大乘起信論義記 2.122

2.122

In the fourth rank, 'when the bodhisattva grounds are exhausted' means that the awakening of the ten grounds has reached its culmination; hence it says 'exhausted.' This is a general presentation. The two lines below explain it specifically: 'fulfillment of expedient means' is the path of expedient means; 'one thought of conjunction' is the uninterrupted path. As the Abhidharma[-samuccaya-bhāṣya] says: 'The ultimate path refers to the vajropamasamādhi. This is of two kinds: subsumed by the path of expedient means, and subsumed by the uninterrupted path.' These are precisely the persons who can contemplate here. 'Awakening to the initial arising of the mind' presents the sphere that is contemplated. 'The initial arising of the mind' explains that fundamental avidyā, relying on enlightenment, becomes deluded, stirring that quiet mind and causing subtle thoughts to arise. Now, one awakens to the realization that apart from innate enlightenment there is no non-enlightenment; that is, the stirred mind is originally quiescent. Just as when one loses one's direction and takes east for west, upon waking up west is itself east and there is no mark of west whatsoever; hence it is said that 'the mind is without an initial mark.' In the previous three ranks, although there was an awakening in each, because their stirred thoughts were not yet exhausted, it only spoke of 'thoughts having no mark of abiding' and so forth. Now in this ultimate rank, stirred thoughts are completely exhausted and only the One Mind remains; hence it says, 'the mind is without an initial mark.' 'Being freed from subtle thoughts' explains the benefit of the contemplation. The stirred thoughts of karmic consciousness are the subtlest among thoughts, called 'subtle thoughts,' which refers to the mark of arising. This mark is completely exhausted with nothing remaining forever; hence it says 'far removed.' Because one is far removed from unreal marks, the true nature immediately manifests; hence it says 'seeing the nature of the mind.' In the previous three ranks, because marks were not exhausted, it did not say 'seeing the nature.' In the previous ranks, awakening had not reached the source, and one was still dreaming the mark of arising, which stirred that quiet mind to become karmic consciousness and so forth, arising and ceasing without stopping. Now this dream of the mark of arising is exhausted, the wind of avidyā has ceased, the waves on the ocean of the nature have subsided, and it is serenely and constantly abiding; hence it says, 'they are able to see the nature of the mind, and the mind is constantly abiding.' 'Ultimate enlightenment': previously, having not reached the source of the mind and the dream thoughts not being exhausted, one sought the cessation of this stirring, hoping to reach the other shore; now, since dream thoughts are completely exhausted, one awakens to and realizes the source of the mind, which originally does not transmigrate and is now quiet without a beginning, constantly of itself the One Mind, equal and uniform; incipient [enlightenment] is not different from innate [enlightenment]. This is called ultimate enlightenment, which concludes the delimitation.