釋門歸敬儀 2.57

2.57

Fourth, explaining the practice of recollecting the Buddha's marks and signs. The practitioner focuses their mind in a secluded room, sitting upright in correct mindfulness of the Tathāgata's bodily marks, closing the eyes and opening the eyes, clearly and distinctly. For those whose sinful karma is heavy, it is seen only after a long time. Through this meditative contemplation, one knows that heavy and light evils are all false thoughts; yet the difference between good and evil is as heaven and earth, inconceivable, and birth-and-death presses urgently upon a person, leaving no room for negligence. If one does not routinely fix the mind [on the Buddha], then upon encountering severe illness later, flustered, trapped, and anguished, the mind will have nowhere to lean; all evil karma arises from the mind, and without seeds of goodness, how can one repel karma? If one habitually cherishes goodness and constantly recollects the Buddha, then in accordance with one's mental images, as soon as one needs to see, one sees. Thus the Sūtra on the Samādhi of Contemplating the Buddha states: 'After my parinirvāṇa, if disciples of the Buddha renounce evil and leave behind noisy bustle, speak little and minimize affairs, and during the six periods of day and night, or even for an instant, recollect the Buddha's white curl between the eyebrows, clearly without distraction, focusing their attention unceasingly—whether they see the extraordinary mark or do not see it—this person eliminates the sins of birth-and-death of ninety-six billion nayutas of Ganges sands of minute-dust kalpas. If there is someone who merely hears of the white curl, without shock or doubt in their mind, rejoicing and faithfully accepting it, this person also eliminates the sins of birth-and-death of eight billion kalpas. The Buddha said: "The eighty-four thousand marks and signs of the Tathāgata do not equal a small fraction of the merit of the white curl. Therefore, I now teach for the people of future generations the method of contemplation that eliminates evil through the great wisdom light of the white curl mark. If there is an evil person who hears of this contemplation of the curl and generates resentment, the light of the white curl mark will still protect them, eliminating the sins of three kalpas, and afterwards they will be born before the Buddha."'