法苑珠林 11.59

11.59

如華嚴經云。如來出世。譬如日出先照一切諸大山王。次照一切大山。次照金剛寶山。然後普照一切大地。然日光不作是意。我當先照大山乃至後照大地。由山有高下故照有前後。如來亦爾。平等普救。然機有利鈍感佛前後。見聞不同大小有異。

As the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: When the Tathāgata appears in the world, it is like the rising sun: it first illuminates all the great kings of mountains, next illuminates all the great mountains, next illuminates the diamond-jewel mountains, and then illuminates the entire great earth everywhere. Yet the sunlight does not form this intention: 'I shall first illuminate the great mountains, and down to later illuminate the great earth.' Because the mountains have heights and depths, the illumination occurs earlier and later. The Tathāgata is also like this: he delivers all equally and universally, yet because beings' capacities are sharp or dull, their resonance with the Buddha occurs earlier or later, and their seeing and hearing differ, with differences in great and small.