大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 5.52

5.52

The treatise says: "What are the four? … dharma of tathatā." The commentary says: Below it explains the four types of faith, which are divided into four. This is the first, faith that there is the cause of attaining Buddhahood. In each of the four passages there are two aspects: first, indicating the supreme virtues that are the objects of faith; second, generating supreme practice to aspire and seek. "Faith in the root": this is the virtue that is the object of faith. The principle of tathatā is the root of all dharmas, that which the Buddhas take as their teacher, that to which the Buddhas return, and the source of all practices; therefore it is called the root. From "delighting in contemplating…" downward, it directly explains the attribute of faith. Knowing that this tathatā is the source of all dharmas, delighting in contemplating and observing it is called having faith in the root.