觀音義疏 2.20

2.20

Next, explaining sons and daughters in terms of cultivating causes: first distinguish the dharma gates, and next explain the granting of vows. As for the dharma gates: ignorance is the father, craving is the mother, the six sense faculties are sons, the six sense objects are daughters, and consciousness acts as the matchmaker, giving birth to sons and grandsons of boundless afflictions. These sons and daughters require no vows or seeking; they spontaneously become one's kin. If non-Buddhist writings take heaven as yang and earth as yin, sinking and moving as sons and daughters, how much more could the Buddhadharma lack this? If we take the Buddha as the king and the scriptural teachings as the queen, they give birth to all bodhisattvas and Buddha-sons. Furthermore, skillful means is the father, and the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) is the mother; all guiding teachers are born from them without exception. Moreover, loving-kindness and compassion are daughters, while good thoughts are sons; or, dhyāna-concentration being quiet and subtle is a daughter, while contemplative wisdom being analytical is a son. The two vehicles have much concentration and little wisdom; bodhisattvas have little concentration and much wisdom. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: "If one hears the dharma of the great nirvāṇa and Buddha-nature, one should know that this person has the marks of a heroic male." Correct contemplation that is resolute and decisive is a son; unconditioned loving-kindness and compassion that encompass all are a daughter. Here, worldly sons and daughters are merely borrowed to represent the dharma gates.