大乘起信論義疏 1.4

1.4

問：何故要先勸起信者，此信乃是入佛法之首故。《華嚴經》云「信為道源功德母。」又論中云「信心如手，有手之人入海，寶藏隨意拾取；無手之人，雖遇寶藏不得拾取。」信心亦爾。若有信人，入佛法寶，隨分修行，得解脫樂；若無信人，雖遇佛法，空無所獲，故要起信。

Question: Why must one first exhort the awakening of faith? This faith is the very entry point into the Buddha-Dharma. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: "Faith is the source of the path and the mother of merits." Moreover, a treatise says: "The faithful mind is like hands. A person with hands who enters the ocean can pick up treasures at will; a person without hands, although encountering a treasure trove, cannot pick them up." The faithful mind is also like this. If there is a person of faith who enters the treasures of the Buddha-Dharma, cultivating according to their capacity, they will attain the joy of liberation; if there is a person without faith, although they encounter the Buddha-Dharma, they will obtain nothing in vain. Therefore one must awaken faith.