起信論疏 1.23

1.23

「復次」以下廣本覺。於中有二：先明隨染本覺、後顯性淨本覺。初中有三：一者總標、二者列名、三者辨相。初中言「生二種相」者，如是二種相，在隨動門，故言生也。此二不離性淨本覺，故言「與彼不相捨離」。第二列名中言「智淨相」者，正明隨染本覺之相；「不思議業相」者，明此本覺還淨時業也；第三辨相中，先辨智淨相，於中有三：法、喻與合。法中有二：直明、重顯。初中言「法力熏習」者，謂真如法內熏之力。依此熏力修習資糧，得發地上「如實修行」，至無垢地「滿足方便」；由是能「破和合識」內生滅之相，顯其不生不滅之性，故言破和合識相「顯現法身」。此時能「滅相續心」中業相轉相，令其隨染本覺之心，遂得歸源、成淳淨智，故言「滅相續心相」，「智淳淨」故。此中相續識者，猶是和合識內生滅之心，但為顯現法，故說破和合識；為成應身淨智，故說滅相續識相。然不滅相續心，但滅相續心之相也。如經說言「是故大慧！諸識自相滅，自相滅者業相滅。若自相滅者，不異外道斷見戲論。諸外道說『離諸境界，相續識滅，相續識滅已，即滅諸識。』大慧！若相續識滅者，無始世來諸識應滅。」乃至廣說也。「此義云何」以下，重顯前說滅不滅義。「一切心識之相皆是無明」者，謂業識、轉識等諸識相，無明所起，皆是不覺，以之故言皆是無明。如是諸識不覺之相，不離隨染本覺之性，以之故言「不離覺性」。此無明相，與本覺性，非一非異；非異故非可壞，而非一故非不可壞。若依非異非可壞義，說無明轉即變為明；若就非一非不可壞之義，說無明滅、覺性不壞。今此文中依非一門，故說滅相續心相也。喻中言「水非動性」者，明今之動非自性動，但隨他動；若自性動者，動相滅時，濕性隨滅；而隨他動故，動相雖滅，濕性不壞也。合中言「無明滅」者，本無明滅是合風滅也。「相續即滅」者，業識等滅合動相滅也。「智性不壞」者，隨染本覺神解之性名為智性，是合濕性不壞也。次釋不思議業相中，「依智淨」者，謂前隨染本覺之心，始得淳淨，是始覺智；依此智力現應化身，故言「無量功德之相」。此所現相，無始無終，相續不絕，故言「無斷」。如《金鼓經》言「應身者，從無始生死相續不斷故，一切諸佛不共之法能攝持故，眾生不盡、用亦不盡，故說常住。」《寶性論》云「何者成就自身利益？謂得解脫，遠離煩惱障智障，得無障礙清淨法身，是名成就自身利益。何者成就他身利益？既得成就自身利益已，無始世來，自然依彼二種佛身，示現世間自在力行，是名成就他身利益。」問：始得自利已，方起利他業，云何利他說無始耶？解云：如來一念，遍應三世，所應無始故，能應則無始；猶如一念圓智，遍達無邊三世之境，境無邊故，智亦無邊；無邊之智所現之相，故得無始亦能無終。此非心識思量所測，是故名為不思議業也。

