觀心論疏 3.12

3.12

五得善知識者，是大因緣，所謂化導令得見佛。阿難說：「知識，得道半因緣。」佛言：「不爾，具足全因緣也。」知識有三種：一外護、二同行、三教授。若深山絕域、無所資待，不假外護，若修三種三昧，應仰勝緣。夫外護者，不簡白黑，但能營理所須，莫見過、莫觸惱、莫稱歎、莫帆舉而致損壞，如母養兒、如虎㘅子，調和得所，舊行道人乃能為耳，是名外護。二同行者，行隨自意及安樂行，未必須伴。方等、般舟行法決須好伴，更相策發，不眠不散，日有其新，切磋琢磨，同心齊志，如乘一船，互相敬重，如視世尊，是名同行。三教授者，能說般若，示道、非道、內外方便，通塞妨障皆能決了。經云「隨順善師學，得見恒沙佛」，是名教授也。觀心知識者，《大品》云「佛、菩薩、羅漢是善知識，六波羅密、三十七品是善知識，法性、實際是善知識」。若佛菩薩威光覆育，即外護也；六度道品是入道之門，即同行也；法性實際即是諦理，諸佛所師，境能發智，即教授也。一中各具三義，如《止觀》廣辯（云云）。

Fifth, obtaining good spiritual friends: This is a great cause and condition, namely, transforming and guiding one so that one attains the sight of the Buddha. Ānanda said: 'Spiritual friendship is half the cause and condition for attaining the Way.' The Buddha said: 'It is not so; it is the complete and whole cause and condition.' There are three kinds of spiritual friends: first, external protectors; second, fellow practitioners; third, instructing teachers. If one is in deep mountains and secluded regions with nothing to depend upon, one does not rely on external protectors; if one cultivates the three kinds of samādhi, one should look to superior conditions. As for external protectors: without discriminating between lay and monastic, they need only provide what is necessary, not looking for faults, not irritating or disturbing, not praising or flattering, not puffing up sails to cause damage; like a mother nurturing a child, or a tiger holding its cub in its mouth, adjusting appropriately—only a long-practicing person of the Way can do this; this is called an external protector. Second, fellow practitioners: in practicing samādhi through following one's own intent and easy practice, a companion is not strictly necessary. But for the practice methods of the Vaipulya and Pratyutpanna samādhis, one definitely needs a good companion to spur each other on, remaining sleepless and undistracted, renewing oneself day by day, cutting and filing, polishing and grinding, of one mind and equal resolve, like riding in one boat, mutually revering each other as if seeing the World-Honoured One; this is called a fellow practitioner. Third, instructing teachers: able to explain prajñā, showing the path and what is not the path, internal and external expedient means, resolving all blockages, hindrances, and obstacles. A sūtra says: 'Complying with and learning from a good teacher, one attains the sight of Buddhas numerous as the sands of the Ganges'; this is called an instructing teacher. As for spiritual friends in contemplation of mind: the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: 'Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats are good spiritual friends; the six pāramitās and thirty-seven factors of awakening are good spiritual friends; dharma-nature and the reality limit are good spiritual friends.' If the awe-inspiring brilliance of Buddhas and bodhisattvas covers and nurtures, that is the external protector; the six perfections and factors of the Way are the gates for entering the Way, which are the fellow practitioners; dharma-nature and the reality limit are the principle of truth, the master of all Buddhas, where the object can give rise to wisdom, which is the instructing teacher. Each one contains the three meanings, as explained at length in the Great Śamatha and Vipaśyanā, and so forth.