金剛般若論會釋 3.23

3.23

From here below, the second is called endowment with merit, clarifying that the Buddha possesses the adornment of great merit. Why does it belong to the same abode as vision and cognition? This merit is the foundation of the preceding Buddha cognition and is not inverted merit; because he possesses the adornment of great merit, both vision and cognition are pure, surpassing all others. Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's treatise is the same. Below, Vasubandhu's subsection refutes the third doubt. The doubt says: 'Earlier it was said that the abiding of mind is inverted; if so, merit is also inverted; and if it is inverted, how can it be called a wholesome dharma?' To reveal that merit is not inverted, the verse says: 'The foundation of the Buddha's wisdom, / Merits that are not inverted; / Because of such characteristics of merit, / The similes are spoken again.' All the citations below comparing merit are causes of the Buddha's wisdom, becoming progressively superior across the ten stages. Or furthermore, from here below it only cites the superior merit on the stages to compare again the merit of upholding and expounding, unlike the meritorious practices above that were not accompanied by wisdom.