起信論疏筆削記 8.15

8.15

二、攝末下，二：初、正釋今義。眾生即如者，《淨名經》也，如前所引。然眾生是生滅，如是真如，既言其即，當知不異涅槃等者，文云：善男子！我於諸經說，若人見十二因緣者即是見法，見法者即是見佛，見佛者即見佛性。何以故？一切諸佛以此為性。善男子！觀十二因緣有四種之智，得四種菩提。乃至云：以是義故，十二因緣名為佛性。斯則佛性是真如，十二因緣為生滅。既說十二因緣為佛性，豈曰異乎？十地等者，此是《華嚴經》意，彼經文云：佛子！菩薩復作是念：三界所有，唯是一心。如來於此分別演說十二有支，皆於一心如是而立。今疏所引，是彼論牒經也。第一義諦者，是論釋也。心是中道實相，故云第一義諦。斯乃三界是生滅，一心是真如，唯之一字顯不異也。又此下，即始覺中文，四相是生滅，一覺即真如。既云平等而同，欲何為異？然此非異之義深而且隱，難有信解，故此廣引經論證之。

Under 'second, subsuming the branches', there are two: first, directly explaining the present meaning. 'Sentient beings are identical with tathatā' is from the *Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra*, as cited earlier. Yet sentient beings are arising-and-ceasing, and 'tathatā' is tathatā; since it says they are identical, one should know they are not different. 'The *Nirvāṇa-sūtra* and so forth': the text says: 'Good son! In various sūtras I have taught that if someone sees the twelve links of dependent origination, they see the Dharma; one who sees the Dharma sees the Buddha; one who sees the Buddha sees Buddha-nature. Why is this? All Buddhas take this as their nature. Good son! Contemplating the twelve links of dependent origination involves four kinds of cognition and attains four kinds of bodhi.' Down to saying: 'Due to this meaning, the twelve links of dependent origination are called Buddha-nature.' Thus Buddha-nature is tathatā, and the twelve links of dependent origination are arising-and-ceasing. Since it says the twelve links of dependent origination are Buddha-nature, how could they be said to be different? 'The *Daśabhūmika* and so forth': this is the meaning of the *Avataṃsaka-sūtra*. That sūtra's text says: 'Sons of the Buddha! The bodhisattva further thinks: Whatever exists in the triple world is only the One Mind. It is with respect to this that the Tathāgata analytically expounds the twelve limbs of existence, all being established in this way upon the One Mind.' Now what the commentary cites is that treatise quoting the sūtra. 'Ultimate truth' is the treatise's commentary. The mind is the true mark of the middle way, hence it is called the ultimate truth. Thus the triple world is arising-and-ceasing, the One Mind is tathatā, and the single character 'only' (wei) reveals non-difference. Furthermore, 'under this' refers to the text within actualized enlightenment: the four marks are arising-and-ceasing, and the single enlightenment is tathatā. Since it says they are equal and the same, how could one wish to make them different? Yet this meaning of non-difference is profound and hidden, difficult to believe and understand; therefore it broadly cites sūtras and treatises to substantiate it.