三寶感應要略錄 1.29

1.29

沙門常慜發大誓願。遠詣西方禮如來。所行遺跡。至北印度僧伽補羅國。有石塔高二十餘丈。傍有新精舍。刻檀釋迦彌勒坐像。若至心祈請。必示妙身告吉凶。源始於耆舊。數十年前。有一比丘。梵云梵達磨流支。唐云法愛。住石塔側。發願欲造慈氏菩薩像。時有外國沙門。投宿法愛房。讚嘆佛經大義。愛聞歡喜。互述曲念。愛曰。吾欲生兜率。將造慈氏像。沙門曰。發願若欲生兜率。應造釋迦像。慈氏是釋迦弟子。三會得脫之人。釋迦遺法弟子。若力所及。應造二像。若力不及。先釋迦造。所以者。今此三界。皆是大師有。自說言。唯我一人能為救護。公是豈不思恩分耶。愛曰。釋迦入滅。無未來化。豈助當生。堅執不改。各各眠臥。更分曉漏。愛頓眠覺。悲泣投五體於地。外國沙門問由緒。答曰。吾夢見金人身長丈餘。即以軟語而告之曰。汝是弟子。蒙我調伏劫久。謬謂永滅。實常住不滅。今此三界皆我有。眾生日用不知。三界之中草木叢林地。及虛空眾生所食穀麥等。皆是我身之所反為。十方諸佛助我化。如何輕慢不肯造像。汝若不造我像。遂不可生兜率天上。既輕其師。惠氏讚之耶。亦不可往十方淨土。諸佛助我。豈欲輕我。說是語隱而不見。爾時外國沙門。亦無所去。而頓不見。法愛憂悲。捨衣鉢資。造此二像。精舍是國人民共所結搆也。慜停住多日。祈請所求而去云云。

The Śramaṇa Changmin made a great vow to travel afar to the Western Regions to pay homage to the Tathāgata's traces of former deeds. He reached the country of Siṃhapura in Northern India, where there was a stone stupa over two hundred feet tall. Beside it was a new vihāra housing carved sandalwood seated statues of Śākyamuni and Maitreya. If one prayed with utmost sincerity, they would surely manifest their wondrous bodies to announce good or bad fortune. Its origin lay with the elders: several decades earlier, there was a bhikṣu whose Sanskrit name was Dharmaruci, which in Chinese means Fa'ai ('Love of the Dharma'). Dwelling beside the stone stupa, he vowed to make a statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva. At that time, a foreign śramaṇa lodged in Fa'ai's room and praised the great significance of the Buddhist scriptures. Hearing this, Fa'ai was delighted, and they conversed on their personal thoughts. Fa'ai said: 'I wish to be born in Tuṣita, so I am going to make a statue of Maitreya.' The śramaṇa said: 'If you vow to be born in Tuṣita, you ought to make a statue of Śākyamuni. Maitreya is Śākyamuni's disciple; he is one who attains deliverance through the three assemblies. You are a disciple of Śākyamuni's bequeathed Dharma. If your means permit, you should make both statues. If your means do not permit, make Śākyamuni first. Why so? Because now these three realms are entirely owned by the Great Master. He personally said: 'I alone can bring rescue and protection.' How could you not consider the debt of gratitude due to him?' Fa'ai said: 'Śākyamuni has entered extinction and has no future transformation; how could he assist my coming birth?' He held fast to his view and would not change. Each went to sleep. When the morning water clock marked the dawn watch, Fa'ai abruptly awoke from sleep, weeping sorrowfully and throwing the five parts of his body to the ground. The foreign śramaṇa asked for the cause. He answered: 'I dreamed I saw a golden person over ten feet tall, who addressed me in gentle words, saying: 'You are my disciple and have received my taming for long kalpas. You mistakenly claim that I am permanently extinct, but in truth I abide eternally without extinction. Now these three realms are entirely mine; sentient beings use them daily without knowing. In the three realms, the grasses, trees, thickets, forests, and earth, as well as the empty space and the grains and wheat eaten by sentient beings, are all transformations of my body. The Buddhas of the ten directions assist my transforming work; how could you slight me and refuse to make my statue? If you do not make my statue, you will never be able to be born in the Tuṣita Heaven. Since you slight your teacher, would Maitreya praise you? Nor will you be able to go to the Pure Lands of the ten directions. The Buddhas assist me; how could they wish to slight me?' Having spoken these words, he vanished from sight. At that time, the foreign śramaṇa had also gone nowhere, but suddenly vanished. Fa'ai was filled with grief and sorrow; giving up his robes, bowl, and resources, he fashioned these two statues. The vihāra was jointly constructed by the people of that country.' Min stayed for many days, prayed for what he sought, and departed.