English
English version: Seeing the Tathagata (another name for the Buddha). Why is that? The thirty-two marks (the thirty-two auspicious physical characteristics of a Buddha) that the Tathagata speaks of are, in fact, non-marks (not permanent or unchanging characteristics). That is why they are called the thirty-two marks. The thirty-two marks refer to the manifested body (the body assumed by a Buddha to appear to sentient beings). Non-marks refer to the Dharma body (the true, formless body of a Buddha). The reason they are called the thirty-two marks is that the manifested body is none other than the Dharma body, and the Dharma body is fully present in the manifested body. Therefore, it is permissible to speak of the thirty-two marks. In other words, the merit of giving away treasures, even if it could result in the physical marks of a Buddha, would only result in the manifested body. It is not as good as the merit of upholding and expounding this sutra, which can result in the Dharma body. Subhuti (a disciple of the Buddha), if there are good men and good women who give away as many lives as there are sands in the Ganges River (a very large number), and if there is someone who, with regard to this sutra, even upholds and recites four lines of verse (a concise and essential part of a Buddhist scripture) and explains it to others, their merit would be very great. Giving away the seven treasures is giving away external wealth. Giving away one's life is giving away internal wealth. Giving away one's body is like the example of King Sibi (an ancient king who offered his own flesh to save a dove). Giving away one's life is like the example of Prince Sattva (a prince who sacrificed himself to feed a tigress). Comparing their weight, giving away external wealth is light and easy, while giving away internal wealth is heavy and difficult. However, both of these acts of giving are conditioned and tainted causes and effects. They are not as good as upholding and expounding four lines of verse, which can obtain the wonderful fruit of Bodhi (enlightenment). At that time, Subhuti, having heard this sutra and deeply understanding its meaning and interest, wept with sorrow and said to the Buddha, 'Rare indeed, World Honored One (a title of respect for the Buddha)! The Buddha speaks of such a profound scripture. With the eye of wisdom that I have attained from the past, I have never heard of such a scripture. World Honored One, if there is someone who can hear this sutra and whose faith is pure, then they will give rise to the true mark (the true nature of things). It should be known that this person has accomplished the foremost rare merit. World Honored One, this true mark is, in fact, a non-mark. Therefore, the Tathagata calls it the true mark. World Honored One, it is not difficult for me to hear such a scripture now and to believe, understand, and uphold it. If, in the future age, in the last five hundred years (the degenerate age), there are sentient beings who can hear this sutra and believe, understand, and uphold it, that person would be the foremost rare. Why is that? Because this person has no self-mark (attachment to the appearance of self), person-mark (attachment to the appearance of