釋迦譜 1.56

1.56

In ancient times, an asaṃkhyeya of kalpas ago, a bodhisattva was a king. His parents died early, so he yielded the kingdom to his younger brother, renounced [the throne], and practiced in pursuit of the Way. In the distance he saw a brāhmaṇa whose surname was Gautama, and thereupon studied the Way under him. The brāhmaṇa said, "You must take off your royal robes, dress as I do, and receive the Gautama surname." Thereupon the bodhisattva embodied the Gautama surname, entered the deep mountains, ate fruits and drank water, and sat in dhyāna contemplating the Way. When the bodhisattva begged for food and returned to his realm, not one among the officials and people throughout the country could recognize him; they called him the Little Gautama. The bodhisattva made a hermitage in a sugarcane garden outside the city.