一切法相品第四
爾時，德本菩薩摩訶薩白佛言：「世尊！如世尊說：『於諸法相善巧菩薩。』於諸法相善巧菩薩者，齊何名為於諸法相善巧菩薩？如來齊何施設彼，為於諸法相善巧菩薩？」說是語已。
At that time, Guṇākara (’Root of Virtue’) bodhisattva mahasattva asked the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! The World-Honored One has spoken of ‘bodhisattvas skilled in the characteristics of all things (dharmas).’ Why is a bodhisattva skilled in the characteristics of all things called a bodhisattva skilled in the characteristics of all things? Why has the Thus Come One given the description of them as bodhisattvas skilled in the characteristics of all things?”
爾時，世尊告德本菩薩曰：「善哉！德本！汝今乃能請問如來如是深義；汝今為欲利益安樂無量眾生，哀愍世間、及諸天、人、阿素洛等；為令獲得義利安樂故，發斯問。汝應諦聽，吾當為汝說諸法相。
Then the World-Honored One said to Guṇākara bodhisattva, “Excellent! Guṇākara! You are now able to ask the Thus Come One about the profound meaning of this. You now generate this question because you desire to benefit and gladden immeasurable sentient beings, with compassion for the world and all the gods, humans, and asuras, in order for them to realize the meaning, to benefit them, and to gladden them. You should listen closely. I will explain for you the meaning of he mysteries of the mind, thought, and consciousness?”
「謂諸法相略有三種，何等為三？一者、遍計所執相；二者、依他起相；三者、圓成實相。云何諸法遍計所執相？謂一切法名假安立自性差別，乃至為令隨起言說。云何諸法依他起相？謂一切法緣生自性，則此有故彼有，此生故彼生，謂無明緣行，乃至招集純大苦蘊。云何諸法圓成實相？謂一切法平等真如。於此真如，諸菩薩眾勇猛精進為因緣故，如理作意，無倒思惟為因緣故，乃能通達。於此通達，漸漸修集，乃至無上正等菩提方證圓滿。
“It is said that there are three kinds of characteristics of all things (dharmas). What three? 1. Totally imaginary characteristics (parikalpita-lakṣaṇa) that are clung to; 2. The characteristic of arising in dependence upon another (paratantra-lakṣaṇa), and 3. The characteristic of complete, perfect reality (pariniṣpanna-lakṣaṇa). What are the totally imaginary characteristics of all things that are clung to? This is the establishing of conventional names for all things and distinguishing their self-natures (svabhava) in order to talk about them. What is the characteristic of all things arising in dependence upon another? This is the dependently originated nature of all things, and because there is this, there is that. Because this arises, that arises. Ignorance conditions saṃskāras and so on, bringing together a great mass of suffering aggregates. What is the characteristic of complete, perfect reality of all things? This is the equanimous, Real Suchness of all things. All bodhisattvas penetrate to this Real Suchness by their courageous determination, intelligent (or logical) focusing, and true reflection. By gradually cultivating this penetration, they reach unsurpassed true awakening and actually realize perfection.”
「善男子！如眩瞖人眼中所有眩瞖過患，遍計所執相當知亦爾。如眩瞖人眩瞖眾相：或髮毛、輪、蜂蠅、巨勝，或復青、黃、赤、白等相差別現前；依他起相當知亦爾。如淨眼人遠離眼中眩瞖過患，即此淨眼本性所行無亂境界；圓成實相當知亦爾。
“Kulaputra! Like the ailment of cataracts (cloudy spots) for someone with cataracts in the eyes, you should know, the imaginary characteristics of all things that are clung to are also like this. Like the ‘groups of characteristics’ that appear differentiated to someone with cataracts in the eyes, such as hair nets, wheels, flies, seeds, with blue, yellow, red, white colored characteristics, the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, you should know, is also like this. Like someone with clear eyes, free of the ailments of cataracts in the eyes, the original nature of these pure eyes operating in an unconfused way about the objective world, the characteristic of complete, perfect reality, you should know, is also like this.”
「善男子！譬如清淨頗胝迦寶，若與青染色合，則似帝青、大青、末尼寶像；由邪執取帝青、大青、末尼寶故，惑亂有情。若與赤染色合，則似琥珀末尼寶像；由邪執取琥珀末尼寶故，惑亂有情。若與綠染色合，則似末羅羯多末尼寶像；由邪執取末羅羯多末尼寶故，惑亂有情。若與黃染色合，則似金像；由邪執取真金像故，惑亂有情。
“Kulaputra! Just like a pure crystal (sphāṭika) jewel, if combined and tinted with the color blue, it appears to be the image of a royal blue, a great blue maṇi jewel. Because it takes on the appearance of the image of a royal blue, great blue maṇi jewel, it confuses sentient beings. If combined and tinted with the color red, it appears to be in the image of a ruby maṇi jewel (or amber, aśmagarbha). Because it takes on the appearance of the image of a ruby maṇi jewel, it confuses sentient beings. If combined and tinted with the color green, it appears to be in the image of an emerald maṇi jewel. Because it takes on the appearance of the image of an emerald maṇi jewel, it confuses sentient beings. If combined and tinted with the color yellow, it appears to a golden image. Because it takes on the appearance of a real golden image, it confuses sentient beings.”
