大乘起信論義疏 1.78

1.78

言「如菩薩地盡滿足方便」者，是第四位，第十地之滿心也。言「初起心無初相」者，於四相中初生相時，悟一切法從本以來本無有生。云何觀行？有二種觀：一者息相觀，生死涅槃本是真識，妄隨所起。證實返源，本來無妄。妄想既無，焉有隨妄生死涅槃法相可得？名息相觀。二者實性觀，觀彼真識如來藏體，唯是法界恒沙佛法，同體緣集，互以相成，不離、不脫、不斷、不異。良以諸法同體緣集，互以相成，故無有一法別守自性。雖無一性而無不性，無有守性，即是如如一實之門；而無不性，即是真實、常樂淨等法界門也。體性常然，古今不變，名實性觀也。言「遠離微細念」者，是七識緣智也，無明滅故緣智即滅。

Regarding 'As when a bodhisattva reaches the end of the stages and fulfills upāya,' this refers to the fourth position, the culminating mind of the tenth stage. Regarding 'when the initial mind arises, it is free of the initial mark,' at the time of the initial mark of arising among the four marks, one awakens to the fact that all phenomena from the very beginning originally lack arising. How does one practice contemplation? There are two kinds of contemplation: First is the contemplation of calming the marks: saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are originally the true consciousness, arising merely in accordance with delusion; verifying the real and returning to the source, originally there is no delusion. Since deluded thoughts are already nonexistent, how could there be marks of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa following delusion that could be grasped? This is called the contemplation of calming the marks. Second is the contemplation of the real nature: one contemplates that the essence of the true consciousness as the tathāgatagarbha is solely the dharmadhātu's Buddha-dharmas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, assembled in conditioned arising of identical essence and mutually completing one another, neither separated nor distinct, neither interrupted nor different. Because all phenomena assemble in conditioned arising of identical essence and mutually complete one another, not a single phenomenon separately maintains an intrinsic nature of its own. Although there is not a single nature, there is no absence of nature; having no preserved nature is precisely the gate of the single reality of suchness (tathatā); yet not lacking nature is precisely the dharmadhātu gate of reality, permanence, bliss, purity, and so forth. Its essence and nature are eternally so, unchanging from antiquity to the present; this is called the contemplation of the real nature. Regarding 'far transcending subtle thoughts,' this is the conditioned wisdom of the seventh consciousness; because avidyā ceases, conditioned wisdom immediately ceases.