金剛經疏 1.17

1.17

上半明俗。下半明真。文有兩重。一約俗二約真。此約俗也。為利益一切眾生應如是布施者。明約俗有眾生可言有為故。言為利益一切眾生應如是布施。何以故。由約俗諦陰界入等有故。言利益者三檀分別。即登眾生捨三種苦。得三種樂。由資生檀故。令捨貧窮苦得巨富樂。由無畏檀故。令捨怖畏苦得安穩樂由法檀故。令捨生死苦得涅槃樂。菩薩所以能三檀利益眾生者。六真七似故。能利益眾生。六真者。謂以六度利益眾生也。以施令成善器。以戒令其禁守。以忍耐與違惡。以進助其順善。以定化令入法。以智斷其疑網。如偈說令器及禁耐惡與助善入法亦斷疑六行饒益事。七似者。一似母。二似父。三似善友。四似同侶。五似健奴五六似闍梨。七似和上。此七各有五業。合三十五種饒益。如法華讚述中說。由菩薩能具六真七似。能利益眾生故。言為利益一切眾生應如是布施也。

The upper half explains the conventional; the lower half explains the ultimate. The text has two levels: first, regarding the conventional; second, regarding the ultimate. This is regarding the conventional. As for 'to benefit all sentient beings, one should give dāna in this way', it explains that, regarding the conventional, there are sentient beings, so one may speak of doing something; thus it says, 'to benefit all sentient beings, one should give dāna in this way.' Why is this? Because regarding saṃvṛti-satya, the aggregates, elements, and sense bases exist. As for 'benefit', it is distinguished by the three types of giving: namely, enabling sentient beings to abandon three kinds of suffering and attain three kinds of bliss. By material giving, it causes them to abandon the suffering of poverty and attain the bliss of great wealth. By the gift of fearlessness, it causes them to abandon the suffering of terror and attain the bliss of peace and security. By the gift of the Dharma, it causes them to abandon the suffering of birth and death and attain the bliss of nirvāṇa. The reason a bodhisattva can benefit sentient beings through the three types of giving is because of the six real and the seven semblance [modes]. Thus they can benefit sentient beings. The six real [modes] mean benefiting sentient beings through the six pāramitās: by dāna making them fit vessels for good; by śīla making them observe the precepts; by kṣānti enduring adversity and malice; by vīrya assisting their wholesome tendencies; by dhyāna transforming them to enter the Dharma; by prajñā cutting away their net of doubts. As the verse says: 'Making them vessels, keeping precepts, enduring malice, assisting good, / Entering the Dharma, and cutting doubts: these are the six practices of benefiting.' The seven semblances are: first, like a mother; second, like a father; third, like a good friend; fourth, like a companion; fifth, like a capable servant; sixth, like an ācārya; seventh, like an upādhyāya. These seven each have five actions, totaling thirty-five kinds of benefiting, as explained in the Eulogy and Commentary on the Lotus Sūtra. Because a bodhisattva can possess the six real and the seven semblances and thereby benefit sentient beings, it says: 'to benefit all sentient beings, one should give dāna in this way.'