法苑珠林 69.52

69.52

佛語舍利弗。汝觀此鴿。宿世因緣。幾世作鴿。舍利弗即時入宿命智三昧。觀見此鴿。從鴿中來。乃至八萬大劫常作鴿身。過是已往不能復見。舍利弗從三昧起。白佛言。是鴿八萬大劫中常作鴿身。過是已前不能復知。佛言。汝若不能盡知過去世。試觀未來世。此鴿何時當脫。舍利弗即入三昧觀見。乃至八萬大劫亦未免鴿身。過是已往不復能知。不審此鴿何時當脫。佛告舍利弗。此鴿除諸聲聞辟支佛所知齊限。復於殑伽河沙等大劫中常作鴿身。罪訖得出。輪轉五道。中後得為人。經五百世中乃得利根。是時有佛度無量阿僧祇眾生。然後入無餘涅槃。遺法在世。是人作五戒優婆塞。從比丘聞讚佛功德。於是初發心願欲作佛。後於三阿僧祇劫行六波羅蜜。十地具足得作佛。度無量眾生已而入涅槃。是時舍利弗向佛懺悔。白佛言。我於一鳥尚不能知其本末。何況諸結。我知佛智慧如是者。為佛智慧故。寧入阿鼻地獄受無量劫苦。不以為難。

The Buddha said to Śāriputra: "Examine this pigeon's past karmic conditions: for how many lifetimes has it been a pigeon?" Śāriputra immediately entered the samādhi of past-life knowledge and observed this pigeon. It had come from being a pigeon, and for up to eighty thousand mahākalpas had constantly had the body of a pigeon; beyond that, he could see no further. Śāriputra arose from the samādhi and said to the Buddha: "This pigeon has constantly been in the body of a pigeon for eighty thousand mahākalpas; prior to that, I cannot know." The Buddha said: "If you cannot know the past lifetimes completely, try observing the future lifetimes: when will this pigeon be freed?" Śāriputra then entered samādhi and observed, seeing that even for up to eighty thousand mahākalpas it would still not be exempt from a pigeon's body; beyond that, he was no longer able to know, and wondered when this pigeon would be freed. The Buddha told Śāriputra: "Beyond the limits known by all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, this pigeon will continue to have the body of a pigeon for mahākalpas as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā. When its retribution for sin is finished, it will escape, transmigrate through the five destinies, and afterwards obtain human form. After five hundred lifetimes, it will acquire sharp faculties. At that time there will be a Buddha who delivers immeasurable asaṃkhyeya sentient beings and then enters remainderless nirvāṇa. While his bequeathed Dharma remains in the world, this person will become an upāsaka observing the five precepts. Hearing a monk praise the Buddha's merits, he will then for the first time generate the aspiration, making a vow to become a Buddha. Later, through three asaṃkhyeya kalpas, he will practice the six pāramitās, fully accomplish the ten stages, become a Buddha, and after delivering immeasurable sentient beings, enter nirvāṇa." At that time, Śāriputra repented before the Buddha and said to him: "With respect to a single bird, I cannot even know its beginning and end, how much less so with all the defilements! If I know the Buddha's wisdom to be like this, for the sake of the Buddha's wisdom, I would rather enter the Avīci hell and endure suffering for immeasurable kalpas without finding it difficult."