法界圖記叢髓錄 2.70

2.70

The Awl-Bore Questions and Answers states: Question: That one's future Buddha returns to transform one's present self—by what text is this known? Answer: The Yingluo jing says regarding the bodhisattva of the eighth bhūmi: 'Because one sees one's own body's future fruit, the Buddhas rub one's crown and preach the Dharma.' Thus it can be clearly known from the holy teaching. Furthermore, since various sūtras state that because of paying homage and reverence to the Buddhas of the three periods of time, all sinful karmas are extinguished, what about the future Buddhas? Question: This homage to Buddhas who have already attained Buddhahood—why is it homage to one's own future Buddha? Answer: The meaning of paying homage to other Buddhas is not absent, but it is distant and remote. Why is this? Generally, when Buddhas explain the Buddha's virtues for sentient beings, their intention is to desire that sentient beings themselves also attain that fruit, and so they cause them to cultivate. Therefore, sentient beings look toward the fruit virtues to be attained by themselves in the future, and desiring to attain that, they cultivate without begrudging body or life; they do not cultivate in order to attain another's Buddha fruit. Therefore, the Buddha who truly causes me to give rise to the aspiration and cultivate practice is only my already perfected Buddha of the future fruit, not another Buddha. This meaning is not to be doubted or wondered at. Moreover, another's already perfected Buddha is immediately one's own future-fruit Buddha. Why is this? When another attains Buddhahood, he immediately attains the equal fruit of the Buddhas of the three periods of time. Moreover, my future-fruit Buddha is immediately his present perfected Buddha. Why is this? When I attain the future-fruit Buddha, I immediately attain the equal Dharma of the Buddhas of the three periods of time; thus they turn into each other, mutually equal and non-differentiated in fruit virtues. Furthermore, this Buddha of mine is fully and immediately present within all sentient and insentient things in the entire dharmadhātu; there is not a single thing that is not the Buddha of my own essence. If one can pay homage to the Buddha of one's own essence, there is nothing that is not paid homage to. This is of the utmost importance and should constantly be reflected upon.