佛祖統紀 3.33

3.33

The "Nature-Arising Chapter" of the Avataṃsaka (older translation) says: "For example, when the sun rises, it first illuminates the kings of great mountains, next illuminates all great mountains, next illuminates the vajra-jewel mountains, and afterwards universally illuminates all the flat earth. The sunlight does not think, 'I shall first illuminate the kings of great mountains, and in sequence down to universally illuminating the flat earth.' It is just that the mountains have heights and lows, so the illumination has earlier and later. The Tathāgata is also like this: having accomplished the light of wisdom of the immeasurable and boundless Dharma-realm, he first illuminates the bodhisattvas, next illuminates the pratyekabuddhas, next illuminates the śrāvakas, next illuminates the sentient beings of determined good roots who should be converted in accordance with their capacities (bodhisattvas of the Tripiṭaka), and afterwards universally illuminates all sentient beings," and so forth. It also says, "For example, when the sun and moon appear in the world, down to the deep mountains and dark valleys, there is nowhere they do not universally illuminate." (The text of the Miaoxuan combines the great mountains and jewel mountains into the dark valleys; its wording comes from this.) The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: When the Buddha taught the twenty-five samādhis, Bodhisattva Vimalagarbha said to the Buddha, "As the Buddha has spoken, the wisdom and merits accomplished by all Buddhas and bodhisattvas are hundred-thousand-myriad-kotis, truly ineffable. In my view, they are still not like this sutra, which can produce anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi." The Buddha said, "For example, from cows comes milk, from milk comes curd, from curd comes raw curd, from raw curd comes cooked curd, and from cooked curd comes clarified butter. Clarified butter is supreme. The Buddha is also like this: from the Buddha emerge the twelve divisions of scriptures; from the twelve divisions of scriptures emerge the nine divisions of sūtras; from the sūtras emerge the vaipulya scriptures; from prajñā emerges the Mahānirvāṇa. Clarified butter is a metaphor for Buddha-nature; Buddha-nature is none other than the Tathāgata." The Shiqian says: "In the Nirvāṇa's five flavours, transformations occur, yet it is just a single milk. In the Avataṃsaka's three illuminations, differences exist, yet it is just a single sun. Now, elaborating the Avataṃsaka's metaphor of the flat earth to correspond to the latter three of the Nirvāṇa, although the numbers are not equal, their meanings are neatly aligned," and so forth. It also says: "The Avataṃsaka mentions only the flat earth. Now, dividing that flat earth to serve as metaphors for Vaipulya, Prajñā, and the Lotus: Vaipulya is like mealtime; Prajñā is like mid-morning; the Lotus is like midday."