維摩義記 1.17

1.17

Next, second, explaining the intention in establishing [them]. Why did the Buddha originally teach the placement of the words "Thus have I heard"? It was to give rise to faith in sentient beings. How do the words "thus" generate faith? In saying "thus," Ānanda demonstrates his own faith and compliance with the Buddha's words, stating that what the Buddha said conforms to [reality], and stating that what the Buddha said is correct, so as to cause other sentient beings to generate faith along with him. How does "I heard" generate faith? Ānanda himself was a deficient person; if he said that this Dharma was spoken by himself, many people would not believe it. Because he said this Dharma was heard from the Buddha, all people take refuge and believe. What significance does faith have that it should be generated? Faith is the initial gate for entering the Dharma, the foremost head for gathering the Dharma; whenever entering the Buddha-Dharma, one must first arouse faith. Therefore, in the Avataṃsaka [Sūtra], it says that faith is like hands: just as a person who has hands arrives at a place of rare treasures and gathers them as he pleases, but if he has no hands he gets nothing in vain, the case is also the same for one who enters the Buddha-Dharma. Possessing the hands of the faithful mind, one gathers the treasures of the path-Dharma as one pleases; if one lacks the faithful mind, one gains nothing in vain. Because faith has this vital importance, it is generated for its sake.