勝鬘寶窟 2.47

2.47

第四大意門者，諸法實言亡慮絕，未曾生死、未嘗涅槃，但於顛倒眾生故成生死。對彼生死，故強名涅槃。但虛妄有其重輕，虛妄重者說為分段、虛妄輕者稱為變易。蓋是聖人善巧方便，隨虛妄顛倒，故立二死之名。此知分別空華、談道陽炎，勿作實二妄解。此興皇師大意也。

The fourth is the gate of the overarching meaning: In the true reality of all phenomena, speech is abandoned and thought is cut off; there has never been birth-and-death, nor has there ever been nirvāṇa. It is only with respect to inverted sentient beings that birth-and-death is constituted. In contrast to that birth-and-death, it is provisionally designated nirvāṇa. But delusion has its heavy and light aspects: the heavy delusion is spoken of as fragmentary, and the light delusion is called transformation. These are simply the skillful means of the nobles; in accordance with delusion and inversion, they establish the designations of the two deaths. One should know that this is distinguishing flowers in the sky and discussing a mirage; do not make a deluded interpretation of them as real entities. This is the overarching meaning of Master Xinghuang.