釋淨土群疑論 7.59

7.59

I explain: As the third fascicle of the Guanfo sanmei hai jing says: 'The Buddha rose from his seat and commanded the fourfold assembly to visualize the Buddha's physical form. Among the Śākyan assembly, five hundred Śākyans saw the Buddha's physical form as like an ash-colored person. Among the assembly of monks, one thousand saw the Buddha's physical form as like a red-earth person. Among the assembly of upāsakas, sixteen saw the Buddha's physical form as like the leg of a black elephant. Among the assembly of upāsikās, twenty-four saw the Buddha's physical form as like a lump of ink. Among the assembly of nuns, there were nuns who saw the Buddha's physical form as silver in color. Among the assembly of upāsikās, there were upāsikās who saw the Buddha's physical form as the blue of indigo dye. In this way, the fourfold assembly visualized the Buddha's physical form, but what they saw differed, and they were unable to see the Buddha's true golden-colored body. They confessed and repented of their errors, repenting of all their sins, prostrating with the five limbs to the ground like a great mountain collapsing, tearing out their own hair, throwing their whole bodies to the ground, writhing and hurling themselves down violently, with blood flowing from their noses. When their sinful transgressions were eliminated, their mind's eye was opened, and they saw the Buddha's physical body upright, adorned, subtle, and wondrous, like Mount Sumeru shining radiantly upon the great ocean.' Is this not the method of throwing oneself down found in a repentance scripture? To do so arbitrarily without teaching would indeed be as you reproach; but when the sūtra explicitly teaches to do so, what cause is there for surprise?