Padmakara Translation Group

Chapter 25 - An Examination of Nirvana

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1. "If all these things are empty [you object]

There's no arising and there's no cessation.

What has been relinquished and what ceases

Whereby nirvana, as you claim, occurs?"

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2. If all these are not empty

There is no arising, and there is no cessation.

What has been relinquished and what ceases

Whereby nirvana, as you claim, occurs?

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3. No relinquishment and no attainment,

No permanence and no annihilation,

No cessation, no arising-

In these terms has nirvana been described.

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4. Indeed nirvana cannot be a real existent thing,

For this would mean it's marked by both decay and death.

For there is no existent thing

Exempt from both decay and death.

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5. If nirvana is a thing,

It is in consequence compounded

For nowhere is there found

A thing that's uncompounded.

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6. If nirvana is a thing,

How is nirvana not dependent?

A thing that's not dependent

Has no existence anywhere.

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7. If nirvana's not a real existent thing,

How can it be something that does not exist?

For those for whom nirvana's not a real existent thing,

It cannot be a nonexistent thing.

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8. If nirvana's not a real existent thing,

How is it independent?

For there is no "nonexistent thing"

That's not dependent [on its contrary].

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9. Things that come and then depart-

That are dependent things or active causes-

Are not dependent things or active causes:

This is taught to be nirvana.

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10. Our Teacher has instructed us

That we should leave aside all notions of arising and cessation.

Therefore of nirvana it is rightly said

That it is neither an existent nor a nonexistent thing.

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11. If nirvana is concurrently

An existent and a nonexistent thing,

A thing that both exists and yet does not exist is liberation.

This, however, makes no sense.

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12. If nirvana were concurrently

An existent and a nonexistent thing,

Nirvana is not independent

For both depend upon each other.

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13. How can nirvana be concurrently

An existent and a nonexistent thing?

Nirvana is an uncompounded state,

While both existent things and nonexistent things are composite.

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14. How could nirvana be concurrently

An existent and a nonexistent thing?

For these two cannot coincide;

They are like light and dark.

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15. The statement that nirvana's neither

An existent nor a nonexistent thing

Would be established only if

The existent and the nonexistent were established.

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16. If nirvana's neither an existent

Nor a nonexistent thing,

Who is it who knows this saying:

"It is neither an existent nor a nonexistent thing”?

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17. Now that the Lord has passed into nirvana,

We cannot say that he exists.

Likewise "he does not exist" we cannot say.

And neither both nor neither can we say of him.

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18. And when the Lord was still alive,

We cannot say that he existed.

Likewise "he did not exist" we cannot say.

And neither both nor neither can we say of him.

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19. Samsara does not differ

Even slightly from nirvana.

Nirvana does not differ

Even slightly from samsara.

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20. The ultimate nature of nirvana

Is the ultimate nature of samsara;

And between these two, the slightest difference,

Even the most subtle, is not found.

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21. Views concerning what occurs beyond cessation,

The universe's end, its permanence, and all the rest,

Are based upon [the notion of] nirvana,

On a later and an earlier limit.

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22. Since all existent things are empty,

What is finite; what is infinite?

What's both infinite and finite?

What is neither infinite nor finite?

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23. What's identical and what is different?

What is permanent and what is impermanent?

What is both impermanent and permanent?

And what indeed is neither of these two?

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24. Every point of reference subsides;

All conceptual constructs utterly subside.

At no time, nowhere, and to no one

Did the Buddha any Dharma teach.

Garfield

Chapter 25 - Examination of Nirvāņa

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1. If all this is empty,

Then there is no arising or passing away.

By the relinquishing or ceasing of what

Does one wish nirvāņa to arise?

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2. If all this is nonempty,

Then there is no arising or passing away.

By the relinquishing or ceasing of what

Does one wish nirvāņa to arise?

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3. Unrelinquished, unattained,

Unannihilated, not permanent,

Unarisen, unceased:

This is how nirvāņa is described.

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4. Nirvāņa is not existent.

It would then have the characteristics of age and death.

There is no existent entity

Without age and death.

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5. If nirvāņa were existent,

Nirvāņa would be compounded.

A noncompounded existent

Does not exist anywhere.

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6. If nirvāņa were existent,

How could nirvāņa be nondependent?

A nondependent existent

Does not exist anywhere.

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7. If nirvāņa were not existent,

How could it be appropriate for it to be nonexistent?

Where nirvāņa is not existent,

It cannot be a nonexistent.

