金剛般若經贊述 1.234

1.234

阿耨達池出四大河，所以偏將恒河為喻者，《阿含經》說有四義：一者、有多沙故；二者、世間以為福故，謂將為淨於彼求福故；三者、經劫名不改故；四者、佛近彼說法故也。「如恒河中所有沙數」者，謂取一恒河中沙也，謂方廣深淺四十里為一恒河沙也。「如是沙等恒河」者，謂以一恒河中沙，一一沙復作一恒河也。取此無量恒河中沙，一一沙是一佛世界，以此爾數恒河數三千大千世界以用布施，尚不如受、持此經乃至一四句偈也。何以故？此少分受、持功德與菩提為因，一切外緣所不能壞故。其財施者為生死因，易可破壞，王、賊等所侵故。

Lake Anavatapta gives rise to four great rivers. The reason the Gaṅgā River is specifically used as a metaphor is that the Āgamas mention four reasons: first, because it has much sand; second, because worldly people regard it as merit, meaning they hold it to be pure and seek merit there; third, because its name does not change across kalpas; fourth, because the Buddha preached the Dharma near it. "As many as the grains of sand contained in the Gaṅgā River" refers to taking the sand in one Gaṅgā River, meaning a breadth, width, and depth of forty li constitutes the sand of one Gaṅgā River. "If there were that many Gaṅgā Rivers" means taking the sand in one Gaṅgā River and making each grain into another Gaṅgā River. Taking the sand in these measureless Gaṅgā Rivers, each grain of sand is a Buddha-world. If one were to practice giving with this number of Gaṅgā-sand trichiliocosm worlds, it still would not equal receiving and upholding this sūtra, even down to a single four-line verse. Why is this? Because the merit of receiving and upholding even this small portion serves as a cause for bodhi, and no external conditions can destroy it. Material giving is a cause for saṃsāra and is easily destroyed, being encroached upon by kings, thieves, and the like.