大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 3.22

3.22

Regarding [the passage in] the Commentary: "The 'Manifestation Chapter' says: 'Just as when the sun first rises, it first shines upon the high mountains'": that text states: 'Just as when the sun rises, it first shines upon the great kings of mountains such as Mount Sumeru, next shines upon the dark mountains, next shines upon the plateaus, and afterward universally shines upon the entire great earth; and the sun does not think: "I will first shine here and afterward shine there," but rather, because the mountains and plains have higher and lower elevations, its illumination has precedence and sequence; the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha is also like this: having accomplished the wheel of wisdom of the boundless dharmadhātu, he constantly emits the unobstructed light of great wisdom, first shining upon the great mountain kings such as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas, next shining upon the pratyekabuddhas, next shining upon the śrāvakas, next shining upon sentient beings with determinate good roots, revealing vast wisdom in accordance with the capacity of their minds, and afterward universally shining upon all sentient beings, even reaching those in wrong determinacy, to create for them the causes and conditions for future benefit and bring them to maturity. Yet that sun of the Tathāgata's great wisdom does not think: "I shall first shine upon the great practices of the bodhisattvas and afterward shine upon sentient beings in wrong determinacy"; it merely emits light and shines universally and equally, unhindered and unobstructed, without discrimination.' Explanation: Upon first achieving [enlightenment], he immediately preached the Avataṃsaka; this is shining upon the bodhisattvas, the mountain kings. This clarifies that the great comes first and the small follows.