坐禪三昧經 2.48

2.48

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.