大乘起信論裂網疏 2.85

2.85

This is precisely the genuine non-emptiness established through verbal explanation within the aspect of tathatā. It means that the beginningless untainted seeds within the ālaya take as their essence tathatā, which completely fulfills all phenomena with an indestructible nature. For this reason, all marks of worldly objects appear within the untainted seeds. Outside the untainted seeds there are no separate objects, hence they do not go out; within all objects there are no separate untainted seeds, hence they do not come in. Because they do not go out, they do not cease, for the objects are precisely tathatā and there is nothing to cease; because they do not come in, they are not destroyed, for tathatā is precisely the objects and there is nothing that can be destroyed. Furthermore, the nature of form is true emptiness, and the nature of emptiness is true form; inherently pure, it pervades the dharmadhātu, hence neither going out nor coming in; according with the minds of sentient beings, responding to the measure of what they know, manifesting following their karma, hence neither ceasing nor being destroyed. Furthermore, according with conditions yet immutable, hence neither going out nor coming in; immutable yet according with conditions, hence neither ceasing nor being destroyed. Moreover, just as space contains and nurtures the ten thousand things, and a bright mirror reflects the multitude of forms, both neither go out nor come in, neither cease nor are destroyed. Therefore, the untainted seeds in their very substance are the permanently abiding one mind. Although this permanently abiding one mind completely becomes all defiled phenomena, like water turning into ice, yet these defiled phenomena originally lack inherent nature, so how could they defile these untainted seeds? Just as ice cannot alter its inherent wet nature. These untainted seeds are themselves the wisdom-substance of bodhi, originally fully endowed with boundless untainted merits. Because it is within entanglement, it is called the cause; "cause" is another name for seed. This untainted cause is also called Buddha-nature. Buddha-nature is heroic and powerful, unable to be obstructed or destroyed; although it is within the ālayavijñāna-mind of all sentient beings, its power can perfume, causing the mind of false thoughts to weary of the suffering of saṃsāra and seek the bliss of nirvāṇa. These preceding two great meanings are the essence of the Mahāyāna.