廣弘明集 5.50

5.50

The objection states: 'The music of the Four Barbarians barely emerged from the distant frontiers, and when they were cast out to the four borderlands, these were also close to the wilds of Mount Wei and Mount Yu. Where Yu's tracks reached did not extend to the source of the Yellow River; the white pheasants of Yueshang were still said to come through multiple interpreters. Thus, India and Jibin were long cut off from the superior country. Only after the decline of Zhou was news occasionally heard. Therefore Zou Yan believed that the Red County within the world was merely one of nine parts. In early Han, there were stupas in Chang'an, yet scriptures and images remained vague and obscure. Although Zhang Qian carried out his mission to Daxia and Gan Ying traveled as far as Anxi, they were still unable to translate and transmit the customs and teachings. It was only when a dream appeared in the imperial court that it gradually rose and became manifest. This seems to be a case of the times causing openness or blockage, having nothing to do with the rise and fall of karmic cycles.'
I reply: Originally, it was because the Western regions were close in route yet the Great Dharma was not spread; this was entirely because the resonance of conditions had not yet arisen, not because the route was far. Since the route was close yet this Dharma never flowed east, if not because the resonance of conditions had not arrived, how could this be? When it was later spread to the east, it was entirely due to the resonance of conditions. What is suitable to arise, open, or block each has its time. The previous treatise has already exhausted this.