法華文句記 3.50

3.50

總問中《經》云「恒沙」者，阿耨達池四面各出一河，東銀牛口出殑伽河，南金象口出信度河，西瑠璃馬口出縛芻河，北頗胝迦師子口出徙多河，各繞池一匝流入四海。於中殑伽沙細而多，外人所計以為福河，入洗滅罪，佛亦順俗故常指之。又佛說法多近此河，故以為喻。此下六度但略指大體，若依二味具出其相，具如《止觀》第二、第七記所引。

In the general inquiry, the Sūtra says "the sands of the Ganges": Lake Anavatapta issues four rivers from its four sides. From the silver cow mouth on the east issues the Gaṅgā River; from the gold elephant mouth on the south issues the Sindhu River; from the lapis lazuli horse mouth on the west issues the Vakṣu River; from the crystal lion mouth on the north issues the Sītā River. Each encircles the lake once and flows into the four seas. Among them, the sands of the Gaṅgā are fine and numerous; non-Buddhists regard it as a river of merit where entering to bathe extinguishes sins, and the Buddha, conforming to conventional custom, also constantly referred to it. Moreover, the Buddha mostly preached the Dharma near this river, so it is taken as an analogy. The six perfections below only briefly indicate the general outline; if set forth fully in their characteristics according to the two flavors, it is as fully cited in the notes on the second and seventh fascicles of the Zhiguan.