起信論疏筆削記 18.46

18.46

論　是故等者，從來為不修，身心常苦惱。如今若不修，依前是苦惱。由是剋已造修，於行無墮也。則善人行善，唯日不足，故《遺教經》云：汝等比丘若勤精進，則事無難者，是故汝等常勤精進，譬如小水常流則能穿石。若行者之心數數懈廢，譬如鑽火未熱而息，雖欲得火，火難可得，是故精進。然此一文亦可初是正明，從當念已下為方便，於中初反釋、後順結，詳文可見。

Treatise: "Therefore..." and so forth: having never cultivated in the past, body and mind were constantly tormented by suffering. If one does not cultivate now, one remains tormented by suffering as before. On this account, one disciplines oneself to undertake cultivation, without falling back in one's practice. Thus when a good person practices goodness, they only feel the days are not enough. Therefore the *Bequeathed Teaching Sūtra* says: "O bhikṣus, if you are diligent and vigorous, then nothing is difficult; therefore you must always be diligent and vigorous, just like a small stream constantly flowing that can pierce stone. If the practitioner's mind repeatedly lapses into laxity and abandonment, it is like drilling for fire and resting before it gets hot; though one wishes to obtain fire, fire is hard to obtain. Therefore, be vigorous." However, regarding this single passage, the beginning may also be taken as directly clarifying [the principle], and from "one should reflect" onwards as the skillful means, wherein the first part explains reversely and the latter part concludes positively, as can be seen from examining the text.