大乘起信論裂網疏 2.39

2.39

心者，即指眾生現前介爾心也。第一義性者，指無漏種子，無始成就、不改，名性也。離一切妄念相者，謂此無漏種子，雖復依附本識，而非本識所能緣也。等虛空界，無所不遍者，謂此無漏種子性順真如，非有方隅形相可局也。法界一相者，謂此無漏種子既順真如，即與真如法界同一不思議相也。即是一切如來平等法身者，謂智與真如平等平等，只此如如及如如智，乃是一切如來之所同證，總名為法身也。依此法身說為本覺者，謂雖似新成，實是舊佛也。以待始覺立為本覺者，謂雖是舊佛，不妨新成也。然始覺時即是本覺，無別覺起者，謂種子舉體而為現行，現行不改無始種子，如水成氷，氷還成水，非別有新水也。應有問曰：既云無別覺起，何得名為始覺？故今答曰：依本覺有不覺，如水成氷；依不覺說有始覺，如氷始泮而為水也。更依下文，以喻明之：如來藏即真如，譬如東西定方，非迷非悟，能為迷悟依也。既有此東西定方，即應有此知東知西之知，是定方中所具本覺義也。從來未曾知故，名之為迷，是定方中所具不覺義也。由不覺故，謂東為西、謂西為東，是定方中所起轉識妄想相也。定方或隨迷緣、或隨悟緣，決無不隨緣時，故有覺與不覺二義，名生滅門。迷亦此方，悟亦此方，決定不從緣變，名真如門。迷則迷此真如以成生滅，而對迷說悟，故悟亦須屬生滅門，所謂言妄顯諸真，妄真同二妄也。悟則悟此生滅即是真如，而真無迷悟，故迷亦並歸真如門，所謂一切眾生即涅槃相不可復滅，即菩提相不可復得也。唯識亦明諸法種子，唯世俗有，非真勝義，即同依方故有迷悟兩法。又明真如即是識之實性，非離色心之外別有真如，即同依迷悟故而辨於方，除却迷悟兩心之外，又豈別有方可得哉？嗚呼！馬鳴、護法，決無二旨明矣。

"Mind" refers to the present fleeting mind of sentient beings. "The supreme nature" refers to the untainted seeds, accomplished from beginninglessness and unchanging, which is called "nature". "Free from all marks of deluded thought" means that although these untainted seeds depend upon the fundamental consciousness, they cannot be cognised by the fundamental consciousness. "Equals the realm of empty space, pervading everywhere" means that the nature of these untainted seeds conforms to tathatā and cannot be confined by spatial limits or bodily forms. "The single mark of the dharmadhātu" means that since these untainted seeds conform to tathatā, they share the same inconceivable mark as the tathatā dharmadhātu. "Is the equal dharmakāya of all Tathāgatas" means that wisdom and tathatā are equally equal; simply this suchness and the wisdom of suchness are what all Tathāgatas mutually realise, collectively named the dharmakāya. "In reliance upon this dharmakāya it is said to be original enlightenment" means that although it seems newly attained, it is actually the old Buddha. "In relation to initial enlightenment it is established as original enlightenment" means that although it is the old Buddha, this does not hinder newly attaining it. "Yet at the time of initial enlightenment, it is original enlightenment itself; no other enlightenment arises" means that the seeds in their entire essence become the actualisations, and the actualisations do not alter the beginningless seeds, just as water becomes ice and ice turns back into water—there is no other new water. Someone might ask: "Since it says that no other enlightenment arises, how can it be called initial enlightenment?" Therefore it is now answered: in reliance upon original enlightenment there is non-enlightenment, like water becoming ice; in reliance upon non-enlightenment it is said that there is initial enlightenment, like ice first melting into water. Further relying on the text below, this may be clarified with an analogy: the Tathāgatagarbha is tathatā, like the fixed directions of east and west, which are neither delusion nor awakening, yet can serve as the support for delusion and awakening. Since there are these fixed directions of east and west, there must be this knowing that knows east and knows west, which is the meaning of original enlightenment contained within the fixed directions. Having never known from the beginning, it is called delusion; this is the meaning of non-enlightenment contained within the fixed directions. Due to non-enlightenment, taking east for west and taking west for east—this is the mark of deluded thought of the transforming consciousness arising within the fixed directions. The fixed directions either accord with conditions of delusion or accord with conditions of awakening; there is never a time when they do not accord with conditions; hence there are the two meanings of enlightenment and non-enlightenment, termed the aspect of arising and ceasing. Delusion is also this direction, and awakening is also this direction, definitely not changing according to conditions; this is termed the aspect of tathatā. When deluded, one is deluded about this tathatā to form arising and ceasing, and speaking of awakening in contrast to delusion, awakening must also belong to the aspect of arising and ceasing; this is what is called "words of delusion reveal the true, yet delusion and truth are both dual delusions." When awakened, one awakens to these arisings and ceasings as being tathatā itself, and in the truth there is neither delusion nor awakening, so delusion also wholly returns to the aspect of tathatā; this is what is called "all sentient beings are identical with the mark of nirvāṇa and cannot be extinguished again; they are identical with the mark of bodhi and cannot be attained again." Vijñaptimātra also clarifies that the seeds of all dharmas exist only conventionally, not as ultimate truth, which is just like having the two dharmas of delusion and awakening in reliance upon direction. It also clarifies that tathatā is the real nature of consciousness, and there is no separate tathatā outside of matter and mind, which is just like discerning directions in reliance upon delusion and awakening; outside the two minds of delusion and awakening, how could any separate direction be found? Alas! It is clear that Aśvaghoṣa and Dharmapāla definitely have no two different intentions!