48.4 （四）

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, many bhikṣus gathered in the assembly hall and each had this thought: "Now the Tathāgata is very wonderful and extraordinary! He also knows the names, clans, precepts, and retinues of those who attained parinirvāṇa in the past, all clearly. The samādhi, wisdom, liberation, liberation-wisdom, and lifespan of the body, whether long or short, he knows all. How is it, venerable ones? Is this the Tathāgata's place of distinguishing the Dharma, extremely pure, knowing the names and origins of those Buddhas? Or is it that the devas have come to the Buddha and told him this?"

At that time, the World-Honored One, with his divine ear, clearly heard the discussion of the many bhikṣus. He then went to where the bhikṣus were and sat in the center. The World-Honored One then said to the bhikṣus, "What kind of discussion have you gathered here for? What Dharma do you wish to speak about?"

The bhikṣus said to the Buddha, "We gathered here to discuss the essentials of the true Dharma. Everyone had this discussion: 'The Tathāgata is very wonderful and extraordinary! He is able to know the names and clans of the past Buddha-Bhagavāns, their wisdom, and how much they have, all of which he thoroughly understands. It is very wonderful. How is it, venerable ones? Is this the Tathāgata's place of distinguishing the Dharma realm, extremely pure, knowing the names and origins of those Buddhas? Or is it that the devas have come to the Buddha and told him this?'"

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus, "Do you wish to hear about the spiritual power of the past Buddhas, their names, clans, and the length of their lifespans?"

The bhikṣus replied, "Now is the right time. We only wish that the World-Honored One would explain the meaning."

The Buddha told the bhikṣus, "You should think about it well. I will explain the meaning to you in detail." At that time, the many bhikṣus received the Buddha's instruction.

The World-Honored One said, "Bhikṣus, you should know that in the past, in the ninety-first eon, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world, named Vipaśyin Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One. Furthermore, in the thirty-first eon, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world, named Śikhin Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One. Furthermore, within that thirty-first eon, there was a Buddha named Viśvabhū Tathāgata who appeared in the world. In this Bhadrakalpa, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world, named Krakucchanda Tathāgata. Furthermore, in this Bhadrakalpa, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world, named Kanakamuni Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One. Furthermore, in this Bhadrakalpa, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world, named Kāśyapa. Furthermore, in this Bhadrakalpa, I have appeared in the world, named Śākyamuni Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

In the ninety-first eon, there was the Buddha Vipaśyin
In the thirty-first eon, the Tathāgata Śikhin appeared. Again
in that eon, the Tathāgata Viśvabhū appeared. In this
Bhadrakalpa, four Buddhas have appeared in the world: Krakucchanda
Kanakamuni, Kāśyapa, and the Sun-like Śākyamuni. If you wish
to know their names, they are all like this.

The Tathāgata Vipaśyin was born into the kṣatriya caste, the Tathāgata Śikhin was also born into the kṣatriya caste, the Tathāgata Viśvabhū was also born into the kṣatriya caste, the Tathāgata Krakucchanda was born into the brahmin caste, the Tathāgata Kanakamuni was born into the brahmin caste, the Tathāgata Kāśyapa was born into the brahmin caste, and I am now born into the kṣatriya caste.

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

The previous Buddhas who appeared were all born into the kṣatriya
caste, from Krakucchanda to Kāśyapa were born into the brahmin caste
The most honored one, incomparable, I, the teacher of gods and
humans today, with tranquil faculties, was born into the kṣatriya caste.

"The Tathāgata Vipaśyin had the surname Gautama, the Tathāgata Śikhin also came from the Gautama clan, Viśvabhū also came from the Gautama clan, the Tathāgata Kāśyapa came from the Kāśyapa clan, Krakucchanda and Kanakamuni also came from the Kāśyapa clan, the same as before, without difference. I, the Tathāgata now, have the surname Gautama."

At that time, the World-Honored One then spoke this verse:

Just as the first three Buddhas came from the Gautama clan
the last three came from the Kāśyapa clan, and were of
the Kāśyapa surname. Just as I am now in the present
revered by gods and humans, with tranquil faculties, I come from
the Gautama clan.

Bhikṣus, you should know that Vipaśyin Tathāgata was of the Kṣatriya clan, Śikhin Tathāgata was also of the Kṣatriya clan, Viśvabhū Tathāgata was also of the Kṣatriya clan, Krakucchanda Tathāgata was of the Brāhmaṇa clan, Kanakamuni Tathāgata was also of the Brāhmaṇa clan, Kāśyapa Tathāgata was also of the Brāhmaṇa clan, and I, the Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, am now of the Kṣatriya clan.

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

Just as the first three Buddhas appeared in the Kṣatriya clan
the last three up to Kāśyapa appeared in the Brāhmaṇa clan
As I am now in the present, revered by gods and
humans, with tranquil faculties, I have appeared in the Kṣatriya clan.

"Vipaśyin Tathāgata attained Buddhahood sitting under a pāruṣaka tree, Śikhin Tathāgata attained Buddhahood sitting under a puṇḍarīka tree, Viśvabhū Tathāgata attained Buddhahood sitting under a pāruṣaka tree, Krakucchanda Tathāgata attained Buddhahood sitting under a śirīṣa tree, Kanakamuni Tathāgata attained Buddhahood sitting under a udumbara tree, Kāśyapa Tathāgata attained Buddhahood sitting under a nyagrodha tree, and as for me today, the Tathāgata attains Buddhahood sitting under a śāla tree."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

The first Buddha attained the Way under a pāruṣaka tree, Śikhin sat
under a puṇḍarīka tree, Viśvabhū sat under a pāruṣaka tree, Krakucchanda sat
under a śirīṣa tree, Kanakamuni sat under an udumbara tree, Kāśyapa sat
under a nyagrodha tree, and under the auspicious tree, I attain Buddhahood
today. The seven Buddhas, the Heavenly Honored Ones, illuminate the world. For
various reasons, they sit under various trees and each attains the fruit
of the Way.

