[Buddha-l] 'Old Mahayana Saying?'

[Stephen Hopkins]

L'ers -

Reading Pico Iyer's book on his time in Kyoto, 'The Lady and the Monk', I
came across what he calls 'the old Mahayana saying: "Of all forms of
illusion, woman is the most important."'

If true - ie that it is in fact 'an old Mahayana saying', whatever that
might mean - can anyone pin down the source?

Thanks in advance,

Stephen Hopkins