English
English version Neither the Bodhisattvas with sharp faculties, nor the Shravakas (hearers) and Pratyekabuddhas (solitary realizers) can see or hear these images. These image-bodies are called 'Traces' (manifestations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the world). It is because the Bodhisattvas, Shravakas, and Pratyekabuddhas see these traces. The upper volume of the *Ghanavyuha Sutra* says: 'Using the manifested traces of the transformation body of the Buddha, it is shown to gods and humans. The Buddha does not appear in this way, like the sun and moon. The true body of the Tathagata is in the Ghanavyuha Land (pure land of the Buddha). The manifestation in various countries is called the transformation body.' It also says: 'When the deeds done by the Tathagata's transformations are completed, he abides in the true body, hidden and not appearing.' Question: If a practitioner of mantra whose faculties are mature can truly understand the Buddha's body, believing it to be unborn and unceasing, with its form and mind being permanent, then why does the Buddha himself criticize the Buddha's body, considering it to truly possess merits such as form and sound? As the *Diamond Sutra* says: 'If one sees me through form, or seeks me through sound, that person is practicing a heretical path and cannot see the Tathagata.' Also, the *Great Perfect Enlightenment Sutra* says: 'Birth and death, and Nirvana, ordinary beings and the Dharma-Buddha, are all like flowers in the sky.' The meaning of these sutras is to criticize the form and mind of the Buddhas, considering them to be invisible, subtle, permanent qualities. Answer: This is because the teachings established by Shakyamuni Buddha throughout his life have various different intentions. According to the explanation of Dharma Treasure Master, the Buddha mostly taught emptiness before the fortieth year after his enlightenment. Specifically, before the seventh year after his enlightenment, he mostly taught the emptiness of self (the realization of the emptiness of person). From the seventh to the thirty-seventh year, he taught the Prajna of various schools, mostly explaining the principle of the ultimate emptiness of birth and death, delusional thoughts, and inversions based on the three non-natures (lack of inherent existence, lack of characteristic, lack of origination). In the thirty-eighth year after his enlightenment, he taught the *Samdhinirmocana Sutra* and others, clearly explaining the boundaries of the three natures (the nature of complete dependence, the nature of other-power, the nature of perfect reality) and the differences of the five natures (Shravaka lineage, Pratyekabuddha lineage, Bodhisattva lineage, uncertain lineage, sentient beings without nature). Among them, it is clearly stated that Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas of uncertain lineage, although they attain the fourth fruit, can eventually become Buddhas after turning their minds. In the forty-odd years, he taught the *Lotus Sutra*, in which it is clearly stated that all sentient beings, even if they have only a small amount of good roots, can eventually become Buddhas. In the forty-odd years after his enlightenment, he mostly explained the principle of the ultimate emptiness and tranquility of all phenomena arising from delusional thoughts based on the boundaries of the five stages (stage of accumulation, stage of