大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 5.21

5.21

論。三者發起至離癡障故　釋曰。此顯攝善法戒。發起等者。初列名也。謂由勤故發起善根。後由勤故善根增長。即是順真之方便也。謂勤已下次顯其相。於中又顯二種正勤。初明生善。顯一正勤供養等者。生善事也。愛敬等者。生善因也。乃能等者。生善緣也。故未生善法勤令發生。然愛與敬四句分別。一愛非敬。如母於子。二敬非愛。如僕於主。三亦敬愛。如子於親。四非敬愛。如於怨等。而□經言□。但愛者若爾非□不敬□故。今於三寶亦敬愛。故而信增長生眾善也。又為佛法僧力等者。後滅業障。生一正勤。要滅業障不退善根。善不退者。成增長義。即已生善法。勤令增長。前能止中。離現起銷業種。既其炬亡不礙。諸善既增長也。隨順等者。後釋順意。發起善根生福智故。故順離癡善根增長滅業障故。故順離障。以為順真之方便也。

[Treatise:] The third is initiating [… down to:] because it departs from the hindrance of delusion.
[Commentary:] This reveals the precept of gathering wholesome dharmas. Regarding 'initiating' and so forth, it first lists the name. It means that through diligence, one initiates wholesome roots, and subsequently, through diligence, the wholesome roots increase; this is precisely the expedient of according with the real. Regarding 'namely, diligence' and what follows, it next reveals its characteristics. Within this, it also reveals two kinds of right exertion. First, it explains generating goodness, revealing one right exertion: 'making offerings' and so forth are the matters that generate goodness; 'cherishing and revering' and so forth are the causes that generate goodness; 'being able to' and so forth are the conditions that generate goodness. Hence, regarding unarisen wholesome dharmas, one strives to generate them. Now, cherishing and revering are differentiated through four propositions: (1) cherishing without revering, like a mother toward her child; (2) revering without cherishing, like a servant toward his master; (3) both revering and cherishing, like a child toward parents; (4) neither revering nor cherishing, like toward an enemy. Although the […] sūtra says […], only cherishing, if so, does not mean not revering […]. Therefore, now toward the Three Jewels one also feels reverence and cherishing, so that faith increases and gives rise to manifold goods. Regarding 'also, through the power of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha' and so forth, it subsequently extinguishes karmic hindrances and generates one right exertion: one must extinguish karmic hindrances so that wholesome roots do not regress. When goodness does not regress, that constitutes the meaning of increase—namely, regarding wholesome dharmas that have already arisen, one strives to make them increase. In the previous 'being able to desist', one left behind manifest activity; here, one eradicates karmic seeds. Since the torch has perished, it poses no obstruction, and the various goods increase. Regarding 'in accordance with' and so forth, it subsequently explains the meaning of accord: because initiating wholesome roots generates merit and wisdom, it accords with departing from delusion; because the increase of wholesome roots extinguishes karmic hindrances, it accords with departing from hindrances. These constitute the expedient of according with the real.