起信論疏 1.21

1.21

次消其文，約於四相以別四位，四位之中各有四義：一能覺人、二所覺相、三覺利益、四覺分齊。初位中言「如凡夫人」者，是能覺人，位在十信也。「覺知前念起惡」者，顯所覺相，未入十信之前，具起七支惡業；今入信位，能知七支實為不善，故言覺知前念起惡。此明覺於滅相義也。「能止後念令不起」者，是覺利益。前由不覺，起七支惡念；今既覺故，能止滅相也。言「雖復名覺，即是不覺」者，明覺分齊，雖知滅相實是不善，而猶未覺滅相是夢也。第二位中言「如二乘觀智、初發意菩薩等」者，十解以上三賢菩薩、十解初心，名發心住。舉此初人兼取後位，故言初發意菩薩等，是明能覺人也。「覺於念異」者，明所覺相，如前所說六種異相，分別內外計我我所；此三乘人了知無我，以之故言覺於念異。欲明所相心體無明所眠，夢於異相、起諸煩惱，而今與智慧相應，從異相夢而得微覺也。「念無異相」者，是覺利益，既能覺於異相之夢，故彼六種異相永滅，以之故言念無異相也。「捨麁分別執著相故，名相似覺」者，是覺分齊，分別違順起貪瞋等，是名麁分別執著相；雖捨如是麁執著想，而猶未得無分別覺，故名相似覺也。第三位中「法身菩薩等」者，初地以上十地菩薩，是能覺人也。「覺於念住」者，住相之中，雖不能計心外有塵，而執人法內緣而住。法身菩薩通達二空，欲明所相心體前覺異相，而猶眠於住相之夢；今與無分別智相應，從住相夢而得覺悟，故言覺於念住，是所覺相也。「念無住相」者，四種住相滅而不起，是覺利益也。「以離分別麁念相」者，人我執名分別，簡前異相之麁分別，故不名麁；法我執名為麁念，異後生相之微細念，故名麁念。雖復已得無分別覺，而猶眠於生相之夢，故名「隨分覺」，是覺分齊也。第四位中如「菩薩盡地」者，謂無垢地，此是總舉，下之二句，別明二道。「滿足方便」者，是方便道；「一念相應」者，是無間道。如《對法論》云「究竟道者，謂金剛喻定，此有二種，謂方便道攝、無間道攝。」是明能覺人也。「覺心初起」者，是明所覺相；心初起者，依無明有生相，相心體令動念，今乃證知離本覺無不覺；即動念是靜心，故言覺心初起。如迷方時謂東為西；悟時乃知西即是東，當知此中覺義亦爾也。「心無初相」者，是明覺利益，本由不覺，有心元起；今既覺故，心無所起，故言心無初相。前三位中雖有所離，而其動念猶起未盡，故言念無住相等。今究竟位，動念都盡，唯一心在，故言心無初相也。「遠離」以下，明覺分齊。於中二句：初正明覺分齊；「是故」以下，引經證成。業相動念，念中最細，名微細念。此相都盡，永無所餘，故言遠離。遠離之時，正在佛地。前來三位，未至心源，生相未盡，心猶無常，今至此位，無明永盡，歸一心源，更無起動，故言「得見心性，心即常住」，更無所進，「名究竟覺」。又復未至心源，夢念未盡，欲滅此動，望到彼岸；而今既見心性，夢想都盡，覺知自心本無流轉；今無靜息，常自一心，住一如床，故言得見心性，心即常住。如是始覺不異本覺，由是道理名究竟覺。此是正明覺分齊也。引證中言「能觀無念者，則為向佛智故」者，在因地時雖未離念，而能觀於無念道理，說此能觀為向佛地，以是證知佛地無念。此是舉因而證果也。若引通說因果文證者，《金鼓經》言「依諸伏道，起事心滅；依法斷道，依根本心滅；依勝拔道，根本心盡。」此言諸伏道者，謂三十心。起事心滅者，猶此論中捨麁分別執著想，即是異相滅也；法斷道者，在法身位；依根本心滅者，猶此中說捨分別麁念相，即是住相滅也；勝拔道者，金剛喻定；根本心盡者，猶此中說遠離微細念，是謂生相盡也。上來別明始覺差別。

Next, in explicating the text, the four positions are distinguished according to the four marks. Within the four positions, each has four meanings: first, the person who realizes; second, the mark that is realized; third, the benefit of realization; and fourth, the scope of realization. In the first position, the phrase "such as ordinary people" refers to the person who realizes, whose position is at the ten faiths. "Realizing that the preceding thought arose with evil" reveals the mark that is realized: before entering the ten faiths, one fully gave rise to the evil karma of the seven branches; now having entered the rank of faith, one can know that the seven branches are truly non-virtuous. Therefore, it is said: "realizing that the preceding thought arose with evil." This clarifies the meaning of realizing the mark of cessation. "Being able to stop subsequent thoughts, causing them not to arise" is the benefit of realization. Previously, due to non-enlightenment, one gave rise to evil thoughts of the seven branches; now, having realized, one can stop the mark of cessation. The statement "although it is called realization, it is just non-enlightenment" clarifies the scope of realization: although one knows that the mark of cessation is truly non-virtuous, one has not yet realized that the mark of cessation is a dream. In the second position, the phrase "such as the contemplative wisdom of the two vehicles, the bodhisattva who has first generated the resolve, and so on" refers to the bodhisattvas of the three virtuous ranks above the ten understandings. The first mind of the ten understandings is called the station of generating the resolve. Citing this initial person to encompass the subsequent ranks, it therefore says: "the bodhisattva who has first generated the resolve, and so on"; this clarifies the person who realizes. "Realizing the difference of thought" clarifies the mark that is realized. As previously explained regarding the six kinds of marks of difference, one discriminates internal and external, grasping at self and what belongs to self; these persons of the three vehicles thoroughly understand selflessness, and for this reason it says "realizing the difference of thought." It intends to clarify that the characterized essence of the mind, asleep in avidyā, dreamed