阿彌陀經通贊疏 1.29

1.29

二、立之所以者，為令眾生生信順故。智度論云：如是我聞，生信也；信受奉行，生智也。信為能入、智為能度。信為入法之所基、智為究竟之玄術，信則所言之理順，順則師資之道成。由信故所說之法皆可順從，由順故說聽二徒師資建立。於此信中略為十釋：一、趣極果之初因。依《仁王經》等，趣聖位之初因，證諦理之頓漸，故四十心以信為首。最初發起大菩提心，須具十德起三妙觀，大菩提心以善根為自體，以善友為良緣，以不退屈而為策發。《攝大乘》之清淨增上力、堅固心勝進，名菩薩初修無數三大劫。二、入諦理之基漸。諸論皆說，將入聖位有信根信力，有信根故萬善因此而生，有信力故四魔不能屈伏。由此經初創令生信。三、通妙真之證淨。能越惡道離貧賤因，故入聖已證四不壞信，信三寶故能越惡道，由信戒故離貧賤因，故論亦說有信現觀。四、荷至德之嘉依。《毘婆沙論》：信者食法味之嘉手，學佛法者如大龍象，以信為手，以捨為牙，以念為𩒐，以慧為頭，於其兩肩擔集善法。象所飲噉以鼻為手，故學佛法者最初生信，五聖七財之元胎法財初故，學者大賣無規法寶教獲聖財，故初生信。《顯揚論》云：七聖財者，謂信、戒、聞、捨、慧、慚、愧。信即一焉，六善八因之俶落，善法本故。《瑜伽論》云：入諸善法，欲為根本、作意所生、觸所集起、受所引攝、定為增上、慧為最勝、解脫為堅固、出離為後邊。欲為根本者，起希望故；作意所生者，數警覺故；觸所集起者，和心心所對勝緣故；受所引攝者，領在心故，定為增上者，心澄寂故；慧為最勝者，擇善惡故；解脫為堅固者，息纏縛故；出離為後邊者，覺道滿故。信既為欲依，故最初令起。七、啟機門之勝手。攝教，手也。《俱舍論》云：拔眾生出生死泥，陳正宗為佛教手。序令生信為眾生手，兩手相攝出淤泥故。《智度論》又云：如人有手，至於寶山隨意所取，若其無手空無所得。有信心者，入佛寶山得諸道果；若無信心，雖解文義空無所得。亦此所攝。八、湛心水之清珠，令心淨故。《成唯識》云：信如水精珠能清濁水，能治不信性渾濁故。九、建名道之良資。宣尼云：兵食信三不可棄，自古皆有死，人無信不立，如大車無輗小車無軌，其可以行乎！故先令生信。十、欵哀誠之佳待。《春秋》云：苟有明信，𡼏嵠沼沚之毛、蘋蘩蘊藻之菜，可薦鬼神，可羞王公，而況君子結二國之信。此中十義，初八依真、後二依俗。是故經首置如是我聞，如是經義親從佛聞，離增減失，為令眾生起信樂心順修學故。

