大乘起信論略述 1.96

1.96

論。如大海水至濕性不壞故　述曰。此舉喻也。有四種喻以況於真如。大海水因風波動者。真隨妄轉喻水相風相不相捨離者。真妄相依喻水。非動性者。真體不變喻謂水性。但以濕為自性。但隨他動非自動故。若風止滅等者。息妄顯真喻水。若自動。動相滅時濕性隨滅。隨他動故。動相滅時濕性不壞。

[Treatise:] "Just as the water of the great ocean… because the nature of wetness is not destroyed."

Commentary: This presents the simile. There are four similes to illustrate tathatā: 'Water of the great ocean surging into waves due to the wind' illustrates the true turning in accord with the deluded. 'The phase of water and the phase of wind do not abandon each other' illustrates the mutual reliance of the true and the deluded. 'Water is not by nature mobile' illustrates that the true essence is unchanging; that is, the nature of water has only wetness as its self-nature, merely moving in accord with the other and not moving of itself. 'If the wind ceases…' illustrates quelling the deluded to manifest the true: if water moved of itself, then when the phase of movement ceased, the nature of wetness would cease along with it; but because it moves in accord with the other, when the phase of movement ceases, the nature of wetness is not destroyed.