佛祖統紀 34.6

34.6

The Buddha addressed the great assembly: 'All gods and humans in the world say that I left the palace of the Śākya clan, and not far from Gayā sat at the bodhimaṇḍa and attained anuttarāsamyaksaṃbodhi. Yet it has been an exceedingly great and long time since I truly became a Buddha, just like this' (The Lotus Sūtra; text clarifying the origin and traces seen by those of great capacity). 'At the place of Amitāyus Buddha, I planted various roots of goodness as a wheel-turning sage king. At the very beginning, I encountered three billion Buddhas, all named Śākya, and so forth. At the very end, I encountered Kāśyapa Buddha. That Buddha gave me the prophecy: "In a future age, you will become a Buddha named Śākyamuni." Serving the Buddhas and cultivating the aspiration for buddhahood in this manner, I was then born in the palace of the Tuṣita Heaven, dwelling as one who is one birth away from Buddhahood' (Bodhisattva-caryanidāna-sūtra; text clarifying the origin and traces seen by those of small capacity. ○ 'Fotuo' in Sanskrit means the 'Awakened One' here. The Buddha stayed in the world with the Śākya clan. The Buddha was born in King Śuddhodana's palace, hence called the Śākya clan palace. 'Gayā' is translated here as 'Mountain City,' the capital city of King Śuddhodana. ○ From 'anou' to 'puti' is translated here as 'unexcelled correct and equal awakening,' an honorific title of a Buddha. 'Kāśyapa' is translated here as 'Light-drinker,' meaning the body light absorbs and obscures other light. 'Śākya' is translated here as 'capable of benevolence'; 'Muni' is translated here as 'silent'; these are alternate names of the Buddha. 'Tuṣita' is translated here as 'contentment.' A celestial being or a bodhisattva of his final body, when about to become a Buddha, first ascends to be born in Tuṣita, and then descends to be born in the central realm of Tianzhu in the southern continent. It is called descending from Tuṣita to succeed to the Buddha's place, hence termed 'one birth').