觀音玄義 2.16

2.16

總生起者，菩薩見一切苦惱眾生起大慈悲，此心雖不即是菩提心，能發生菩提心，譬如地、水雖非種子，能令芽生，今因大悲起菩提心亦復如是。

General origin: When a bodhisattva sees all suffering sentient beings, they give rise to great benevolence and compassion; although this mind is not itself the bodhi-mind, it can generate the bodhi-mind. For example, although earth and water are not the seed, they can cause the sprout to grow; now, generating the bodhi-mind on account of great compassion is also like this.