起信論疏筆削記 6.8

6.8

The commentary has three parts: first, the direct explanation. Regarding "revealing the essence of the dharma": previously it revealed the essence of the Mahāyāna and named it "dharma." Here it reveals the essence of the dharma and names it "mind." Moving from the broader to the narrower, this is the ultimate. "The tathāgatagarbha mind": it means the intrinsically pure mind while in entanglement, which fully contains and subsumes the qualities of the Tathāgata, and is named "tathāgatagarbha," as explained below. From "endowed with harmonious combination..." downward clarifies the mental aspects of the mind. "Harmonious combination" is the gate of arising and ceasing, because it accords with conditions to form defilement and purity. "Non-harmonious combination" is the gate of tathatā, because in terms of the essence transcending marks, it reveals unchangingness. From "because..." downward explains the reason. This mind possesses the above two meanings because it is discerned within the stage of sentient beings; therefore the treatise speaks of "the mind of sentient beings."