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8. If nirvāņa were not existent,

How could nirvāņa be nondependent?

Whatever is nondependent

Is not nonexistent.

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9. That which comes and goes

Is dependent and changing.

That, when it is not dependent and changing,

Is taught to be nirvāņa.

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10. The teacher has spoken of relinquishing

Becoming and dissolution.

Therefore, it makes sense that

Nirvāņa is neither existent nor nonexistent.

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11. If nirvāņa were both

Existent and nonexistent,

Passing beyond would, impossibly,

Be both existent and nonexistent.

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12. If nirvāņa were both

Existent and nonexistent,

Nirvāņa would not be nondependent.

Since it would depend on both of these.

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13. How could nirvāņa

Be both existent and nonexistent?

Nirvāņa is uncompounded.

Both existents and nonexistents are compounded.

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14. How could nirvāņa

Be both existent and nonexistent?

These two cannot be in the same place.

Like light and darkness.

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15. Nirvāņa is said to be

Neither existent nor nonexistent.

If the existent and the nonexistent were established,

This would be established.

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16. If nirvāņa is

Neither existent nor nonexistent,

Then by whom is it expounded

"Neither existent nor nonexistent"?

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17. Having passed into nirvāņa, the Victorious Conqueror

Is neither said to be existent

Nor said to be nonexistent.

Neither both nor neither are said.

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18. So, when the victorious one abides, he

Is neither said to be existent

Nor said to be nonexistent.

Neither both nor neither are said.

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19. There is not the slightest difference

Between cyclic existence and nirvāņa.

There is not the slightest difference

Between nirvāņa and cyclic existence.

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20. Whatever is the limit of nirvāņa,

That is the limit of cyclic existence.

There is not even the slightest difference between them,

Or even the subtlest thing.

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21. Views that after cessation there is a limit, etc.,

And that it is permanent, etc.,

Depend upon nirvāņa, the final limit,

And the prior limit.

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22. Since all existents are empty,

What is finite or infinite?

What is finite and infinite?

What is neither finite nor infinite?

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23. What is identical and what is different?

What is permanent and what is impermanent?

What is both permanent and impermanent?

What is neither?

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24. The pacification of all objectification

And the pacification of illusion:

No Dharma was taught by the Buddha

At any time, in any place, to any person.

Batchelor

Chapter 25 - Investigation of Nirvana

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1. If everything were empty, there would be no arising and perishing. From the letting go of and ceasing of what could one assert nirvana(-ing)?

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2. If everything were not empty, there would be no arising and perishing. From the letting go of and ceasing of what could one assert nirvana(-ing)?

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3. No letting go, no attainment, no annihilation, no permanence, no cessation, no birth: that is spoken of as nirvana.

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4. Nirvana is not a thing. Then it would follow that it would have the characteristics of aging and death. There does not exist any thing that is without aging and death.

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5. If nirvana were a thing, nirvana would be a conditioned phenomenon. There does not exist any thing anywhere that is not a conditioned phenomenon.

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6. If nirvana were a thing, how would nirvana not be dependent? There does not exists any thing at all that is not dependent.

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7. If nirvana were not a thing, how could it possibly be nothing? The one for whom nirvana is not a thing, for him it is not nothing.

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8. If nirvana were nothing, how could nirvana possibly be not dependent? There does not exist any nothing which is not dependent.

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9. Whatever things come and go are dependent or caused. Not being dependent and not being caused is taught to be Nirvana.

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10. The teacher taught [it] to be the letting go of arising and perishing. Therefore, it is correct that nirvana is not a thing or nothing.

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11. If nirvana were both a thing and nothing, it would follow that it would be a thing and nothing. That is .

incorrect.

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12. If nirvana were both a thing and nothing, nirvana would not be not-dependent, because it would depend on those two.

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13. How could nirvana be both a thing and nothing? Nirvana is unconditioned; things and nothings are conditioned.

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14. How could nirvana exist as both a thing and nothing? Those two do not exist as one. They are like light and dark.

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15. The presentation of neither a thing nor nothing as nirvana will be established [only] if things and nothings are established.

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16. If nirvana is neither a thing nor nothing, by who could "neither a thing nor nothing" be perceived?

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17. After the Bhagavan has entered nirvana, one cannot perceive [him? it?] as "existing," likewise as "not existing," nor can one percieve [him? it?] as "both" or "neither".

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18. Even when the Bhagavan is alive, one cannot perceive [him? it?] as "existing," likewise as "not existing," nor can one percieve [him? it?] as "both" or "neither".

