法苑珠林 8.110

8.110

如菩薩降胎。以四種觀人間。一觀時。二觀土地。三觀種姓。四觀生處。初觀時者。時有八種。佛出後第一人壽八萬四千歲時。乃至第八人壽一百餘歲。菩薩如是念。人壽百歲佛出時到。是名觀時。第二觀土地者。諸佛常在中國生。多豐財寶其土清淨。第三觀種姓者。佛生二種姓中。若剎利。若婆羅門。剎利種勢力大故。婆羅門種智慧大故。隨時所貴佛於中生。第四觀生處者。何等母人能懷那羅延力菩薩。亦能自護淨戒。如是觀竟。唯中國迦毘羅淨飯王。后能懷菩薩。如是思已。於兜率天下不失正慧入於母胎。又佛本行經云。爾時兜率天眾之中。有一天子。名曰金團。往昔已來。數曾下到閻浮地。補處菩薩。名曰護明。護明知已告金團言。金團天子。汝數下至閻浮提中。汝應知彼城邑聚落諸王種族。一生菩薩當生何家。金團天子報言。尊者。我甚知之。尊者善聽。我今當說。護明言善。金團言。此之三千大千世界。有一菩提道場處所。在彼閻浮摩伽陀國境界之內。是昔諸佛成菩提處。如是展轉遍歷天下。諸國王處皆不稱菩薩意。金團天子復作是言。我於閻浮提一切諸國處處聚落處處諸王處處城邑處處剎利。各住諸城。而是剎利造種種業。我為尊者經歷已來。生於無量疲極苦惱。心迷意亂更不復能觀看餘處。唯有一剎利。元本以來從於大眾平量安立。世世轉輪聖王之種。乃至甘蔗苗裔已來。子孫相承在彼迦毘羅婆蘇都。釋種所生。其王名為師子頰王。其子名為輸頭檀王。一切世間天人之中有大名稱。尊者。堪為彼王作子。護明菩薩報金團言。善哉善哉。金團天子。汝善觀察諸王家種。我亦念在於此家生。我今深心如汝所說。金團當知。我定往生彼家作子。金團往昔一生補處菩薩所託家者。有六十種功德具足滿於彼家。何等六十。

When the Bodhisattva descends into the womb, he observes the human realm in four manners: first, observing the time; second, observing the land; third, observing the clan; fourth, observing the place of birth. First, as for observing the time: time is of eight kinds, from the time when human life is eighty-four thousand years after a Buddha appears, down to the eighth, when human life is a hundred-odd years. The Bodhisattva reflects: “When human life is a hundred years, the time for a Buddha to appear has arrived.” This is called observing the time. Second, as for observing the land: the Buddhas are always born in the Central Country, which has abundant wealth and jewels and whose land is pure. Third, as for observing the clan: Buddhas are born into two clans, either kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa. The kṣatriya clan possesses great power; the brāhmaṇa clan possesses great wisdom. Accordant with what is esteemed at the time, the Buddha is born therein. Fourth, as for observing the place of birth: what woman can bear a Bodhisattva endowed with the strength of Nārāyaṇa while also being able to protect her own pure precepts? Having observed thus, only the queen of King Śuddhodana of Kapilavastu in the Central Country could bear the Bodhisattva. Having reflected thus, he descended from Tuṣita Heaven without losing correct wisdom and entered his mother’s womb. Furthermore, the Abhiniṣkramaṇa-sūtra says: At that time, among the host of Tuṣita Heaven, there was a devaputra named Suvarṇapiṇḍa (Golden Clod) who from the past onward had frequently descended to Jambudvīpa. The Bodhisattva in his last birth was named Prabhāpāla (Guarding Light). Knowing this, Prabhāpāla said to Suvarṇapiṇḍa: “Devaputra Suvarṇapiṇḍa, you have frequently descended to Jambudvīpa; you must know those cities, towns, and royal clans. In which household should the Bodhisattva of one last birth be born?” Devaputra Suvarṇapiṇḍa replied: “Venerable One, I know this well. May the Venerable One listen attentively; I shall now explain.” Prabhāpāla said: “Excellent.” Suvarṇapiṇḍa said: “In this trichiliocosm, there is a place for the bodhimaṇḍa within the borders of Magadha in Jambudvīpa; it is the place where past Buddhas attained bodhi.” Thus surveying back and forth throughout the world, none of the places of the kings satisfied the Bodhisattva’s intention. Devaputra Suvarṇapiṇḍa again said: “Throughout all the countries of Jambudvīpa, in every village, among every king, in every town, and among every kṣatriya, each dwells in their cities; yet these kṣatriyas commit various karmas. Having traveled through them for the Venerable One’s sake, I have suffered immeasurable exhaustion and distress; my mind is bewildered and confused, and I am no longer able to observe other places. There is only one kṣatriya lineage, originally established by consensus of the great assembly, generation after generation the lineage of wheel-turning sage kings down to the descendants of Ikṣvāku, transmitted from son to grandson in Kapilavastu, born of the Śākya clan. Its king is named Siṅhahanu, and his son is named Śuddhodana. They have great renown among all the devas and humans in the world. Venerable One, you may become that king’s son.” Prabhāpāla Bodhisattva said to Suvarṇapiṇḍa: “Excellent, excellent, Devaputra Suvarṇapiṇḍa! You have well observed the clans of the kings. I too have considered taking birth in this family. My inner wish is now just as you have spoken. Suvarṇapiṇḍa, you should know: I am resolved to go and be born in that family as a son. Suvarṇapiṇḍa, the family entrusted by past bodhisattvas of one last birth was endowed with sixty kinds of merits that filled that family. What are the sixty?