起信論疏筆削記 20.9

20.9

Under "Great Compassion," the Śāstra says: "Such, etc.": because one realizes that one's own body is not permanent in this way, one should reflect that sentient beings are also like this; because they are deluded by ignorance, they do not consciously realize it, and therefore one gives rise to great compassion. Because of the three realms and nine classes of beings, it says "all." From "from beginningless" downward, it traces the source of their suffering, which is indeed produced by ignorance; thus the earlier text says: "Because of the cause of the defiled dharma of ignorance, it perfumes tathatā, and because of this perfuming, there is the deluded mind, up to creating karma and undergoing all sufferings of body and mind, and so on." From "having already undergone" downward, it clarifies that all three periods of time are suffering. "Difficult to abandon, etc.": before ignorance is exhausted, one cannot escape it; thus the Lotus Sūtra says: "All sentient beings are burned and boiled by birth, old age, sickness, death, worry, sorrow, suffering, and distress; they also undergo various sufferings because of the five desires and wealth; and because of greedy clinging and seeking, they presently undergo all sufferings, and later undergo the sufferings of hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. If born in the heavens or among humans, there are the sufferings of poverty and hardship, the suffering of parting from what is loved, the suffering of meeting what is hated; such various sufferings as these, sentient beings are submerged in them, yet rejoice and play, not perceiving or knowing, neither alarmed nor terrified, nor do they give rise to disgust or seek liberation." The Commentary says: "Having no mind to loathe and turn away, etc.": conversely, if one knows to loathe and turn away, suffering will have an end; thus the earlier text says: "Defiled dharmas attain Buddhahood, and afterward they are severed." The Daśabhūmika-sūtra says: "There are countless bodies already ceased and now ceasing; with such arising and ceasing, they cannot give rise to disgust and detachment toward the body, but increasingly multiply the suffering affairs of the bodily mechanism, following the flow of saṃsāra and unable to turn back." "Deeply generating a mind of compassion": sentient beings and oneself have no two sources in nature; true bliss is fundamentally present yet they turn their backs on it and do not seek it; false suffering is fundamentally empty yet they cling to it and do not abandon it. Confusing the head and recognizing the shadow, they vainly suffer these hardships. When the practitioner contemplates this, they must give rise to compassion and rescue.