Now, the tīrthikas—those who hold views based on objectification and who engage in concepts and analysis—went among the followers of the Mahāyāna. Respectfully, with joined palms, they asked these questions on selflessness: “Sons of noble family, the Omniscient One taught that there is no self in the body. If there truly is no self in the body, then how do playfulness, laughter, crying, enjoyment, anger, pride, jealousy, calumny, and so forth come about? Is there truly a self in the body or not? It would be proper for you to dispel our doubts.”
The followers of the Mahāyāna replied, “Friends, it should not be said that there truly is or is not a self in the body, because to say in this case that there truly is or is not a self is mistaken speech. Now, if there were a self, then why is it not perceptible at all, even after searching through the hair, nails, skin, head, flesh, bones, marrow, fat, ligaments, liver, intestines, throat, hands, feet, limbs, and other minor parts, both inside and outside the body?”
The followers of the Mahāyāna replied, “It is not seen even by those with the divine eye. For how can something that has no color, form, or shape be seen?”
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “To say that it is nonexistent or to say that it is existent is mistaken speech. If it is nonexistent, then why do playfulness, laughter, crying, enjoyment, anger, pride, jealousy, calumny, and so forth arise so clearly? Therefore, it is not correct to say that it is nonexistent. One should not say that it is existent or nonexistent. Since this would be a fault, one should not say that it exists or that it does not exist.”
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “Nothing at all is apprehended.”
EN
The tīrthikas asked, “Is it as empty as the sky?”
EN
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “Friends, it is exactly like that! It is as empty as the sky.”
EN
The tīrthikas asked, “If that is so, then how should one view playfulness, laughter, crying, enjoyment, anger, pride, jealousy, calumny, and so forth?”
EN
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “They should be regarded as like an illusion, a dream, and a magical deception.”
EN
The tīrthikas asked, “How are they like an illusion, a dream, and a magical deception?”
EN
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “An illusion is a mere analogy. A dream is a mere appearance that is not graspable, empty by nature, and nonexistent in essence. A magical deception is intentionally fabricated. This is the way things are, friends. You should regard all these things as being like an illusion, a dream, and a magical deception.
EN
“Moreover, the distinction between the relative and the ultimate should be pointed out. In this regard, the relative consists in the conception ‘this is self, that is other.’ To conceptualize a soul, a person, an individual, an agent, an observer, wealth, children, wives, friends, relatives, and so forth is called the relative.
EN
“Where there is no self, no other, no soul, no person, no individual, no agent, no observer, no wealth, no children, no wives, no friends, no relatives, and so forth, this is called the ultimate. The relative consists in habitually labeling all things, in the results of virtuous and nonvirtuous deeds, and in birth and cessation.
EN
“The very essence of suchness, where there are no virtuous results, no nonvirtuous results, no birth, and no cessation, is beyond both pollution and purification. This is the middle way teaching to strive for in practice. In this regard, it is said:
EN
“Relative and ultimate Are explained as two categories: The relative comprises worldly phenomena; The ultimate is beyond the worldly.
EN
“Engaging with relative phenomena, Sentient beings are overpowered by emotional defilements. Not knowing the ultimate at all, They wander for a long time in saṃsāra.
EN
“The unwise form the concepts Of relative worldly phenomena. Due to such conceptualization, They experience suffering.
EN
“Ordinary individuals, due to their immaturity, Do not know the path of liberation. They experience sundry forms Of unending suffering.
EN
“Oblivious to the ultimate, Where worldly existence ceases, They are born and cease. Although birthless, they come and go.
EN
“Fools who dwell on worldly phenomena Will rove around like a wheel. In saṃsāra, the place of suffering, They will revolve again and again. In the extant Sanskrit, the preceding two verses appear to have become conflated into a single verse of six lines: “Fools involved in worldly phenomena Wander round and round like a wheel. They do not know the ultimate, Where saṃsāra ceases. Trapped in the net of saṃsāra, They go round again and again.”
“Just as the sun and the moon Continue to come and go, Likewise, these beings, transmigrating in the world, Come and go, again and again.
EN
“The whole of saṃsāra is impermanent and unstable, Disintegrating at every moment. That is why, by knowing the ultimate, One abandons the state of relative reality.
