四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔 3.258

3.258

Next, explaining the method for building stūpas. The *Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya* says: "One with relics is called a stūpa; one without is called a caitya." A stūpa is also called a *thūpa* or a *stūpa* (translated here as "tomb-mound", also called a "square tumulus"); a caitya is called a "shrine" (a shrine is an "image-shrine"). The *Ekottarika-āgama* says: "First building a stūpa and repairing an old monastery both obtain Brahma-blessings." What are Brahma-blessings? Just as the merit of the people of the single continent of Jambudvīpa does not equal the merit of a single wheel-turning king, so too the total merit of all beings in the continents of the west, east, and north, up to the four deva-kings, the six desire-heavens, and the first dhyāna, when compared to the merit of a single Brahma Lord: this is the measure of Brahma-blessings; one should train in this way. The *Dharmaguptaka Vinaya* states: If one builds a stūpa, it should be square, round, or octagonal, made with stone, brick, or wood; once made, apply black plaster, up to lime, white clay, and the like; one should set up a base, make railings on the four sides, place fragrant flowers upon it, and it is permitted to set up and hang banners, canopies, and objects. One must not climb onto the stūpa or onto the railings, lest the stūpa-protecting spirits become angry (the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* says: "Guhyaka Vajrapāṇi is among the ghosts and spirits." It also says: "The Bodhisattva Vajradhara constantly holds a vajra to guard and protect." The *Pañcavargika-vinaya* says: "On the four sides of the Buddha are five hundred Vajras"); if there is something to take or give, an opening is made for that. When hanging banners and canopies, one must not tread on the images; use other expedients, using ladders and steps to put them up. If the stūpa is in the open air and the offering implements are soaked by rain, blown by wind, or soiled by birds, build various halls to cover it; if the ground has dust, use various muds to plaster it. There must be foot-washing vessels placed by the path, with walls and gates constructed outside to accommodate them. If presenting fine food and drink, use vessels of gold and jewels to contain them, and have lay musicians make offerings. If there is food and drink, it should be given to the bhikṣus, śrāmaṇeras, and upāsakas who manage the work on the stūpa, and they should eat it. Relics should be placed in gold and jewel stūpas, or in silk and cotton floss. If carried while walking, either on draft animals, or carried on the head or shoulders. If using whisks, one should use tree leaves or peacock-feather whisks. When there are many fragrant flowers, array them on the base, on the railings, and on the posts; pierce them with strings through their centers and hang them before the eaves of the building. If there is fragrant paste, make the form of wheel-palms, and if there is any remaining, plaster the ground with it. The *Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya* states: Regarding stūpa affairs, when building a saṅghārāma, first survey and plan good ground to make the site for the stūpa; the stūpa must not be in the south or the west, but should be in the east or north (in the Central Kingdom [India], the gates of saṅghārāmas all face east, hence the Buddha stūpas and shrine halls all open facing east; even the kitchens and latrines are in the southwest, because in that country there are many northeast winds. The Divine Land [China] esteems the south as the primary yang, so it is not necessary to follow the practice of the central lands). Saṃgha ground must not encroach on Buddha ground, and Buddha ground must not encroach on saṃgha ground; the rest is as explained in the specific marks of the precept against stealing. The *Upāsakaśīla-sūtra* says: "Good son! The Tathāgata is indeed the treasury of omniscience; therefore, the wise should zealously cultivate with dedicated minds, making provisions for the physical body and the body after extinction, the images, stūpas, and shrines. If in a wilderness where there are no stūpas or images, one should constantly maintain mindfulness, showing respect and praise. Whether doing it by one's own strength, encouraging others to do it, or rejoicing upon seeing it done—if one possesses the power of merit oneself, one must broadly instruct many people to do it together. After making offerings, one must not give rise to thoughts of contempt toward one's own body; toward the Three Jewels, one should also do likewise. In all offerings made, do not have others do it [out of reluctance], and do not do it to surpass others; do not regret it while doing it, and let the mind be free from sorrow and distress; join the palms in praise, showing reverence and respect. Whether with a single coin, a single thread, a single flower, a single incense, a single verse, a single prostration, a single circumambulation, a single moment, or up to limitless jewels and limitless time, whether doing it alone by oneself or together with others: Good son! If one can thus with a dedicated mind make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha, whether while I am present or after nirvāṇa, there is no difference whatsoever. If one sees a stūpa or shrine, one should make offerings to it with gold, silver, copper, iron, ropes and chains, banners and canopies, music, fragrant oil, and lamps. If one sees it trampled and damaged by birds and beasts, one must plaster and repair it, sweeping