出三藏記集 8.53

8.53

大般涅槃者。蓋是法身之玄堂。正覺之實稱。眾經之淵鏡。萬流之宗極。其為體也。妙存有物之表。周流無窮之內。任運而動。見機而赴。任運而動。則乘虛照以御物。寄言蹄以通化。見機而赴。則應萬形而為像。即群情而設教。至乃形充十方而心不易慮。教彌天下情不在己。廁流塵蟻而弗下。彌蓋群聖而不高。功濟萬化而不恃。明踰萬日而不居。渾然與太虛同量泯然與法性為一。夫法性以至極為體。至極則歸于無變。所以生滅不能遷其常。生滅不能遷其常。故其常不動。非樂不能虧其樂。故其樂無窮。或我生於謬想。非我起於因假。因假存于名數。故至我越名數而非無。越名數而非無。故能居自在之聖位。而非我不能變。非淨生於虛淨。故真淨水鏡於萬法。水鏡於萬法。故非淨不能渝。是以斯經觸章。敘常樂我淨為宗義之林。開究玄致為涅槃之原。用能闡祕藏於未聞。啟靈管以通照。拯四重之𭼱疽。拔無間之疣贅。闡祕藏則群識之情暢。審妙我之在己。啟靈管則悟玄光之潛。映神珠之在體。然四重無間誹謗方等。斯乃眾患之𤴲痟。創疣之甚者。故大涅槃以無創疣為義。名斯經以大涅槃為宗目。宗目舉則明統攝於眾妙。言約而義備。義名立則照三乘之優劣。至極之有在。然冥化無朕妙契無言。任之冲境則理不虛運。是以此經開誠言為教本。廣眾喻以會義。建護法以涉初。覩祕藏以窮原。暢千載之固滯。散靈鷲之餘疑。至於理微幽蟠微于微者。則諸菩薩弘郢匠之功。曠舟船之濟。清難雲搆幡覆周密。由使幽途融坦宗歸豁然。是故誦其文而不疲語其義而不惓。甘其味而無足。飡其音而不厭。始可謂微言興詠於真丹。高韻初唱于赤縣。梵音震響於聾俗。真容巨曜於今日。而寡聞之士偏執之流。不量愚見敢評大聖無崖之典。遂使是非興於諍論。譏謗生于快心。先覺不能返其迷。眾聖莫能移其志。方將沈蔽八邪之網。長淪九流之淵。不亦哀哉。不亦哀哉。天竺沙門曇摩讖者。中天竺人婆羅門種。天懷秀拔領鑒明邃。機辯清勝內外兼綜。將乘運流化先至燉煌。停止數載。大沮渠河西王者。至德潛著建隆王業。雖形處萬機。每思弘大道。為法城壍。會開定西夏斯經。與讖自遠而至。自非至感先期。孰有若茲之遇哉。讖既達此。以玄始十年歲次大梁十月二十三日。河西王勸請令譯。讖手執梵文口宣秦言。其人神情既銳。而為法殷重。臨譯敬慎殆無遺隱。搜研本正務存經旨。唯恨胡本分離殘缺未備耳。余以庸淺豫遭斯運。夙夜感戢欣遇良深。聊試標位敘其宗格。豈謂必然𨶳其宏要者哉。

