天台四教儀 1.13

1.13

第一頓教者，即《華嚴經》也。從部、時、味等，得名為頓。所謂如來初成正覺，在寂滅道場，四十一位法身大士，及宿世根熟天龍八部一時圍繞，如雲籠月。爾時如來現盧舍那身，說圓滿修多羅，故言頓教。若約機約教，未免兼權。謂初發心時便成正覺等文，為圓機說圓教。處處說行布次第，則為權機說別教。故約部為頓，約教名兼。此經中云：「譬如日出先照高山（第一時）。」《涅槃》云：「譬如從牛出乳，此從佛出十二部經（一乳味）。」《法華．信解品》云：「即遣旁人急追將還，窮子驚愕，稱怨大喚」等。此領何義？答：諸聲聞在座如聾若啞等是也。

First, the sudden teaching is the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. In terms of text, period, flavor, and so forth, it obtains the name 'sudden'. That is to say, when the Tathāgata first attained correct enlightenment in the bodhimanda of quiescent extinction, the forty-one ranks of Great Beings of the Dharma Body and the eight classes of devas and nāgas whose faculties were ripe from past lives surrounded him all at once, like clouds encircling the moon. At that time, the Tathāgata manifested the Rocana body and preached the complete sūtra; therefore it is called the sudden teaching. If considered in terms of capacity and teaching, it cannot avoid combining the provisional. That is, passages such as 'at the initial arousing of the aspiration, one immediately attains correct enlightenment' preach the perfect teaching for capacities [suited to] the perfect. Where it repeatedly preaches sequential arrangement and stages, it preaches the distinct teaching for capacities [suited to] the provisional. Therefore, in terms of text it is sudden, and in terms of teaching it is called combined. This sūtra states: 'It is like the rising sun first illuminating the high mountains' (the first period). The Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] states: 'Just as from a cow comes milk, here from the Buddha come the twelve divisions of scripture' (the first, the milk flavor). The 'Belief and Understanding' chapter of the Lotus [Sūtra] states: 'He immediately dispatched bystanders to pursue him quickly and bring him back; the poor son was alarmed and terrified, crying out in grievance,' and so forth. What meaning does this convey? The answer is: it refers to the śrāvakas in the assembly being as if deaf and mute, and so forth.