坐禪三昧經 2.48

2.48

若佛不出世，無佛法無弟子時，是時離欲人辟支佛出。辟支佛有三種：上、中、下。下者本得須陀般那、若息忌陀伽迷。是須陀般那於第七世生人中，是時無佛法，不得作弟子；復不應八世生，是時作辟支佛。若息忌陀伽迷二世生，是時無佛法，不得作弟子；復不應三世生，是時作辟支佛。有人願作辟支佛，種辟支佛善根，時無佛法，善根熟，爾時厭世出家得道，名辟支佛，是名中辟支佛。有人求佛道，智力進力少，以因緣退（如舍利弗是也），是時佛不出世，無佛法亦無弟子，而善根行熟，作辟支佛，有相好若少若多，厭世出家得道，是名上辟支佛。

When a buddha does not appear in the world, and there is neither Buddha-Dharma nor disciples, at that time a pratyekabuddha free from desire appears. There are three kinds of pratyekabuddhas: superior, middling, and inferior. The inferior kind originally attained srotaāpanna or sakṛdāgāmin. If this srotaāpanna is reborn among humans in his seventh rebirth, at that time there is no Buddha-Dharma, and he cannot become a disciple; moreover, he should not be reborn an eighth time, so at that time he becomes a pratyekabuddha. If a sakṛdāgāmin is reborn in his second lifetime, at that time there is no Buddha-Dharma, and he cannot become a disciple; moreover, he should not be reborn a third time, so at that time he becomes a pratyekabuddha. If a person aspired to become a pratyekabuddha and planted the roots of goodness of a pratyekabuddha, when there is no Buddha-Dharma and his roots of goodness ripen, he then feels revulsion toward the world, leaves household life, and attains the path, being named a pratyekabuddha; this is named a middling pratyekabuddha. If a person sought the Buddha path, but his power of wisdom and power of vīrya were deficient, and he regressed due to causes and conditions (such as Śāriputra was), then when no buddha appears in the world and there is neither Buddha-Dharma nor disciples, yet his practice of roots of goodness has ripened, he becomes a pratyekabuddha, possessing fewer or more major and minor marks, feels revulsion toward the world, leaves household life, and attains the path; this is named a superior pratyekabuddha.