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Translation of 觀彌勒上生兜率天經贊
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- pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-21) of in.bauddha.taisho.1772 · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…
Contents
Text
1.1
Preface to the Title of the Sūtra on the Contemplation of Bodhisattva Maitreya's Ascent to Tuṣita Heaven
1.2
Composed by Kuiji of Dacien Monastery
1.3
Now, the real nature is profound and indistinct, transcending traps and snares yet encompassing all; the essence of enlightenment is dark and subtle, cutting off sight and hearing yet penetrating and unifying. Even when comparing wisdom to clouds and the Dharma to the moon behind gauze, inspecting its divine principle leaves one still perplexed; even when borrowing fathomless discernment amid dense bamboo groves, estimating its marvelous workings leaves one unable to measure them. Only when the ultimate Way is perfected does the pure countenance manifest; only when the limit of reality is displayed is true consciousness purified. Thereafter, stooping to guide the ten grounds, it disperses oceanic insight across precious realms; reaching down to encompass the three vehicles, it displays a transcendent presence within defiled cities. It is like a great bell, hollow to receive, sending forth sound in response to whatever strikes it; it is like the bright moon, clarifying its radiance, casting its reflection according to the purity of the vessel. Therefore, to carry on and exalt the saṃbhogakāya Buddha, he receives consecration on the lotus terrace; to inherit the task of the nirmāṇakāya, he first sends his spirit to the purple-blue palace. Nurturing the maturation of capacities, he approaches the throne; awaiting the conditions for living beings, he descends with manifested traces. This is indeed the grand ritual of receiving appointment throughout the three periods of time, the marvelous model for being bound to one last birth! Now, as for this sūtra: it is the single rain that showers upon all sprouts, the open ford that ferries across the many beasts, the great vessel that carries those who have wandered and lost their way, the marvelous chariot that leads the children from the flames. Although plumbing the profound and understanding the hidden ultimately belongs to the flowers on different threads, nonetheless, rescuing the drowning in tally with their capacities truly lies in the leaves of this fishing trap. For this reason, the golden light shines in the twilight, a banner showing its reflection to those in darkness; the fragrant blossoms spread mist in front, proving that the fruit behind is without deficiency. The likes of Mañjuśrī gather like folding waves; the company of Śāriputra hastens like assembling clouds. Although receiving instruction for a single occasion, it is truly a ford and a bridge for a thousand ages. As for the sacred realm of the heavenly palace, it is adorned by relying on boundless causes; the marvelous functioning of the grove of enlightenment accords with inexhaustible virtuous practices. Were it not for the pivot of the mind embracing and contemplating it, how could the utmost reach of words proclaim its brilliance? The repository of the teaching reveals itself; the scales of the title cease their praise.
1.4
As for "the Sūtra on the Contemplation of Bodhisattva Maitreya's Ascent to Birth in Tuṣita Heaven": the six practices are cultivated together, the two causes are accumulated in parallel; the mind diligently focuses on the marvelous realm, joyfully hastening toward the contemplation of the sun. "Maitreya" is Sanskrit; here it is translated as "the Benevolent One" (Ci Shi). The mother's aspiration was wrapped in compassion for creeping creatures; the son's nature extended sympathy to all living beings. Past vows and present sincerity together designate his title. His Way is perfected in the highest fruit, yet his traces tread upon the lower causes; aspiring to enlightenment and moving living beings, he is provisionally designated a bodhisattva. "Ascent to birth" means going forth to ascend. "Tuṣita" means "contentment." Being self-mastered, luminous, pure, and of divine functioning is called "heaven." Because he is in succession to Buddhahood in the next birth, he resides upright in the heavenly palace to benefit others; if one focuses the mind to dwell in contemplation, one will certainly attain the opportunity to behold and attend him. "Sūtra" means gathering, stringing together, constant, and a model. Through being gathered by the teaching, living beings forever sever the bonds of the cage; through being strung together by the text, the principle permanently escapes dispersion and destruction; it is the constant norm for the hundred spirits, the excellent regulation for a thousand leaves. Benefiting beings and explaining the real, it is termed a sūtra.
1.5
In explaining the text of the sūtra initially, I shall briefly distinguish it through five sections: first, the Buddha's attainment as expedient and real; second, Maitreya's causes; third, the distinctions in divisions of time; fourth, the difficulty and ease of rebirth; fifth, questions, answers, and analytical discriminative points.
