Maha-Parinirvana-Sutra (short: Nirvana Sutra; Da Banniepan Jing 大般涅槃經), translated into Chinese by Huiyan 慧嚴 etc., Ｔ０３７５	Chapters of the Niepanjing
	Exemplarious translation: ４．１０．大般涅槃經四諦品第十 佛復告迦葉。所言苦者不名苦聖諦。何以故。若言苦是苦聖諦者。 一切畜生及地獄眾生應有聖諦。善男子。 The Four Noble Truths The Buddha again addressed Kasyapa, "That which is called suffering is not called the noble truth of suffering. And why? If it is said that suffering is the noble truth of suffering, all the animal and hell dwelling sentient beings would consequently possess that noble truth. 若復有人。不知如來甚深境界常住不變微密法身。謂是食身非是法身。不知如來道德威力。是名為苦。何以故。以不知故。法見非法非法見法。當知是人必墮惡趣輪轉生死。增長諸結多受苦惱。 "Good son, if again there is someone who is unaware of the Tathagata’s most profound perspective of the eternally abiding, unchanging, fine and mysterious essential body (dharma-kaya), that it is said that the body that eats is not the essential body, and who is unaware of the Tathagata’s path to the power of virtue and majesty; then, this is called suffering. And why? Because of this unawareness, the Dharma is seen to be not the Dharma and the what is not the Dharma is seen to be the Dharma. You should know that this person necessarily shall fall into the evil destinies and circulate through birth and death (samsara). Increasing greatly, the bonds will become numerous, and he will undergo discomfort and anxiety. 若有能知如來常住無有變異。或聞常住二字音聲。若一經耳。即生天上。後解脫時乃能證知如來常住無有變易。既證知已。而作是言。我於往昔曾聞是義。今得解脫方乃證知。我於本際以不知故。輪轉生死周迴無窮。始於今日乃得真智。若如是知真是修苦多所利益。若不知者雖復勤修無所利益。是名知苦名苦聖諦。若人不能如是修習。是名為苦非苦聖諦。 "If there is someone who is able to know that the Tathagata is eternally abiding without any change, or hears that he is eternally abiding, or if this Sutra meets his ear, then he shall be born into the Heavens above. And after his liberation, he will be able to realize and know that the Tathagata eternally abides without any change. Once he has realized this, he would then say, ‘Formerly, I had heard this truth, but now I have attained liberation through realizing and knowing it. Because I have been entirely unaware of this since the beginning, I have cycled through birth and death, going round and round endlessly. Now on this day I have for the first time arrived at the true knowledge.’ If one knows thusly the true, the cultivation of suffering [becomes] a manifold blessing. If one is unaware, although again they may be moved to cultivate it, there will be no blessing. This is called knowing the suffering known as the noble truth of suffering. If a person is unable to thusly practice, this is called the suffering that is not of the noble truth of suffering. 苦集諦者。於真法中不生真智。受不淨物。所謂奴婢。能以非法言是正法。斷滅正法不令久住。以是因緣不知法性。以不知故。輪轉生死多受苦惱。不得生天及正解脫。 "[Now, regarding] the truth of suffering’s origin. Regarding the true Dharma, the unborn is the true knowledge. Undergoing impure things, then, is said to be a punishment. It is possible by way of what is not the Dharma to say that the true Dharma ends in cessation (nirvana), that the true Dharma does not lead one to remain long [in the world]. Because of these causes and conditions, one is unaware of the Dharma’s nature. Because one is unaware of it, one circulates through birth and death, undergoing numerous discomforts and worries, not attaining birth in the Heavens or any true liberation. 若有深知不壞正法。以是因緣得生天上及正解脫。若有不知苦集諦處。而言正法無有常住悉是滅法。以是因緣於無量劫。流轉生死受諸苦惱。若能知法常住不異。是名知集名集聖諦。若人不能如是修習。是名為集非集聖諦。 "If there is someone who deeply knows and does not destroy the true Dharma, then because of these causes and conditions they would be born in the heavens and attain true liberation. If someone is unaware of this place of the truth of suffering’s origin, who says that the true Dharma is that there is nothing eternally abiding, all [things] being extinct dharmas, then because of these causes and conditions that person will for measureless kalpas circulate through birth and death (samsara), undergoing discomfort and worry. If one is able to know that the Dharma eternally abides unchanging, this then is called knowing the origin that is known as the noble truth of [suffering’s] origin. If a person is unable to thusly practice, this is called the accumulation that is not the noble truth of accumulation. 苦滅諦者。若有多修習學空法。是為不善何以故。滅一切法故。壞於如來真法藏故。作是修學是名修空。修苦滅者。逆於一切諸外道等。若言修空是滅諦者。一切外道亦修空法應有滅諦。 "[Now regarding] the truth of suffering’s cessation. If there are many who cultivate the study of the Dharma of emptiness, this is not good. And why? Because the cessation of all Dharmas and the harming of Tathagata’s genuine Dharma treasury is done by cultivating the training that is called the cultivation of emptiness. To cultivate the cessation of suffering is contrary to all of the other paths. If it is said that the cultivation of emptiness is the truth of cessation, then all the other paths which also cultivate the emptiness of dharmas should also possess the truth of cessation. 若有說言。有如來藏雖不可見。若能滅除一切煩惱爾乃得入。若發此心一念因緣。於諸法中而得自在。若有修習如來密藏。無我空寂。如是之人於無量世在生死中流轉受苦。若有不作如是修者。雖有煩惱疾能滅除。何以故。因知如來祕密藏故。是名苦滅聖諦。若能如是修習滅者。是我弟子。若有不能作如是修。是名修空非滅聖諦。 "If someone claims, ‘There is a tathagata-garbha, although it cannot be seen. If one is able to destroy all of the afflictions, then one can enter it.’ If one generates in the mind this single thought, then these causes and conditions would bring mastery of the Dharma. If one practices the Tathagata’s esoteric garbha as selfless, empty, and peaceful, that person will remain in samsara for a measureless number of lives, circulating and undergoing discomfort. If there is someone who does not perform such cultivation, although he may be afflicted and diseased, he would be able to destroy [that affliction and disease]. And why? It is because he knows the Tathagata’s esoteric garbha. This is called the noble truth of suffering’s cessation. If one is able to thusly cultivate that cessation, this is a disciple of mine. If there is somone who is unable to thusly practice, this is called the cultivation of emptiness that is not the noble truth of cessation. 道聖諦者。所謂佛法僧寶及正解脫。有諸眾生顛倒心。言無佛法僧及正解脫。生死流轉猶如幻化。修習是見。以此因緣輪轉三有久受大苦。若能發心見於如來常住無變。法僧解脫亦復如是。乘此一念於無量世。自在果報隨意而得。何以故。我於往昔以四倒故非法計法。受於無量惡業果報。我今已滅如是見故成佛正覺。是名道聖諦。若有人言三寶無常。修習是見。是虛妄修非道聖諦。若修是法為常住者。是我弟子真見修習四聖諦法。是名四聖諦。 "[Now regarding] the noble truth of the Path. It refers to the jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, as well as the true liberation. There are sentient beings of deluded minds who say that there is no Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, or any true liberation, that the circulation through birth and death is like a mirage. They cultivate this view. Because of these causes and conditions, they will circulate through the three existances for a long time, undergoing great discomfort. If one is able to generate in the mind the view that the Tathgata is eternally abiding and unchanging, the Dharma, Sangha, and liberation are also again so. Carried by this one thought for a measureless number of lives, self-mastery is the reward of following this idea, and so it will be attained. And why? In the distant past, because of the four inverted views, I mistook what is not the Dharma for the Dharma, and so I underwent the rewards of a measureless number of evil actions (karma). Now, because I have extinguished such views, I have become a Buddha of perfect awakening. This is called the noble truth of the Path. If someone says the three jewels (triratna) are impermanent, who cultivates this view, then vacant and delusive is this cultivation. It is not the noble truth of the Path. If they cultivate the Dharma, that it is eternally abiding, this disciple of mine truely seeing practices the Dharma of the four noble truths. This is called the four noble truths." 迦葉菩薩白佛言。世尊。我今始知修習甚深四聖諦法。 "Good son, if again there is someone who is unaware of the Tathagata’s most profound perspective of the eternally abiding, unchanging, fine and mysterious essential body (dharma-kaya), that it is said that the body that eats is not the essential body, and who is unaware of the Tathagata’s path to the power of virtue and majesty; then, this is called suffering. And why? Because of this unawareness, the Dharma is seen to be not the Dharma and the what is not the Dharma is seen to be the Dharma. You should know that this person necessarily shall fall into the evil destinies and circulate through birth and death (samsara). Increasing greatly, the bonds will become numerous, and he will undergo discomfort and anxiety. Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, now for the first time I know and practice this most profound Dharma of the four noble truths." Translated by Charles Patton.