妙法蓮華經玄贊 5.86

5.86

As for the distinctions among prophecies, in the Śūraṅgama-sūtra, 'The Buddha told Dṛḍhamati Bodhisattva: In general, there are four kinds of conferral of prophecy. There is conferring prophecy when the mind has not yet been generated; there is conferring prophecy just when the mind has been generated; there is conferring prophecy in secret; and there is conferring prophecy in person upon attaining the endurance of the non-arising of dharmas. These are called the four kinds. Only the Tathāgata is able to know these matters.' The Ratnamegha-sūtra also makes this same statement. The forty-sixth fascicle of the Yogācārabhūmi says that briefly, through six aspects, one receives the conferral of prophecy from the Tathāgatas regarding unexcelled, complete, and perfect awakening. What are the six? First, the state of abiding in the gotra without having yet generated the mind; second, the state of having already generated the mind; third, the state [of being] directly present; fourth, the state of not being directly present. The above four kinds are identical to those in the Śūraṅgama: its secret conferral of prophecy is precisely 'not directly present' because it is in a secret place; or else, attaining the endurance of non-arising is called 'directly present', while not yet attaining it is called 'not directly present'; or else, one's person being present in the assembly is called 'directly present', while one's person not being present in the assembly is called 'not directly present'—as below in the fourth fascicle, where among those given collective prophecy some are not in the assembly and the Buddha has the prophecy transmitted to them. Fifth, having a fixed time limit, meaning that after such-and-such an amount of time one shall realize unexcelled, complete, and perfect awakening. Sixth, having no fixed time limit, meaning that prophecy is conferred without proclaiming a definitive time limit. Now Śāriputra corresponds to the second, third, and sixth: having already generated the great mind, abiding present before the Buddha, and having no fixed time limit. The Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'A srotāpanna arrives in eighty thousand kalpas, and up to an arhat who arrives in twenty thousand kalpas, and a pratyekabuddha who arrives in ten thousand kalpas.' What is meant by 'arriving' is arriving at the mind of anuttarā samyaksambodhi; thus we know that only after passing through such kalpas does one reach the initial mind of the ten faiths and begin entering the first kalpa. The Bodhisattvabhūmi says: 'Those of circuitous practice are not equal to bodhisattvas who are at the initial mind of beginners, because [the former's] indulgence in the flavor of quiescence is exceedingly deep and heavy.' Therefore it is said now that only after passing through immeasurable kalpas does one begin making offerings to so many thousands of millions of buddhas, practicing the bodhisattva path, and so forth. There are three determinacies: first, determinacy of gotra, where upon encountering conditions one is immediately able to realize correct awakening; second, determinacy of generating the mind, where having generated the great mind one no longer regresses; third, non-vain practice, where having attained definitive mastery, one never acts in vain regarding the benefit of sentient beings. The first is before the [ten] grounds, among the five kinds of bodhi being the bodhi of generating the mind; the second is on the first ground, realizing the generation of the mind; the third is on the eighth ground. Here, based on the first determinacy, prophecy is conferred.