The Sutra Spoken by Vimalakirti, Middle Volume
答曰：「菩薩所作功德，皆與一切眾生共之。」
He answered: "All the merit a Bodhisattva makes is shared with all beings."
「何謂為喜？」
(Manjusri asked further:) "What is called sympathetic joy?"
答曰：「有所饒益，歡喜無悔。」
He answered: "Having benefited others, rejoicing without regret."
「何謂為捨？」
(Manjusri asked further:) "What is called equanimity?"
答曰：「所作福祐，無所悕望。」
He answered: "Whatever blessings are made, having no expectation."
文殊師利又問：「生死有畏，菩薩當何所依？」
Manjusri asked further: "Birth and death are fearful; what should a Bodhisattva rely on?"
維摩詰言：「菩薩於生死畏中，當依如來功德之力。」
Vimalakirti said: "In the fear of birth and death, a Bodhisattva should rely on the power of the Tathagata's merit."
文殊師利又問：「菩薩欲依如來功德之力，當於何住？」
Manjusri asked further: "A Bodhisattva who wishes to rely on the power of the Tathagata's merit, where should he abide?"
答曰：「菩薩欲依如來功德力者，當住度脫一切眾生。」
He answered: "A Bodhisattva who wishes to rely on the power of the Tathagata's merit should abide in delivering all beings."
又問：「欲度眾生，當何所除？」
He asked further: "Wishing to deliver beings, what should one remove?"
答曰：「欲度眾生，除其煩惱。」
He answered: "Wishing to deliver beings, remove their afflictions."
又問：「欲除煩惱，當何所行？」
He asked further: "Wishing to remove afflictions, what should one practice?"
答曰：「當行正念。」
He answered: "One should practice right mindfulness."
又問：「云何行於正念？」
He asked further: "How does one practice right mindfulness?"
答曰：「當行不生不滅。」
He answered: "One should practice non-arising and non-ceasing."
又問：「何法不生？何法不滅？」
He asked further: "What dharma does not arise? What dharma does not cease?"
答曰：「不善不生，善法不滅。」
He answered: "The unwholesome does not arise, and wholesome dharmas do not cease."
又問：「善、不善孰為本？」
He asked further: "What is the root of wholesome and unwholesome?"
答曰：「身為本。」
He answered: "The body is the root."
又問：「身孰為本？」
He asked further: "What is the root of the body?"
答曰：「欲貪為本。」
He answered: "Desire and greed are the root."
又問：「欲貪孰為本？」
He asked further: "What is the root of desire and greed?"
答曰：「虛妄分別為本。」
He answered: "Deluded discrimination is the root."
又問：「虛妄分別孰為本？」
He asked further: "What is the root of deluded discrimination?"
答曰：「顛倒想為本。」
He answered: "Inverted thinking is the root."
又問：「顛倒想孰為本？」
He asked further: "What is the root of inverted thinking?"
答曰：「無住為本。」
He answered: "Non-abiding is the root."
又問：「無住孰為本？」
He asked further: "What is the root of non-abiding?"
答曰：「無住則無本。文殊師利！從無住本，立一切法。」
He answered: "Non-abiding has no root. Manjusri! From the root of non-abiding, all dharmas are established."
時維摩詰室有一天女，見諸大人聞所說法，便現其身，即以天華散諸菩薩、大弟子上。華至諸菩薩，即皆墮落，至大弟子，便著不墮。一切弟子神力去華，不能令去。爾時天女問舍利弗：「何故去華？」
At that time in Vimalakirti's room there was a heavenly maiden, who, seeing the great ones listening to the Dharma being taught, manifested her body and at once scattered heavenly flowers on the Bodhisattvas and the great disciples. When the flowers reached the Bodhisattvas, they all fell off; when they reached the great disciples, they stuck to their bodies and did not fall. All the disciples tried to brush the flowers off with spiritual power, but could not make them go. Then the heavenly maiden asked Sariputra: "Why do you brush off the flowers?"
答曰：「此華不如法，是以去之。」
He answered: "These flowers are not in accord with the Dharma, so I am brushing them off."
天曰：「勿謂此華為不如法。所以者何？是華無所分別，仁者自生分別想耳！若於佛法出家，有所分別，為不如法；若無所分別，是則如法。觀諸菩薩華不著者，已斷一切分別想故。譬如人畏時，非人得其便；如是弟子畏生死故，色、聲、香、味、觸得其便也。已離畏者，一切五欲無能為也；結習未盡，華著身耳！結習盡者，華不著也。」
The heavenly maiden said: "Do not think these flowers are not in accord with the Dharma. Why? These flowers make no discriminations; it is you, sir, who give rise to discriminating thoughts! If one who has left home in the Buddha Dharma still discriminates, that is not in accord with the Dharma; if he does not discriminate, that is in accord with the Dharma. See how the flowers do not stick to the Bodhisattvas, because they have already cut off all discriminating thoughts. It is like when a person is afraid, non-humans find their opportunity; in the same way, because the disciples fear birth and death, form, sound, smell, taste and touch find their opportunity. Those who have left fear cannot be affected by any of the five desires; it is only that the habit of fetters is not yet exhausted, and so the flowers stick to the body! For those whose habit of fetters is exhausted, the flowers do not stick."