1.6
First, as for the expedient and the real in the Buddha's attainment: 'expedient' refers to adapting to circumstances to receive beings; 'real' refers to investigating ultimate principle to reach truth. Both the body and teaching of a Buddha possess these two. Thus, as the Lotus Sūtra says to guide those of indeterminate lineage: 'Only this one matter is real; the other two are not true,' demonstrating that the teaching of the One Vehicle is real and the teaching of the Two Vehicles is expedient—this is the half-letter and full-letter teaching of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra. In the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra, expounding the definitive meaning, it says: 'If the Tathāgata, following their inclinations, speaks expediently, there is only the One Vehicle, and there are not the Two Vehicles.' Thus, stating only that there is the One Vehicle is expedient, while stating that there are Four Vehicles is real—namely, the Great Vehicle, Pratyekabuddha, Śrāvaka, and beings who lack learning and adhere to non-Dharma, bringing them to fulfillment through the wholesome roots of humans and gods. As it is with the teaching, so it is also with the body. Therefore the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: 'If one sees me through form, or seeks me through sound, that person walks a deviant path and will not see me.' That wondrous body of the Tathāgata is the guide's dharmakāya; its substance cannot be seen, and that consciousness cannot cognize it. Its treatise also says: 'The response and transformation bodies are not the true Buddha, nor do they preach the Dharma.' As for preaching the Dharma being non-dual, taking the aspect of wordlessness and transcendence of language, it takes the dharmakāya as real and the two bodies as expedient. In the Lotus Sūtra, holding a dung basket and wearing soiled clothes is an allegory for the expedient body; manifesting an lifespan that is boundless reveals the real body. This takes the saṃbhogakāya as real and the nirmāṇakāya as expedient. However, regarding these three bodies, there are two sets of four propositions. [In the first set:] There is that which is saṃbhogakāya but not nirmāṇakāya, namely the self-enjoyment body. There is that which is nirmāṇakāya but not saṃbhogakāya, namely the body manifesting the eight aspects. There is that which is both saṃbhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya, namely the other-enjoyment body; because it abundantly enjoys Dharma joy, it may be called enjoyment, and because it manifests according to capacity, it may be called transformation. There is that which is neither saṃbhogakāya nor nirmāṇakāya, namely the Buddha's dharmakāya. Furthermore, there is a second set of four propositions: There is that which is saṃbhogakāya but not nirmāṇakāya, namely the self-enjoyment body. There is that which is nirmāṇakāya but not saṃbhogakāya, namely the transformation bodies among the six destinies according to kinds of living beings, such as the various bodies of elders, householders, monkeys, deer, and horses. There is that which is both saṃbhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya, namely the other-enjoyment body and the body of the eight aspects; the aforementioned transformation body is also subsumed under this proposition. There is that which is neither saṃbhogakāya nor nirmāṇakāya, namely the Buddha's dharmakāya. Although these four propositions speak of the bodies differently, the two virtues of the expedient and the real subsume them all completely. In brief, there are two interpretations: First, the dharmakāya is declared real, and the remaining two are both expedient. The 'real' is the true substance of all phenomena; the 'expedient' consists of the provisional traces of phenomenal characteristics. This is what the Prajñāpāramitā treatise means when it says: 'The response and transformation bodies are not the true Buddha,' and so forth. Second, the dharmakāya and self-enjoyment body can only be known by Buddha with Buddha; they are the fundamental basis of the bodies and both are free from differentiation. Their virtues and wisdom are each boundless, cannot be grasped by physical form or dimension, have no characteristics of arising and ending with boundaries or limits, are endowed with true virtues, and are truly accomplished through cultivation and realization; not being manifested in response to beings, they are called 'real.' The other-enjoyment body and the nirmāṇakāya of the eight aspects are bodies manifested according to kinds of living beings, enabling lower categories to perceive and know them. They are the branches of the bodies, both having distinctions. Their virtues and wisdom are not wholly boundless, can be grasped by the measures of form and mind, yet have the characteristics of arising and ending with limits, possess marked virtues, arise from grasping for the sake of benefiting others, and manifest in response to beings; therefore they are called 'expedient.' Hence the Buddhabhūmi treatise says: 'The Buddha's bodies are two: first, the real body; second, the birth body.' However, these real bodies each abide in their own lands, yet both pervade the realm of phenomena and are not to be sought in a particular direction or location. The dharmakāya is fundamentally possessed and shared in common by all Buddhas. Ordinary beings, because they are obscured by delusion, possess it without realizing it; wrapped by afflictions, it receives the name tathāgatagarbha. By relying on good friends and severing delusional birth-and-death, when it emerges from being wrapped, it is fully endowed with the title of dharmakāya, serving as the basis for all virtuous qualities. Therefore, in the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra, when entangled it is named tathāgatagarbha, and when freed from entanglement it is named dharmakāya, because different names are assigned according to the stages of cause and fruition. One can only speak of realizing it, not of producing it; from the first ground upwards it is partially realized, and at the fruit of Buddhahood it is perfectly realized. The self-enjoyment body arises newly through cultivation, because the individual substances of sentient beings differ. From the stage of an ordinary person, there are only beginningless untainted seeds; by drawing near to good friends and listening to the correct Dharma, the seeds gradually increase and become the basis of the saṃbhogakāya, which is also called tathāgatagarbha. The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra says: 'The ālaya-consciousness is called the empty tathāgatagarbha; because it is fully perfumed with untainted phenomena, it is called the non-empty tathāgatagarbha.' The former is the garbha of the dharmakāya; this is the garbha of the saṃbhogakāya. Arousing the aspiration and practicing cultivation is as explained in the Youzan. At the stages prior to the grounds, one merely cultivates the seeds to make them gradually grow; through this power, tainted wholesome karma arises, and upon taking birth, it will induce the retribution of