法苑珠林 8.70

8.70

According to the Thousand Buddhas' Causes and Conditions Sūtra, at that time the World-Honoured One was at Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha. Coming out of a stone chamber, he asked Ānanda: 'What discourse are the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas now delivering?' Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'World-Honoured One, the bodhisattva assembly are each speaking of causes and conditions in past lives.' At that time, the Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla said to the Buddha: 'Today I wish to ask a brief question; I only pray that the Heavenly Honoured One will explain it for me.' When he said these words, eighty-four thousand bodhisattvas each removed their necklaces and scattered them as an offering to the Buddha. The scattered necklaces rested above the Buddha's crown, magnificent and wonderful to behold, like Mount Sumeru; there were a thousand transformation Buddhas seated within the caves of the mountain. Then the bodhisattvas said to the Buddha: 'World-Honoured One, what roots of merit did these thousand Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa plant in past ages, so that they were constantly born in the same place and shared the same household, and in a single kalpa will successively attain bodhi and transform and liberate sentient beings?'