大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經略疏 1.378

1.378

此云總持，謂圓覺體中有塵沙德用，從本已來持之不失故。然總持有三，謂多字、一字、無字，今即無字也。故《大寶積經．陀羅尼品》云：「如來之智攝諸善巧，所有宣說無不清淨，無有少法所得，皆歸於空，乃至此是諸菩薩等入陀羅尼門。」若據《智論》，即云「陀隣尼」，梵音小異。爾論自翻為能持，亦云能遮，謂種種善法持令不失，惡不善心遮令不生。既言持善遮惡，即是萬行之本，故此標之矣。

Here this is called 'total retention' (zongchi), meaning that within the essence of perfect enlightenment there are virtuous functions numerous as dust and sand, which from the origin have been retained without being lost. Furthermore, dhāraṇī has three types: namely, multiple syllables, a single syllable, and non-syllable; here it is the non-syllable. Thus the *Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra*, Chapter on Dhāraṇī, says: 'The Tathāgata's wisdom gathers all skillful means; all that he proclaims is entirely pure; not the slightest dharma is obtained; all return to emptiness, up to: this is the dhāraṇī gate entered by the bodhisattvas.' If we rely on the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*, it is called *dhāriṇī*, with a slight difference in Sanskrit pronunciation. That treatise translates it as 'able to retain', and also as 'able to block', meaning that it retains all kinds of wholesome dharmas so that they are not lost, and blocks bad and unwholesome minds so that they do not arise. Since it means retaining the wholesome and blocking the bad, it is the root of myriad practices, and therefore it is indicated here.