fully complete marks and signs, being born into the lands of transformation of the eight aspects. Arriving above the first ground, one then supports the tainted [karma] to attain the position of the ten kings, constantly obtaining the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary signs birth after birth, yet it is not yet untainted nor yet perfectly luminous. Only the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are untainted, and one is born into the lands according to kind of the other-enjoyment [body]. As the Brahmajāla Sūtra speaks of the greatness and smallness of the stages: After the vajra-like path, all tainted [phenomena] are extinguished, and the untainted five aggregates are all completely luminous; abandoning impermanent form, one obtains permanent form, and so too for sensation, perception, formations, and consciousness, obtaining the untainted thirty-two marks and eighty secondary signs, mutually supporting and continuing to the end of future time. However, regarding bodhisattvas receiving the body of transformative change, there are those who receive transformative change right from the first ground, like those entering the cessation attainment because of dreading afflictions. There are those who only receive transformative change at the fulfillment of the seventh ground, like those entering the cessation attainment without dreading delusions. Once this body of transformative change is obtained, one does not abandon it; feeling that its momentum is exhausted, one again enters absorption to nourish it, up until the transformation of the state at the vajra-like [mind], when it is finally exhausted. Thereby, a bodhisattva who advances directly at the fulfillment of the seventh ground is born into the Heaven of Extensive Fruition in the Fourth Dhyāna, avoiding the five Pure Abodes by not being born there, nourishing the karma that induces the present body of this lower ground. Thus continuously supporting it up to the tenth ground, on the verge of the vajra-like [path], they proceed to the wondrous pure land above Akaniṣṭha. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'There is a wondrous pure land that surpasses the three realms. Tenth-ground bodhisattvas shall be born in it.' 'To be born' means to arise, to go, and to abide. The Daśabhūmika says: 'As visible retribution and benefit, they receive the rank of Buddha. As subsequent retribution and benefit, they are born in the wisdom-abode of Maheśvara.' Therefore the fourth fascicle of the Yogācāra, the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, the Abhidharmasamuccaya-vyākhyā, and others all say: 'Transcending Akaniṣṭha there is a wondrous pure land; only tenth-ground bodhisattvas are born in it. A great jewel flower king emerges displaying ten aspects, and the bodhisattva sits within it and realizes perfect awakening.' At the stage of the vajra-like mind, the body still has measure, and as it is still the causal stage, all tainted [phenomena] are present. Upon reaching the path of liberation, the body then becomes boundless; being termed the fruition stage, the untainted is fulfilled. The untainted fruition body and other phenomena generated through this cultivation are such that the measure of the body and the sphere of wisdom are both as they are; phenomena and principle correspond, completely without measure, and cannot be sought through marks; hence it is called 'real.' Those two expedient bodies each have their distinctions; they manifest according to need, and their direction and location can be sought. For example, the other-enjoyment body manifests for bodhisattvas of the first ground; because those bodhisattvas awaken to the ten hundred gates, they are able to see a hundred Buddhas. One Buddha is precisely the trichiliocosm ruled by one Buddha; this principle is precisely the ten billion transformation bodies. Because the transformations of one Buddha are identical, it is spoken of as one Buddha. Although they see a hundred Buddhas, in total it is one saṃbhogakāya; this saṃbhoga Buddha sits on a hundred-petaled flower, and each single petal is one Buddha-land of ten billion transformation bodies. This single Buddha-land is what is seen prior to the grounds; the body manifested for them corresponds to that land. Yet there are two categories: first, the body manifested within one set of four continents; second, the single lord Buddha within the trichiliocosm. Because there are hierarchical grades prior to the grounds, the other-enjoyment body seen by the first ground corresponds to the hundred-petaled flower, neither large nor small; the first-ground bodhisattvas attending that Buddha correspond in size. However, prior to the grounds, according to whichever realm they are born in, their bodies correspond in smallness or greatness, generally equaling half of the Buddha's size. From the first ground onwards, having realized tathatā, the untainted virtues manifested in their births gradually excel and their marks and signs become clearer; hence the body they induce corresponds to the Buddha's size, and delimited [birth-and-death] and transformative change differ in coarseness and subtlety. Supported by the power of merit, the bodily measure must be large; in the ranks of the ten kings, they become the king of this continent. Transforming and being born according to species, whether they take up delusions or not, this bodily measure is likewise not fixed. The fundamental wisdom realizes tathatā, and the subsequent wisdom sees that Buddha, expounding each one like the ten hundred gates. When reaching the second ground, obtaining a thousand Dharma-gates, they see the saṃbhogakāya sitting on a thousand-petaled flower, with ten billion transformation Buddhas in each petal; that Buddha sits in place with size corresponding, and the attending bodhisattvas' bodily measure is likewise so, just as transformation disciples correspond to the Buddha's size in attending him. Hence the Brahmajāla Sūtra says: 'I am now Rocana, seated on the lotus seat; in one flower are ten billion realms, in one realm is one Śākya, each seated beneath a bodhi tree, simultaneously attaining the Buddha Way.' It is also like Amitābha Buddha: his eyes are like the waters of the four great oceans, and the white curl mark between his eyebrows is like five Sumeru mountains. The Lotus Sūtra also says: 'When sentient beings see the kalpa ending and being consumed by a great fire, this land of mine is tranquil, always filled with gods and humans. I am always on Vulture Peak and in other abodes, preaching this Lotus Sūtra,' and so forth—all of these are other-enjoyment bodies. Manifesting according to what is appropriate for greater or lesser bodhisattvas, their bodily measure is not fixed, and the places of manifestation are likewise so; it is not only in the pure land that forms and appearances differ. The places where they are induced may be in the West, or may be here. Thus, what Mañjuśrī saw was the other-enjoyment body, whereas what Śāriputra saw was the nirmāṇakāya. Therefore, in the Avataṃsaka assembly, Śāriputra was as if blind and deaf, neither