大乘起信論別記 1.63

1.63

"Awakening to the initial arising of the mind": relying on avidyā there is the characteristic of arising, which deludes the mind-essence and causes thoughts to stir; now one realizes that apart from innate enlightenment there is no non-enlightenment, that the stirring of thoughts is itself the tranquil mind. Hence it says "awakening to the initial arising of the mind." It is like when one loses one's orientation and takes east to be west; when one realizes it, one then knows that the mistaken west is precisely the correct east. The meaning of awakening to the initial arising of the mind is also like this: originally, because of non-enlightenment, the mind stirred without [genuine] arising; now, having awakened, the mind has nowhere to arise; hence it says "the mind has no initial characteristic." In the previous three stages, although each eliminated characteristics, the stirring of thoughts was not yet exhausted; hence it says "thoughts have no characteristic of abiding," and so forth. Now in the ultimate stage, the stirring of thoughts is exhausted all at once, and only the One Mind remains; hence it says "the mind has no initial characteristic." This is the benefit of awakening.