起信論疏筆削記 2.31

2.31

"Also devoid of..." and so forth explains "not expounding the marks of dharmas." The eight consciousnesses are the source of the marks of dharmas and are supreme among all; subsuming the inferior with the supreme, it only mentions these. Yet consciousness is like an illusion or a dream, being solely the One Mind; hence it says "also devoid of." Here, mentioning consciousness also reflects its cognized objects. "Rebuking the teaching": censuring it as lacking reality. Master Zhao said: "Names lack the efficacy of grasping objects." Therefore, the Yuanjue jing says: "Sūtras are like a finger pointing to the moon; if one sees the moon, one realizes that what pointed to it is ultimately not the moon." The text below also says: "All verbal expressions are provisional designations without reality, only following deluded thoughts, and cannot be apprehended." "Exhorting detachment": causing one not to cling to teachings and to abandon what expresses them. Therefore, the text below says: "From the beginningless past, [all dharmas are] detached from the marks of verbal expression, detached from the marks of names." The Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa says: "Up to being devoid of letters and words—this is truly entering the Dharma-gate of non-duality." It also says: "As for the wise, they do not cling to letters; the nature of letters is detachment, which is liberation itself." Bodhidharma said: "My Dharma transmits mind by mind, without setting up words," and so forth. Since the expressing teaching has perished, the expressed meaning is also dismissed; hence it only rebukes the teaching. "Destroying marks": because whatever has marks is deceptive and false; this eliminates the realm that is realized. "Extinguishing the mind": because when the mind arises, various dharmas arise; this eliminates the cognizing wisdom that realizes. The sūtra says: "Because the dust of illusion is extinguished, the extinction of illusion is also extinguished." It also says: "There is also no one who realizes." This means that deluded consciousness and deluded conditions, the expresser and the expressed, the realizer and the realized are all entirely extinguished. Therefore, the text below says: "All dharmas from the beginningless past are neither form nor mind, neither wisdom nor consciousness, neither existent nor non-existent, being ultimately ineffable in their marks." "Only a single thought..." and so forth: when thoughts arise, one is an ordinary being, with marks appearing and nature concealed; when [thoughts] do not arise, one is appropriately named a Buddha, with nature revealed and marks vanishing. Therefore, in an instant one ascends to wondrous enlightenment, equaling the Buddha in a single morning. Thus Master Guannian said: "When a single thought does not arise, the boundaries of past and future are severed, the illuminating essence stands independently, and matter and self are both suchness." Without relying on any further expedients, it is therefore said to be "only." This explains the preceding "solely discerning the true nature." "Not relying..." concludes the meaning of "sudden." Since one becomes a Buddha in a single thought, how could stages be established? When stages do not exist, is it not sudden? Therefore, the Viśeṣacintā-brahma-paripṛcchā-sūtra says: "Attaining the true nature of all dharmas, one does not go from one bhūmi to another bhūmi." The Yuanjue jing says: "Knowing illusion, one immediately detaches from it without using expedients; detached from illusion, one is immediately enlightened, without any gradations."