Mahavadanasutra 1: 七佛父母姓字經

The translator's name is lost; appended to the translations of the Former Wei.

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was in the country of Śrāvastī. In that country there was a woman whose son was named Wuyan, and she was consequently called Mother Wuyan. The Buddha took five hundred monks and went to Mother Wuyan's house, sitting in the main hall to eat. After eating, several dozen monks spoke together in a secluded place, saying: “The Buddha is the one whom we revere and serve; his spiritual power is boundless. The Buddha transforms at will—what could he not do? Does he know the ages, lifespans, parents, clan names, number of disciples, and the practices, aspirations, and teachings of the past Buddhas as well as the future Buddhas?”

With the divine ear, the Buddha heard the monks discussing this matter. The Buddha immediately went to where the monks were and asked, “What were you all just discussing together?” The monks said, “We were contemplating that the Buddha is most spiritually efficacious, his moral virtue and Way subtle and far-reaching, and what he knows is lofty and distant, such that none can surpass the Buddha. The Buddha even knows the ages, lifespans, parents, clan names, number of disciples, and the practices, aspirations, and teachings of the past Buddhas who have already passed away, as well as the future Buddhas.” The Buddha said, “Excellent, excellent! It is indeed so. You who practice as śramaṇas should only contemplate these various good things.” The Buddha said, “Do you wish to hear of the past Buddhas, and the names and clans of their parents and disciples?” The monks said, “We truly wish to hear it.”

The Buddha said, “Listen, all of you! The first Buddha was named Vipaśyin Buddha; it has been ninety-one eons since his parinirvāṇa. The second Buddha was named Śikhin Buddha; it has been thirty-one eons since his parinirvāṇa. The third Buddha was named Viśvabhū Buddha; it has likewise been thirty-one eons since his parinirvāṇa. In this Bhadrakalpa, there will be two times five hundred Buddhas. The first was Krakucchanda Buddha, the second Buddha was Kanakamuni Buddha, the third was Kāśyapa Buddha, and the fourth is myself, named Śākyamuni Buddha.

“Vipaśyin Buddha's clan name was Kauṇḍinya; Śikhin Buddha was also of the Kauṇḍinya clan; Viśvabhū Buddha was also of the Kauṇḍinya clan. Krakucchanda Buddha was of the Kāśyapa clan; Kanakamuni Buddha was also of the Kāśyapa clan; Kāśyapa Buddha was also of the Kāśyapa clan. Now, having become Śākyamuni Buddha, my clan name is Gautama.

“Vipaśyin Buddha was of kṣatriya stock; Śikhin Buddha was also of kṣatriya stock; Viśvabhū Buddha was also of kṣatriya stock. Krakucchanda Buddha was of brahmin stock; Kanakamuni Buddha was also of brahmin stock; Kāśyapa Buddha was also of brahmin stock. Now, having become Śākyamuni Buddha, I am of kṣatriya stock.

“As for Vipaśyin Buddha: his father was named King Bandhumat, a kṣatriya, his mother was named Bandhumatī, and the country he ruled was called Bandhumatī. As for Śikhin Buddha: his father was named King Aruṇa, a kṣatriya, his mother was named Prabhāvatī, and the country he ruled was called Aruṇavatī. As for Viśvabhū Buddha: his father was named King Supratīva, a kṣatriya, his mother was named Yaśovatī, and the country he ruled was called Anupama. As for Krakucchanda Buddha: his father was named Yajñadatta, of brahmin stock, his mother was named Viśākhā, the country where he dwelt was called Kṣemavatī, and the king was named Subhadra. As for Kanakamuni Buddha: his father was named Yajñadatta, of brahmin stock, his mother was named Uttarā, the country where he dwelt was called Kṣemavatī, and the king was named Kṣema. As for Kāśyapa Buddha: his father was named Brahmadatta, of brahmin stock, his mother was named Dhanavatī, the country where he dwelt was called Vārāṇasī, and its king was named Kṛkī. Now, having become Śākyamuni Buddha: my father was named King Śuddhodana, a kṣatriya, my mother was named Mahāmāyā, the country ruled was called Kapilavastu, and the former great king was named Siṃhahanu.

