釋摩訶衍論 9.26

9.26

已說造像門，次說禱祀門。為成天像，以神呪門圓具無闕，有何不足更以祀門？以神呪門雖足其理，而時節量不得久住，唯七日量，不過此故。若以祀門止住其像，或十七日或百七日乃至千故。以此義故，以禱祀門。禱祀門者其相云何？謂造像已，彼像前中以種種供而作祀事。祀事已訖，即彼圖像喜樂受用。受用已訖，即告人言：「一日二日三日四日五日六日七日及一百日，乃至千萬億日中，住我身心，隨汝所樂、隨汝所求，隨順不逆。」今以此事為門之要。

Having explained the approach of image-making, next I shall explain the approach of sacrificial worship. In bringing a deva-image to completion, since the approach of dhāraṇī mantras makes it completely whole without deficiency, what inadequacy is there that necessitates using the approach of sacrifice? Although the approach of dhāraṇī mantras is complete in its principle, its temporal span cannot abide for long—only for a span of seven days, and does not exceed this. If one uses the approach of sacrifice to cause the image to remain, it will be for seventeen days, or one hundred and seven days, or even up to a thousand. For this reason, one uses the approach of sacrificial worship. What is the characteristic of the approach of sacrificial worship? It means that having fashioned the image, before that image one performs sacrificial acts with various offerings. When the sacrificial act is completed, that painted image enjoys and partakes of them with joy. Having partaken, it then addresses the person, saying: 'For one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days, seven days, and up to one hundred days, even up to thousands of millions of days, abide in my body and mind, according with whatever you delight in, according with whatever you seek, compliant and not contrary.' Now we take this matter as the essential aspect of this approach.