妙法蓮華經玄贊 10.114

10.114

贊曰：第八善士增道。有五，此文有四：一遇佛說法，二遇佛持誦，此二在凡四十心位。由如此故，三得六根常淨，便入初地；四除五怖畏，得四無畏。故知常得六根清淨，入初地中。菩薩理應住生死以化物，常值佛者未入十地，不遇諸佛如破漏船，自不能度安能度人。如以少湯投大氷池，初雖少消後還氷積，煩惱未離不遇佛者利生亦爾，故增自行必須遇佛。《華嚴經》說十地中言：「是菩薩得歡喜地，所有怖畏即皆遠離，所謂不活畏、惡名畏、死畏、墮惡道畏、大眾威德畏。何以故？是菩薩離我相故尚不貪身，況所用物，是故菩薩無不活畏。心不希望恭敬供養，我應供養一切眾生供給所須，是故菩薩無惡名畏。遠離我見無我相故無有死畏。又作是念，我若死已，所生必見諸佛菩薩。是故無有墮惡道畏。我所志願無與等者何況有勝，是故無有大眾威德畏也。」若依論釋，無畏有二：一菩薩無所畏，二佛無所畏。佛無所畏，正等覺等是。今是菩薩無所畏，一為眾生說法無所畏，一切聞能持故、得諸陀羅尼故、常憶念不忘故。後三並名在大眾中說法無所畏：一、知一切眾生欲、解、因緣，諸根利、鈍，隨其所應而為說法故。二、不見十方有來問難，令我不能如法答者，不見如是少許相故。三、一切眾生聽受問難，隨意如法善能決斷一切疑故。離前五怖畏，得此四無畏入於初地，後入八地方離怖因。

The Commentary says: The eighth is the good practitioner increasing in the Path. There are five [aspects], and this passage contains four: first, meeting buddhas and hearing them preach the Dharma; second, meeting buddhas and upholding and reciting [the sūtra]. These two pertain to the forty mental stages of ordinary beings. Because of these, third, he attains constant purification of the six sense faculties and forthwith enters the first stage (bhūmi); fourth, he eliminates the five terrors and attains the four fearlessnesses (vaiśāradya). Thus we know that constantly attaining the purification of the six sense faculties occurs when entering the first stage. Bodhisattvas by principle ought to abide in saṃsāra to transform beings; those who constantly encounter buddhas have not yet entered the ten stages. Not meeting the buddhas is like a broken, leaking boat: unable to save oneself, how could one save others? It is like pouring a little hot water into a vast frozen pond: although a little melts at first, the ice accumulates again later. The same is true of benefiting sentient beings when one has not yet abandoned afflictions and does not meet buddhas; therefore, to increase one's own practice, one must meet buddhas. The Avataṃsaka-sūtra, speaking of the ten stages, says: 'When this bodhisattva attains the Joyous Stage (Pramuditā-bhūmi), all fears are completely left behind, namely: fear regarding livelihood, fear of bad reputation, fear of death, fear of falling into evil destinies, and fear of the awe-inspiring virtue of the great assembly. Why is this? Because this bodhisattva has abandoned the mark of a self; if he does not even cling to his body, how much less to material goods? Therefore the bodhisattva has no fear regarding livelihood. His mind does not hope for respect and offerings; [he thinks,] "I should make offerings to all sentient beings and supply what they need." Therefore the bodhisattva has no fear of bad reputation. Having distanced himself from the view of a self and having no mark of a self, he has no fear of death. Furthermore, he reflects: "If I die, wherever I am born I will surely see buddhas and bodhisattvas." Therefore he has no fear of falling into evil destinies. "No one is equal to my aspirations, much less superior." Therefore he has no fear of the awe-inspiring virtue of the great assembly.' According to the treatise’s explanation, there are two kinds of fearlessness: first, the fearlessness of bodhisattvas; second, the fearlessness of buddhas. The fearlessness of buddhas consists of being fully and perfectly enlightened, and so forth. Here it refers to the fearlessness of bodhisattvas. The first is fearlessness in preaching the Dharma to sentient beings, because he can retain everything he hears, because he has attained dhāraṇīs, and because he constantly remembers and never forgets. The latter three are together called fearlessness in preaching the Dharma in the great assembly: 1. Because he knows the inclinations, understandings, causes and conditions, and sharp or dull faculties of all sentient beings, and preaches the Dharma according to what is appropriate for them. 2. Because he does not see anyone coming from the ten directions to pose difficult questions such that he cannot answer them in accordance with the Dharma; he does not see even the slightest sign of this. 3. Because, as all sentient beings listen and pose difficult questions, he is skillfully able to resolve all doubts at will and in accordance with the Dharma. Having abandoned the former five terrors, he attains these four fearlessnesses and enters the first stage; only upon later entering the eighth stage does he completely leave behind the causes of terror.