無量壽經連義述文贊 1.17

1.17

經曰「入佛法藏究竟彼岸」者，述云：第二、廣歎。有二：此初、歎實德也。有說：入佛法藏者申因上昇，究竟彼岸者彰果畢竟。如來藏中恒沙之法名佛法藏，證會名入，到涅槃岸名究竟故。此恐不然。如來藏即佛性義，而言證會恒沙德法名因上昇者，即違經云「見佛性時得無上覺」故。若證佛性非菩提果，至涅槃岸應非圓寂果故。今即入者達解究竟證解，知如實自利及事利他，故云入佛法藏。即《法華》中善入佛慧通達大智也。彼岸者真理，證此實性故云究竟。即彼經中到於彼岸也。恒照二諦，以利自他，可謂實德故。

The sūtra says: "entering the storehouse of the Buddha's Dharma and reaching the other shore." The commentary states: The second part is the extensive praise. It has two parts: this first part praises their real virtues. Some say: entering the storehouse of the Buddha's Dharma expresses the ascent of the cause, while reaching the other shore reveals the finality of the fruit; the dharmas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges within the tathāgatagarbha are called the storehouse of the Buddha's Dharma, realizing and uniting with them is called "entering," and arriving at the shore of nirvāṇa is called "reaching the final end." This is probably not so. The tathāgatagarbha is the meaning of the buddha-nature; to say that realizing and uniting with the virtuous dharmas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges is the ascent of the cause contradicts the sūtra's statement that "when one sees the buddha-nature, one attains unexcelled enlightenment." If realizing the buddha-nature were not the fruit of bodhi, then reaching the shore of nirvāṇa ought not to be the fruit of complete cessation. Now, "entering" means reaching an understanding that is ultimate in realization and understanding, knowing Suchness to benefit oneself and phenomenal matters to benefit others; hence it says "entering the storehouse of the Buddha's Dharma." This corresponds to skillfully entering the Buddha's wisdom and penetrating the great knowledge in the Lotus Sūtra. "The other shore" is the true principle; realizing this true nature is called "reaching the final end." This corresponds to arriving at the other shore in that sūtra. Constantly illuminating the two truths so as to benefit oneself and others can indeed be called real virtue.