大乘起信論義疏 1.94

1.94

自下第二，從「是故三界」以下，明其七識根源義。此中有四：一者明生死無體妄心而有；二者「此義云何」以下，釋其所以；三者「當知世間」以下，勸人令知；四者「是故一切法」以下，結無體依心。初中有二：一者順釋、二者返釋。言「是故」者，上明五心相生緣故以有生死，但心主耳，「三界虛偽唯心所作」也。如夢所見、如鏡中像，無有自體。若言近者心謂七識，若談遠者心是八識。「離心即無六塵境」者，此返釋也。此義云何？設問發起。言「一切法」者，生死諸法也。「從心起」者，是真識也。妄不孤立，由依真起，名從心起。「妄念而生」者，妄念是其第七識也。若言近者，生死諸法從妄念生。前明起由，後明正體，成合生諸法。言「一切分別即分別自心」者，自心是其真相識也。是真識者，眾生中實就妄緣故，有異妄故。一切心識分別真理者，即分別自心，更無別理故也。言「心不見心」者，就真論真，無有分別，無能所故、無相可得故，名不見心也。此之德標顯生死無體、真諦無相，道理如是。經說二諦，宗要在斯。自下第三觀知生死無體。「當世間一切境」者，猶上一切法也。「皆依眾生無明妄心得住持」者，是正體也。無明是其無明識也，妄心是其業識。以上乃至續識，總名妄心。此之六識生死之體，故名住持也。自下第四結無體。「是故一切法如鏡中像」，無體可得。言「唯心」者，唯隨於心，以從心故，心生法生，心滅法滅，故言唯心也。言「虛妄」者，是能隨法也。

Below this is the second section, from "Therefore the three realms" onward, which clarifies the meaning of the root source of the seventh consciousness. Herein there are four parts: first, clarifying that birth-and-death lacks intrinsic essence and exists through the deluded mind; second, from "What does this mean?" onward, explaining the reason for this; third, from "One should know that all the worldly" onward, exhorting people to know it; fourth, from "Therefore all phenomena" onward, concluding that they lack essence and rely on the mind. In the first part there are two: first, an explanation according to the sequence; second, an explanation in reverse. "Therefore": above it clarified that the five minds arise in dependence on one another, because of which there is birth-and-death; the mind is merely the master: "the three realms are illusory and made solely by mind". Like what is seen in a dream or an image in a mirror, they have no self-essence. If spoken of proximately, mind refers to the seventh consciousness; if discussed remotely, mind is the eighth consciousness. "Apart from mind, there are no realms of the six sense objects" is the explanation in reverse. What does this mean? This poses the question to introduce it. "All phenomena" refers to all phenomena of birth-and-death. "Arise from the mind" refers to the true consciousness. Delusion does not stand alone; because it arises by relying on the true, it is said to "arise from the mind". "Born from deluded thoughts": deluded thoughts are the seventh consciousness. If spoken of proximately, all phenomena of birth-and-death are born from deluded thoughts. The former clarifies the cause of arising; the latter clarifies the proper essence; together they constitute the arising of all phenomena. "All discrimination is precisely discrimination of one's own mind": one's own mind is the true-mark consciousness. As for this true consciousness, because it is the actual reality within sentient beings and accords with deluded conditions, it is distinct from delusion. When all minds and consciousnesses discriminate true principle, that is precisely discriminating their own mind, because there is no other separate principle. "The mind does not see the mind": discussed in terms of the true, within the true there is no discrimination, because there is neither subject nor object, and because no marks can be apprehended; hence it is called "not seeing the mind". This virtue indicates and reveals that birth-and-death has no essence and the ultimate truth has no marks; such is the principle. When sūtras speak of the two truths, the essential purport lies herein. Below this is the third part, contemplating and knowing that birth-and-death lacks intrinsic essence. "All objective realms in the world" is like "all phenomena" above. "All depend on the deluded mind of sentient beings' ignorance to be maintained" is the proper essence. Ignorance is the ignorance-consciousness; deluded mind is the karma-consciousness. From the above up to the continuing consciousness, they are collectively termed the deluded mind. These six consciousnesses are the essence of birth-and-death, hence they are called "maintained". Below this is the fourth part, concluding that they lack intrinsic essence. "Therefore all phenomena are like images in a mirror": no essence can be apprehended. "Solely mind": they solely follow the mind, because they derive from the mind: when the mind arises, phenomena arise; when the mind ceases, phenomena cease; hence it says "solely mind". "False and deluded" refers to the phenomena that follow [the mind].