天台四教儀 1.38

1.38

Concerning 'three asaṃkhyeya (countless) kalpas (eons)', considering the divisions briefly in terms of Śākyamuni's cultivation of the bodhisattva path: from the ancient Śākyamuni to Śikhin Buddha, he encountered 75,000 buddhas; this is named the first asaṃkhyeya. From this point forward, he was always freed from female rebirth and the four evil destinies, and constantly cultivated the six perfections, yet did not know himself that he would become a buddha; compared to the śrāvaka ranks, this corresponds to the five methods for stilling the mind and the foundations of mindfulness with specific and general marks (external ordinary beings). Next, from Śikhin Buddha to Dīpaṃkara Buddha, he encountered 76,000 buddhas; this is named the second asaṃkhyeya. At this time, he offered seven stems of lotus flowers and spread his hair to cover the mud, and received the prophecy under the name Śākyamuni; at that time, he knew himself that he would become a buddha, but could not yet proclaim it with his mouth; compared to the śrāvaka ranks, this corresponds to the rank of heat. Next, from Dīpaṃkara Buddha to Vipaśyin Buddha, encountering 77,000 buddhas, this is named the fulfillment of the third asaṃkhyeya. At this time, he knew it himself and also declared to others that he would surely become a buddha, with neither self nor others doubting; compared to the śrāvaka ranks, this corresponds to the rank of summit. After cultivating the six perfections for this amount of time, he dwelt for a further hundred kalpas planting the causes of the marks and signs, cultivating one hundred merits to accomplish a single mark. The explanations of merit are many, and hard to determine conclusively. It is also said that curing an entire great trichiliocosm of blind people counts as one merit, and so on. In cultivating the six perfections, each has its time of fulfillment: such as King Śibi offering himself in place of the dove, fulfilling generosity; King Prabhasa surrendering his kingdom, fulfilling morality; the ascetic Kṣāntivādin being dismembered by King Kali without resentment, fulfilling forbearance; Prince Mahātyāgavān bailing the ocean, and standing on one foot for seven days praising Puṣya Buddha, fulfilling diligence; Śāṅgārava with a magpie nesting upon his head, fulfilling meditation; and the minister Govinda dividing Jambudvīpa into seven parts to quell disputes, fulfilling wisdom. Compared to the early śrāvaka ranks, this is the rank of lower forbearance. Next, he enters the rank of succession and is born in Tuṣita, enters and emerges from the womb, leaves home, subdues Māra, and sits unmoved; this is the rank of medium forbearance. In the next instant, he enters the rank of higher forbearance. In the next instant, he enters the rank of supreme mundane dharma, gives rise to true non-outflow, and in thirty-four mental moments suddenly severs the habitual propensities of views and thought. Sitting beneath the wooden bodhi tree with fresh grass as his seat, he becomes a buddha with an inferior response body of sixteen feet. Receiving the request of the Brahma king, he turns the wheel of the Dharma three times, delivers beings of the three capacities, abides in the world for eighty years, manifests the appearance of an aged monk, and enters nirvāṇa without remainder like wood exhausted and fire extinguished: this is the buddha fruit of the Tripiṭaka [teaching].