佛祖統紀 1.76

1.76

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.')