Madhyamaka Treatise (Zhong Lun), Fascicle One
諸法性若定，今云何可得？」
if the nature of dharmas is fixed, how could it be obtained now?"
諸法若有定性，四沙門果先來未得，今云何可得？若可得者，性則無定。復次：
If dharmas have a fixed nature, the four fruits of the shramana were never obtained before, so how could they be obtained now? If they can be obtained, the nature is not fixed. Moreover:
「若無有四果，則無得曏者，
"If there are no four fruits, there are no persons who have attained the fruit or are approaching the fruit,
以無八聖故，則無有僧寶。」
and because there are no eight noble ones, there is no Sangha Jewel."
無四沙門果故，則無得果、向果者。無八賢聖故，則無有僧寶。而經說八賢聖，名為僧寶。復次：
Without the four fruits of the shramana, there are no persons who have attained the fruit or are approaching it. Without the eight worthy and noble ones, there is no Sangha Jewel. Yet the sutra says that the eight worthy and noble ones are called the Sangha Jewel. Moreover:
「無四聖諦故，亦無有法寶，
"Without the Four Noble Truths, there is also no Dharma Jewel,
無法寶僧寶，云何有佛寶？」
and without the Dharma Jewel and the Sangha Jewel, how could there be the Buddha Jewel?"
行四聖諦得涅槃法，若無四諦則無法寶，若無二寶云何當有佛寶？汝以如是因緣，說諸法定性，則壞三寶。
By practicing the Four Noble Truths one attains the Dharma of nirvana; without the Four Truths there is no Dharma Jewel, and without two jewels how could there still be the Buddha Jewel? By using such causes and conditions to say that dharmas have a fixed nature, you destroy the Three Jewels.
問曰：汝雖破諸法，究竟道阿耨多羅三藐三菩提應有，因是道故名為佛。
The questioner says: Although you break all dharmas, the ultimate path of anuttara-samyaksambodhi (unsurpassed perfect enlightenment) should exist, because by this path one is called a Buddha.
答曰：
The respondent says:
「汝說則不因，菩提而有佛；
"By what you say, there would be no Buddha because of bodhi;
亦復不因佛，而有於菩提。」
nor would there be bodhi because of the Buddha."
汝說諸法有定性者，則不應因菩提有佛、因佛有菩提，是二性常定故。復次：
You say that dharmas have a fixed nature, so there should be no Buddha because of bodhi nor bodhi because of the Buddha, because the nature of these two is always fixed. Moreover:
「雖復勤精進，修行菩提道，
"Even if one diligently and vigorously practices the path of bodhi,
若先非佛性，不應得成佛。」
if one was not of Buddha-nature before, one should not be able to become a Buddha."
以先無性故，如鐵無金性，雖復種種鍛煉終不成金。復次：
Because there was no nature before, like iron has no nature of gold, though it is refined in various ways it will never become gold. Moreover:
「若諸法不空，無作罪福者，
"If dharmas were not empty, there would be no one who creates sin and merit,
不空何所作？以其性定故。」
if not empty, what would one make? Because its nature would be fixed."
若諸法不空，終無有人作罪福者。何以故？罪福性先已定故，又無作作者故。復次：
If dharmas were not empty, in the end there would be no one who creates sin and merit. Why? The nature of sin and merit would already have been fixed earlier, and there would be no doing and no doer. Moreover:
「汝於罪福中，不生果報者，
"If within sin and merit you produce no retribution,
是則離罪福，而有諸果報。」
then retributions would exist apart from sin and merit."
汝於罪福因緣中皆無果報者，則應離罪福因緣而有果報。何以故？果報不待因出故。
If in the causes and conditions of sin and merit there is no retribution, then retribution should exist apart from the causes and conditions of sin and merit. Why? Because retribution would come out without waiting for a cause.
問曰：離罪福可無善惡果報，但從罪福有善惡果報。
The questioner says: apart from sin and merit there can be no retribution of good and evil, and only from sin and merit are there good and evil retributions.
