain the bodies of the various samadhis, and for kalpas they do not awaken.

譬如昏醉人，酒消然後覺，

Like a person drunk and benumbed, who awakens when the wine wears off,

彼覺法亦然，得佛無上身。」

they awaken to the Dharma in the same way and attain the Buddha's unsurpassed body."