[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) › [中觀論疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1824) › 1.3 # 中觀論疏 1.3 中觀論疏 1.3 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1824.1.3) 僧睿是魏群長樂人也。少出家，依僧賢法師為弟子。甞聽中山康僧朗講，每興譏難，師深相秤述。年二十四，歷遊名邦，常弘講說，方簡高潔。一方云：「芳簡高結，氷霜摻操。」什至長安，因從請業。門徒三千，入室唯八，睿為首領。文云「老則融睿，少則生肇。」什歎曰：「傳吾業者，寄在道融、曇影、僧睿乎。」什翻《成實論》竟，命睿講之。謂道融曰：「此諍論中有七處破阿毘曇，在言小隱。能不問我，可謂英才。」融曰：「其人思力有分，未必諮稟。」遂剖折無遺，眾益嗟重。天子姚興聞睿景行，問安城侯姚嵩曰：「睿何如人？」嵩曰：「業衛之松柏也。」後自引睿見之，謂嵩曰：「斯乃四海之標頒，豈獨業衛乎？」於是美聲遐扇流於遠邇。著《中論》、《大智論》及《成實論》、《禪經》等序，雅傳於世。春秋六十有一。作《中論》序非止一人，曇影製義疏序，河西道朗亦製論序。而睿公文義備舉、理事精玄，興皇和上開講常讀，蓋是信而好古、述而不作。但文有微隱，余略釋之。就斯一序，裁為七分：一通標人法、二釋名題、三序論緣起、四歎釋功能、五述注論青目、六廣歎四論、七作者自謙。「中論五百偈」，標所造法也。「龍樹菩薩」，序能造之人也。道不孤運，弘之由人，故前明所弘之道，後序弘道之人。又題中論五百偈者，重其法也。龍樹菩薩者，尊其人也。又初句簡二邊之法也，後句別小乘之人也。所言中論者，玄義具述。今既釋序，略明五意：一者斯論定佛法之偏正、判得失之根原，是以龍樹標中論名也。二者斯文論中實之理，從所詮理實得名，故云中論。〈業品〉云「此論所明義，離於斷常見，故云中論。」三者龍樹所作凡有三論：一《無畏》之廣；次《十二》之略；今是折中之說，故秤中論。四者以文表義，斯論前無緣起、後略餘勢，但有正文，以文表義理，故秤中論。五者龍樹大士是中道人，中道人所製作，從人立名故秤中論。五百偈者，前標其名，今序偈數。偈有二種：一是首盧偈，謂胡人數經法也，則是通偈。言通偈者，莫問長行偈頌，但令數滿三十二字則是偈也。二者別偈，謂結句為偈，莫問四言五言六言七言，但令四句滿便是偈也。偈者，外國具音應言竭夜，或秤祇夜，今示存略但秤為偈。偈者，句也頌也。又言偈者，此土漢書亦有此音，訓言竭義，謂明義竭盡，故秤為偈。但結句秤偈凡有二種：一路伽偈，謂頌長行偈也；二伽陀偈，謂孤起偈也。此論秤偈者，通別二中謂別偈也，後二之文謂孤起偈也。五百者，即文審之凡四百四十六偈，或是全其大數、或翻之不盡，以本為名故秤五百。眾經及論文有三焉：一但長行，即《百論》也；二但有偈，斯文；三具二種，《十二門論》之流。龍樹《十住毘婆沙》云「或有樂長行、或有樂偈頌、或有樂雜說莊嚴章句者，所好各不同，我隨而不捨。」論三既爾，經義例然。龍樹者，依梵音應云伽那馥力叉，伽那者龍也，馥力叉者樹也。《智度論》云「童籠磨者龍也，馥力叉是樹通名也，別名阿闍那，如此間梨李樹等。」問：龍樹是何位之人？答：聖迹無方，高下未易可測，僅依經傳敘其淺深。睿公云：「功格十地、道摸補處，是窮學之人。」傳云「智慧日已頹，斯人令再耀。世昏寢已久，斯人悟令學。外國為之立廟，事之若佛。安知非佛示為菩薩乎。」匡山遠法師云：「名貫道位，德備三忍，亦十地高仁也。」依《楞伽經》，大慧菩薩問：「世尊滅度後，佛法何人持？」佛答：「大慧汝當知，南天竺大國中有大德比丘，名龍樹菩薩。為人說大乘無上法，能破有無見，住初歡喜地，往生安養國。」釋此語不同，舊云：龍樹是初地人。關內姚道安學《智度論》云：「此是龍樹引眾生令入初地，而實是十地人也。」問：何依人也？答：若云初地則二依人也，若是窮學則第四依人。問：云何是四依？答：且依一判。如小乘見道前具煩惱人是一依，須陀洹、斯陀含是二依，阿那含是三依，羅漢第四依。約大乘望十迴向是一依，初地至七地是二依，八九地是三依，十地第四依。如楞伽是第二依，如睿師是第四依。以釋迦佛法無別菩薩僧，龍樹是出家之人，故依小乘位分之。名貫道位者，菩薩位之通名也。德備三忍，謂信、順、無生也。問：龍樹更有異名耶？答：有。《順中論》是天親所作。言順中論者，廣引《大品》等經證釋八不。八不則是中道，依文釋義，故云順中論。《順中論》云「龍勝菩薩非龍樹也」，今宜會之。以龍成其勝道故云龍勝，蓋但敘其未字。前則道俗雙舉，故義無所害。 > Sengrui was a man from Changle in Weijun. Leaving home in his youth, he took Master Sengxian as his teacher. He once attended lectures given by Kang Senglang of Zhongshan, frequently raising critiques and difficult objections, which that master deeply praised. At the age of twenty-four, he traveled widely through famous regions, constantly expounding and propagating the Dharma, his deportment upright and noble. One text states: "Of fragrant deportment and noble integrity, of icy, frost-like purity of character." When Kumārajīva arrived in Chang'an, \[Sengrui\] studied under him. Among the three thousand disciples, only eight were admitted to the inner chamber, and Sengrui was foremost among them. As the saying goes, "Among the elder \[students\] were Daorong and Sengrui; among the younger were Daosheng and Sengzhao." Kumārajīva sighed with praise, saying: "The transmission of my teachings rests upon Daorong, Tanying, and Sengrui!" When Kumārajīva finished translating the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra, he instructed Sengrui to lecture on it. He said to Daorong: "In this polemical treatise there are seven places that refute the Abhidharma, where the phrasing is somewhat obscure. If he can manage without asking me, he may truly be called a superior talent." Daorong said: "His intellectual capacity is well endowed; he will not necessarily need to consult you." \[Sengrui\] then analyzed and untangled it exhaustively, and the assembly revered and admired him all the more. When the Son of Heaven Yao Xing heard of Sengrui's exemplary