The Great Parinirvāṇa is the profound hall of the Dharma-body, the true designation of right enlightenment, the deep mirror of all sūtras, and the ultimate summit of the ten thousand streams. As for its essence, it wonderfully subsists beyond material things, and permeates within the boundless. It acts spontaneously, and responds as opportunities appear. Acting spontaneously, it rides on the empty illumination to govern all things, and relies on words and the trap to convey transformation. Responding as opportunities appear, it corresponds to the ten thousand forms to manifest images, and sets forth teachings according to the sentiments of the masses. Even when its form fills the ten directions, its mind does not alter its thoughts; its teaching covers the world, yet its mind does not rest in itself. Mingling with floating dust and ants, it is not lowly; overarching all the sages, it is not high. Its merits aid the ten thousand transformations, yet it does not rely on them; its radiance surpasses ten thousand suns, yet it does not dwell upon it. Blending fully, it shares the measure of the great void; dissolving utterly, it becomes one with dharmatā. Now, dharmatā has the utmost limit as its essence, and what is at the utmost limit returns to the changeless. Therefore, arising and ceasing cannot alter its permanence. Because arising and ceasing cannot alter its permanence, its permanence does not move. What is non-bliss cannot diminish its bliss, so its bliss is boundless. An illusory self arises from erroneous thoughts; the non-self arises from causal conventions. Causal conventions exist in names and enumerations; therefore, the supreme Self transcends names and enumerations and is not non-existent. Transcending names and enumerations and not being non-existent, it can dwell in the noble station of sovereignty, and the non-self cannot change it. The impure arises from empty purity; therefore, true purity mirrors all phenomena like water. Mirroring all phenomena like water, the impure cannot alter it. Therefore, this sūtra, in chapter after chapter, sets forth permanence, bliss, self, and purity as the forest of its central doctrine, and opens the investigation of profound subtleties as the source of nirvāṇa. Thus, it is able to expound the secret treasury to those who have not heard it, and open the spiritual tube to illumine fully, curing the ulcers and gangrene of the four major offenses, and excising the warts and swellings of the Avīci hell. Expounding the secret treasury, the feelings of all consciousnesses find release, verifying that the wondrous Self is within oneself; opening the spiritual tube, one realizes that the dark light is covertly shining, and that the spiritual jewel is within the body. However, the four major offenses, the Avīci sins, and the slandering of the Vaipulya scriptures—these are the most acute diseases and severe festering wounds among all afflictions. Therefore, the Mahāparinirvāṇa takes being without wounds and warts as its meaning, and names this scripture with 'Mahāparinirvāṇa' as its central title. When the central title is raised, its clarity comprehends all wonders, its words concise yet its meaning complete. When the doctrinal name is established, it illumines the superior and inferior among the three vehicles and reveals where the utmost limit resides. Now, dark transformation has no omen, and wondrous accord is wordless; if entrusted to the serene realm, the principle will not function in vain. Therefore, this sūtra opens with sincere words as the root of teaching, broadens many parables to unite the meanings, establishes the protection of the Dharma to traverse the beginning, and gazes upon the secret treasury to plumb the depths, resolving the stubborn blockages of a thousand years and dispelling the remaining doubts of Vulture Peak. As for when the principle is subtle, hidden, and coiled, subtlety beyond subtlety, the bodhisattvas display the skill of the craftsmen of Ying, expanding the crossing of boats and oars, clearing difficulties like towering clouds, covering everything with careful thoroughness, thereby making the hidden path smooth and open, and the doctrinal destination completely apparent. For this reason, chanting its text brings no weariness, discussing its meaning brings no exhaustion; tasting its flavor brings no satiety, and imbibing its voice brings no surfeit. Only then can it be said that subtle words have been sung in Cīnasthāna, and lofty rhythms first chanted in the Red District; the Brahmā sound has shaken the deafening worldly, and the true countenance has shone grandly today! Yet men of meager hearing and the class of biased clingers, not measuring their foolish views, dare to critique the boundlessly great sacred canon! Thus, right and wrong arise in contentious debates, and mockery and slander are born of momentary pleasure; former awakened ones cannot turn back their delusions, and all the sages cannot shift their wills. They are about to sink covered in the net of the eight wrongs, and drown long in the abyss of the nine streams—is it not sorrowful? Is it not sorrowful? As for the Indian śramaṇa Dharmakṣema, he was a native of Central India and of Brahmin stock. His natural mind was outstanding and distinguished; his comprehension and insight were clear and penetrating; his quick eloquence was sharp and supreme; he combined both the inner and outer teachings. About to ride the turning of events to spread the transformation, he first reached Dunhuang and stopped there for several years. The Great Prince of Hexi, Juqu, had supreme virtue secretly manifested and built up grand princely endeavors. Although his form was situated among ten thousand state affairs, he constantly thought to propagate the Great Way and serve as a moat and fortress for the Dharma. It happened that when he settled the western region, this sūtra and Dharmakṣema arrived from afar. Were it not for the supreme feeling meeting previous expectation, who could have had such an encounter? After Dharmakṣema arrived here, on the twenty-third day of the tenth month in the tenth year of Xuanshi, the year being Daliang, the Prince of Hexi urged and requested him to translate it. Dharmakṣema held the Indic text in his hands and pronounced the Qin language from his mouth. His spirit was already sharp, and his regard for the Dharma was earnest and grave; approaching the translation, he was reverent and cautious, leaving almost nothing hidden. Searching and examining the correct original, he strove to preserve the sūtra's meaning; he only regretted that the Hu copy was scattered, broken, and incomplete. Mediocre and shallow as I am, I participated in encountering this fortune; day and night, moved and grateful, my joy at this encounter is profoundly deep. I venture to try to mark its stages and narrate its central framework—how could I claim to have definitely resolved its magnificent essentials?