大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 3.9

3.9

論。是故至向佛智故　釋曰。下引經證。於中有四。一引經成證。二重釋前文。三不覺之失。四覺者之德。此初也。是後三位能觀念無皆名覺。故經依此說能觀無念。為向佛智。謂因地時雖未離念。而觀此念都無念相。能觀如是無念道理。說此能觀為向佛智。以是證知佛地無念。向佛智者。是證得義。故新論云。若有能觀妄念無相。則為證得如來智惠。此是舉因望果說也。若約因果通位說者。如金光明第二卷云。依諸伏道起事心滅。依諸斷道依根本心滅。依勝拔道根本心盡。諸伏道者。謂三賢位。起事心滅者。即此論中捨麁分別執著相也。諸斷道者在法身位。依根本心滅者。猶此論中所捨分別麁念相也。勝拔道者金剛喻定。根本心盡者。猶此論中所言遠離微細念也。

Treatise: Therefore [...] because it tends toward Buddha-wisdom. Commentary: Below, sūtras are cited as proof. In this there are four parts: first, citing a sūtra to establish proof; second, re-explaining the previous text; third, the fault of non-awakening; fourth, the virtues of the awakened one. This is the first. In these latter three stages, being able to contemplate the non-existence of thoughts is in all cases called awakening; therefore the sūtra, relying on this, speaks of being able to contemplate thoughtlessness as "tending toward Buddha-wisdom." That is, at the causal stage, although one has not yet departed from thoughts, one contemplates these thoughts as entirely without marks of thought; being able to contemplate such a principle of thoughtlessness, this ability to contemplate is described as "tending toward Buddha-wisdom." By this it is proven and known that the Buddha stage is without thoughts. "Tending toward Buddha-wisdom" has the meaning of realizing and attaining. Thus the new treatise says: "If there is one who can contemplate false thoughts as markless, they then realise and attain the wisdom of the Tathāgata." This is spoken by taking the cause to look toward the fruit. If spoken with reference to stages common to cause and fruit, as the second roll of the Suvarṇaprabhāsa says: "Relying on the paths of subduing, the mind that initiates phenomenal activity ceases; relying on the paths of severing, the mind relying on the fundamental ceases; relying on the supreme uprooting path, the fundamental mind is exhausted." The "paths of subduing" refers to the stages of the three grades of worthiness. "The mind that initiates phenomenal activity ceases" is identical to "abandoning the characteristics of coarse discrimination and grasping" in this treatise. The "paths of severing" are in the stage of the dharmakāya. "The mind relying on the fundamental ceases" is like "the characteristic of coarse thoughts of discrimination abandoned" in this treatise. The "supreme uprooting path" is the vajra-like samādhi. "The fundamental mind is exhausted" is like "far departing from micro-subtle thoughts" spoken of in this treatise.