三彌勒經疏 1.39

1.39

問：釋迦菩薩因釋迦佛發心不疑，何以故得彌勒發心因彌勒佛？答：《一切智光明仙人慈心經》云「佛在摩伽提國寂滅道場彌加女村自在天寺精舍。一時佛與千二百五十比丘經行林中。彌勒菩薩金色相好放銀光明，黃金挍飾如白銀山，來至佛所。結髮梵志五百人等遙見彌勒，五體投地白佛請問：『彌勒光明乃與佛等。於何佛所初發道心？』佛告梵志：『乃往過去無量無邊阿僧祇劫，時有世界名勝華敷，佛號彌勒，恒以慈心四無量法教化。時有大婆羅門名一切智光明，生詰難而不能屈伏，便發信心而發願言：「願持彼佛所說經，必得成佛號曰彌勒。」爾時梵志入山谷，滿八千歲乞食誦經。時災星橫流、洪水不止，不得乞食七日。時彼林中有五百白菟，有一菟王母子，見仙無食而作是言：「仙人為法不食多日，法山將崩、法海將竭。我今為法不應惜命。」便告諸菟：「諸行無常。眾生愛身，未曾為法。」而說頌曰：

Question: That Bodhisattva Śākyamuni generated the mind on account of Śākyamuni Buddha is not in doubt; but how do we know that Maitreya generated the mind on account of Maitreya Buddha? Answer: The Yiqiezhi guangming xianren cixin jing says: 'The Buddha was in the country of Magadha, at the bodhimaṇḍa of quietude, in the Īśvaradeva temple vihāra in the village of the woman Migā. At one time the Buddha was walking meditatively in the forest with one thousand two hundred and fifty monks. Bodhisattva Maitreya, possessing golden marks and characteristics and emitting silver radiance, adorned with yellow gold like a white silver mountain, came to the Buddha's dwelling. Five hundred matted-hair brāhmaṇas and others saw Maitreya from afar, threw their five limbs to the ground, and addressed the Buddha, asking: "Maitreya's radiance is actually equal to the Buddha's. In the presence of which Buddha did he initially generate the mind for the path?" The Buddha told the brāhmaṇas: "In the past, immeasurable, boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a world named Supreme Flower Blossom, and a Buddha named Maitreya, who constantly instructed and transformed through the four immeasurable dharmas with a compassionate mind. At that time there was a great brāhmaṇa named All-Knowledge Radiance, who raised difficult questions but could not refute him; he then gave rise to faith and made a vow, saying: 'May I uphold the sūtras expounded by that Buddha, and surely attain Buddhahood with the name Maitreya.' At that time the brāhmaṇa entered a mountain valley, begging for food and reciting sūtras for a full eight thousand years. At that time, calamitous stars drifted across the sky and floods did not cease, so that he could not beg for food for seven days. At that time, in that forest there were five hundred white hares, with a hare king, mother and son. Seeing the ṛṣi without food, they 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. For the sake of the Dharma, I should not begrudge my life now.' Thereupon [the king] told the hares: 'All conditioned things are impermanent. Sentient beings cherish their bodies and have never acted for the sake of the Dharma.' And he spoke this verse:"