English
English version: Now that I have attained extinction, it is like removing a terrible disease. This body composed of the five skandhas (pañca-skandha) is like a terrible disease. Attaining extinction is like recovering from an illness. [Annotation] The Buddha's wondrous form is the Dharma body (Dharmakāya), and the analogy of a terrible disease serves as a reminder to be vigilant, just like ordinary people. 2. Extensive discussion of the characteristics of suffering. This body that should be abandoned is a sinful thing, merely a false name for a body, submerged in the sea of old age, sickness, and death. What wise person could remove and extinguish it, like killing an enemy, without rejoicing? Only wise people can feel aversion and joy towards this. [Annotation] Seeing the body's existence brings joy and not aversion, hence the clinging to life; seeing the body's destruction brings sorrow and not joy, hence the avoidance of death. This is the behavior of fools. The wise act in the opposite way. 7. Separating from various inherent natures, pure and without self (two parts). First, counteracting the obstacles of inherent nature; second, clarifying purity and selflessness. First, counteracting the obstacles of inherent nature (three parts). First, directly clarifying true wisdom; second, urging diligent practice; third, explaining the impermanence of the three realms (Triloka). First, directly clarifying true wisdom. You monks (bhikkhus), should always be of one mind, knowing that all the various delusive thoughts in the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness) arise from the mind. Therefore, the mind should be the master, so that it can be controlled in one place. [Annotation] The two words 'one mind' summarize the various Dharma (teachings) doors taught above. Precisely because one mind is the master of all dharmas, it is said that controlling the mind in one place makes anything possible. 2. Urging diligent practice. Diligently seek the path of liberation (Nirvana), because attaining true wisdom with one mind is difficult. Therefore, I urge you to be diligent. [Annotation] A distracted mind is a false knowledge that goes against true principles. One mind is a true knowledge that accords with true principles, hence it is called true wisdom. Is it easy to attain such wisdom? Therefore, one should diligently seek it. There are also two meanings: first, in terms of action, according to the previous text, one should focus one's mind to seek the path of liberation; second, in terms of principle, one mind and true wisdom are the path of liberation. 3. The impermanence of the three realms. All phenomena in the world, whether moving or unmoving, are signs of decay and instability. 'World' encompasses the three realms (Kāmadhātu, Rūpadhātu, Arūpadhātu). 'Moving' refers to the desire realm (Kāmadhātu); 'unmoving' refers to the form realm (Rūpadhātu) and the formless realm (Arūpadhātu). 'Decay and instability' directly point to impermanence (Anicca). [Annotation] The life spans in the form realm and the formless realm are long, and externalists (non-Buddhists) consider them to be unmoving, but they do not know that all three realms belong to impermanence. Therefore, the sutra says, 'There is no peace in the three realms.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
