大般涅槃經集解 53.4

53.4

Sengliang comments: This is the merit of the ninth, the practice of illness. The practice of illness explains the beginning of the five practices. Faith is the head of all practices, hence it is explained first. 'Straightforward' means that believing in evil one does not perform it, and believing in good one diligently practices it; thus the straightforward mind is explained next. The evils of body and speech require precepts, thus precepts are explained next. Practicing good requires a teacher, thus good spiritual friends are explained next. Approaching good spiritual friends, one hears the Dharma, thus extensive learning is explained next. Sengzong says: Since it broadly communicates the previous three practices, and following this clarifies where precepts and concentration share common ground, it interweaves and broadens the above meanings. Baoliang says: Taking these dharmas as the essence, it starts from the mind of faith and extends up to extensive learning.