"The disciples of Vipaśyin Tathāgata numbered one hundred and sixty-eight thousand, the disciples of Śikhin Tathāgata numbered one hundred and sixty thousand, the disciples of Viśvabhū Tathāgata numbered one hundred thousand, the disciples of Krakucchanda Tathāgata numbered eighty thousand, the disciples of Kanakamuni Tathāgata numbered seventy thousand, the disciples of Kāśyapa Tathāgata numbered sixty thousand, and like my disciples today, there are one thousand two hundred and fifty, all of whom are arhats, with all taints exhausted, and no further bonds."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

One hundred and sixty-eight thousand were the disciples of Vipaśyin
one hundred and sixty thousand were the disciples of Śikhin
one hundred thousand bhikṣus were the disciples of Viśvabhū, eighty
thousand were the disciples of Krakucchanda, seventy thousand were the
disciples of Kanakamuni, and sixty thousand were the disciples of
Kāśyapa. All of them were arhats. Now, I, Śākyamuni, have
one thousand two hundred and fifty disciples. All of them
are true practitioners, manifesting the Dharma teachings. The remaining disciples
of the Dharma left behind are innumerable.

"The attendant of Vipaśyin Tathāgata was named Mahānavakara; the attendant of Śikhin Tathāgata was named Sudarśana; the attendant of Viśvabhū Tathāgata was named Jina; the attendant of Krakucchanda Tathāgata was named Kṣema; the attendant of Kanakamuni Tathāgata was named Virūḍhaka; the attendant of Kāśyapa Tathāgata was named Nāyaka; now my attendant is named Ānanda."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

Great Path, and Sudarśana, Jina, and Kṣema, Virūḍhaka
Nāyaka, and Ānanda as the seventh attendant. These
people make offerings to the sages, without missing
the right time, reciting and upholding, not losing their meaning.

"The lifespan of Vipaśyin Tathāgata was eighty-four thousand years, Śikhin Tathāgata's lifespan was seventy thousand years, Viśvabhū Tathāgata's lifespan was sixty thousand years, Krakucchanda Tathāgata's lifespan was fifty thousand years, Kanakamuni Tathāgata's lifespan was forty thousand years, Kāśyapa Tathāgata's lifespan was twenty thousand years, and my lifespan today is extremely short, not exceeding one hundred years."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

The first Buddha had a lifespan of eighty-four thousand years, the next Buddha had a
lifespan of seventy thousand years, Viśvabhū had a lifespan of sixty thousand years, Krakucchanda had
a lifespan of fifty thousand years, Kanakamuni had a lifespan of forty thousand years, Kāśyapa
had a lifespan of twenty thousand years, and my lifespan today is only one hundred years.

"Thus, bhikṣus! The Tathāgata knows and understands the names and titles of all the Buddhas, all clearly and distinctly, the kinds and origins of all, and he knows their upholding of precepts, wisdom, meditation, and liberation."

At that time, Ānanda addressed the World-Honored One, saying, "The Tathāgata also says that the past Buddhas who have attained parinirvāṇa, the Tathāgata also knows; the future Buddhas who will come, the Tathāgata also knows. Why does the Tathāgata not record the deeds of those Buddhas? Now he only speaks of the origins and ends of the seven Buddhas."

The Buddha told Ānanda, "There are all causes and conditions, origins and ends. The Tathāgata speaks of the origins and ends of the seven Buddhas; the past Buddhas of the Ganges River sands also spoke of the origins and ends of the seven Buddhas; when Maitreya appears in the world in the future, he will also record the origins and ends of the seven Buddhas; when the Tathāgata Siṃha appears, he will also record the origins and ends of the seven Buddhas; when the Buddha Anuvyañjana appears in the world, he will also record the origins and ends of the seven Buddhas; when the Buddha Prabhāsa appears in the world, he will also record the names and titles of the seven Buddhas; when the Buddha Vimaloṣṇīṣa appears in the world, he will also record the origins and ends of Kāśyapa; when the Buddha Ratnaprabhāsa appears in the world, he will also record the origins and ends of Śākyamuni."

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

Siṃha, Anuvyañjana, Prabhāsa, Vimaloṣṇīṣa, Ratnaprabhāsa, Maitreya, in succession, will
all attain Buddhahood. Maitreya will record Śikhin Buddha, Siṃha
will record Vipaśyin, Anuvyañjana will record Krakucchanda, Prabhāsa will
record Kanakamuni, Vimaloṣṇīṣa will record Kāśyapa, all speaking of
their past causes and conditions. Ratnaprabhāsa will become the
third Buddha and will also record my name. The
past three Buddhas and those of the future will
all record the origins and ends of the seven Buddhas.

"For this reason, the Tathāgata only records the names of the seven Buddhas."

At that time, Ānanda addressed the World-Honored One, saying, "What is the name of this sūtra? How should we uphold it?"

The Buddha told Ānanda, "This sūtra is called 'The Record of the Names of the Buddhas.' You should remember and uphold it."

At that time, Ānanda and the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and practiced it.