「告諸四眾。提婆達多卻後過無量劫，方得成佛。號曰天王如來、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝世間解無上士、調御丈夫、天人師、佛、世尊。世界名天道」。
釋迦牟尼佛又告訴這比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷，這四眾弟子，說這個提婆達多，這位天熱的菩薩，「過無量劫」在過去、將來到無量劫的時候，「當得成佛」，他也應該成佛的。「號曰天王如來」他的名字就叫天王如來。因為他修成佛－－天中之天；聖中之聖，所以叫天王如來。「應供」應該受人天的供養。「正遍知」，他不單正知，而且還遍知。「明行足」，他的智慧和修行也圓滿了。「善逝世間解」，善逝，他將來一定到一個好的地方去；世間解，世間最聰明的人，他有一種解悟的力量。「無上士」沒有再比他高尚的了。他是最高的。「調御丈夫」，他能調御三界，教化眾生，所以就叫調御丈夫。「天人師」，是天上的人和人間的人的一個師表。「佛」和「世尊」這是每一位佛成佛都有這十個名稱。「世界名天道」這個世界叫什麼世界呢？叫天道世界。好像我們現在這兒叫娑婆世界。提婆達多成佛，他那個世界叫天道世界。
「時天王佛，住世二十中劫，廣為眾生說於妙法，恆河沙眾生得阿羅漢果，無量眾生發緣覺心，恆河沙眾生發無上道心，得無生忍，至不退轉」
在當時這個天王佛在世界上住二十個中劫。我們這個世間上，一增一減謂之一劫。怎麼叫一增一減呢？人的壽命一百年增一歲；身的高度就增一寸。在這個壽命上也是一百年減一歲；身量的高度就減一寸。人的壽命由八萬四千歲，每逢一百年就減一歲，身量就減一寸，減到人的壽命到十歲上，那時候又增加了。也是一百年增加一歲，這是壽命。身量的高度也增加一寸，再增到八萬四千歲。這一增一減，謂之一個小劫。
二十個小劫，就算一個中劫；四個中劫，就一個大劫。
一個中劫算一個成，一個中劫是住，一個中劫壞，一個中劫空。這成、住、壞、空四個中劫，合起來這叫一個大劫。現在說是二十個中劫，二十個中劫是五個大劫。這個佛住世，有五個大劫那麼長的時間，這叫二十個中劫。
他「廣為眾生說於妙法」，就講說這《妙法蓮華經》。在二十個中劫裏邊，廣說這妙法蓮華經，「恆河沙眾生得阿羅漢果」，有恆河沙數那麼多的眾生，都得到阿羅漢果了。什麼叫阿羅漢呢？阿羅漢有初果阿羅漢，有二果阿羅漢，有三果阿羅漢，有四果阿羅漢。
待續 |
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Sutra:
I announce to the four assemblies that, after limitless eons have passed, Devadatta will become a Buddha by the name of King of Gods Thus Come One, One Worthy of Offerings, One of Right and Universal Knowledge, One Whose Clarity and Conduct Are Complete, Well-Gone One Who Understands the World, Supreme Lord, Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One. His world shall be called Pathway of the Gods.
Commentary:
I, Shakyamuni Buddha, announce to the four assemblies—the Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, and Upasikas—that, after limitless eons have passed, Devadatta, “Fever of the Gods” Bodhisattva, will become a Buddha by the name of King of Gods Thus Come One. He will be called “King of Gods,” because when he has cultivated and attained Buddhahood, he will be a god among the gods and a sage among the sages. One Worthy of Offerings from humans and gods, One of Right and Universal Knowledge. His knowledge is not only proper, but all-pervasive. One Whose Clarity and Conduct Are Complete. He has perfected his wisdom and cultivation. Well-Gone One Who Understands the World. In the future he will go to a good place, and he is the most intelligent person in the world. He has the power of insight. Supreme Lord. No one surpasses him. Regulating Hero. He can regulate and teach living beings in the Triple Realm. Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One. These are the ten titles of every Buddha. His world shall be called Pathway of the Gods. Our world is called the Saha World. When Devadatta attains Buddhahood, his world will be named “Pathway of the Gods.”
Sutra:
He shall dwell in the world for twenty middle-sized eons, broadly speaking the wonderful Dharma for living beings. Living beings in number like the Ganges’ sands shall attain the fruit of Arhatship. Limitless living beings will bring forth the resolve to enlighten to conditions. Living beings in number like Ganges’ sands will bring forth the supreme mind for the Path, attaining patience with the nonproduction of dharmas, and arrive at irreversibility.
Commentary:
He shall dwell in the world for twenty middle-sized eons. In our world “one increasing and one decreasing” comprises one eon. What is meant by “one increasing and one decreasing”? Every one hundred years, people’s average lifespan increases by one year and their average height increases by one inch. When people’s average lifespan increases to the point of 84,000 years, it starts decreasing, one year at a time, and their height also decreases one inch a year. When people’s average lifespan is ten years, it starts to increase again at the same rate. One complete cycle of increase and decrease makes up one small eon.
Twenty small eons make up one middle-sized eon. Four middle-sized eons make up a large eon.
The entire world also goes through the process of creation, being, decay, and emptiness. The process of creation lasts for one middle-sized eon, the process of being lasts for one middle-sized eon, the process of decay lasts for one middle-sized eon, and the process of emptiness lasts for one middle-sized eon. Those four eons make up one great eon. When Devadatta becomes a Buddha, he will dwell in the world for twenty middle-sized eons. That means five great eons.
He will be broadly speaking the wonderful Dharma for living beings during all that time. He will speak the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra for living beings for the length of twenty middle-sized eons.
Living beings in number like the Ganges’ sands shall attain the fruit of Arhatship. What is Arhatship? There are Four Fruitions of Arhatship. There are Arhats of the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Fruitions.
To be continued |
