觀音玄義 1.34

1.34

八釋本迹者，本名實得，迹名應現。若通途作本迹者，世智凡夫本意難測，乃至別教本迹。若圓教無始發心，初破無明所得法身者，名之為本；垂形百億，高下不定，稱之為迹。若一往判真應，多用上地為真、為本，下地為應、為迹。地地傳作此判，真本唯據於高，應迹唯指於下。此義不可，今細明本迹則與真應異。本是實得，始坐道場及初住所得法身即是其本；迹為上地之佛及作上地菩薩悉名為迹。不可以上地高故稱之為本，始得初住目之為迹。何以故？實不得上地，上地非本；實得下地，下地非迹。故〈壽量〉云「隨自意、隨他意，是本迹意也。」就本迹明六即，就前問答不可說示，但冥祐前人，從本地得名；後問答殊形異狀，應現度脫，從迹地得名。故知本迹因緣故，名觀世音普門也。

Eighth, explaining in terms of origin and traces: 'origin' means what is truly attained; 'traces' means what is responsively manifested. If speaking of origin and traces in a general way, the original intent of worldly-wise ordinary beings is hard to fathom, all the way up to the origin and traces of the Distinct Teaching. If in the Perfect Teaching, having aspired from the beginningless, the dharma-kāya attained upon first breaking ignorance is called the origin; projecting forms across billions [of worlds], high and low without fixed measure, is called the traces. If judging the true and responsive in a provisional way, one mostly takes the higher stages as true and origin, and the lower stages as responsive and traces. Successively making this distinction stage by stage, the true and origin solely refers to the high, and the responsive and traces solely refers to the low. This meaning will not do; now, clarifying origin and traces in detail, it differs from the true and responsive. The origin is what is truly attained: the dharma-kāya attained upon first sitting at the site of awakening and at the first abode is precisely the origin; the traces are Buddhas of the higher stages and acting as bodhisattvas of the higher stages, all of which are called traces. One must not, because the higher stages are lofty, call them the origin, and label the initial attainment of the first abode as traces. Why is this? The higher stages are not truly attained, so the higher stages are not the origin; the lower stage is truly attained, so the lower stage is not a trace. Therefore the 'Life Span' chapter says: 'According to one's own intent and according to the intent of others'—this is the intent of origin and traces. Explaining the six identities in terms of origin and traces: in terms of the previous question and answer, it cannot be spoken or shown, but merely covertly blesses the person before one, receiving its name from the ground of origin; in the latter question and answer, with diverse forms and distinct appearances, it responsively manifests to deliver, receiving its name from the ground of traces. Hence we know that through the conditions of origin and traces, it is named Avalokiteśvara Universal Gate.