大乘起信論別記 1.34

1.34

Regarding the statement, 'This consciousness has two meanings, which can subsume all dharmas and produce all [dharmas]': the meaning of being able to subsume has already been explained above, where it was said that each of the two gates subsumes everything; here it clarifies that the one consciousness contains two meanings, and therefore the one consciousness can subsume everything. It does not say that the two meanings each subsume everything, because these two are meanings exclusively within the gate of arising and ceasing, and also because these two meanings cannot each subsume all dharmas. Furthermore, above, regarding the two gates, only the meaning of subsuming was spoken of, because in the gate of tathatā there is no meaning of being able to produce; here, regarding this consciousness, the meaning of producing is also spoken of, because it is only in the aforesaid gate of arising and ceasing that there is the meaning of being able to produce. What does this mean? Because non-enlightenment perfumes innate enlightenment, all defiled dharmas are produced; because innate enlightenment perfumes non-enlightenment, all pure dharmas are produced. It is only when these two meanings combine in this way that they can universally produce everything; therefore it is said that the consciousness having two meanings produces all dharmas. This statement directly initiates the text below, from 'there are four kinds of perfuming' onward.