it clean. Where it is damaged by violent wind, water, fire, or people, one should also repair it oneself; if one lacks the strength oneself, one should encourage others to repair it, using gold, silver, copper, iron, earth, or wood. If there is dust and dirt, sprinkle water, sweep, and brush it away; if there is grime and sweat, wash it with fragrant water. If making a jeweled stūpa or making a jeweled image, one should present various banners, canopies, incense, and flowers; if without genuine jewels and lacking the capacity to manage it, next use earth and wood to construct it; once completed, one should also make various offerings with banners, canopies, incense, flowers, and music. If within the stūpa there are foul grasses and wood, corpses of birds and beasts, and their dung and filth, or withered, rotten flowers, all must be removed; snake and mouse holes must be plugged and repaired. Copper images, wooden images, stone images, clay images, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, and other images should always be washed and cleaned, and smeared with incense according to one's capacity; according to one's capacity, make various necklaces and ornaments, even like the stūpa of a wheel-turning sage king. Inside the vihāra, one should plaster with fragrant paste or plaster with white clay. After making the stūpa and images, one should make offerings to them with lapis lazuli, crystal, pearls, damask silk, brocades, bells, chimes, ropes, and chains. When painting Buddha images, the pigments must not be mixed with glue, milk, or eggs; one should make offerings with various flowers, strung flowers, scattered flowers, exquisite whisks, bright mirrors, powdered incense, scattered incense, burning incense, and various kinds of music, song, and dance, continuing day and night without ceasing. Do not be like the tīrthikas, who burn ghee and barley to make offerings; under no circumstances plaster with ghee, nor wash the bodies of stūpas or images with milk. One must not make half-body Buddha images; if there is an image whose body is incomplete, one should conceal and cover it, encouraging people to repair it; once repaired completely, only then display it. Seeing a damaged image, one should with a dedicated mind make offerings and show reverence, no differently than to a complete one. Such offerings must be performed by one's own person; if one lacks the strength oneself, one should serve as another's assistant; also encourage other people to help in making them. If a person were able to offer the jewels of the four continents to the Tathāgata, and another person were to respect and praise him with various merits, the merit of these two would be equal without distinction." The *Vimalaprabhā-paripṛcchā-sūtra* says: "We do not know what good retribution there is for sweeping the ground of a Buddha stūpa? What blessing retribution is there for plastering and repairing the four aspects and making offerings of flowers and incense? What retribution is obtained by cultivating dhyāna, Brahma-conduct, the three refuges, and the five precepts?" The Buddha told the woman: "Sweeping the Buddha's ground obtains five blessings: first, one's own mind becomes pure, and others seeing it also give rise to pure minds; second, one is loved by others; third, the devas rejoice in their hearts; fourth, one amasses the karma of being handsome and upright; fifth, at the end of life, one is reborn in a good realm among the devas. If a person believes in the Buddha and plasters the stūpa ground in the shape of a round wheel, scattering flowers and burning incense, having made such offerings, that person at the end of life will be reborn in Pūrvavideha, rich, joyful, and free, and later be reborn in the Nirmāṇarati Heaven; if a person believes in the Buddha and plasters the stūpa in the shape of a crescent moon, scattering flowers and incense, he will be reborn in Aparagodānīya, and later be reborn in the Tuṣita Heaven; if a person believes in the Buddha and plasters the ground squarely on the four sides of a Buddha stūpa, scattering flowers and burning incense, he will at the end be reborn in Uttarakuru, and later be reborn in the Yāma Heaven; if a person believes in the Buddha and plasters the stūpa in the shape of a human face, offering flowers and incense, such is the fruition of all his wholesome roots. If a person enters dhyāna, cultivates the four Brahma-abodes, takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha, and receives and upholds the five precepts, that person's wholesome roots will be limitless and innumerable, his blessing retribution inexhaustible, and he will later attain nirvāṇa." The *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* says: "Not violating the property of the Saṃgha or Buddha, plastering and sweeping the ground of the Buddha and Saṃgha, making images or Buddha stūpas, constantly giving rise to a joyful mind—all will be reborn in the Akṣobhya land." The *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* states: "The śrāmaṇera precepts prohibit smearing the body with incense; how does one make offerings to the Three Jewels?" Answer: "Using precious items according to the needs of the time, one employs them to make offerings; or by plastering the ground and walls, as well as places for walking and sitting, and the like." The *Daśacakra-sūtra* states: "If one destroys a monastery and kills or harms bhikṣus, when that person is about to die, his limbs and joints will all ache, and he will not speak for many days; he will fall into the Avīci Hell to undergo all manner of suffering in full."