hearing nor seeing; only after Mañjuśrī led him out of the assembly did he begin to perceive and understand. What is contemplated by subsequent attainment is the expedient body; what is realized by fundamental wisdom is the real body. When a bodhisattva of the tenth ground is about to become a Buddha, they must go to the wondrous pure land of the Great Sovereign God above Akaniṣṭha, and take their seat within the great jewel flower king to realize perfect awakening. This great jewel flower king is equal in measure to ten asaṃkhyeyas of hundred-thousand trichiliocosms; the tenth-ground bodhisattva sitting within it corresponds in size. How much more so the other-enjoyment Buddha seen here, whose bodily measure is immeasurable and boundless! This place is definitely above Akaniṣṭha. As stated in the scriptures and treatises cited above, in such lands there certainly are no beings born of the Two Vehicles, women, pandakas, or evil destinies. If there appear to be any, they are all transformations wrought by Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Therefore the Treatise on the Sukhavatīvyūha Sūtra says: 'Women, those with defective faculties, and the seeds of the Two Vehicles are not born there.' The Buddhabhūmi treatise says: 'If there are parrots and such adorning the bodhimanda, they are all transformed by Buddhas and bodhisattvas to induce joyous minds in bodhisattvas arriving from other directions.' The Guśabdajāraja Sūtra says: 'Amitābha Buddha's father was named Candrottara, his mother was named Utpalagandhā, his son was named Candraprabha, his attending disciple was named Vimalakīrti, the māra king was named Aparājita, and Devadatta was named Śānta.' Since there are no women, the mother is not an actual woman, but a transformation of the Buddha and others, like the jīvañjīvaka birds. Therefore, it is a retribution land, and there is no contradiction. There is an explanation: being actual women, they are the retribution-Buddha land of the transformation Amitābha Buddha. What Śikhin saw—always preaching the Dharma on Vulture Peak when the kalpa ends—is a retribution-Buddha land. However, the Avataṃsaka says: 'In the samādhi of Queen Māyā's womb, one sees the womb containing boundless worlds with assemblies of great bodhisattvas listening to the Dharma.' Hence we know that retribution Buddhas have transformed parents; this too is not erroneous. The Sūtra on the Prediction for Avalokiteśvara says: 'Amitābha Buddha's lifespan is immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas, but it shall have an end. After his extinction, when the morning star appears, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva will attain complete and perfect awakening beneath the bodhi tree of seven jewels, with the title King of the Mountain of Universal Light and Virtues. His land will surpass Amitābha Buddha's land by hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis, beyond compare, named Array of Universally Gathered Myriad Jewels. After this Buddha passes away, Mahāsthāmaprāpta will become a Buddha named Virtuous Abiding Jewel King of Merits.' It does not say in which direction they previously dwelt before succeeding to the rank later; it is not like transformation Buddhas. Yet succeeding to the rank in this place does not undermine the place of transformation; wishing to make beings' aspiration deep, they previously have an abode. Other-enjoyment bodies take the flower dais as the seat of their bodhimanda; in lower ranks they have parents, while in higher ranks no father is seen. Now, as for the nirmāṇakāya, it manifests for bodhisattvas prior to the grounds, the Two Vehicles, and so forth, either pure or defiled, small or large, entirely in accordance with what is appropriate for beings. When about to become a Buddha, one first ascends to Tuṣita, because that celestial realm corresponds to the beings' capacity and suitability: their revulsion toward suffering is deep, and they already know contentment with the instruments of pleasure in birth-and-death; hence they do not abide in other heavens, but must be here. Just like Śākyamuni and Maitreya abiding in Tuṣita Heaven, the Sūtra on the Bodhisattva Dwelling in the Womb says: 'Fully completing fifty-six billion seven hundred million years, when the faculties of beings below are mature, he will descend to attain the Way.' Attaining the Way across the three periods of time all involves the bodhi tree, the vajra-seat, subduing Māra at the bodhimanda, and such events. The subduing of Māra differs, as explained in the Commentary on the Adhyardhaśatikā. On the vajra-like holy path, the two obstructions are already wiped away; in the path of liberation, the untainted path is complete, having silently united with truth, harmonized with virtue, realized awakening, and benefited beings; hence it is called becoming a Buddha. Now, what this Sūtra on the Descent clarifies is the matter of becoming a Buddha; it is not the dharmakāya Buddha, for that principle can only be realized, and lacks the meaning of ascending, descending, being born, and attaining; nor is it the self-enjoyment body, for it lacks the marks of dwelling in heaven, becoming a Buddha, or preaching the Dharma to benefit beings and causing them to see it. The other-enjoyment Buddha does not dwell in the heavenly palace or abide in Magadha to be seen by those prior to the grounds; thus it is the nirmāṇakāya ascending to birth and becoming a Buddha. Although designated as a transformation Buddha, it implicitly manifests the other bodies. The self-enjoyment body perfectly accomplishes the fruit of the Way; the wondrous principle of tathatā is completely realized with obstructions exhausted; the fruit of self-benefit is fulfilled, and past vows must be practiced; at this assembly, the transformation body expediently arises as an other-enjoyment Buddha responding to what is appropriate for the ten grounds, and as a transformation Buddha body manifesting according to those prior to the grounds. Although here the transformation substance is displayed, it implicitly reveals the other Buddhas. Those who see naturally have different capacities, and the manifested body is also described differently, yet the real Buddha body does not have distinct substances. Just as when the moon emerges from the edge of the clouds, shining roundly and penetrating the sky, its reflection appears in water; the round and bright moon in the water conforms to the vessel, so that vessels produce myriad differences while the moon itself is fundamentally one—how could thousands of differences in reflections cause the moon itself to differ? The two substances of the real and expedient are necessarily like this in principle: the real is the source of principle, while the expedient follows the traces of beings. Hence we know that ascending to birth and becoming a Buddha fully displays the transformation nature, wishing to deliver living beings according to their kinds and make joyous cultivation easy. The Pātra Sūtra states that Maitreya said to Mañjuśrī: 'When in a future body I become a Buddha, [numerous] as the sands of the