大乘起信論裂網疏 3.90

3.90

"Non-enlightenment to the one dharmadhātu" is precisely the so-called fundamental delusion of the abiding stage of beginningless nescience. It constantly associates with the seventh consciousness and also at times associates with the sixth consciousness; both are what is termed "dullness regarding phenomena" (dharmamoha). It is due to this nescience that all defiled minds arise. Having previously clarified that there is a stage-by-stage progression in departing from the defiled minds that are produced, we now further clarify the stage-by-stage progression in departing from this non-enlightenment. Those of the two vehicles do not hear the name of this non-enlightenment, let alone understand how to sever it; hence it is not discussed here. In the Mahāyāna, from the stage of faith onward, practitioners are capable of contemplating and training to sever it; hence it is also called the "stage of contemplation." Although they train to sever it, they can only gradually subdue it and are not yet able to depart from it, precisely because the contaminated wisdoms of hearing, thinking, and cultivating are not yet able to destroy its seeds. Advancing in practice to the initial Stage of Joy, one departs from the conceptual dullness regarding phenomena of the sixth consciousness; thereafter, one gradually departs from the innate dullness regarding phenomena, until upon entering the Tathāgata stage, one finally completely exhausts the innate dullness regarding phenomena within the seventh consciousness. Because this ever-active unshared nescience is extremely subtle, it is only when the vajropama-samādhi appears before one that it is eradicated simultaneously with the fundamental karma non-associated defilement. One should know that bodhisattvas of the gradual teaching only know how to depart from defilements stage by stage, and therefore must reach the stage of the pure mind before being able to depart from this nescience in part. As for bodhisattvas of the sudden teaching, they train from the outset in contemplating that nescience has no intrinsic nature, without needing to eliminate defilements separately one by one; and once the nescience that is able to produce [them] is partially subdued and departed from, the defiled phenomena produced by it are naturally eliminated and eradicated part by part. Therefore, the initial arousal of the mind [of bodhi] is immediately termed the stage of the pure mind; they not only forever sever the second defilement—the continuous associated defilement—but are even able to eliminate the fourth and fifth non-associated defilements, thereby being able to manifest the eight marks of attaining the Way, gaining mastery over form and mastery over mind.