[In Chapter 28, Universal Sage] saysing, “I will at once mount the six-tusked white elephant king,” indicates that the Bodhisattva Universal [Sage] is contrasted with the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, who rides a lion. The lion is the symbol of realization of the truth. The lion, called the king of beasts, has control of the other animals and rouses awe in them. Therefore he can roam freely on the plain. Like the lion, the truth governs all things in the universe and is itself under the control of nothing. The truth is, so to speak, the king of the universe, and it appears freely in all phenomena.

On the other hand, the elephant represents great power of execution. Wherever this animal with his gigantic body forges ahead, nothing can check him. If there is a great tree in his path, he knocks it down. When he finds a rock in his way, he rolls it aside. When he fords a river or swamp, he walks steadily on the bottom. Therefore, the elephant is the symbol of thorough practice.

The six tusks of the white elephant king that the Bodhisattva Universal [Sage] rides symbolize the doctrine of the Six Perfections. This doctrine teaches us the practice of benefiting both oneself and others. The Bodhisattva Universal [Sage], who rides the six-tusked white elephant king as a messenger of the Buddha, and shows himself to all the living, is the symbol of the great man who removes all obstacles and unswervingly practices the Law.