起信論疏筆削記 4.29

4.29

言真下，二、釋真如。此明下、標意也。以無變異故名真如。真者下，釋義。偽謂詐偽，鍮如真金妄謂虛妄，影如本質。今明法性悉無此事，故名為真。無改異者，過去如現在，色中如受中，染處如淨處等。故經云：不生不滅，不垢不淨，不增不減，無有變異，故名為如。又真者不可遣，如者不可立，故下文云：無有可遣，以一切法悉皆真故；亦無可立，以一切法皆同如故。法性若此，故曰真如。

"Regarding the word 'tathatā' (真如) below" introduces the second part, explaining tathatā. "This clarifies…" states the intended meaning: because it is without alteration or change, it is called tathatā (suchness/true thusness). "'True' (真)…" explains its meaning. "Falsehood" (偽) refers to deceitful pretense, like brass pretending to be genuine gold; "delusion" (妄) refers to unreality, like a shadow compared to the original object. Now it is explained that the dharmatā is completely devoid of such things, and is therefore called "true". "Without alteration or change" means that the past is like the present, [its nature] in form is like [its nature] in feeling, and [its nature] in defiled states is like [its nature] in pure states. Therefore a sūtra says: "Neither arising nor perishing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing, having no alteration or change"—hence it is called "thusness" (如). Furthermore, the "true" cannot be negated, and "thusness" cannot be affirmed. Therefore the text below states: "There is nothing that can be negated, because all dharmas are completely true; nor is there anything that can be affirmed, because all dharmas are equally thus." Since the dharmatā is like this, it is called tathatā.