華嚴經明法品內立三寶章 1.66

1.66

Fourth, manifestation of principle: precisely because characteristics thus exhaust themselves, the equal nature of principle has never failed to manifest. Among the types of tathatā in the treatise, one is named 'tathatā of transmigration' (pravṛtti-tathatā); it is so named because when investigating to the exhaustion of these transmigrating characteristics, the true principle is revealed. Furthermore, when sūtras say 'saṃsāra is precisely nirvāṇa' and so forth, they all have this meaning. Therefore, all buddhas and bodhisattvas look upon saṃsāra and constantly see nirvāṇa; constantly seeing nirvāṇa, they ever roam through saṃsāra—just as one who treads on waves has never failed to step on water, and one who steps on water cannot but tread on waves. In accordance with this principle, the buddhas do not arise from the realm of nirvāṇa, yet are constantly within saṃsāra teaching and transforming sentient beings; their compassion and wisdom are unobstructed. This is what it means.