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)
61. 「須菩提！於意云何？如來於燃燈佛所，有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不？」
「不也，世尊！如我解佛所說義，佛於燃燈佛所，無有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “What think you? When the Lord Buddha was a disciple of Dipankara Buddha, was there bequeathed to him any Law whereby he attained to supreme spiritual wisdom?”
Subhuti replied, saying: “No! Honoured of the Worlds! inasmuch as I am able to comprehend the meaning of the Lord Buddha’s discourse, when the Lord Buddha was a disciple of Dipankara Buddha, there was no Law bequeathed to him whereby he attained to supreme spiritual wisdom.”
'What do you think, O Subhûti, is there anything which the Tathâgata has adopted from the Tathâgata Dîpankara with regard to the highest perfect knowledge? '
After this, the venerable Subhûti spoke thus to the Bhagavat: 'As far as I, O Bhagavat, understand the meaning of the preaching of the Bhagavat, there is nothing which has been adopted by the Tathâgata from the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgata Dîpankara with regard to the highest perfect knowledge.'
62. 佛言：「如是，如是。須菩提！實無有法如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！若有法如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提者，燃燈佛則不與我授記：『汝於來世，當得作佛，號釋迦牟尼。』以實無有法得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，是故燃燈佛與我授記，作是言：『汝於來世，當得作佛，號釋迦牟尼。』何以故？如來者，即諸法如義。」
The Lord Buddha endorsed these words, saying: “Truly there is no Law by means of which the Lord Buddha obtained supreme spiritual wisdom. Subhuti, if there existed a Law by means of which the Lord Buddha obtained supreme spiritual wisdom, Dipankara Buddha would not have foretold at my initiation, ‘In future ages thou shalt become Sakyamuni Buddha,’ But, in reality, there is no Law by means of which supreme spiritual wisdom can be obtained. Therefore, at my initiation, Dipankara Buddha foretold concerning me, ‘In future ages, thou shalt become Sakyamuni Buddha.’ And why? Because, in the word Buddha, every Law is summarily and intelligibly comprehended.”
After this, Bhagavat thus spoke to the venerable Subhûti: 'So it is, Subhûti, so it is. There is not, O Subhûti, anything which has been adopted by the Tathâgata from the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgata Dîpankara with regard to the highest perfect knowledge. And if, O Subhûti, anything had been adopted by the Tathâgata, the Tathâgata Dîpankara would not have prophesied of me, saying: "Thou, O boy, wilt be in the future the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgata called Sâkyamuni." Because then, O Subhûti, there is nothing that has been adopted by the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgata with regard to the highest perfect knowledge, therefore I was prophesied by the Tathâgata Dîpankara, saying: "Thou, boy, wilt be in the future the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgata called Sâkyamuni."
'And why, O Subhûti, the name of Tathâgata? It expresses true suchness. And why Tathâgata, O Subhûti? It expresses that he had no origin. And why Tathâgata, O Subhûti? It expresses the destruction of all qualities. And why Tathâgata, O Subhûti? It expresses one who had no origin whatever. And why this? Because, O Subhûti, no-origin is the highest goal.'
63. 「若有人言：如來得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！實無有法，佛得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！如來所得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，於是中無實無虛。是故如來說：一切法皆是佛法。須菩提！所言一切法者，即非一切法，是故名一切法。」
“If a disciple affirmed that the Lord Buddha attained to supreme spiritual wisdom, it is necessary to state that there is no Law whereby this condition of mind can be realised. The supreme spiritual wisdom to which the Lord Buddha attained, cannot, in its essence, be defined as real or unreal. Thus, the Lord Buddha declared that the ordinarily accepted term, ‘the Buddhic Law,’ is synonymous with every moral and spiritual Law. Subhuti, what are ordinarily declared to be ‘systems of Law,’ are not in reality ‘systems of Law,’ they are merely termed ‘systems of Law.’”
'And whosoever, O Subhûti, should say that, by the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgata, the highest perfect knowledge has been known, he would speak an untruth, and would slander me, O Subhûti, with some untruth that he has learned. And why? Because there is no such thing, O Subhûti, as has been known by the Tathâgata with regard to the highest perfect knowledge. And in that, O Subhûti, which has been known and taught by the Tathâgata, there is neither truth nor falsehood. Thetefore the Tathâgata preaches: "All things are Buddha-things." And why? Because what was preached by the Tathâgata, O Subhûti, as all things, that was preached as no-things; and therefore all things are called Buddha-things.'
64. 「須菩提！譬如人身長大。」
須菩提言：「世尊！如來說：人身長大，即為非大身，是名大身。」
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “Can you imagine a man having a great physical body?”
Subhuti replied, saying: “The Lord Buddha, discoursing upon the proportions of a physical body, did not maintain for these any real greatness, therefore it is merely termed ‘a great body.’”
'Now, O Subhûti, a man might have a body and a large body.'
The venerable Subhûti said: That man who was spoken of by the Tathâgata as a man with a body, with a large body, he, O Bhagavat, was spoken of by the Tathâgata as without a body, and therefore he is called a man with a body and with a large body.'
