法華文句記 2.82

2.82

Regarding merely listing the numbers beyond the full names, the causal conditions, contemplation, and so forth are entirely as stated previously; however, since the names cannot all be set forth exhaustively, only the large numbers are indicated. To speak in general, they are listed first merely because they were long known to the people of this land. It is easy to substantiate faith. The past conditions under which the great bodhisattvas in the Buddha's lifelong teachings received prophecy are mostly found in the second fascicle of the *Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka*. The sūtra states: "There was a bodhisattva named Śāntimati who said to the Buddha: 'All buddhas have pure lands; why has the Tathāgata taken this defiled land?' The Buddha replied: 'I took it on account of my original vow. In the past, incalculable asuras of Ganges sands of kalpas ago, there was a world named Śāntirāmā and a kalpa named Goodness. A wheel-turning king named Araṇemin ruled over the four continents; the king had one thousand sons. There was a minister named the Brahmin Samudrareṇu, who had only one son, endowed with the thirty-two marks and eighty minor signs. Gods constantly came to make offerings to him. The kingdom gave him the title Precious Treasury (Ratnagarbha). When he left household life and realized the path, he was also named Ratnagarbha, and preached the Dharma to liberate countless people. The king's thousand sons each made offerings to him for three months. After the three months had passed, when he wished to confer prophecies upon them, he first entered samādhi, manifested the buddha-lands of the ten directions, assembled all the bodhisattvas, and first conferred prophecy upon Samudrareṇu. The sentient beings throughout the worlds of the ten directions who were transformed by Samudrareṇu became buddhas all at once. Next, he conferred prophecies upon the thousand sons of the wheel-turning king. He conferred prophecy upon the first prince, saying: "You observe the six paths, bring forth great compassion, sever all afflictions, and establish them in peace and bliss; I now name you Avalokiteśvara. After Amitābha Buddha enters parinirvāṇa, after two Ganges sands of asaṃkhyeya kalpas, at the beginning of the night when the True Dharma is extinguished, at the end of the night your land will be transformed and named Supreme Peaceful Realm Adorned with All Realized Precious Gems. In a single thought-moment you will attain right awakening, designated Mountain King of All Merits, with a lifespan of ninety-six hundred thousand kotis of nayutas of kalpas." The second prince was named Mahāsthāmaprāpta (as in the commentary); the third was named Mañjuśrī (as in the commentary); the fourth was named Samantabhadra, residing in the east in a world of dust-motes of ten Ganges sands of worlds named Unwinking; up to the ninth prince named Akṣobhya. In this manner, prophecies were successively conferred upon the thousand princes. Among them, some vowed to take the five defilements and realize buddhahood. Out of great compassion, their land was called Sahā. Why? Because these sentient beings endure the three poisons and all afflictions; because they can endure such evils, it is called the Land of Endurance. Among these thousand individuals, except for one person, all the rest will attain buddhahood in the Bhadrakalpa.'"