EN
“Devas from the higher realms, As well as gandharvas, apsarases, and humans, Are all subject to transmigration— All this is the result of the relative.
EN
“Siddhas, vidyādharas, and yakṣas, Gandharvas and mahoragas, Go again and again to hell— All this is the result of the relative.
EN
“Those with great perseverance who come to abide In the abode of the devas due to good qualities Must again pass away and fall from the higher realms— All this is the result of the relative.
EN
“Whoever attains the supreme state Of Śakra or of a universal monarch Will once again enter the birthplace of animals— All this is the result of the relative.
EN
“Abandoning the great bliss Of the devas of the higher realms, A yogin should always meditate On the mind of awakening, which is luminosity.
EN
“Essenceless, unapprehendable, Entirely empty, groundless, And beyond all conceptual elaboration— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“Neither hard nor soft, Neither warm nor cold, Neither tangible nor graspable— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“Neither long nor short, Neither round nor triangular, Neither thin nor thick— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening. The Skt. has two more stanzas here: “Neither white nor red, Neither dark blue nor yellow, Without color or form— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“Without transformation or manifestation, Without antagonism or bondage, Without form, like the sky— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.”
EN
(na śvetaṃ nāpi raktaṃ ca na kṛṣṇaṃ na ca pītakam | avarṇaṃ ca nirākāraṃ bodhicittasya lakṣaṇam | nirvikāraṃ nirābhāsaṃ nirūhaṃ nirvibandhakam | arūpaṃ vyomasaṃkāśaṃ bodhicittasya lakṣaṇam.)
EN
“Beyond meditation, Out of range for tīrthikas, And having the perfection of insight as its practice— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“Beyond analogy, it is nothing to meditate on. The supreme unseen abode, Completely pure by nature— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“All things are like foam, Essenceless like water bubbles, Neither permanent nor having self. They are similar to magical illusions and mirages.
EN
“Like a vase that is made from a lump of clay, Beings are filled with conceptual elaborations— Desire, anger, and so forth— They are utterly illusion-like.
EN
“Just as in the morning where there was a dew drop A moment later there is nothing to be seen, So, too, when one sees the perfection of insight The intellect gives way to the unconditioned. Translation of this verse is tentative. The Sanskrit and the two Chinese translations all differ slightly. The Skt. reads: “Just as a lightning in the midst of clouds, Is no longer seen after a moment, With the view of transcendent insight, The supreme state should be cultivated.”
EN
(abhrāntare yathā vidyut kṣaṇād api na dṛśyate | prajñāpāramitādṛṣṭyā bhāvayet paramaṃ padam ||.)
EN
Taishō 1643 reads:
EN
“Just as a moon in the midst of clouds Is no longer seen after a moment, Using profound insight, One realizes that the conditioned is like an illusion.”
EN
(如月處雲中 剎那而不現 以甚深般若 達有為如幻.)
EN
Taishō 846 reads:
EN
“Just as lightning is no longer seen after a moment, observe that the perfection of insight and virtuous actions are also thus.”
EN
(如電之住剎那不見。觀彼般若波羅蜜多。及作諸善。亦復如是.)
EN
“Continuous laughter and play, Talking, singing, music, The enjoyment of material things, and so forth Are all similar to dreams.
EN
“Things constructed by beings Are all similar to dreams. Dreams are imaginings of the mind. Mind itself is like the sky.
EN
“One who constantly meditates On this way of the perfection of insight Becomes free of all entities And attains the supreme state.
EN
“Those who uphold, with meditation, The highest awakening Cultivated by all the buddhas Will gain the fruit of the Mahāyāna.” The Skt. reads “nirvāṇa” instead of “Mahāyāna.” After this verse, the Sanskrit adds another verse and a concluding sentence: “As many faults as relative reality has, Just as many virtues does nirvāṇa have. Nirvāṇa is nonarising; It is unstained by any faults.
EN
“Then the tīrthikas, being satisfied, became free from conceptualization, and having concentrated on the practice, they acquired the wisdom of the Mahāyāna.”
