金剛般若經旨贊 2.91

2.91

經。是人先世至則為消滅　贊曰。此彰滅罪也。餘本此文即何以故。贊曰先世有二。一過去生。二持經。前罪經被輕。所以即以滅罪釋其所由。業有四。一順現受。二順生受。三順後受。四不定受。若前先世有順後受及不定受。若後先世惠現生後不定。四業罪業既爾。福業亦然。除謗正法。顯善報人及登地上諸聖菩薩。餘說一向偏善惡者。具二業者。隨其善惡有勝劣故受罪福。報彼業盡已受彼業果。而持經人具二業者。由福勝故得持此經。有罪業故被人輕賤。若不持經。善業勢盡惡業不亡。當隨惡道。由持經故。輕受毀辱罪業消滅故說輕賤。是其善事。若唯一向有癡業者。當隨惡道。豈合聞經。若唯一向有福業者。受極樂果。豈被輕賤。妄興色難。未融妙趣妨而不通。若作斯何或不遣。此中且據中處受持令持經人遇難勿退。若心邈到淳至持者。雖無輕賤重罪亦除。

Sūtra: "...this person's past lives... will then be extinguished." / Commentary: This reveals the extinguishing of sins. Other editions have 'Why is this?' before this passage. Commentary: 'Past lives' has two meanings: first, past rebirths; second, the sins prior to upholding the sūtra. Being despised while upholding the sūtra is explained by the extinguishing of sins as its reason. Karma is of four kinds: first, experienced in the present life; second, experienced in the next life; third, experienced in subsequent lives; fourth, indefinite. In the former 'past lives,' there are karmas experienced in subsequent lives and indefinite karmas; in the latter 'past lives,' there are the four karmas: present, next, subsequent, and indefinite. As with sinful karma, so too with meritorious karma. Excepting those who slander the true Dharma, those who demonstrate retributions of good, and the holy bodhisattvas who have ascended the grounds, as for the rest, those who are spoken of as being exclusively good or bad, or who possess both karmas: according to their good and evil being superior or inferior, they receive retributions of sin or merit; when that karma is exhausted, they receive the fruit of the other karma. A person upholding the sūtra possesses both karmas: because their merit is superior, they obtain the upholding of this sūtra; because they have sinful karma, they are despised by others. If they did not uphold the sūtra, when the power of their good karma was exhausted, their evil karma would not disappear, and they would surely fall into evil destinies. Because of upholding the sūtra, lightly receiving humiliation, their sinful karma is extinguished; therefore, being despised is said to be a good thing. If one possessed only foolish karma, one would surely follow evil destinies; how could one be fit to hear the sūtra? If one possessed only meritorious karma, one would receive the fruit of extreme bliss; how could one be despised? Falsely raising difficulties about form without merging with the wondrous destination creates obstructions without penetration. If one makes such doubts, they may not be dispelled. Here, it is provisionally explained in terms of the middle case of upholding, so that those who uphold the sūtra will not regress upon encountering hardship. If one upholds it with a mind that reaches pure perfection, even without being despised, heavy sins are also eliminated.