釋摩訶衍論 3.25

3.25

本曰：此義云何？如凡夫人，覺知前念起惡，故能止後念令其不起。雖復名覺，即是不覺故。如二乘觀智、初發意菩薩等，覺於念異，念無異相。以捨麁分別執著相，故名相似覺。如法身菩薩等，覺於念住，念無住相，以離分別麁念相故，名隨分覺。如菩薩地盡，滿足方便一念相應，覺心初起心無初相，以遠離微細念故。得見心性心即常住，名究竟覺。是故修多羅說：若有眾生能觀無念者，即為向佛地故。又心起者，無有初相可知。而言知初相者，即謂無念。是故一切眾生不名為覺，以從本來念念相續未曾離念故，說無始無明。若得無念者，則知心相生住異滅。以無念等故，而實無有始覺之異。以四相俱時而有，皆無自立，本來平等同一覺故。

The root text states: What does this mean? It is like an ordinary person who, perceiving that a preceding thought has given rise to evil, is able to stop succeeding thoughts and prevent them from arising. Although this is also named awakening, it is just non-awakening. It is like the contemplative wisdom of the two vehicles, the newly resolved bodhisattvas, and so forth, who awaken to the difference of thoughts, [knowing that] thoughts have no characteristic of difference. Because they abandon coarse conceptual discrimination and attachment to characteristics, this is named approximate awakening. It is like the dharmakāya bodhisattvas and so forth, who awaken to the dwelling of thoughts, [knowing that] thoughts have no characteristic of dwelling; because they are free from the characteristics of coarse discriminating thoughts, this is named partial awakening. It is like the bodhisattvas who have exhausted the grounds: fulfilling skillful means, in a single thought corresponding [with reality], they awaken to the mind's initial arising, [knowing that] the mind has no initial characteristic. Because they are far removed from subtle thoughts, they obtain the vision of the mind's nature, and the mind is constantly abiding; this is named ultimate awakening. For this reason, the sūtras state: "If there are sentient beings who can contemplate thoughtlessness, they are heading toward the Buddha-ground." Moreover, regarding the mind's arising, there is no knowable initial characteristic. When it is said that one knows the initial characteristic, this means thoughtlessness. For this reason, all sentient beings are not called awakened, because from the beginning thought succeeds thought in continuity without ever being free from thoughts; this is called beginningless fundamental ignorance. If one attains thoughtlessness, then one knows the mind's characteristics of arising, dwelling, difference, and cessation. Because of the equality of thoughtlessness, there is in truth no difference in initial awakening, because the four characteristics exist simultaneously, none having self-establishment, and are fundamentally equal as the identical one awakening.