法苑珠林 32.6

32.6

夫聖人之用。玄通無礙。致感多方。不可作一途求。不可以一理推。故麁以麁應。細以細應。麁細隨機理固然矣。所以放大光明現諸神變者。此應十方諸大菩薩將紹尊位者耳。若處俗接麁按邪歸正者。復須隨緣通變量稱物情。不可以妙理通寤指事。而變現不思議之形質。用遮不思議之頑見也。譬聖人亦入鹿馬而度脫之。當在鹿馬。豈同於鹿馬哉若不異於鹿馬。應時常流不待此神變明矣。

The function of the sage is mysterious, pervasive, and unobstructed, eliciting responses in manifold ways; it cannot be sought by a single path, nor can it be deduced by a single principle. Therefore, coarse [faculties] are responded to with the coarse, and subtle [faculties] are responded to with the subtle; that coarse and subtle accord with the capacities [of beings] is a principle that is naturally so. The reason why they emit great light and manifest various divine transformations is to respond to the great bodhisattvas of the ten directions who are about to inherit the exalted rank. If they are to dwell among the secular, receive the coarse, subdue the heterodox, and bring them to the correct, they must further adapt to conditions and transform pervasively, measuring and matching the dispositions of beings; unable to awaken them by pointing to phenomena through profound principle, they manifest inconceivable bodily forms in order to block inconceivable obstinate views. For instance, when a sage also enters among deer and horses to deliver them, while among deer and horses, how could he be identical to deer and horses? If he were not different from deer and horses, he would be of the common stream at that time, and clearly there would be no need for these divine transformations.