65. 「須菩提！菩薩亦如是。若作是言：『我當滅度無量眾生』，即不名菩薩。何以故？須菩提！實無有法名為菩薩。是故佛說：一切法無我、無人、無眾生、無壽者。須菩提！」
The Lord Buddha, thereupon, addressed Subhuti, saying:
“Thus it is with an enlightened disciple: if he were to expatiate after this manner, ‘I must become oblivious to every idea of sentient life,’ he could not be described as fully enlightened. And why? Because, there is no Law whereby a disciple can be approved as ‘fully enlightened.’ Therefore, the Lord Buddha declared that within the realm of spiritual Law, there is neither an entity, a being, a living being, nor a personality.”
Bhagavat said: 'So it is, O Subhûti; and if a Bodhisattva were to say: "I shall deliver all beings," he ought not to be called a Bodhisattva. And why? Is there anything, O Subhûti, that is called a Bodhisattva?' Subhûti said: 'Not indeed, Bhagavat, there is nothing which is called a Bodhisattva.' Bhagavat said: 'Those who were spoken of as beings, beings indeed, O Subhûti, they were spoken of as no-beings by the Tathâgata, and therefore they are called beings. Therefore the Tathâgata says: "All beings are without self all beings are without life, without manhood, without a personality."
66. 「若菩薩作是言：『我當莊嚴佛土』，是不名菩薩。何以故？如來說：莊嚴佛土者，即非莊嚴，是名莊嚴。須菩提！若菩薩通達無我法者，如來說名真是菩薩。」
The Lord Buddha addressed Subhuti, saying: “If an enlightened disciple were to speak in this wise, ‘I shall create numerous Buddhist kingdoms,’ he could not be designated ‘fully enlightened.’ And why? Because, the Lord Buddha, discoursing upon ‘creating numerous Buddhist kingdoms,’ did not affirm the idea of creating numerous ‘material’ Buddhist kingdoms, hence the ‘creation of numerous Buddhist kingdoms’ is merely a figure of speech.
“Subhuti, the Lord Buddha declared that a disciple may be regarded as ‘truly enlightened,’ whose mind is thoroughly imbued with the Law of non-individuality.”
'If, O Subhûti, a Bodhisattva were to say: "I shall create numbers of worlds," he would say what is untrue. And why? Because, what were spoken of as numbers of worlds, numbers of worlds indeed, O Subhûti, these were spoken of as no-numbers by the Tathâgata, and therefore they are called numbers of worlds.'
'A Bodhisattva, O Subhûti, who believes that all things are without self, that all things are without self, he has faith, he is called a noble-minded Bodhisattva by the holy and fully enlightened Tathâgata.'
67. 「須菩提！於意云何？如來有肉眼不？」
「如是，世尊！如來有肉眼。」
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Does the Lord Buddha possess the physical eye?”
Subhuti assented, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! the Lord Buddha truly possesses the physical eye.”
Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhûti, has the Tathâgata the bodily eye?'
Subhûti said: 'So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathâgata has the bodily eye.'
68. 「須菩提！於意云何？如來有天眼不？」
「如是，世尊！如來有天眼。」
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Does the Lord Buddha possess the divine or spiritual eye?”
Subhuti assented, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! the Lord Buddha truly possesses the divine or spiritual eye.”
Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhûti, has the Tathâgata the heavenly eye?'
Subhûti said: 'So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathâgata has the heavenly eye.'
69. 「須菩提！於意云何？如來有慧眼不？」
「如是，世尊！如來有慧眼。」
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Does the Lord Buddha possess the eye of wisdom?”
Subhuti assented, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! the Lord Buddha truly possesses the eye of wisdom.”
Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhûti, has the Tathâgata the eye of knowledge?'
Subhûti said: 'So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathâgata has the eye of knowledge.'
70.「須菩提！於意云何？如來有法眼不？」
「如是，世尊！如來有法眼。」
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Does the Lord Buddha possess the eye of truth?”
Subhuti assented, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! the Lord Buddha truly possesses the eye of truth.”
Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhûti, has the Tathâgata the eye of the Law?'
Subhûti said: 'So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathâgata has the eye of the Law.'
71. 「須菩提！於意云何？如來有佛眼不？」
「如是，世尊！如來有佛眼。」
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Does the Lord Buddha possess the Buddhic eye?”
Subhuti assented, saying: “Honoured of the Worlds! the Lord Buddha truly possesses the Buddhic eye.”
Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhûti, has the Tathâgata the eye of Buddha?'
Subhûti said: 'So it is, O Bhagavat, the Tathâgata has the eye of Buddha.'
72. 「須菩提！於意云何？如恒河中所有沙，佛說是沙不？」
「如是，世尊！如來說是沙。」
The Lord Buddha enquired of Subhuti, saying: “What think you? Concerning the sands of the Ganges, did the Lord Buddha declare that these were grains of sand?”
Subhuti assenting, said: “Honoured of the Worlds! the Lord Buddha declared that these were grains of sand.”
Bhagavat said: 'What do you think, O Subhûti, as many grains of sand as there are in the great river Gangâ--were they preached by the Tathâgata as grains of sand?'
Subhûti said: 'So it is, O Bhagavat, so it is, O Sugata, they were preached as grains of sand by the Tathâgata.'