大乘起信論義疏 1.43

1.43

自下第三明其真如體有相無，此中有三：初結前、中明相無、後辨體有。「是故」者，結前心性，頌前釋成不生不滅，故絕相妙有。自下明其離相，此中有二：一者無他相；二「畢竟」下無自相也。「一切法」者，真如中恒沙法是也。「從本以來」者，非始絕相，表其久來清淨也。「離言說相」者，以無像故不可以言著。體非是生死有相，故言所不及。「離名字相」者，非是生死名字呼法。故《涅槃》云「涅槃無名，強與立名。」「離心緣相」者，非是意識所對法塵境界。前二句者非身識境，後一句非意識境，六識皆非所對之境也。自下明其無自相義。「畢竟平等」者，無有優劣也。「無有變異」者，明其非是變易生死。「不可破壞」者，明其絕斷分段生死，永絕二種生死，離性平等故名無自相也。自下明其體有之義。「唯是一心」者，表其真體，心外更無餘法可得，故言一心，相無而體有也。「故名真如」者，總結釋之。

From here below, the third [topic] clarifies that the essence of tathatā exists while its characteristics are non-existent. In this there are three: first, concluding the preceding; middle, clarifying that characteristics are non-existent; and last, distinguishing that the essence exists. "Therefore": concluding the preceding mind-nature, and recapitulating the earlier explanation to establish that it is unarising and unceasing, and therefore transcending characteristics and wonderfully existent. From here below, it clarifies freedom from characteristics; in this there are two: first, the absence of other-characteristics; second, from "ultimately" below, the absence of self-characteristics. "All dharmas": these are the dharmas [as numerous as] the sands of the Ganges within tathatā. "From the beginning": not having just begun to transcend characteristics, revealing its purity from long ago. "Free from the characteristics of spoken explanations": because it lacks forms, it cannot be designated by words. Since its essence is not the existent characteristics of saṃsāra, words cannot reach it. "Free from the characteristics of names": it is not a dharma called by the names of saṃsāra. Therefore the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: "Nirvāṇa has no name; one arbitrarily establishes a name for it." "Free from the characteristics of mental conditioning": it is not a perceptual sphere of dharma-dust confronted by the mental consciousness. The first two phrases are not objects of the body-consciousness, and the last phrase is not an object of the mental consciousness; none of the six consciousnesses has it as an objective realm. From here below, it clarifies the meaning of lacking self-characteristics. "Ultimately equal": having no superiority or inferiority. "Without change": clarifying that it is not the saṃsāra of inconceivable transformation. "Indestructible": clarifying that it completely severs fragmented saṃsāra; permanently severing both kinds of saṃsāra, it is free of intrinsic nature and equal, hence called lacking self-characteristics. From here below, it clarifies the meaning of its essence existing. "Only the one mind": revealing its true essence; since outside the mind there is no other dharma to be found, it is called the one mind, lacking characteristics while its essence exists. "Therefore it is called tathatā": concluding and explaining it generally.