English
English version: 'Different beings' (beings of different kinds). This is not surprising, because this principle does not contradict each other. Next, to explain in detail the times when Buddhas appear in the world. The intention is to clarify in which kalpa (aeon), at what time, and when Maitreya Buddha (Maitreya Buddha) will appear. What is meant by 'which kalpa' refers to the tenth kalpa. As stated in the *Treatise on the Treasury* : 'In the twenty dwelling kalpas, five Buddhas appear.' Therefore, no Buddhas appear in the first five kalpas. Kakusandha Buddha (Kakusandha Buddha) appears in the sixth kalpa, Konagamana Buddha (Konagamana Buddha) appears in the seventh kalpa, Kasyapa Buddha (Kasyapa Buddha) appears in the eighth kalpa, Sakyamuni Buddha (Sakyamuni Buddha) appears in the ninth kalpa, and Maitreya Buddha (Maitreya Buddha) appears in the tenth kalpa. No Buddhas appear in the last ten dwelling kalpas either, and so on. What is meant by 'what time' refers to the time when the kalpa is decreasing. As stated in the treatise: 'Do Buddhas appear when the kalpa is increasing, or when it is decreasing?' The verse says: 'Enlightenment is attained when the kalpa is decreasing, from eighty thousand to one hundred.' Why not appear when the kalpa is increasing? Because at this time, beings are difficult to teach and difficult to generate renunciation. From one hundred years to ten years, the mind of renunciation is very strong and most easily arises. Why not appear at this time? Because the five defilements (five defilements) are rampant. It is also said that when human life is immeasurable, even up to eighty thousand years, a Chakravartin (Chakravartin) appears. It is not until it decreases to eighty thousand years, because when it decreases to eighty thousand years, it is not a quality of auspiciousness and happiness. Question: According to this treatise, the times of appearance of the Chakravartin and the Buddha are different, so why is it said that the Chakravartin and the Buddha are in the same era? The explanation is: When the Chakravartin was born, it had not yet decreased to eighty thousand years, at the end and the beginning of the decrease, so they were able to meet. As stated in the *Kalpa of Sages Sutra*: 'When it slightly increases to sixty thousand years, there is a Chakravartin.' Chakravartins appear in succession, and by the time of the seventh Chakravartin, human life is eighty-four thousand years, and Maitreya appears. The *Great Maitreya Attaining Buddhahood Sutra* also says eighty-four thousand years. In the *Agama Sutra* and the *Sutra of the Wise and Foolish*, it only says eighty thousand years. The *Abhidharma-kosa* says: 'The longest lifespan is eighty thousand years, and the shortest is ten years.' According to the record: Saying eighty thousand years is to give a rough number, not reaching ninety thousand years, so it is said to be extremely eighty thousand. Moreover, when the Buddha appears, it has only just begun to decrease by a few decades, and the large number has not changed, so it is still said to be eighty-four thousand years. If according to this sutra, there are also Chakravartins at sixty thousand years, why does the treatise say that it does not decrease to eighty thousand years? The sutra says that it increases --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
