大乘起信論義記 3.121

3.121

言從無始乃至不思業者，不空本覺名無漏法。此法冥熏眾生，非物能了，故云不思業也。此中業者，是冥熏作用也。作境界性者，明非直熏彼妄心，令其厭求成能觀智，亦乃與其觀智作所觀境界也。以此二法等者下，顯熏功能。謂此心境二法，亦可此體相二法，冥熏眾生有力故，令起厭求等行。自信等者，明依熏起修行之相也。

The phrase "from beginningless time... inconceivable activity" means that non-empty innate enlightenment is called untainted dharmas. Because this dharma secretly perfumes sentient beings and is not something that [ordinary] beings can comprehend, it is called "inconceivable activity." "Activity" here is the function of secret perfuming. "Acting as the nature of objective realms" explains that it does not merely perfume that deluded mind to make it feel revulsion and seek, thereby becoming the cognitive wisdom capable of contemplating, but it also serves as the contemplated objective realm for that contemplative wisdom. The phrase from "based on these two dharmas" onward reveals the function of perfuming. That is, because these two dharmas of mind and realm—or, these two dharmas of essence and mark—have power in secretly perfuming sentient beings, they cause them to give rise to practices such as revulsion and seeking. "Confidently believe..." and so forth explains the marks of giving rise to cultivation based on perfuming.