preparation, stage of seeing, stage of cultivation, stage of ultimate completion), ignorance, and the two kinds of birth and death (birth and death of segments, birth and death of transformation), in order to counteract the deluded attachments of those sentient beings. However, he did not clearly explain the meaning of the Buddha's self-realized three bodies (Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya) and four virtues (permanence, bliss, self, purity), the true qualities, the taste of meaning, and the permanence and immutability. It was only in the fifth period that he began to proclaim it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
时涅槃经时。始显说此佛内证三点四德法门甚深义也。谓佛弟子诸比丘等未灭尽二种生死妄执以前。若进听闻说法佛内证三身四德真实功德常住不变义者。恐诸比丘等多依所引发无始以来串习有势力故。还著有想心。犹不能修得生死妄想即空观行故。密意而强于法佛内证三身四德境界。假说诸法性空义。而令除遣彼等有所得妄执也。涅槃二十七云。有因缘故说。我为无我。而实有我为世界故。虽说无我而无虚妄（文）若未修得空观以前。专无由显得法内证三身四德法。故强教令修习空观也。故可知。般若经及圆觉经等中为除遣于佛影像应化身境。而执着佛色身等真实有法之人过失故。生死妄想及菩提涅槃等皆如梦境如空花云。涅槃经意云。先修得空观而遣尽诸妄执毕。而后能恣令修得法佛内证三身四德常住不变甚深微妙法故云也。若生死妄想少许存时。则留滞证得内证三密境界故。先可除遣此妄想法也。是不谓此法佛色心等诸功德法即空无性义为实证也。而释尊成道至三十五年始说涅槃经等时。方粗显说此法佛自内证三身四德自性常住不变易义也。故涅槃经第三云。我已修学一切诸法本末空寂了了通达。汝等比丘莫谓如来唯证诸法本性空寂（文）第二十七云。善男子佛性者名第一义空。第一义空名为智惠。所言空者不 现代汉语译本： 在《涅槃经》将要结束时，才开始显说佛陀内证的三点四德法门的甚深含义。这是因为，佛的弟子们，诸位比丘等，在没有完全灭尽两种生死妄执之前，如果让他们听闻佛陀内证的三身（法身、报身、应身）四德（常、乐、我、净）真实功德常住不变的意义，恐怕这些比丘们会因为无始以来串习的强大势力，仍然执着于‘有’的想法，仍然不能修得将生死妄想视为空的观行。因此，佛陀以秘密的心意，强调法佛内证的三身四德境界，假说诸法性空的意义，来去除他们有所得的妄执。《涅槃经》第二十七卷说：‘有因缘的缘故，我说我为无我，而实际上有我，是为了世界。虽然说无我，却没有虚妄。’（文）如果未修得空观之前，完全没有办法显现法佛内证的三身四德法，所以才强烈教导他们修习空观。因此可知，《般若经》及《圆觉经》等经中，为了去除那些执着于佛的影像应化身境界，而执着佛的色身等真实有法的人的过失，才说生死妄想及菩提涅槃等都如梦境，如空中的花朵。《涅槃经》的意思是说，先修得空观，去除所有的妄执之后，才能随意修得法佛内证的三身四德常住不变的甚深微妙法。如果生死妄想稍微存在，就会滞留在证得内证三密的境界，所以应该先去除这种妄想法。但这并不是说法佛的色心等诸功德法就是空无自性的意思。而释迦牟尼佛成道至三十五年才开始说《涅槃经》等经时，才粗略地显说此法佛自内证的三身四德自性常住不变易的意义。《涅槃经》第三卷说：‘我已经修学一切诸法的本末空寂，完全通达。你们这些比丘不要认为如来只是证得诸法的本性空寂。’（文）第二十七卷说：‘善男子，佛性名为第一义空（Paramārtha-śūnyatā，至高无上的空性）。第一义空名为智慧。所说的空，不是空无所有的空。’
English
English version: Only at the time of the *Nirvana Sutra* was the profound meaning of the Dharma of the Three Points and Four Virtues, which the Buddha realized internally, first revealed. This is because, before the Buddha's disciples, the *bhikshus* (monks), had completely extinguished the two kinds of clinging to birth and death, if they were to hear the meaning of the Buddha's internally realized Three Bodies (*Trikaya*, 法身、报身、应身 - *Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya*) and Four Virtues (常、乐、我、净 - *Nitya, Sukha, Atman, Subha* - permanence, bliss, self, purity) of true merit, which are constant and unchanging, it was feared that these *bhikshus*, due to the powerful force of their habitual tendencies from beginningless time, would still cling to the thought of 'existence' and still be unable to cultivate the contemplation of emptiness, which sees the delusions of birth and death as empty. Therefore, with a secret intention, the Buddha emphasized the realm of the Three Bodies and Four Virtues internally realized by the Dharma Buddha, and provisionally spoke of the meaning of the emptiness of all *dharmas* (法, phenomena), in order to remove their clinging to the delusion of attainment. The twenty-seventh chapter of the *Nirvana Sutra* says: 'Due to causes and conditions, I say that I am without self, but in reality, there is a self, for the sake of the world. Although I speak of no-self, there is no falsehood.' (Text) If one has not cultivated the contemplation of emptiness, there is absolutely no way to reveal the