金光明經文句記 2.63

2.63

First, desire. "Lesser suffering" means light suffering. The suffering in the three destinies is heavy, while the suffering in the human realm is light; ordinary beings fail to perceive this and reckon it to be pleasure. Taking suffering to be pleasure, it is therefore said that they "perversely produce thoughts of pleasure." It is just like worldly people whose crime warrants death, yet their lives are spared with a thousand floggings. A penalty is truly suffering, but because life is preserved, with each stroke of the penalty thoughts of pleasure arise. It is also like a sick person who fears death and is treated with acupuncture and moxibustion. Acupuncture and moxibustion are truly painful, but because it is said to eliminate disease, thoughts of pleasure arise in every instance. Mutually scorched by the eight sufferings, they falsely deem it pleasure; the matter is just like this.