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19. Samsara does not have the slightest distinction from Nirvana. Nirvana does not have the slightest distinction from Samsara.

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20. Whatever is the end of Nirvana, that is the end of Samsara. There is not even a very subtle slight distinction between the two.

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21. Views about who passes beyond, ends etc. and permanence etc. are contingent upon nirvana and later ends and former ends.

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22. In the emptiness of all things what ends are there? What non-ends are there? What ends and non-ends are there? What of neither are there?

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23. Is there this? Is there the other? Is there permanence? Is there impermanence? Is there both permanence and impermanence? Is there neither?

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24. Totally pacifying all referents and totally pacifying fixations is peace. The Buddha nowhere taught any dharma to anyone.

Streng

Chapter 25 - An Analysis of Nirvana (nirvana) - 24 verses

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1. If all existence is empty, there is no origination nor destruction.

Then whose nirvana through elimination [of suffering] and destruction [of illusion] would be postulated?

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2. If all existence is non-empty, there is no origination nor destruction.

Then whose nirvana through elimination [of suffering] and destruction [of illusion] would be postulated?

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3. Nirvana has been said to be neither eliminated nor attained, neither annihilated nor eternal,

Neither disappeared nor originated.

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4. Nirvana is certainly not an existing thing, for then it would be characterized by old age and death.

In consequence it would involve the error that an existing thing would not become old and be without death.

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5. And if nirvana is an existing thing, nirvana would be a constructed product (samskrta),

Since never ever has an existing thing been found to be a non-constructed-product (asamskrta).

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6. But if nirvana is an existing thing, how could [nirvana] exist without dependence [on something else]?

Certainly nirvana does not exist as something without dependence.

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7. If nirvana is not an existing thing, will nirvana become a non-existing thing?

Wherever there is no existing thing, neither is there a non-existing thing.

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8. But if nirvana is a non-existing thing, how could [nirvana] exist without dependence [on something else]?

Certainly nirvana is not a non-existing thing which exists without dependence.

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9. That state which is the rushing in and out [of existence] when dependent or conditioned—

This [state], when not dependent or not conditioned, is seen to be nirvana.

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10. The teacher [Gautama] has taught that a "becoming" and a "non-becoming" (vibhava) are destroyed;

Therefore it obtains that: Nirvana is neither an existent thing nor a non-existent thing.

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11. If nirvana were both an existent and a non-existent thing,

Final release (moksa) would be [both] an existent and a non-existent thing; but that is not possible.

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12. If nirvana were both an existent and a non-existent thing,

There would be no nirvana without conditions, for these both [operate with] conditions.

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13. How can nirvana exist as both an existent thing and a non-existent thing,

For nirvana is a non-composite-product (asamskrta), while both an existent thing and a non-existent thing are composite products (samskrta).

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14. How can nirvana exist as both an existent and a non-existent thing?

There is no existence of both at one and the same place, as in the case of both darkness and light.

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15. The assertion: "Nirvana is neither an existent thing nor a non-existent thing"

Is proved if [the assertion]: "It is an existent thing and a non-existent thing" were proved.

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16. If nirvana is neither an existent thing nor a non-existent thing,

Who can really arrive at [the assertion]: "neither an existent thing nor a non-existent thing"?

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17. It is not expressed if the Glorious One [the Buddha] exists (1) after his death,

Or does not exist (2), or both (3) or neither (4).

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18. Also, it is not expressed if the Glorious One exists (1) while remaining [in the world],

Or does not exist (2), or both (3) or neither (4).

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19. There is nothing whatever which differentiates the existence-in-flux (samsara) from nirvana;

And there is nothing whatever which differentiates nirvana from existence-in-flux.

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20. The extreme limit (koti) of nirvana is also the extreme limit of existence-in-flux;

There is not the slightest bit of difference between these two.

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21. The views [regarding] whether that which is beyond death is limited by a beginning or an end or some other alternative

Depend on a nirvana limited by a beginning (purvanta) and an end (aparanta),

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22. Since all dharmas are empty, what is finite? What is infinite?

What is both finite and infinite? What is neither finite nor infinite?

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23. Is there anything which is this or something else, which is permanent or impermanent,

Which is both permanent and impermanent, or which is neither?

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24. The cessation of accepting everything [as real] is a salutary (siva) cessation of phenomenal development (prapanca);

No dharma anywhere has been taught by the Buddha of anything.