妙法蓮華經文句 1.55

1.55

As for "Buddha": at the beginning of an eon there is no illness, and at the end of an eon there is much illness; during times of long lifespans there is joy, and during times of short lifespans there is suffering. The eastern continent is wealthy and long-lived; the western continent has many jewels, cattle, and sheep; the northern continent has no sense of self and no subjects or rulers. Such times and places do not stimulate a buddha to appear. At the time of eighty-thousand-year lifespans and at the time of one-hundred-year lifespans, beings in the southern continent cultivate causes without yet having seen the fruit, hence buddhas appear in that land. A Licchavi said: "The kingdom of Magadha is like a great pool; the Buddha appearing in that kingdom is like a great lotus flower." Aparājita said: "The Buddha is equal and without duality toward all sentient beings; it is merely that you are indulged in the five desires and do not see the Buddha, not that the Buddha has abandoned you to appear in Magadha." These are all worldly explanations. If the sun did not come out, the flowers in the pond—both those not yet bloomed and those already bloomed—would undoubtedly wither and die; if the Buddha appears in the world, there are kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, householders, the Four Heavenly Kings, up to the Peak of Existence (Bhavāgra). This is explained with respect to individual adaptation. The faculties of the three vehicles stimulate the Buddha to appear in the world, whereas others cannot; skilfully severing the seeds of the Peak of Existence, one forever crosses the flow of saṃsāra. This is spoken with respect to the counteractive. In terms of the Dharma-nature, the Buddha neither moves nor appears; yet he causes sentient beings to be stimulated to see movement and appearance, while for the Tathāgata there is truly neither movement nor appearance. This is spoken with respect to the paramārtha-satya. All of these are explanations by causes and conditions.