大般涅槃經義記 3.91

3.91

第二始信有益之中，先喻、後合。喻中，「如人」，地前人也。「出家剃髮」喻始發心，歸信大乘，捨離邪謗，名出剃髮。「雖服袈裟」喻明依教，書寫讀誦。「未受戒」下喻未有行，「未受十戒」喻未修習十地之行，尚自未受沙彌十戒，何況具戒？具戒喻佛。「或有長者來請眾僧」寄對顯勝，喻有眾生作請菩薩而欲供養。「未受戒者即與大眾俱共受請」喻始信者高參出世大菩薩數。「雖未」已下牒以結之。合中，「若有發心始學」合如有人出家剃髮，「書寫讀誦」合服袈裟，「未階十住」合未受得沙彌十戒，「已墮十數」合有長者來請眾僧，未受戒者即與大眾俱共受請，乃至墮數。

In the second [part], that initial faith brings benefit, there is first a simile and then the application. In the simile, 'just as a person' refers to a person before the grounds. 'Going forth from home and shaving the hair' is a simile for initially giving rise to the mind [for awakening], taking refuge and believing in the Mahāyāna, and abandoning wrong views and slander, which is called going forth and shaving the hair. 'Though wearing the kāṣāya' is a simile explaining following the teaching by copying, reading, and reciting. From 'has not yet received the precepts' downward is a simile for not yet possessing practice; 'has not yet received the ten precepts' is a simile for not yet cultivating the practice of the ten grounds. When they have not even received the ten precepts of a śrāmaṇera, how much less the complete precepts? The complete precepts is a simile for the Buddha. 'Or there may be an elder who comes to invite the saṃgha' sets up a contrast to reveal superiority, a simile for beings issuing an invitation to bodhisattvas, wishing to make offerings. 'The one who has not received the precepts then partakes in the invitation together with the great assembly' is a simile for the beginner in faith who enters the ranks of the world-transcending great bodhisattvas. From 'Though not yet' downward takes this up to conclude it. In the application, 'If there are those who give rise to the mind and begin learning' corresponds to 'just as a person goes forth from home and shaves the hair'; 'copying, reading, and reciting' corresponds to 'wearing the kāṣāya'; 'has not yet attained the ten abodes' corresponds to 'has not yet received the ten precepts of a śrāmaṇera'; 'has already fallen into the number of the ten' corresponds to 'there is an elder who comes to invite the saṃgha, and the one who has not received the precepts then partakes in the invitation together with the great assembly', culminating in falling into that number.