Once again, the Buddha asked the venerable Subhuti, "What do you think, Subhuti? Did the Tathagata realize any such dharma as `unexcelled perfect enlightenment'? And toes the Tathagata teach any such dharma?"
The venerable Subhuti thereupon answered, "Bhagavan, as I understand the meaning of what the Buddha says, the Tathagata did not realize any such dharma as `unexcelled perfect enlightenment.' Nor does the tathagata teach such a dharma. And why? Because this dharma realized and taught by the Tathagata is incomprehensible and inexplicable and neither a dharma nor no dharma. And why? Because sages arise from what is uncreated." [Translation: Red Pine]
Buddha asked: "Do you think, Subhuti, that the Tathagata knows any dharma as the ultimate and perfect enlightenment? Has the Tathagata ever set forth such a teaching?"
Subhuti responded: "Not according to my understanding of the teachings of the Tathagata. Why? The dharma which the Tathagata fully knows and has set forth can neither be thought nor formulated in words, for it is neither dharma nor adharma."[Translation: Joshua Pritikin]
"Subhuti, what do you think--has the Realized One attained unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment? Has the Realized One any doctrine to preach?"
Subhuti said, "As I understand the principles expounded by the Realized One, there is no fixed state called unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment, and there is no fixed doctrine for the Realized One to preach."
"Why? The doctrines taught by the Realized One are not to be grasped, and not to be preached; they are neither truths nor untruths."
"What is the reason? All saints and sages exist through uncreated truth, yet they have differences." [Translation: Thomas Cleary]
No comments:
Post a Comment