答曰：
The respondent says:
「若謂從罪福，而生果報者，
"If you say retribution is produced from sin and merit,
果從罪福生，云何言不空？」
the result arising from sin and merit, how can you still say it is not empty?"
若離罪福無善惡果，云何言果不空？若爾，離作者則無罪福。汝先說諸法不空，是事不然。復次：
If apart from sin and merit there are no good or evil results, how can you say the results are not empty? If so, apart from the doer there is no sin or merit. What you said earlier, that dharmas are not empty, is wrong. Moreover:
「汝破一切法，諸因緣空義，
"If you break the meaning of emptiness of all dharmas and all causes and conditions,
則破於世俗，諸餘所有法。」
you break all the other worldly dharmas."
汝若破眾因緣法第一空義者，則破一切世俗法。何以故？
If you break the primary meaning of emptiness of the dharmas of many causes and conditions, you break all worldly dharmas. Why?
「若破於空義，即應無所作；
"If the meaning of emptiness is broken, there should be nothing done;
無作而有作，不作名作者。」
with no doing yet there is doing, and the one who does not do is called the doer."
若破空義，則一切果皆無作無因，又不作而作，又一切作者不應有所作，又離作者應有業、有果報、有受者。但是事皆不然，是故不應破空。復次：
If the meaning of emptiness is broken, all results would have no doing and no cause, and there would be doing without doing, and no doer should do anything, and apart from the doer there should be karma, retribution and a receiver. But all these are wrong, so emptiness should not be broken. Moreover:
「若有決定性，世間種種相，
"If there were a fixed nature, the various characteristics of the world
則不生不滅，常住而不壞。」
would be unborn and unceasing, abiding forever and indestructible."
若諸法有定性，則世間種種相，天、人、畜生、萬物，皆應不生不滅常住不壞。何以故？有實性不可變異故。而現見萬物各有變異相生滅變易，是故不應有定性。復次：
If dharmas had a fixed nature, the various characteristics of the world, gods, humans, animals and all things, should be unborn and unceasing, abiding forever and indestructible. Why? Because they would have a real nature that cannot change. Yet what we see before us is that all things have changing characteristics, arising, ceasing and changing, so there should not be a fixed nature. Moreover:
「若無有空者，未得不應得，
"If there were no emptiness, what has not been attained should not be attained,
亦無斷煩惱，亦無苦盡事。」
and there would be no cutting off of afflictions and no ending of suffering."
若無有空法者，則世間、出世間所有功德，未得者皆不應得，亦不應有斷煩惱者，亦無苦盡。何以故？以性定故。
If there were no dharma of emptiness, then all the merits of the world and beyond the world, what has not been attained should not be attained, there should be no one who cuts off afflictions, and no ending of suffering. Why? Because the nature would be fixed.
「是故經中說，若見因緣法，
"So the sutra says, if one sees the dharma of dependent origination,
則為能見佛，見苦集滅道。」
one can see the Buddha and see suffering, origin, cessation and the path."
若人見一切法從眾緣生，是人即能見佛法身，增益智慧，能見四聖諦苦集滅道，見四聖諦得四果滅諸苦惱，是故不應破空義。若破空義則破因緣法，破因緣法則破三寶，若破三寶則為自破。
If a person sees that all dharmas arise from many conditions, this person can see the Dharma body of the Buddha, increase in wisdom, and can see the Four Noble Truths of suffering, origin, cessation and path; seeing the Four Noble Truths, he attains the four fruits and extinguishes all suffering and distress. So the meaning of emptiness should not be broken. If the meaning of emptiness is broken, the dharma of dependent origination is broken; if the dharma of dependent origination is broken, the Three Jewels are broken, and if the Three Jewels are broken, one is breaking oneself.
中論觀涅槃品第二十五(二十四偈)
Madhyamaka Treatise: Examination of Nirvana, Chapter 25 (twenty-four verses)
問曰：
The questioner says:
「若一切法空，無生無滅者，
"If all dharmas are empty, without arising and without ceasing,
何斷何所滅，而稱為涅槃？」
what is cut off and what is extinguished that it is called nirvana?"
