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中阿含經 6 Medium Discourses 6
善人往經 The Good Person’s Departure
我聞如是： Thus I have heard:
一時，佛遊舍衛國，在勝林給孤獨園。 One time, the Buddha traveled to the country of Śrāvastī and stayed at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove.
爾時，世尊告諸比丘： It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks,
「我當爲汝説七善人所往至處及無餘涅槃。 “I will explain for you the seven places to which a good person goes and nirvāṇa without remainder.
諦聽，諦聽。 Listen closely, listen closely!
善思念之。」 Consider it well.”
時，諸比丘受教而聽。 The monks then accepted the teaching and listened.
佛言： The Buddha said,
「云何爲七。 “What are the seven?
比丘行當如是： A monk’s practice ought to be thus:
『我者無我亦無我所。 ‘I have no self, and nothing is mine.
當來無我亦無我所。』 In the future, there’ll be no self, and nothing will be mine.’
已有便斷，已斷得捨。 He then ends what has been, and he attains equanimity after ending it.
有樂不染，合會不著。 The pleasures he has don’t stain him, and he doesn’t cling to what has come together.
如是行者無上息迹慧之所見，然未得證。 Such a practitioner sees by the wisdom of unsurpassed stillness, but he has yet to attain its realization.
「比丘行如是往至何所。 “Where will a monk go who practices in this way?
譬如燒䴸，纔燃便滅。 It’s like setting fire to wheat chaff, which burns a little and then goes out.
當知比丘亦復如是。 You should know that monk to be likewise.
少慢未盡，五下分結已斷，得中般涅槃。 With a little conceit that’s yet to end, he has cut the five lower bonds and will attain parinirvāṇa in the interim.
是謂第一善人所往至處。 This is called the first place to which a good person goes.
世間諦如有。 The world in truth does have such people.
「復次，比丘行當如是： “Furthermore, a monk’s practice ought to be thus:
『我者無我亦無我所。 ‘I have no self, and nothing is mine.
當來無我亦無我所。』 In the future, there’ll be no self, and nothing will be mine.’
已有便斷，已斷得捨。 He then ends what has been, and he attains equanimity after ending it.
有樂不染，合會不著。 The pleasures he has don’t stain him, and he doesn’t cling to what has come together.
行如是者無上息迹慧之所見，然未得證。 Such a practitioner sees by the wisdom of unsurpassed stillness, but he has yet to attain its realization.
「比丘行如是往至何所。 “Where will a monk go who practices in this way?
譬若如鐵洞燃倶熾以椎打之，迸火飛空，上已即滅。 It’s like striking an iron that’s glowing and flaming hot with a hammer, and a spark flies off and goes out after rising.
當知比丘亦復如是。 You should know that monk to be likewise.
少慢未盡，五下分結已斷，得中般涅槃。 With a little conceit that’s yet to end, he has cut the five lower bonds and will attain parinirvāṇa in the interim.
是謂第二善人所往至處。 This is called the second place to which a good person goes.
世間諦如有。 The world in truth does have such people.
「復次，比丘行當如是： “Furthermore, a monk’s practice ought to be thus:
『我者無我亦無我所。 ‘I have no self, and nothing is mine.
當來無我亦無我所。』 In the future, there’ll be no self, and nothing will be mine.’
已有便斷，已斷得捨。 He then ends what has been, and he attains equanimity after ending it.
有樂不染，合會不著。 The pleasures he has don’t stain him, and he doesn’t cling to what has come together.
行如是者無上息迹慧之所見，然未得證。 Such a practitioner sees by the wisdom of unsurpassed stillness, but he has yet to attain its realization.
「比丘行如是往至何所。 “Where will a monk go who practices in this way?
譬若如鐵洞燃倶熾以椎打之，迸火飛空。 It’s like striking an iron that’s glowing and flaming hot with a hammer, and a spark flies off it.
從上來還，未至地滅。 After rising, it comes back down but goes out before reaching the ground.
當知比丘亦復如是。 You should know that monk to be likewise.
少慢未盡，五下分結已斷，得中般涅槃。 With a little conceit that’s yet to end, he has cut the five lower bonds and will attain parinirvāṇa in the interim.
是謂第三善人所往至處。 This is called the third place to which a good person goes.
世間諦如有。 The world in truth does have such people.
「復次，比丘行當如是： “Furthermore, a monk’s practice ought to be thus:
『我者無我亦無我所。 ‘I have no self, and nothing is mine.
當來無我亦無我所。』 In the future, there’ll be no self, and nothing will be mine.’
已有便斷，已斷得捨。 He then ends what has been, and he attains equanimity after ending it.
有樂不染，合會不著 The pleasures he has don’t stain him, and he doesn’t cling to what has come together.
行如是者無上息迹慧之所見，然未得證。 Such a practitioner sees by the wisdom of unsurpassed stillness, but he has yet to attain its realization.
「比丘行如是往至何所。 “Where will a monk go who practices in this way?
譬若如鐵洞然倶熾以椎打之，迸火飛空，墮地而滅。 It’s like striking an iron that’s blazing and flaming hot with a hammer, and a spark flies off, falls to the ground, and goes out.
當知比丘亦復如是。 You should know that monk to be likewise.
少慢未盡，五下分結已斷，得生般涅槃。 With a little conceit that’s yet to end, he has cut the five lower bonds and will attain parinirvāṇa at birth.
是謂第四善人所往至處。 This is called the fourth place to which a good person goes.
世間諦如有。 The world in truth does have such people.