of the marks of difference and gave rise to the various defilements; but now, associating with wisdom, it attains a slight awakening from the dream of the marks of difference. "Thought is devoid of the mark of difference" is the benefit of realization: since one can awaken from the dream of the mark of difference, those six kinds of marks of difference are eternally extinguished. For this reason, it says: "thought is devoid of the mark of difference." "Because one renounces the coarse discriminative marks of grasping, it is called approximate realization" is the scope of realization. Discriminating concord and discord and giving rise to greed, anger, and so forth is called the coarse discriminative mark of grasping. Although one renounces such coarse thoughts of grasping, one has not yet attained non-conceptual realization; therefore, it is called approximate realization. In the third position, "the dharmakāya bodhisattvas and so forth" refers to the bodhisattvas of the ten bhūmis from the first bhūmi upward; these are the persons who realize. "Realizing the abiding of thought": within the mark of abiding, although one cannot conceive of dust-objects outside the mind, one grasps persons and dharmas, abiding by taking internal conditions. The dharmakāya bodhisattva penetrates the two emptinesses. It intends to clarify that the characterized essence of the mind previously realized the mark of difference, yet still slept in the dream of the mark of abiding; now, associating with non-conceptual wisdom, it attains awakening from the dream of the mark of abiding. Therefore, it says "realizing the abiding of thought"; this is the mark that is realized. "Thought is devoid of the mark of abiding": the four kinds of marks of abiding cease and do not arise; this is the benefit of realization. "Because of being free from the mark of coarse discriminative thought": the grasping of a personal self is called discrimination; to distinguish it from the coarse discrimination of the previous mark of difference, it is not called coarse. The grasping of dharma-self is called coarse thought; to distinguish it from the subtle thought of the subsequent mark of arising, it is called coarse thought. Although one has already attained non-conceptual realization, one still sleeps in the dream of the mark of arising; therefore, it is called "partial realization," which is the scope of realization. In the fourth position, "such as when a bodhisattva exhausts the stages" refers to the Impeccable Stage (Amalā bhūmi). This is a general designation, and the two lines below specifically clarify the two paths. "Fulfilling the upāya" is the path of upāya; "associating in a single thought" is the uninterrupted path. As the Abhidharma-samuccaya-bhāṣya says: "The ultimate path refers to the vajropama-samādhi; this has two kinds, namely being subsumed under the path of upāya and being subsumed under the uninterrupted path." This clarifies the person who realizes. "Realizing the initial arising of the mind" clarifies the mark that is realized. As for the mind's initial arising: relying on avidyā, there is the mark of arising, which characterizes the mind's essence and makes thoughts stir. Now, one directly realizes that apart from original enlightenment, there is no non-enlightenment; stirring thoughts are precisely the tranquil mind. Therefore, it is said: "realizing the initial arising of the mind." It is like being disoriented about directions and taking east to be west; when one awakens, one then knows that west is precisely east. One should know that the meaning of realization here is also like this. "The mind is devoid of the initial mark" clarifies the benefit of realization. Originally, due to non-enlightenment, the mind originally