太子瑞應本起經 1.36

1.36

「太子答曰：『如諸君言，不當豫憂。使吾為王，老到病至，若當死時，寧有代我受此厄者不？如無有代，胡可勿憂！天下雖有慈父孝子，愛徹骨髓，至病死時，不得相代；若此偽身，苦至之日，雖居高位，六親在側，如為盲人設燭，何益於無目者乎？吾觀眾行，一切無常，皆化非真，樂少苦多，身非己有，世間虛無，難得久居。物生有死，事成有敗，安則有危，得則有亡，萬物紛擾，皆當歸空。精神無形，躁濁不明，行致死生之厄，非直一受而已。但為貪欲，蔽在癡網，沒生死河，莫之能覺。故吾欲一心思四空淨，度色滅恚，斷求念空，無所適莫，是將反其源，而歸其本，始出其根，如我願得，乃可大安。』

"The Prince replied: 'It is as you gentlemen say: one should not grieve in advance. If I were king and old age arrived, sickness came, and death were imminent, could someone take this distress upon themselves in my place? If there is no one to take my place, how could I not grieve! Although in the world there are compassionate fathers and filial sons whose love penetrates to the bone and marrow, when sickness and death arrive they cannot take each other's place. With regard to this counterfeit body, on the day suffering arrives, though one may occupy an exalted throne with one's close kin at one's side, it is like holding up a candle for a blind man—what benefit is it to one who lacks eyes? I observe all conditioned formations: everything is impermanent; all is transformational and unreal; there is little joy and much suffering; the body is not one's own; the world is empty and vain, and one cannot remain long. Where things are born, there is death; where matters succeed, there is failure; where there is safety, there is danger; where there is gain, there is loss. All things are in turmoil, and all must return to emptiness. The conscious spirit has no physical form; agitated and defiled, it lacks clarity. One's actions bring about the distress of birth and death, not merely to be undergone once. Only because of greed and desire are beings covered in the net of delusion and submerged in the river of birth and death, unable to awaken. Therefore, with single-mindedness I wish to contemplate the four empty purities, transcend form and extinguish anger, sever seeking and contemplate emptiness, being without bias or aversion. This will be returning to the source and going back to the root, extirpating its very origin. If my wish is fulfilled, then there can be great peace.'"