菩薩從兜術天降神母胎說廣普經 4.48

4.48

At that time, in the assembly there was a bodhisattva named Nityahasita, whose six superknowledges held profound insight, whose virtue and power were sovereign, whose eloquence was fearless, who had exhausted the allotment of birth and death, had the four non-attachments, whose words were trusted, and who understood that all dharmas are empty, like illusions, like dreams, like a mirage in the heat, like a red leaf in the water which foolish beasts take for meat but find nothing once the water is gone, and like an echo in the mountains; who understood that all dharmas neither arise nor cease, and who wished to sever all sentient beings' doubts. He arose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, clasped his hands with palms together, and addressed the Buddha, saying: 'Indeed, Bhagavat, I have a slight doubt and obstruction; only if permitted will I dare speak. The Tathāgata, the Great Sage, has unimpeded spiritual wisdom: he knows in advance the past causes and conditions, the bonds, and the aggregation of diverse practices; he discerns in retrospect the future success and failure, destinies, and the union and dispersal of causes and conditions; the good and bad karmic actions, and the different arisings of aspiration. Now I hear that the Tathāgata's transformation of sentient beings through womb[-birth] has differences in practice: there is retribution and no retribution, karmic reward and no karmic reward, black and white practices and no black and white practices. Furthermore, there are sentient beings who, from their initial aspiration, pass through kalpas without achieving [the goal], while there are sentient beings who, having aroused the mind of the path in the morning, immediately achieve buddhahood. We wish and rejoice to hear this; may the Bhagavat alone explain it.'