大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 3.20

3.20

論。如大海水至濕性不壞　釋曰。此舉喻也。文中顯其四種喻相。如大海等者。真隨妄轉喻。水相等者。真妄相依喻。而水非動性者。真體不變喻。此顯動者。非自性動。不爾動滅濕應滅故。若風止滅等者。息妄顯真喻。謂顯動者。隨他動故動相滅時濕性不壞。

Treatise: As the water of the great ocean [is stirred by the wind into waves, and the characteristics of water and the characteristics of wind are not separate from each other, yet water is not of a moving nature; if the wind ceases, the moving characteristics are destroyed, but] the wet nature is not destroyed.

Commentary: This presents the metaphor. The text reveals four metaphorical characteristics. "As the great ocean" and so forth is the metaphor of the true turning in accordance with the delusional. "Characteristics of water" and so forth is the metaphor of the mutual reliance of the true and the delusional. "Yet water is not of a moving nature" is the metaphor of the true substance being unchanging; this reveals that what moves does not move by its own nature, for otherwise, when movement ceased, wetness would also cease. "If the wind ceases" and so forth is the metaphor of pacifying the delusional to reveal the true; it reveals that what moves does so following another, so that when the characteristics of movement cease, the wet nature is not destroyed.