大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 3.35

3.35

Treatise: "Second is active seeing... then there is no seeing." Commentary: Saying "active seeing" is the characteristic of manifestation. Dependent on the preceding karmic consciousness, it turns to become active seeing. Therefore it says, "Because it relies on motion, it actively sees." If [viewed through] the gate of essential stillness, there is no active seeing; hence it says, "If it does not move, then there is no seeing." This inversely reveals the meaning that active seeing necessarily relies on motion. Although this characteristic of manifestation is an active grasper, because its object is subtle, it is not yet discerned. As the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'The mental consciousness cognizes objects of the three periods of time and non-temporal objects, so these can be known. The cognized objects of this consciousness cannot be known.' That its objects cannot be known is because there is no knowable object, just as it is said that the beginning of the twelve links of dependent origination cannot be known. This is spoken based on the characteristic of manifestation of the fundamental consciousness.