佛祖統紀 1.76

1.76

壽量品。佛告大眾。一切世間。天人阿修羅。謂我出釋氏宮。去伽耶不遠。坐於道場得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提（廣開近顯遠斷惑生信）然我實成佛已來無量無邊。百千萬億那由他劫（破近顯遠）我常在此娑婆世界說法教化。亦於餘處阿僧祇國。導利眾生（玄云。初證之果。名本果妙本之娑婆。即本土妙。文句云。上引譬甚大久居何處。故云常在此土。及於他國而作佛事）於是中間。我說然燈佛等。又復言其入於涅槃。皆以方便分別（文句云。拂執迹上之疑也。昔教所說。處處行因。處處得記。即是果疑。今拂除此疑。指然燈佛者。即拂因疑。言入涅槃者。即拂果疑。如此因果。非復一條。皆我方便非實說也。妙樂云。是釋迦菩薩入滅。不得云是然燈。涅槃亦非釋迦。爾時於然燈佛世。已曾成佛。而般涅槃。不可二佛一時興故。是故。但以得記弘法壽終為果）若有眾生來至我所。我以佛眼觀其信等諸根利鈍。隨所應度。處處自說名字不同年紀大小（非生現生）亦復現言當入涅槃（非滅示滅。此為以形益物也）又以種種方便說微妙法（此以聲益物也）如來見諸眾生樂於小法德薄垢重者。為是人說我少出家得阿耨菩提（現生）然我實成佛以來。甚大久遠若斯。但以方便教化眾生令入佛道。作如是說（非生。妙樂云。壽量久成塵點尚倍。中間被拂。伽邪非真。此論身真實明遠本也）。

The 'Life Span' chapter says: 'The Buddha addressed the great assembly: "All worldly devas, humans, and asuras think that I left the palace of the Śākyas, went not far from Gayā, sat at the bodhimaṇḍa, and attained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi."' (Extensively uncovering the near to reveal the remote, severing perplexity and generating faith.) '"Yet, it has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas since I actually attained Buddhahood."' (Destroying the near to reveal the remote.) '"I have always been in this sahā world preaching the Dharma and transforming [beings], and also in other places among asaṃkhyeya lands leading and benefiting sentient beings."' (The Xuan says: 'The fruit initially realised is called the wondrous origin fruit; the sahā world of the origin is the wondrous origin land.' The Wenju says: 'Having previously cited the analogy of an exceedingly long time, [one wonders] where he resided; hence it says he has always been in this land and in other countries performing Buddha-deeds.') '"In the interim, I spoke of Dīpaṃkara Buddha and others, and furthermore said that they entered nirvāṇa; all these were distinguished by expedient means."' (The Wenju says: 'This brushes away doubts clinging to the traces. What was taught in the past teachings—practicing causes in various places and receiving predictions in various places—pertained to doubts about the fruit. Now, brushing away these doubts, pointing to Dīpaṃkara Buddha brushes away doubts about causes, and speaking of entering nirvāṇa brushes away doubts about the fruit. Such causes and fruits were not of a single kind; all were my expedient means and not the real explanation.' Miaole says: 'It was the Bodhisattva Śākya entering extinction; one cannot say it was Dīpaṃkara. The nirvāṇa was also not Śākya's. At that time, in the era of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, he had already attained Buddhahood and entered parinirvāṇa, for two Buddhas cannot appear at the same time. Therefore, receiving the prediction, propagating the Dharma, and the end of life are simply taken as the fruit.') '"If there are sentient beings who come to my place, I view with the Buddha-eye whether their faculties such as faith are sharp or dull, and according to how they should be saved, in various places I proclaim of myself different names and older or younger ages"' (not being born yet manifesting birth) '"and also manifest saying that I shall enter nirvāṇa"' (not being extinguished yet displaying extinction; this is benefiting beings through physical form), '"and furthermore, by various expedient means, I preach the wondrous Dharma"' (this is benefiting beings through sound). '"The Tathāgata, seeing sentient beings who delight in lesser dharmas, whose virtue is meager and whose defilements are heavy, for these persons speaks: 'In my youth I left household life and attained anuttarā bodhi'"' (manifesting birth). '"Yet, it has been exceedingly long and far like this since I actually attained Buddhahood; it is only by expedient means to transform sentient beings and cause them to enter the Buddha path that I make such statements."' (Not being born. Miaole says: 'The ancient attainment in the "Life Span" chapter exceeds even dust motes multiplied; the interim is brushed away, and Gayā is not the real one. This discusses the reality of the body and clarifies the remote origin.')