法苑珠林 17.59

17.59

又度無極集經云。昔有比丘精進守法。所可諷誦是般若波羅蜜。其有聞者莫不歡喜。有一小兒厥年七歲。城外牧羊。遙聞比丘誦經聲。即詣精舍禮拜聽其經言。時說色空聞即悟解。便問比丘。應答不可。小兒反為比丘解說其義昔所希聞。怪此小兒智慧非凡。時小兒即去。逐牛至山。值一虎害。此小兒命終生長者家。夫人懷妊口便能說般若波羅蜜。從朝至夜初不懈息。其長者家怪此夫人謂呼鬼病。有比丘至舍。聞聲甚喜。比丘報言。此非鬼病但說尊經。夫人出禮比丘復為說法。諸有疑難不能及者。盡為解說。眾僧歡喜。日月滿足產得男兒。適生叉手長跪說波羅蜜。夫人產已還復如本。比丘言。真佛弟子。好養護之。此兒後大當為一切眾人作師。吾等悉當從其啟受。時兒七歲道法悉備。舉眾超絕智度無極。經中誤脫皆為刪定。兒母所至輒開化人。長者室家大小五百人眾。皆從兒學。八萬四千人皆發無上正真道意。五百比丘聞兒所說盡漏意解。志求大乘得法眼淨。是時兒者則吾身是。比丘者迦葉佛是。

Moreover, the Liudu ji jing says: In the past, there was a monk who was diligent in upholding the Dharma; what he chanted was this Prajñāpāramitā. Whoever heard it was filled with joy. There was a young boy, seven years of age, who was herding sheep outside the city. Hearing the sound of the monk chanting the scripture from afar, he went to the monastery, bowed, and listened to the words of the scripture. At that time, [the monk] spoke of forms being empty; hearing this, [the boy] immediately awakened and understood. He then questioned the monk, who could not answer. The boy in turn explained the meaning to the monk, which the monk had rarely heard before. Marveling at this boy's extraordinary wisdom, the monk wondered at him. Then the boy left, driving his oxen to the mountain, where he encountered a tiger and was killed. When this boy died, he was reborn in an elder's house. While his mother was pregnant, she could already speak the Prajñāpāramitā from her mouth, without resting from morning till night. The elder's family marveled at this lady, calling it a demonic affliction. A monk arrived at the house and was greatly pleased upon hearing the sound. The monk reported: 'This is not a demonic affliction; she is merely speaking the noble scripture.' The lady came out, bowed to the monk, and also preached the Dharma for him. Whatever doubts and difficulties could not be resolved, she explained them all. The saṃgha rejoiced. When the months and days were fulfilled, she gave birth to a boy. As soon as he was born, he clasped his hands, knelt upright, and spoke the pāramitā. After the lady gave birth, she returned to normal. The monk said: 'He is truly a disciple of the Buddha; nurture and protect him well. When this child grows up, he will be a teacher to all people. All of us will seek instruction from him.' When the child was seven years old, he was fully equipped with the Dharma path; towering above the entire crowd, his wisdom was boundless (prajñāpāramitā). He corrected and revised all the errors and omissions in the scriptures. Wherever the child's mother went, she converted people. The elder's family, old and young, five hundred people in all, learned from the child. Eighty-four thousand people all produced the aspiration for supreme, right, and true awakening. Five hundred monks, hearing what the child spoke, exhausted their outflows, had their minds liberated, aspired to the Mahāyāna, and attained the purity of the Dharma-eye. At that time, the child was my own body, and the monk was Kāśyapa Buddha."