起信論疏筆削記 16.20

16.20

First, stripping away. Commentary: "The wondrous existence of pure virtues": This is the non-empty tathāgatagarbha. It is generally the same as the text of the antidotal agent in the second [refutation] above, and is broadly distinguished as in the greatness of attributes. "The principle-based non-existence of delusive defilement" has two senses: first, in the true principle there is no such delusive defilement, which is the empty tathāgatagarbha; second, according to the intrinsic nature of delusion, it is also non-existent in principle. The text above says, "Because all dharmas arise from the mind and are produced by delusive thoughts." It also says: "All dharmas are like images in a mirror, having no essence that can be grasped," and so forth. "Delusion does not enter the real": That is, they do not correspond. The text above says, "Because from the beginning it has never corresponded with any defiled dharmas." Since the essence of delusion is fundamentally empty, how could it enter the real and correspond with the real?