若一切法空，則無生無滅。無生無滅者，何所斷何所滅，而名為涅槃？是故一切法不應空。以諸法不空故，斷諸煩惱滅五陰，名為涅槃。
If all dharmas are empty, there is no arising and no ceasing. With no arising and ceasing, what is cut off and what is extinguished, so as to be called nirvana? So all dharmas should not be empty. Because dharmas are not empty, cutting off the afflictions and extinguishing the five aggregates is called nirvana.
答曰：
The respondent says:
「若諸法不空，則無生無滅；
"If dharmas are not empty, there is no arising and no ceasing;
何斷何所滅，而稱為涅槃？」
what is cut off and what is extinguished that it is called nirvana?"
若一切世間不空，則無生無滅，何所斷何所滅而名為涅槃？是故有無二門，則非至涅槃。所名涅槃者：
If all the world is not empty, there is no arising and no ceasing; what is cut off and what is extinguished to be called nirvana? So neither the door of being nor the door of non-being reaches nirvana. What is called nirvana:
「無得亦無至，不斷亦不常，
"Without attainment and without arrival, neither cut off nor permanent,
不生亦不滅，是說名涅槃。」
neither arising nor ceasing: this is called nirvana."
無得者，於行於果無所得。無至者，無處可至。不斷者，五陰先來畢竟空故，得道入無餘涅槃時亦無所斷。不常者，若有法可得分別者則名為常，涅槃寂滅無法可分別故，不名為常。生滅亦爾，如是相者名為涅槃。復次經說，涅槃非有、非無、非有無、非非有非非無，一切法不受，內寂滅名涅槃。何以故？
What is called no attainment: there is nothing attained in practice or in the result. What is called no arrival: there is no place to arrive at. What is called not cut off: the five aggregates have been ultimately empty from the beginning, and when one attains the Way and enters nirvana without remainder there is also nothing cut off. What is called not permanent: if there were a dharma that could be attained and distinguished, it would be called permanent; nirvana is quiescent and there is no dharma to distinguish, and so it is not called permanent. Arising and ceasing are likewise. Having such characteristics is called nirvana. Furthermore the sutra says: nirvana is neither existent, nor non-existent, nor both existent and non-existent, nor neither existent nor non-existent; it receives no dharma, and inner quiescence is called nirvana. Why?
「涅槃不名有，有則老死相；
"Nirvana is not called existence, for existence is the characteristic of aging and death;
終無有有法，離於老死相。」
in the end there is no existing dharma apart from the characteristic of aging and death."
眼見一切萬物皆生滅故，是老死相。涅槃若是有，則應有老死相。但是事不然，是故涅槃不名有。又不見離生滅老死別有定法而名涅槃。若涅槃是有，即應有生滅老死相；以離老死相故，名為涅槃。復次：
The eyes see all things arising and ceasing, and this is the characteristic of aging and death. If nirvana were existent, it should have the characteristic of aging and death. But this is wrong, so nirvana is not called existent. Also, one does not see any fixed dharma apart from arising, ceasing, aging and death that is called nirvana. If nirvana were existent, it should have the characteristics of arising, ceasing, aging and death; it is called nirvana because it is apart from the characteristic of aging and death. Moreover:
「若涅槃是有，涅槃即有為；
"If nirvana were existent, nirvana would be conditioned;
終無有一法，而是無為者。」
in the end there is no dharma that is unconditioned."
涅槃非是有。何以故？一切萬物從眾緣生，皆是有為。無有一法名為無為者，雖常法假名無為，以理推之，無常法尚無有，何況常法不可見不可得者。復次：
Nirvana is not existent. Why? All things arise from many conditions and are all conditioned. There is no dharma called unconditioned. Although a permanent dharma is provisionally called unconditioned, when one seeks according to reason, even an impermanent dharma is absent, let alone a permanent dharma that cannot be seen or found. Moreover: