An Interpretation of ‘the Initial Mark’ of the Awakening of Mahāyāna Faithin the Shi moheyan lun－Comparative Analysis of the Gisil lon so and the Dasheng qixin lun yiji－

Abstract

This paper aims at revealing the implication of different interpretations on the Awakening of Mahāyāna Faith’s (大乘起信論, AMF) phrase “be aware of the very first arising of mind. [As a result] the initial mark is removed from mind (覺心初起心無初相)” made in the three representative commentaries such as the Gisil lon so (起信論疏, GS), the Dasheng qixin lun yiji (大乘起信論義記, DQY), and the Shi moheyan lun (釋摩訶衍論, SML). All three commentaries define ‘the initial mark’ as ‘the mark of arising(生相)’. From the perspective of the GS, ‘the mark of arising’ is defined as the mark of karma (業相), the mark of transformation (轉相), and the mark of manifestation (現相). The SML views the latter two marks as the mark of abiding as does the DQY. Meanwhile the SML does not agree with the DQY which says the minute mark is cut off simply at the tenth bodhisattva ground, but agrees with the GS which mentions it is extinct at the undefiled stage (無垢地), a higher stage than the tenth bodhisattva ground. Depending on that, ultimate enlightenment is divided into the fulfilling cause (因圓滿), and the fulfilling attainment (果圓滿). At this point the SML is faced with a structural discrepancy, for only one mark, which would be eliminated at two different stages, is left. For this reason, the SML creatively analyzes the production processes of the mark of karma into three marks－the mark of karma which functions by itself (獨力業相), the mark of derivate that functions by itself (獨力隨相), and the mark of movement by combination (俱合動相). In addition, the last mark is connected with the tenth bodhisattva ground, and the first mark is involved with the stage of Tathāgata. This is the reason why the SML expounds ‘the mark of arising’ of the AMF as three marks of arising with its own peculiar view.