Ganges, Mañjuśrī will not be able to know my raising and lowering of a foot.' The Aṅgulimāla Sūtra says: 'In the north there is a land named Constant Joy, where the Buddha is named Joy-Treasury Maṇi-Treasure Accumulation; Mañjuśrī is that Buddha.' Since Mañjuśrī is already a Buddha, yet does not know Maitreya, we know this is a transformation. Since the eight aspects of attaining the Way in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and other texts are the nirmāṇakāya, we know that ascending to birth is definitely not the true Buddha. Bodhisattvas are of three kinds: first, bound to one last birth; second, the final body; third, seated at the bodhimanda. Ascending to birth is 'bound to one last birth'; descending to birth is strictly confined to two bodies. Becoming a Buddha depends on causes; hence all three are exhausted. Only transformation Buddhas have this; for the others, no text is found. Inferring by principle, it should also apply generally: for instance, a bodhisattva of the seventh ground, receiving transformative change with only this one body, is called 'bound to one last birth.' From the eighth ground upward is called the 'final body,' because there are no further characteristics of delimited birth-and-death. Going to the palace of the Great Sovereign God and sitting on the lotus seat is called 'seated at the bodhimanda'; this is called attaining the self-enjoyment body, which also has three bodhisattvas. The other-enjoyment body is in principle likewise so. Avalokiteśvara's body is called the final body; as for his sitting at the bodhimanda and being bound to one last birth, though no explicit proof has been seen, in principle it definitely exists. Saying that Bodhisattva Maitreya is called 'one birth' means that dwelling among humans is called one birth, because it is one major birth, like seven births and so forth. In reality, including the intermediate existence, there are altogether four births. If it is said that there is only half a birth in heaven, including the intermediate existence there are two births; the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa calls them three births. If among humans, excluding the body of becoming a Buddha, there are therefore three. However, bodhisattvas have five kinds of births: First, birth to eliminate disasters. Through the sovereignty of their vows, they become a great fish and the like to relieve hunger and exhaustion, become a great physician king to cure illnesses, become a great craftsman to resolve disputes skillfully, become a great wheel-turning king to cease suffering in accordance with Dharma, become a great god to sever actions based on wrong views, or become fire, water, vehicles, boats, and various things to quell disasters and suffering. Second, birth according to kind. Through the sovereign power of vows, they are born among animals and other evil classes; the evil those beings commit they themselves do not commit, and the good those beings do not do they themselves practice. Just like entering wine shops to establish beings' resolve, or entering brothels to demonstrate the fault of desire, preaching the correct Dharma for them to eliminate their shortcomings. Third, birth of great majesty. Born with an endowment whose lifespan, form, complexion, caste, and wealth are most supreme, able to sever faults such as arrogance and contempt in sentient beings. Fourth, birth of predominance. Receiving the realms of the ten kings, sovereign in transforming and guiding, manifesting according to what is appropriate. Fifth, supreme birth. In this birth, the provisions are already completely fulfilled, like Śākyamuni and others, born into a great kṣatriya royal family, able to manifest equal awakening and perform all Buddha deeds. Now Maitreya dwells in Tuṣita Heaven, endowed with the latter four births, or the second, third, and fourth; if descending to this continent, it is subsumed under the fifth birth. This is the first section, on the expedient and real in the Buddha's attainment.
1.7
Second, concerning the origin of the Maitreya's disposition: According to the correct Sanskrit text, it should be Maitreya, which translates here as 'Benevolence' (ci). The ancient [renderings] Midihe or Mile are both phonological errors. According to the sixteenth fascicle of the *Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish*, he 'was born in the village of Kapali in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, into the family of the chief minister,' which is what the *Sūtra on Ascent to Birth* refers to as 'the family of the great brahmin Bāvarī in the village of Kapali.' At his birth, he already possessed the thirty-two marks and eighty minor signs; his body was purple-gold in colour, and his appearance was exceedingly noble. The chief minister rejoiced and summoned a physiognomist to examine him. Once the physiognomist saw him, he repeatedly praised his excellence. Intending to give him a name, he then inquired about the signs at the time of his birth. The father answered him, saying: 'His mother was by disposition irritable, but since conceiving this child, she has been benevolent and compassionate toward those who suffer distress.' The physiognomist divined: 'This, then, is the child's aspiration.' For this reason, he bestowed the name Maitreya. If this name is analyzed, it should be Maitreyī. 'Maitreyī' is a feminine form. Because the mother's nature was benevolent, he was named Maitreya ('the Benevolent One'). His parents loved and esteemed him, and his renown was heard far and wide. King Brahmadatta felt distressed and fearful in his heart, dreading that [the boy] might usurp his kingdom; he waited until he had not yet grown up, intending to subdue him. The palace attendants, having learned of this, secretly informed the parents, who privately sent him to his maternal uncle to avoid the peril and pursue his studies. The uncle was named Bāvarī; leading five hundred disciples, he was studying the Path in another region. Uncle, nephew, master, and disciples were exceptionally intelligent; within a few years, they had mastered the scriptures. Later, hearing that a Buddha had appeared in the world, the uncle sent Maitreya and others, sixteen people in all, to go to the Buddha's place and ask four questions: first, asking about the marks; second, asking about his age; third, asking about his disciples; fourth, asking about his clan. When Maitreya had finished asking, the Tathāgata answered them completely, and Maitreya was filled with joy. The Buddha then further transformed the other fifteen people, so that they attained purity of the Dharma-eye; they all rose from their seats and together requested to renounce the household life. The Buddha said, 'Welcome,' whereupon their robes were adorned and their hair fell away; when he expounded [the teaching] further with skillful means, they all attained the fruit of arhatship. Only Maitreya did not enter their ranks. Later, he accompanied the World-Honoured One to travel through the kingdom of Kapilavastu. Mahāprajāpatī personally spun and wove a golden-cloth kaṣāya robe, holding it with