Saṃyuktāgama (262)

Original text:佛教摩诃迦旃延：世人颠倒依于二边，若有、若无，世人取诸境界，心便计着。

迦旃延！若不受、不取、不住、不计于我，此苦生时生、灭时灭。

迦旃延！于此不疑、不惑、不由于他而能自知，是名正见，如来所说。所以者何？

迦旃延！正观集灭，则不落有无二边。

如实正观世间集者，则不生世间无见。

如实正观世间灭，则不生世间有见。

迦旃延！如来离于二边，说于中道，所谓此有故彼有，此生故彼生，谓缘无明有行，乃至生、老、病、死、忧、悲、恼、苦、集；所谓此无故彼无，此灭故彼灭，谓无明灭则行灭，乃至生、老、病、死、忧、悲、恼、苦灭。

Explanation: The Buddha said: People in the world are all inverted; their minds constantly rely on the existence of worldly dharmas or on the non-existence of worldly dharmas, and then they grasp at the realms of worldly dharmas as existing, or grasp at the realms of worldly dharmas as non-existing, and thus their minds become attached to them as existing, or attached to them as non-existing.

If people in the world do not accept worldly existence, nor accept worldly non-existence; do not grasp worldly existence, nor grasp worldly non-existence; do not dwell in worldly existence, nor dwell in worldly non-existence; do not reckon worldly existence as self, nor reckon worldly non-existence as self, then when suffering in the world arises, it simply arises, and when worldly suffering ceases, it simply ceases, having nothing whatsoever to do with me.

Regarding these principles, if the mind gives rise to no doubts, has no confusion, and one can understand their meaning by oneself without relying on some other teaching, that is right view — this is the Dharma taught by the Tathāgata.

Why is this said so? If you can correctly engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the arising of the world and the ceasing of the world, your views will no longer fall into the two extremes of existence and non-existence. One who can truly contemplate the arising of the world will not give rise to the view that the world is non-existent; one who can truly contemplate the ceasing of the world will not give rise to the view that the world is existent.

The Tathāgata, being free from the two extremes of existence and non-existence, teaches the Middle Way that the world neither exists nor does not exist, yet both exists and does not exist — namely, when this dharma exists, that dharma comes to exist; when this dharma arises, that dharma comes to arise. That is, the Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination: ignorance conditions volitional formations (avidyā-pratyayāḥ saṃskārāḥ), and so on, down to existence conditioning birth, aging, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress — this is the arising of the world.

The Middle Way is also what is called: when this dharma does not exist, that dharma does not exist; when this dharma ceases, that dharma ceases — namely, when ignorance ceases, volitional formations cease, and so on, down to when existence ceases, birth, aging, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress cease.