conduct, he asked Yao Song, the Marquis of Ancheng: "What kind of man is Sengrui?" Yao Song replied: "He is like the pine and cypress of the Ye and Wei rivers." Later, \[Yao Xing\] personally summoned Sengrui for an audience, and said to Yao Song: "He is indeed an exemplar for the whole world; how could he be confined only to the Ye and Wei?" Thereupon his admirable reputation spread far and wide, resounding both near and abroad. He composed prefaces to the Madhyamaka-śāstra, the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra, the Dhyāna-sūtra, and others, which were elegantly circulated in the world. He lived to sixty-one years of age. More than one person composed a preface to the Madhyamaka-śāstra: Tanying composed a preface to his commentary on its meaning, and Daolang of Hexi also composed a treatise preface. Yet Master Sengrui's phrasing and meaning are complete and comprehensive, his principles and particulars refined and profound. When the Preceptor of Xinghuang Temple gave lectures, he would always read it aloud, truly trusting and loving antiquity, transmitting rather than inventing. However, its prose contains subtle and obscure points, which I shall briefly explain. Regarding this single preface, it is divided into seven sections: first, general indication of the person and the teaching; second, explaining the title; third, recounting the treatise's background and origin; fourth, praising and explaining its function; fifth, discussing Piṅgala, who annotated the treatise; sixth, extensively praising the four treatises; seventh, the author's own expression of modesty. "The five hundred verses of the Madhyamaka-śāstra" indicates the teaching that was composed. "Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna" introduces the person capable of composing it. The Way does not operate in isolation; its propagation depends upon people. Therefore, the Way that was propagated is clarified first, and the person who propagated the Way is introduced after. Furthermore, titling it with the five hundred verses of the Madhyamaka-śāstra honors the teaching; \[naming\] Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna reveres the person. Furthermore, the first clause distinguishes it from the teachings of the two extremes; the second clause differentiates him from persons of the Hīnayāna. As for the term "Madhyamaka-śāstra," this has already been fully explained in the Profound Meaning. Now, in explaining the preface, five meanings are briefly clarified: First, this treatise determines the biased and the orthodox within the Buddha's Dharma, and decides the root origin of gains and errors; hence Nāgārjuna designated it by the name Madhyamaka-śāstra. Second, this text treats the principle of the middle and the real, deriving its name from the true principle it expounds; thus it is called Madhyamaka-śāstra. The "Chapter on Karma" states: "The meaning clarified by this treatise is free from views of annihilation and permanence; therefore it is called Madhyamaka-śāstra." Third, Nāgārjuna composed altogether three treatises: first, the extensive Akutobhayā; second, the abridged Dvādaśamukha-śāstra; and now this is an intermediate, balanced exposition, and is therefore called Madhyamaka-śāstra. Fourth, expressing meaning through phrasing: this treatise has no background account at the beginning, and leaves off surplus elaboration at the end, having only the primary text to express the meaning and principle through its words; hence it is called