大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 5.71

5.71

論。心若馳散至住於正念　釋曰。次示除方便。於中有二。初令住正念。後示正所以。前雖制言不得失念。若時失念。如何攝持。故此令其攝住正念。此中正念即隨無念。若不起念曰不馳散。故言心散即尚攝來。無別能攝。攝心令住。若謂以心攝馳散心。非但不能返成馳散。以心攝心。心不息故。今名攝來。住於正念故但無念。名攝來□□。此位時名住正念。非謂智別正念可住。若更有住正念心相。名住邪念。非正念也。如新經釋。諸流所無名為修學者之亂鏡也。若爾便違文殊般若。彼說射箭之法喻故。若彼是漸教。此是頓門。所顯各殊不相乖也。

Treatise: "If the mind scatters and wanders... abide in correct mindfulness."
Commentary: Next is showing the expedient means for elimination. In this there are two: first, causing one to abide in correct mindfulness; second, showing the reason for it being correct. Although the preceding gave the prohibition that one must not lose mindfulness, if one happens to lose mindfulness, how should one collect and maintain it? Therefore, this instructs one to collect it and abide in correct mindfulness. Here, "correct mindfulness" means following thoughtlessness. If thoughts do not arise, it is called "not scattering and wandering." Therefore it says, "if the mind scatters, one should immediately collect it." There is no distinct active collector that gathers the mind to make it abide. If one supposes that one uses the mind to collect the scattered and wandering mind, not only is one unable to do so, it conversely becomes scattering and wandering, because in using mind to collect mind, the mind does not cease. Now, calling it "collecting it to abide in correct mindfulness" simply means that non-thought is called "collecting [...]." At this time, it is named "abiding in correct mindfulness"; it does not mean there is a distinct correct mindfulness for cognition to abide in. If there were further a mental sign of abiding in correct mindfulness, it would be called abiding in wrong mindfulness, not correct mindfulness. As the commentary on the new sūtra says: that which has no outflows is called the mirror of confusion for practitioners. If so, this would contradict the Mañjuśrī-prajñā[-pāramitā Sūtra], because that text explains the analogy of shooting arrows. However, if that is the gradual teaching, this is the sudden gate; what they reveal is different, and they do not conflict.