Original Chinese Text (from Sanskrit to Chinese by Kumārajīva, 鳩摩羅什)
English Translation (by William Gemmell from Chinese to English)
English Translation (by Max Muller from Sanskrit to English)
25. 佛告須菩提：「於意云何？如來昔在燃燈佛所，於法有所得不？」
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “What think you? When the Lord Buddha, in a previous life, was a disciple of Dipankara Buddha, was there communicated to him any prescribed Law, or system of doctrine, whereby he eventually became a Buddha?”
Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhûti, is there anything (dharma) which the Tathâgata has adopted from the Tathâgata Dîpankara, the holy and fully enlightened?'
26. 「不也，世尊！如來在燃燈佛所，於法實無所得。」
Subhuti replied, saying: “No! Honoured of the Worlds! When the Lord Buddha was a disciple of Dipankara Buddha, neither prescribed Law nor system of doctrine was communicated to him, whereby he eventually became a Buddha.”
Subhûti said: 'Not indeed, O Bhagavat; there is not anything which the Tathâgata has adopted from the Tathâgata Dîpankara, the holy and fully enlightened.'
27. 「須菩提！於意云何？菩薩莊嚴佛土不？」
「不也，世尊！何以故？莊嚴佛土者，即非莊嚴，是名莊嚴。」
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “What think you? may an enlightened disciple thus ponder within himself, ‘I shall create numerous Buddhist Kingdoms’?”
Subhuti replied, saying: “No! Honoured of the Worlds! And why? Because, kingdoms thus created would not in reality be Buddhist kingdoms, therefore ‘the creation of numerous Buddhist kingdoms’ is merely a figure of speech.”
Bhagavat said: 'If, O Subhûti, a Bodhisattva should say: "I shall create numbers of worlds," he would say what is untrue. And why? Because, O Subhûti, when the Tathâgata preached: Numbers of worlds, numbers of worlds indeed! they were preached by him as no-numbers. Therefore they are called numbers of worlds.'
28. 「是故須菩提，諸菩薩摩訶薩應如是生清淨心，不應住色生心，不應住聲香味觸法生心，應無所住而生其心。」
The Lord Buddha, continuing, addressed Subhuti, saying: “Enlightened disciples ought therefore to engender within themselves a pure and holy mind; they ought not to depend on the phenomena of form, sound, odour, taste, touch, or Law; they ought to sedulously cultivate a mind independent of every material aid.”
'Therefore, O Subhûti, a noble-minded Bodhisattva should in this wise frame an independent mind, which is to be framed as a mind not believing in anything, not believing in form, not believing in sound, smell, taste, and anything that can be touched.'
29. 「須菩提！譬如有人，身如須彌山王，於意云何？是身為大不？」
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “Supposing a man with a body as pretentious as Sumeru, prince among mountains, would you esteem such a body as being great?”
'Now, for instance, O Subhûti, a man might have a body and a large body, so that his size should be as large as the king of mountains, Sumeru. Do you think then, O Subhûti, that his selfhood (he himself) would be large?'
30. 須菩提言：「甚大，世尊！何以故？佛說非身，是名大身。」
Subhuti replied, saying: “Exceedingly great. Honoured of the Worlds! And why? Because, the Lord Buddha referred not to a physical body, but to mental and spiritual concepts of bodies, in which sense a body may be regarded as really Great."
Subhûti said: 'Yes, O Bhagavat, yes, O Sugata, his selfhood would be large. And why? Because, O Bhagavat, when the Tathâgata preached: "Selfhood, selfhood indeed!" it was preached by him as no-selfhood. Therefore it is called selfhood.'
31. 「須菩提！如恒河中所有沙數，如是沙等恒河，於意云何？是諸恒河沙寧為多不？」
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If there were rivers Ganges as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, would the aggregate grains of sand be of considerable number?”
Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhûti, if there were as many Gangâ rivers as there are grains of sand in the large river Gangâ, would the grains of sand be many?'
