[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大乘起信論義記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846) › 3.23 # 大乘起信論義記 3.23 大乘起信論義記 3.23 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846.3.23) 亦釋上無明得起所由。以不了真如平等一義故，心不相應忽然念動，名為無明。此顯根本無明最極微細，未有能所、王數差別，即心之惑故云不相應，非同心王心所相應也，唯此無明為染法之源，最極微細，更無染法能為此本，故云忽然念起也。如《瓔珞本業經》云「四住地前更無法起，故名無始無明住地。」是則明其無明之前無別有法為始集之本，故云無始，即是此論忽然義也。此約麁細相依之門說為無前，亦言忽然，不約時節以說忽然，以起無初故也。 > This also explains the reason why the above avidyā is able to arise. Because of not understanding the equal, unified meaning of tathatā, the mind is unconjoined, and suddenly a thought stirs, which is named avidyā. This reveals that fundamental avidyā is extremely subtle; there is not yet the distinction of subject and object or mental king and mental factors. Being a delusion of the mind itself, it is said to be unconjoined, unlike the conjunction of the mental king and mental factors. Only this avidyā is the source of defiled phenomena, being the most extremely subtle; there is no other defiled phenomenon that can serve as its root, hence it is said "suddenly thought arises". As the Yingluo benye jing says: "Before the four abiding stages, no further phenomena arise, hence it is called the beginningless abiding stage of avidyā." This clarifies that before avidyā there is no separate phenomenon that serves as the root of its initial accumulation; hence it is called "beginningless", which is precisely the meaning of "suddenly" in this treatise. This is spoken of as "having nothing prior" and also called "suddenly" in terms of the gateway of the mutual reliance of coarse and subtle, not in terms of time periods, because its arising has no beginning. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846.3.22) - [Next: 3.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846.3.24) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846~en-mt.3.23) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846.3.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846.3.23) · Pramāṇa