金剛經纂要刊定記 5.121

5.121

驚畏者。此三行相不同。驚謂愕然而怪，怖則進退慞惶，畏則一向恐懼。如人欲往上京，行於大路，以先未經歷忽然而驚，心自念言：「何謂至此？」或進或退、疑是疑非，遂無決定之心，謂此路元來不是，或反而不進，或恐懼發狂墜壑投巖，不終天命。法中亦爾，以佛於人天小乘教中說空說有，不達意者，隨言而執。及說此經則顯非空非有中道之理，先所執者悉皆驚畏，却以為非不能進趣，或墮凡夫或落小乘，菩提真空從茲永失。今之經意則云：若人聞此不有不空難信之法，不生驚畏之心，則能不捨菩提進向大道。旨趣深妙尠有其人，若或有之，是為希有也。

"Alarm and fear": these three mental activities differ. "Alarm" (jing) means being startled and bewildered; "terror" (bu) means flustered wavering between advancing and retreating; "fear" (wei) means sheer dread. It is like someone wishing to go to the capital and traveling on a main highway: having never experienced it before, they are suddenly alarmed, thinking to themselves: "Why have I come here?" Either advancing or retreating, doubting right and doubting wrong, they ultimately have no resolute mind, thinking this road was never correct from the start; or they turn back and do not advance, or in terrifying madness they fall into a gorge or cast themselves over a cliff, failing to complete their natural lifespan. It is also like this in the Dharma: because the Buddha taught emptiness and taught existence in the teachings for humans, devas, and the Small Vehicle, those who do not grasp the intention cling to the words. When this sūtra is spoken, it reveals the principle of the Middle Way that is neither empty nor existent; those who clung to earlier teachings are all alarmed and afraid, regarding it as wrong instead and unable to advance, either falling among ordinary people or sinking into the Small Vehicle, permanently losing the true emptiness of bodhi. The present intent of the sūtra is: if someone hears this difficult-to-believe Dharma of neither existence nor emptiness and does not give rise to an alarmed and fearful mind, they can avoid abandoning bodhi and advance toward the Great Way. Its purport is profound and wondrous, and few are such persons; if there are any, they are rare indeed.