「復次，比丘行當如是： “Furthermore, a monk’s practice ought to be thus:
『我者無我亦無我所。 ‘I have no self, and nothing is mine.
當來無我亦無我所。』 In the future, there’ll be no self, and nothing will be mine.’
已有便斷，已斷得捨。 He then ends what has been, and he attains equanimity after ending it.
有樂不染，合會不著。 The pleasures he has don’t stain him, and he doesn’t cling to what has come together.
行如是者無上息迹慧之所見，然未得證。 Such a practitioner sees by the wisdom of unsurpassed stillness, but he has yet to attain its realization.
「比丘行如是往至何所。 “Where will a monk go who practices in this way?
譬若如鐵洞燃倶熾以椎打之，迸火飛空。 It’s like striking an iron that’s glowing and flaming hot with a hammer, and a spark flies off it.
墮少薪草上，若烟，若燃，燃已便滅。 It falls onto a little wood or grass that smokes or burns, and then it goes out after burning.
當知比丘亦復如是。 You should know that monk to be likewise.
少慢未盡，五下分結已斷，得行般涅槃。 With a little conceit that’s yet to end, he has cut the five lower bonds and will attain parinirvāṇa with practice.
是謂第五善人所往至處。 This is called the fifth place to which a good person goes.
世間諦如有。 The world in truth does have such people.
「復次，比丘行當如是： “Furthermore, a monk’s practice ought to be thus:
『我者無我亦無我所。 ‘I have no self, and nothing is mine.
當來無我亦無我所。』 In the future, there’ll be no self, and nothing will be mine.’
已有便斷，已斷得捨。 He then ends what has been, and he attains equanimity after ending it.
有樂不染，合會不著。 The pleasures he has don’t stain him, and he doesn’t cling to what has come together.
行如是者無上息迹慧之所見，然未得證。 Such a practitioner sees by the wisdom of unsurpassed stillness, but he has yet to attain its realization.
「比丘行如是往至何所。 “Where will a monk go who practices in this way?
譬若如鐵洞燃倶熾以椎打之，迸火飛空。 It’s like striking an iron that’s glowing and flaming hot with a hammer, and a spark flies off it.
墮多薪草上，若烟，若燃，燃盡已滅。 It falls onto much wood or grass that smokes or burns, and then goes out after burning it up completely.
當知比丘亦復如是。 You should know that monk to be likewise.
少慢未盡，五下分結已斷，得無行般涅槃。 With a little conceit that’s yet to end, he has cut the five lower bonds and will attain parinirvāṇa without practice.
是謂第六善人所往至處。 This is called the sixth place to which a good person goes.
世間諦如有。 The world in truth does have such people.
「復次，比丘行當如是： “Furthermore, a monk’s practice ought to be thus:
『我者無我亦無我所。 ‘I have no self, and nothing is mine.
當來無我亦無我所。』 In the future, there’ll be no self, and nothing will be mine.’
已有便斷，已斷得捨。 He then ends what has been, and he attains equanimity after ending it.
有樂不染，合會不著。 The pleasures he has don’t stain him, and he doesn’t cling to what has come together.
行如是者無上息迹慧之所見，然未得證。 Such a practitioner sees by the wisdom of unsurpassed stillness, but he has yet to attain its realization.
「比丘行如是往至何所。 “Where will a monk who practices thus go?
譬若如鐵洞燃倶熾以椎打之，迸火飛空 It’s like striking an iron that’s both glowing and flaming with a hammer, and a spark flies off it.
墮多薪草上，若烟若燃。 It falls onto much wood or grass that smokes or burns.
燃已便燒，村邑，城郭，山，林，曠野。 Once it’s burning, it then sets fire to a town, a city, a forested mountain, or a wilderness.
燒村邑，城郭，山，林，曠野已，或至道，至水，至平地滅。 After it burns that town, city, forested mountain, or wilderness, it might reach a road, water line, or a plain and go out.
當知比丘亦復如是。 You should know that monk to be likewise.
少慢未盡，五下分結已斷，得上流阿迦膩吒般涅槃。 With a little conceit that’s yet to end, he has cut the five lower bonds and will attain parinirvāṇa upstream in Akaniṣṭha.
是謂第七善人所往至處。 This is called the seventh place to which a good person goes.
世間諦如有。 The world in truth does have such people.
「云何無餘涅槃。 “What is nirvāṇa without remainder?
比丘行當如是： A monk’s practice ought to be thus:
『我者無我亦無我所。 ‘I have no self, and nothing is mine.
當來無我亦無我所。』 In the future, there’ll be no self, and nothing will be mine.’
已有便斷，已斷得捨。 He then ends what has been, and he attains equanimity after ending it.
有樂不染，合會不著。 The pleasures he has don’t stain him, and he doesn’t cling to what has come together.
行如是者，無上息迹慧之所見，而已得證。 Such a practitioner sees by the wisdom of unsurpassed stillness, and he has attained its realization.
「我説彼比丘不至東方，不至西方，南方，北方，四維，上，下。 “I say that monk doesn’t go east, and he doesn’t go west, south, north, the four counterpoints, up, or down.
便於現法中，息迹滅度。 In the present life, he’s been stilled and completely liberated.
「我向所説，『七善人所往至處及無餘涅槃者，』因此故説。」 “I had said, ‘I will explain the seven places to which a good person goes and nirvāṇa without remainder,’ and so I have explained it.”
佛説如是。 Thus did Buddha speak.
彼諸比丘聞佛所説，歡喜，奉行。 Those monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.