四明尊者教行錄 4.89

4.89

答：文殊無入海之文者，準佛成道後四十二年，便居靈鷲說《法華經》。首尾八載時既長遠，或有入海之文，經文傳譯此土從略，是故不云也。此猶約事解釋如此。若約理智伸之，此經如來常在海中宣揚，文殊實智周遍，豈隔鷲峯聽受。理既無在，寧局方隅？感應而處處釋迦，隨緣而身身妙德也。

Answer: As for Mañjuśrī having no text about entering the sea: according to [the timeline], forty-two years after the Buddha attained the Way, he resided on Vulture Peak and preached the *Lotus Sūtra*. From beginning to end was eight years, a long period of time; perhaps there was a text of his entering the sea, but in transmitting and translating the sūtra text to this land it was abridged, and therefore not mentioned. This is merely explaining it on the level of phenomena. If one expands it in terms of principle and wisdom, in this sūtra the Tathāgata constantly propagates within the sea, and Mañjuśrī's real wisdom is all-pervading—how could he be obstructed by Vulture Peak from hearing and receiving it? Since principle has no fixed location, how could it be confined to a single quarter? In response to capacities, Śākyamuni is everywhere; according with conditions, every body is Mañjuśrī.