法苑珠林 8.14

8.14

問曰。何以得知。依舊婆沙論云。釋迦菩薩因地從毘婆尸佛以來種相好業。至今第九住劫。以經九十一大劫。故舊俱舍論云。釋迦菩薩由禮底沙佛精進力故。即得超九大劫究竟成佛。故知九劫既大。餘九十一劫寧不是大。又依藥王藥上經。莊嚴劫賢劫星宿劫。各有千佛出世。即知此劫亦是大阿僧祇劫。又藥王經中。若善男子善女人。及餘一切眾生。聞是五十三佛名者。是人於百千萬億阿僧祇劫不墮惡道。依此文勢。展轉名莊嚴劫賢劫星宿劫等。各有千佛出世。故知是過於大劫阿僧祇劫。至今賢劫中四佛出世者。亦是阿僧祇劫。非是住小劫也。既是大劫。故於賢劫之中千佛出世。無所疑也。又長阿含經云。過去九十一劫有佛名毘婆尸。復過去三十一劫有佛出世名尸棄。復過去三十一劫有佛出世名毘舍婆。此尸棄佛及毘舍婆佛。依佛名經即此劫中有二佛出世不別。或容阿含翻譯乘此三十一劫也。又更一釋云。依立世阿毘曇論。二十住劫中過去八劫。已有三佛出世。釋迦當現在第九劫出世。即以前九劫已有四佛出世。未來猶有十一劫。焉知不有多佛出世耶。故經云。或有一劫中有無量佛出世。或無數劫中空過無有一佛出世。以此義准。縱是小劫多佛出世。亦自無妨。良由眾生根有強弱。故感見不同也（此義難知更推後哲）。

Question: How is this known? Answer: According to the Old *Vibhāṣā-śāstra*, from Vipaśyin Buddha onward on the causal ground, Śākyamuni Bodhisattva planted the karmic causes for the bodily marks and characteristics down to the present ninth antarakalpa of abiding, which has passed through ninety-one mahākalpas. Therefore, the Old *Kośa-śāstra* says that through the power of his vigorous effort in paying homage to Tiṣya Buddha, Śākyamuni Bodhisattva surpassed nine mahākalpas and ultimately attained buddhahood. Thus we know that since the nine kalpas were mahākalpas, how could the remaining ninety-one kalpas not be mahākalpas? Furthermore, according to the *Bhaiṣajyarāja-Bhaiṣajyasamudgata Sūtra*, in each of the Vyūhakalpa, the Bhadrakalpa, and the Nakṣatrakalpa, one thousand buddhas appear in the world; thus we know that these kalpas are also great asaṃkhyeyakalpas. Moreover, in the *Bhaiṣajyarāja Sūtra*, [it says that] if good men, good women, or any other sentient beings hear the names of these fifty-three buddhas, they will not fall into the evil destinies for hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of asaṃkhyeyakalpas. Following the force of this text, they are successively called the Vyūhakalpa, Bhadrakalpa, Nakṣatrakalpa, and so forth, in each of which one thousand buddhas appear in the world. Thus we know that these exceed mahākalpas and are asaṃkhyeyakalpas. Down to the present Bhadrakalpa, the appearance of the four buddhas in the world is likewise during an asaṃkhyeyakalpa, not merely within an antarakalpa of abiding. Since they are mahākalpas, there is no doubt about the appearance of one thousand buddhas in the Bhadrakalpa. Furthermore, the *Dīrghāgama* says that ninety-one kalpas ago there was a buddha named Vipaśyin; further, thirty-one kalpas ago there was a buddha who appeared in the world named Śikhin; further, thirty-one kalpas ago there was a buddha who appeared in the world named Viśvabhū. As for these buddhas Śikhin and Viśvabhū, according to the *Buddhanāma Sūtra*, two buddhas appeared in the world in the very same kalpa without distinction. Perhaps the translator of the *Āgama* erred regarding these thirty-one kalpas. Furthermore, another explanation states: According to the *Lokasthitābhidharma-śāstra*, of the twenty antarakalpas of abiding, eight kalpas have passed, and three buddhas have already appeared in the world. Śākyamuni is due to appear in the world now, in the ninth kalpa. That is to say, four buddhas have already appeared in the world within the first nine kalpas. There are still eleven kalpas in the future; how do we know that many buddhas will not appear in the world? Thus the sūtra says: In some single kalpas, immeasurable buddhas appear in the world; in other countless kalpas, they pass empty without a single buddha appearing in the world. Applying this principle, even if many buddhas appear in an antarakalpa, it poses no contradiction at all. This is truly because the capacities of sentient beings are strong or weak; hence their experiences and visions differ. (This meaning is difficult to comprehend; it is left to later sages to investigate further.)