大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經 1.29

1.29

爾時，世尊欲重宣此義而說偈言：

are like flowers in the sky. Using such thinking to try to discern the sphere

of buddhahood is no more possible than a flower in the sky forming a fruit in the sky. Proliferating delusive thoughts can never grasp it.

“Son of good family, the unreal volatile mind, being replete with specious views, is not able to consummate the expedients of perfect enlightenment. Discriminating in this manner is not the correct gate.”

At that time the World-honored One, wanting to restate his meaning, uttered this verse:

Diamond Treasury, you should know that

The nature of the Tathāgata’s utter quiescence

Has never had an end nor a beginning.

If one uses the mind caught in cyclic existence

To try to conceive of it, one only becomes further caught in the cycle,

And one only reaches the limit of cyclic existence

And cannot enter the ocean of buddhahood.

For example, in smelting gold ore,

The gold is not produced by smelting.

Even though the gold exists from the very beginning,

It is by smelting that it is refined.

When the essence of true gold is made uniform,

It does not again become ore.

Samsara and nirvana,

Ordinary people and buddhas,

Share the same character as a flower in the sky.

Since thinking is just an illusory projection,

How could one ever hope to understand by fabricating a further

unreality?

If one is able to discern this mind,

Only then can one seek perfect enlightenment.

Chapter V

Maitreya Bodhisattva

Then Maitreya Bodhisattva arose from his seat within the great assembly, bowed with his head at the feet of the Buddha, circumambulated him three times, knelt before him with hands clasped at his breast, and addressed the Buddha, saying, “Great Compassionate World-honored One, you have opened wide the secret treasury for bodhisattvas, enabling the great assembly to have a profound understanding of cyclic existence and to discriminate [between] errant and true. Well are you able to bestow the fearless eye of the Way on all sentient beings in the final age, so that they may generate resolute faith in great nirvana and may never again follow objects within the revolving cycle and give rise to endlessly revolving views.

“World-honored One, if bodhisattvas and sentient beings in the final age want to enjoy the freedom of the great sea of quiescence, how should they cut off the root of cyclic existence? How many different types of beings are there within cyclic existence? What are the different kinds of practice for cultivating the enlightenment (bodhi) of the Buddha? When entering back into the cycle of affliction, how many kinds of expedient teaching methods for liberating sentient beings should [the bodhisattva] set up?

“I only pray that you will not abandon your world-saving great compassion so as to enable all bodhisattvas and sentient beings in the final age who are engaged in religious practice to make their eye of wisdom majestically pure, illuminate the mirror of the mind, and be perfectly enlightened about the supreme understanding and vision of the Tathāgata.” Having spoken these words, he prostrated himself fully. He made his request in this way three times in succession.

At that time the World-honored One addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva, saying, “Excellent! How excellent, son of good family, that, for the sake of bodhisattvas and sentient beings in the final age, you are thus able to ask about the Tathāgata’s profound, secret, and subtle meaning so as to enable