大乘起信論別記 1.69

1.69

言「以無念等」者，是釋成上義。此中有伏疑。云佛得無念，眾生有念，如是隔別，所以自得無念知他有念者何？由彼一切有念，其性本來無念。今佛所得無念，與彼無念平等無二，言以無念平等故。既得平等無念，故能遍知諸念也。此中正明無異之義。雖曰始得無念方成始覺，而覺於四相本來無起，得何不覺而有始覺？故言而實無有始覺之異。云何無異者？以四相生起義有前後，而從本已來同時相依。又此四相，為心所成，除心以外，無別自體，故言四相俱時而有皆無自立。猶如海水之動說名為波，波無自體故，無波之動；水有體故，有水之動。心與四相義亦如是。為顯是義故，四卷經云「大惠！七識不流轉，不受苦樂，非涅槃因。如來藏者，受苦樂，與因俱，若生若滅。」又《夫人經》云「於此六識及心法智，此七法剎那不種眾苦，不得厭苦、樂求涅槃。世尊！如來藏者，無前際，不起不滅法，種諸苦，得厭苦、樂求涅槃。」又云「生死者是二法，是如來藏世間言說故有生有死。非如來藏有生死法。」此二經意，同明即如來藏流轉生死，生死根本無自體，無自體故無別流轉。相既無轉，體何由動？故言非如來藏有生有死。由是義故，四相唯是一心，不覺即同本覺，故言本來平等同一覺也。

When it says, "Because of thoughtlessness, they are equal...", this explains and establishes the above meaning. Here there is an implicit doubt: it says that the Buddha attains thoughtlessness, while sentient beings have thoughts; since they are separated like this, how is it that having attained thoughtlessness himself he knows that others have thoughts? It is because the nature of all those who have thoughts is fundamentally thoughtlessness. The thoughtlessness now attained by the Buddha is equal and non-dual with that thoughtlessness; hence it says "because of thoughtlessness, they are equal." Having attained equal thoughtlessness, he is able to completely know all thoughts. Here it directly clarifies the meaning of non-difference. Although it is said that only when first attaining thoughtlessness does one accomplish actualized enlightenment, yet since one awakens to the four characteristics having fundamentally never arisen, what non-enlightenment did one possess such that there could be an actualized enlightenment? Hence it says: "Yet in reality there is no difference of an actualized enlightenment." Why is there no difference? Because the meaning of the arising of the four characteristics has priority and posteriority, yet from the beginning they are simultaneously mutually dependent. Furthermore, these four characteristics are produced by the mind; apart from the mind, there is no separate self-essence; hence it says "the four characteristics exist simultaneously and none has independent existence." It is just like the stirring of sea water being called waves: because waves have no self-essence, there is no stirring of waves; because water has an essence, there is the stirring of water. The mind and the four characteristics are also like this in meaning. To reveal this meaning, the Four-fascicle Laṅkāvatārasūtra says: "Mahāmati! The seven consciousnesses do not transmigrate, do not experience pain and pleasure, and are not the cause of nirvāṇa. The tathāgatagarbha experiences pain and pleasure, is together with causes, and arises and ceases." Also the Śrīmālādevīsūtra says: "Regarding these six consciousnesses and the mental dharma of cognition, these seven dharmas do not plant various sufferings in an instant, and cannot loathe suffering and delight in seeking nirvāṇa. World-Honoured One! The tathāgatagarbha has no prior limit, is an unarisen and unceasing dharma, plants various sufferings, and can loathe suffering and delight in seeking nirvāṇa." It also says: "Saṃsāra consists of two dharmas; it is based on the worldly convention of the tathāgatagarbha that there is birth and death. It is not that the tathāgatagarbha has the dharma of birth and death." The intention of these two sūtras is identically to clarify that it is precisely the tathāgatagarbha that transmigrates in saṃsāra; the root of saṃsāra fundamentally has no self-essence, and because it has no self-essence, there is no separate transmigration. Since characteristics have no movement, how could the essence stir? Hence it says it is not that the tathāgatagarbha has birth and death. By this meaning, the four characteristics are only the One Mind, and non-enlightenment is identical to innate enlightenment; hence it is said, "fundamentally equal, identical to the single enlightenment."