○正信希有分第六
Chapter 6: The Rarity of True Faith
見而信之，善根深固，故受之以正信希有分。
Seeing and believing, their virtuous roots run deep and firm. Therefore, this is followed by the section on True Faith, Which Is Rare.
新注： 二、斷因果俱深無信疑。 此疑從前兩段經文而來。
New Note: 2. The doubt that cuts off both cause and effect, which is a deep lack of faith. This doubt arises from the two preceding passages of the sutra.
須菩提白佛言：世尊！頗有眾生得聞如是言說章句生實信不？
Subhuti then asked the Buddha, "World-Honored One, will there be any beings who, upon hearing these words and teachings, truly believe?"
須菩提問：此法甚深，難信難解，末世凡夫，智慧微劣，云何信入？佛答：在次下。
Subhuti asked, "This teaching is so profound, so difficult to believe and comprehend. In the latter age, ordinary people have such faint and inferior wisdom—how can they come to believe and enter into it?" The Buddha's answer follows.
新注 論云：無住行施，因深也；無相見佛，果深也。因果之法既深，疑末世在迷鈍根眾生，不如是能生信心。
The new commentary states: "Giving without attachment is a profound cause; seeing the Buddha without form is a profound result." Since the law of cause and effect is so profound, there is doubt that sentient beings in the latter age, who are deluded and of dull faculties, may not be able to generate faith in this way.
佛告須菩提：莫作是說：如來滅後後五百歲，有持戒修福者，於此章句能生信心，以此為實。
The Buddha said to Subhuti: Do not say such a thing. In the last five hundred years after the Tathagata's passing, there will be those who uphold the precepts and cultivate merit. For these verses, they will be able to give rise to faith, taking this as true.
須菩(至)為實 金佛不渡爐、木佛不渡火、泥佛不渡水。 頌曰：
Subhūti, what is real? A golden Buddha cannot cross the furnace, A wooden Buddha cannot cross the fire, A clay Buddha cannot cross the water.
A verse says:
三佛威儀總不真， 眼中瞳子面前人。
若能信得家中寶， 啼鳥山華一樣春。
The three Buddhas' majestic forms are not the ultimate truth, The pupil in your eye is the one right before you. If you can trust the treasure within your own home, Then the crying bird and the mountain flower share the same spring.
新注： 佛答：末世自有具福慧人，聞此般若，能生實信。言後五百歲者，大集經中云：有五箇五百歲，今乃最後五百歲時也。持戒，戒也；修福，定也；生信，慧也。三學俱備，能生實信。
New Annotation: The Buddha replied: In the final age, there will be people blessed with merit and wisdom who, upon hearing this Prajñāpāramitā, will be able to give rise to genuine faith. The phrase "the latter five hundred years" refers to the five periods of five hundred years mentioned in the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra—this is now the final five-hundred-year period. Upholding precepts is discipline; cultivating blessings is concentration; giving rise to faith is wisdom. When these three trainings are complete, genuine faith can arise.
當知是人不於一佛、二佛、三、四、五佛而種善根，已於無量千萬佛所種諸善根，聞是章句乃至一念生淨信者。
You should know that such a person has not planted roots of goodness with just one, two, three, four, or five Buddhas, but has already planted all kinds of good roots with countless thousands of Buddhas. Anyone who hears this chapter and even for a single moment gives rise to pure faith—
於我滅後後五百歲，若復有人能持大乘無相戒，不妄取諸相，不造生死業，一切時中心常空寂，不被諸相所縛，即是無所住心，於如來深法心能信入，此人所有言說真實可信。何以故？此人不於一劫、二劫、三、四、五劫而種善根，已於無量千萬億劫種諸善根。是故如來說：我滅後後五百歲，有能離相修行者，當知是人不於一、二、三、四、五佛種諸善根。何名種諸善根？略述次下。所謂於諸佛所，一心供養，隨順教法；於諸菩薩、善知識、師僧、父母、耆年、宿德、尊長之處，常行恭敬，承順教命，不違其意，是名種諸善根。於一切貧苦眾生，起慈愍心，不生輕厭，有所須求，隨力惠施，是名種諸善根。於一切惡類，自行和柔忍辱，歡喜逢迎，不逆其意，令彼發歡喜心，息剛戾心，是名種諸善根。於六道眾生，不加殺害，不欺不賤，不毀不辱，不騎不箠，不食其肉，常行饒益，是名種諸善根。信心者，信般若波羅蜜能除一切煩惱，信般若波羅蜜能成就一切出世功德，信般若波羅蜜能出生一切諸佛，信自身中佛性本來清淨，無有染污，與諸佛性平等無二，信六道眾生本來無相，信一切眾生盡能成佛，是名清淨信心也。
After my passing, in the latter five hundred years, if there is someone who can uphold the formless precepts of the Great Vehicle, not falsely grasping at appearances, not creating karma of birth and death, and whose mind remains constantly empty and tranquil at all times, unbound by appearances—this is the mind that dwells nowhere. Such a person can deeply believe in and enter the profound Dharma of the Tathagata, and all their words are true and trustworthy. Why? Because this person has not planted roots of goodness over one, two, three, four, or five kalpas, but has planted roots of goodness over countless millions of billions of kalpas. Therefore, the Tathagata says: After my passing, in the latter five hundred years, if there is someone who can cultivate while detached from appearances, know that this person has planted roots of goodness not with one, two, three, four, or five Buddhas.
