Discussion with Chih-Tao in the Platform Sutra
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From the Platform Sutra in Classical Chinese:
T48n2008_p0357a19(05)║...剎那無有生相，剎那無有滅相， T48n2008_p0357a20(04)║更無生滅可滅，是則寂滅現前。當現前時， T48n2008_p0357a21(05)║亦無現前之量，乃謂常樂。此樂無有受者，亦無不受者， T48n2008_p0357a22(01)║豈有一體五用之名？何況更言涅槃禁伏諸法， T48n2008_p0357a23(00)║令永不生。斯乃謗佛毀法。聽吾偈曰： T48n2008_p0357a24(00)║「無上大涅槃， 圓明常寂照， T48n2008_p0357a25(00)║凡愚謂之死， 外道執為斷， T48n2008_p0357a26(00)║諸求二乘人， 目以為無作， ...
In 'a split second' (ksaṇa (क्षण)) there is no sign (相, logo, form, nama) of arising; in a split second there is no sign of ceasing; further, there is no arising-ceasing [impermanent activities] to be annihilated (extinguished, ceased, terminated, stopped); thus 'absolute annihilation' (寂滅 Nirvana) emerges. When this emerged, it does not have the quality of emerging {亦無現前之量}, thus this is called constant bliss. For this bliss that is not obtainable, nor that is not unobtainable...
The above is equivalent to your quoted "... does not have.... not experienced by anyone". The bold Chinese quote are the words that's been translated.
This comes from the episode about Chih-Tao inquired the 6th Great Huineng his unable to understand the Mahanirvana Sutra (涅槃經), about the "arising-ceasing (or birthing-dying) annihilated, absolute annihilation as the constant bliss" (生滅滅已，寂滅為樂). It's too much too complex to explain in full. In short, in Nirvana, all signs (logos) created or conceived by the intellect and consciousness ceased (extinguished, annihilated). There, it is not even intellect or consciousness. In the whole one Ksana, it is constant bliss, this is Nirvana. Ksana has to be hinted for our intellect and consciousness created the space/time, Ksana is the minimal unit we could infer when using words to explain ideas. In the other way to say, in Nirvana there is no space/time; no space/time, thus no birth/death, for any change must have the element of either space or time, but space/time is an illusion, the absolute is Śūnyatā, Emptiness, it is beyond all the human intellect categories. Therefore "Maha Nirvana" has nothing to do with death. Death is only applicable to body, form, sign, existence, impermenance, and it's viability depended on the Birth.
Remark:
The newly bold are:
- 無上大涅槃，圓明常寂照，
- 凡愚謂之死，外道執為斷，
- 諸求二乘人，目以為無作， ...
These are part of the lines of Buddhist Hymn (偈) given by Great Huineng, to summerize what he taught Chih-Tao. The purpose of Hymns is to let students easily memorize, thus it's always concise, poetic and rhythmic in nature, for at that time people used to learn by heart instead of using CPU for data and search engine!
It goes as:
- The unsurpassed Maha Nirvana, Perfect and bright, in constant absolute splendor;
- unenlightened laity said that is death {凡愚謂之死}, heretical stuck that is cessation;
- those secondary practitioners, regarded it as non-Doing...
In simplicity, Great Huineng commented those laity (your "oridnary fools") said death is Nirvana, which is incorrect.
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