English
English version: The exposition of reason has no distinction between the hidden and the obvious; all strange and bizarre phenomena are nothing but manifestations of 'existence' (有). 'Existence' transforms into 'non-existence' (无), and 'non-existence' is not truly 'non-existence'. In that case, the realms of 'existence' and 'non-existence' are all encompassed by reason. The Sutra says: 'The two dharmas of existence and non-existence encompass all dharmas.' It also speaks of the three 'unconditioned' (无为): namely, space (虚空), cessation through wisdom (数缘尽, *shu yuan jin* - cessation attained through cultivation), and cessation without wisdom (非数缘尽, *fei shu yuan jin* - cessation attained without cultivation). Cessation through wisdom is none other than Nirvana (涅槃, *Nirvana*). And the Treatise says: 'Beyond existence and non-existence, there is a wondrous path; this wondrous path transcends existence and non-existence, and is called Nirvana.' Please examine the essence of this wondrous path. If it is truly 'existence', then even if it is wondrous, it is not 'non-existence'; and if it is wondrous but not 'non-existence', then it enters the realm of 'existence'. If it is 'non-existence', then 'non-existence' is without differentiation; and if 'non-existence' is without differentiation, then it enters the realm of 'non-existence'. In summary, whether grasped as a whole or investigated in detail, there is nothing that differs from 'existence' and is not 'non-existence', and there is nothing that differs from 'non-existence' and is not 'existence'. This is clear. But to say that 'beyond existence and non-existence there is a wondrous path, which is neither existence nor non-existence, and is called Nirvana,' I have heard these words, but have not yet truly understood them. Transcending Realms - Fifth Wuming refutes: The categories of 'existence' and 'non-existence' do indeed encompass all dharmas and are governed by reason. However, what they govern is only conventional truth (俗谛, *su di*). The Sutra says: 'What is ultimate truth (真谛, *zhen di*)? It is the path of Nirvana. What is conventional truth? It is the dharma of existence and non-existence.' Why is this so? 'Existence' exists within 'non-existence', and 'non-existence' exists within 'existence'. Because of 'existence', it is called 'existence'; because there is no 'existence', it is called 'non-existence'. In that case, 'existence' arises from 'non-existence', and 'non-existence' arises from 'existence'; apart from 'existence' there is no 'non-existence', and apart from 'non-existence' there is no 'existence'. 'Existence' and 'non-existence' are mutually dependent, like high and low leaning on each other; where there is high, there must be low, and where there is low, there must be high. In that case, although 'existence' and 'non-existence' are different, both are unable to escape the category of 'existence'. This is merely the cause of the arising of words and images, the root of the arising of right and wrong; how can it be used to encompass that profound and mysterious realm, to compare to that wondrous path! Therefore, the Treatise speaks of going beyond 'existence' and 'non-existence', precisely because the categories of 'existence' and 'non-existence' exist only within the six realms; within the six realms is not the abode of Nirvana, so it borrows 'going beyond' to exclude it. It is hoped that those who seek the path can vaguely see that profound road, entrust their emotions to that exquisite realm, realize the truth of forgetting words upon attaining meaning, and experience that state of neither 'existence' nor 'non-existence'. Can it be said that beyond 'existence' and 'non-existence', there is another 'existence' that can be praised? The 'three unconditioned' mentioned in the Sutra are probably...' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
