起信論疏筆削記 2.6

2.6

"Showing what dharma?" It is already known that what the treatise master relies on is not the defiled consciousness of ordinary mortals below, but is established solely relying on the two undefiled wisdoms. All his words completely accord with the true principle and tally with the times and capacities; they are definitely without fault. Then what dharma gates does he show to lead them to have faith, understand, cultivate, sever, enter, and realize? Therefore, this is queried. "It means One Mind..." and so forth is the explication. Now, the essence of the Mahāyāna Dharma is the non-dual true source of sentient beings and all Buddhas; it does not divide into distinctions of defiled and pure, true and deluded, yet it is capable of fully gathering all dharmas. Still and unmoving, its spiritual mirror is unclouded; hence it is called the "One Mind." And this essence of mind is neither true nor deluded, yet can be true and can be deluded; hence two gates are opened. A "gate" means unhindered openness, where going and coming, exiting and entering arise naturally, opening and closing without obstruction. Relying on the mind's marklessness, the gate of tathatā is established; relying on the mind possessing dharmas, the gate of arising and ceasing is established. The two gates mutually interpenetrate, opening and closing freely, both taking the One Mind as their source; hence they are called the mind as tathatā and the mind as arising and ceasing. The "three greatnesses" are the meanings shown under the two gates: the gate of tathatā shows only the greatness of essence, while the gate of arising and ceasing fully shows the three greatnesses. Thus the treatise below states: "The mark of this mind as tathatā indicates the essence of the Mahāyāna; the marks of causes and conditions of this mind as arising and ceasing can indicate the essence, attributes, and function of the Mahāyāna itself." The "four faiths" refer to faith in tathatā and the Three Jewels. The mind of faith is one, but the objects of faith are four; thus they form the four faiths. Thus the treatise below states: "First is faith in the root, namely delighting in mindfully contemplating the dharma of tathatā..." up to "constantly thinking of drawing near to and cultivating practice according with reality." The "five practices" refer to practicing the dharmas of giving, moral discipline, patience, vigor, and calming and insight, perfecting the preceding four kinds of mind of faith, causing them to form roots of non-retrogression and enter the correct path, as is explained extensively below.