起信論疏筆削記 19.66

19.66

Under "Success in Practice," the Commentary says: "Regarding the principle, increasing faith" means that if faith is to become a faculty, it must be assiduously developed, so that one gradually enters non-retrogression. "Not timid" means that because one knows dharmas are like illusions, there is nothing to fear. A rope-snake is not venomous, and a stump-ghost has no mind—what is there to fear? Thus the text below says: "If one cultivates calm, one can abandon the timid views of the two vehicles." Since one is not timid, one is not the same as the two vehicles. "Indestructible" means that because one understands others to be like oneself, one attains gentleness. Because one is gentle, one is not arrogant; because one is not arrogant, others are not vexed; because others are not vexed, one is not destroyed—that is, one's practice is indestructible. "Free from worldly taste": worldly people do not study this teaching, and so their view of attachment is deep and firm, greedily clinging to the world. Now, knowing that the three realms are false and deceptive, tricking a person's six faculties, how could one covet and delight in them? If one does not delight in them, one is free from craving; being free from craving reduces afflictions. Thus it says below: "If one cultivates calm, it counteracts ordinary beings' dwelling in and clinging to the world." "Attaining dhyāna-concentration" means that the tathatā samādhi is accomplished. In the Śāstra, "external conditions" generally refers to the six sense objects; "sounds" specifically refers to what confronts the ear. Thus the Śūraṅgama-sūtra says: "Pure sound without defiling objects; faculties and objects are completely interpenetrating, with no confronting object or confronted [subject]." It also says: "Not observing sounds oneself, but observing the observer, enables sentient beings to observe their sounds and immediately attain liberation." This is the same as the Dharma-door of entering the wisdom of sound in the Sarvadharmāpravṛtti-nirdeśa-sūtra; how could one be moved? Now, among the six dusts, only the dust of sound is brought up, because the Āgamas call this a thorn to dhyāna.