English
English version: 'No self-image' (the appearance of no self), 'illusory image' (false and unreal appearance), 'non-firm image' (unstable appearance), 'ultimately empty image' (the appearance of ultimate emptiness), 'from the beginning unproduced image' (the appearance of neither arising nor ceasing from the root). If one can constantly observe these with correct wisdom, one can cut off all desires and attachments in the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness), and also find expedient means in these profound Dharmas. Holder of the World (a Bodhisattva's name)! In the past, immeasurable asamkhya kalpas (extremely long units of time), there was a Buddha named Great Intent Mountain King Tathagata (a Buddha's title, meaning the Mountain King with great wisdom and intent), Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Understanding of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha (Enlightened One), World Honored One. Holder of the World! This Great Intent Mountain King Buddha had eighty billion nayutas (extremely large numbers) of Shravakas (those who practice by hearing the Buddha's teachings), all of whom were Arhats (those who have extinguished all afflictions and are no longer subject to rebirth), their outflows exhausted (all afflictions extinguished), and eighty billion nayutas of Anagamins (those who do not return to the desire realm for rebirth) who were still in training. In addition, there were forty billion nayutas of Bodhisattva Mahasattvas (great Bodhisattvas). This Great Intent Mountain King Buddha lived for eighty thousand years. Holder of the World! At that time, there was a king named Virtue Increase. This King Virtue Increase possessed twenty thousand large cities, which were very prosperous and filled with people. Each city had seven layers of walls, twelve yojanas (ancient units of length) in length and width, made of four kinds of treasures. Outside the city, there were seven layers of moats, with railings and seven rows of trees along the banks. Various treasure nets covered the top. The walls, moats, trees, and nets were all made of gold, lapis lazuli, tridacna (sea shell), and agate. Each large city had five hundred gardens, filled with trees that bore clothes made of seven treasures. Each garden had five hundred treasure ponds, filled with water with eight qualities of merit. Holder of the World! This King Virtue Increase had eighty thousand concubines, and his chief queen had two sons: one named Immeasurable Intent, and the other named Immeasurable Strength. Holder of the World! These two princes were only sixteen years old, and in their dreams, they saw the Buddha, whose appearance was incomparably dignified, like a banner of Jambu River gold (a type of gold). They were very happy to see the Buddha, and after waking up, they each spoke a verse. One of them said: 'I now dream of the Two-Footed Honored One (a respectful term for the Buddha), adorned with golden color and a hundred blessings, accomplishing immeasurable merits, and my heart is filled with great joy upon seeing him.' The second one said: 'I dream of the Buddha, bright as the sun, the most dignified and beautiful of all, like Mount Sumeru, king of all mountains,' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 巍巍高显见欢喜。’
Chinese