犹如火宅 二明清净无我(三)。初劝止三业。二示将归灭。三正显遗训。即是于甚深法中寂灭故。初劝止三业。 汝等且止勿得复语 净口业也。口业净故则意亦净也。论云。示三业无动。是寂灭无我相应器故 ［补注］问此中何缺身业。答凡侍于所尊有问则从座起。承问则起而对。是身口常相须。故口不动兼身亦不动也。三业不动是与寂灭无我。相应之法器也 二示将归灭。 时将欲过我欲灭度 已当中夜。所以不过表中道也。中道二种如前说。今显表离断常之中。亦密表佛性中也。我有三种。一见二慢三名字。如来见慢已尽。随顺世间名字称我。今当灰灭假身则名字亦无。即是无余涅槃真无我法也 ［补注］是知佛以中为命。中存佛存中灭佛灭。安住中道。即是十方常住佛也 三正显遗训。 是我最后之所教诲 小乘训世凡五十年。今将涅槃更略教诫。故云最后。论云。于住持法中胜以具遗教故也 ［补注］最后者。犹著述家所谓绝笔也。又前所谓临终之语语必切要。是也。故如来末后殷勤。必欲万世遵而守之也。问此既云小乘训世。何前言不得约小机属藏教。答论云。此经每说比丘者。示远离相故。复示摩诃衍方便道。与二乘共故。则知此经正为二乘。傍兼菩萨。云小乘训世者举多分也。 现代汉语译本： 犹如火宅：二明清净无我（三）。首先劝止身口意三业，其次指示即将归于寂灭，最后正式显明遗训。这遗训就是在甚深佛法中达到寂灭的境界。首先劝止三业： ‘汝等且止勿得复语’——这是清净口业。口业清净，则意业也清净。《大般涅槃经》中说，这是显示身口意三业不动，因为不动的三业是与寂灭无我相应的法器。[补注]问：这里为什么缺少身业的说明？答：凡是侍奉所尊敬的人，有疑问时就要从座位上站起来。接受提问就要起身回答。这是身口常常相互配合。所以口不动，也兼顾了身不动。三业不动，是与寂灭无我相应的法器。其次指示即将归于寂灭： ‘时将欲过我欲灭度’——时间将要过去，我将要灭度。已是半夜时分。之所以不在时间过半时灭度，是为了表明中道。中道有两种，如前所述。现在显明的是远离断见和常见的中道，也秘密地表明了佛性中道。我有三种：一、见解上的我，二、傲慢心里的我，三、名字上的我。如来在见解和傲慢上已经没有我，只是随顺世间的名字而称‘我’。现在将要灰身灭智，这个虚假的身体消失了，那么名字也就没有了。这就是无余涅槃，是真正的无我之法。[补注]由此可知，佛以中道为生命。中道存在，佛就存在；中道灭亡，佛就灭亡。安住于中道，就是十方常住佛。最后正式显明遗训： ‘是我最后之所教诲’——这是我最后的教诲。小乘教化世人凡五十年，现在将要涅槃，更加简略地教诫，所以说是最后。《大般涅槃经》中说，在住持佛法中，最重要的是具足遗教。[补注]所谓‘最后’，就像著书立说的人所说的‘绝笔’。又像前面所说的临终之语，句句切要。所以如来最后殷勤叮嘱，必定要让万世后人遵从和遵守。问：这里既然说是小乘教化世人，为什么前面说不能从小乘根机归属藏教来理解？答：《大般涅槃经》中说，这部经中每次说到比丘，都是为了显示远离诸相。又显示了摩诃衍（Mahayana，大乘）的方便之道，与二乘（声闻乘和缘觉乘）共通。由此可知，这部经主要是为二乘人说的，同时也兼顾菩萨。说小乘教化世人，是就多数情况而言的。
English
English version: Like a burning house: Two aspects clarify purity and non-self (three). First, advising to cease the three karmas. Second, indicating the approaching extinction. Third, formally revealing the final instructions. This is to attain extinction within the profound Dharma. First, advising to cease the three karmas: 'You all should stop and not speak further'—This is purifying the karma of speech. When the karma of speech is pure, the karma of mind is also pure. The *Mahaparinirvana Sutra* says, this shows the stillness of the three karmas, because the stillness of the three karmas is a vessel corresponding to extinction and non-self. [Note] Question: Why is there a lack of explanation of bodily karma here? Answer: Whenever serving a respected person, one should rise from their seat when there is a question. To receive a question, one should rise and answer. This is because body and speech often accompany each other. Therefore, when speech is still, it also includes the stillness of the body. The stillness of the three karmas is a vessel of Dharma corresponding to extinction and non-self. Second, indicating the approaching extinction: 'The time is about to pass, I wish to enter extinction'—The time is about to pass, and I am about to enter extinction. It is already midnight. The reason for not entering extinction when the time is halfway through is to indicate the Middle Way. There are two types of Middle Way, as mentioned before. Now, what is being revealed is the Middle Way that is away from both eternalism and nihilism, and it also secretly indicates the Middle Way of Buddha-nature. There are three types of 'I': first, the 'I' of views; second, the 'I' of arrogance; and third, the 'I' of name. The *Tathagata* (如来，Thus Come One) has already exhausted the 'I' in views and arrogance, and only follows the worldly names to call 'I'. Now, as the body is about to be cremated and wisdom extinguished, this false body disappears, and then the name also disappears. This is *nirvana* (涅槃，extinction) without remainder, the true Dharma of non-self. [Note] From this, it can be known that the Buddha takes the Middle Way as life. When the Middle Way exists, the Buddha exists; when the Middle Way is extinguished, the Buddha is extinguished. Abiding in the Middle Way is the *Buddha* (佛，awakened one) who constantly abides in the ten directions. Third, formally revealing the final