[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [妙法蓮華經文句](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718) › 1.37 # 妙法蓮華經文句 1.37 妙法蓮華經文句 1.37 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.1.37) 且依漸教分別，佛明俗有文字，真無文字。阿難傳佛俗諦文字，與佛說不異，故名如，因此俗文會真諦理，故名為是，此則三藏經初明如是也。佛明即色是空，空即是色，色空空色，無二無別，空色不異為如，即事而真為是。阿難傳佛文不異為如，能詮即所詮為是，此則通教經初如是也。佛明生死是有邊，涅槃是無邊，出生死有邊，入涅槃無邊，出涅槃無邊，入於中道。阿難傳此出有入無，出無入中，與佛說無異為如，從淺至深，無非曰是，此則別教經初如是也。佛明生死即涅槃，亦即中道，況復涅槃寧非中道？真如法界實性實際，徧一切處無非佛法。阿難傳此，與佛說無異，故名為如，如如不動故名為是，是則圓經初如是也。若動俗入如，三藏義耳；不動俗即是如，通教義耳；動如入如，別教義耳；不動如而是如，圓教義也（云云）。若頓如是與圓同，不定如是前後更互，祕密者隱而不傳。敷八教網亘法界海，懼其有漏，況羅之一目若為獨張？又一時接四箭，不令墮地，未敢稱捷；策鈍驢、驅跛鼈尚不得一，何況四耶（云云）？ > Provisionally distinguishing according to the gradual teaching: the Buddha explained that the conventional has letters, while the real has no letters. Ānanda transmitted the Buddha's conventional truth letters without differing from the Buddha's preaching, hence it is called 'as'; through these conventional letters one accords with the principle of the ultimate truth, hence it is called 'such'. This is the clarification of 'Thus' at the beginning of Tripiṭaka sūtras. The Buddha explained that form is emptiness and emptiness is form, form and emptiness, emptiness and form are not two and not distinct; that emptiness and form do not differ is 'as', and being identical to the real right within phenomena is 'such'. Ānanda transmitted the Buddha's text without difference as 'as', and the expresser being identical to the expressed as 'such'; this is 'Thus' at the beginning of shared teaching sūtras. The Buddha explained that saṃsāra is the extreme of existence and nirvāṇa is the extreme of nonexistence; emerging from the extreme of existence in saṃsāra, one enters the extreme of nonexistence in nirvāṇa, and emerging from the extreme of nonexistence in nirvāṇa, one enters the Middle Way. Ānanda transmitted this emerging from existence to enter nonexistence, and emerging from nonexistence to enter the Middle, without difference from the Buddha's words as 'as'; going from shallow to deep, there is none that is not right, which is 'such'. This is 'Thus' at the beginning of distinctive teaching sūtras. The Buddha explained that saṃsāra is identical to nirvāṇa and is also identical to the Middle Way—how much more so could nirvāṇa not be the Middle Way? The true suchness of the dharma realm, the real nature and the actual limit, universally pervades all places and is nothing other than Buddha-dharma. Ānanda transmitted this without difference from the Buddha's words, hence it is called 'as'; being unmoved in suchness, it is called 'such'. This is 'Thus' at the beginning of perfect sūtras. Moving the conventional to enter suchness is the Tripiṭaka meaning; not moving the conventional being itself suchness is the shared teaching meaning; moving suchness to enter suchness is the distinctive teaching meaning; not moving suchness and being suchness is the perfect teaching meaning, and so forth. If the sudden 'Thus' is considered, it is the same as the perfect; the indeterminate 'Thus' shifts back and forth; the secret is concealed and not transmitted. Spreading the net of the eight teachings across the ocean of the dharma realm, one fears there may be gaps; how much more so could a single mesh of the net be spread alone? Furthermore, to catch four arrows at once without letting them drop to the ground is still not daring to claim agility; if one prods a sluggish donkey or drives a lame turtle, one cannot even manage one, how much less four, and so forth." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.1.36) - [Next: 1.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.1.38) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718~en-mt.1.37) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.1.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.1.37) · Pramāṇa