大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 60.33

60.33

Regarding the Commentary's 'self and purity,' etc.: the four inversions (viparyāsa) depend on falsely conceptualizing the five aggregates. Relying on dharmas, one conceptualizes a self—that is, relying on the aggregates of conception and volition, and relying on the body, one conceptualizes purity; that is, relying on the aggregate of form, one grasps appearances, and through discursive thought spontaneously conceptualizes a self. Covered by thin skin, one spontaneously conceptualizes purity; hence it does not require deliberate mindfulness. If one conceptualizes the mind as permanent, it mostly arises from deliberation; conceptualizing feeling as pleasure requires being confronted with objects and losing mindfulness. Thus, self and purity are like innate [defilements], while permanence and pleasure are like conceptually differentiated [ones]; hence there are degrees of difficulty and ease. Master Yuan took 'self' as the root of 'permanence' and 'purity' as the source of 'pleasure,' and thus used 'root and branch' to explain difficulty and ease. In doing so, he spoke of nine kinds of root and branch: First, as in the *Awakening of Faith*, tathatā is the root and avidyā is the branch, because avidyā exists depending on tathatā. Second, avidyā is the root and the three inversions are the branch. Third, among the three inversions, the inversion of view is the root, and thought and mind are the branches. Fourth, the three inversions are the root and the four inversions are the branch. Fifth, among the four inversions, self and purity are the root, and permanence and pleasure are the branch. Sixth, the four inversions are the root and birth into the dense thickets of the evil destinies is the branch. Seventh, these very [thickets] are the root and active afflictions are the branch. Eighth, all afflictions are the root and all karmas are the branch. Ninth, all karmas are the root and painful fruitions are the branch. Here, he only cites the fifth. These nine layers are not essential here, but they hold some measure of reason, so they are recorded once more.