註華嚴經題法界觀門頌 1.104

1.104

Examining the Benxing jing, it states: When the Buddha was cultivating practice during the second asaṃkhyeya kalpa, there was at that time a city named Padmā, and in the city was a king named Arimardana. In that kingdom was a great bodhisattva named Dīpaṃkara. When he went forth and became a Buddha, King Arimardana reverently welcomed and made offerings to Dīpaṃkara. The king ordered a ban on the private sale of flowers within twelve yojanas outside the city, purchasing them all himself to offer to the Tathāgata. In the snowy mountains of that country was a brāhmaṇa seer named Ratna, who had a disciple named Megha, Dharma-named Sumati, who was the foremost among that assembly, having completed the study of all the seer's teachings. The youth took leave of his master to attend an unhindered assembly, receiving five hundred gold coins which he wished to deliver to his master. Arriving at the city of Padmā and seeing the city adorned and splendid, he asked people: "Why is it like this?" A person informed him: "The king has invited Dīpaṃkara Tathāgata to make great offerings." Hearing this, the youth leaped with joy and gave away his gold coins, buying five stems of utpala flowers from a girl to offer to Dīpaṃkara Buddha. When the Buddha entered the city, the youth scattered them over the Buddha's crown; through the power of his vow, they transformed into a flower canopy following the Buddha's walking and resting. By spiritual power, the Buddha manifested an area of mud; seeing this, the youth spread his hair to cover it, further thinking: "May the Tathāgata tread over my body. If I do not receive prediction, I shall never rise." The Tathāgata came, stepped on it, and passed, forbidding his followers to step on him. The Buddha gave him a prediction: "In a future age you will become a Buddha named Śākyamuni, endowed with the ten titles, no different from me." Now Yimen deduces that from the initial aspiration matching original awakening to the realization of the ultimate stage, this reveals one's own accomplishment to be complete, not obtained from another; hence he says: "In vain was he predicted."