勝鬘寶窟 2.47

2.47

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.