concentrated mind to present it [to the Buddha]. The World-Honoured One would not accept it, instructing her to offer it to the Saṅgha. When it went in sequence through the Saṅgha, no one dared to take it; when it reached Maitreya's place, he at once accepted it. Clad in the golden cloth, he accompanied the Buddha on his teaching tour; his body was purple-gold and his robe was woven with golden splendour, the inner and outer matching each other. As he made his rounds begging for food, carrying his bowl through the streets and lanes, onlookers never tired of gazing upon him; yet although all revered and rejoiced in him, no one gave him food. There was a pearl-piercer who took him back to make an offering to him; the wife came and scolded him angrily, saying: 'You have lost the profit of piercing pearls.' Maitreya obtained a pearl, brought it back, and showed it to the assembly, expounding extensively on the blessed retribution arising from past offerings. Taking the occasion of Aniruddha, the Buddha recounted past events, and thereupon predicted the future deeds of Maitreya. Because Maitreya will later become a Buddha, he is still called Maitreya. Ānanda asked the Buddha about the origin of the name Maitreya. The Buddha said: 'Long ago in this Jambudvīpa, there was a great king named Dharmaruci, which translates as 'Love of Dharma.' At that time there was a Buddha named Puṣya. There was a bhikṣu who entered the loving-kindness samādhi; his physical form was tranquil and radiated bright light. The king asked: 'What concentration has this monk entered to achieve this?' The Buddha said: 'He has entered the concentration of loving-kindness.' The king's joy doubled, and he said: 'How majestic is this concentration of loving-kindness! I shall practice it, unbroken life after life.' The former King Dharmaruci was this very Maitreya. Having generated the aspiration then, he was ever called Maitreya; through prolonged practice it became his nature, and the Buddha called him Maitreya.' Furthermore, the *Sūtra on the Loving-Kindness of the All-Knowing Luminous Ṛṣi* states: The Buddha was residing in the realm of Magadha, at the bodhimaṇḍa of complete extinction, in the monastery of the Īśvara Temple in the village of the daughter of Megha. At that time, the Buddha was walking mindfully in the forest with twelve hundred and fifty bhikṣus. Maitreya Bodhisattva, endowed with golden marks and radiating silver-coloured light, adorned with yellow gold like a mountain of white silver, came to the Buddha's place. Five hundred ascetics with matted hair and others saw Maitreya from afar, threw themselves to the ground in veneration, and addressed the Buddha, inquiring: 'Maitreya's radiance is equal even to that of a Buddha; before which Buddha did he first generate the thought of awakening?' The Buddha said: 'Ascetics! In the distant past, immeasurable and boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a world named Utpalapuṣpasaṃkusumita, and a Buddha named Maitreya, who constantly taught and transformed all beings with the four immeasurable states of loving-kindness. The sūtra was named *The Light of Loving-Kindness Samādhi and Ocean-Cloud of Great Compassion*; those who heard it would surely transcend the transgressions of ten billion kalpas and attain Buddhahood without doubt. At that time, there was a great brahmin named Sarvajñaprabha, accomplished in the sixty-four arts, of great wisdom and broad understanding. When he heard that Buddha expound that sūtra, he immediately raised difficult objections; unable to refute it, he then gave rise to faithful confidence and made a vow, saying: 'I vow to uphold that sūtra, and I will surely attain Buddhahood with the name Maitreya.' He at once renounced his home, entered a mountain valley, kept his hair long, and practiced brahma-conduct; for a full eight thousand years he begged for food and recited the sūtra. At that time, a star appeared, portending the king's lustful ruin. Comets swept across the sky, floods flowed incessantly, and [the hermit] could not obtain food by begging, remaining empty-handed for seven days. At that time, there were five hundred white hares in the forest. There were a mother hare and her son; seeing the ṛṣi without food, [the mother] said: 'The ṛṣi has not eaten for many days for the sake of the Dharma; the mountain of the Dharma is about to crumble, and the ocean of the Dharma is about to dry up. Now, for the sake of the Dharma, I should not spare my life.' She then said to the other hares: 'All conditioned things are impermanent. Sentient beings cherish their bodies, never yet having surrendered body and life for the sake of the Dharma. Now, I wish to serve as a great bridge for living beings, making an offering to this Dharma-master so that the Dharma may long endure.' Thereupon she uttered a verse, saying:
1.8
" 'If any among the class of beasts
Get to hear the names of the Buddhas,
They will forever leave the three evil destinies
And not be born in the eight conditions of difficulty.
If they hear the Dharma and practice accordingly,
Wherever they are born they will always encounter a Buddha.
Trusting in the Dharma without doubt,
Taking refuge in the worthy and noble Saṅgha,
They conform to all the moral precepts.
By doing so they will swiftly attain Buddhahood,
Surely reaching great nirvāṇa
And constantly enjoying unsurpassed bliss.' "
1.9
"Having spoken this verse, she told the other hares: 'I now wish to offer my body to the Dharma; do you all rejoice in this. Driven by the three poisons across many kalpas, I took on the forms of birds and beasts and vainly underwent birth and death; now, for the sake of the Dharma, I shall abandon body and life.' At that time, the mountain and tree deities gathered fragrant wood for them; the hare king and her son circled the ṛṣi seven times and said: 'Great master! We now offer ourselves to the venerable one for the sake of the Dharma.' The ṛṣi told them: 'You are animals; such an intention is difficult to fulfill.' The hare said: 'Our offering of our bodies now is so that the Dharma may long endure and bring benefit to sentient beings.' The king said to her son: 'You may seek water and grass as you wish, focusing your mind and keeping proper mindfulness on the Three Jewels.' Hearing his mother's words, the son knelt and addressed his mother: 'Just as you, venerable one, wish to make an offering for the sake of the Dharma, so too do I wish and rejoice to do so.' He then threw himself into the fire, and the mother also entered after him. At the moment when the bodhisattva sacrificed her body, the great earth shook, and the heavens rained down various flowers as offerings. After the meat was cooked, the deities addressed the ṛṣi: 'The hare king and her son threw themselves into the fire for the sake of making an offering. Now the meat is cooked; you should eat it.' Hearing the words of the deities, the ṛṣi was grieved and could not reply; he wrote the sūtras he had recited on tree leaves and spoke a verse, saying:
1.10
" 'I would rather destroy my body and shatter my eyes
Than bear to kill and eat sentient beings.
