妙法蓮華經玄義 7.74

7.74

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].