舍利弗言：「天止此室，其已久如？」
Sariputra said: "How long has the heavenly maiden lived in this room?"
答曰：「我止此室，如耆年解脫。」
She answered: "My living in this room is like the liberation of an elder."
舍利弗言：「止此久耶？」
Sariputra said: "Have you lived here a long time?"
天曰：「耆年解脫，亦何如久？」
The heavenly maiden said: "As for the liberation of an elder, how can it be counted as long?"
舍利弗默然不答。天曰：「如何耆舊大智而默？」
Sariputra was silent and did not answer. The heavenly maiden said: "Why is it that an elder of great wisdom is silent?"
答曰：「解脫者無所言說，故吾於是不知所云。」
He answered: "One who is liberated has nothing to say, and so I do not know what to say on this."
天曰：「言說文字，皆解脫相。所以者何？解脫者，不內不外，不在兩間；文字亦不內不外，不在兩間。是故，舍利弗！無離文字說解脫也。所以者何？一切諸法是解脫相。」
The heavenly maiden said: "Speech and written words are all marks of liberation. Why? Liberation is neither inside nor outside, nor between the two; written words are also neither inside nor outside, nor between the two. Therefore, Sariputra! Do not speak of liberation apart from written words. Why? All dharmas are the mark of liberation."
舍利弗言：「不復以離婬、怒、痴為解脫乎？」
Sariputra said: "Is it no longer the case that leaving lust, anger and delusion is liberation?"
天曰：「佛為增上慢人說離婬、怒、痴為解脫耳；若無增上慢者，佛說婬、怒、痴性，即是解脫。」
The heavenly maiden said: "The Buddha spoke of leaving lust, anger and delusion as liberation only for those of overweening pride; for those without overweening pride, the Buddha says that the nature of lust, anger and delusion is itself liberation."
舍利弗言：「善哉，善哉！天女！汝何所得？以何為證？辯乃如是！」
Sariputra said: "Excellent, excellent! Heavenly maiden! What have you attained? What have you realized, that your eloquence is like this?"
天曰：「我無得無證，故辯如是。所以者何？若有得有證者，即於佛法為增上慢。」
The heavenly maiden said: "I have no attainment and no realization, and so my eloquence is like this. Why? If one has attainment and realization, that is overweening pride in the Buddha Dharma."
舍利弗問天：「汝於三乘為何志求？」
Sariputra asked the heavenly maiden: "Among the three vehicles, which do you aspire to?"
天曰：「以聲聞法化眾生故，我為聲聞；以因緣法化眾生故，我為辟支佛；以大悲法化眾生故，我為大乘。舍利弗！如人入瞻蔔林，唯嗅瞻蔔，不嗅餘香。如是，若入此室，但聞佛功德之香，不樂聞聲聞、辟支佛功德香也。舍利弗！其有釋、梵、四天王，諸天、龍、鬼神等，入此室者，聞斯上人講說正法，皆樂佛功德之香，發心而出。舍利弗！吾止此室十有二年，初不聞說聲聞、辟支佛法，但聞菩薩大慈大悲、不可思議諸佛之法。舍利弗！此室常現八未曾有難得之法。何等為八？此室常以金色光照，晝夜無異，不以日月所照為明，是為一未曾有難得之法；此室入者，不為諸垢之所惱也，是為二未曾有難得之法；此室常有釋、梵、四天王、他方菩薩來會不絕，是為三未曾有難得之法；此室常說六波羅蜜不退轉法，是為四未曾有難得之法；此室常作天人第一之樂，絃出無量法化之聲，是為五未曾有難得之法；此室有四大藏，眾寶積滿，賙窮濟乏，求得無盡，是為六未曾有難得之法；此室釋迦牟尼佛、阿彌陀佛、阿閦佛、寶德、寶炎、寶月、寶嚴、難勝、師子響一切利成，如是等十方無量諸佛，是上人念時即皆為來，廣說諸佛秘要法藏，說已還去，是為七未曾有難得之法；此室一切諸天嚴飾宮殿、諸佛淨土，皆於中現，是為八未曾有難得之法。舍利弗！此室常現八未曾有難得之法，誰有見斯不思議事，而復樂於聲聞法乎？」
The heavenly maiden said: "Because I teach beings with the Dharma of the sravakas, I am a sravaka; because I teach beings with the Dharma of dependent origination, I am a pratyekabuddha; because I teach beings with the Dharma of great compassion, I am of the Great Vehicle. Sariputra! It is like a person entering a campaka grove who smells only campaka and no other fragrance. In the same way, one who enters this room smells only the fragrance of the Buddha's merit and does not delight in smelling the fragrance of the merit of sravakas or pratyekabuddhas. Sariputra! If Sakra, Brahma, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the devas, dragons and spirits enter this room and hear this superior person expound the true Dharma, they all delight in the fragrance of the Buddha's merit and go out having aroused the aspiration. Sariputra! I have lived in this room for twelve years, and at first I did not hear the Dharma of sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, but only the great loving-kindness and great compassion of the Bodhisattvas and the inconceivable Dharma of the Buddhas. Sariputra! This room constantly manifests eight kinds of unprecedented and rare dharmas. What are the eight? This room is always lit with golden light, with no difference between day and night, and it does not take the light of the sun and moon as its brightness; this is the first unprecedented and