大乘起信論義記別記 1.4

1.4

又釋大乘有三義：一、辨名，有四：一、約法，有三，謂三大二運，如下論說。二、約行，有七，如《集論》等辨。三、約人法，有七，如《十二門論》說。四、直辨大，即當法為因，苞含為義。又辨乘義，寄喻為名、運載為功，體能合舉，故云大乘。又論云「乘大性故，名為大乘。」解云：此即真性該周，故云大，即所乘也；妙智乘之，故云乘，即能乘也。依主釋也。論云「亦乘亦大，名為大乘。」此即當體智能運轉，故名乘。性廣博故名大，此持業釋。二、明體性，有二：一、正以無分別智為乘體，兼即攝所依真如及餘勝行等。二、正以真如為乘體，智等亦兼攝，以彼皆為真所成故。三、業用，有二：一、約三佛性義，如《佛性論》「自性為所乘，引出為能乘，至得果為乘所至處。」此中所乘是乘（去聲），能乘此是乘（平聲）。二、約運因成果義，有三：一、運行令增；二、運惑令滅；三、運理令顯。初是能，後二是所，此即是涅槃中三德：謂般若、解脫、法身。文是三轉依，如《集論》說「一、心轉，謂真性現故。二、道轉，謂行漸增故。三、對轉，謂惑障滅故。」文此論中「破和合識」等是轉滅，「顯現法身」是轉顯，智純淨是轉增。餘義准之。一、言「大乘起信」者，有二門四義：初、心境門中：一、大乘是能起，信心是所起，故云大乘之起信也。二、起信是能信，大乘是所信，故云大乘之起信。二、體用門中：一、約攝用歸體辨，即此信心，是真如內熏及外緣所成，不異本故，是真故，起信即是大乘，故云大乘起信。二、直就業用辨，謂此信心即廣博，故云大。即從微至著，運轉義故，名之為乘。即是起信，亦是大乘，故云大乘起信耳。

Furthermore, explaining Mahāyāna has three aspects. First, discerning the name has four [points]: 1. In terms of dharmas, there are three, namely the three greatnesses and two conveyances, as explained in the treatise below. 2. In terms of practice, there are seven, as discerned in texts such as the Abhidharmasamuccaya. 3. In terms of persons and dharmas, there are seven, as stated in the Dvādaśanikāya-śāstra. 4. Discerning "great" directly: that is, taking the dharma itself as cause, with encompassing as its meaning. Further, discerning the meaning of "vehicle": borrowing a metaphor to make the name, conveyance being its function; the essence and function are mentioned together, hence it is called "Great Vehicle." Moreover, the treatise states, "Because it rides upon the great nature, it is called the Great Vehicle." The explanation says: here, the true nature is all-pervading, hence called "great"—that is, what is ridden; wondrous wisdom rides it, hence called "vehicle"—that is, the rider. This is a determinative compound (tatpuruṣa). The treatise states, "Being both vehicle and great, it is called the Great Vehicle." Here, the wisdom of the entity itself is capable of movement, hence called "vehicle"; because its nature is vast and extensive, it is called "great"; this is an appositional compound (karmadhāraya). Second, clarifying the essence and nature has two [points]: 1. Directly taking nirvikalpajñāna as the essence of the vehicle, which concurrently encompasses the tathatā upon which it relies, as well as remaining supreme practices and so forth. 2. Directly taking tathatā as the essence of the vehicle, with wisdom and so forth also concurrently encompassed, because they are all accomplished by the real. Third, functional activity has two [points]: 1. In terms of the three Buddha-natures, as the Fo xing lun states: "Self-nature is what is ridden; being brought forth is the rider; the attained fruition is the place arrived at by the vehicle." Here, "what is ridden" is a carriage (shèng); "the rider" is to ride (chéng). 2. In terms of conveying the cause to achieve the fruition, there are three: (1) conveying practice to cause it to increase; (2) conveying afflictions to cause them to be extinguished; (3) conveying the principle to cause it to be manifested. The first is the active agent, and the latter two are what is acted upon; these are the three virtues in nirvāṇa, namely prajñā, vimokṣa, and dharmakāya. In terms of texts, these are the three kinds of āśrayaparavṛtti, as the Abhidharmasamuccaya states: "1. Transformation of the mind, meaning because the true nature manifests. 2. Transformation of the path, meaning because practice gradually increases. 3. Transformation of the counteractive, meaning because the obstacle of afflictions is extinguished." In this treatise, "shattering the composite consciousness" and so forth is transformation by extinction; "manifesting the dharmakāya" is transformation by manifestation; pure wisdom is transformation by increase. Other meanings may be inferred accordingly. 1. Regarding the phrase "Mahāyāna Awakening of Faith" (Dacheng qixin), there are two approaches with four meanings. First, within the approach of mind and object: 1. Mahāyāna is what gives rise, and the faithful mind is what is given rise to; hence it is called the awakening of faith of the Mahāyāna. 2. Awakening faith is what believes, and Mahāyāna is what is believed; hence it is called the awakening of faith in the Mahāyāna. Second, within the approach of essence and function: 1. Discerning in terms of subsuming function into essence: this faithful mind is accomplished by the internal perfuming of tathatā and external conditions; because it is not different from the root, because it is real, awakening of faith is precisely Mahāyāna; hence it is called "Mahāyāna Awakening of Faith." 2. Discerning directly with respect to functional activity: this faithful mind is vast and extensive, hence called "great"; from subtle to prominent, by virtue of its conveyance, it is called "vehicle." It is both the awakening of faith and the Mahāyāna; hence it is simply called "Mahāyāna Awakening of Faith."