起信論疏筆削記 15.7

15.7

3. Elucidating the fruit of benefiting others, in three [parts]: first, elucidating the profoundness of the function.
[Commentary:] "Karmic function": this is the mark of inconceivable karma, subtle and difficult to comprehend, beyond the reach of mind and speech. Without needing to plan beforehand and only then initiate transformation, it is therefore called "profound", not being intentional and so forth. "The Mahāyānasaṃgraha and so forth": the full text says: "If the Buddha-fruit is revealed by non-conceptual wisdom and is free from conceptual differentiation, how can the Buddhas rely on sentient beings to perform beneficial acts, in accordance with the principle without inversion, and perform acts without effort? Therefore the verse is spoken again: 'Like a mani jewel and a celestial drum, / Which without thought achieve their own tasks, / Even so, without conceptual differentiation, / Manifold Buddha-tasks are accomplished.'" This reveals that the Tathāgata's three karmas act without effort, and both are inconceivable. "Mani": Sanskrit; here translated as "free from defilement", and also "increasing"; formerly translated as "wish-fulfilling". This exemplifies the Tathāgata's bodily and mental karmas: if according with what is confronted it manifests different images, it exemplifies the Buddha's bodily karma; if according with what people require it produces various objects, it exemplifies the Buddha's mental karma. "Celestial drum": owned by the king of gods; when the asura army comes, the drum naturally produces a sound within saying "the bandits are coming", and when they retreat it says "the bandits are retreating"; this exemplifies the Buddha's vocal karma. Although these two objects have their functions, they are without thought and deliberation; hence they can exemplify the Buddha's effortless three karmas. "Achieving their own tasks": manifesting images and emitting sounds, each according with its function accomplishes tasks. Alternatively, taking the jewel and drum achieving their own tasks to exemplify bodily and vocal [karma] alone, while both being without thought together exemplify mental karma.