觀音義疏 2.45

2.45

復次，約說法多少者，如善財從百一十知識聞諸法門，則多法為一人說。如《淨名》云：「為聲聞說四諦，為緣覺說十二因緣，乃至為梵王說勝慧，為帝釋說無常。」一人用一法為一人說；若如通教說般若，三乘人同稟，此則一法為多人說也；若是一切無礙人一道出生死，開佛知見，此則多法為多人說。復次，因果相對明多少者，五戒、十善，因少果亦少；聲聞五停心、煖頂等入二涅槃，此因多果少；支佛見花飛葉落即得道，此因少果多；諸菩薩萬行成就萬德果圓，因多果亦多。觀音明了眾生根之所趣，或示現身多少、或說法多少、或修因多少、或證果多少，逗彼機宜，必無有差。有人云：「現因身說果法、現果身說因法，現一身說多法、現多身說一法、或現身而無說。」此比十法界機狹。

Furthermore, regarding the quantity of teachings spoken: just as Sudhana heard various dharma gates from one hundred and ten good spiritual friends, this is many teachings spoken for one person. As the Jingming jing says: "For the śrāvakas, he preached the four truths; for the pratyekabuddhas, he preached the twelve links of dependent origination; and so forth, up to preaching superior wisdom for King Brahmā and impermanence for Śakra." This is one person using one teaching spoken for one person. If, as in the Shared Teaching, wisdom (prajñā) is preached and people of the three vehicles receive it alike, this is one teaching spoken for many people. If all unobstructed persons transcend birth and death by the single path and open the knowledge and vision of the Buddha, this is many teachings spoken for many people. Furthermore, explaining quantity in the reciprocal relation between cause and effect: with the five precepts and ten virtuous deeds, the causes are few and the fruits are also few. Śrāvakas, by the fivefold stillness of mind, heat, summit, and so forth, enter the two nirvāṇas; here causes are many and fruits are few. Pratyekabuddhas, seeing flowers flutter and leaves fall, immediately attain the Way; here causes are few and fruits are many. For the bodhisattvas, ten thousand practices are perfected and the fruits of ten thousand virtues are rounded out; causes are many and fruits are also many. Avalokiteśvara clearly comprehends the inclinations of the capacities of sentient beings; whether manifesting many or few bodies, speaking many or few teachings, cultivating many or few causes, or realizing many or few fruits, he responds to their proper capacities without ever erring. Someone said: "He manifests a causal body to preach fruitional teachings, manifests a fruitional body to preach causal teachings, manifests a single body to preach many teachings, manifests many bodies to preach a single teaching, or manifests a body without speech." This is narrower than the capacities of the ten dharma realms.