三彌勒經疏 1.44

1.44

Fourth, regarding the leaping over in the order of cultivation: Question: If Maitreya first generated the mind and Śākyamuni generated the mind later, why was Śākyamuni the first to accomplish Buddhahood at the time of attaining it? Answer: Because the sūtras and treatises are not explicit, the traditions passed down are indeterminate. Master Ji says: "Śākyamuni only generated the mind after more than forty kalpas." However, fascicle three of the *Buddhacarita-sūtra*, the "Chapter on Generating the Mind and Making Offerings," says: "Long ago, a Buddha appeared named Puṣya. I saw that Buddha and gave rise to joy in my mind; joining my ten fingers together and raising one foot, for seven days and seven nights I praised that Buddha. The Buddha said: 'This person, passing through ninety-four kalpas, shall become a Buddha.' Seeing the Buddha Jianzhenli (Darśanatattva), [the Buddha] said: 'This person, passing through ninety-three kalpas, shall become a Buddha.' Vipaśyin Buddha said: 'This person, passing through ninety kalpas, shall become a Buddha.'" Fascicle seven of the *Buddhabhūmyupadeśa* says: "Serving Puṣya Buddha, he raised his foot and praised him, thus leaping over nine kalpas." The *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* says: "The Bodhisattva of the Snowy Mountains relinquished his body for half a verse, leaping over twelve kalpas." The *Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra* says: "When Prince Sattva threw down his body, he leaped over eleven kalpas. Moreover, when the ṛṣi Māṇava spread his hair, he leaped over eight kalpas." Among these various leapings-over, the leaping over nine kalpas occurred at the time of cultivating the karma of the marks and characteristics for one hundred kalpas. The remaining leapings-over all occurred within the three asaṃkhyeyas as appropriate. If not so, at what stage could one further speak of leaping over? Master Qin says: "Encountering Puṣya Buddha, praising him for seven days and seven nights, and leaping over nine kalpas occurred when the third asaṃkhyeya was about to be completed; his karma of the marks and characteristics took only ninety-one kalpas to achieve completion. Therefore, all the places where kalpas were leaped over were within the three great asaṃkhyeyas. Combining the leapings-over before and after, forty kalpas were leaped over. When the fruition was achieved, he was in the same kalpa as Maitreya Buddha."