起信論疏筆削記 17.12

17.12

Under "The Virtue of Severance":
Regarding the Commentary's "Diligently severing the two kinds of evil": as for evil that has already arisen, one severs it so that it does not continue; as for evil that has not yet arisen, one severs it so that it does not arise. As for "upholding by stopping" (zhichi): because it is discussed in terms of evil dharmas, stopping is called "upholding," and acting is called "transgressing."
Regarding the Treatise's "Shame and guilt": these are two dharmas among the eleven wholesome [mental factors]. "Shame" (hrī) refers to the predominance of respect for nobility, esteeming the worthy and wholesome, feeling ashamed of faults and transgressions, and quelling evil deeds. "Guilt" (apatrāpya) refers to the predominance of censure and loathing, looking down upon and rejecting violence and evil, feeling ashamed of faults and transgressions, and quelling evil karma.
Regarding "Repenting transgressions": in Sanskrit, *kṣama*, translated here as "repenting transgressions," means confessing past transgressions, reforming the past, and cultivating for the future. Within this, the six characters "capable of stopping all evil dharmas" apply generally to both what has already arisen and what has not yet arisen; the rest are restricted only to what has already arisen. Since all evils are stopped, it says "all." In this text, since evil that has already arisen is kept from increasing, that which has not yet arisen naturally does not arise.
Regarding the Treatise's "Because conforming with..." and below: this explains the reason. The nature is fundamentally free from error; to generate error is contrary [to it]. Now, since one stops it, it accords with principle. When errors are exhausted and the nature is revealed, it is named the dharmakāya. The dharmakāya is precisely the virtue of severance; therefore, in the Commentary, this is now used to name the section heading.