a person), sentient being-mark (attachment to the appearance of sentient beings), or lifespan-mark (attachment to the appearance of lifespan). Why is that? Because the self-mark is, in fact, a non-mark. The person-mark, sentient being-mark, and lifespan-mark are, in fact, non-marks. Why is that? Because to be apart from all marks is called all Buddhas (enlightened ones).' The worthy Subhuti knew that the merit gained from giving away one's body and life is not as good as the excellence of upholding and expounding this sutra. Feeling deeply grateful for the Buddha's kindness, he wept with sorrow. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
赞言希有。自谓从昔已来。未曾闻是经典。若人闻经信心清净。则能生乎实相。又谓我今直佛获闻是经不以为难。而未来众生得闻是法始为希有。所以希有者。以依此经修行。不起我人众生寿者四相。即是非相。非相即实相也。离此诸相即成正觉故曰即名诸佛也。 佛告须菩提。如是如是。若复有人得闻是经。不惊不怖不畏。当知是人甚为希有。何以故。须菩提。如来说第一波罗蜜。非第一波罗蜜。是名第一波罗蜜 如是如是者。然之之辞也。大乘之法本是难信难解。然非大乘根器。卒闻是法。未免惊愕疑怖畏惧。能闻是法而不惊畏者。实为希有。此希有法无与等者。故名第一。然法本无说。虑其于法取着。故云非第一波罗蜜。有因缘故亦可得说。故云是名第一波罗蜜也。 八断持说未脱苦果疑 此疑从上舍身布施而来 须菩提。忍辱波罗蜜。如来说非忍辱波罗蜜。何以故。须菩提。如我昔为歌利王割截身体。我于尔时无我相无人相无众生相无寿者相。何以故。我于往昔节节支解时。若有我相人相众生相寿者相。应生嗔恨。须菩提。又念过去于五百世作忍辱仙人。于尔所世无我相无人相无众生相无寿者相 忍辱者。六度之一也。安受曰忍。毁害曰辱。前云舍身命之福报是生死苦因。不及持说之福。 现代汉语译本： 赞叹这种说法非常稀有。自认为从以前到现在，从未听闻过这样的经典。如果有人听闻此经，信心清净，就能证得实相。又说我现在直接从佛陀那里听闻此经，不觉得困难，而未来众生能够听闻此法，才真正是稀有。之所以稀有，是因为依照此经修行，不起我相、人相、众生相、寿者相这四相，这就是非相。非相即是实相。离开这些相，就能成就正觉，所以说就叫做诸佛。 佛告诉须菩提（Subhuti，佛陀的弟子）：‘是这样，是这样。如果又有人听闻此经，不惊慌、不恐惧、不畏惧，应当知道这个人非常稀有。’为什么呢？须菩提，如来说的第一波罗蜜（Paramita，到彼岸），不是第一波罗蜜，这叫做第一波罗蜜。’‘是这样，是这样’，是赞同肯定之词。大乘的法本来就难以相信难以理解。如果不是大乘根器的人，突然听闻此法，难免会惊愕、疑惑、怖畏、恐惧。能够听闻此法而不惊慌畏惧的人，实在是稀有。这种稀有之法没有可以与之相比的，所以叫做第一。然而法本来就不可说，担心人们执着于法，所以说不是第一波罗蜜。因为某种因缘，也可以说，所以说这叫做第一波罗蜜。 八种断除执着的方法，持诵解说，还未脱离苦果的疑惑。这种疑惑是从前面舍身布施而来的。 须菩提，忍辱波罗蜜（Ksanti Paramita，忍耐到彼岸），如来说不是忍辱波罗蜜。为什么呢？须菩提，就像我过去被歌利王（Kali，一位残暴的国王）割截身体时，我那时没有我相、没有人相、没有众生相、没有寿者相。为什么呢？我在往昔被一节节肢解时，如果我有我相、人相、众生相、寿者相，就应该产生嗔恨。须菩提，我又想起过去在五百世中做忍辱仙人，在那许多世中，我没有我相、没有人相、没有众生相、没有寿者相。’忍辱，是六度（Six Paramitas）之一。安然接受叫做忍，毁坏伤害叫做辱。前面说舍身命的福报是生死苦的因，不如持诵解说的福德。
English
English version: Praise that this saying is exceedingly rare. Claiming that since the past, one has never heard of such a scripture. If a person hears this scripture with pure faith, they can realize the true reality. Furthermore, it is said that I now directly hear this scripture from the Buddha and do not find it difficult, but it is truly rare for future beings to be able to hear this Dharma. The reason it is rare is that by practicing according to this scripture, one does not give rise to the four marks of self, person, sentient being, and life-span. This is the non-mark. The non-mark is the true reality. Leaving these marks, one attains perfect enlightenment, hence it is said to be called all Buddhas. The Buddha told Subhuti (Subhuti, a disciple of the Buddha): 'It is so, it is so. If someone hears this scripture and is not alarmed, not afraid, not fearful, know that this person is very rare.' Why? Subhuti, the Tathagata (Tathagata, 'Thus Gone One', an epithet of the Buddha) speaks of the first Paramita (Paramita, perfection or crossing to the other shore), which is not the first Paramita; it is called the first Paramita.' 