樂邦文類 1.126

1.126

〈化城喻品〉曰「過去有佛，名大通智勝。其佛未出家時，有十六子，皆以童子出家而為沙彌。爾時彼佛說是經已，即入靜室八萬四千劫。是時十六菩薩知佛入室，各升法座，為四部眾廣說分別妙法華經，一一皆度六百八十萬億那由他恒河沙等眾生。是十六菩薩所化眾生，世世所生與菩薩俱。十六沙彌，今於十方現在說法。」乃至云「西方二佛，一名阿彌陀，第十六我釋迦牟尼。爾時所化眾生，汝等諸比丘，及我滅度後未來世中聲聞弟子是也。若如來自知涅槃時到，便集諸菩薩及聲聞眾為說是經。」

The chapter on the "Parable of the Conjured City" states: "In the past there was a Buddha named Mahābhijñā-jñānābhibhū. Before that Buddha left home, he had sixteen sons, all of whom left home as youths to become śrāmaṇeras. At that time, after that Buddha had preached this sutra, he entered a quiet room for eighty-four thousand kalpas. Thereupon, the sixteen bodhisattvas, knowing that the Buddha had entered the room, each mounted a Dharma throne and expounded the Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma Lotus in full for the four assemblies, each delivering sentient beings as numerous as the sands of six million eight hundred thousand koṭis of nayutas of Ganges rivers. The sentient beings transformed by these sixteen bodhisattvas were born life after life together with the bodhisattvas. Those sixteen śrāmaṇeras are now preaching the Dharma in the ten directions." It further states: "Among the two Buddhas in the west, one is named Amitābha, and the sixteenth is myself, Śākyamuni. The sentient beings transformed at that time are you bhikṣus, as well as the śrāvaka disciples in future ages after my parinirvāṇa. When the Tathāgata knows that the time of his nirvāṇa has arrived, he gathers the bodhisattvas and the assembly of śrāvakas to preach this sutra for them."