起信論疏筆削記 5.26

5.26

Commentary: "From the preceding..." Second, resolving doubts. Someone might ask: "The preceding three faculties each encompass a single section of the treatise text; why does the initial stage of faith alone employ four texts?" Hence this resolves it. The preceding stages are gradually deeper; viewed relative to the initial stage, their faculties are named superior. When the root of faith is about to be perfected, even if they encounter adverse conditions, there is little retrogression; hence it is called "difficult to retrogress." However, it is not necessarily entirely without retrogression; hence it is called "difficult." Just as Śāriputra, having entered the abodes, still retrogressed, how much more so for the ten faiths? "Inferior faculties" refers to those who, having just emerged from ordinary beings and first mounted the stage of faith, have thin and feeble roots of goodness, no different from light down; encountering goodness it is difficult to advance, and encountering evil it is easy to retrogress. Therefore, they rely on many methods to assist the power of the path; because of this, all four are present.