安樂集 1.49

1.49

答曰：「菩薩行法功用有二。何者？一、證空慧般若；二、具大悲。一、以修空慧般若力故，雖入六道生死，不為塵染所繫；二、以大悲念眾生故，不住涅槃。菩薩雖處二諦，常能妙捨有、無，取、捨得中，不違大道理也。是故《維摩經》云：『譬如有人欲於空地造立宮舍，隨意無礙，若於虛空終不能成；菩薩亦如是，為欲成就眾生故，願取佛國。願取佛國者，非於空也。』」

I reply: The practical application of the bodhisattva's practice has two aspects. What are they? First, realizing wisdom (prajñā) that understands emptiness; second, being endowed with great compassion. First, by the power of cultivating the wisdom (prajñā) of emptiness, although entering the saṃsāra of the six destinies, they are not bound by defiling attachments; second, because of mindfully regarding sentient beings with great compassion, they do not abide in nirvāṇa. Although the bodhisattva dwells in the two truths, they are always able to marvelously abandon both existence and non-existence, achieving the middle between grasping and letting go, not contrary to the great principle. Therefore the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra says: 'For example, if a person wishes to build a palace on an open plot of ground, they may do so at will without obstacle; if they try to build it in empty space, they can never complete it. The bodhisattva is also like this: wishing to bring sentient beings to maturity, they vow to take hold of a Buddha-land. Vowing to take hold of a Buddha-land is not done in empty space.'