大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 29.28

29.28

疏「非習道學浮沈而不已」者，亦《涅槃》三十二〈師子吼品〉恒河七人之意。習道是法，學浮是喻。經中因師子吼問：「若一切眾生乃至闡提定有佛性，即當定得無上菩提。何以一切眾生不得涅槃？若有佛性力故，何須修習八正道等？」佛便讚歎，謂舉此喻。佛言：「善哉善哉。善男子！如恒河邊有七種人，若為洗浴、恐怖賊寇、或為採華則入河中。第一人者，入水則沒。何以故？羸無力故、不習浮故。第二人者，雖沒還出、出已復沒。何以故？身力大故則能還出，不習浮故出已還沒。第三人者，沒已即出，出便不沒。何以故？身重故沒、力大故出。又習浮故，出已即住。第四人者，入已便沒、沒已還出，出已即住，遍觀四方。何以故？重故則沒，力大故還出，習浮即住，不知出處故觀四方。第五人者，入已即沒、沒已還出，出已即住、住已觀方，觀方已即去。何以故？為怖畏故。第六人者，入已即去、淺處即住。何以故？觀賊遠近故。第七人者，既至彼岸，登上大山，無復恐怖離諸怨賊，受大快樂。善男子！生死大河亦復如是。有七種人，畏煩惱賊故發意欲度。」此下則義引經文。第一者，謂出家披衣，隨逐惡友聽受邪法，撥無因果，即一闡提，沒生死河不能得出，是第一人。第二人者，欲度生死，斷善根故沒，親近善友得信心故出，又遇惡友復斷善根故復沒也。第三人者，斷善根故沒，近善友得信心故出。信如來常住修習淨戒，讀誦書寫十二部經，堅住施慧故名不沒。修戒施慧即是習浮。第四人者，出沒與住皆同第三，但合觀方。云觀四方者，四沙門果。第五人者，餘義同前，但即去者。心無退轉是住，無退轉已即便前進，前進者謂辟支佛。第六人者，前喻之中但云入已即去，及至合中亦同第五，皆有沒出住去。去至淺處則住者，謂諸菩薩欲為度脫諸眾生，故住觀煩惱。經云「第七人者，發意欲度生死大河，斷善根故，於中沈沒。親近善友獲得信心，得信心已是名為出。以信心故，受持讀誦書寫解說十二部經，為眾生故廣宣流布，樂於慧施修習智慧。以利根故，堅住信慧心無退轉，無退轉已即便前進，既前進已得到彼岸，登大高山，離諸恐怖、多受安樂。善男子！彼岸山者，喻於如來。受安樂者，唯佛常住。大高山者，喻大涅槃。善男子！是恒河邊如是諸人，悉具手足而不能度。一切眾生亦復如是，實有佛寶法寶僧寶，如來常說諸法要義，謂八聖道大般涅槃。而諸眾生悉不能得，此非我咎，亦非聖道眾生等過。當知悉是煩惱過惡。以是義故，一切眾生不得涅槃。」釋曰：是知眾生雖有佛性，要須修道方至彼岸。

