肇論新疏 1.180

1.180

此中二喻，喻因不化。初句，《論語》云：「譬如為山，雖覆一簣進（云云）。」簣，土籠也。意以山喻果。假就者，假初一簣而山成就。始簣喻初因也。積土成山，山成而初功益著；運行招果，果圓而先因尤存。後句老氏云：「千里之行始於足下。」託至者，仗初步而得至於千里。亦以千里喻果、初步喻因也。由初至千，千里至而初步不化；由行證果，果道圓而初因恒明。二喻事異義同，通喻二行，但舉初者以例中間。《大疏》說因果無碍，云：「如來毛孔現往昔因事。」《圓覺．淨業章》云：「覩見調御歷恒沙劫勤苦境界（云云）。」前問約泯相顯性，故云已滅。論約即事同真門，故云不化。各據一理也。

Here are two analogies illustrating that the cause does not transform away. In the first line, the Lunyu says: "It is like making a mountain: even if one dumps only a single basketful, its progress..." and so forth. A basket (kui) is an earth-basket. The meaning takes the mountain as an analogy for the fruit. "Relies on its accomplishment" means relying on the initial basketful to accomplish the mountain. The initial basketful illustrates the initial cause. Soil accumulates to form a mountain; when the mountain is accomplished, the initial work is all the more evident. Cultivating practices incurs the fruit; when the fruit is perfected, the prior cause all the more remains. In the latter line, Laozi says: "A journey of a thousand li begins beneath one's feet." "Depends on its arrival" means relying on the first step to be able to reach a thousand li. This also uses a thousand li to illustrate the fruit, and the first step to illustrate the cause. Going from the first step to the thousandth li, when the thousandth li is reached, the first step has not transformed away; realizing the fruit through practice, when the Way of fruition is perfected, the initial cause is ever manifest. The two analogies differ in their matters but are identical in their purport; both illustrate the two practices, merely adducing the initial to exemplify the intermediate. The Great Commentary says, regarding the unobstructedness of cause and effect: "In the pores of the Tathāgata, past causal events appear." The Chapter on Purifying Karmic Hindrances in the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment says: "Seeing the Harmonizer and Trainer undergoing bitter toil through kalpas numerous as the sands of the Ganges," and so forth. The previous question was framed according to extinguishing marks to reveal the nature, hence it said "already ceased." The treatise is framed according to the approach that phenomena are identical with the real, hence it says "does not transform away." Each is based on one principle.