起信論疏筆削記 16.49

16.49

However, as for "Dharma", it fully comprises teaching, principle, practice, and fruit. Its extinction at present is only in terms of the extinction of teaching and practice among the four; principle and fruit do not become extinct. Regarding the extinction of the teaching: when the Buddha condescends to teach, the intention is widespread propagation; if it falls into disuse and is not practiced, that is the meaning of extinction. It need not be like the First Emperor's burning to ashes or Puṣyamitra's incineration; it is just like the meaning of palm leaves sinking in the preface. Regarding the extinction of practice: because there is no one cultivating it. Thus the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "Extinction of the Dharma means extinction of cultivation." What is protected and preserved here is also only teaching and practice; that is, copying, reciting, explaining according to one's capacity, and encouraging later students so that the lamps continue one after another, shining limitlessly—this is protecting the teaching. Subduing oneself to cultivate and advance, encouraging those with karmic affinity so that the Buddha-seed is not severed—this is protecting practice. If examined in further detail, the two dharmas of principle and fruit also have a sense of extinction, but they become extinct in causal dependence on teaching and practice above: because there is no teaching, there is no practice; because there is no practice, there is no realization; because there is no realization, there is no fruit. Although all four are called extinction, their meanings of extinction differ: teaching and practice are only severed extinction; the dharma of principle is only concealed extinction; and the fruit, in terms of essence and marks, combines both meanings. Therefore the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says there are two kinds of causes and conditions that make the true Dharma abide long: first, internally having monks who uphold the precepts; second, externally having dānapatis with firm faith. It also says that when the bequeathed Dharma of Śākya is finally extinguished, the monks do not cause the Buddha-Dharma to become extinct through lack of offerings; rather, because the four requisites are abundant, arrogance and indulgence arise in their minds, Mara gains the advantage, and Śākya's bequeathed Dharma is forever extinguished from that. If one generates the mind to seek the fruit of Buddhahood, would it only be upholding the precepts? Therefore the Buddha-Dharma will have no way of facing extinction. Now, the treatise's word "or" indicates an unfixed meaning: encountering any one of the previous three allows one to generate the mind.