金剛經纂要刊定記 1.29

1.29

元空者喻則可知。法中有二意：一即本來是空。論云：「一切諸法唯依妄念而有差別，若離心念則無一切境界之相。」二即現見空。故色等諸法本來自空，迷人不知妄執為有，雖然執有未始不空。故《中論》云：「諸法若不空，即無道無果。」又云：「以有空義故，一切法得成。」然此一句亦是釋疑，恐人聞說心性本淨。復見論云：「是心則攝世間法」等，便謂本具染等，不合言淨故。下句釋云像色元空也。意云色等若實則污淨心，色等既空憑何污心？如鏡現穢像，穢像元空似有實無，云何染污？故云鏡心本淨、像色元空也。《無上依經》云：「清淨有二義：一者自性清淨，是其通相。二者離垢清淨，是其別相。」《寶性論》中亦有二義：一自性清淨，謂性淨解脫。二離垢清淨，謂障盡解脫。魏譯《唯識論》云：「心有二種。一者相應心，所謂一切煩惱受想行等。二者不相應心，所謂第一義諦常住不變，自性清淨心也。」今所明者，即自性清淨及第一義諦心，故云本淨。

Regarding "fundamentally empty": in the metaphor, it can be understood. In the Dharma, there are two meanings: first, fundamentally it is empty. The treatise says: "All dharmas have distinctions only based on delusional thoughts; if one is free from thoughts of the mind, then there are no characteristics of any objective spheres." Second, it is visibly empty in the present. Therefore, form and other dharmas are originally empty of themselves; deluded people, not knowing this, falsely grasp them as existing, yet although grasped as existing, they have never not been empty. Hence the *Mūlamadhyamakakārikā* states: "If dharmas were not empty, there would be neither path nor fruit." And again: "Because there is the principle of emptiness, all dharmas are able to be accomplished." Moreover, this single clause also resolves a doubt, fearing that people, hearing it said that the mind-nature is originally pure and further seeing the treatise say, "This mind subsumes mundane dharmas," and so forth, would then claim that it fundamentally possesses defilement and the like, so that it would be improper to speak of purity. Therefore, the lower clause explains that images and form are fundamentally empty. The meaning is that if form and the like were real, they would stain the pure mind; since form and the like are empty, on what basis could they stain the mind? Just as when a mirror manifests an unclean image, the unclean image is fundamentally empty, appearing to exist but truly absent, how could it defile it? Hence it says the mirror and mind are originally pure, and the image and form are fundamentally empty. The *Anuttarāśraya Sūtra* states: "Purity has two meanings: first, intrinsic purity, which is its universal characteristic; second, purity free from defilement, which is its particular characteristic." The *Ratnagotravibhāga* also has two meanings: first, intrinsic purity, referring to liberation through purity of nature; second, purity free from defilement, referring to liberation through the exhaustion of hindrances. The Wei translation of the *Vijñaptimātratā Treatise* states: "The mind has two kinds: first, the associated mind, namely all afflictions, sensation, perception, volition, and so forth; second, the unassociated mind, namely the supreme truth that is permanently abiding and unchanging, the intrinsically pure mind." What is clarified here is precisely the intrinsically pure and supreme-truth mind; therefore, it is said to be 'originally pure'.