大方廣佛華嚴經疏 32.6

32.6

Second, regarding the one verse revealing that it is difficult to hear: the Treatise states, "Having already explained that it is difficult to preach, it further reveals that it is difficult to hear. However, the verse adduces those possessing virtue who are capable of hearing, conversely revealing that it is difficult to hear, while also desiring to cause people to learn to be able to hear." Therein, three lines adduce virtue, and the final line concludes that one is able to hear.

In the first part, the first line is general, meaning that one who maintains a mind for hearing the Dharma as firm as a vajra will then be able to hear it. The following two lines are specific. Firmness is of two kinds:
1. The firmness of decisive faith: this is the second line. If one lacks this firmness, one cannot enter the Dharma of other portions.
2. The firmness of realization and attainment: this is the third line. If one lacks the firmness of realization, one cannot enter the Dharma of one's own portion.

What is the characteristic of deep faith? It means that regarding the Buddha's wisdom, even if the wisdom of one's mind does not reach it, deferentially inferring that the Buddha's wisdom is not one's own realm is the characteristic of deep faith. This is precisely the wisdom of deferential inference among the three kinds of correct wisdom in the Śrīmālādevī-sūtra. What is it that is believed? It is the supreme wisdom of the Buddha, because the wisdom of these stages matches the Buddha's wisdom above. The Buddha's wisdom has two [aspects]: first, the wisdom of bodhi, which is the Dharma of realization of one's own practice, boundless in accordance with the nature; second, the expedient wisdom of transforming sentient beings, which is the teaching of benefiting others, concealing and revealing variously according to capacity. These are precisely the Buddhas' wisdom and the gateway of wisdom in the Lotus Sūtra. One is able to have faith in both of these profound [aspects].

What is the firmness of realization? This also has two [aspects]: first, knowing is the subject that realizes; second, the mental ground is the object realized. The word "selflessness" applies to both the realizing subject and the realized object. The mental ground is the true principle of the two emptinesses; the matter upon which it relies is the mark of consciousness-only. The Treatise states: "The retribution in the three realms experienced according to the mind"—this is the ripening consciousness (vipāka-vijñāna). Furthermore, all spheres traversed according to the mind are also called the mental ground; this refers to the previous seven evolving consciousnesses, as well as the internal and external objective spheres of the perceived division common to the eight consciousnesses. Truly knowing the twofold emptiness of self and dharmas with respect to these two classes establishes the wisdom of selflessness.
The lower line concludes it: having already known the meaning of being difficult to hear, only by possessing the above two firmnesses in this way can one hear the aforementioned subtle and supreme wisdom.