Rebirth of Kṣemaṅkara, from the time of the Buddha

In Kapilvastu (located in present-day Nepal), there was a Sākya youth named Kṣemaṅkara. One day, Kṣemaṅkara went to the Buddha's residence and respectfully asked: "What practices must a Bodhisattva do to quickly attain unsurpassed and perfect enlightenment and possess the Thirty-two Marks of a great being? How can one go from one Buddha-land to another Buddha-land? How can one keep one’s mind free from delusion at the time of death, and make sure that wherever one is reborn, one will not fall into any of the eight difficult conditions[1], and will have the ability to know the past and future events, accomplish all dharmas, and perfectly comprehend all phenomena? How can one thoroughly understand all phenomena, and yet be free of all concerns? How can one have faith and understanding and practising Emptiness (Śūnyatā), achieving the tolerance of non-arising of dharmas (无生法忍, a high level of enlightenment). How can one, always with a sincere mind, aspire to give up worldly life and enter the monastic life, not to break the precepts, and avoid attachment to household matters?"

The Buddha explained to Kṣemaṅkara the practices of the Bodhisattva, such as tolerance and generosity. Then, the Buddha explained the phenomena of “no self” and “no person,” and that all dharmas are like illusions and transformations, etc. Through the Buddha’s teachings, Kṣemaṅkara attained the tolerance of non-arising of dharmas. Furthermore, five hundred monks, five  hundred pure-hearted laymen, and twenty-five pure-hearted laywomen also reached the stage of non-retrogression. At the end of their lives, all of them were reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. There, they continually protect and uphold countless teachings of the Buddha and teach and guide all beings, helping them to reach the stage of non-retrogression. After innumerable kalpas as countless as the sands of the Ganges River, when Kṣemaṅkara and the rest are Bodhisattvas of One Lifetime Replacement, they will become Buddhas in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, one after another. (Bodhisattva Bhūmi Sūtra)

[1]The eight difficult conditions are conditions where it’s difficult to hear and practice the Buddha-dharma: 1. Hell; 2. Hungry Ghost; 3. Animal; 4. The Heaven of No Thinking (in the Form Realm); 5. Borderland; 6. Blind, deaf and mute; 7. Worldly wisdom and eloquence; 8. Born before and after the Buddha. 

- Excerpt from ‘Records of the Pure Land Sages’