金光明經文句 2.14

2.14

從「爾時四佛以正遍知」下，是第六止疑序。文為二：一正止疑、二釋止疑。疑蓋覆心、聞法不解，故先止之。例如見諦先斷疑方進修道也。若信相實疑，宜須折止；若是起教，因其訓人。從「汝今不應」下正止疑也。云何不應？有三不應：一大用不應，八十者是佛大用，是故不應；二法性海深，非言思所測；三以信能入、以智能度，汝信智未具，豈度量所思？《釋論》云「無量法欲量，是人為覆溺。」故將不應而止之也。「何以故」下釋三不應之意。舉八眾皆不能量者，釋法性不應也。法身菩薩法性淨土，故不在言。生身菩薩若在家，為天龍等所攝；若出家，為四眾所攝；若法性身施權，亦為八眾所攝。若凡若聖悉不能思算也。唯除如來者，釋智度不應也。若如如來是則能知；既未如如來，那忽能知，舊用此語為智所知，知是無常可量之法。天台師云：不爾。如來有無量常智，能知無量常法，豈可以常智所知判為無常邪？智性既冥，大用可解，是釋三不應也。

From "Then the four Buddhas, through correct and universal knowledge" onward is the sixth [section], the prologue on checking the doubt. The text has two parts: first, directly checking the doubt; second, explaining the checking of the doubt. Because the cover of doubt shrouded his mind, hearing the Dharma he would not understand, so they first checked it. This is like the vision of the truths, where one must first sever doubts before progressing in cultivating the path. If Ruciraketu truly had doubt, it was fitting to repress and check it; if he was initiating the teaching, they used him to instruct people. From "You now should not" onward directly checks the doubt. Why "should not"? There are three kinds of "should not": 1. the great function "should not": eighty years is the Buddha's great function, hence one should not [doubt it]; 2. the ocean of dharmatā is profound, beyond the measure of speech and thought; 3. by faith one can enter, and by wisdom one can cross over: you have not yet perfected faith and wisdom, so how could it be conceived through calculation? The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "One who wishes to measure the immeasurable dharma is drowned and submerged." Hence they checked it with "should not." From "For what reason?" onward explains the meaning of the three kinds of "should not." Mentioning that none among the eight classes of beings can measure it explains why dharmatā "should not" [be measured]. Dharma-body bodhisattvas reside in the pure land of dharmatā, so they need not be mentioned. Bodhisattvas of the physical body, if lay, are subsumed under devas, nāgas, etc.; if monastic, they are subsumed under the fourfold assembly; if bodies of dharmatā display provisional manifestations, they are also subsumed under the eight classes. Whether ordinary or saintly, none can fathom or calculate it. "Except only the Tathāgata" explains why the crossing over of wisdom "should not" [be measured]. If one were like the Tathāgata, then one could know it; since one is not yet like the Tathāgata, how could one suddenly know it? In the past, this phrase was taken to mean that which is known by wisdom is known to be an impermanent, measurable dharma. Master Tiantai says: It is not so. The Tathāgata possesses immeasurable eternal wisdom that can know immeasurable eternal dharmas; how could that which is known by eternal wisdom be judged as impermanent? Since the nature of wisdom is imperceptible and profound, its great function can be understood. This explains the three kinds of "should not."