大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 80.20

80.20

Below the commentary's phrase 'non-contemplation is the essence,' it concludes by completing the possession of the three. 'Non-contemplation is the essence' refers to the essence of thoughtlessness. Illuminating cognition is the non-discriminative cognition mentioned above; cutting off refers to the aforementioned seeds of afflictive habits being absent. Joining them to form the characteristic means that the non-duality of quiescence and illumination is the characteristic of bodhi. It is just as a clear mirror has mindlessness as its essence and reflecting illumination as its function, which combine to form its characteristic. It is also like the Chan school's function being identical to essence, where self-knowing is identical to the function's essence being eternally quiescent, and knowing and quiescence being non-dual is the characteristic of the mind.