大乘入道次第 1.24

1.24

次求善友者，善友之義大矣哉！將越艱險、會常樂者，無莫由之。故《攝大乘》、《唯識》等云，要善友力，方成菩提。佛菩薩等是為善友，勝利無極，難以具言。且略舉三，用表求意：一者，能為菩提近因故。《涅槃經》云：「佛告諸大眾言：『一切眾生為阿耨多羅三藐三菩提近因緣者，莫先善友。何以故？闍王若不隨耆婆語者，來月七日必定命終，墮阿鼻獄。是故近因莫若善友。』」二者，趣向如來智時，有十功能故。《華嚴經》云：「善知識者，則是趣向一切智門，令我得入真實道故。善知識者，則趣向一切智乘，令我得至如來地故。善知識者，則是趣向一切智船，令我得至智寶洲故。善知識者，則是趣向一切智炬，令我得生十力光故。善知識者，則是趣向一切智道，令我得入涅槃城故。善知識者，則是趣向一切智燈，令我得見夷險道故。善知識者，則是趣向一切智橋，令我得度險惡處故。善知識者，則是趣向一切智蓋，令我得生大慈涼故。善知識者，則是趣向一切智眼，令我得見法性門故。善知識者，則是趣向一切智潮，令我滿足大慈水故。」三者，能令越生死海故。《大集經》偈云：「若得親近善知識，至心聽受無上法，觀察內外空三昧，即能越度生死海。」問：於善知識起於何心，而求於彼？答：《華嚴經》云：「於善知識生十種心，謂於善知識生同己心，令我精勤辦一切智，照道法故。於善知識生清淨自業果心，親近供養生善根故。於善知識生莊嚴菩薩行心，令我速能莊嚴一切菩薩行故。於善知識生成就一切佛法心，誘誨於我，令修道故。於善知識生能生心，能生於我無上法故。於善知識生出離心，令我修行普賢菩薩所有行願而出離故。於善知識生具一切福智海心，令我積集諸白法故。於善知識生增長心，令我增長一切智故。於善知識生具一切善根心，令我志願得圓滿故。於善知識生能成辦大利益心，令我自在安住一切菩薩法故，成一切智道故，得一切佛法故。」

Next is seeking good friends: the significance of good friends is great indeed! For those who wish to cross dangerous terrain and reach eternal bliss, there is no way other than through them. Therefore the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, the Cheng weishi lun, and other texts say that only by the power of good friends can bodhi be accomplished. Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and their like are good friends; their supreme benefits are boundless and difficult to express fully. Here three are briefly cited to indicate the intent of seeking them: First, because they can serve as the proximate cause of bodhi. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: 'The Buddha addressed the great assembly, saying: "Among the proximate causes and conditions for all sentient beings to attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, none comes before a good friend. Why is this? If King Ajātaśatru had not followed the words of Jīvaka, on the seventh day of next month he would certainly have died and fallen into the Avīci hell. Therefore, for proximate causes, none compares to a good friend."' Second, because when advancing toward the Tathāgata's wisdom, they have ten functions. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: 'A spiritual friend is the gate to all-knowledge, because he causes me to enter the true path. A spiritual friend is the vehicle to all-knowledge, because he causes me to reach the Tathāgata ground. A spiritual friend is the ship to all-knowledge, because he causes me to reach the jewel continent of wisdom. A spiritual friend is the torch of all-knowledge, because he causes me to produce the light of the ten powers. A spiritual friend is the path to all-knowledge, because he causes me to enter the city of nirvāṇa. A spiritual friend is the lamp of all-knowledge, because he causes me to see smooth and dangerous paths. A spiritual friend is the bridge to all-knowledge, because he causes me to cross hazardous and evil places. A spiritual friend is the parasol of all-knowledge, because he causes me to produce the coolness of great benevolence. A spiritual friend is the eye of all-knowledge, because he causes me to see the gate of the Dharma-nature. A spiritual friend is the tide of all-knowledge, because he causes me to be filled with the water of great benevolence.' Third, because they can enable one to cross the ocean of saṃsāra. A verse in the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra states: 'If one can draw near to a spiritual friend, / Hear and receive the unexcelled Dharma with a sincere mind, / And contemplate the samādhi of internal and external emptiness, / One can then cross over the ocean of saṃsāra.' Question: With what mind toward a spiritual friend does one seek them? Answer: The Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: 'One should give rise to ten kinds of minds toward a spiritual friend: that is, giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind regarding them as oneself, because they cause me to diligently accomplish all-knowledge and illuminate the dharmas of the path; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of purifying one's own karmic fruition, because drawing near and making offerings produces roots of good; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of adorning the bodhisattva practices, because they cause me to swiftly adorn all bodhisattva practices; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of accomplishing all Buddha-dharmas, because they instruct and guide me to cultivate the path; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of being able to give birth, because they can give birth to the unexcelled Dharma within me; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of renunciation, because they cause me to cultivate all the vows and practices of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and attain renunciation; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of being endowed with the ocean of all merit and wisdom, because they cause me to accumulate all pure dharmas; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of increase, because they cause me to increase all-knowledge; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of being endowed with all roots of good, because they cause my aspirations and vows to be fulfilled; giving rise toward a spiritual friend to a mind of being able to accomplish great benefits, because they cause me to comfortably abide in all bodhisattva dharmas, accomplish the path of all-knowledge, and obtain all Buddha-dharmas.'