大乘起信論義記 2.185

2.185

First, regarding “all worldly objects of cognition appear entirely within it”: this explains that all phenomena have no separate essence outside of this mind, just as reflections can appear in a mirror. “Without exiting” explains that because the mind depends on perfuming to transform and manifest the various phenomena, they do not emerge spontaneously without depending on perfuming. “Without entering” means that since there is nothing capable of perfuming apart from the mind, they do not enter from the outside. “Without being lost” means that although they neither emerge from within nor enter from without, the phenomena of pratītyasamutpāda nevertheless manifest and are not non-existent; hence it says “without being lost.” “Without being destroyed” means that all phenomena are gathered by conditions and their arising has no source from which they come; they are not different from tathatā, and therefore cannot be destroyed. Just as a reflection in a mirror cannot be harmed by a blade, because it is identical with the mirror it cannot be destroyed. “Constantly abiding in the One Mind” integrates the marks into the same essence. The text from “because all phenomena” onward explains the reason why they are identical with the mirror. Because their manifesting within the mind is free of exiting, entering, and so forth, they lack independent essence; lacking independent essence, they are originally equal and not different from tathatā. Hence it says “constantly abiding in the One Mind,” down to “true nature.”