32. 須菩提言：「甚多，世尊！但諸恒河尚多無數，何況其沙！」
Subhuti replied, saying: “Of very considerable number, Honoured of the Worlds! The rivers Ganges alone would be innumerable, and much more innumerable would be the grains of sand.”
Subhûti said: 'Those Gangâ rivers would indeed be many, much more the grains of sand in those Gangâ rivers.'
33. 「須菩提！我今實言告汝：若有善男子、善女人，以七寶滿爾所恒河沙數三千大千世界，以用布施，得福多不？」
The Lord Buddha thereupon addressed Subhuti, saying: “I have a truth to declare unto you! If a good disciple, whether man or woman, were to bestow in the exercise of charity, an abundance of the seven treasures, sufficient to fill as many boundless universes as there would be grains of sand in these innumerable rivers, would the cumulative merit of such a disciple be considerable?”
Bhagavat said: 'I tell you, O Subhûti, I announce to you, If a woman or man were to fill with the seven treasures as many worlds as there would be grains of sand in those Gangâ rivers and present them as a gift to the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgatas--What do you think, O Subhûti, would that woman or man on the strength of this produce a large stock of merit?'
34. 須菩提言：「甚多，世尊！」
Subhuti replied, saying: “Very considerable, Honoured of the Worlds!”
Subhûti said: 'Yes, O Bhagavat, yes, O Sugata, that woman or man would on the strength of this produce a large stock of merit, immeasurable and innumerable.'
35. 佛告須菩提：「若善男子、善女人，於此經中，乃至受持四句偈等，為他人說，而此福德勝前福德。復次，須菩提！隨說是經，乃至四句偈等，當知此處，一切世間、天、人、阿修羅，皆應供養，如佛塔廟，何況有人盡能受持讀誦。須菩提！當知是人成就最上第一希有之法，若是經典所在之處，即為有佛，若尊重弟子。」
The Lord Buddha then declared unto Subhuti, “If a good disciple, whether man or woman, were with implicit faith to adhere to a stanza of this Scripture, and diligently explain it to others, the consequent merit would be relatively greater than the other.”
The Lord Buddha, continuing, said unto Subhuti: “Wherever this Scripture is proclaimed, even though it were but a stanza comprising four lines, you should realise that that place would be sanctified by the presence of the whole realm of gods, men, and terrestrial spirits, who ought unitedly to worship, as if before a sacred shrine of Buddha. But what encomium shall express the merit of a disciple who rigorously observes, and diligently studies, the text of this Scripture? Subhuti, you should realise that such a disciple will be endowed with spiritual powers commensurate with initiation in the supreme, incomparable, and most wonderful Law. Whatever place constitutes a repository for this sacred Scripture, there also the Lord Buddha may be found, together with disciples worthy of reverence and honour.”
Bhagavat said: 'And if, O Subhûti, a woman or man having filled so many worlds with the seven treasures should give them as a gift to the holy and enlightened Tathâgatas, and if another son or daughter of a good family, after taking from this treatise of the Law one Gâthâ of four lines only, should fully teach others and explain it, he, indeed, would on the strength of this produce a larger stock of merit, immeasurable and innumerable.'
'Then again, O Subhûti, that part of the world in which, after taking from this treatise of the Law one Gâthâ of four lines only, it should be preached or explained, would be like a Kaitya (holy shrine) for the whole world of gods, men, and spirits; what should we say then of those who learn the whole of this treatise of the Law to the end, who repeat it, understand it, and fully explain it to others? They, O Subhûti, will be endowed with the highest wonder. And in that place, O Subhûti, there dwells the teacher, or one after another holding the place of the wise preceptor.'
36. 爾時，須菩提白佛言：「世尊！當何名此經？我等云何奉持？」
Upon that occasion, Subhuti enquired of the Lord Buddha, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! by what name shall this Scripture be known, that we may regard it with reverence?”
After these words, the venerable Subhûti spoke thus to Bhagavat: 'O Bhagavat, how is this treatise of the Law called, and how can I learn it?'