三彌勒經疏 1.46

1.46

Question: If the time he saw Puṣya Buddha was at the stage of the asaṃkhyeyas, how can it be said that because he praised Puṣya Buddha, he leaped over nine kalpas during the cultivation of the karma of the marks and characteristics? Answer: It is argued by condensing the time periods and harmonizing them. Master Wenbei says: "Śākyamuni Bodhisattva generated the mind later, but when encountering his fundamental teacher Śākyamuni, he leaped over nineteen kalpas; at the time of the Snowy Mountains Youth, he leaped over twelve kalpas; at the time of praising Puṣya Buddha, he leaped over nine kalpas; and when realizing the fruit, he attained the Path in the same kalpa as Maitreya." The citations of proof and harmonization of texts are all the same as Master Qin's explanation. Although there are three explanations, none of them exhausts the principle. What is Master Ji's error? The sūtras all say that he threw his body before a hungry tigress, but do not say that he leaped over eleven kalpas. Furthermore, when the ṛṣi Māṇava spread his hair, they only say that he received the prophecy, but do not say that he leaped over eight kalpas. Therefore, these two explanations have nothing to be verified in meaning. Because of leaps of that kind, these are merely empty words. What is the error in Master Qin's interpretation? Moreover, he says that after Puṣya Buddha, Buddhas appeared in four great kalpas, and in the third kalpa no Buddha appeared. If it is already like this, since it is said that after Puṣya Buddha passed away he also further encountered the Buddha Jianzhenli, how could it be said that Puṣya Buddha was the last Buddha of the third asaṃkhyeya? The phrase "the last Buddha" necessarily indicates that there is none after him. Furthermore, the Piṭaka treatises say: "Vipaśyin Buddha was the first Buddha of the hundred great kalpas, and afterwards they spoke of Puṣya Buddha." Thus we clearly know that [the claim that] Puṣya Buddha was the last Buddha of the third asaṃkhyeya is incorrect. What is Master Bei's error? The sūtras only say that encountering his fundamental teacher Śākyamuni he made various vows, but never said that he leaped over nineteen kalpas; therefore, these are merely empty words. Moreover, generally refuting the explanations of these masters, there are two errors: First, the error of failing to distinguish between doctrinal tenets and vehicles. That is, the masters all say that because he praised Puṣya Buddha he leaped over the one hundred great kalpas of cultivating the karma of the marks and characteristics, which is an exposition of the Hīnayāna sūtras. That after the three asaṃkhyeyas one further cultivates the karma of the marks and characteristics for one hundred kalpas definitely does not exist as a principle in the Mahāyāna. If it were not so, it would contradict the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*'s extensive refutation of cultivating the karma of the marks and characteristics for one hundred kalpas. Furthermore, the *Upāsakaśīla Sūtra* says: "Beginning from Dīpaṃkara Buddha and ending with Kāśyapa is called the completion of the third asaṃkhyeya." Since it is so, how could it be identical with the Hīnayāna? Second, the error of failing to harmonize the holy teachings. That is, if one searches the various sūtras, Śākyamuni's leaping over kalpas was not merely at three or four times. Thus the thirty-first fascicle of the *Ekottarika Āgama* says: "Maitreya Bodhisattva should have attained unsurpassable right awakening in thirty kalpas. Through the power of my vigorous exertion, I leaped over [him] and accomplished Buddhahood." The *Jñānaprabhā-ṛṣi Sūtra* says: "Because for the sake of seeking the Dharma I did not spare my body and life, threw myself into a fire pit and made an offering of my body, I was able to leap over nine hundred thousand koṭis of kalpas of sins of saṃsāra, and become a Buddha before Maitreya." Various sūtras like these all say that Śākyamuni, through the power of vigorous exertion, leaped over many kalpas and attained right awakening before Maitreya. If it were as in the former three explanations, how could it be that by leaping over only thirty kalpas, the two bodhisattvas attained the Path in the same kalpa? Therefore, now we make another explanation: Śākyamuni's generation of the mind was more than forty kalpas later than Maitreya's. If not so, because Śākyamuni leaped over many kalpas through the power of vigorous exertion, he should have accomplished bodhi in the Vyūhakalpa. However, the *Buddhacarita-sūtra* says: "Thirty kalpas refers to the number of great kalpas"; if one combines small kalpas, this is harmonized. Sūtras such as the *Maitreya-paripṛcchā-sūtra* speak in terms of the accumulated count of various small kalpas, and therefore speak of forty-two kalpas. Two kalpas correspond to small kalpas. The *Sūtra on the Causes and Conditions of Erecting Stūpas* says he threw his body before a hungry tigress and leaped over nine kalpas. The *Ekottarika Āgama* says he leaped over thirty kalpas. The *Jñānaprabhā Sūtra*, the *Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra*, the *Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka Sūtra*, and others do not mention the number of kalpas at all, so it cannot be rashly determined. Awaiting the person of Maitreya himself, doubts may be resolved and accepted. Saying that through the power of vigorous exertion in the various sūtras he leaped over many kalpas avoids the error of failing to harmonize the holy teachings; saying that by praising Puṣya Buddha he leaped over the practice of the third kalpa avoids the error of failing to distinguish doctrinal tenets. The Great Sage's skillful means in responding to capacities are not singular; one cannot take the meaning according to the literal words as the definitive standard. Therefore, the first fascicle of the *Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka Sūtra* says: "Maitreya! In the past ten great kalpas, if you had wished to accomplish unsurpassable bodhi, you would have swiftly accomplished unsurpassable bodhi and entered nirvāṇa without remainder. Maitreya! You have long abided in saṃsāra because of your fundamental vow; you did not accomplish it because you were awaiting the time." The *Maitreya-paripṛcchā-sūtra* says: "Bodhisattvas do not seize right awakening on account of four matters: first, purifying the land; second, protecting the land; third, purifying everything; fourth, protecting everything. When Maitreya sought Buddhahood, on account of these four matters he did not seize Buddhahood." The *Buddhabhūmyupadeśa* says: "Therefore, at the time of Tiṣya Buddha, the Tathāgata was once a fellow disciple with Maitreya. The Buddha observed that the wholesome roots of the sentient beings to be converted by Śākyamuni would ripen first, while the wholesome roots of the sentient beings to be converted by Maitreya would ripen later; he also observed that Maitreya's causal practices would be completed first, while Śākyamuni's would be completed later. Thereupon, in one place he entered the fire-light samādhi, causing Śākyamuni to see it; for seven days and seven nights without putting down his foot, praising him with one verse, he caused him to leap over Maitreya and accomplish Buddhahood before him."