Madhyamaka-śāstra. Fifth, the Great Being Nāgārjuna is a person of the middle way, and this is what a person of the middle way has produced; deriving its title from the person, it is called Madhyamaka-śāstra. "Five hundred verses": having previously indicated its title, it now introduces the number of verses. There are two kinds of verses: First, the śloka, which refers to the Central Asian method of counting scripture, being a general verse. "General verse" means that regardless of whether it is prose or metrical verse, so long as the count reaches thirty-two syllables, it constitutes a verse. Second, specific verses, which refers to rhymed, concluding verses; regardless of whether they are four-, five-, six-, or seven-syllable lines, so long as four lines are complete, it constitutes a verse. As for "verse," in the full phonetics of foreign countries it should be pronounced jieye (geya), or called geya; here, retaining an abbreviation, it is simply called ji (verse). Ji means line or stanza. Furthermore, regarding the term ji, the Chinese books of this land also contain this sound, glossed as "exhausting the meaning" (jie), signifying that it completely exhausts the clarification of the meaning; hence it is called ji. But verses formed of concluding lines are of two kinds: first, loka verses, which are verses summarizing prose; second, gāthā verses, which are independent verses. The verses referred to in this treatise are specific verses among the two kinds of general and specific, and the latter kind among the two, namely independent verses. As for "five hundred": examining the text, there are altogether four hundred and forty-six verses; this either rounds up to the major total, or the translation was not complete, and it is called five hundred based on the original. The texts of various sūtras and treatises are of three kinds: first, prose only, such as the Śata-śāstra; second, verse only, such as this text; third, having both kinds, such as the Dvādaśamukha-śāstra and its sort. Nāgārjuna's Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā states: "Some take pleasure in prose, some in metrical verse, and some in miscellaneous decorative expressions and phrasing; as their preferences differ, I accommodate them without rejection." Treatises having three types being so, the principle of the sūtras is likewise. As for Nāgārjuna: according to Sanskrit phonetics, it should be ga-na-fu-li-cha (Nāgavṛkṣa); gana means nāga (dragon), and fulicha means vṛkṣa (tree). The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "Tonglongmo means nāga, and fulicha is the general name for tree; its specific name is arjuna, like the pear and plum trees here." Question: What stage of person was Nāgārjuna? Answer: The traces of the sages are unfathomable; their heights and depths cannot be easily measured. We merely narrate their depth based on scriptures and biographies. Master Sengrui said: "His merits reached the tenth bhūmi, his path modeled after one in his final rebirth before Buddhahood; he was a person of consummate study." A biography states: "The sun of wisdom had already set, and this man made it shine once more. The world had long slept in darkness, and this man awakened them to study. Foreign countries erected shrines to him and served him like a Buddha. How could one know that he was not a Buddha manifesting as a bodhisattva?" Master Yuan of Mount Kuang said: "His name penetrated the stages of the Path, his virtue was equipped with the three patiences; he was also