起信論疏 1.9

1.9

As for "Awakening of Faith": relying on the text of this treatise, it awakens faith in sentient beings; hence it is called "Awakening of Faith." Faith is a term expressing decisive certainty—namely, believing that the principle truly exists, believing that it can be attained through cultivation, and believing that when attained through cultivation, it possesses inexhaustible merits. Herein, believing that it truly exists is believing in the greatness of essence; because all phenomena cannot be grasped, one believes that the equal dharmadhātu truly exists. Believing that it can be attained is believing in the greatness of attributes; because the endowed merits of the nature perfume sentient beings, one believes that phenomenal perfuming must lead to returning to the source. Believing that it possesses inexhaustible merit and function is believing in the greatness of function, because there is nothing it does not do. If someone can awaken these three kinds of faith, they are able to enter the Buddhadharma, generate all merits, emerge from all realms of Māra, and reach the supreme path. As a sūtra verse says: / "Faith is the source of the path, the mother of merit, / Nurturing all wholesome roots; / Dispelling all doubts, / Revealing and opening the supreme path. / Faith can transcend the realms of all māras, / Revealing the supreme path of liberation; / It is the indestructible seed of all merit, / Producing the supreme bodhi tree." / Since faith has such immeasurable merits, relying on the treatise one is able to generate the aspiration; hence it is called "Awakening of Faith."