無量壽經連義述文贊 1.17

1.17

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.