弘贊法華傳 9.4

9.4

The Dà zhìdù lùn states: In the past, in a certain country, there was an āraṇyaka bhikṣu who extensively read the Mahāyāna. The king of that country would regularly undo his hair and have him walk upon it. Another bhikṣu said to the king, "This mahāthera does not read the sūtras much; why do you make such great offerings to him?" The king said, "One day at midnight, wishing to see this bhikṣu, I went straight to his dwelling. I saw this bhikṣu inside his cave reading the Lotus Sūtra, and I saw a person of golden radiance riding a white elephant, joining his palms in offering. When I arrived, he turned about and vanished, no longer appearing. I immediately asked, 'Venerable, why did that radiant person disappear because I came?' The bhikṣu said, 'This was Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. He himself said that if there is anyone who reads and recites the Lotus Sūtra, he would come riding a white elephant to teach and guide them. Because I recite this sūtra, Samantabhadra came of his own accord.' Bianji is Samantabhadra."