大乘入道次第 1.33

1.33

四、加行者，問：將修此六，以何加行方能進習？答：二利為心，能修此六。故《大般若經》一百二云：「菩薩摩訶薩行六波羅蜜時，當作是念：『我若不行布施波羅蜜多，當生貧賤家，尚無勢力，何由成就有情、嚴淨佛土，況當能得一切智智？我若不護淨戒波羅蜜多，當生諸惡趣，尚不能得下賤人身，乃至況當能得一切智智？我若不修安忍波羅蜜多，當生諸根殘缺，容貌醜陋，不具菩薩圓滿色身。若得菩薩圓滿色身行菩薩行，有情見者，必獲無上正等菩提。若不得此圓滿色身，乃至況當能得一切智智？我若懈怠，不起精進波羅蜜多，尚不能獲菩薩勝道，乃至況當能得一切智智？我若心亂，不入靜慮波羅蜜多，尚不能起菩薩勝定，乃至況當能得一切智智？我若無智，不學般若波羅蜜多，尚不能得諸巧便慧、超二乘地，乃至況當能得一切智智？』」又，三百五十一云：「於此六種波羅蜜多勤修學時，恒作是念：『世間有情心皆顛倒，沒生死苦，不能自脫。我若不修善巧方便，不能解脫彼生死苦。我當為彼諸有情類，精勤修學布施、淨戒、精進、安忍、靜慮、般若波羅蜜多善巧方便。』以此念觀，故能熾然修六度也。」

Fourth, as for preparatory application: Question: When about to cultivate these six, by what preparatory application is one able to advance in practice?

Answer: Taking the dual benefits [of self and other] as one's mental resolve, one can cultivate these six. Thus the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, fascicle 102, states: "When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva practices the six pāramitās, they should think thus: 'If I do not practice the perfection of giving, I will be born into a poor and base family, lacking any influence; how then could I bring sentient beings to maturity and adorn and purify the buddha-lands, much less attain the wisdom of all wisdoms? If I do not guard the perfection of pure precepts, I will be born in the evil destinies and will not even be able to attain a lowly human body, and so on up to: how much less could I attain the wisdom of all wisdoms? If I do not cultivate the perfection of patience, I will be born with faculties impaired, with an ugly appearance, not possessing the perfect physical body of a bodhisattva. If I attain the perfect physical body of a bodhisattva and practice the bodhisattva path, sentient beings who see me will definitely attain unsurpassed, complete, and perfect bodhi. If I do not attain this perfect physical body, and so on up to: how much less could I attain the wisdom of all wisdoms? If I am lax and do not give rise to the perfection of vigor, I will not even attain the superior path of a bodhisattva, and so on up to: how much less could I attain the wisdom of all wisdoms? If my mind is distracted and I do not enter the perfection of meditation, I will not even produce the superior samādhi of a bodhisattva, and so on up to: how much less could I attain the wisdom of all wisdoms? If I lack wisdom and do not learn the perfection of prajñā, I will not even attain skillful wisdom and transcend the stages of the two vehicles, and so on up to: how much less could I attain the wisdom of all wisdoms?'"

Again, fascicle 351 states: "When diligently training in these six pāramitās, one should constantly think thus: 'The minds of worldly sentient beings are all inverted; sinking in the suffering of birth and death, they cannot liberate themselves. If I do not cultivate skillful means, I cannot liberate them from the suffering of birth and death. For the sake of those sentient beings, I should diligently train in the skillful means of the perfections of giving, pure precepts, vigor, patience, meditation, and prajñā.' Contemplating with such mindfulness, one is able to cultivate the six perfections fervently."