佛祖統紀 30.3

30.3

The appearance of the Buddhas in the world throughout distant kalpas has already been briefly laid out before the Basic Annals of Śākyamuni. Now, focusing on the three thousand Tathāgatas, it serves to elucidate the successive appearance of the Seven Buddhas and the marks of the decline and extinction of the Dharma during the Semblance and Final Dharma [Ages] of the present Buddha, following this with Maitreya's descent to be born, and concluding with Rucika's attainment of Buddhahood, briefly recording even the future Constellation Kalpa. This is strictly to discuss the conversion work in this single southern continent of Mount Sumeru; yet it can properly be synthesized with the worlds in the ten directions. Master Jingxi said: 'There must be one person who is the very first to become enlightened, who then uses this Way to awaken subsequent beings, continuing endlessly so that those who are awakened become ever more numerous; thus there are the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times.' To make this meaning clear, the Treatise on the Manifestation of Buddhas in the Three Times is composed.