群生纷绕，生乎笃患；笃患之尤，莫先于有；绝有之称，莫先于无，故借无以明其非有。明其非有，非谓无也。 搜玄第六 有名曰：论自云“涅槃既不出有无，又不在有无。”不在有无，则不可于有无得之矣；不出有无，则不可离有无求之矣。求之无所，便应都无。然复不无其道。其道不无，则幽途可寻。所以千圣同辙，未尝虚返者也。其道既存，而曰不出不在，必有异旨。可得闻乎？ 妙存第七 无名曰：夫言由名起，名以相生。相因可相，无相无名；无名无说，无说无闻。经曰：“涅槃非法、非非法。无闻无说，非心所知。”吾何敢言之？而子欲闻之耶！虽然，善吉有言：“众人若能以无心而受、无听而听者，吾当以无言言之。”庶述其言，亦可以言。净名曰：“不离烦恼而得涅槃。”天女曰：“不出魔界而入佛界。”然则玄道在于妙悟，妙悟在于即真，即真即有无齐观，齐观即彼己莫二。所以天地与我同根，万物与我一体。同我则非复有无，异我则乖于会通。所以不出不在而道存乎其间矣。何则？夫至人虚心冥照，理无不统。怀六合于胸中而灵鉴有余，镜万有于方寸而其神常虚。至能拔玄根于未始，即群动以静心。恬淡渊默，妙契自然。所以处有不有，居无不无。居无不无，故不无 现代汉语译本： 众生纷繁扰乱，皆因深重的忧患而生；而深重忧患中，没有比执着于‘有’更甚的了；要彻底消除对‘有’的执着，没有比回归‘无’更好的方法，所以借用‘无’来阐明它并非实有。阐明它并非实有，并不是说它就是‘无’。 搜玄第六 有名者问道：您自己说‘涅槃既不属于有，也不属于无，’既然不属于有无，那么就不能从有无中获得；既然不超出有无，那么就不能脱离有无去寻求。如果寻求也无所得，那么就应该什么都没有。然而，涅槃的道路并非完全不存在。这条道路如果存在，那么幽深的途径就可以寻找到。所以历代圣贤都遵循着同一条道路，没有徒劳而返的。这条道路既然存在，却又说不属于有无，必定有不同的含义。我可以听您讲讲吗？ 妙存第七 无名者回答说：言语由名相而起，名相又相互依存而生。相互依存才能显现，没有名相就没有显现；没有名相就没有言说，没有言说就没有听闻。经书上说：‘涅槃非有法，也非非法。无听闻，无言说，不是心所能了解的。’我怎么敢说呢？而您却想听我说！虽然如此，善吉曾说过：‘众人如果能以无心来接受，以无听来听闻，我就用无言来告诉他们。’或许可以借用他的话，勉强说说。维摩诘经上说：‘不离开烦恼而证得涅槃。’天女说：‘不超出魔界而进入佛界。’如此说来，玄妙的道理在于精妙的领悟，精妙的领悟在于回归真如，回归真如就是对有和无平等看待，平等看待就是你和我没有分别。所以天地与我同根同源，万物与我本为一体。与我相同，就不是有和无的对立；与我相异，就违背了融会贯通的道理。所以说不属于有无，而道却存在于其中。为什么呢？因为达到极高境界的人虚怀若谷，以空明之心照亮一切，没有什么不能统摄。将天地万物包容于胸中，而灵明的觉照还有剩余；在方寸心中映照万有，而精神始终保持虚静。能够从事物未开始时就拔除玄妙的根源，在万物的变动中保持内心的平静。恬淡虚静，与自然融为一体。所以处于‘有’的境界而不执着于‘有’，处于‘无’的境界而不执着于‘无’。处于‘无’的境界而不执着于‘无’，所以并非什么都没有。
English
English version: Sentient beings are caught in a web of confusion, arising from deep-seated suffering; and among deep-seated sufferings, none is greater than attachment to 'existence' (有, yǒu). To completely eliminate attachment to 'existence', there is no better method than returning to 'non-existence' (无, wú), so we borrow 'non-existence' to clarify that it is not truly existent. Clarifying that it is not truly existent does not mean that it is 'non-existence'. Chapter 6: Searching the Profound Someone named Youming (有名, Yǒumíng, 'Having Name') asked: You yourself said, 'Nirvana neither belongs to existence nor non-existence.' Since it does not belong to existence or non-existence, then it cannot be obtained from existence or non-existence; since it does not go beyond existence or non-existence, then it cannot be sought apart from existence or non-existence. If seeking yields nothing, then there should be nothing at all. However, the path to Nirvana is not completely non-existent. If this path exists, then the profound way can be found. Therefore, all sages have followed the same path, without returning in vain. Since this path exists, yet it is said not to belong to existence or non-existence, there must be a different meaning. May I hear you explain it? Chapter 7: Subtle Existence Someone named Wuming (无名, Wúmíng, 'Without Name') replied: Speech arises from names, and names arise from mutual dependence. Through mutual dependence, things can be manifested; without manifestations, there are no names; without names, there is no speech; without speech, there is no hearing. The sutra says: 'Nirvana is neither Dharma nor non-Dharma. Without hearing, without speech, it is not knowable by the mind.' How