时。论说减时。由是道理。不相违也。言几时者。经论不同。贤劫经言。人寿二万岁时。第六迦叶佛出世。人寿增减至千二百岁时。释迦始上兜率天。于天四千岁。人间得五十六亿七千七万岁。人寿百年时。下阎浮提。杂心论云。弥勒菩萨。灭后生第四天。寿四千岁。一日一夜。当人间四百年。即准人间。合五十七亿六百万岁。然后下阎浮提。成等正觉。贤愚经云。五十六亿七千万岁。菩萨处胎经亦同此说。一切智光仙人经云。五十六亿万岁。今上生经亦同此说。定意经云。弥勒五亿七十六万岁作佛。案云。彼天四千岁。准人间岁数。得五万七千六百之万年。此是以万为首。而数至于五万七千六百。此中若依千万为亿。即为五十七亿六百之万岁。当于杂心之文。若依万万为亿之数。即为五亿七千六百之万岁。近于定意经说。而言七十六万岁者。算位误取之耳。七千为七十。六百为六也。其余三经。皆云五十余亿等者。并依千万为亿之数。而随翻译之家。颇有增减之云耳。天人岁数。相配如是。而于其中。多有妨难。何者。俱舍论说。如是此寿长远究竟极此八十千岁。是时诸人安坐受乐无所驰求。寿八十千岁。住阿僧祇年。乃至众生未造十恶。从起十恶集道时节。寿命因此十十岁减。度一百年。即减十岁。乃至广说。今 现代汉语译本 当时，关于时间长短的讨论，从道理上讲并没有什么矛盾之处。至于具体的时间，不同的经典说法不一。《贤劫经》中说，当人类寿命达到二万岁时，第六尊佛迦叶佛（Kāśyapa Buddha）会出世。当人类寿命增减到一千二百岁时，释迦牟尼佛（Śākyamuni Buddha）才上升到兜率天（Tuṣita Heaven）。在兜率天四千年，相当于人间五十六亿七千七百万年。当人类寿命达到一百岁时，弥勒佛（Maitreya）才会降生到阎浮提（Jambudvīpa）。《杂心论》中说，弥勒菩萨（Maitreya Bodhisattva）涅槃后会往生到第四天，寿命四千年。那里的一天一夜，相当于人间四百年。这样算下来，相当于人间五十七亿零六百万年，然后才会降生到阎浮提，成就正等正觉。《贤愚经》中说，是五十六亿七千万年。《菩萨处胎经》也持同样的说法。《一切智光仙人经》中说，是五十六亿万年。《弥勒上生经》也持同样的说法。《定意经》中说，弥勒佛五亿零七十六万岁时成佛。按照经文的说法，兜率天四千年，按照人间的岁数来算，是五万七千六百万年。这里是以万为单位，然后数到五万七千六百。如果按照千万为亿来计算，就是五十七亿零六百万岁，与《杂心论》的说法相近。如果按照万万为亿来计算，就是五亿零七千六百万岁，与《定意经》的说法相近。而说七十六万岁，可能是计算错误。七千当作七十，六百当作六了。其余三部经，都说是五十多亿等，都是按照千万为亿来计算，并且随着翻译者的不同，说法上略有增减。天人的岁数，是这样对应的。但是其中，有很多疑问。为什么呢？《俱舍论》中说，这样的寿命长远，最终极长是八万岁。那时的人们安坐享乐，没有什么需求。寿命八万岁，住在阿僧祇（asaṃkhya）年。直到众生开始造作十恶业，从开始造作十恶业的时候，寿命因此每过一百年就减少十岁，乃至广泛地叙说。现在
English
English version At that time, the discussions about the length of time did not contradict each other in principle. As for the specific time, different scriptures have different statements. The *Bhadrakalpika-sūtra* says that when the human lifespan reaches 20,000 years, the sixth Buddha, Kāśyapa Buddha, will appear in the world. When the human lifespan increases or decreases to 1,200 years, Śākyamuni Buddha will ascend to Tuṣita Heaven. Four thousand years in Tuṣita Heaven is equivalent to 5.677 billion years in the human world. When the human lifespan reaches 100 years, Maitreya will descend to Jambudvīpa. The *Abhidharma-samuccaya* says that after Maitreya Bodhisattva enters Nirvana, he will be reborn in the fourth heaven, with a lifespan of 4,000 years. One day and one night there is equivalent to 400 years in the human world. Calculated in this way, it is equivalent to 5.706 billion years in the human world, and then he will descend to Jambudvīpa and attain complete enlightenment. The *Avadāna-sūtra* says it is 5.67 billion years. The *Bodhisattva-garbhāvakrānti-sūtra* also holds the same view. The *Sarva-buddha-viṣaya-jñānālokālokakara-sūtra* says it is 5.6 billion years. The *Maitreya-bodhisattva-paripṛcchā-sūtra* also holds the same view. The *Samādhi-nirdeśa-sūtra* says