The anonymous book, the Shi-mo-he-yan-lun (釈摩訶衍論), is a unique commentary on the Da-sheng-qi-xin-lun (大乗起信論). I investigate the characteristics of the Shi-mo-he-yan-lun relative to the commentary on the concept of "non-enlightenment" (無明) which is the most important element of the Da-sheng-qi-xin-lun. As the basis for comparison I use the Da-sheng-qi-xin-lun-yi-ji (大乗起信論義記) written by Fa-tung, which is the most standard textbook of all the annotation on the Da-sheng-qi-xin-lun. What are the characteristics of interpretation on non-enlightenment in the Shi-mo-he-yan-lun? First of all I mention the following point: Interpreting non-enlightenment, the Da-sheng-qi-xin-lun and the Da-sheng-qi-xin-lun-yi-ji accept just as a fact that non-enlightenment stands as a link in the chain of the structure of which enlightenment and non-enlightenment are found in "Suchness" (眞如) as the fundamental world and from which the multifaceted phenomenal world is derived. The Shi-mo-he-yan-lun seems to follow the interpretation ; it is, however, "incorrect." Dealing with the Identity (同相) and the Nonidentity (異相) of enlightenment and non-enlightenment, the Shi-mo-he-yan-lun praises first the actual existence of enlightenment on the Identity, but treating of Non-identity, it gives an example for which Sind (身土), who said he had seen the various surface world, was criticized by Buddha for his lack of wisdom to make him see it. Namely non-enlightenment and the multi-faceted phenomenal world are denied as a result. Only enlightenment is recognized as actual existence, and non-enlightenment loses its validity. That is a remarkable characteristic of the Shi-mo-he-yan-lun compared with the Da-sheng-qi-xin-lun-yi-ji. The second point is the following: while it is quite incompatible with the above-mentioned point, the strength of non-enlightenment is emphasized at another place in the Shi-mo-he-yan-lun. "Enlightenment breaks non-enlightenment like sunrise, and non-enlightenment puts out enlightenment like sunset": being so stated, non-enlightenment is on a level with enlightenment. In this connection the following matter is noteworthy. Non-enlightenment is "無明" (mu-myo) in Chinese characters ; "無" means "be missing", "there is no…" (=non), but it is interpreted in one part of the Shi-mo-he-yan-lun as "unequaled", "there is nothing higher than…" In consequence "無明" should mean not "non-enlightenment" but "enlightenment being higher than anything" ("there is nothing higher than enlightenment"). Non-enlightenment is "Suchness" itself. This is the underlying idea, non-enlightenment should be "Suchness" in the Shi-mo-he-yan-lun. It seems that this identity suggests the departure-and arriving point of religious practice as expression.