「如是，德本！如彼清淨頗胝迦上，所有染色相應；依他起相上，遍計所執相言說習氣，當知亦爾。如彼清淨頗胝迦上，所有帝青、大青、琥珀、末羅羯多、金等邪執；依他起相上遍計所執相執，當知亦爾。如彼清淨頗胝迦寶；依他起相，當知亦爾。如彼清淨頗胝迦上，所有帝青、大青、琥珀、末羅羯多、真金等相，於常常時，於恒恒時，無有真實、無自性性，即依他起相上，由遍計所執相，於常常時、於恒恒時，無有真實、無自性性；圓成實相，當知亦爾。
“Like this, Guṇākara! Just as those tinted colors appear upon that pure crystal, the propensities of language about totally imaginary characteristics upon the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, you should know, are also like this. Just as those falsely perceived royal blues, great blues, rubies, emeralds and gold appear upon that pure crystal, grasping the imaginary characteristics upon the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, you should know, is also like this. Just like that pure crystal jewel, the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, you should know, is also like this. Just as those royal blues, great blues, rubies, emeralds and real gold that appear upon that pure crystal are always, forever without ever having any real existence, of a nature without self-nature, imaginary characteristics upon the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another that is always, forever without ever having any real existence, of a nature without self-nature, you should know, the characteristic of complete, perfect reality, is also like this.”
「復次，德本！相名相應以為緣故，遍計所執相而可了知；依他起相上，遍計所執相執以為緣故，依他起相而可了知；依他起相上，遍計所執相無執以為緣故，圓成實相而可了知。
“Furthermore, Guṇākara! Due to the interdependence of characteristics and names, totally imaginary characteristics can be understood. Due to the interdependence of grasping and the totally imaginary characteristics upon the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another can be understood. Due to the interdependence of not grasping and the characteristic of being grasped as something circumscribed upon the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, the characteristic of complete, perfect reality can be understood.
「善男子！若諸菩薩能於諸法依他起相上，如實了知遍計所執相，即能如實了知一切無相之法；若諸菩薩如實了知依他起相，即能如實了知一切雜染相法；若諸菩薩如實了知圓成實相，即能如實了知一切清淨相法。
“Kulaputra! If bodhisattvas are able to understand, as they really are, all dharmas totally imaginary characteristics upon the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, they then will be able to understand, as it really it, the characteristiclessness of things. If bodhisattvas are able to understand, as it really is, the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, they then will be able to understand, as it really is, the defilement of all things. If bodhisattvas are able to understand, as it really is, the characteristic of complete, perfect reality, they then will be able to understand, as it really is, the purity of all things.”
「善男子！若諸菩薩能於依他起相上，如實了知無相之法，即能斷滅雜染相法；若能斷滅雜染相法，即能證得清淨相法。
‘Kulaputra! If bodhisattvas understand, as it really is, the ‘characteristiclessness thing’ upon the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, then they are able to cut off and cease defilements. If they are able to cut off and cease defilements, then they are able to realize attainment of things as purified.”
「如是，德本！由諸菩薩如實了知遍計所執相、依他起相、圓成實相故；如實了知諸無相法、雜染相法、清淨相法；如實了知無相法故，斷滅一切雜染相法，斷滅一切染相法故，證得一切清淨相法。齊此名為於諸法相善巧菩薩；如來齊此施設彼為於諸法相善巧菩薩。」
“Like this, Guṇākara! Since all bodhisattvas understand, as they really are, imagined characteristics, the characteristic of arising in dependence upon another, and the the characteristic of complete, perfect reality, they understand, as they really are, the characteristiclessness of things, things characterized as defiled, and things characterized as pure. Because they understand, as it really is, the characteristiclessness of things, they cut off and cease all defilements, and because they cut off and cease all defilements, they realize attainment of all purified things. Thus, a bodhisattva is called a bodhisattva skilled in the characteristics of all dharmas? The Thus Come One has therefore given the description of them as bodhisattvas skilled in the characteristics of all dharmas.”
爾時，世尊欲重宣此義，而說頌曰：
Then, the World Honored One, to emphasize the meaning of this, said in verse:
若不了知無相法， 雜染相法不能斷； 不斷雜染相法故， 壞證微妙淨相法。
One who does not understand the characteristiclessness of things, Is unable to cut off defiled things, And since not cutting off defiled things, Ruining realization of the wonderous, pure characteristic of things.
不觀諸行眾過失， 放逸過失害眾生； 懈怠住法動法中， 無有失壞可憐愍。」
Not observing the errors of all saṃskāras, One indulges in errors and harms sentient beings, Lazy (kausīdya) among abiding and moving things, How could someone so lost not be pitiable?