Madhyamaka Treatise (Zhong Lun), Fascicle One
「若涅槃是有，云何名無受？
"If nirvana were existent, how could it be called without grasping?
無有不從受，而名為有法。」
There is no existing dharma that does not come from grasping."
若謂涅槃是有法者，經則不應說無受是涅槃。何以故？無有有法不受而有，是故涅槃非有。
If one says nirvana is an existing dharma, the sutra should not say that non-grasping is nirvana. Why? There is no existing dharma that exists without grasping, so nirvana is not existent.
問曰：若有非涅槃者，無應是涅槃耶？
The questioner says: If existence is not nirvana, should non-existence be nirvana?
答曰：
The respondent says:
「有尚非涅槃，何況於無耶！
"Even existence is not nirvana, let alone non-existence!
涅槃無有有，何處當有無？」
Nirvana has no existence; how could there be non-existence?"
若有非涅槃，無云何是涅槃？何以故？因有故有無；若無有，何有無？如經說，先有今無則名無。涅槃則不爾。何以故？非有法變為無故。是故無亦不作涅槃。復次：
If existence is not nirvana, how can non-existence be nirvana? Why? Because there is existence there is non-existence; if there were no existence, where would non-existence be? As the sutra says, what was before and now is not is called non-existence. Nirvana is not like this. Why? It is not that an existing dharma turns into non-existence. So non-existence also is not made nirvana. Moreover:
「若無是涅槃，云何名不受？
"If non-existence were nirvana, how could it be called non-grasping?
未曾有不受，而名為無法。」
There has never been a non-grasping that is called a non-existing dharma."
若謂無是涅槃，經則不應說不受名涅槃。何以故？無有不受而名無法，是故知涅槃非無。
If one says non-existence is nirvana, the sutra should not say that non-grasping is called nirvana. Why? There is no non-grasping that is called a non-existent dharma, so we know nirvana is not non-existence.
問曰：若涅槃非有非無者，何等是涅槃？
The questioner says: If nirvana is neither existence nor non-existence, what is nirvana?
答曰：
The respondent says:
「受諸因緣故，輪轉生死中；
"Receiving the various causes and conditions, one revolves in birth and death;
不受諸因緣，是名為涅槃。」
not receiving the various causes and conditions, this is called nirvana."
不如實知顛倒故，因五受陰往來生死。如實知顛倒故，則不復因五受陰往來生死。無性五陰不復相續故，說名涅槃。復次：
Because one does not know things as they really are and is inverted, one comes and goes in birth and death relying on the five aggregates of grasping. Knowing the inversion as it really is, one no longer comes and goes in birth and death relying on the five aggregates of grasping. The five aggregates, being without nature, no longer continue, and so it is called nirvana. Moreover:
「如佛經中說，斷有斷非有；
"As is said in the Buddha's sutras, cut off existence and cut off non-existence;
是故知涅槃，非有亦非無。」
so know that nirvana is neither existence nor non-existence."
有名三有，非有名三有斷滅。佛說斷此二事故，當知涅槃非有亦非無。
Existence is called the three realms of existence; non-existence is called the cutting off and extinction of the three realms. The Buddha said to cut off these two things, so one should know that nirvana is neither existence nor non-existence.
問曰：若有若無非涅槃者，今有無共合是涅槃耶？
The questioner says: If neither existence nor non-existence is nirvana, is it then existence and non-existence combined that is nirvana?
答曰：
The respondent says:
「若謂於有無，合為涅槃者，
"If one says that existence and non-existence combined are nirvana,
有無即解脫，是事則不然。」
then existence and non-existence would be liberation, and this is not right."
若謂於有無合為涅槃者，即有無二事合為解脫。是事不然。何以故？有無二事相違故，云何一處有？復次：
If one says existence and non-existence combined are nirvana, then these two things combined would be liberation. This is wrong. Why? Existence and non-existence are contradictory; how could they be in one place? Moreover:
「若謂於有無，合為涅槃者；
"If one says existence and non-existence combined are nirvana;
涅槃非無受，是二從受生。」
then nirvana would not be non-grasping, for both arise from grasping."
若謂有無合為涅槃者，經不應說涅槃名無受。何以故？有無二事從受生，相因而有。是故有無二事，不得合為涅槃。復次：
If one says existence and non-existence combined are nirvana, the sutra should not say that nirvana is called non-grasping. Why? Existence and non-existence arise from grasping and exist depending on each other. So existence and non-existence cannot combine to be nirvana. Moreover:
「有無共合成，云何名涅槃？
"Existence and non-existence together make up, how can it be called nirvana?
涅槃名無為，有無是有為。」
Nirvana is called unconditioned, whereas existence and non-existence are conditioned."
有無二事共合，不得名涅槃。涅槃名無為，有無是有為，是故有無非是涅槃。復次：
Existence and non-existence together made up cannot be called nirvana. Nirvana is called unconditioned, whereas existence and non-existence are conditioned, so existence and non-existence are not nirvana. Moreover:
「有無二事共，云何是涅槃？
"How can existence and non-existence together be nirvana?
是二不同處，如明暗不俱。」
These two do not occur in the same place, like light and darkness cannot coexist."
有無二事不得名涅槃。何以故？有無相違，一處不可得，如明暗不俱。是故有時無無、無時無有，云何有無共合而名為涅槃？
Existence and non-existence cannot be called nirvana. Why? Existence and non-existence contradict each other and cannot be found in one place, like light and darkness cannot be at the same time. So when there is existence there is no non-existence, and when there is non-existence there is no existence; how can existence and non-existence together make up what is called nirvana?
問曰：若有無共合非涅槃者，今非有非無應是涅槃。
The questioner says: If existence and non-existence together are not nirvana, then neither-existence-nor-non-existence should be nirvana.
