大乘起信論裂網疏 2.27

2.27

This clarifies that "genuinely empty" merely expresses that on the essence of tathatā there is originally no defiled delusion, and so the word "empty" is used to refute its deluded existence; it does not point to this emptiness as the essence of tathatā. As for the momentary mind-nature present before us, seeking it from the beginningless past it is completely unattainable; how could it associate with defiled dharmas? How could it possess differentiated marks of phenomena? Where could there be room for false discrimination? Therefore, the four marks of existence and non-existence, and the four marks of oneness and difference, are all empty, up to all falsely discriminative minds being entirely incapable of touching and realizing this mind-nature. However, although it is said that the falsely discriminative mind cannot touch it, this falsely discriminative mind itself is completely unattainable when sought, up to all defiled dharmas being originally unattainable and all differentiations being originally unattainable; how could one wait for emptiness to eliminate them before they become empty! If one eliminates delusion and preserves emptiness, emptiness is still delusion. Now, in speaking of "empty", it merely refutes deluded thoughts to make clear original emptiness; it does not point to this emptiness as tathatā.