འཕགས་པ་ཆས་ཡང་དག་པར་སྡད་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 7.15

7.15

He will be unsurpassed, a teacher of gods and humans, a blessed buddha. Ānanda, the Thus-Gone One Great Light will have a lifespan that lasts one eon, while the lifespan of those bodhisattvas²¹⁴ will last twelve intermediate eons. Ānanda, as a comparison, the enjoyments and activities of beings in that buddhafield will be just like those of the gods in the Heaven of Controlling Others’ Emanations.”

The venerable Subhūti then addressed the bodhisattva great being Nirārambha: “Child of good family, the Blessed One prophesied that you will become a buddha and easily achieve success.”

The bodhisattva Nirārambha asked, “Honorable Subhūti, do you know who here will become a buddha?”

“Child of good family,” replied Subhūti, “I do not clearly see the qualities of those who will become buddhas.”

“Honorable Subhūti, if you do not clearly see the qualities of those who will become buddhas, are you not undermining your statement, ‘You have been prophesied to become a buddha’?” asked Nirārambha.

“Child of good family,” replied Subhūti, “the Blessed One prophesied that you would become a buddha, did he not?”

Nirārambha said, “Honorable Subhūti, the Blessed One said the words ‘become a buddha’ fully knowing what was meant. What meaning is it that is fully known to a thus-gone one? The thus-gone ones do not prophesy about bodhisattvas who aspire to awaken. The thus-gone ones prophesy about bodhisattvas who do not aspire to awaken. Therefore, the Blessed One, fully knowing what was meant, said ‘become a buddha’ in order to develop the roots of virtue of beings.