Second, the reason for establishing [these words] is to cause sentient beings to give rise to faith and compliance. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "'Thus have I heard' generates faith; 'faithfully accepting and practicing' generates wisdom. Faith enables entry; wisdom enables crossing over." Faith is the foundation for entering the Dharma; wisdom is the ultimate abstruse art. When there is faith, then one complies with the principle spoken; when one complies, then the way of master and disciple is accomplished. Because of faith, all the teachings spoken can be complied with and followed; because of compliance, the two groups—speaker and listener, master and disciple—are established. Regarding this faith, it is briefly explained in ten points: First, it is the initial cause for proceeding toward the ultimate fruit. According to the Renwang jing and others, it is the initial cause for proceeding toward the noble stages and realizing the principle of truth either suddenly or gradually; therefore, the forty minds take faith as foremost. Initially generating the great bodhicitta requires possessing the ten virtues and giving rise to the three wondrous contemplations. The great bodhicitta takes wholesome roots as its fundamental substance, good friends as its excellent condition, and non-regression as its spur and encouragement. The pure dominant power, firm mind, and superior progression in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha are called the bodhisattva's initial cultivation over three incalculable great eons. Second, it is the gradual foundation for entering the principle of truth. The treatises all say that one about to enter the noble stages has the faculty of faith and the power of faith: because of having the faculty of faith, the myriad goods arise from it; because of having the power of faith, the four māras cannot overcome one. For this reason, faith is initially generated at the beginning of the sūtra. Third, it connects to the realization of purity of the wondrous true [reality]. It can transcend the evil destinies and leave behind the causes of poverty and lowliness; therefore, having entered the noble [rank], one realizes the four kinds of indestructible faith. Because of faith in the Three Jewels, one can transcend the evil destinies; because of faith in the precepts, one leaves behind the causes of poverty and lowliness; thus the treatises also speak of the direct realization of faith. Fourth, it is the auspicious support for bearing the utmost virtues. The Vibhāṣā states: "Faith is the auspicious hand that eats the flavor of the Dharma. A learner of the Buddha-dharma is like a great dragon-elephant: taking faith as the hand, renunciation as the tusks, mindfulness as the neck, and wisdom as the head, upon its two shoulders it bears and gathers wholesome dharmas. What an elephant drinks and eats, it takes the trunk as its hand; therefore, the learner of the Buddha-dharma initially generates faith." It is the primary womb of the five noble ones and the seven riches, because it is the beginning of the Dharma-wealth; learners greatly sell unmeasured Dharma-jewels and are taught to obtain the noble wealth, hence initially generating faith. The Prakaraṇāryavācā states: "The seven noble riches are faith, precepts, hearing, renunciation, wisdom, shame, and remorse." Faith is one among them; it is the inception of the six goods and eight causes, because it is the root of wholesome dharmas. The Yogācārabhūmi states: "In entering all wholesome dharmas, desire is the root, mental attention brings about generation, contact gathers and produces, feeling induces and absorbs, concentration is the sovereign [condition], wisdom is supreme, liberation is firmness, and renunciation is the final limit." "Desire is the root" means giving rise to aspiration; "mental attention brings about generation" means repeatedly alerting; "contact gathers and produces" means the harmony of mind and mental factors facing superior conditions; "feeling induces and absorbs" means receiving it in the mind; "concentration is the sovereign [condition]" means the mind is clear and quiet; "wisdom is supreme" means discerning good and evil; "liberation is firmness" means putting an end to entanglements; "renunciation is the final limit" means the path of awakening is fulfilled. Since faith is the support for desire, it is initially caused to arise. Seventh, it is the superior hand opening the gateway of capacities. Gathering the teaching is the hand. The Abhidharmakośa states: "Pulling sentient beings out of the mire of birth and death, setting forth the main body is the hand of the Buddha's teaching. The preface causing faith to arise is the hand of sentient beings; because the two hands grasp each other, they emerge from the mire." The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa also states: "Just as a person with hands reaches a mountain of jewels and takes as he pleases, while if he has no hands he gains nothing in vain; one with faithful mind enters the Buddha's mountain of jewels and attains all fruits of the path, but if without a faithful mind, though understanding the words and meanings, he gains nothing in vain." This is also included here. Eighth, it is the clear pearl clarifying the water of the mind, because it makes the mind pure. The Cheng weishi lun states: "Faith is like a water-clearing pearl, able to clarify muddy water, because it can counter the nature of non-faith which is murky." Ninth, it is the good capital for establishing reputation and the Way. Confucius said: "Weapons, food, and trust—none of these three can be abandoned. From of old, everyone suffers death; without trust, a person cannot stand. If a large carriage has no crossbar or a small carriage has no yoke-pin, how can they go?" Therefore, one is first caused to generate faith. Tenth, it is the fine wait of sincere devotion. The Spring and Autumn Annals states: "If there is bright sincerity, the grasses of valleys and pools, and the water-plants like duckweed and pondweed, can be offered to ghosts and spirits and presented to kings and dukes—how much more so when a gentleman pledges the trust of two states!" Among these ten meanings, the first eight rely on the ultimate truth, and the latter two rely on the conventional. For this reason, "Thus have I heard" is placed at the beginning of the sūtra: such meanings of the sūtra were personally heard from the Buddha, free from the faults of addition and subtraction, so as to cause sentient beings to give rise to a faithful and joyful mind and practice and study in compliance.