續集古今佛道論衡 1.32

1.32

The Emperor said, 'These eight kinds of paths constantly cultivate brahmacaryā and are broadly versed in non-Buddhist texts; they are indeed superior persons of worldly wisdom. If they encountered a Buddha at that time, they should have awakened to the correct; why did they not abandon their various views and still have these?' Dharma Master [Dharma]ratna replied, 'A Buddha's appearance is difficult to encounter; one Buddha appears in the world in one hundred and one minor kalpas. Before a Buddha appears, at the beginning of creation, there are either devas of great power or self-mastered sages who, fearing the world would lack instruction, descend to be born in these customs, acting either as emperors and kings or as master scholars. Each puts forward their own way: some teach brahmacaryā, some teach practices of ritual respect, some teach serving the Buddha, some teach serving the spirits of the sun and moon, some teach serving the spirits of rivers and seas, some teach serving the spirits of the mountains, some teach serving the spirits of fire and water, some teach serving the spirits of the soil and grain, some teach serving the spirits of former masters. All these various spirits they teach sentient beings to serve. Since the beginning of the kalpa, sentient beings have studied and practiced this for a long time; even if they encounter a Buddha appearing in the world, those of dull faculties all say: "What we serve has been revered since the Primal Sovereign. Although the Buddha is miraculous and extraordinary, his teachings are recent; how can we abandon the root to follow what is recent?" At that time, those who clung to their views remained in their paths without being extinguished.'