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Language: English
Extent: 362 passages, 51,095 words
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Source: pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-21) of in.bauddha.taisho.2084 · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…

1 — 114 parts
2 — 157 parts
3 — 91 parts

Text

1.1

Abridged Record of Miraculous Responses of the Three Jewels

As for this Abridged Record of Miraculous Responses of the Three Jewels: the sympathetic responses of numinous images constitute the Buddha Jewel; the sympathetic responses of revered sūtras constitute the Dharma Jewel; the sympathetic responses of bodhisattvas constitute the Saṅgha Jewel. Truly, they are eyes and feet for the final age of this defiled world, and a standard for cutting off evil and cultivating goodness. Indeed, faith is the source of the Way and the gathering of merits; practice is the vital path and the foundation of liberation. The Way extends to the three-thousandfold [world] to encourage future believers; the teachings blanket the ten billion [realms] to reveal the traces of images. Now, I briefly present the essentials and sketch the extraordinary omens. If these conditions are neglected, the future will have no evidence [of them]. Selecting and dividing them into three collections, I have made them three fascicles, so as to render them easy to see. The Buddha Jewel Collection, Fascicle One.

1.3

Table of Contents for the First Fascicle of the Abridged Record of Miraculous Responses of the Three Jewels

1.4

1. Sympathetic response of King Udayana's and King Prasenajit's gold and wooden images of Śākyamuni
2. Sympathetic response of Great King Bimbisāra's painted image of Śākyamuni
3. Sympathetic response of the first numinous image of Śākyamuni in the Han land
4. Sympathetic response of Founding Emperor Wu of Liang inviting an auspicious image of Śākyamuni
5. Sympathetic response of the monk Faqing's unfinished image of Śākyamuni at Ningguan Monastery
6. Sympathetic response of the wife of Li Tai'an of Longxi in the Tang making an image of Śākyamuni for An to save him from death
7. Sympathetic response of the monk Huijing of Wuzhen Monastery making images of Śākyamuni and Amitābha and beholding signs of the Pure Land
8. Sympathetic response of two poor men in the country of Gandhāra each contributing one gold coin to jointly paint an image
9. Sympathetic response of Yu Anliang in the Tang assisting in making an image of Śākyamuni and escaping suffering
10. Sympathetic response of the śramaṇa Dharmaruci in North India sensing Śākyamuni
11. Sympathetic response of the bodhisattva with five supernatural faculties at Kukkuṭārāma requesting the depiction of Amitābha Buddha
12. Sympathetic response of the monk Huihai of Anle Monastery in the Sui depicting an image of Amitāyus
13. Sympathetic response of the monk Daoyu's three-inch Amitābha image in the Sui dynasty
14. Sympathetic response of Zhang Yuanshou of Bingzhou making an Amitābha image for his deceased parents
15. Sympathetic response of the monk Daoru making an Amitābha image to save sentient beings in the three wretched realms
16. Sympathetic response of the śramaṇa Senggao of Song making a sixteen-foot image of Amitāyus
17. Sympathetic response of Amitābha Buddha transforming into a parrot to guide and receive [people in] Parthia
18. Sympathetic response of Amitābha Buddha assuming the body of a great fish to guide and receive fishermen
19. Sympathetic response of reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha out of trust in a wife's words
20. Sympathetic response of attaining rebirth through ten recitations
21. Sympathetic response of the monk Junhui depicting and making an image of Akṣobhya Buddha
22. Sympathetic response of an Indian brāhmaṇa making an image of Bhaiṣajyaguru and obtaining fifty years of life for his son
23. Sympathetic response in ancient times of a person of noble clan praying to a numinous image of Bhaiṣajyaguru and attaining wealth and honor
24. Sympathetic response of a poor man offering one copper coin to an image of Bhaiṣajyaguru and attaining wealth and honor
25. Sympathetic response of a precept-breaker reciting the name of Bhaiṣajyaguru and recovering the purity of precepts
26. Sympathetic response of Xiahou Jun making an image of Bhaiṣajyaguru and escaping punishment
27. Sympathetic response of Bhaiṣajyaguru Tathāgata saving from the suffering of difficult childbirth
28. Sympathetic response of the family and relatives of the Sima of Wenzhou making seven images of Bhaiṣajyaguru within a single day
29. Sympathetic response of dispelling obstacles and difficulties by making an image of Vairocana Buddha
30. Sympathetic response of Āryācalanātha calling himself a servant beyond price
31. Sympathetic response of the monk Hanzhao depicting images of the Thousand Buddhas
32. Sympathetic response of the transmission of the Garbhadhātu Maṇḍala
33. Sympathetic response of the transmission and propagation of the Vajradhātu Maṇḍala
34. Sympathetic response of establishing a Vajradhātu abhiṣeka altar and praying for rain and obtaining it
35. Sympathetic response of bowing in veneration to a depiction of the Great Vajradhātu Maṇḍala
36. Sympathetic response of recollecting the images of the various deities of the Great Garbhadhātu Maṇḍala
37. Sympathetic response of the Buddha's relics during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han
38. Sympathetic response of the King of Wu surrounding a monastery and seizing monks, while relics floated emitting light upon a bowl
39. Sympathetic response of Ade in the Tang building a stupa and being released to return
40. Sympathetic response of the blade snapping at the execution site when five tiers [of a stupa] were not yet complete
41. Sympathetic response of a shrine deity offering silk and An Shigao erecting a stupa to leave the python body
42. Sympathetic response in ancient times of the Elder Sudatta surveying and measuring the ground for a vihāra
43. Sympathetic response of establishing the ground for a vihāra after the Buddha's demise
44. Sympathetic response of a śrāmaṇera placing a staff in a vihāra as wall-timber and having his lifespan extended
45. Sympathetic response of sweeping the courtyard of a vihāra and being born in heaven
46. Sympathetic response in ancient times of building a vihāra on the ground of the parents' old estate
47. Sympathetic response of a monastery eclipsing a great ancestral shrine in the country of Śrāvastī
48. Sympathetic response in ancient times of a poor boy playfully making a monastery out of tree leaves and having his lifespan extended
49. Sympathetic response of a bhikṣu mending a hole in the wall of a monastery and having his lifespan extended
50. Sympathetic response in ancient times of the king of the Land of Gold repairing an ancient monastery and having his lifespan extended

