起信論疏筆削記 14.3

14.3

On the Śāstra's text from "Why is it" onward: Second, he sets forth the objection. "In the present," and so forth, is explained in terms of the horizontal: in the present, one merely sees that those who possess faith are few, while those who lack faith are many. On the Śāstra's "countless," and so forth: properly it should read "countless differences of earlier and later"; the translator did not render the phrasing fully. "In the future," and so forth: this is explained in terms of the vertical. Viewed in terms of the arising of faithful mind in the future, it varies in speed and slowness, and hence it says "earlier and later." There are further variations such as thickness and thinness, progress and regress, unorthodox and orthodox; hence it says "countless differences." Thus horizontally there is the difference of presence and absence, while vertically there is the difference of earlier and later; the words "earlier and later" also apply to the past. On "internal perfuming," and so forth: since the perfuming is uniform, faith should likewise be uniform; it is not fitting that there be such differences.