妙法蓮華經玄義 7.74

7.74

本因妙者，經言：「我本行菩薩道時所成壽命」者，慧命，即本時智妙也。我本行者，行是進趣，即本行妙也。菩薩道時者，菩薩是因人，復顯位妙也。一句文證成三妙，三妙即本時因妙，非迹因也。迹因多種，或言昔為陶師，值先釋迦佛，三事供養，藉草然燈、石蜜漿，發口得記，父母名字，弟子侍人，皆如先佛，即是初阿僧祇發心。既不明斷惑，知是三藏行因之相也。或言昔為摩納，值然燈佛，五華奉散，布髮掩泥，躍身虛空，得無生忍，佛與受記，號釋迦文。《大品》亦云：「華嚴城內得記。」義與此同。並云斷惑，故知通佛行因之相也。或言昔為寶海梵志，刪提嵐國，寶藏佛所，行大精進，十方佛送華供養。既為寶藏佛父，又是彌陀之師，稱其功德不可思議，故知是別圓行因之相。

Concerning the wondrousness of the original cause: the sūtra says, 'The lifespan I achieved when formerly practicing the bodhisattva path'—wisdom-life is the wondrousness of wisdom at the original time. 'When I formerly practiced'—practice is proceeding forward, which is the wondrousness of the original practice. 'When on the bodhisattva path'—a bodhisattva is a person at the causal stage, which further reveals the wondrousness of the stage. A single phrase of text establishes the three wonders, and these three wonders are the wondrousness of the cause at the original time, not the cause in the trace. The causes in the trace are of many kinds. Some say that in the past he was a potter who encountered the previous Śākyamuni Buddha and made three offerings to him—sleeping on grass, lighting a lamp, and offering sugar syrup—and on opening his mouth received a prophecy that his parents' names, disciples, and attendants would all be like those of the former Buddha; this was the initial aspiration of the first asaṃkhyeya [kalpa]. Since it does not clarify the severance of delusions, we know it is the characteristic of practicing the cause according to the tripiṭaka [teaching]. Some say that in the past he was the young man Māṇava who encountered Dīpaṃkara Buddha, offered five lotuses, spread his hair over the mud, leaped into the air, attained the forbearance of non-arising, and the Buddha conferred a prophecy upon him with the name Śākyamuni. The Great Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra also says: 'He received the prophecy within the city of Padmāvatī.' Its meaning is identical to this. As both speak of severing delusions, we know this is the characteristic of practicing the cause according to the shared buddha[-vehicle]. Some say that in the past he was the Brahmin Samudrareṇu in the land of Śāntā, who before Ratnagarbha Buddha practiced great vigor, and the buddhas of the ten directions sent flowers to make offerings to him. Since he was the father of Ratnagarbha Buddha and also the teacher of Amitāyus, his merits are praised as inconceivable; hence we know this is the characteristic of practicing the cause according to the distinctive and perfect [teachings].