[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2814) › 3.21 # 大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 3.21 大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 3.21 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2814.3.21) 論。如是眾生至不壞故　釋曰。此法合也。於中次第合前四喻。眾生淨心等。如水隨風動。水不自浪。因風起浪。風不自波。依水現波。故動即水。無別體也。心不自起。因無明起。癡不自動。因心有動。生滅即心。無別體也。心與無明等者。如風水相依。以水全動故無水相。以動全濕故無風相。心全作識故無心相。識無非真。無無明相。故梁攝論云。見此不見彼。若見一分性解分性不異。即生死故不見涅槃。即涅槃故不見生死。心非動性者。如水非動性。即顯心性本非動念。若無明滅下。如水體不變。無明滅者。根本無明如風滅也。相續滅者。即業識等。如波相滅。智性不壞者。隨染本覺。照察之性。如濕性不壞也。 > Treatise: Likewise, sentient beings' \[pure mind is moved by the wind of avidyā; the mind and avidyā are originally formless and not separate from each other, yet the mind is not of a moving nature; if avidyā ceases, the continuous mind ceases, but\] the cognitive nature is not destroyed. > > Commentary: This is the application to the dharma. Herein, it applies sequentially to the four preceding metaphors. "Sentient beings' pure mind" and so forth is like water moving according to the wind. Water does not wave of itself; it raises waves due to the wind. The wind does not wave of itself; it displays waves relying on water. Therefore, movement is precisely water, having no distinct substance. The mind does not arise of itself; it arises due to avidyā. Ignorance does not stir of itself; due to the mind there is movement. Arising and ceasing are precisely the mind, having no distinct substance. "The mind and avidyā" and so forth is like wind and water mutually relying. Because the water is entirely in motion, there are no characteristics of water; because the motion is entirely wet, there are no characteristics of wind. Because the mind entirely makes consciousness, there are no characteristics of mind; consciousness is not non-true, so there are no characteristics of avidyā. Therefore the Liang translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "Seeing this, one does not see that. If one sees that the defiled nature and the purified nature are not different, then being precisely saṃsāra, one does not see nirvāṇa; being precisely nirvāṇa, one does not see saṃsāra." "The mind is not of a moving nature" is like water not being of a moving nature, revealing that the nature of the mind is originally not a moving thought. From "if avidyā ceases" below is like the substance of water being unchanging. That avidyā ceases means fundamental avidyā ceases like the wind. That continuity ceases refers to karmic consciousness and the rest ceasing like the characteristics of waves. That the cognitive nature is not destroyed refers to the nature of illumination and contemplation of original awakening following defilement, which is not destroyed like the wet nature. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2814.3.20) - [Next: 3.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2814.3.22) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2814.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2814~en-mt.3.21) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [大乘起信論義記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1846.2.162) — Classical Chinese - [大乘起信論略述](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2813.1.97) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2814.3.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2814.3.21) · Pramāṇa