法華義疏 8.322

8.322

「嶮難惡道」者，明度意也。三界，二乘度之即難，故稱嶮難。《智度論》云「菩薩退有二事：一、貪三界，及樂二乘也」。惡道者，三界於二乘為惡道，二乘復是菩薩之惡道。故《涅槃》云「求二乘者名為不善」，故此五處皆名惡道。又三界，愛為其本；二乘，見為其本。愛、見皆是惡也。又三百是凡夫有見，二百是二乘空見，諸見皆是惡也。又凡夫外道謂三界為涅槃，既是癡迷顛倒，二乘謂變易生死為涅槃，亦是癡迷顛倒，以俱謂生死為涅槃，並是無常而計常，故稱惡也。「曠絕無人」者，五百玄遠故稱曠絕。諸佛菩薩之所不住故云無人。「怖畏之處」者，學大乘人深畏此五處，三界無安猶如火宅，眾苦充滿甚可怖畏。《涅槃》云「今我怖畏二乘道果，如惜命者怖畏捨身」。《智度論》有怨家樹上來譬，即其事也。

"A steep, difficult, and perilous path" clarifies the intent of crossing. With respect to the three realms, for the two vehicles crossing them is indeed difficult, hence it is called steep and difficult. The Zhidu lun says: "There are two things on account of which a bodhisattva retrogresses: first, craving the three realms; and enjoying the two vehicles." As for 'perilous path', the three realms are a perilous path for the two vehicles, and the two vehicles are again a perilous path for a bodhisattva. Therefore the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: "Seeking the two vehicles is called unwholesome." Hence these five places are all named perilous paths. Furthermore, for the three realms, craving is their root; for the two vehicles, views are their root. Both craving and views are evil. Furthermore, three hundred is the ordinary person's view of existence, and two hundred is the two vehicles' view of emptiness; all views are evil. Furthermore, ordinary persons and non-Buddhists take the three realms to be nirvāṇa, which is already delusion and perversion; the two vehicles take transformation saṃsāra to be nirvāṇa, which is also delusion and perversion; since both take saṃsāra to be nirvāṇa, and both reckon the impermanent to be permanent, it is called perilous. "Desolate and devoid of people": because five hundred [yojanas] is far and remote, it is called desolate. Because Buddhas and bodhisattvas do not dwell there, it is said to be devoid of people. "A fearful place": those who train in the Mahāyāna deeply fear these five places; the three realms are without peace, just like a burning house, filled with manifold sufferings, extremely frightening. The Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: "Now I fear the path and fruit of the two vehicles, just as one who cherishes life fears giving up the body." In the Zhidu lun there is the parable of the enemy coming up a tree, which illustrates this very matter.