華嚴一乘教義分齊章 2.30

2.30

If relying on the final teaching, it also explains the distinctions of the bodhisattva's ten stages, yet does not explain them using names such as seeing and cultivation. Furthermore, prior to the stages there are only the three ranks of the worthy, because faith is merely practice and not a stage, as non-retrogression has not yet been attained. The Benye jing says: "Before ascending to the abodes there are these ten minds; it does not say they are stages." It also says: "Starting from the ordinary person's stage, encountering the correct teaching of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, one gives rise to a single thought of faith and generates the bodhi mind; at that time this person is called a bodhisattva with the characteristics of faith prior to the abodes, also called a bodhisattva in provisional designation, or a nominal bodhisattva. That person briefly cultivates the ten minds, namely faith, vigor, and so forth," as fully explained therein. Furthermore, the Renwang jing says: "Prior to practice-patience, a bodhisattva practicing the ten virtues has progress and retrogression, just like a light feather following the wind east or west," and so forth. Practicing here for ten thousand eons, one enters the stage of the ten abodes, and only then attains non-retrogression. At the beginning of the ten abodes, one already does not retrogress and fall into the lower stages of the two vehicles, much less the miserable destinies and the ordinary person's stage. Even if the Benye jing says that at the sixth mind of the ten abodes there is retrogression, the Awakening of Faith explains that passage as a manifestation of retrogression, in order to spur on the minds of the remiss, whereas in reality, once a bodhisattva enters the abode of generating the mind, they immediately attain non-retrogression.