起信論疏筆削記 2.15

2.15

"For what purpose": this questions that having relied on the majestic empowerment of the Three Jewels to compose this treatise, what intention and purpose made him earnestly long to do so? "To assist in propagating the transformation": "assist" means to support and aid; "propagate" means to display and develop; "transformation" means teaching and guiding; thus it is aiding the Tathāgata, displaying the Dharma-gates, and teaching and guiding the various classes of beings. Because the Buddhas of the ten directions serve alternately as teachers and disciples, mutually supporting each other to cause the path of Dharma to prevail and sentient beings to receive transformation. Now the treatise master manifests himself as abiding in the causal stage, taking our Śākyamuni as teacher, and taking sūtras as authority to compose the treatise, hence it is said to assist the transformation. "To crush the heterodox and reveal the orthodox": when the Tathāgata was in the world, those with heterodox views were subdued by the Buddha himself; after the Buddha passed into extinction, if there were such people, no one could restrain them. Now the treatise master, to crush those heterodox followers so that heterodox teachings do not arise, establishes our correct Dharma so as to produce correct views. In the treatise below, revealing the correct meaning and countering heterodox attachments are just this. "To protect and uphold the bequeathed Dharma": the Dharma-gates preached by the Buddha are collectively called the bequeathed Dharma after his extinction. Now composing a treatise to expound them so that they do not fall to the ground is called protecting and upholding. Propagating them from one to another, lamp to lamp without cessation, extending to future kalpas, is called dwelling long in the world. "To repay the Tathāgata's kindness": the Buddha's intention in leaving behind the teachings was for them to be transmitted and propagated, delivering people from one to another to bring them to the great fruition. If one does not transmit and expound them, one opposes the Buddha's original intent, and this is called betraying his kindness. If one can manifest the wondrous gates, illuminate the great teaching, bring benefit to weary lives, and keep the great path unbroken, then this accords with the Buddha's mind and truly befits the lineage founders; this is called repaying kindness. Therefore the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: 'Even if one carried the sūtras on one's head for dust-mote kalpas, / Or offered one's body as a seat throughout the trichiliocosm, / If one does not transmit the Dharma to benefit sentient beings, / In the end one can never repay his kindness. / If one transmits and upholds the treasury of the correct Dharma, / Proclaiming the teachings to deliver sentient beings, / Cultivating so that in a single thought one accords with tathatā, / This is truly one who repays the Tathāgata.'