法苑珠林 11.59

11.59

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.