起信論疏筆削記 8.41

8.41

"What does this mean?...", etc., secondly, fully explains according to the meanings; in this there are three parts: first, explaining the meanings in terms of the unfolding and combining of the true and the deluded; the text has seven points: 1. Unfolding the true and the deluded to form four meanings. Now, both the true and the deluded are spoken of based on the mind of the single dharmadhātu. For this mind originally possesses essence and function: the essence that is identical with function is utterly empty and serene, while the function that is identical with essence is distinctly cognizant. Due to beginningless delusion, in the place of emptiness and serenity there are concretely the sense-organs, body, and dust-objects; in the place of cognizance, there is tumultuous conceptual differentiation and mental deliberation. Thus Master Zhao said: "The dharmakāya is hidden within the physical shell; true wisdom is hidden within mental deliberation." Yet the physical shell and mental deliberation are originally empty in essence, and the empty, serene cognizance is fundamentally unchanging; the unchanging truth naturally accords with conditions, and the deluded whose essence is empty fundamentally effects phenomena; this is not due to deliberate contrivance, but is naturally thus. The present body and mind of sentient beings are like this; it is in reference to this meaning that the principle of the dependent origination of defilement and purity is clarified. Here, One Mind is not separately indicated because it is contained within the word "true," as there are not two essences. "Unchanging" means it has never failed to be empty and serene, and has never failed to be cognizant. Hence the treatise says: "What is called the nature of the mind is unarising and unceasing." It also says: "Because it is not associated with any defiled dharmas." It also says: "That which is called awakening means that the essence of the mind is free from thought, equal to the realm of empty space." "According with conditions" means according with defilement and following the flow to form the nine marks. Hence the text says: "Relying on the tathāgatagarbha, there is the mind of arising and ceasing," and so on. According with purity and turning back from the branches to the root forms the four stages, hence the later text says: "Perceiving that a preceding thought has given rise to evil, one is able to stop the subsequent thought from arising," and so on. "Empty in essence" means that the parikalpita dharmas exist in conceptual grasping but are absent in reality; hence the treatise says: "All dharmas exist in their differences solely based on deluded thoughts," and so on. Furthermore, paratantra dharmas have characteristics but lack nature; hence the treatise says: "Therefore all dharmas are like images in a mirror, without an essence that can be grasped." "Effecting phenomena": effecting defiled phenomena means the containers and residents of the three realms; effecting pure phenomena means the causes and fruitions of the three vehicles; this refers to the nine marks and the two bodies spoken of below. Thus, according with conditions is like dreaming, and effecting phenomena is like the objects in the dream. Being empty in essence is like the dream objects being fundamentally void, and being unchanging is like the inner body remaining intact.