In the sūtras on loving-kindness and compassion spoken by all Buddhas,
What is taught therein regarding loving-kindness and compassion is:
I would rather break my bone marrow and have my head and brain put out
Than bear to consume flesh and eat sentient beings.
As the Buddha has spoken, those who eat meat
Have not perfected the practice of loving-kindness
And shall receive a short life and a body with many illnesses.' "
1.11
"The ṛṣi made a vow, saying: 'May I, life after life, never give rise to thoughts of killing, never consume meat, enter the loving-kindness samādhi, and even, upon attaining Buddhahood, establish the precept prohibiting meat.' Having spoken, he threw himself into the fire and died, his life ending at the very same time as that of the hare mother and child. The earth shook in six ways. Through the power of the heavenly deities, the trees radiated bright light, dazzling in golden colour and illuminating a thousand kingdoms. Sentient beings saw the light and followed it to the place. Seeing that the ṛṣi and the hares had both died in the fire, and having obtained the verse spoken as well as the Buddha's scriptures, they carried them back and presented them to the king. The king sent [messengers] to proclaim them everywhere, so that all who heard generated the great mind of bodhi." The Buddha told the ascetics: "The hare king of that time was my own self. That hare child was Rāhula. The ṛṣi who recited the scriptures was this Maitreya. The five hundred hares were the five hundred individuals such as Mahākāśyapa. The mountain and tree deities were the two hundred and fifty individuals such as Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana. The kings of the thousand kingdoms of that time were the thousand bodhisattvas such as Bhadrapāla. The sentient beings of those kingdoms who were able to hear the Dharma were those who have attained the Path under the Buddhas of the Fortunate Kalpa. It is for this reason that this Bodhisattva, even up to his attainment of Buddhahood, is still called Maitreya, and the sūtra he will expound is also called *The Light of Loving-Kindness Samādhi and Ocean-Cloud of Great Compassion*." This recounts the initial period; as for the time of Puṣya Buddha recounted in the *Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish*, that belongs to recent times. Wishing to make manifest that he constantly practiced the conduct of loving-kindness life after life, the physiognomist's bestowal of the name distantly corresponded to his past disposition; because ancient and modern coincide, he is named Maitreya. If based on this, the surname meaning 'Loving-Kindness' should be Maitreya (Maitreyeṇa). 'Maitreyeṇa' is a masculine form, named as masculine because of his practice of loving-kindness by his own disposition. Brahmin clans are numerous; this 'Loving-Kindness' was originally his father the king's clan. Because both the paternal and maternal clans possessed loving-kindness, he was named Maitreya. There is also an explanation stating: Maitreya's original clan was Bhāradvāja, and his courtesy name was Ajita. Another says the royal clan was Bhāradvāja, and his courtesy name was Ajita. There is no discrepancy in the courtesy name, but the clans conflict. As for 'Maitreya', both his mother and his own nature practiced loving-kindness, and he was named after this, obtaining this title on this basis. This is a disposition of mental conduct, and also a clan name. Just as Śākya is the clan, Muni is the title, Sarvārthasiddha is the given name, and Gautama is the imperial lineage, so too is a sage born of such an established clan. This is the second [section], 'the origin of the disposition of loving-kindness.'
1.12
Third, regarding 'differences in time periods': kalpas are of multiple kinds, as explained in a separate chapter. The Sūtra on the Contemplation of the Bodhisattvas Bhaiṣajyarāja and Bhaiṣajyasamudgata says: 'At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha addressed the great assembly, saying: "In the past, during the declining age of the Dharma of the Tathāgata Prabhāketu, I went forth to practice the Path. Hearing the names of these fifty-three Buddhas, joy arose in my mind, and I taught them to others; having heard them, others in turn taught them to still others, up to three thousand people. With different mouths but the same voice they recited the names of the Buddhas and single-mindedly paid reverent homage, immediately transcending the sins of birth-and-death of immeasurable kotis of kalpas. Among them, the first thousand, beginning with the Buddha Prabhāketu down to the Buddha Vipaśyin, attained Buddhahood in the past Alaṃkārakalpa. The Buddha Vipaśyin was Viśvabhū Buddha, the third among the Seven Buddhas. The middle thousand Buddhas, beginning with Krakucchanda Buddha down to Rucika Tathāgata, attained Buddhahood in the Bhadrakalpa. The latter thousand Buddhas, beginning with Sūryaprabha Tathāgata down to Merulakṣaṇa Buddha, shall attain Buddhahood in the future Nakṣatrakalpa."' The Bhadrakalpika-sūtra also says: 'In the past Alaṃkārakalpa, a thousand Buddhas appeared in the world.' The texts are identical to this. These three thousand Buddhas each, according to their own class, cultivated superior deeds together and attained the fruit at the same time; therefore, they are classified separately. The sixth roll of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra says: 'In the past, there was a wheel-turning king named Ratnachattra, who is now the Tathāgata Ratnarāśi. The wheel-turning king had one thousand sons, who are now the thousand Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa. The prince Candrachattra is now Śākyamuni.' The Sūtra on the Five Turbidities says: 'Now, during the ninth abiding kalpa of the Bhadrakalpa, there have already been four Buddhas. When the human lifespan was forty thousand years, Krakucchanda Buddha appeared in the world. When the human lifespan was thirty thousand years, Kanakamuni Buddha appeared in the world. When the human lifespan was twenty thousand years, Kāśyapa Buddha appeared in the world.' The Bhadrakalpika-sūtra says: 'When the human lifespan was one thousand two hundred years, Śākyamuni was first born in Tuṣita; when the human lifespan was one hundred years, he appeared in the world to