大乘起信論義記 2.106

2.106

Question: If incipient enlightenment is different from the innate, it would not constitute the incipient; if the incipient is identical to the innate, there is no difference of incipient enlightenment; how can one say that it is named the innate in contrast to the incipient? Answer: Now, in the gate of arising and ceasing, with respect to the meaning of according with defilement, incipient enlightenment is spoken of by contrasting it with innate enlightenment; but in fact, when incipient enlightenment reaches the source of the mind, the conditions of defilement having been exhausted, incipient and innate do not differ, being equal and beyond words, which is subsumed under the gate of tathatā. Therefore, the name of innate enlightenment is in the gate of arising and ceasing, not in the gate of tathatā.