萬善同歸集 2.70

2.70

「或造新修故，立像圖真，興建伽藍，莊嚴福地。《法華經》云：『若人為佛故，建立諸形像，刻雕成眾相，皆已成佛道。或以七寶成，鍮鉐赤白銅，白鑞及鉛錫，鐵木及與泥，或以膠漆布，嚴飾作佛像，如是諸人等，皆已成佛道。彩畫作佛像，百福莊嚴相，自作若使人，皆已成佛道。』《作佛形像經》云：『優填王來至佛所，白佛言：「世尊！若佛滅後，其有眾生作佛形像，當得何福？」佛告王言：「若當有人，作佛形像，功德無量，不可稱計。天上人中，受諸快樂，身體常作紫磨金色。若生人中，常生帝王、大臣、長者、賢善家子，乃至若作帝王，王中特尊；或作轉輪聖王，王四天下，七寶自然，千子具足；乃至若生天上，作六欲天主；若生梵天，作天梵王。後皆得生無量壽國，作大菩薩，畢當成佛，入泥洹道。」』若當有人，作佛形像，獲福如是。《華首經》云：『佛告舍利弗：「菩薩有四法，終不退轉無上菩提。何等為四：一者、若見塔廟毀壞，當加修治，若泥乃至一塼。二者、若於四衢道中，多人觀處，起塔造像，為作念佛善福之緣。三者、若見比丘僧，二部諍訟，勤求方便，令其和合。四者、若見佛法欲壞，能讀、誦、說乃至一偈，令使不絕；為護法故，敬養法師，專心護法，不惜身命。菩薩若成就是四法者，世世當作轉輪聖王，得大力身如那羅延，捨四天下而行出家，能得隨意修四梵行，命終生天作大梵王，乃至究竟成無上道。」』是故獼猴戲造石塔，尚乃生天；樵人誤唱佛聲，猶云得度。何況志誠，寧無勝報？

"Or constructing anew and repairing the old, erecting images and painting true forms, establishing saṅghārāmas, and adorning fields of merit. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra says: 'If people, for the Buddha's sake, / Erect various forms and images, / Carving and sculpting the manifold marks, / All have already accomplished the Buddha path. / Or whether made of the seven jewels, / Brass, red or white copper, / Pewter, lead, and tin, / Iron, wood, or clay, / Or with lacquered cloth, / Adorning and making buddha images— / All such persons / Have already accomplished the Buddha path. / If they paint buddha images, / Adorned with the marks of a hundred merits, / Whether doing it themselves or having others do it, / All have already accomplished the Buddha path.' The Sūtra on Making Buddha Images says: 'King Udayana came to the Buddha's dwelling and addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One! After the Buddha's nirvāṇa, if there are sentient beings who make buddha images, what merit will they attain?" The Buddha told the king: "If there is a person who makes a buddha image, the merit is immeasurable and beyond calculation. In the heavens and among humans, they will experience all kinds of happiness, and their bodies will always be of purple-polished golden color. If born among humans, they will constantly be born into the families of emperors, kings, ministers, elders, and the virtuous and good; even if they become kings, they will be supreme among kings; or they will become cakravartins, ruling over the four continents, the seven treasures appearing spontaneously, endowed with a thousand sons; even if born in the heavens, they will become lords of the six desire heavens; if born in the Brahmā heaven, they will become heavenly Brahmā kings. Afterward, they will all be born in the Land of Immeasurable Life, become great bodhisattvas, and ultimately become buddhas, entering the path of nirvāṇa."' If there is a person who makes a buddha image, the merit obtained is like this. The Kuśalamūlasaṃparigraha Sūtra says: 'The Buddha told Śāriputra: "Bodhisattvas have four dharmas through which they will never regress from unexcelled bodhi. What are the four? First, if they see stūpas and temples damaged, they repair them, even with mud or down to a single brick. Second, if at crossroads, where many people watch, they raise stūpas and make images, creating conditions for the good merit of buddha-recollection. Third, if they see the bhikṣu saṅgha in two factions disputing and litigating, they diligently seek skillful means to bring about their harmony. Fourth, if they see the Buddha's Dharma about to decline, they can read, recite, and expound even a single verse to prevent its discontinuation; and for the sake of protecting the Dharma, they revere and support Dharma masters, single-mindedly protect the Dharma, and do not begrudge their physical life. If bodhisattvas accomplish these four dharmas, in life after life they will become cakravartins, attain bodies of great strength like Nārāyaṇa, abandon the four continents to undertake pravrajyā, be able to cultivate the four pure abodes at will, and at the end of life be born in heaven as great Brahmā kings, ultimately achieving the unexcelled path."' Therefore, even when a monkey playfully built a stone stūpa, it still was born in heaven; when a woodcutter mistakenly chanted the Buddha's name, it was still said that he attained deliverance. How much more so for one with sincere intention—how could there not be an extraordinary retribution?