中天竺舍衛國祇洹寺圖經 1.53

1.53

As for the great standing image facing south inside the hall, its body is of jasper, carved and inlaid with gold and silver. In the distant past, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, during the time of Krakucchanda Buddha, fashioned it with his own hands. The pedestal of universal radiance is eighteen cubits high. When the Tathāgata went elsewhere to convert beings, this image would preach the Dharma for humans and devas. On the eastern side of the great image are two sets of standing images, made of purple-polished gold, inlaid and carved with silver and the seven jewels; all the mental and physical skill of devas, humans, nāgas, and spirits could not equal it, and they stand eighteen cubits tall. All of their attendants and offering implements number three hundred articles. In the past, when Vipaśyin Buddha was approaching nirvāṇa, he fashioned and erected them with his own hands. Two golden lions crouch in front of the images. If heavenly māras or non-Buddhists should raise malicious and challenging questions, the lions roar greatly, and the earth shakes in six ways; Māra and the others, terrified, retreat filled with reverence. In the past, when the Śākya Honoured One was in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, this image remained in the hall to teach the precepts and preach the Dharma for the bhikṣus. Even when kings did not see the Buddha and yearned for Śākyamuni, this image preached the Dharma three times for the kings. When the Jetavana was first established and the ordination platform completed, this image led the assembly to the site of the ordination platform, and having circumambulated it three times, golden thousand-petaled lotuses sprang up with every step. Whenever the precepts were conferred, the flowers naturally opened, and within them heavenly youths played heavenly music. At other times they closed, and on the day of the recitation of the precepts, the flowers bloomed again, with heavenly youths making music in praise of the Buddha's virtues. Between the brows of this image is a jewel shaped like a phoenix. When the karmadāna strikes the bell, the jewel emits light that shines upon the karmadāna's body and cries out, "Has the time arrived?" It was created by the nāga Sāgara. Thirteen years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, it was taken back into the ocean and worshipped there. On the western side of the great image are two sets of seated images. One is of agate, carved with gold, silver, and jade; the other is of silver, carved with gold. Both images are inlaid with the seven jewels, each seated on a jewel lotus, also eighteen cubits high. They were made by Vajradhvaja Bodhisattva in the time of Vipaśyin Buddha. Fifteen years after Śākyamuni Tathāgata attained the Way, he asked this image, saying: "What scriptures did the past Buddhas preach? Are the scriptures of the ancient Buddhas now exhausted?" This image replied, saying: "In the past there were 1.3 billion Buddhas who preached the Vinaya teachings, each one different. The sūtras, the abhidharma, the systems of yinyang, books, mathematics, arts and crafts, and calculation were each different according to their principles and affairs; they are now all extant. The orthodox scriptures of the Tripiṭaka are in Sāgara's nāga palace; the yinyang, books, and mathematics are in the Vajra Cave of Mount Sumeru. If you now go there together with the World-Honoured One, you can assemble ten billion great bodhisattvas." Thereupon, Śākyamuni emitted light from between his brows, gathered the bodhisattvas, and, following the two World-Honoured Ones, went to that nāga palace and retrieved the former sūtras and treatises. They also went to the cave and retrieved the books on yinyang and the like, depositing them in the Jetavana according to the appropriate courtyards. The attendants and retinue of the eight classes for the two images number four hundred and twenty-one kinds. In front are two lions, one of silver and one of agate. Two heavenly youths ride atop them, holding white chowries in their hands. When bhikṣus wish to receive the ordination, these two heavenly youths ride the lions to the ordination platform, raise their chowries, sing of the merit of upholding the precepts, and turn their bodies in a circling dance. The lions tread rhythmically, circling the platform as they sing, matchless in pure sublimity; flying birds pause to listen, and wanderers move in time to the rhythm. All those receiving the full ordination, upon hearing it, attain the sage rank or ascend to the seventh ground. The image also emits light toward the heavenly youths, and heavenly music sounds within the light in response to the singing and dance, praising the merit of upholding the precepts on six levels. When the ordination is completed, each returns to their original place. When the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, this image escorted the Buddha to the cremation ground. Those two heavenly youths sang the music of nirvāṇa atop the golden coffin, and upon hearing it, beings realized the non-arising [of dharmas]. They also sang melodies on impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, and among the humans and devas who heard them, many realized the four fruits of the śramaṇa. Once the cremation was done, they followed the nāga back to his palace and did not return to Jeta's Grove.