大乘義章 12.78

12.78

第五明其念之所為。所為有四：一者為除現在怖畏。如龍樹說，或有惡魔來怖行者，佛即教人修習六念。或有怖畏，念佛即滅，如諸天眾與脩羅鬪，心生怖畏，若有憶念帝釋寶幢，怖畏即滅。或有怖畏，念法即滅，如天畏時，憶念帝釋左面天王伊那舍天寶幢即滅，又念右面天王婆樓那天寶幢亦滅。或有怖畏，念己所修施戒善根及天果報，亦得除滅。二為出離生死因果，故修六念。三為求佛一切種德，故修六念。四為化度一切眾生，故修六念。六念之義，辨之麁爾。

The fifth clarifies the purpose of the recollections. The purposes are four: First, to eliminate present fears. As Nāgārjuna explained, when evil māras come to frighten a practitioner, the Buddha thereupon taught people to cultivate the six recollections. In some cases of fear, upon recollecting the Buddha it is immediately extinguished, just as when the heavenly hosts fight with the asuras and give rise to fear in their minds, if they remember the jeweled banner of Śakra, their fear is immediately extinguished. In some cases of fear, upon recollecting the Dharma it is immediately extinguished, just as when the devas are afraid, remembering the jeweled banner of the heavenly king on Śakra's left, Īśāna, extinguishes it, and also remembering the jeweled banner of the heavenly king on the right, Varuṇa, also extinguishes it. In some cases of fear, recollecting the roots of goodness of giving and precepts that one has oneself cultivated and the heavenly retribution also brings about elimination. Second, one cultivates the six recollections in order to transcend the causes and fruits of saṃsāra. Third, one cultivates the six recollections in order to seek all the diverse qualities of the Buddha. Fourth, one cultivates the six recollections in order to convert and cross over all sentient beings. The doctrine of the six recollections has been distinguished in broad outline.