From "Furthermore" onward, the text elaborates on original enlightenment. There are two parts to this: first, original enlightenment conforming to defilement is explained; later, original enlightenment of pure nature is revealed. The first part has three sections: first, a general designation; second, an enumeration of names; third, an analysis of the aspects. In the first section, where it says "generates two aspects," it says "generates" because these two aspects are situated within the gate of conforming to movement. Since these two are not separate from original enlightenment of pure nature, it says, "they are not separated from that." In the second section enumerating names, the "aspect of wisdom-purity" properly explains the aspect of original enlightenment conforming to defilement; the "aspect of inconceivable activity" explains the activity of this original enlightenment when it returns to purity. In the third section analyzing the aspects, it first analyzes the aspect of wisdom-purity, which has three parts: doctrine, simile, and application. Within doctrine there are two parts: a direct explanation and a re-exposition. In the first part, "perfuming by the power of the Dharma" refers to the power of internal perfuming by the Dharma of tathatā. Depending on this power of perfuming, one cultivates the provisions (sambhāra), can initiate "correct practice in accordance with reality" on the bhūmis, and arrives at the stainless bhūmi "fulfilling upāya." Through this, one can "break through the composite consciousness" by destroying its internal aspect of arising and ceasing and revealing its nature of neither arising nor ceasing; therefore it says, breaking through the aspect of composite consciousness, "reveals the dharmakāya." At this time, one can "extinguish the continuous mind" by eliminating the karmic aspect and evolving aspect within it, causing this mind of original enlightenment conforming to defilement ultimately to return to the source and accomplish pure wisdom; therefore it says, "extinguishes the aspect of continuous mind" because "wisdom is pure and unadulterated." Here, the continuous consciousness is still the mind of arising and ceasing within the composite consciousness, but for the purpose of revealing the Dharma, it speaks of breaking through the composite consciousness; for the purpose of accomplishing the pure wisdom of the nirmāṇakāya, it speaks of extinguishing the aspect of continuous consciousness. Yet it does not extinguish the continuous mind itself; it only extinguishes the continuous mind's aspects. As the sūtra states: "Therefore, Mahāmati, the individual characteristics of the consciousnesses are extinguished; what is meant by the extinction of the individual characteristics is the extinction of the karmic aspect. If their own nature were extinguished, that would not differ from the nihilistic proliferation of non-Buddhists. The non-Buddhists say, 'Apart from external objects, the continuous consciousness is extinguished; once the continuous consciousness is extinguished, the other consciousnesses are extinguished.' Mahāmati, if the continuous consciousness were extinguished, all the consciousnesses since beginningless time would have to be extinguished"—and so on at length. From "What does this mean?" onward, it re-exposes the previously explained meaning of extinction and non-extinction. "All aspects of mind and consciousness are avidyā" means that the aspects of the various consciousnesses, such as the karmic consciousness and evolving consciousness, are produced by avidyā and are all non-enlightenment; hence it says they are all avidyā. Such non-enlightened aspects of the various consciousnesses are not separate from the nature of original enlightenment conforming to defilement; hence it says "they are not separate from the nature of enlightenment." This aspect of avidyā and the nature of original enlightenment are neither one nor different. Because they are not different, [avidyā] cannot be destroyed; but because they are not one, it is not the case that it cannot be destroyed. If based on the meaning of non-difference and indestructible, one says that when avidyā transforms, it turns into enlightenment; if based on the meaning of non-identity and not indestructible, one says that avidyā is extinguished while the nature of enlightenment is not destroyed. Now in this text, it is based on the gate of non-identity that it speaks of extinguishing the aspect of continuous mind. In the simile, where it says "water is not of a moving nature," this clarifies that its present movement is not movement of its own nature, but only moves in accordance with another. If it were movement of its own nature, when the aspect of movement ceases, the nature of wetness would cease along with it; but because it moves in accordance with another, although the aspect of movement ceases, the nature of wetness is not destroyed. In the application, where it says "avidyā ceases," the cessation of fundamental avidyā corresponds to the cessation of the wind. "The continuity is immediately extinguished" means the cessation of karmic consciousness and so forth corresponds to the cessation of the aspect of movement. "The nature of wisdom is not destroyed" means that the spiritual, cognitive nature of original enlightenment conforming to defilement is called the nature of wisdom; this corresponds to the nature of wetness not being destroyed. Next, in interpreting the aspect of inconceivable activity, "relying on wisdom-purity" means that the former mind of original enlightenment conforming to defilement has just attained purity, which is the wisdom of initial enlightenment. Relying on this power of wisdom, one manifests the nirmāṇakāya; hence it says "the aspect of immeasurable merits." This manifested aspect has neither beginning nor end and is uninterrupted in its continuity; therefore it says "unceasing." As the Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra says: "The nirmāṇakāya, because it is uninterrupted from beginningless saṃsāra, and because it can uphold all unshared qualities of all Buddhas, does not end as long as sentient beings do not end; therefore it is said to be permanently abiding." The Ratnagotravibhāga says: "What is the fulfillment of benefit for oneself? It means attaining liberation, being free from kleśāvaraṇa and jñeyāvaraṇa, and obtaining the unobstructed, pure dharmakāya; this is called fulfilling benefit for oneself. What is the fulfillment of benefit for others? Having attained fulfillment of benefit for oneself, from beginningless time one spontaneously relies on those two kinds of Buddha-bodies to manifest sovereign activities in the world; this is called fulfilling benefit for others." Question: Only after first attaining self-benefit does one initiate the activity of benefiting others; why then is benefiting others said to be beginningless? Explanation: In a single thought, the Tathāgata universally responds throughout the three times. Because that which is responded to is beginningless, the capacity to respond is also beginningless. Just as complete wisdom in a single thought universally reaches the boundless objects of the three times—because the objects are boundless, the wisdom is also boundless—so the forms manifested by this boundless wisdom can have no beginning and also have no end. This is not something that mental consciousness and conceptual thought can fathom; therefore it is called inconceivable activity.