起信論疏筆削記 5.30

5.30

Regarding "exhorting to be born..." and so forth, the text says: "Furthermore, when sentient beings first learn this dharma and seek correct faith, their minds are timid and weak; dwelling in this Sahā world, they fear of themselves that they cannot constantly meet the buddhas and personally attend and make offerings to them, dreading that faith will be difficult to accomplish, and their minds wish to retrogress," down to "if they constantly and diligently cultivate, they will ultimately be born [there] and dwell in correct determination." "Superior expedient": the text says: "One should know that the Tathāgatas possess superior expedients to gather and protect their minds. That is, by the cause and condition of single-mindedly recollecting the Buddha, as they vow they will be born in other buddha-lands, constantly see the buddhas, and permanently leave behind the evil destinies," and so forth. Regarding "contemplative understanding..." and so forth, the text says: "If one contemplates that buddha's dharmakāya of tathatā, one will ultimately be born [there] and dwell in correct determination." Since one contemplates the dharmakāya, that is indeed performing the contemplation of tathatā; when contemplating the Buddha becomes pure and mature, one partially attains correspondence. Regarding "future retribution..." and so forth: because sentient beings' past karma is immeasurable, now although they generate the aspiration and practice, their power is slight and inferior, difficult to withstand strong evil; it is feared that when this retribution ends, they will still follow their past karma and be born into the various destinies accordingly. Like a person in debt, the strongest pulls them first; when the life of this retribution ends, it is not known where they will go. Perhaps they pass through many kalpas, traversing all three destinies; even if they obtain a human body, they are still bound by conditions and obstacles. Perhaps they receive physical form among barbarians, dwelling in poverty; perhaps they are afflicted by various diseases, with their six sense faculties incomplete; perhaps kingly affairs constrain them, with worldly entanglements upon their persons; perhaps in youth they are ignorant, and in their prime violent and fierce, so that when they finally come to know delight in goodness, they are already in their declining years; though realizing impermanence, they can hardly bear to advance. How much less when the true Dharma is not encountered and good friends are not met; even if they encounter these conditions, their faculties are mostly dim. Even if one of superior wisdom easily awakens to the dharma-gate, possessing eloquence to propagate it and skillfully open people's minds, flaming evil habits still arise abundantly of their own accord. Since the accumulation of goodness is slight, strong evil is difficult to avoid; if one suddenly falls, it is again saṃsāra, circling like an ant—when will it ever be severed? When bodhisattvas contemplate this, it deeply stirs their compassionate hearts; if not for an expedient, none could extend rescue. Therefore the treatise says: 'There are superior expedients to gather and protect their minds.' Hence it says: 'Fearing that when the future retribution shifts, encountering conditions will result in retrogression.' Regarding "rebirth..." and so forth, the text says: "As the sūtras say, if a person single-mindedly recollects Amitābha Buddha of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, dedicating the roots of goodness they cultivate and vowing to be born in that realm, they will immediately attain rebirth. Because they constantly see the Buddha, ultimately they have no retrogression," and so forth. This meaning intends to cause sentient beings to single-mindedly recollect the Buddha, with joyful aspiration and desire, to be born in that realm. Whatever goodness they cultivate, they dedicate it all; even if there is a person who has committed every evil, if only at the end of life they attain ten recitations with sincere mind, or even accomplish a single recitation, they immediately attain rebirth. Having been born in that realm, they see the Buddha and hear the Dharma, spontaneously cultivate and advance, and go directly to accomplish bodhi, without adverse conditions causing them to retrogress; hence it says 'causing them not to retrogress.' Regarding "exhorting to cultivate..." and so forth, the text says: "Having explained the section on cultivating faith, next I explain the section on the benefits of exhorting cultivation. Such is the secret treasury of all the buddhas of the Mahāyāna, which I have expounded in summary," down to saying: "Future bodhisattvas should rely on this dharma to accomplish correct faith; therefore sentient beings should diligently practice and learn it." "Presenting the harms and benefits": the text says: "If there are sentient beings who wish to produce correct faith in the profound realm of the Tathāgata, stay far away from slander, and enter the Mahāyāna path, they should uphold this treatise, contemplate and cultivate it, and ultimately they will be able to reach the unsurpassed path," down to saying: "This person's merit has no bounds." This presents the benefits. Furthermore, it says: "If there are sentient beings who slander this treatise and do not believe, the retribution of the sins they incur will last for immeasurable kalpas, suffering great anguish." This presents the harms. If cultivating, one should only believe with reverence and practice as expounded; if setting it aside, one should not slander it, so as to avoid incurring great suffering. Regarding "general encouragement..." and so forth: according to the determination in the previous commentary, it only encourages the practice of the three types of faculties of the initial mind of the stage of faith. If one further examines it by principle, there is no impediment to including those from the three worthies on down, encouraging and exhorting them all together. Thus, among the eight causes and conditions, the first and the eighth are both general marks: the first generally benefits the various classes, and the eighth generally encourages and exhorts cultivation; the middle six sections are for specific purposes, as correlated above.