Now, the tīrthikas—those who hold views based on objectification and who engage in concepts and analysis—went among the followers of the Mahāyāna. Respectfully, with joined palms, they asked these questions on selflessness: “Sons of noble family, the Omniscient One taught that there is no self in the body. If there truly is no self in the body, then how do playfulness, laughter, crying, enjoyment, anger, pride, jealousy, calumny, and so forth come about? Is there truly a self in the body or not? It would be proper for you to dispel our doubts.”
The followers of the Mahāyāna replied, “Friends, it should not be said that there truly is or is not a self in the body, because to say in this case that there truly is or is not a self is mistaken speech. Now, if there were a self, then why is it not perceptible at all, even after searching through the hair, nails, skin, head, flesh, bones, marrow, fat, ligaments, liver, intestines, throat, hands, feet, limbs, and other minor parts, both inside and outside the body?”
The followers of the Mahāyāna replied, “It is not seen even by those with the divine eye. For how can something that has no color, form, or shape be seen?”
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “To say that it is nonexistent or to say that it is existent is mistaken speech. If it is nonexistent, then why do playfulness, laughter, crying, enjoyment, anger, pride, jealousy, calumny, and so forth arise so clearly? Therefore, it is not correct to say that it is nonexistent. One should not say that it is existent or nonexistent. Since this would be a fault, one should not say that it exists or that it does not exist.”
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “Nothing at all is apprehended.”
EN
The tīrthikas asked, “Is it as empty as the sky?”
EN
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “Friends, it is exactly like that! It is as empty as the sky.”
EN
The tīrthikas asked, “If that is so, then how should one view playfulness, laughter, crying, enjoyment, anger, pride, jealousy, calumny, and so forth?”
EN
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “They should be regarded as like an illusion, a dream, and a magical deception.”
EN
The tīrthikas asked, “How are they like an illusion, a dream, and a magical deception?”
EN
The followers of the Mahāyāna said, “An illusion is a mere analogy. A dream is a mere appearance that is not graspable, empty by nature, and nonexistent in essence. A magical deception is intentionally fabricated. This is the way things are, friends. You should regard all these things as being like an illusion, a dream, and a magical deception.
EN
“Moreover, the distinction between the relative and the ultimate should be pointed out. In this regard, the relative consists in the conception ‘this is self, that is other.’ To conceptualize a soul, a person, an individual, an agent, an observer, wealth, children, wives, friends, relatives, and so forth is called the relative.
EN
“Where there is no self, no other, no soul, no person, no individual, no agent, no observer, no wealth, no children, no wives, no friends, no relatives, and so forth, this is called the ultimate. The relative consists in habitually labeling all things, in the results of virtuous and nonvirtuous deeds, and in birth and cessation.
EN
“The very essence of suchness, where there are no virtuous results, no nonvirtuous results, no birth, and no cessation, is beyond both pollution and purification. This is the middle way teaching to strive for in practice. In this regard, it is said:
EN
“Relative and ultimate Are explained as two categories: The relative comprises worldly phenomena; The ultimate is beyond the worldly.
EN
“Engaging with relative phenomena, Sentient beings are overpowered by emotional defilements. Not knowing the ultimate at all, They wander for a long time in saṃsāra.
EN
“The unwise form the concepts Of relative worldly phenomena. Due to such conceptualization, They experience suffering.
EN
“Ordinary individuals, due to their immaturity, Do not know the path of liberation. They experience sundry forms Of unending suffering.
EN
“Oblivious to the ultimate, Where worldly existence ceases, They are born and cease. Although birthless, they come and go.
EN
“Fools who dwell on worldly phenomena Will rove around like a wheel. In saṃsāra, the place of suffering, They will revolve again and again. In the extant Sanskrit, the preceding two verses appear to have become conflated into a single verse of six lines: “Fools involved in worldly phenomena Wander round and round like a wheel. They do not know the ultimate, Where saṃsāra ceases. Trapped in the net of saṃsāra, They go round again and again.”
“Just as the sun and the moon Continue to come and go, Likewise, these beings, transmigrating in the world, Come and go, again and again.
EN
“The whole of saṃsāra is impermanent and unstable, Disintegrating at every moment. That is why, by knowing the ultimate, One abandons the state of relative reality.
