觀音義疏 2.45

2.45

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.