an exalted person of the ten bhūmis." According to the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra, Bodhisattva Mahāmati asked: "After the World-Honoured One passes into nirvāṇa, who will uphold the Buddha's Dharma?" The Buddha answered: "Mahāmati, you should know that in the great land of South India there will be a bhikṣu of great virtue named Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna. He will preach the supreme Mahāyāna Dharma to people, be able to destroy views of existence and non-existence, abide in the initial Pramuditā-bhūmi, and be reborn in the Land of Peace and Nurture (Sukhāvatī)." Commentators explain this passage differently. The old view held that Nāgārjuna was a person of the first bhūmi. Yao Dao'an of Guannei, who studied the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, said: "This was Nāgārjuna guiding sentient beings to enter the first bhūmi, whereas in reality he was a person of the tenth bhūmi." Question: Which reliance among the \[four\] reliances was he? Answer: If he is said to be of the first bhūmi, he was a person of the second reliance; if he was one of consummate study, he was a person of the fourth reliance. Question: What are the four reliances? Answer: Taking one classification for the moment: in the Hīnayāna, prior to the path of seeing, those possessing afflictions are the first reliance; srotāpannas and sakṛdāgāmins are the second reliance; anāgāmins are the third reliance; and arhats are the fourth reliance. With respect to the Mahāyāna, compared to that, those at the stage of the ten dedications are the first reliance; the first bhūmi through the seventh bhūmi are the second reliance; the eighth and ninth bhūmis are the third reliance; and the tenth bhūmi is the fourth reliance. According to the Laṅkāvatāra, he was the second reliance; according to Master Sengrui, he was the fourth reliance. Because in Śākyamuni Buddha's Dharma there is no separate Bodhisattva Saṅgha, and Nāgārjuna was an ordained monastic, he is categorized according to the stages of the Hīnayāna. "His name penetrated the stages of the Path" is a general designation for the bodhisattva stages. "His virtue was equipped with the three patiences" refers to the patience of faith, the patience of compliance, and the anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti. Question: Did Nāgārjuna have other names? Answer: Yes. The Mādhyamakānugama-śāstra was composed by Vasubandhu. Calling it the Treatise in Accordance with the Middle means it extensively cites sūtras such as the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā to corroborate and explain the eight negations. The eight negations are precisely the middle way; explaining the meaning based on the text, it is called the Mādhyamakānugama-śāstra. The Mādhyamakānugama-śāstra refers to "Bodhisattva Nāgajaya (Longsheng), not Nāgārjuna"; they should now be reconciled. Because he perfected his supreme path through the dragon (nāga), he is called Nāgajaya; this merely narrates his courtesy name. The former presents both the monastic and lay aspects, so there is no conflict in meaning. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1824.1.2) - [Next: 1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1824.1.4) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1824.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1824~en-mt.1.3) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1824.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1824.1.3) · Pramāṇa