華嚴經旨歸 1.69

1.69

Ninth, as for the Retinue Sūtra: in this inexhaustible ocean of sūtras, one is all, and they are constantly and simultaneously expounded throughout the dust-paths of the ten directions. Bodhisattvas of lower ranks, the two vehicles, and ordinary beings cannot hear or see them. The "Manifestation of Nature Chapter" says: "This sūtra does not enter the hands of all sentient beings, except only bodhisattvas." It also says: "All śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not hear this sūtra, let alone uphold it." It also says: "If a bodhisattva practices the six pāramitās for hundreds of millions of nayutas of kalpas, but does not hear this sūtra, or hears it but does not believe, such a one is still a nominal bodhisattva." The explanation says: Because their capacities are inferior, they cannot hear and believe this universally penetrative method; but through the Tathāgata's skillful means, meeting them in any single direction, he expounds teachings suitable for them to hear according to their capacities. Sūtras of all other provisional teachings, the three vehicles, the Small Vehicle, and so forth, do not comprehensively integrate all ten directions to be expounded simultaneously, and are therefore not host sūtras; yet because they serve as supreme skillful means for the host, they are only retinues. Therefore, each single host sūtra necessarily possesses immeasurable skillful retinue [sūtras]. Like the Universal Vision Sūtra, which has sūtras equal to the dust-motes of worlds as its retinue, and like the Sūtra Received and Held by the Youth Samantavyūha, each has sūtras equal to the dust-motes as retinues and so forth, fully as expounded in the sūtra.