起信論疏筆削記 7.15

7.15

[Treatise:] "Ultimately..." [Commentary:] Second, freeing from marks of difference to reveal suchness. [Commentary:] "Although pervading..." means: when in defilement, it is the same as when in purity. That is, the true nature of ordinary beings is precisely the same as the true nature of all buddhas, just as the space in a clean room is equal to the space in a filthy room; this is stated horizontally relative to the same time. "In conditions" means: within defiled and pure conditions, the past is like the present, and the present is like the future, just as yesterday's space is equal to today's space. Although defilement and purity change of themselves, tathatā undergoes no shift or difference in their midst. Furthermore, defiled conditions take the mark of arising as their beginning and the mark of suffering bound to karma as their end; pure conditions take the mark of realizing cessation as their beginning and the mark of realizing arising as their end. Tathatā undergoes no change whatsoever in their midst; this is stated vertically relative to different times. "Unlike saṃskṛta dharmas": because it is an unconditioned dharma, its essence is like empty space—how could one wish to break or destroy it? "Dwelling in defilement, it is not broken...": following the flow, deluded defilements arise, yet the true essence suffers no damage; reversing the flow, deluded defilements are destroyed, yet the true essence remains as of old. Therefore the Commentary on the Yuanjue jing says: "Dwelling in the flow of saṃsāra, the black dragon's pearl shines alone in the deep blue sea; perched upon the shore of nirvāṇa, the cassia-moon glows solitary in the azure sky."