“持世！即时无量意、无量力二子，诣父母所具说是事，白父母言：‘今我二人于梦中见佛，惟愿父母，当听我等俱诣佛所。佛久出世，我等放逸不能觉知，没五欲泥，为色缚所缚，为受想行识缚所缚。我等在家，以放逸故，不能见佛。’ “持世！是二王子为父母说是事已，即诣大意山王佛所。到已，头面礼佛足，请佛及僧三月四事供养衣服饮食卧具医药。于大城边庄严德益王所游园林，悬缯幡盖宝华覆地，奉佛及僧令止其中。其二王子三月之中，以一切乐具供佛及僧，供养已毕，于佛法中俱共出家。 “持世！其大意山王佛知此二王子深心所愿，而为广说是五阴十二入十八性菩萨方便经，于四万岁中终不睡眠，常不满腹食亦不倾卧，若坐若经行。又于四万岁中不念余事，但念五受阴虚妄空相，知是五受阴从颠倒起，通达是五受阴相毕，其年寿常修梵行，命终即生兜率天上。于佛灭后，还生阎浮提大居士家。至年十六复梦见佛，为说五阴十八性菩萨从方便经。闻是法已，即觉惊怖，复于佛法满万岁中常修梵行；亦复方便深观五阴十二入十八性菩萨所行方便经，命终生于忉利天上。毕天之寿，生阎浮提大姓婆罗门家。大意山王佛法末后千岁之中，其二人以本因缘故复得出 ‘如此巍峨高大，真是令人欢喜。’ ‘持世（菩萨名）！当时无量意（王子名）、无量力（王子名）二位王子，前往父母处，详细禀告此事，并对父母说：‘现在我们二人在梦中见到了佛，只希望父母能够允许我们一同前往佛所在的地方。佛出世已经很久了，我们却因为放逸而未能察觉，沉溺于五欲的泥潭中，被色（色蕴）、受（受蕴）、想（想蕴）、行（行蕴）、识（识蕴）所束缚。我们因为在家，又因为放逸的缘故，不能见到佛。’ ‘持世！这两位王子向父母禀告此事之后，就前往大意山王佛（佛名）所在之处。到达后，以头面顶礼佛足，恳请佛和僧众接受三个月的四事供养，即衣服、饮食、卧具、医药。他们在大城旁边，在庄严德益王（国王名）所游玩的园林中，悬挂幡盖，用宝华覆盖地面，奉献给佛和僧众居住。这两位王子在三个月之中，用一切美好的事物供养佛和僧众，供养完毕后，都在佛法中一同出家。 ‘持世！那位大意山王佛知道这两位王子内心深处的愿望，就为他们广泛地宣说这《五阴十二入十八性菩萨方便经》。在四万年中，他从不睡眠，常常不吃饱肚子，也不侧卧，不是坐着就是经行。又在四万年中，不思念其他事情，只是思念五受阴（色、受、想、行、识五蕴中的受蕴）虚妄空寂的相状，知道这五受阴是从颠倒妄想中产生的，通达这五受阴的实相之后，在年寿期间常常修习梵行，命终之后就生到兜率天（欲界天之一）上。在佛灭度之后，又转生到阎浮提（我们所居住的这个世界）的大居士家中。到十六岁时，再次梦见佛，佛为他们宣说《五阴十八性菩萨从方便经》。听闻此法之后，立即觉醒惊恐，又在佛法中用满万年的时间常常修习梵行；也方便地深入观察五阴、十二入（眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六根，色、声、香、味、触、法六尘）、十八性（六根、六尘、六识）菩萨所修行的方便法门，命终之后生于忉利天（欲界天之一）上。在忉利天寿命终结后，转生到阎浮提的大姓婆罗门（古印度僧侣阶层）家中。在大意山王佛的佛法末法时期最后的千年之中，这二人因为过去世的因缘，再次得以出家。
English
'How magnificent and lofty, truly delightful!' 'Holder of the World (a Bodhisattva's name)! At that time, the two princes, Immeasurable Intent (a prince's name) and Immeasurable Power (a prince's name), went to their parents and explained the matter in detail, saying to their parents, 'Now we two have seen the Buddha in a dream, and we only hope that our parents will allow us to go to the Buddha's place together. The Buddha has been in the world for a long time, but we have been negligent and unaware, sinking in the mud of the five desires, bound by the bonds of form (rupa-skandha), sensation (vedana-skandha), perception (samjna-skandha), volition (samskara-skandha), and consciousness (vijnana-skandha). Because we are at home, and because of our negligence, we cannot see the Buddha.' 'Holder of the World! After these two princes told their parents about this matter, they went to the place of the Great Meaning Mountain King Buddha (a Buddha's name). Upon arriving, they bowed their heads to the Buddha's feet and requested the Buddha and the Sangha to accept three months of offerings of the four necessities: clothing, food, bedding, and medicine. Beside the great city, in the park where King Adornment Virtue Increase (a king's name) used to roam, they hung banners and canopies, covered the ground with precious flowers, and offered them to the Buddha and the Sangha to reside in. During the three months, these two princes offered all kinds of delightful things to the Buddha and the Sangha. After the offerings were completed, they both renounced their home lives in the Buddha's Dharma. 