Regarding the commentary's statement, "Not practicing the path and learning to float, they sink and float endlessly": this also draws upon the meaning of the seven persons in the Gaṅgā from chapter thirty-two of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, the "Lion's Roar Chapter". Practicing the path is the Dharma; learning to float is the parable. In the sūtra, it is because Lion's Roar asks: "If all sentient beings, even icchantikas, definitely possess the Buddha-nature, then they must definitely attain anuttarabodhi. Why do all sentient beings not attain nirvāṇa? If it is through the power of the Buddha-nature, why is it necessary to cultivate and practice the eightfold noble path and so forth?" The Buddha then praised him and adduced this parable. The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent! Good man! It is like seven kinds of people by the banks of the Gaṅgā who enter into the river, whether to bathe, out of fear of bandits, or to gather flowers. As for the first person, upon entering the water he immediately sinks. Why? Because he is frail and without strength, and because he has not learned to float. As for the second person, although he sinks he emerges again; having emerged, he sinks again. Why? Because his physical strength is great, he is able to emerge again; because he has not learned to float, having emerged he sinks again. As for the third person, having sunk he immediately emerges, and having emerged he does not sink. Why? Because his body is heavy he sinks, and because his strength is great he emerges. Furthermore, because he has learned to float, having emerged he remains steady. As for the fourth person, having entered he sinks; having sunk he emerges again; having emerged he remains steady, looking all around in the four directions. Why? Because he is heavy he sinks; because his strength is great he emerges again; having learned to float he remains steady; not knowing the way out, he looks in the four directions. As for the fifth person, having entered he sinks; having sunk he emerges again; having emerged he remains steady; having remained steady he looks in the four directions; having looked in the four directions, he immediately departs. Why? Because of fear. As for the sixth person, having entered he immediately departs, and stays in the shallows. Why? Because he observes how far or near the bandits are. As for the seventh person, having reached the other shore, he climbs a great mountain, has no more fear, is free from all enemy bandits, and experiences great joy. Good man! The great river of saṃsāra is also just like this. There are seven kinds of people who, fearing the bandits of the afflictions, give rise to the intention to cross over." From here down, the text summarizes the sūtra passage. The first refers to one who renounces the household life and dons the robes, but follows bad companions and listens to and accepts heterodox teachings, denying cause and effect—that is, an icchantika. Sinking into the river of saṃsāra and unable to emerge, this is the first person. The second person wishes to cross saṃsāra; because he severs his roots of goodness, he sinks; because he associates with good companions and gains faith, he emerges; yet meeting bad companions, he again severs his roots of goodness, so he sinks again. The third person sinks because he severs his roots of goodness, and emerges because he draws close to good companions and gains faith. Believing that the Tathāgata is eternally abiding, he cultivates pure precepts, recites and copies the twelve divisions of scripture, and firmly abides in giving and wisdom; therefore he is said not to sink. Cultivating precepts, giving, and wisdom is precisely learning to float. As for the fourth person, his emerging, sinking, and abiding are all the same as the third, but adds looking in the four directions. To "look in the four directions" refers to the four fruits of the śramaṇa. As for the fifth person, the remaining meanings are the same as before, except that he "immediately departs." The mind being non-regressing is "abiding"; having become non-regressing, he then advances forward; to advance forward refers to the pratyekabuddha. As for the sixth person, in the preceding parable it only says that having entered he immediately departs, but when reaching the application it is also the same as the fifth, all having sinking, emerging, abiding, and departing. To depart and stay in the shallows refers to the bodhisattvas who, wishing to deliver all sentient beings, abide and observe the afflictions. The sūtra says: "As for the seventh person, he gives rise to the intention to cross the great river of saṃsāra; because he severs his roots of goodness, he sinks therein. Drawing close to good companions, he obtains faith; having obtained faith, this is called 'emerging.' Because of faith, he upholds, recites, copies, and explains the twelve divisions of scripture, widely propagating them for the sake of sentient beings, delighting in giving wisdom, and cultivating wisdom. Because of his sharp faculties, he firmly abides in faith and wisdom without regression; having become non-regressing, he then advances forward; having advanced forward, he reaches the other shore, climbs the great, high mountain, leaves all fear behind, and experiences abundant ease and joy. Good man! The other shore and the mountain are parables for the Tathāgata. Experiencing ease and joy refers exclusively to the Buddha's eternal abiding. The great, high mountain is a parable for great nirvāṇa. Good man! All such people by the banks of the Gaṅgā possess hands and feet, yet are unable to cross. All sentient beings are also just like this: the Buddha-jewel, the Dharma-jewel, and the Saṅgha-jewel truly exist, and the Tathāgata constantly expounds the essential teachings of the dharmas, namely the eightfold noble path and great parinirvāṇa. Yet sentient beings are entirely unable to attain them. This is not my fault, nor is it the fault of the noble path or sentient beings. You should know that it is entirely the fault and evil of the afflictions. Because of this meaning, all sentient beings do not attain nirvāṇa." The explanation says: From this we know that although sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature, they must cultivate the path before they can reach the other shore.