肇論疏 3.3

3.3

此論第四，明果申涅槃教也。論文有二：前表，後論。今初表。云涅槃之道妙絕言象，言象苟絕，豈有名哉？而有名者，假涅槃名也。既云假名，則實無名矣。今明實故，云涅槃無名。肇法師本因秦王而作此論，論成以上秦王，故有此表。表者表彰，表己心故，名為表也。古來凡有四秦：秦始皇，一也，名曰亡秦。符堅，二秦也，名曰前秦。姚萇時，三秦也，名曰後秦。沮渠蒙遜時，四秦，名曰偽秦。今言秦王者，是後秦姚萇子姚興。興，字略。有本作「秦主」，主亦王也。《白虎通》云：王者往也。天下之所歸往，故名為王耳。

This fourth treatise clarifies the fruit and expounds the teaching of nirvāṇa. The text of the treatise has two parts: first the memorial, second the treatise. Now, the first is the memorial. It states that the Way of nirvāṇa is subtle and transcends words and forms; if words and forms are indeed cut off, how could it have a name? That it has a name is a provisional designation for nirvāṇa. Since it is called a provisional designation, in reality it is nameless. Now, in order to clarify the real, he says 'Nirvāṇa is Nameless'. Master Sengzhao originally composed this treatise for the King of Qin; when the treatise was completed he presented it to the King of Qin, hence there is this memorial. A memorial (biao) means to manifest (biaozhang); because it manifests one's own mind, it is called a memorial. From ancient times there have been four Qins: Qin Shi Huang was the first, named the Extinct Qin. Fu Jian was the second Qin, named the Former Qin. Under Yao Chang was the third Qin, named the Later Qin. Under Juqu Mengxun was the fourth Qin, named the Bogus Qin. The King of Qin mentioned here is Yao Xing, the son of Yao Chang of the Later Qin. Xing's courtesy name is omitted. Some manuscripts have 'Sovereign of Qin'; 'sovereign' also means king. The Baihu tong says: 'A king (wang) means to go to (wang).' That toward which all under Heaven turn and go is therefore called a king.