'It is so, it is so' is a term of affirmation. The Dharma of the Mahayana (Mahayana, the Great Vehicle) is inherently difficult to believe and understand. If someone is not of Mahayana capacity and suddenly hears this Dharma, they will inevitably be alarmed, doubtful, fearful, and afraid. One who can hear this Dharma without alarm or fear is truly rare. This rare Dharma has nothing to compare to it, so it is called the first. However, Dharma is inherently unspeakable, fearing that people will become attached to the Dharma, so it is said not to be the first Paramita. Because of certain conditions, it can also be spoken of, so it is said to be called the first Paramita. Eight methods of cutting off attachments, upholding and explaining, have not yet escaped the doubt of the bitter fruit. This doubt comes from the previous giving up of the body in almsgiving. Subhuti, the Patience Paramita (Ksanti Paramita, perfection of patience), the Tathagata says is not the Patience Paramita. Why? Subhuti, just as when I was formerly cut apart by King Kali (Kali, a cruel king), at that time I had no mark of self, no mark of person, no mark of sentient being, no mark of life-span. Why? When I was dismembered joint by joint in the past, if I had the mark of self, the mark of person, the mark of sentient being, the mark of life-span, I should have given rise to anger and hatred. Subhuti, I also remember in the past, in five hundred lifetimes, I was a Patience Immortal; in those many lifetimes, I had no mark of self, no mark of person, no mark of sentient being, no mark of life-span.' Patience is one of the Six Paramitas (Six Paramitas). To peacefully accept is called patience, to destroy and harm is called insult. Previously it was said that the blessings of giving up body and life are the cause of the suffering of birth and death, not as good as the merit of upholding and explaining. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
此之行忍亦舍身命。不成苦因者何耶。盖能达法无我到于彼岸也。说非忍辱波罗蜜者。即遣着也。如是忍行佛昔曾行故。引歌利王之事以证之。梵语歌利。华言极恶。佛于宿世曾作仙人山中修道。王因畋猎见而不喜。遂割其耳鼻截其手足。时仙人略无嗔恨。以慈忍力身复如故。盖能了达我人众生寿者四相皆空。非惟无苦。亦乃有乐也。又引过去五百世中作忍辱仙以证之者。明行忍行非止一世也。 是故须菩提。菩萨应离一切相发阿耨多罗三藐三菩提心。不应住色生心。不应住声香味触法生心。应生无所住心。若心有住则为非住。是故佛说。菩萨心不应住色布施。须菩提。菩萨为利益一切众生。应如是布施。如来说一切诸相即是非相。又说一切众生即非众生 佛累世行忍。以无我故得成菩提。故发菩提之心。应须离一切相。离相即不住色等六尘也。应生无所住心。心无所住即能住菩提。若心有住则非住佛道矣。菩萨所行六度皆应离相。色为六尘之首。施为六度之初。故云不应住色布施。如是行施为利群生。若存施受之心则非无住。下复遣着。故曰非相非众生也。 九断能证无体非因疑 此疑从上为利生行施而来 须菩提。如来是真语者。实语者。如语者。不诳语者。不异语者。须菩提。如来所得法。 现代汉语译本： 这种行忍辱的方式也等同于舍弃身命。为什么不会成为痛苦的原因呢？因为能够通达万法皆无我的真理，到达解脱的彼岸。如果说这不是忍辱波罗蜜（Kṣānti-pāramitā，忍辱到彼岸），那就是执着于表象了。像这样的忍辱行为，佛陀过去曾经实行过，所以引用歌利王（Kali，极恶）的事迹来证明。梵语歌利（Kali）翻译成汉语就是极恶的意思。佛陀在过去世曾经作为仙人在山中修行。歌利王因为打猎看见仙人而不高兴，于是割掉了他的耳朵和鼻子，砍断了他的手和脚。当时仙人一点也没有嗔恨之心，凭借慈悲忍辱的力量，身体恢复如初。这是因为仙人能够了达我相、人相、众生相、寿者相这四相皆是空性的，所以不仅没有痛苦，反而有快乐。又引用过去五百世中作为忍辱仙人的事迹来证明，说明修行忍辱并非只是一世的事情。 ‘是故，须菩提（Subhūti，空生）。菩萨应该离开一切相，发起阿耨多罗三藐三菩提心（anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi-citta，无上正等正觉之心）。不应该因为执着于色（rūpa，形色）而生心，不应该因为执着于声（śabda，声音）、香（gandha，气味）、味（rasa，味道）、触（sparśa，触觉）、法（dharma，事物）而生心。应该生起无所执着的心。如果心有所执着，那就是非无所住。所以佛说，菩萨的心不应该执着于色而行布施（dāna，施舍）。须菩提，菩萨为了利益一切众生，应该这样行布施。如来说一切诸相即是非相，又说一切众生即非众生。’佛陀累世修行忍辱，因为没有我执所以能够成就菩提。所以发起菩提之心，应该要离开一切相。离开一切相就是不执着于色等六尘。应该生起无所执着的心，心无所执着就能安住于菩提。如果心有所执着，那就不是安住于佛道了。菩萨所修行的六度（pāramitā，六种到达彼岸的方法）都应该离开一切相。色是六尘之首，布施是六度之初，所以说不应该执着于色而行布施。像这样行布施是为了利益众生，如果存有施与受的心，那就不是无所住。下面再次强调不要执着，所以说非相非众生。 九断能证无体非因疑，这个疑问是从上面为了利益众生而行布施而来。 ‘须菩提，如来（Tathāgata，佛的称号）是真语者、实语者、如语者、不诳语者、不异语者。须菩提，如来所证得的法。’