Chapter 2
第二章
2.1Then the bodhisattva Dharmodgata spoke these words: “Blessed One, very long ago in ancient times, beyond as many universes as there are grains of sand in seventy-seven Ganges rivers, I was residing in the world Kīrtimat of the tathāgata Viśālakīrti. There I saw 7,700,000 non-Buddhists, together with their teachers, who had gathered in one place to consider the ultimate defining characteristic of phenomena. [F.5.b] Although they had examined , analyzed, investigated, and considered in detail the ultimate defining characteristic of phenomena, they did not understand it. They had changing opinions, lacked certainty, and were slow-witted as well as argumentative. Insulting one another with harsh words, they became abusive, agitated, unprincipled, and violent. Then, Blessed One, I thought to myself, ‘This is so sad, and yet, how marvelous, how wonderful are the manifestations of the tathāgatas in the world and, through their manifestations, the realization and actualization of the ultimate whose defining characteristic is beyond all speculation!’ ”
2.1那時菩薩法起說出這些話語：「薄伽梵，很久以前在古代的時候，超越七十七條恆河沙數那麼多的世界，我居住在如來毘沙羅覺慧的世界稱滿世界中。在那裡我看到七百七十萬外道及他們的師長，聚集在一個地方討論現象的勝義相。雖然他們已經檢視、分析、調查並詳細思考了現象的勝義相，但他們並沒有理解它。他們見解不斷變化，缺乏確定性，思惟遲鈍並且好發諍論。他們互相用粗暴言辭辱罵，變得難以駕馭、躁動不安、行為不道德且暴力相向。那時，薄伽梵，我心想：『這太令人哀傷了，然而如來在世間的現前地展現多麼奇妙、多麼令人讚歎，並且透過他們的現前地，超越一切尋思之特相的勝義得以實現和成就啊！』」
2.2The Blessed One answered to the bodhisattva Dharmodgata: “So it is, Dharmodgata. So it is. I have completely and perfectly awakened to the ultimate characterized as being beyond all speculation. Yet, after I attained complete and perfect awakening, I communicated through words, gave explanations, established distinctions, expressed myself through conventions, and imparted teachings. One might ask why I did this. I have explained that the ultimate is what is cognized by noble beings in a personal and intuitive way, whereas ordinary beings’ knowledge [resulting from interacting] with one another belongs to the domain of speculation. Therefore, Dharmodgata, you should know in this way through this approach that the ultimate is what is characterized as transcending all speculation. Moreover, Dharmodgata, I have explained that the ultimate represents the domain in which there is no phenomenal appearance, whereas speculation is the domain of phenomenal appearance. Therefore, Dharmodgata, you should know in this way through this approach that the [F.6.a] ultimate is what is characterized as transcending all speculation. Moreover, Dharmodgata, I have explained that the ultimate is inexpressible, whereas speculation is the domain of verbalization. Therefore, Dharmodgata, you should know in this way through this approach that the ultimate is what is characterized as transcending all speculation. Moreover, Dharmodgata, I have explained that the ultimate is free from all conventions, whereas speculation is the domain of conventions. Therefore, Dharmodgata, you should know in this way through this approach that the ultimate is what is characterized as transcending all speculation. Moreover, Dharmodgata, I have explained that the ultimate is devoid of argumentative disputation, whereas speculation is the domain of argumentative disputation. Therefore, Dharmodgata, you should know in this way through this approach that the ultimate is what is characterized as transcending all speculation.
2.2薄伽梵對菩薩法起說道：「如是，法起。如是。我已證得無上正等正覺，而那勝義乃是超越一切尋思的。然而，在我證得無上正等正覺之後，我仍透過言辭進行傳達、提供解釋、建立區分、通過世俗諦表達自己，並傳授教法。人們可能會問我為何要這樣做。我已經解釋過，勝義是聖者以個人化和直觀的方式所認知的，而凡夫相互作用所產生的知識屬於尋思的分界。因此，法起，你應該用這種方式透過這種途徑了解，勝義乃是超越一切尋思的特性。此外，法起，我已經解釋過，勝義代表沒有現象的分界，而尋思是現象的分界。因此，法起，你應該用這種方式透過這種途徑了解，勝義乃是超越一切尋思的特性。此外，法起，我已經解釋過，勝義是不可言說的，而尋思是言辭的分界。因此，法起，你應該用這種方式透過這種途徑了解，勝義乃是超越一切尋思的特性。此外，法起，我已經解釋過，勝義沒有一切世俗諦，而尋思是世俗諦的分界。因此，法起，你應該用這種方式透過這種途徑了解，勝義乃是超越一切尋思的特性。此外，法起，我已經解釋過，勝義沒有諍論，而尋思是諍論的分界。因此，法起，你應該用這種方式透過這種途徑了解，勝義乃是超越一切尋思的特性。」
2.3“Dharmodgata, it is like this: beings who have only tasted pungent or bitter flavors their entire lives cannot imagine, infer, or appreciate the taste of honey and sugar. Those who have indulged in desire and have been burnt by the torment of desire for a long time cannot imagine, infer, or appreciate the inner happiness of the recluse, which is independent from all phenomenal appearances related to form, sound, smell, taste, and contact. Those who have indulged and taken delight in conversations for a long time cannot imagine, infer, or appreciate the inner happiness of the noble beings who remain silent. Those who have indulged and taken delight in conventions for a long time through seeing, hearing, discriminating, and cognizing cannot imagine, infer, or appreciate the cessation of all conventions, the nirvāṇa that is the [F.6.b] extinction of transitory aggregates. Dharmodgata, it is like this: Those who have indulged and taken delight in argumentative disputations for a long time on account of their attachment to the self cannot imagine, infer, or appreciate that there is no attachment to the self and no argumentative disputations in Uttarakuru.
2.3「法起，譬如此：長期只品嚐過辛辣或苦味的有情，無法想像、推斷或領悟蜂蜜和糖的滋味。長期沉溺於欲望並為欲望的折磨所燒灼的有情，無法想像、推斷或領悟沙門的內樂，這種內樂獨立於與色、聲、香、味、觸相關的一切現象。長期沉溺於談話並從中取樂的有情，無法想像、推斷或領悟保持沉默的聖者所擁有的內樂。長期沉溺於世俗諦並通過見、聞、分別與認知而取樂的有情，無法想像、推斷或領悟一切世俗諦的止息——涅槃，即行蘊的熄滅。法起，譬如此：長期沉溺於諍論並因我執而取樂的有情，無法想像、推斷或領悟在北俱盧洲中沒有我執且沒有諍論。」
“Dharmodgata, likewise, those who [have indulged for a long time in] speculation cannot imagine, infer, or appreciate the ultimate whose defining characteristic transcends all speculation.”
「法起，同樣地，那些長期沉溺於尋思的有情無法想像、推斷或領會其定義特徵超越一切尋思的勝義。」
2.4Then, at that moment, the Blessed One spoke these verses:
2.4此時，薄伽梵演說了這些偈頌：
This was the chapter of the bodhisattva Dharmodgata—the second chapter.
（結尾）