廣弘明集 18.122

18.122

卿所難問。引喻兼富理極深致。實非膚淺所能具答。今為當都格以相酬耳。卿引般若經云。若有眾生遇斯光者。必得無上道。即經所言。未聞有凡流而得見光明者。如釋迦放大光明普照十方。當斯之時。經不言有群品而得見其怪而異之者。皆是普明之。徒以斯言之定不。為群小也。卿若以眾生為疑者。百億菩薩豈非眾生之謂耶。然經復云。普明之詣釋迦。皆與善男子善女人持諸華香來供養釋迦。及致供養之徒。自應普蒙其潤也。但光明之作本不為善男子善女人。所以得蒙餘波者。其猶蠅附驥尾得至千里之舉耳。

The questions and difficulties you have raised cite rich metaphors and their principles reach profound purport; they are truly not something shallow faculties can fully answer. Now I shall only establish a general framework to respond to you. You cite the Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra: 'If there are sentient beings who encounter this light, they will certainly attain the unsurpassed Way.' According to what the sūtra says, we have not heard of ordinary people being able to see this radiance. For example, when Śākyamuni emitted great radiance illuminating the ten directions, at that time the sūtra does not say there were ordinary creatures who were able to see it and be astonished by it. It was entirely the company of Samantaprabha. Judging from this, it was certainly not for the myriad lowly beings. If you doubt this because of the word 'sentient beings', are not the hundreds of koṭis of bodhisattvas called sentient beings? Yet the sūtra further says: When Samantaprabha came to Śākyamuni, he came with good men and good women holding various flowers and incense to make offerings to Śākyamuni. As for those who came to make offerings, they naturally should receive its moisture everywhere. But the production of radiance was fundamentally not for the good men and good women. The reason they could receive its remaining waves is just like a fly clinging to the tail of a thoroughbred steed being able to achieve a journey of a thousand li.