樂邦文類 3.106

3.106

唐南山律師《歷代三寶感通錄》云「昔天竺雞頭摩寺五通菩薩，往安樂世界，請阿彌陀佛云：『娑婆眾生，願生淨土。無佛形像，請垂降許。』佛言：『汝且前去，尋當現彼。』及菩薩還，聖儀已至，一佛五十菩薩各坐蓮華，在樹葉下。五通菩薩取葉所在，圖寫流布。洎漢明感夢使往祈法，便獲迦葉摩騰等至雒陽。後騰姊子作沙門，持此瑞像，又達此國，所在流布。未幾齎像西還，而此土畫像不甚遍傳。南北多故，經像湮沒，此之瑞跡殆將不見。隋文開教，有沙門明憲，從高齊道長法師得本，說其因依，與上符合，是以復傳於世。時遇北齊畫工曹仲達者，善于丹青，妙畫梵跡，傳模茲像京邑所推，故今寺壁正陽皆其遺筆也。」《法苑珠林》所載亦同。又唐《續高僧傳》云「江都安樂寺有僧慧海，唯專淨業，俄感齊州僧道銓齎無量壽像遺之。」是亦天竺五通菩薩，乘空往請尊容。既冥會素懷，殷勤禮懺，是像忽煥發神光。於是懇苦願生，沒齒為念。一夜忽起，面西作禮，加趺而逝。即隋大業五年也。近乾道間西湖居士李子濟，求僧志叶，復圖茲像於貝多葉，行於吳地。宗曉因緣得之，瞻想聖儀，如佛真在。聊書始末，永發信心云爾。

The Tang Dynasty Nanshan Vinaya Master's Record of the Resonances of the Three Jewels in Successive Generations states: "In ancient times at Kukkuṭārāma in India, a bodhisattva with the five supernatural powers traveled to the Land of Peace and Joy and petitioned Amitābha Buddha, saying: 'The sentient beings of the Sahā world wish to be born in the Pure Land. They lack an image of the Buddha; please grant permission to descend.' The Buddha said: 'You go ahead; I will appear there presently.' When the bodhisattva returned, the sacred visage had already arrived: one Buddha and fifty bodhisattvas, each seated upon a lotus flower beneath the leaves of a tree. The bodhisattva with the five supernatural powers took the leaves where they were and drew them to circulate and spread. Later, when Emperor Ming of the Han had a resonant dream and sent envoys to seek the Dharma, they obtained Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and others, who arrived in Luoyang. Afterward, Mātaṅga's nephew became a monk; carrying this auspicious image, he also reached this country and circulated it wherever he went. Before long he returned to the west with the image, so paintings of the image did not spread very widely in this land. With the many troubles between North and South, scriptures and images were buried and lost, and this auspicious trace was nearly extinguished. When Emperor Wen of the Sui revived the teachings, there was the monk Mingxian, who obtained a copy from Dharma Master Daozhang of the Northern Qi and related its origins, which matched the account above; thus it was once again transmitted to the world. At that time there lived Cao Zhongda, an artisan of the Northern Qi, who excelled in painting and rendered Indic traces with wondrous skill. His copies of this image were celebrated throughout the capital, which is why the southern-facing walls of temples today all bear his surviving brushwork."