如何理解空义？How to understand emptiness

　　慧光和上开示

　　鸠摩罗什大师曾开示说，凡是要明了「空性」，就必需先明白「无常」，因为无常是观照空性的初门。因为是初门，所以叫作无常，若已达到究竟，则称之为空。虽然它们探索实相的宗旨是相同的，然而因观照的境界有粗细，才分别为浅与深的差别。这怎么说？所谓「无常」就是说世间一切有为法(指任何存在事物)，念念中都不住。所谓「不住」只是针对「法能维系安住」这样的观念，虽除去「法能久住」的颠倒执着，然而尚未明了「法是无住的」实相，是粗浅的无常义而已！尚未达到法最终极的实相义。于现在这一念间，若能令法维系安住，则后面也应该安住。若现在安住、后来也安住，则始终无变。始终无变，根据我们对事物的实际经验观察，则不是这样。因为法在住的时候，并不安住，所以我们才发现它之后的消逝。住即不住，才是真正的无常啊！众生原本以为，住在当下的法有实质，现在领悟到它是无住的，就没有实质的法，没有实质的法就是毕竟空(也就是说一切因缘所生法如幻有，但本性空寂不生不灭)。毕竟空才是无常究竟微妙的宗旨，所以说毕竟空是无常的真实义。

　　注：住，可解释成在时空中维持停留的意思，或在时空中不迁流变化而停止。

　　Venerable Master Kumarajiva had taught in the past that a practitioner of the Dharma who wishes to understand "emptiness" must first understand "impermanence." This is because impermanence the first entrance to the contemplation of emptiness. Since it is the first door, thus it is called “impermanence”. Once a person has reached the ultimate, it is called “emptiness”. Although their aims to explore the reality are the same, however due coarse and subtle objects of contemplation, therefore there is a difference between shallow and profound wisdom. How is this so

　　 The so-called "impermanence" means that all worldly samskara dharmas (refer to any existing things that has been put together or created) in the moments of time do not dwell. This so-called "non-residing" just aims at the view that "all dharmas are able to maintain and dwell." Although it removes the attachment to the delusion that "a dharma can forever reside,” however, people are still not clear about the reality that "all dharmas are reside-less.” Therefore, this is only the superficial meaning of impermanence! It has not yet reach the ultimate meaning of reality., If a dharma is able to maintain and reside in the present moment of time, it should also be able to reside in the latter. If it presently resides and later also resides, then always there are no changes. Things without changes always, according to our observation in actual experience of things, this is not the case. Since a dharma which resides in time does not dwell, that is why we discover it disappears at a after time. Therefore, that which resides does not reside, this is the reality of impermanence! All sentient beings originally view a dharma that resides in the present moment has a real substantial essence, but now realizing that it is reside-less and thus it has no real substantial essence. A dharma having no real substantial essence; this is called atyanta-sunyata or “ ultimate emptiness”. Ultimate emptiness is the absolute subtle purpose of the teachings of impermanence; therefore, one can say the true meaning of impermanence is ultimate emptiness.