法華義疏 7.70

7.70

前失有始無始二俱有過。故《智度論》云「深水火坑俱能害人，有始無始俱害正觀」。《華嚴經》云「有始無始是無記問，佛不答之」。又《經》云「有一比丘問佛，十二因緣自作他作無明自起是有始義，名為自作他作者更從他起是無始義。佛種種因緣而呵嘖之。如人為毒箭所中，但須請醫拔之，不應求毒箭所以」。如此一句是學者致迷之處，故略述之。

Whether the former loss has a beginning or is beginningless, both positions have faults. Therefore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: 'Deep water and a fire pit can both harm people; having a beginning and being beginningless both harm correct contemplation.' The *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* says: 'Whether there is a beginning or it is beginningless is an indeterminate question; the Buddha does not answer it.' Furthermore, a sūtra says: 'A monk asked the Buddha whether the twelve links of dependent origination are made by oneself or made by another. Self-arising of ignorance means having a beginning, which is called made by oneself; arising further from another means being beginningless, which is called made by another. The Buddha rebuked him with various reasons: "Just as when a man is struck by a poisoned arrow, he only needs to ask a physician to pull it out, and should not seek the reason for the poisoned arrow."' Such a sentence is where scholars fall into confusion, so it is briefly stated here.