Ekottaragama (Sanskrit fragments) 19.1.8

19.1.8

爾時，梵天在梵天上，遙知如來所念，猶如士夫屈伸臂頃，從梵天上沒不現，來至世尊所，頭面禮足，在一面住。爾時，梵天白世尊曰：「此閻浮提必當壞敗，三界喪目。如來、至真、等正覺出現於世，應演法寶，然今復不暢演法味，唯願如來普為眾生廣說深法！又此眾生根原易度。若不聞者，永失法眼。此應為法之遺子，猶如優鉢蓮華、拘牟頭華、分陀利華，雖出於地，未出水上，亦未開敷。是時，彼華漸漸欲生，故未出水，或時此華以出水上，或時此華不為水所著。此眾生類亦復如是，為生、老、病、死所見逼促，諸根應熟，然不聞法而便喪者，不亦苦哉！今正是時，唯願世尊當為說法。」

It was then that the god Brahmā up in the Brahma Heaven knew the Tathāgata’s thought from a distance. In the time it takes a man to flex his arm, he disappeared from the Brahma Heaven and came to the Bhagavān. He bowed his head at his feet and stood to one side.

Brahmā then said to the Bhagavān, “Here, Jambudvīpa is sure to be destroyed, and the triple realm will lose its eyes! The Tathāgata, Arhat, and Completely and Rightly Awakened One has arisen in the world. He ought to proclaim the jewel of the teaching, yet he still hasn’t uttered the teaching’s essence. May the Tathāgata widely explain the profound teaching to all sentient beings!

“Moreover, these sentient beings are easily liberated at their root. If they don’t hear it, they’ll forever miss out on the Dharma eye. This is a teaching that should have disciples to inherit it. They’re like the blue, red, or white lotus flowers that emerge from mud but haven’t risen above the water and bloomed yet. Those flowers slowly grow while they’re under the water. Some of them emerge from the water, and some of them have no water clinging to them [after they emerge]. This type of sentient being is likewise. They are harassed by birth, old age, illness, and death, and their faculties ripen as a result. If they don’t hear the teaching, they’ll still die, but their suffering won’t. Now is the right time. Please explain the teaching for them, Bhagavān!”