rare dharma; those who enter this room are not troubled by any defilements; this is the second; this room constantly has Sakra, Brahma, the Four Heavenly Kings and Bodhisattvas from other lands coming to assemble without end; this is the third; this room constantly speaks of the six paramitas and the Dharma of non-retrogression; this is the fourth; this room constantly makes the finest music of devas and humans, with strings producing immeasurable sounds of Dharma transformation; this is the fifth; this room has four great treasuries, filled with many jewels, relieving the poor and needy, and what is sought is inexhaustible; this is the sixth; in this room, Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Aksobhya Buddha, Ratnatejas, Ratnarcis, Ratnacandra, Ratnavyuha, Durjaya, Simhasvara, Sarvarthasiddha, and such immeasurable Buddhas of the ten directions all come at once when this superior person calls them to mind, and teach at length the secret and essential treasury of the Dharma of the Buddhas, and after teaching they return; this is the seventh; in this room, all the adorned palaces of the devas and the pure lands of the Buddhas all appear within it; this is the eighth. Sariputra! This room constantly manifests these eight unprecedented and rare dharmas; who, seeing such inconceivable things, would still delight in the Dharma of the sravakas?"
舍利弗言：「汝何以不轉女身？」
Sariputra said: "Why do you not change your female body?"
天曰：「我從十二年來，求女人相了不可得，當何所轉？譬如幻師化作幻女，若有人問：『何以不轉女身？』是人為正問不？」
The heavenly maiden said: "For twelve years now I have sought the mark of a woman and not found it; what is there to change? It is like a magician who conjures an illusory woman; if someone asks, 'Why does she not change her female body?' is this person asking rightly?"
舍利弗言：「不也！幻無定相，當何所轉？」
Sariputra said: "No! Illusion has no fixed mark; what is there to change?"
天曰：「一切諸法亦復如是，無有定相，云何乃問不轉女身？」
The heavenly maiden said: "All dharmas are also like this, without a fixed mark; why still ask about not changing a female body?"
即時天女以神通力，變舍利弗令如天女，天自化身如舍利弗，而問言：「何以不轉女身？」
At once the heavenly maiden, by spiritual power, changed Sariputra into the form of the heavenly maiden, and transformed herself into the form of Sariputra, and asked: "Why do you not change your female body?"
舍利弗以天女像而答言：「我今不知何轉而變為女身？」
Sariputra, in the form of the heavenly maiden, answered: "I do not now know how I changed into a female body."
天曰：「舍利弗！若能轉此女身，則一切女人亦當能轉。如舍利弗非女而現女身，一切女人亦復如是，雖現女身，而非女也。是故佛說一切諸法非男、非女。」
The heavenly maiden said: "Sariputra! If you can change this female body, then all women should also be able to change. Just as Sariputra is not a woman yet appears in a female body, so it is with all women: though they appear in female bodies, they are not women. So the Buddha says that all dharmas are neither male nor female."
即時天女還攝神力，舍利弗身還復如故。天問舍利弗：「女身色相今何所在？」
At once the heavenly maiden withdrew her spiritual power, and Sariputra's body returned to what it was. The heavenly maiden asked Sariputra: "Where is the female body and form now?"
舍利弗言：「女身色相，無在無不在。」
Sariputra said: "The female body and form neither exist nor do not exist."
天曰：「一切諸法，亦復如是，無在無不在。夫無在無不在者，佛所說也。」
The heavenly maiden said: "All dharmas are also like this, neither existing nor not existing. That they neither exist nor do not exist is what the Buddha has said."
舍利弗問天：「汝於此沒，當生何所？」
Sariputra asked the heavenly maiden: "When you die here, where will you be born?"
天曰：「佛化所生，吾如彼生。」
The heavenly maiden said: "I will be born as those born by the transformation of the Buddha."
曰：「佛化所生，非沒生也。」
(Sariputra) said: "Those born by the Buddha's transformation are not born after dying."
天曰：「眾生猶然，無沒生也。」
The heavenly maiden said: "Beings are also like this; there is no being born after dying."
舍利弗問天：「汝久如當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提？」
Sariputra asked the heavenly maiden: "How long before you will attain unsurpassed perfect awakening?"