dare I speak of it? Yet you wish to hear me speak! Nevertheless, Shanjiyou (善吉有) once said: 'If the multitude can receive with a mind of non-attachment and listen with a hearing of non-attachment, then I will tell them with words of non-speaking.' Perhaps I can borrow his words to speak reluctantly. The Vimalakirti Sutra says: 'Without leaving afflictions, one attains Nirvana.' The goddess said: 'Without going beyond the realm of demons, one enters the realm of Buddhas.' Thus, the profound truth lies in subtle realization, and subtle realization lies in returning to Suchness (真如, Zhēnrú). Returning to Suchness is to regard existence and non-existence equally, and regarding them equally is to see that self and other are not two. Therefore, heaven and earth share the same root with me, and all things are one with me. Being the same as me, it is no longer the opposition of existence and non-existence; being different from me, it violates the principle of harmonious understanding. Therefore, it is said not to belong to existence or non-existence, yet the Tao exists within it. Why? Because those who have attained the highest state have an empty mind and illuminate everything with profound wisdom, and there is nothing that they cannot encompass. They hold the universe in their hearts, and their spiritual awareness is abundant; they reflect all things in their minds, and their spirit always remains empty. They are able to uproot the mysterious root before things begin, and maintain inner peace amidst the movements of all things. Tranquil and silent, they subtly merge with nature. Therefore, they dwell in 'existence' without being attached to 'existence', and they dwell in 'non-existence' without being attached to 'non-existence'. Dwelling in 'non-existence' without being attached to 'non-existence', therefore it is not that there is nothing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
于无；处有不有，故不有于有。故能不出有无而不在有无者也。然则法无有无之相，圣无有无之知。圣无有无之知，则无心于内；法无有无之相，则无数于外。于外无数、于内无心，彼此寂灭，物我冥一，怕尔无朕，乃曰涅槃。涅槃若此，图度绝矣。岂容可责之于有无之内，又可徴之有无之外耶？ 难差第八 有名曰：涅槃既绝图度之域，则超六境之外，不出不在而玄道独存。斯则穷理尽性究竟之道，妙一无差。理其然矣。而《放光》云：“三乘之道，皆因无为而有差别。”佛言：“我昔为菩萨时，名曰儒童。于然灯佛所，已入涅槃。”儒童菩萨时于七住初获无生忍，进修三位。若涅槃一也，则不应有三；如其有三，则非究竟。究竟之道，而有升降之殊。众经异说，何以取中耶？ 辩差第九 无名曰：然究竟之道，理无差也。《法华经》云：“第一大道无有两正，吾以方便为怠慢者，于一乘道分别说三。”三车出火宅，即其事也。以俱出生死，故同称无为；所乘不一，故有三名。统其会归，一而已矣。而难云“三乘之道，皆因无为而有差别。”此以人三，三于无为，非无为有三也。故《放光》云：“涅槃有差别耶？答曰：无差别。”但如来结习都尽，声闻结习不尽耳。请以近喻，以况远旨。 现代汉语译本： 对于‘无’：处于‘有’的状态，却又不是真的‘有’，所以说不是存在于‘有’之中。因此，能够不超出‘有无’的范围，也不存在于‘有无’之中。如此，佛法没有‘有无’的表象，圣人没有‘有无’的认知。圣人没有‘有无’的认知，那么内心就没有执念；佛法没有‘有无’的表象，那么对外就没有分别。对外没有分别，对内没有执念，彼此寂静消灭，物与我融为一体，恍惚之间没有丝毫痕迹，这就叫做涅槃（Nirvana，佛教术语，指解脱）。涅槃如果是这样，那么任何思虑揣测都无法触及。怎么能用‘有无’的范畴来衡量它，又怎么能从‘有无’之外去寻求它呢？ 难差第八 有人提出：涅槃既然超越了思虑揣测的领域，那么就超脱了六境（指色、声、香、味、触、法六种境界）之外，既不超出也不存在于任何地方，只有玄妙的道独自存在。这才是穷究真理、彻底了解本性的究竟之道，精妙唯一，没有差别。道理确实如此。但是《放光经》（Fang Guang Jing，佛教经典）中说：‘三乘（指声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘）的道路，都是因为无为（指不造作，不执着）而产生差别。’佛说：‘我过去做菩萨的时候，名叫儒童（Ru Tong）。在燃灯佛（Dipamkara Buddha）那里，就已经进入了涅槃。’儒童菩萨在七住位（指菩萨修行过程中的一个阶段）最初获得了无生法忍（指对一切法不生不灭的证悟），并进一步修习了三个位次。如果涅槃是唯一的，那么就不应该有三乘；如果确实有三乘，那么就不是究竟。究竟之道，却有高低之分。众多经典说法不一，应该如何取舍呢？ 辩差第九 无名氏回答说：确实，究竟之道，从道理上来说是没有差别的。《法华经》（Lotus Sutra）中说：‘第一大道没有两种正道，我因为方便的缘故，对于懈怠的人，在一乘道（指唯一的成佛之道）中分别说了三乘。’用三车引诱孩子们出火宅（出自《法华经》的比喻，指用不同的方法引导众生脱离苦海），就是这个意思。因为都脱离了生死，所以都称为无为；所乘坐的工具不一样，所以有三乘的名称。总而言之，最终都归于一乘。而你所说的‘三乘的道路，都是因为无为而产生差别’，这是因为人的根器有三种，才在无为法上显现出差别，而不是无为法本身有三种差别。所以《放光经》中说：‘涅槃有差别吗？’回答说：‘没有差别。’只是如来（Tathagata，佛的称号）的习气都断尽了，而声闻（Sravaka，指听闻佛法而修行的弟子）的习气还没有断尽罢了。请允许我用一个近处的比喻，来比拟深远的道理。