起信論疏筆削記 14.32

14.32

The commentary states: "Wisdom of conformity to measure" is another name for the aforementioned subsequent [wisdom]. It completely knows in accordance with the capacities of each respective sentient being and in accordance with the proportions of each respective conventional truth. In "realizing the real," and so forth, because one takes the realized real principle as a guideline, the practices one carries out all tally with tathatā, and thus it is called the "power of the Dharma." "Those who merely possess the power of faith" means that since those prior to the bhūmis have not yet tallied with the real, they are only able to faithfully follow it and cultivate by taking the real as an object; hence this is not the power of the Dharma. That on the bhūmis is called "true cultivation," whereas that prior to the bhūmis is called "objective-support cultivation"; this is indeed the meaning. "Those from the eighth bhūmi onward" explains spontaneity in terms of effortless practice. Various accounts state that from the initial aspiration and practice up to this bhūmi, two incalculable kalpas have already elapsed; from this point onward, one accords spontaneously, like a boat moving downstream without toiling at pole or oar, yet one must still pass through one more incalculable kalpa before reaching the fruit of buddhahood. Now, examining the intention of this section of the treatise, it is not necessary to assign [the term] "spontaneous" exclusively to the eighth bhūmi. Rather, when a bodhisattva on the bhūmis realizes the real and produces practices, all are based on the power of the Dharma and all are spontaneous; it is not necessary to reach the eighth bhūmi. Practitioners should understand this.