instructions: 'These are my last instructions'—The *Hinayana* (小乘，lesser vehicle) taught the world for fifty years. Now, about to enter *nirvana*, the instructions are even more concise, so they are called the last. The *Mahaparinirvana Sutra* says, in upholding the Dharma, the most important thing is to have complete final instructions. [Note] The so-called 'last' is like what writers call 'final stroke'. Also, like the words at the time of death mentioned earlier, every sentence is essential. Therefore, the *Tathagata's* (如来，Thus Come One) last earnest exhortation is certainly to have future generations follow and abide by them. Question: Since it is said here that the *Hinayana* (小乘，lesser vehicle) teaches the world, why was it said earlier that it cannot be understood from the perspective of the *Hinayana's* (小乘，lesser vehicle) capacity belonging to the *Tripitaka* (藏教，the teaching of the three collections)? Answer: The *Mahaparinirvana Sutra* says that every time this *sutra* (经，scripture) mentions *bhikshus* (比丘，monks), it is to show the separation from all forms. It also shows the expedient path of *Mahayana* (大乘，greater vehicle), which is common to the two vehicles (声闻乘和缘觉乘，*Sravakayana* and *Pratyekabuddhayana*). From this, it can be known that this *sutra* (经，scripture) is mainly for the two vehicles, and also includes *Bodhisattvas* (菩萨，enlightening beings). Saying that the *Hinayana* (小乘，lesser vehicle) teaches the world is referring to the majority of cases. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 此马鸣深旨也。 佛遗教经论疏节要(终)
Chinese
佛云。吾言如蜜中边以甜。又云。治世语言以即实相故。三祖不难至道而嫌拣择。有以也。今时人喜玄。一大藏教。凡入理深谈兢互传诵。至平易切近处或弁髦之。抑拣蜜于中边而实相顾不遍耶。嗟乎。最后叮咛言犹在人耳也。镂骨铭肌共报恩。于是乎刻遗教。古杭云栖袾宏跋。 现代汉语译本： 这是马鸣菩萨深奥的旨意啊。 《佛遗教经论疏节要》（终） 佛陀说：‘我的话语如同蜂蜜，从头到尾都是甜的。’又说：‘治理世间的语言就是实相。’三祖僧璨大师在《信心铭》中不以求道为难，而唯独厌恶拣择。这是有原因的。现在的人喜欢玄妙高深的理论，对于浩瀚的佛教经典，凡是涉及深刻道理的言论，都争相传诵。至于那些平实易懂、切近实际的教诲，却往往轻视抛弃。这难道不是只拣选蜂蜜的边缘部分，而实际上却不能全面顾及实相吗？唉！佛陀最后的叮咛还在耳边啊！应当镂骨铭肌，共同报答佛恩。因此刻写《遗教经》。古杭（今杭州）云栖寺的袾宏（莲池大师）题跋。 （马鸣：梵文Aśvaghoṣa的音译，意为‘马鸣’，是印度佛教史上著名的诗人和哲学家。实相：梵文Tathātā的意译，指诸法的真实体性。三祖：指禅宗三祖僧璨大师。信心铭：禅宗重要典籍。云栖：寺庙名。袾宏：即莲池大师。）
English
English version: This is the profound meaning of Aśvaghoṣa (Aśvaghoṣa: a renowned poet and philosopher in Indian Buddhist history). The Essential Excerpts from the Commentary on the Sūtra of the Buddha's Last Teachings (End) The Buddha said, 'My words are like honey, sweet from beginning to end.' He also said, 'The language of governing the world is identical to true reality (Tathātā: the true nature of all phenomena).' The Third Patriarch (referring to the Third Patriarch of Zen Buddhism, Sengcan) in the *Faith Mind Inscription* did not find the pursuit of the Way difficult, but only disliked discrimination. There is a reason for this. People nowadays are fond of profound and mysterious theories. Regarding the vast collection of Buddhist scriptures, they eagerly transmit and recite anything involving profound principles. However, they often disregard and discard teachings that are simple, easy to understand, and close to reality. Isn't this like only selecting the edge of the honey while failing to comprehensively consider true reality? Alas! The Buddha's final exhortations are still ringing in our ears! We should engrave them in our bones and minds and repay the Buddha's kindness together. Therefore, I inscribe the *Sūtra of the Buddha's Last Teachings*. Written by Zhuhong (also known as Master Lianchi) of Yunqi Temple (a temple name) in Guhang (present-day Hangzhou). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------