註四十二章經 1.104

1.104

The character bu ("not") should be the character bi ("certainly"); this is an error in transmission. If worldly people clearly comprehend cause and effect, resolve their wills, and surrender their lives—such as abandoning their bodily life to feed fierce raptors or rescue fish and turtles, up to loyal ministers and resolute champions sacrificing their lives for righteousness—these are all difficult. How do we know it should be the character bi? Because the Buddha spoke of twenty difficulties all in terms of the sphere of ordinary people, not discussing the principle of non-arising and non-ceasing; its meaning is clear. Furthermore, according to the pronunciation of the Western Rong and Southern Man, bi is pronounced as bu.