三彌勒經疏 1.47

1.47

問：彌勒真身已成佛不？答：昔來有二說。一云：未成真佛，是金剛心菩薩。一云：真身已成佛久，而示現故始成佛。是故《十住斷結經》之第八云「從此去東八十億恒河沙，有佛世界名寂漠，其世界中有百億佛。百億佛語云：『娑婆世界化物甚難。捉竿先捉，先去化物。』爾時次第捉竿，其釋迦，次彌勒、次遠吉如來、次師子如來等。」後說為勝。

Question: Has Maitreya's true body already accomplished Buddhahood or not? Answer: From ancient times there have been two explanations. One says: He has not yet accomplished true Buddhahood; he is a vajra-mind bodhisattva. One says: His true body has already accomplished Buddhahood long ago, and it is through manifestation that he now newly accomplishes Buddhahood. Therefore, the eighth fascicle of the *Sūtra on the Ten Stages for Severing Bonds* says: "Eighty hundred million Ganges sands to the east from here, there is a Buddha-world named Jimuo (Silent and Tranquil). In that world there are ten billion Buddhas. The ten billion Buddhas said: 'Converting beings in the Sahā world is extremely difficult. Grasping the staff, whoever grasps it first shall go first to convert beings.' At that time, they grasped the staff in sequence: first Śākyamuni, next Maitreya, next Yuanji Tathāgata, next Siṃha Tathāgata, and so forth." The latter explanation is superior.