become a Buddha. The lifespan in Tuṣita Heaven is four thousand years, which corresponds to five billion six hundred and seventy million years in the human world.' The true Dharma lasts five hundred years, and the semblance Dharma lasts one thousand years; it does not mention the declining Dharma, but still says that after one thousand five hundred years, Śākyamuni's Dharma will come to an end, and pratyekabuddhas will carry out conversion. This differs from other sūtras. Human life gradually shortens: during the time of the true Dharma, human life does not decrease; during the semblance and declining Dharma, human life decreases down to twenty or thirty years, and famines, pestilences, and weapons arise one after another, so that most people die and the lands become barren and deserted. Sages admonish one another, people cherish goodness, the lifespan of children doubles that of their fathers, and gradually longevity increases up to eighty-four thousand years. From the increase to sixty thousand years up to the increase to eighty thousand, wheel-turning sage kings appear successively. When the lifespan is eighty thousand years, the king will be named Śaṅkha, and only then will Maitreya appear. However, a commentary explains: 'During the declining kalpa, Buddhas arise; during the increasing kalpa, wheel-turning kings appear. Checking by this, Maitreya will only appear at the beginning of the decrease from eighty-four thousand [years in the] kalpa, due to revulsion against birth-and-death. When the human lifespan was one hundred years, Maitreya was born in heaven; when the human lifespan reaches eighty-four thousand years, he will first descend to be born and become a Buddha, which corresponds to five billion six hundred and seventy million years in the human world.' Inferring from this, the time of the declining kalpa is long, and the time of the increasing kalpa is short. Maitreya's light shines for forty li. The Brahmacārin Sūtra says: 'His father's name will be Brahmāyu, his mother's name will be Brahmāvatī, his son's name will be Somottara, his attendant will be named Sāgara, his disciple foremost in wisdom will be named Jñānaprabha, and his disciple foremost in supernatural power will be named Bhadravīrya. The true Dharma will last eighty thousand years, and having gathered the Buddha's relics, they will jointly construct a great stūpa and monastery.' The Bhadrakalpika-sūtra says: 'From Krakucchanda Buddha to the nine hundred and ninety-ninth Buddha, they together appear during one great kalpa; the thousandth Buddha, Rucika, appears alone during one kalpa, and after that, there are twelve kalpas that pass emptily without a Buddha. Afterward, there is a Buddha named Śuddhaprabharājan, whose lifespan is ten small kalpas.' This is the first Buddha of the Nakṣatrakalpa, Sūryaprabha; the translated names differ, but the substance is the same Buddha; after this, three hundred kalpas pass emptily without a Buddha. The Sūtra on the City of Kārkikā explains that Rucika Buddha appears alone in one kalpa, the reasons for which are broadly as stated there. The Vajrapāṇi Sūtra says: 'In the past, there was a wheel-turning king who had a thousand sons, each of whom gave rise to a supreme aspiration to seek Buddhahood together. The father king tested the sons to see who would become a Buddha first: bathing the lots in scented water, he had the thousand sons draw them. The one who drew the first would attain it earliest, and the one who drew the last would attain it last. The one who was last was mocked by the others: "When we become Buddhas, humanity will have already been completely converted. Whom will you cross over?" The youngest son wept and further reflected: "Worlds are boundless, and sentient beings are countless; how could what my elder brothers cross over be exhausted? May it be that when I become a Buddha, the lifespan of the people I cross over will be equal to all my elder brothers combined." Trembling, the earth shook, and the Buddha immediately bestowed a prediction on all of them. Due to these causes and conditions, the last Buddha appears alone in one kalpa. Because he wept, he is called the Weeping Buddha.' The Upādhyāya explains: 'Huluzhi, that is, Rucika, is translated here as "beloved of the father." Being the youngest son of the father, he was particularly cherished and loved, hence the name.' Thereupon, the elder brothers vowed to become vajra-holders to protect their younger brother. According to the Hīnayāna, a bodhisattva cultivates the karma for the marks and signs for one hundred kalpas. Śākyamuni bought five lotus flowers to offer to Dīpaṃkara—Dīpaṃkara is [also translated as] Randeng ('Kindler of the Lamp')—who then bestowed a prediction on him: 'In a future age, you shall become a Buddha.' Furthermore, because Śākyamuni and Maitreya together served the World-Honoured One Puṣya, who had entered the fire-radiance samādhi so that extinguishing light shone brilliantly, Śākyamuni praised him and thereby bypassed nine kalpas, attaining bodhi before Maitreya. Therefore, sūtras repeatedly say that Maitreya himself said: 'I would rather spend a thousand asaṃkhyeya kalpas preaching the Dharma and crossing over people in Tuṣita Heaven than give up even a small part of my body as in the past. Because of this lingering, I attain Buddhahood later.' However, during Śākyamuni Buddha's cultivation of the marks and signs for one hundred kalpas, in the first of the ninety-one kalpas he encountered Vipaśyin Buddha; in the thirty-first kalpa he encountered Śikhin Buddha and Viśvabhū Buddha; in the ninety-first kalpa he encountered the thousand Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa. Some say: 'During the abiding kalpa, in the first five kalpas no Buddha appears in the world; in the sixth kalpa there is Krakucchanda Buddha; in the seventh kalpa there is Kanakamuni Buddha; in the eighth kalpa there is Kāśyapa Buddha; in the ninth kalpa there is Śākyamuni; in the tenth kalpa there is Maitreya.' Some say: 'The four Buddhas are all in the ninth kalpa; four have already appeared, which together with the previous ones makes the Seven Buddhas; Maitreya will be the fifth Buddha of the Bhadrakalpa.' This is the third [point], 'differences in time periods.'
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