觀音義疏記 1.9

1.9

答：經列七難，止在人中。智者深窮，救難之功在王三昧，即二十五有真常我性，觀音證已，乃能遍拔眾生之苦。於一一有十番破障，令與我性究竟冥一，方盡大士拔苦之用。然十番破不出三障，若盡理說，於一一番皆破三障，今欲易解從增勝說。報且在事，業屬有漏，唯惑至極。觀音修習王三昧，時，具有弘誓拔於法界三障之苦。故今眾生三障苦逼，一心稱名皆得解脫。其義若此，豈得不論果報火等。應知吾祖說觀世音圓修三昧，圓發僧那、圓入法門、圓救諸難，意令行人倣之修入。所列三障，豈獨即今修觀之境，亦是將來所拔之苦。故知具示七難淺深，正論觀行始末之相也。

Answer: The sūtra lists the seven perils only among humans. Zhiyi thoroughly investigated: the merit of rescuing from perils lies in the King of Samādhis, which is the true, eternal self-nature of the twenty-five states of existence. Once Avalokiteśvara realized this, he was then able to universally pull out the suffering of sentient beings. In each and every state of existence, there are ten rounds of breaking hindrances, causing [sentient beings] to be definitively and mysteriously united with our nature; only then is the Great Being's function of pulling out suffering exhausted. However, the ten rounds of breaking do not go beyond the three hindrances. If spoken of exhaustively according to principle, in each and every round all three hindrances are broken; now, for ease of understanding, it is explained according to what is predominant. Retribution provisionally lies in phenomena; karma belongs to the tainted; only affliction reaches the ultimate. When Avalokiteśvara practiced the King of Samādhis, he possessed the great vow to pull out the suffering of the three hindrances throughout the dharmadhātu. Therefore, when sentient beings today are oppressed by the suffering of the three hindrances, if they call the name with single mind, they all attain liberation. Since the meaning is such, how could we not discuss retribution fire and the like? It should be known that our patriarch said that Avalokiteśvara perfectly cultivated the samādhis, perfectly brought forth the armor (*saṃnāha*), perfectly entered the Dharma-gates, and perfectly rescued from all perils, with the intention of leading practitioners to emulate him in cultivation and entry. Are the three hindrances listed here merely the objects of current contemplative practice? They are also the sufferings to be eradicated in the future. Thus, we know that completely revealing the depths and shallows of the seven perils is precisely discussing the beginning-to-end aspects of contemplative practice.