In the Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra, Mt. Potalaka is the dwelling place of Avalokiteśvara, a bodhisattva who exemplifies infinite mercy and compassion. The word pota, which literally means “young plant,” has various translations in Buddhist philosophy. Fazang法藏 interpreted the word potalaka as “Small Tree Vine Adornment Mountain” 小樹蔓莊嚴山, whereas his disciple, Huiyuan慧苑, translated it as “Small Flowering Tree Mountain” 小花樹山.
Li Tongxuan李通玄, referring to Huiyuan’s version, first translated potalaka as “Small White Flower Tree Mountain” 小白華樹山. He associated potalaka with Avalokiteśvara’s “Great Compassionate Practice” 大悲行. According to Li Tongxuan, Avalokiteśvara embodied the “Great Compassionate Practice” when he offered his life to teach all sentient beings to achieve bodhicitta, an enlightened mind aimed to avoid committing small mistakes and abandoning small good deeds.
The idea that his interpretation of Sanskrit is unreliable existed since the Ming Dynasty. However, the translation as “Small White Flower Tree Mountain” was widely accepted and had a remarkable influence on Chengguan澄觀 and on later generations.