EN
“Devas from the higher realms, As well as gandharvas, apsarases, and humans, Are all subject to transmigration— All this is the result of the relative.
EN
“Siddhas, vidyādharas, and yakṣas, Gandharvas and mahoragas, Go again and again to hell— All this is the result of the relative.
EN
“Those with great perseverance who come to abide In the abode of the devas due to good qualities Must again pass away and fall from the higher realms— All this is the result of the relative.
EN
“Whoever attains the supreme state Of Śakra or of a universal monarch Will once again enter the birthplace of animals— All this is the result of the relative.
EN
“Abandoning the great bliss Of the devas of the higher realms, A yogin should always meditate On the mind of awakening, which is luminosity.
EN
“Essenceless, unapprehendable, Entirely empty, groundless, And beyond all conceptual elaboration— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“Neither hard nor soft, Neither warm nor cold, Neither tangible nor graspable— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“Neither long nor short, Neither round nor triangular, Neither thin nor thick— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening. The Skt. has two more stanzas here: “Neither white nor red, Neither dark blue nor yellow, Without color or form— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“Without transformation or manifestation, Without antagonism or bondage, Without form, like the sky— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.”
EN
(na śvetaṃ nāpi raktaṃ ca na kṛṣṇaṃ na ca pītakam | avarṇaṃ ca nirākāraṃ bodhicittasya lakṣaṇam | nirvikāraṃ nirābhāsaṃ nirūhaṃ nirvibandhakam | arūpaṃ vyomasaṃkāśaṃ bodhicittasya lakṣaṇam.)
EN
“Beyond meditation, Out of range for tīrthikas, And having the perfection of insight as its practice— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“Beyond analogy, it is nothing to meditate on. The supreme unseen abode, Completely pure by nature— Such is the definition of the mind of awakening.
EN
“All things are like foam, Essenceless like water bubbles, Neither permanent nor having self. They are similar to magical illusions and mirages.
EN
“Like a vase that is made from a lump of clay, Beings are filled with conceptual elaborations— Desire, anger, and so forth— They are utterly illusion-like.
EN
“Just as in the morning where there was a dew drop A moment later there is nothing to be seen, So, too, when one sees the perfection of insight The intellect gives way to the unconditioned. Translation of this verse is tentative. The Sanskrit and the two Chinese translations all differ slightly. The Skt. reads: “Just as a lightning in the midst of clouds, Is no longer seen after a moment, With the view of transcendent insight, The supreme state should be cultivated.”
EN
(abhrāntare yathā vidyut kṣaṇād api na dṛśyate | prajñāpāramitādṛṣṭyā bhāvayet paramaṃ padam ||.)
EN
Taishō 1643 reads:
EN
“Just as a moon in the midst of clouds Is no longer seen after a moment, Using profound insight, One realizes that the conditioned is like an illusion.”
EN
(如月處雲中 剎那而不現 以甚深般若 達有為如幻.)
EN
Taishō 846 reads:
EN
“Just as lightning is no longer seen after a moment, observe that the perfection of insight and virtuous actions are also thus.”
EN
(如電之住剎那不見。觀彼般若波羅蜜多。及作諸善。亦復如是.)
EN
“Continuous laughter and play, Talking, singing, music, The enjoyment of material things, and so forth Are all similar to dreams.
EN
“Things constructed by beings Are all similar to dreams. Dreams are imaginings of the mind. Mind itself is like the sky.
EN
“One who constantly meditates On this way of the perfection of insight Becomes free of all entities And attains the supreme state.
EN
“Those who uphold, with meditation, The highest awakening Cultivated by all the buddhas Will gain the fruit of the Mahāyāna.” The Skt. reads “nirvāṇa” instead of “Mahāyāna.” After this verse, the Sanskrit adds another verse and a concluding sentence: “As many faults as relative reality has, Just as many virtues does nirvāṇa have. Nirvāṇa is nonarising; It is unstained by any faults.
EN
“Then the tīrthikas, being satisfied, became free from conceptualization, and having concentrated on the practice, they acquired the wisdom of the Mahāyāna.”
Sutraya