大方廣佛華嚴經疏 49.14

49.14

Fourth is the simile of sunlight illuminating equally, illustrating the body of impartial response according with [beings], which, because it abides in the true limit, is impartial without partiality. In the text there are two parts: first, the simile proper; second, bringing it up again to resolve doubts. In the former, the dark mountains illustrate pratyekabuddhas, because they lack the light of the emptiness of dharmas and do not produce merits, unlike the ten great mountain kings of the bodhisattvas that represent the ten stages. The high plateaus illustrate śrāvakas, because they do not give birth to the lotus flowers of the Buddha-dharma. The single great earth comprehensively contains the three groups: taking the places that definitely can produce [growth] illustrates the group of definite rightness; producing only upon obtaining conditions illustrates the indeterminate group; sandy and salty lands illustrate the group of definite falsity; yet it does not abandon them either, and therefore illuminates all equally. Later, the explanation. The doubt says: "The sun's light is one; the Buddha's wisdom has ten thousand distinctions. How can they serve as a common simile?" The explanation says: "Did we not just say earlier that it is merely in accordance with the mountains and plains being high or low? Hence we know that it is merely in accordance with the differences in sentient beings' wisdom, whereas the Buddha's unselfish wisdom has no variety." This does not contradict the previous simile. Furthermore, since difference is explained in terms of capacity, illuminating the heights cannot yet simultaneously reach the depths, while illuminating the depths still illuminates the heights. Moreover, if [the Buddha] were to abandon transformation, he would first abandon the small, next abandon the intermediate, and only the high mountains of the bodhisattvas receive illumination all day long. Contemplate this.