One day, the Buddha had a conversation with 1,250 great bhikshus in the Cave of the Buddha Tree Flower Grove. After begging for food, the monks gathered in the Flower Forest Hall to discuss the wisdom and supernatural powers of the Buddha, and they wondered how the Buddha knew about the deeds and characteristics of countless Buddhas in the past. When the Buddha heard their discussion, he came to them and told them that the reason why Nyorai was able to know these things was because he had the ability to understand the Dharma, and also because of the information of the heavens.
Here the Buddha emphasized two behaviors that monastic practitioners should follow: one is the virtuous**, that is, the transmission of the Dharma; The second is the sage and silence, that is, to keep the heart pure and silent. He affirmed the legitimacy of the bhikshus' discussion and praised them for their equal faith in monasticism. Finally, the Buddha expressed his teachings in hymns.
The Buddha then goes on to describe the Buddha's wisdom and supernatural powers in the verse. The monks gathered in the Dharma Hall to discuss the teachings of the sages, and the Buddha was in the ashram, through his heavenly ears (transcendent hearing powers), to hear their discussions completely. The "Buddha's sunshine" mentioned here is a metaphor for the Buddha's wisdom that shines like the sun, which is able to distinguish the meaning of the Dharma realm, that is, to understand the truth of the universe and life.
The Buddha knew not only the things of the present, but also the things of the past, including the nirvana of the three Buddhas of the past, the Buddhas of the past. He knew their names, surnames, ethnicities, and where they were born. No matter where they were, the Buddha was able to remember these messages through his clear eyes (clear insight).
It is also mentioned that the heavens (gods), with their great power and upright countenance, would also come and tell the Buddha about the Buddha in the past. The Buddha, as a supreme being, was able to remember the lives, names, and surnames of all the Buddhas in the past, and his voice was as beautiful as that of a mourning (probably referring to a beautiful bird, which is used here to describe the Buddha's pleasant voice), and he was able to fully know everything about the past.
The Buddha spoke to his bhikshus about the wisdom of karma (the wisdom of knowing past lives) and the causes of past Buddhas. The Buddha asked the bhikshus if they would like to hear him about the wisdom of karma and the knowledge of the causes and conditions of the Buddhas in the past. The monks expressed their willingness to listen and asked the Buddha to explain, promising to follow the Buddha's teachings.
The Buddha told the monks to listen carefully and think about it, and he would explain it to them in detail. The Buddha then listed the names of several Buddhas in the past and the times in which they appeared. He mentioned that in the last ninety-one eons, there was a Buddha named Vibha; In the past thirty-one eons, there have been corpses that have appeared; In the same eon, there was also Vaishva Nyorai. Then, the Buddha mentioned that among the current eons of the virtuous eons, there are the Buddha Kurosun, the Buddha Kannaham, and the Buddha Kasya. Finally, the Buddha said that he had attained the most enlightened level in the current tribulation, that is, he had become a Buddha.
The Buddha listed the Vaisha Buddhas, the Corpse Abandoned Buddhas, the Vaishya Buddhas, the Buddhas Kurusun, the Buddhas of Kannaham, and the Buddhas of the Gyalaba, as well as the average life expectancy of human beings in which they appeared. At the time of the Buddha Vibha, the average life expectancy of human beings was 80,000 years; In the era of the corpse of the Buddha, it was 70,000 years old; In the time of Vaishyava Buddha, it was 60,000 years old; In the era of Sun Buddha, it was 40,000 years old; In the time of the Buddha Kannaham, it was 30,000 years old; In the time of the Buddha Kasya, it was 20,000 years old. And the Buddha himself appears in the current Virtuous Tribulation, where the average human life expectancy has been reduced to 100 years, and often even less.
This passage reflects a view in Buddhism that the lifespan of human beings gradually decreases over time, due to the decline of human morality and spirituality. In Buddhism, the Buddha appeared to help sentient beings to free themselves from suffering, so in every Buddha's time, the Buddha taught the Dharma that was appropriate for that era.
The Buddha's reference here to "innumerable navi years" may be referring to incalculable years or long periods. He refers to himself along with the other four Buddhas as the "Four Great Immortals", and the word "Immortals" here may be a term for the Buddhas, emphasizing their sacredness and transcendence. Finally, the Buddha used a hymn to re-emphasize the changes in the life expectancy of human beings in different Buddha eras, as a warning to the monks to cherish the Dharma and practice diligently.