that Maitreya will become a Buddha at the age of 500.076 million years. According to the sutra, 4,000 years in that heaven is equivalent to 57.6 million years in the human world. Here, 'ten thousand' is used as the unit, and then counted to 57,600. If calculated according to 'ten million' as 'one hundred million', it is 5.706 billion years, which is close to the statement in the *Abhidharma-samuccaya*. If calculated according to 'ten thousand ten thousands' as 'one hundred million', it is 500.076 million years, which is close to the statement in the *Samādhi-nirdeśa-sūtra*. As for saying 760,000 years, it may be a calculation error. 7,000 is taken as 70, and 600 is taken as 6. The other three sutras all say more than 5 billion, etc., all calculated according to 'ten million' as 'one hundred million', and there are slight increases or decreases in the statements depending on the translator. The ages of gods and humans correspond in this way. However, there are many questions in it. Why? The *Abhidharmakośa* says that such a lifespan is long, and the ultimate length is 80,000 years. At that time, people sit and enjoy themselves, and have no desires. With a lifespan of 80,000 years, they live in asaṃkhya years. Until sentient beings begin to create the ten non-virtuous actions, from the time they begin to create the ten non-virtuous actions, the lifespan decreases by ten years every hundred years, and so on extensively. Now --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
于彼天四千岁数。不满人间阿僧祇年。况从百岁稍减至十。从十稍增至于八万。乃至减时。准此而言。不得相当。是一难也。又依弥勒。百岁时上。至于八万。减时下生。此于中劫。才过其半。若论释迦。人寿千二百岁时上。稍减至十。增至八万。还减至百。方乃下生。此过一劫。倍长于前。而于二处。齐言于天四千岁人间得五十余亿等。如是相违。是二难也。若言释迦迳多死生。弥勒于彼迳少死生。非但受彼四千一生。故不违于半劫一劫者。即违经说一生补处。亦违五十余亿等文。是三难也。如是相违。云何和会。此中。真谛三藏解云。补处菩萨生于彼天。虽无中夭。受多死生。所以然者。一由旬城所有芥子。百年去一。乃至尽时。是一兵刀劫量。是即人间四百年。为彼一日一夜。一日一夜中。除四芥子。一月除百二十芥子。乃至四千年中。除五十七亿六万芥子。不过二三升。然释迦菩萨下生之时。一由旬城芥子已尽。弥勒菩萨下生之时。彼城芥子除其半余。故知于彼迳多死生。而于剡浮。唯有一生。故说此为一生补处。三藏法师作如是通。若依此义。通余经论者。诸说五十余亿等文。直理当于彼天一生之数。不说上下之间唯有尔许之年。由是道理。故不相违也。若准论文。于彼天中。迳多死生。其有道理。如瑜伽 现代汉语译本 在那天界，四千天岁的时间，还不足以构成人间的阿僧祇年（asaṃkhya kalpa，无数年）。更何况是从人寿百岁逐渐减少到十岁，又从十岁逐渐增加到八万岁，乃至减少的时候，按照这个比例来计算，根本无法相当。这是第一个难题。 再者，依据弥勒（Maitreya，未来佛）的说法，人寿从百岁增加到八万岁，然后减少的时候下生。这仅仅是中劫（antara-kalpa，小劫）才过了一半。如果按照释迦（Śākya，释迦牟尼佛）的说法，人寿从一千二百岁增加到八万岁，然后减少到一百岁才下生。这超过了一个劫（kalpa，大劫），比前面长一倍。然而在两处，都说在天界四千岁相当于人间五十余亿年等等，这样就互相矛盾。这是第二个难题。 如果说释迦经历了多次生死，而弥勒在那边经历的生死较少，并非仅仅接受那四千岁的一生，所以不违背半劫或一劫的说法，那就违背了经典中说的一生补处（eka-jāti-pratibaddha，一生后即可成佛的菩萨），也违背了五十余亿年等等的说法。这是第三个难题。 像这样互相矛盾，要如何调和呢？ 这里，真谛三藏（Paramārtha，南朝梁代翻译家）解释说，补处菩萨生于彼天，虽然没有中途夭折，但接受多次生死。之所以这样说，是因为在一由旬（yojana，古印度长度单位）的城市里，装满芥子，每百年取出一粒，直到取完为止，这是一兵刀劫（śastra-kalpa，刀兵灾的劫）的量。这相当于人间四百年，是彼天的一日一夜。一日一夜中，除去四粒芥子，一月除去一百二十粒芥子，乃至四千年中，除去五十七亿六万粒芥子，也不过二三升。然而释迦菩萨下生的时候，一由旬城市的芥子已经取完。弥勒菩萨下生的时候，那个城市的芥子还剩下一半。所以知道在那边经历多次生死，而在剡浮（Jambudvīpa，阎浮提，我们所居住的娑婆世界）只有一生。所以说这是“一生补处”。 三藏法师这样解释。如果依据这个意思，来解释其他经论，那么各种关于五十余亿年等等的说法，直接指的是彼天一生的数量，不是说上下之间只有那么多年。因为这个道理，所以不互相矛盾。 如果按照论文，在那天界中，经历多次生死，这是有道理的，如《瑜伽师地论》（Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra）。