(２５)“什么是涅槃？”

25) “What is nibbāna?”

　　假如你遇见一个人，他坚持提出这个问题，你可回答：“涅槃是不死的‘界’(元素)。”经典说涅槃是“不死的‘界’”，所有其他的“界”(元素)会死亡，但只有这个不会死亡，因它是贪空、瞋空、痴空(贪欲灭尽、瞋恚灭尽)。当痴空了，就没有“自我”，也不会执为“自我”，因此就“不死”。因为涅槃是死亡止息之处，而被称为不死的“界”(元素)，这不死的“界”(元素)是死亡止息之处。

IF YOU COME across someone who insists on raising this question, answer that nibbāna is the immortal-element (amatadhātu). Say it is the element that does not perish. All other elements perish, but this one does not perish, because it is free of lust, hatred, and delusion. When there is freedom from delusion, there is no self-idea, there is no grasping or clinging to selfhood, and thus there is no perishing. Because it is what puts an end to perishing, it has been called the immortal-element. This immortal element is the cessation of the mortal element.