Dharma of the Three Bodies and Four Virtues internally realized by the Dharma Buddha, so they are strongly taught to cultivate the contemplation of emptiness. Therefore, it can be known that in the *Prajna Sutra* (般若经) and the *Surangama Sutra* (圆觉经), etc., in order to remove the faults of those who cling to the realm of the Buddha's image and manifested body, and cling to the Buddha's physical body, etc., as truly existing *dharmas*, it is said that the delusions of birth and death, and *bodhi* (菩提, enlightenment) and *nirvana* (涅槃, liberation), etc., are all like dreams, like flowers in the sky. The meaning of the *Nirvana Sutra* is that after first cultivating the contemplation of emptiness and eliminating all delusions, one can then freely cultivate the profound and subtle Dharma of the Three Bodies and Four Virtues internally realized by the Dharma Buddha, which are constant and unchanging. If even a little bit of the delusions of birth and death remain, one will be滞留 (zhiliu, stuck) in attaining the realm of the Three Secrets internally realized, so one should first remove this delusional thought. But this does not mean that the *dharmas* of the Dharma Buddha's form, mind, and other meritorious qualities are truly empty and without self-nature. It was only when Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment and began to speak the *Nirvana Sutra* and other sutras thirty-five years later that he roughly revealed the meaning of the Dharma Buddha's self-realized Three Bodies and Four Virtues, whose self-nature is constant and unchanging. Therefore, the third chapter of the *Nirvana Sutra* says: 'I have already cultivated and learned the emptiness and tranquility of the origin and end of all *dharmas*, and completely understood them. You *bhikshus* should not think that the *Tathagata* (如来, thus-gone one) only realizes the emptiness and tranquility of the nature of all *dharmas*.' (Text) The twenty-seventh chapter says: 'Good men, the Buddha-nature is called the First Meaning Emptiness (*Paramārtha-śūnyatā*, 至高无上的空性). The First Meaning Emptiness is called wisdom. What is called emptiness is not an emptiness that is devoid of everything.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
见空与不空。智者见空及不空常与无常苦之与乐我与无我。空者一切生死。不空者谓大涅槃。乃至无我者即是生死。我者谓大涅槃。见一切空不见不空不名中道。乃至中道者名为佛性。以是义故佛性常恒无有变易。无明覆故令诸众生不能得见（文）意云。佛本意令修得二种生死妄想空之观行以后。为令修得法佛内证法然三身四德实有境界故。作如是说也。故生死与涅槃一念相并住法自性。生死现无常苦等。涅槃观常乐等。是法真实自性义也。故是涅槃经作如是了义说也。但般若经等先为令修观生死皆空理故。强夺佛身四德暂令观毕竟皆空义。而后欲令显大涅槃不空真实功德故也。此大涅槃是非谓本性空寂性也。 问。是五时次第说教者了不了云何。又谁他师同立是义耶。答。是说最当从浅至深道理次第也。又约有（云云）此五时次第虽有四说。大途以法花为第四时。以涅槃经为第五时。义趣是同意也。但有少少不同义也。谓一后魏菩提流支三藏或约立五时教大途同是说也。又晋时刘虬立五时义。是大途前说也。又日本上宫太子亦立五教也。谓法藏僧都理趣分疏抄云。日本朝圣德王着法花疏四卷亦立四教。彼疏释开示悟入云。如来出世虽有四时之说。皆欲令得今日之一果。初时教为开般若为示维摩为悟法花为入从浅 现代汉语译本 见空与不空。（空：指一切生死现象；不空：指大涅槃）智者能同时看到空和不空，常与无常，苦与乐，我与无我。空指的是一切生死现象，不空指的是大涅槃。乃至无我指的是生死，我指的是大涅槃。只看到空而看不到不空，不能称之为中道。乃至中道，就叫做佛性。因此，佛性是常恒不变的。因为无明的遮蔽，才使得众生无法得见。（这段话的）意思是说，佛的本意是让修行者在修习了对两种生死妄想的空性观行之后，为了让他们能够修得法佛内证的法然三身四德的真实境界，才这样说的。所以，生死与涅槃在一念之间同时存在于法的自性之中。生死显现为无常、苦等，涅槃显现为常、乐等，这就是法真实自性的意义。因此，《涅槃经》作了这样的了义之说。但是《般若经》等经典，先是为了让修行者修习观照生死皆空的道理，暂时剥夺了佛身四德，让他们观照毕竟皆空的意义。之后，又想让他们显现大涅槃不空真实的功德。这个大涅槃，并非指本性空寂的空性。 问：关于五时次第说教的了义和不了义，是怎样的？又有谁是持相同观点的其他论师呢？ 答：这种说法最符合从浅到深的道理次第。而且，关于这个五时次第，虽然有四种说法，但大致上都以《法华经》为第四时，以《涅槃经》为第五时，义趣是相同的。只是在细微之处有些不同。比如，后魏的菩提流支三藏也大致上立了五时教，说法是相同的。又如，晋朝的刘虬也立了五时义，这是较早的说法。还有日本的上宫太子也立了五教。法藏僧都的《理趣分疏抄》中说，日本朝的圣德王所著的《法华疏》四卷也立了四教。他的疏释中解释‘开示悟入’说，如来出世虽然有四时之说，都是为了让人得到今日之一果。初时教为‘开’，般若为‘示’，维摩为‘悟’，法华为‘入’，都是从浅入深。