起信論疏筆削記 6.23

6.23

In the Commentary, "From this is generated..." and so forth: as the treatise says, "Furthermore, as for the intrinsic essence and attributes of tathatā, in all ordinary beings, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and all Buddhas there is neither increase nor decrease..." up to "the meaning of the sovereign function of tathatā"; that is, there are sixty-four lines of treatise text, which is precisely what is generated here. Regarding the greatness of essence, the Commentary says "true nature": "true" sets aside what is false and delusive, exclusively revealing the pariniṣpanna; "nature" refers to the intrinsic essence being eternally abiding, neither changing nor differing, which excludes the empty nature of all dharmas. "Deep" means vertically exhausting the three periods of time, with neither going nor coming; "broad" means horizontally pervading the ten directions, being neither central nor external. "Ordinary" refers to the distinctions among the six destinies; "noble" refers to the differences among the three vehicles. "Defiled" refers to the defiled lands extending throughout the three realms; "pure" refers to the pure lands extending throughout the ten directions. However, ordinary, noble, defiled, and pure each apply to both the primary and environmental retributions; here, discussed specifically, ordinary and noble pertain to the primary, while defiled and pure correspond to the environmental. For although all dharmas are vast, they do not go beyond the two retributions of primary and environmental. Within the primary, they do not go beyond ordinary beings and noble persons; within the environmental, they do not go beyond pure lands and defiled lands. Therefore, these four are cited to subsume everything, leaving none out. "All take it as their reliance" means that the four dharmas above all take the essence of tathatā as that upon which they rely. Thus the Avataṃsaka[-sūtra] says: "Not a single dharma has ever been able to leave the dharmatā." Later text says: "Such various karmic illusions of the anāsrava and avidyā are all identical with the nature and marks of tathatā." The Śūraṅgama[-sūtra] says: "The causes, conditions, and subtle dust-motes of all worlds take the mind as their essence." Since it is that upon which all rely, the name "greatness of essence" is established from this. The treatise's "Tathatā is equal" means that the true nature serves as the equal essence among all dharmas, like a mirror amidst images; it is not like all dharmas being fundamentally empty and therefore equal because of emptiness, like images in a mirror.