大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經略疏 2.114

2.114

知生死苦，止息攀緣，故云除事，其實未能除三細也。意責不先悟理，但先除事，故有先除未斷之言。

They know the suffering of saṃsāra and cease cognitive conditioning; hence it says 'eliminating phenomena,' though in fact they have not yet been able to eliminate the three subtle marks. The intention is to censure their not first awakening to principle and merely first eliminating phenomena; hence the words 'first eliminating without having severed.'