金剛經纂要刊定記 3.212

3.212

Regarding "the ten grounds," etc., it explains the characteristics of wishing to hear. These are the verses in the "Ten Grounds" chapter of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra in which the assembly of bodhisattvas requests Vajragarbha to preach the Dharma gates of the ten grounds. They are borrowed here. As for the first four lines, within them the three wisdoms are matched by way of metaphor. The first line is the wisdom born of hearing: hearing the Dharma without reflecting is like drinking water without tasting it. The second line is the wisdom born of reflection: if one wants to seek out the flavor of food, one must chew it. The third line is the wisdom born of cultivation: practicing cultivation to dispel delusion is like taking medicine to cure illness. The last line is the fruit of the three wisdoms. A bee gathers a hundred blossoms to make honey; a person accumulates the myriad practices to realize truth. Once the bee has made honey, it lives by relying on the honey; once a person has realized truth, they abide by relying on truth.