佛遺教經論疏節要 1.303

1.303

略舉三行。求者聞法行。善知識通三種：一教授善知識、二同行善知識、三外護善知識。今謂求教授也。聞名欽德曰知，覩形敬奉曰識。護者，內善思惟行，如聞而思，守護不失也。助者，如法修行，行謂如思而修，即是以行助解求善助也。不忘念者，結為最勝。不忘正念於三行中為首為勝，故云無如不忘念。上之三行亦名三慧，慧以照了為義、行以進趣為義，照了進趣悉由不忘念也。無聞慧如覆器，不能受水；無思慧如漏器，雖受而失；無修慧如穢器，雖不漏失，穢不可用。以不忘念，則既仰且完而復清淨也。故《涅槃》云「四法是涅槃近因：一近善知識、二聽聞正法、三思惟其義、四如說修行。若言苦行是涅槃因者，無有是處。」今合初二故三也。

Three practices are briefly mentioned. "Seeking" is the practice of hearing the Dharma. "Good spiritual friends" encompasses three types: first, spiritual friends who instruct; second, spiritual friends who practice together; third, spiritual friends who provide external protection. Here it refers to seeking instruction. Hearing their name and admiring their virtue is called knowing; seeing their form and respectfully serving them is called recognizing. "Protection" is the practice of inner correct reflection: reflecting according to what was heard, guarding and not losing it. "Assistance" is cultivation in accord with the Dharma; cultivation means cultivating according to reflection, which is aiding understanding through practice—this is seeking good assistance. "Unforgetting mindfulness" concludes this as supreme. Unforgetting right mindfulness is foremost and supreme among the three practices, hence it says "there is nothing like unforgetting mindfulness". The above three practices are also called the three wisdoms. Wisdom takes illumination and understanding as its meaning; practice takes progressive advancement as its meaning. Illumination, understanding, and progressive advancement all stem from unforgetting mindfulness. Lacking the wisdom of hearing is like an overturned vessel: it cannot receive water. Lacking the wisdom of reflection is like a leaking vessel: although receiving it, it is lost. Lacking the wisdom of cultivation is like a defiled vessel: although not leaking and lost, it is defiled and cannot be used. Through unforgetting mindfulness, [the vessel] is both upright, intact, and moreover pure. Therefore the Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'Four dharmas are proximate causes of nirvāṇa: first, associating with good spiritual friends; second, listening to the true Dharma; third, reflecting on its meaning; fourth, cultivating in accord with what was taught. If one says that asceticism is a cause of nirvāṇa, there is no such possibility.' Here, combining the first two makes three.