大乘起信論義記 1.26

1.26

Fourth, or that neither of the two things constitutes its nature, because preaching is identical to non-preaching, and because the nature of written words is detached. As a sūtra says: 'One who expounds the Dharma has nothing to expound and nothing to indicate; one who listens to the Dharma has nothing to hear and nothing to attain.' This is what it means. Among these four propositions, taking the first three separately applies to the Hīnayāna, while possessing all four explanations constitutes the Mahāyāna. Moreover, combining these four propositions into a single teaching, mutually unobstructed, is the Mahāyāna teaching. Second, regarding the gate of consciousness-only: the speaker's consciousness manifests as a predominant condition, causing the listener's consciousness to manifest the marks of words and meanings. As the treatise below says: 'If one is free from the thoughts of the mind, then there are no marks of any objects.' Furthermore, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'It is named the consciousness of verbal expression.' Moreover, it appears as an accumulation upon the listener's consciousness, and therefore all sounds, names, sentences, and the like are all manifestations of one's own mind. As the treatise below says: 'They manifest solely reliant on the mind, and are not separated from tathatā.' Third, regarding the gate of returning to the nature: this consciousness has no intrinsic substance; it is solely tathatā. As the treatise below says: 'Therefore, all phenomena from the beginning are free from the marks of verbal expression, free from the marks of names, and free from the marks of mental conditioning; they are ultimately equal, without change, and indestructible. They are solely the One Mind; hence they are called tathatā. Because all verbal expressions are provisional designations without reality, and merely follow deluded thoughts, they are ungraspable.' One may understand in accordance with this. Fourth, regarding the gate of non-obstruction: concerning the previous three gates, mind and objects, principle and phenomena, share the same dependent arising; they are fused without obstruction, mutually interpenetrating and embracing, perfectly luminous and unimpeded, not obstructing one another, and this is taken as the essence of the teaching. Because the phenomenon of the One Mind has two gates, each universally subsuming all phenomena. One should reflect on this in accordance with this. Fifth, regarding the gate of the teaching pervading all phenomena: it pervades all knowable objects across the six dusts, universally possessing the meaning of generating understanding, all constituting the essence of the teaching. Understand it in accordance with this.