法苑珠林 8.182

8.182

如菩薩處胎經云。佛告喜見菩薩曰。汝欲知過去諸佛滅不滅剎土不耶。當知我過去身。其數不可稱不可量。即以神足入濕生界眾相具足。與無數阿僧祇。為濕識眾生說法。令濕識隨意所願各得解脫。入化卵等生。隨意所願各得解脫亦復如前。復以神足現當來世界入四生中。各得解脫亦復如前。如我今日在母胎中。與諸十方神通菩薩。說不退轉難有之法。亦以神通入天四生。入地獄四生餓鬼四生畜生四生。於星中。胎化二生盡漏得疾。濕卵二生盡漏稍遲。化生胎生是利根人。濕卵是鈍根人。又佛告阿難。諦聽善思念之。吾今與汝一一分別大士難有之行。阿難白佛言。願樂欲聞。佛告阿難。去此東南方一億一萬一千六十二恒河沙剎。彼有世界。名曰思樂。佛名香焰如來。於彼現般涅槃。而來至忉利天宮。經歷無數阿僧祇劫三十六返作大梵天王。三十六返作帝釋身。三十六返作轉輪王。所度眾生。無墮二乘及諸惡趣。何以故皆是諸佛神智所感。佛告阿難。如來有胎分耶。無胎分耶。阿難白佛言。如來之身無有胎分也。佛告阿難。若如來無胎分者。云何如來十月處胎教化說法耶。阿難白佛言。如來有胎分者。此亦處寂。無胎分者。亦復處寂。

As the Sūtra on the Bodhisattva Dwelling in the Womb says: The Buddha told Priyadarśana Bodhisattva: 'Do you wish to know whether the realms of past Buddhas have ceased to exist or not? You should know that the number of my past bodies cannot be counted or measured. Using my spiritual powers, I entered the realm of moisture-born beings, fully endowed with the marks, and together with countless asaṃkhyeyas [of beings], preached the Dharma to moisture-conscious beings, enabling each of them to attain liberation according to their inclinations and vows. Entering apparitional, egg-born, and other forms of birth, each attained liberation according to their inclinations and vows, also as before. Furthermore, using my spiritual powers, I manifested future worlds and entered into the four types of birth, each attaining liberation also as before. Just as I am today in my mother's womb, preaching the difficult-to-attain Dharma of non-retrogression together with Bodhisattvas of spiritual powers from the ten directions, so too with spiritual powers I enter the four types of birth of the heavens, enter the four types of birth of the hells, the four types of birth of hungry ghosts, and the four types of birth of animals. Among the asterisms, womb-born and apparition-born beings exhaust the defilements quickly, whereas moisture-born and egg-born beings exhaust the defilements somewhat more slowly. Apparition-born and womb-born beings are of sharp faculties; moisture-born and egg-born beings are of dull faculties.' The Buddha also told Ānanda: 'Listen attentively and contemplate it well; I shall now analyze for you one by one the difficult-to-attain deeds of the Great Being.' Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'We wish and delight to hear them.' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'Going from here to the southeast past one hundred million, eleven thousand and sixty-two Ganges-sands of lands, there is a world named Joy of Contemplation. The Buddha is named Gandhapradīpa Tathāgata. He manifested parinirvāṇa there and came to Trāyastriṃśa Palace. Passing through countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas, he thirty-six times became a Mahābrahmā king, thirty-six times took the body of Śakra, and thirty-six times became a wheel-turning king. Among the sentient beings he delivered, none fell into the two vehicles or the evil destinies. Why is this? They were all moved by the divine wisdom of the Buddhas.' The Buddha asked Ānanda: 'Does the Tathāgata have the nature of being in a womb, or does he not have the nature of being in a womb?' Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'The Tathāgata's body does not have the nature of being in a womb.' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'If the Tathāgata does not have the nature of being in a womb, how does the Tathāgata dwell in the womb for ten months, converting and preaching the Dharma?' Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'If the Tathāgata has the nature of being in a womb, he still abides in tranquility; if he does not have the nature of being in a womb, he also abides in tranquility.'