答曰：
The respondent says:
「若非有非無，名之為涅槃；
"If neither existence nor non-existence is called nirvana;
此非有非無，以何而分別？」
by what is this neither existence nor non-existence distinguished?"
若涅槃非有非無者，此非有非無因何而分別？是故非有非無是涅槃者，是事不然。復次：
If nirvana is neither existent nor non-existent, by what is this neither-existent-nor-non-existent distinguished? So it is wrong that neither existence nor non-existence is nirvana. Moreover:
「分別非有無，如是名涅槃；
"Distinguishing neither existence nor non-existence, one calls it nirvana;
若有無成者，非有非無成。」
if existence and non-existence could be established, then neither existence nor non-existence would be established."
汝分別非有非無是涅槃者，是事不然。何以故？若有無成者，然後非有非無成。有相違名無、無相違名有，是有無第三句中已破。有無無故，云何有非有非無？是故涅槃非非有非非無。復次：
Your distinguishing neither existence nor non-existence as nirvana is wrong. Why? Only if existence and non-existence could be established could neither existence nor non-existence then be established. What contradicts existence is called non-existence, and what contradicts non-existence is called existence; this existence and non-existence has already been refuted in the third phrase. If existence and non-existence do not exist, how could there still be neither existence nor non-existence? So nirvana is not neither non-existence nor non-non-existence. Moreover:
「如來滅度後，不言有與無，
"After the Tathagata's extinction, one does not say existence or non-existence,
亦不言有無，非有及非無。
nor both existence and non-existence, nor neither existence nor non-existence.
如來現在時，不言有與無，
While the Tathagata is present, one does not say existence or non-existence,
亦不言有無，非有及非無。」
nor both existence and non-existence, nor neither existence nor non-existence."
若如來滅後、若現在，有如來亦不受，無如來亦不受，亦有如來亦無如來亦不受，非有如來非無如來亦不受。以不受故，不應分別涅槃有無等。離如來，誰當得涅槃？何時何處以何法說涅槃？是故一切時一切種、求涅槃相不可得。復次：
Whether after the Tathagata's extinction or now: one does not accept that a Tathagata exists, does not accept that a Tathagata does not exist, does not accept both that he exists and does not exist, and does not accept that he neither exists nor does not exist. Because one does not accept them, one should not distinguish nirvana as existent or non-existent and so on. Apart from the Tathagata, who should attain nirvana? At what time, in what place, and by what dharma would one speak of nirvana? So at all times and in all kinds, when one seeks the characteristic of nirvana it cannot be found. Moreover:
「涅槃與世間，無有少分別；
"Nirvana and the world have not the slightest distinction;
世間與涅槃，亦無少分別。」
the world and nirvana also have not the slightest distinction."
五陰相續往來因緣故，說名世間。五陰性畢竟空無受寂滅，此義先已說。以一切法不生不滅故，世間與涅槃無有分別，涅槃與世間亦無分別。復次：
The causes and conditions of the continued coming and going of the five aggregates are called the world. The nature of the five aggregates is ultimately empty, without grasping and quiescent; this meaning has been explained earlier. Because all dharmas are unborn and unceasing, the world and nirvana have no distinction, and nirvana and the world have no distinction. Moreover:
「涅槃之實際，及與世間際，
"The actual limit of nirvana and the limit of the world,
如是二際者，無毫釐差別。」
these two limits have not a hair's breadth of difference."
究竟推求世間、涅槃、實際、無生際，以平等不可得故，無毫釐差別。復次：
Seeking ultimately the world, nirvana, the actual limit and the limit of non-arising, they are equal and cannot be found, and there is not a hair's breadth of difference. Moreover:
「滅後有無等，有邊等常等，
"After extinction, existence and non-existence and the like, finite and the like, permanent and the like,
諸見依涅槃，未來過去世。」
the various views depend on nirvana, the future and the past."
如來滅後有如來、無如來、亦有如來亦無如來、非有如來非無如來。世間有邊、世間無邊、世間亦有邊亦無邊、世間非有邊非無邊。世間常、世間無常、世間亦常亦無常、世間非有常非無常。此三種十二見。如來滅後有無等四見，依涅槃起。世間有邊無邊等四見，依未來世起。世間常無常等四見，依過去世起。如來滅後有無等不可得，涅槃亦如是。如世間前際後際、有邊無邊、有常無常等不可得，涅槃亦如是。是故說世間、涅槃等無有異。復次：
After the Tathagata's extinction: a Tathagata exists, does not exist, both exists and does not exist, neither exists nor does not exist. The world is finite, the world is infinite, the world is both finite and infinite, the world is neither finite nor infinite. The world is permanent, the world is impermanent, the world is both permanent and impermanent, the world is neither permanent nor impermanent. These are three kinds of twelve views. The four views of existence and non-existence after the Tathagata's extinction arise in dependence on nirvana. The four views of the world being finite or infinite and so on arise in dependence on the future. The four views of the world being permanent or impermanent and so on arise in dependence on the past. The existence and non-existence and so on after the Tathagata's extinction cannot be found, and nirvana is likewise. Just as the world's earlier and later limits, finite and infinite, permanent and impermanent cannot be found, nirvana is likewise. So it is said that the world and nirvana and so on have no difference. Moreover:
「一切法空故，何有邊無邊，
"All dharmas are empty; where could there be finite or infinite,
亦邊亦無邊，非有非無邊？
both finite and infinite, neither finite nor infinite?
何者為一異，何有常無常，
What is one or different, where is permanent or impermanent,
亦常亦無常，非常非無常？
both permanent and impermanent, neither permanent nor impermanent?
諸法不可得，滅一切戲論，
Dharmas cannot be found, all conceptual proliferation is extinguished,