請觀音經疏闡義鈔 1.25

1.25

As for 'taking stimulus and response as the gist': Candraprabha's making the invocation is the stimulus, and the three sages' descending from afar is the response; because the arising of the teaching originates from this, it is taken as the gist. However, various sūtras sometimes take cause and effect as their gist, but in this sūtra it is inconvenient for clarifying the meaning. Why? The phrasing of cause and effect is general, possessed by both ordinary beings and sages. For instance, the people of Vaiśālī making an invocation to seek salvation is the cause, and their future realization of the Way is the effect—this is ordinary beings possessing cause and effect. Avalokiteśvara formerly being on the stage of an ordinary being was the cause, and now residing in partial realization is the effect—this is the sage possessing cause and effect. Now, although ordinary beings possess cause and effect, they are designated only by 'stimulus'; although the sage possesses cause and effect, he is designated only by 'response'; therefore, stimulus and response are taken as the gist.