起信論疏筆削記 16.25

16.25

First, saṃsāra has no beginning. Śāstra: "Avidyā is beginningless": This corresponds to what was said earlier: dependent on the tathāgatagarbha there is the mind of arising and ceasing, and so forth. It also said: "All sentient beings are not called enlightened, because from the origin they have never been free from thoughts; therefore it is said that avidyā is beginningless." These are all the text of the antidotal agent. Commentary: "The Renwang..." and so on: The first fascicle of that sūtra states: "Good sons! The afflictions of all sentient beings do not go beyond the three realms; the response, transformation, and Dharma bodies of all Buddhas also do not go beyond the three realms. If there were no sentient beings in the three realms, what would the Buddhas transform? Therefore I say that if there were a realm of sentient beings apart from the three realms, that is spoken of in the non-Buddhist Mahāsattā-śāstra, not what is spoken of by the seven Buddhas." As for the Mahāsattā-śāstra, those Vaiśeṣika masters posit six padārthas: first, substance; second, quality; third, action; fourth, universal existence; fifth, particularity; sixth, inherence. Among these six padārthas, they hold a great nature that can possess all dharmas, having a distinct essence apart from all dharmas.