大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 3.15

3.15

Treatise: What are the two? [First, the characteristic of cognitive purity; second, the characteristic of inconceivable activity].

Commentary: These are their separate names. We briefly distinguish these two through ten gates. First, explaining the names. What is called "cognition" refers to the cognition of initial awakening. "Purity" refers to separation from defilement, being identical to original awakening. The function of the virtues of the fruit is called "activity". Being immeasurable by lower stages, it is named "inconceivable". Both characteristics apply to both karmadhāraya and tatpuruṣa compounds. "Characteristic" means state; original awakening following defilement has the state corresponding to this substance and activity, so whether [analyzed as] "characteristic which is precisely characteristic" [or "characteristic of..."], both interpretations are applicable. Second, identifying the substance. Both take original awakening following defilement within the gate of arising and ceasing as their own substance, because it is said that following defilement it produces two characteristics. Third, revealing substance and activity. The first, the characteristic of cognitive purity, is the substance at the time of returning to purity; the characteristic of inconceivable activity is the activity at the time of returning to purity. Original awakening possessing these corresponds to root and branch. Fourth, defilement and purity. Both of these are pure, because both are explained in terms of reversing defilement; they can also both be defiled, because both are accomplished by following defilement. Fifth, with respect to the two benefits. The first is benefit for oneself, yet not without benefit for others, meaning taking the benefit of others as one's own benefit. Sixth, the three bodies. The first applies to the dharmakāya and the self-enjoyment body; the latter applies to the nirmāṇakāya and other-enjoyment body, because substance and attributes, coarse and subtle, are severed in the two benefits. Seventh, the four cognitions. The first is great mirror cognition and also the cognition of samatā, being the substance of cognition that illuminates universally. The latter applies to the [other] three cognitions, because by attaining samatā and wondrous contemplation, the nature of accomplished transformation tasks is realised. Eighth, the two cognitions. The first is precisely the fundamental cognition that accords with principle; the latter is precisely the subsequently attained cognition that accords with quantity, because it reflects back upon its own substance to give rise to external activity. Ninth, primary cause and secondary condition. The first takes internal perfuming of substance and attributes as primary cause, and external perfuming of the greatness of activity as secondary condition. The latter takes cognitive purity as the productive cause, and the defiled capacities of sentient beings as the activating condition; for no dharma is without causes and conditions. Tenth, attaining the fruit. The first takes cognitive purity, which confronts defilement and is identical to the original, as the fruit produced; the latter takes great omnipresent activity confronting capacities as the fruit produced; since there are causes and conditions, there must be a fruit.