arose; now, having realized, there is nothing that the mind gives rise to, so it says: "the mind is devoid of the initial mark." In the previous three positions, although there was something renounced, the stirring thoughts still arose without being exhausted; therefore, it says that thought is devoid of the mark of abiding, and so forth. Now in the ultimate position, stirring thoughts are completely exhausted and only the One Mind remains; therefore, it says: "the mind is devoid of the initial mark." "Transcending..." and what follows clarifies the scope of realization. Within this there are two sentences: first, directly clarifying the scope of realization; second, from "for this reason" onward, citing a sūtra to verify it. The stirring thoughts of the karmic aspect are the subtlest among thoughts, called subtle thoughts. When this mark is completely exhausted with nothing remaining forever, it is called "transcending." The moment of transcending is precisely in the Buddha-stage. In the previous three positions, one had not reached the source of the mind; the mark of arising was not exhausted, and the mind was still impermanent. Now, reaching this position, avidyā is permanently exhausted, one returns to the source of the One Mind, and there is no further stirring. Therefore, it says: "attaining the perception of the mind-nature, the mind is permanently abiding." With nothing further to advance toward, it is "called ultimate enlightenment." Furthermore, having not reached the source of the mind, dream-thoughts were not exhausted, and wishing to extinguish this stirring, one hoped to reach the other shore; but now, having seen the mind-nature, dream-thoughts are completely exhausted, and one realizes that one's own mind was originally without transmigration; now without tranquil cessation, it is constantly and naturally the One Mind, abiding on the couch of single suchness. Therefore, it says: "attaining the perception of the mind-nature, the mind is permanently abiding." In this way, initial enlightenment is not different from original enlightenment; by this principle, it is called ultimate enlightenment. This directly clarifies the scope of realization. In the citation for verification, the phrase "those who are able to contemplate non-thought are oriented toward the Buddha's wisdom" means: although in the causal stage one has not yet separated from thoughts, being able to contemplate the principle of non-thought is described as this ability to contemplate being oriented toward the Buddha-stage, which verifies that the Buddha-stage is without thought. This is adducing the cause to verify the fruit. If one cites texts that speak generally of cause and fruit for verification, the Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra says: "Relying on the paths of subduing, the mind that gives rise to activities ceases; relying on the path of dharma-severance, the mind relying on the root ceases; relying on the path of supreme extirpation, the root mind is exhausted." Here, "the paths of subduing" refers to the thirty minds. "The mind that gives rise to activities ceases" is like the abandonment of the coarse discriminative thoughts of grasping in this treatise, which is the cessation of the mark of difference. "The path of dharma-severance" is in the dharmakāya rank. "The mind relying on the root ceases" is like the abandonment of the marks of coarse discriminative thoughts spoken of here, which is the cessation of the mark of abiding. "The path of supreme extirpation" is the vajropama-samādhi. "The root mind is exhausted" is like transcending subtle thoughts spoken of here, which refers to the exhaustion of the mark of arising. The above has specifically clarified the differences in initial enlightenment.