大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 28.45

28.45

Regarding the commentary's statement, "Third, the colors of gold, silver, and so forth": this is explained in detail in the third fascicle of the Guanfo sanmei hai jing, and shall now be cited in essence. After the Buddha had finished explaining the contemplation of the various marks to his father the king, the Buddha addressed his father the king and then instructed Ānanda: "I shall now fully manifest the subtle and wondrous bodily marks for you." Having spoken these words, the Buddha arose from his seat, causing the assembly to rise together, and commanded them to contemplate the Tathāgata, contemplating sequentially from the crown of his head down to the wheel-marks on his feet, and again contemplating in reverse from the marks on his feet up to the crown, each part of his body distinctly and clearly, like a person holding a mirror and seeing the image of their own face. If one harbored a defiled, evil, and unwholesome mind, or if one had ever violated the Tathāgata's prohibitive precepts, they saw the image purely black, like a charcoal person. Five hundred Śākya clansmen saw only a charcoal person; a thousand bhikṣus saw the color of red clay; sixteen upāsakas saw the color of a black elephant's foot; and twenty-four upāsikās saw it like a lump of ink. Bhikṣuṇīs saw the color like white silver, while certain upāsakas and upāsikās saw it as indigo-dyed blue. The fourfold assembly wept with sorrow; the Śākyas tore out their hair, beat their bodies, and mutilated their forms, recounting what they had seen. After the father the king comforted them, the Śākyas immediately arose and addressed Ānanda, saying: "Because of our past offenses, we do not see the Buddha's body." The Buddha explained the causes for them: "In the past, during the time of Vipaśyin Buddha, there was an elder named Sūryacandra-guṇa who had five hundred sons, peerless in intelligence, who did not believe in their father's correct Dharma. When the sons were on the verge of death, the father said: 'You hold wrong views and do not believe in the correct Dharma. Now that the sword of impermanence cuts your bodies and minds, what can your eyes rely upon?' He had them recite the name of Vipaśyin Buddha. Before they could reach the Dharma and Saṅgha, they died and were born in the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. Later, due to the causes of wrong views, they fell into the great hells, where iron forks pierced their eyes. Remembering what their father had taught, they managed to be reborn among humans. When six Buddhas appeared in the world, they heard their names but could not see them. Because they were able to hear the names of the six Buddhas, they were born at the same time as me." The Tathāgata had them recite the names of the Buddhas, bow, and repent, whereupon they once again saw his body with its major marks and minor characteristics. They immediately attained the first fruit, sought ordination under the Buddha, and attained the fruit of arhatship. As for the thousand bhikṣus who saw the color of red clay: in the past, during the Semblance Dharma age of Dīpaṅkara Buddha, there were a thousand disciples who doubted their master. Seeing that they were on the verge of death, the master had them recite and be mindful of the name of Dīpaṅkara Buddha, and they were born in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Due to the sin of doubting their master, they fell down among the hungry ghosts, where molten copper was poured down their throats. Because they had recited the Buddha's name, they were now able to encounter the Buddha. The Buddha revealed the svastika on his chest and instructed them to read it; within this character, eighty-four thousand practices of merit were expounded. They immediately repented, their sinful obstructions were extinguished, and they received prediction to become Buddhas. As for the bhikṣuṇīs who saw the color of white silver: in the past, during the time of Śākyamuni Buddha, five hundred maidens were in the mountains and marshes when they suddenly encountered a bhikṣu. They all removed their silver bracelets, scattered them over him, and made a vow: 'May it be that when this bhikṣu attains Buddhahood, I will see him just like the silver bracelets scattered here.' From then on, they were reborn life after life as spirits of silver mountains, and now they saw the color of silver. From that time onward, they constantly encountered Buddhas. As for the upāsakas who saw the color of a black elephant's foot: in the past, these people were all kings who accepted a heterodox śramaṇa preaching heterodox teachings. The one who preached the teachings fell into Avīci Hell; because you followed the teachings of an evil friend, you fell into the dark hells. Due to the power of the wholesome mind from previously hearing the Dharma, you are now able to encounter me and receive the five precepts; he had them repent. The Buddha emitted light from the white ūrṇā between his eyebrows to illuminate them, whereupon they attained the first fruit, sought ordination under the Buddha, and attained the fruit of arhatship. As for the upāsikās who saw the color of a lump of ink: the Buddha explained, "In the past, during the Semblance Dharma age of Ratnacchattradīparāja Buddha, there was a bhikṣu who went around begging for food and came to the house of a courtesan. Seeing him, the woman filled his bowl with food and teased the bhikṣu, saying: 'Your complexion is abominable, just like a lump of ink, and the clothes you wear are like those of a beggar.' The bhikṣu threw his bowl into the air and flew away. The women felt ashamed, repented, and made a vow: 'May whatever merit comes from this offering of food allow us in the future to attain ease and mastery like this bhikṣu.' Because of the offering of food, they were neither hungry nor thirsty for twelve hundred kalpas. Due to the causes of evil slander, they fell into the dark hells for sixty minor kalpas. Because of their previously generated wholesome mind, they are now able to encounter me and receive the five precepts. Yet because it was an arhat whom they made offerings to, they see Śāriputra, but do not see my body." For them, the Buddha emitted a great lotus flower from his navel, which transformed into a terrace of light containing hundreds of thousands of śrāvakas. Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana performed eighteen transformations, whereupon the women eradicated the fetters of defilements of two billion kalpas and attained the fruit of srotāpanna. Afterwards, they saw the Buddha's body with its marks and characteristics dignified and majestic, but they did not see the mark of the white ūrṇā. The Buddha told the great king: "Even teasing and foul speech can lead to attaining the Way." Their seeing the Buddha unclearly—the rest is extensively as in the sūtra and will not be recounted again. The condition for the indigo color can be known by analogy with these examples. Below, in the chapter "Ten Concentrations," there are many varieties of colors seen.