起信論疏筆削記 13.38

13.38

Regarding the treatise's "Because there is the deluded mind..." below: second is the deluded mind perfuming avidyā. Regarding "Not understanding..." below: this is also the effect of the deluded mind's perfuming. "Not understanding" and so forth is the meaning of being deluded about the real; "not awakening" and so forth is the meaning of giving rise to the false. Because it does not understand that tathatā is markless, it falsely manifests its marks. It is like a person whose eyes are clear, but being afflicted by hot vapors, they become cataracts; because they are covered by cataracts, relying on these cataract-ridden eyes, one sees flowers in the sky. Thus it says, "manifesting deluded sense-objects." Regarding the commentary's "Relying on this..." below: because this is a backward reaction, it is called auxiliary perfuming. Regarding "increasing lack of understanding": avidyā is already lack of understanding, and being aided again by the deluded mind, it becomes all the more lack of understanding. It is like a thief meeting an evil person: his intent to steal becomes all the more severe, and he ends up carrying out the theft.