法苑珠林 69.52

69.52

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."