觀音玄義 1.34

1.34

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.