'Holder of the World! That Great Meaning Mountain King Buddha, knowing the deep desires in the hearts of these two princes, extensively expounded for them the Sutra on the Expedient Means of the Bodhisattva Regarding the Five Skandhas, Twelve Entrances, and Eighteen Elements. For forty thousand years, he never slept, often did not eat his fill, and did not lie down to rest, either sitting or walking. Also, for forty thousand years, he did not think of other matters, but only contemplated the illusory and empty nature of the sensation skandha (vedana-skandha) among the five skandhas (form, sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness), knowing that these five skandhas arise from inverted thoughts. After fully understanding the nature of these five skandhas, during his lifespan, he constantly practiced pure conduct, and upon death, he was born in the Tushita Heaven (one of the heavens in the desire realm). After the Buddha's Parinirvana, he was reborn in Jambudvipa (the world we live in) in the home of a great householder. At the age of sixteen, he dreamed of the Buddha again, who expounded for him the Sutra on the Expedient Means of the Bodhisattva Regarding the Five Skandhas and Eighteen Elements. Upon hearing this Dharma, he immediately awoke in fear, and again, for ten thousand years in the Buddha's Dharma, he constantly practiced pure conduct; he also expediently and deeply contemplated the expedient means practiced by the Bodhisattva regarding the five skandhas, twelve entrances (the six sense organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind; and the six sense objects: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma), and eighteen elements (the six sense organs, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses). Upon death, he was born in the Trayastrimsha Heaven (one of the heavens in the desire realm). After the end of his life in the Trayastrimsha Heaven, he was reborn in Jambudvipa in the home of a Brahmin (ancient Indian priestly class) of a great lineage. In the last thousand years of the Dharma-ending age of the Great Meaning Mountain King Buddha, these two, due to their past causes and conditions, were able to renounce their home lives again.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
家，学问广博其智如海，亦善观察选择是五阴性入法，如实通了，于其世中教化二万人及二十亿天于阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。 “持世！是二菩萨从是已后，世世同心，共值十亿那由他佛，然后乃得无生法忍。得法忍已，复值一亿那由他佛，然后得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。二人共劫次第作佛：一名无量音、二名无量光。 “持世！是故菩萨摩诃萨，若欲疾得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提，当于是清净无染法中，勤行修集此阴入性，及余有为法中说实知见相。 持世经十八性品第三 “持世！何谓菩萨摩诃萨善知十八性？菩萨摩诃萨方便正观十八性，作是念：‘眼性，眼性中不可得，是眼性无我无我所，无常无坚自性空故，眼性中眼性不可得故，眼性虚妄无所有，从忆想分别起，眼性无有决定相，虚空性是眼性。譬如虚空无决定相，无根本故，眼性亦如是，无决定相亦无根本故。何以故？眼性中实事不可得故。眼性无处无方，不在内不在外不在中间，眼性无决定相，以无事故。眼性事不可得，众因缘生故。眼性不过去不未来不现在，眼性眼相不可得，眼性但以先业果报，属现在缘故数名眼性。眼性者即是无性，眼性中眼性不可得，识行处故数名眼性。 “‘若眼根清净，色在可见处，意根相应，以三 家（指佛陀），学问广博，其智慧如大海一般深邃，也善于观察和选择五阴（色、受、想、行、识，构成个体存在的五种要素）、六入（眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六种感觉器官）的自性法则，如实通达一切，于他所处的世间教化了两万人以及二十亿天众证得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提（无上正等正觉）。 ‘持世（菩萨名）！这两位菩萨从那时以后，生生世世同心同德，共同值遇十亿那由他（极大的数量单位）诸佛，然后才证得无生法忍（对诸法不生不灭的深刻体悟）。得到无生法忍后，又值遇一亿那由他诸佛，然后才证得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。这两人将依次在劫中成佛：一位名为无量音，一位名为无量光。’ ‘持世（菩萨名）！因此，菩萨摩诃萨（大菩萨），如果想要迅速证得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提，应当在这清净无染的法中，勤奋修行和积累对五阴、六入自性的认识，以及在其他有为法（因缘和合而生的事物）中宣说真实的知见之相。’ 持世经十八性品第三 ‘持世（菩萨名）！什么是菩萨摩诃萨善于了解十八性？菩萨摩诃萨以方便智慧正确地观察十八性，这样思念：‘眼性（眼睛的自性），在眼性中是不可得的，这眼性是无我、无我所（不属于我的），因为无常、不坚固且自性空，所以在眼性中眼性是不可得的，眼性是虚妄不实的，从忆想分别而生起，眼性没有决定的相状，虚空的性质就是眼性。譬如虚空没有决定的相状，没有根本，眼性也像这样，没有决定的相状也没有根本。为什么呢？因为在眼性中真实的事物是不可得的。眼性没有处所没有方位，不在内不在外不在中间，眼性没有决定的相状，因为没有实事。眼性的事是不可得的，因为是众多因缘和合而生。眼性不属于过去、不属于未来、不属于现在，眼性的眼相是不可得的，眼性只是因为先前的业力果报，加上现在的因缘，所以才被称作眼性。眼性就是无性，在眼性中眼性是不可得的，因为是识的行处，所以才被称作眼性。 ‘如果眼根清净，色（颜色）在可见之处，意根（意识）相应，以这三种