法苑珠林 4.72

4.72

According to the Fo ban nihuan jing: Ānanda folded his hands and asked the Buddha, 'I wish to know, by how many events do earthquakes occur?' The Buddha told Ānanda, 'There are three causes and conditions: First, the earth rests upon water, water rests upon wind, and wind rests upon space. When a great wind rises, the water is agitated; when the water is agitated, the earth shakes. Second, when śramaṇas who have attained the Way and marvelous deities wish to manifest sympathetic resonance, the earth therefore shakes. Third, by the Buddha's power: before and after I became a Buddha, the three thousand suns and moons and the twelve thousand heavens and earths have all been moved and resonated, and devas, humans, ghosts, and spirits have largely attained hearing and understanding.'