What is meant by planting roots of goodness? Briefly explained below: It means, in the presence of all Buddhas, offering wholehearted support and following their teachings; toward all Bodhisattvas, good spiritual friends, teachers, monastics, parents, elders, venerable ones, and superiors, always acting with respect, complying with their instructions, and not opposing their wishes—this is called planting roots of goodness. Toward all poor and suffering beings, giving rise to a compassionate heart, not feeling contempt or aversion, and providing what they need according to one's ability—this is called planting roots of goodness. Toward all hostile beings, practicing gentleness, patience, and humility, meeting them with joy, not opposing their will, enabling them to develop a joyful heart and abandon their harsh and violent nature—this is called planting roots of goodness. Toward beings in the six realms, not killing or harming them, not deceiving or belittling them, not slandering or humiliating them, not riding or whipping them, not eating their flesh, and always acting for their benefit—this is called planting roots of goodness.
Faith means believing that Prajna Paramita can eliminate all afflictions, believing that Prajna Paramita can accomplish all transcendent virtues, believing that Prajna Paramita can give birth to all Buddhas, believing that the Buddha-nature within oneself is originally pure, unstained, and equal to the Buddha-nature of all Buddhas without distinction, believing that beings in the six realms are originally without fixed characteristics, and believing that all beings can attain Buddhahood—this is called pure faith.
新注： 若論實信之由，從多佛所已種善根，聞此大乘之法，則能生信。至於一念少時生信，亦從佛所種諸善根而然也。
**New Note:** If we speak of the true source of faith, it arises from having planted roots of goodness in the presence of many Buddhas, and upon hearing this Great Vehicle teaching, one is able to give rise to faith. Even a moment of faith, however brief, likewise stems from having planted various roots of goodness in the presence of the Buddhas.
須菩提！如來悉知悉見是諸眾生得如是無量福德。
Subhuti, the Tathagata fully knows and sees all these beings who attain such immeasurable blessings.
當知(至)福德 種瓜得瓜種菓得菓。 頌曰：
一佛二佛千萬佛， 各各眼橫兼鼻直。
昔年親種善根來， 今日依前得渠力。
須菩提！須菩提！
着衣喫飯尋常事， 何須特地却生疑。
新注 信心生，一念諸佛悉皆知。凡有眾生聞是章句，乃至一念淨信，佛智、佛眼無不知見，所以得福無量。
何以故？是諸眾生無復我相、人相、眾生相、壽者相，無法相亦無非法相。
若有人於如來滅後，發般若波羅蜜心，行般若波羅蜜行，修習悟解，得佛深意者，諸佛無不知之。若有人聞上乘法，一心受持，即能行般若波羅蜜無相無著之行，了無我、人、眾生、壽者四相。無我者，無色、受、想、行、識也。無人者，了四大不實，終歸地、水、火、風也。無眾生者，無生滅心也。無壽者，我身本無，寧有壽者？四相既亡，即法眼明徹，不著有無，遠離二邊，自心如來，自悟自覺，永離塵勞妄念，自然得福無邊。無法相者，離名絕相，不拘文字也。亦無非法相者，不得言無般若波羅蜜法。若言無般若波羅蜜法者，即是謗法。
新注： 此順釋生信得福之故。若有四相，生信不深，得法不廣，其福德無量者，為無四相也。無法相者，相執空也。亦無非法相者，性執空也。
何以故？是諸眾生若心取相，即為著我、人、眾。
何以故(至)人眾 圓同大虗無欠無餘。 頌曰：
法相非法相， 開拳復成掌。
浮雲散碧空， 萬里天一樣。
生、壽者；若取法相，即著我、人、眾生、壽者。何以故？若取非法相，即著我、人、眾生、壽者。
取此三相，竝著邪見，盡是迷人，不悟經意。故修行人，不得愛著如來三十二相，不得言我解般若波羅蜜法，亦不得言不得般若波羅蜜行而得成佛。新注 此一節，是返顯違經非福。
是故不應取法，不應取非法。
生壽者(至)取非法 金不博金水不洗水。 頌曰：
得樹攀枝未足奇， 懸崖撒手丈夫兒。
水寒夜冷魚難覔， 留得空船載月歸。
以是義故，如來常說：汝等比丘！知我說法如筏喻者，法尚應捨，何況非法？
法者，是般若波羅蜜法；非法者，生天等法。般若波羅蜜法，能令一切眾生過生死大海；既得過已，尚不應住，何況生天等法而得樂著！
以是義(至)非法 水至成渠。 頌曰：
終日忙忙，那事無妨。 不求解脫，不樂天堂。
但能一念歸無念， 高步毗盧頂上行。
新注： 我人眾生壽者四相，該乎生法二執。生即眾生假名也，法乃五陰實法也，亦名我所。此二執中，各有性相二執，此二執非性相二空妙觀不能破也。故龍樹云：於生於法，破性破相。謂於假名中破性相二執，於實法中亦破性相二執也。不應取法者，忘能觀之智也。不應取非法者，忘所觀之境也。所觀如病，觀智如藥，境智俱泯，如病去藥忘也。言如筏喻者，筏乃渡河之具，到岸則不用之，借喻法尚應捨，何況非法。