起信論疏筆削記 5.43

5.43

Second, awakening upon hearing the sūtras. Commentary: "One's own power" merely refers to not relying on explanations of commentaries and subcommentaries, but opening the sūtra text and understanding it oneself. "Extensive sūtras" has two meanings: first, in a large division of sūtras, or having widely consulted various collections and seeing the Buddha's beginning and end extensively explain the pathways of meaning, only then does one understand; thus such faculties and practices are inferior to those who hear little yet understand much. Second, as in the commentary where one possesses both retention of the text and retention of the meaning, being able to understand following each and every text; this indicates strong faculties superior to the hearing of little mentioned below. "Brief sūtras" also has two meanings: first, from brief sūtra passages, or a single phrase or a single verse, one immediately understands the Tathāgata's profound principle of Dharma without relying on extensive explanation; this indicates that faculties and practice are both superior. Second, lacking much mental power and unable to survey widely, one only attains understanding from a small portion, as in the commentary where one lacks retention of the text but possesses retention of the meaning. In the intent of the present śāstra, among extensive and brief, each takes the former explanation as standard, because in the brief section the śāstra speaks of "understanding much", while in the extensive section it does not mention the word "much". Therefore, those who delight in the extensive are dull, and those who delight in the brief are sharp. The wise should contemplate this.