御注金剛般若波羅蜜經宣演 2.181

2.181

Sūtra: “If, furthermore, there is a person […] the merit acquired…”
Exposition: This reveals the superior. The treatise asks: “What is the meaning of patience with the selflessness and unarisen nature of phenomena? Because the Tathāgata has attained mastery over conditioned phenomena, he is free from those phenomena of saṃsāra. Furthermore, because he is not born through the power of karma and afflictions, it is called ‘selflessness’. How is ‘unarisen’ demonstrated here? Just as it is said that in gathering other merit, one does not undergo suffering and affliction even within saṃsāra, how much more so for a bodhisattva who has attained patience regarding the selflessness and unarisen nature of phenomena! The merit generated is far superior to that.” Exposition: Here, by using the bodhisattva for comparison, the intent is to show that the karmic retribution received in the Buddha-fruit is definitely free from suffering, thus encouraging them to undertake it. That treatise's explanation of selflessness attaining non-arising states that there are three kinds of selflessness and non-arising: the forbearance of intrinsic non-arising, the forbearance of natural non-arising, and the forbearance of the non-arising of affliction and suffering. The expression “two kinds of characteristics of selflessness” refers to the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena. Question: If the field of merit is not destroyed, then although it induces karmic retribution, one does not suffer distress, just like Brahmā, Śakra, and the like; thus one should dwell in saṃsāra and not abide in nirvāṇa.