藥師經疏 1.68

1.68

Sūtra: 'Ānanda... faith is even more difficult than this.' Section 5: Receiving human life is truly difficult. Regarding 'human life is difficult to obtain,' the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, chapter thirty-four, states: The Buddha on one occasion took a small amount of earth from the ground, placed it on his fingernail, and asked Kāśyapa: 'Is there more earth here on my nail, or in all the great earth of the ten directions?' Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: 'There is more earth in all the great earth of the ten directions; that on the Tathāgata's nail is so little it is not worth mentioning.' The Buddha said: 'Kāśyapa, those who abandon a human body and regain a human body are like the earth on my nail; those who abandon a human body and obtain bodies in the three bad destinies are like the earth in all the great earth of the ten directions.' Regarding 'having faith, reverence, and respect among the Three Jewels is also difficult to obtain,' these are three difficulties. The Jewel of the Buddha being difficult to encounter: chapter two of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says that [hitting the tip of an upright needle with] a mustard seed cast [from above is easy compared to] the emergence of a Buddha, which is more difficult than this. Also, the first fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra says: 'The emergence of Buddhas in the world is rare and distant, difficult to encounter.' The Jewel of the Dharma being difficult to encounter: that sūtra says, 'Even if [a Buddha] appears in the world, preaching this Dharma is still difficult; through immeasurable, countless eons, hearing this Dharma is also difficult; one who is able to listen to this Dharma—such a person is also difficult [to find].' The Jewel of the Saṅgha being difficult to encounter: as spoken of here, hearing the name of that Bhaiṣajyaguru Tathāgata is even more difficult than this. Although six difficulties are raised, the intention is to illuminate the sixth: the difficulty of hearing the name of Bhaiṣajyaguru Tathāgata. Now that one has already been able to hear it, one should properly believe and accept it.