“When Vipaśyin Buddha was in the world, his lifespan was eighty thousand years. When Śikhin Buddha was in the world, his lifespan was seventy thousand years. When Viśvabhū Buddha was in the world, his lifespan was sixty thousand years. When Krakucchanda Buddha was in the world, his lifespan was forty thousand years. When Kanakamuni Buddha was in the world, his lifespan was thirty thousand years. When Kāśyapa Buddha was in the world, his lifespan was twenty thousand years. Now, having become Śākyamuni Buddha, my lifespan is merely a hundred years, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

“Vipaśyin Buddha's son was named Suprakhaṇḍa; Śikhin Buddha's son was named Atula; Viśvabhū Buddha's son was named Suprabuddha; Krakucchanda Buddha's son was named Uttara; Kanakamuni Buddha's son was named Sārthavāha; Kāśyapa Buddha's son was named Sārthavāha. Now, having become Śākyamuni Buddha, my son is named Rāhula.

“When Vipaśyin Buddha attained the Way and became a Buddha, it was beneath a pāṭalī tree. When Śikhin Buddha attained the Way and became a Buddha, it was beneath a puṇḍarīka tree. When Viśvabhū Buddha attained the Way and became a Buddha, it was beneath a sāla tree. When Krakucchanda Buddha attained the Way and became a Buddha, it was beneath a śirīṣa tree. When Kanakamuni Buddha attained the Way and became a Buddha, it was beneath an uḍumbara tree. When Kāśyapa Buddha attained the Way and became a Buddha, it was beneath a nyagrodha tree. Now, when I became Śākyamuni Buddha, it was beneath an aśvattha tree.

“The attendant of Vipaśyin Buddha was named Aruṇa; the attendant of Śikhin Buddha was named Kṣemakāra; the attendant of Viśvabhū Buddha was named Upasannaka; the attendant of Krakucchanda Buddha was named Buddhija; the attendant of Kanakamuni Buddha was named Svastika; the attendant of Kāśyapa Buddha was named Sarvamitra. Now, having become Śākyamuni Buddha, my attendant is named Ānanda.

“Vipaśyin Buddha's first disciple was named Khaṇḍa, and the second disciple was named Tissa. Śikhin Buddha's first disciple was named Abhibhū, and the second disciple was named Sambhava. Viśvabhū Buddha's first disciple was named Bhūti, and the second disciple was named Uttara. Krakucchanda Buddha's first disciple was named Sañjīva, and the second disciple was named Vidhura. Kanakamuni Buddha's first disciple was named Cakravartin, and the second disciple was named Uttara. Kāśyapa Buddha's first disciple was named Tiṣya, and the second disciple was named Bhāradvāja. Now, having become Śākyamuni Buddha, my first disciple is named Śāriputra, and the second disciple is named Maudgalyāyana.

“Vipaśyin Buddha expounded the sūtras for the monks in three successive assemblies: at the first assembly of expounding the sūtras, one hundred thousand monks all attained arhatship; at the second assembly of expounding the sūtras, ninety thousand monks all attained arhatship; at the third assembly of expounding the sūtras, eighty thousand monks all attained arhatship. Śikhin Buddha likewise expounded the sūtras in three assemblies: at the first assembly of expounding the sūtras, ninety thousand monks all attained arhatship; at the second assembly of expounding the sūtras, eighty thousand monks all attained arhatship; at the third assembly of expounding the sūtras, seventy thousand monks all attained arhatship. Viśvabhū Buddha expounded the sūtras in two assemblies: at the first assembly of expounding the sūtras, seventy thousand monks all attained arhatship; at the second assembly of expounding the sūtras, sixty thousand monks all attained arhatship. Krakucchanda Buddha expounded the sūtras in one assembly, and forty thousand monks all attained arhatship. Kanakamuni Buddha expounded the sūtras in one assembly, and thirty thousand monks all attained arhatship. Kāśyapa Buddha expounded the sūtras in one assembly, and twenty thousand monks all attained arhatship. Now, having become Śākyamuni Buddha, I expounded the sūtras in one assembly, and one thousand two hundred and fifty monks all attained arhatship.”

The Buddha told the monks, “The Buddha's wisdom cannot be measured or weighed; he is able to know the original births, parents, kings, and practices of the seven Buddhas.”

The Buddha told the monks, “One must not fail to study the sūtras; one must not fail to cultivate the Way. A Buddha is like a helmsman in the waters of the great sea: tens of millions of people rely on him to cross the sea. The Buddha teaches all under heaven to make them do good, and their attainment of the Way and liberation from the world is just like this.”

Having heard the sūtra, the monks rejoiced, made obeisance, and departed.

Sūtra on the Parents and Clan Names of the Seven Buddhas