華嚴經金師子章註 1.8

1.8

金師子者，能喻法也，究其本元即有。唐賢首法師對則天聖帝以示大經厥旨，所謂《華嚴》理深事廣、文博義玄，非入理聖人無以達其奧，是以立見邊之喻，曉無涯之法。金況法界體也，師子喻法界用也。今則從法就喻，略啟十門分別，故得理事鎔融，一多無礙矣。

The golden lion is that which serves as the analogy for the Dharma; if we investigate its origin, it indeed existed. In the Tang, Dharma Master Xianshou demonstrated the core tenets of the great sutra to the Holy Emperor Zetian. That is to say, the Avataṃsaka's principle is profound and its phenomena are vast; its text is extensive and its meaning is abstruse. None other than a sage who has entered the principle could penetrate its profundity. Therefore, he established a tangible analogy to illuminate the boundless Dharma. Gold represents the essence of the dharmadhātu; the lion represents the function of the dharmadhātu. Now, proceeding from the Dharma to the analogy, ten gates of distinction are briefly set forth, so that principle and phenomena are fused and the one and the many are unobstructed.