金剛般若經旨贊 2.163

2.163

Next below, sixth, the endowment of mind is explained. Within this, according to the treatise, there are six kinds of mind: first, the mind of the station of mindfulness; second, the mind of correct awakening; third, the setting forth of the Dharma of great benefit; fourth, the assimilation of the Dharmakāya; fifth, the great mind that does not abide in saṃsāra; and sixth, the pure mind abiding in practice. Within these, the first, the mind of the station of mindfulness, in the sūtra reveals the eighteenth [doubt], the doubt about what kind of person can have faith. But this sūtra text also lacks this sūtra passage; other versions do have it, and so the treatise lists it. As the Wei translation states: “At that time, Subhūti addressed the Buddha, saying: ‘World-Honoured One, will there be sentient beings in the future who, upon hearing this Dharma being taught, give rise to faithful minds?’ The Buddha said: ‘Subhūti, they are not sentient beings, nor are they non-sentient beings. Why is this? As for sentient beings, Subhūti, the Tathāgata has said they are not sentient beings; this is called sentient beings.’” The intent here is that a bodhisattva, like the Buddha, constantly bears sentient beings in mind: whether wholesome or unwholesome, whether faithful or unfaithful, one should always benefit them without abandoning them. Yet all bodhisattvas cannot give rise to delight and equanimous mindfulness like the Buddha; fearing that some sentient beings are evil and lack faith and are difficult to hold in compassionate mindfulness, they then give rise to doubt, saying: “Since it was said earlier that the teacher and the taught are both non-existent, what kind of person will have faith in this profound Dharma? Toward those who lack faith, how could one hold compassionate mindfulness without relying on signs to give rise to compassion?” Due to doubt, they do not [arouse compassion] through the Dharma. Afterwards, wishing to reveal their minds of doubt and grasping and cause them to give rise to the station of mindfulness of ungraspable great compassion, [the Buddha] says that sentient beings, whether ultimate or conventional, are neither existent nor non-existent; whether faithful or unfaithful, are neither ordinary beings nor sages. Therein, one should not fixedly grasp right or wrong, but merely take delight in equanimous mindfulness, like the three stations of mindfulness, no longer abandoning sentient beings. Asaṅga, in terms of equanimous mindfulness that induces compassion, terms this the “mind of the station of mindfulness”; Vasubandhu, with respect to there being faith that induces [confidence], terms this “revealing the doubt about what kind of person can have faith.” Therefore, a verse of the treatise says: