大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 5.71

5.71

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.