起信論疏筆削記 7.6

7.6

[On] "Based on the arising..." below: second, explaining "dharmadhātu" (法界). Because all noble dharmas arise based on this—namely bodhi, nirvāṇa, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and so forth—these are the dharmas realized and attained by noble ones, and are therefore named noble dharmas. Hence the Yuanjue jing says: "The unsurpassed Dharma King has a great dhāraṇī gate named Complete Enlightenment, from which flow forth all pure tathatā, bodhi, nirvāṇa, and pāramitās, instructing bodhisattvas." "The meaning of cause": "dharma" is the noble dharmas, and "dhātu" (界) is the cause; because it can generate noble dharmas, it is called dharmadhātu. Question: According to what was said earlier, the true nature is the common support of ordinary beings and sages, defilement and purity; why does this text solely speak of the meaning of being the cause of noble dharmas? Answer: Here it reveals the inferior by means of the superior, not that it excludes ordinary dharmas. If even noble dharmas depend on it, how much more so ordinary ones? This explanation is made according to the final teaching. If according to the perfect teaching, phenomena and principle are unobstructed, mutually identical and mutually interpenetrating, completely harmonious and all-subsuming, forming the one true dharmadhātu.