起信論疏筆削記 16.44

16.44

Second, what is cultivated. The treatise says: "Believing in karma and its fruition and recompense": karma applies to both good and evil; fruition applies to both pleasure and suffering. The fruit can repay the cause, hence it is called recompense; this is spoken of generally, not in terms of general and specific. "The ten wholesome [actions]": that is, the ten such as not killing, not meaning the ten kinds of faithful mind. If it were the ten such as faith, they are correlated only in the text below. The commentary says: "Meaning there is, etc.": perfuming through hearing applies to the teacher's instruction; internal perfuming encompasses both essence and attributes. "Good roots": if evaluated from the past, they are still accomplished through the power of perfuming; now looking from the present, they are provisionally called past good deeds, and discussed in terms of the cause, hence they are called "roots." Below "Capable of believing": that is, the meaning of the mark of stopping and extinction. In the past, although there was good, because it was an initial perfuming, the good roots were slight and weak, just forming their seeds, unable to give rise to faith and diligently seek the various practices. Now, through repeated practice and repeated perfuming, as well as the combined power of the three matters, they are therefore able to arise. Thus, good roots were what was accomplished in the past, and are what can give rise in the present, exactly matching the Lotus Sūtra's parable of sewing the jewel and discovering the jewel. "Merit portion": "portion" (fen) has the meaning of cause; because these ten wholesome practices initially accomplish mundane defiled merit and ultimately accomplish supramundane undefiled merit, they are also one portion within merit. Because merit is immeasurable, it is also the delimitation of merit, showing that it is not wisdom. The treatise says: "Repulsed by saṃsāra, etc.": because faith and understanding gradually increase, one is able to know that the three realms are unpeaceful, just like a burning house, and so one is repulsed by them; knowing that the bodhi Buddha-fruit is supremely cool, one therefore seeks it. The commentary says: "The portion of bodhi, etc.": also as explained previously. These two portions together with the merit portion above, when accomplished at the fruit, correspond respectively to the three virtues of wisdom, severance, and benevolence. "The cause of practice": the matters of seeking and repulsion. When feeling is stirred within, practice is aroused on this basis, hence it is called the cause of practice.