1.5

Compiled by the Disciple of Śākya Feizhuo

1.6

1. Sympathetic response of King Udayana's and King Prasenajit's gold and wooden images of Śākyamuni (drawn from the Āgamas, the Contemplation of the Buddha Image, the Travel Records, the Vinaya, and Western Region records, accounts, and imperial declarations)

1.7

Eight years after Śākyamuni Tathāgata attained awakening, wishing to repay the kindness of his mother Māyā, he arose from the Jetavana monastery and went to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. In the Sudharmā hall, upon a golden stone, he sat cross-legged. At that time, Māyā produced two streams of milk that moistened the World-Honoured One's lips, demonstrating their bond as mother and child, and the Buddha preached the Dharma for her. At that time, the fourfold assembly in the human realm, not seeing the Tathāgata, were thirsty with yearning and filled with sorrow, as if they had lost their father and mother, as if an arrow had entered their hearts. Together they went to the place where the World-Honoured One dwelt, but the gardens, groves, courtyards, and chambers were all empty, without the Buddha. Their grief and yearning doubled, and they could not restrain themselves. They asked Ānanda, "Where indeed is the Tathāgata today?" Ānanda replied, "I also do not know." The two kings longed so deeply for the Tathāgata that they fell painfully ill. At that time, King Udayana ordered all the wondrous craftsmen within his realm, saying to them, "I now wish to make an image of the Buddha." The skilled craftsmen said to the king, "We cannot make the marvelous physical characteristics of the Buddha. Even if Viśvakarman deva were to make something, it could not resemble the Tathāgata. If we accept the command, we can only approximate a small portion of the signs such as the spiral uṣṇīṣa and the jade-like hair tuft; the other major and minor marks, the radiance, and the majestic virtue are hard to match. Who could make it? If the image made when the World-Honoured One returns has any flaw, our fame will be entirely lost." Deliberating secretly together, none dared to make it. They further said to the king, "To make the image now, one should use pure purple sandalwood, of fine grain and dense texture. But as for its posture, should it be seated or standing? How high should it be?" The king asked his ministers with these words. A wise minister said to the king, "It should be made as a seated image. When all the Buddhas attain great awakening, turn the wheel of the True Dharma, manifest great supernatural transformations, and perform great Buddha-works, they all sit. Therefore, you should make an image seated cross-legged on a lion throne." Then Viśvakarman transformed his body into a craftsman, holding carving tools, and arrived at the city gate, saying, "I now wish to make the image for the great king." The king was greatly delighted. Together with the minister in charge of the treasury, he selected fragrant wood in the inner treasury, carried it upon his own shoulders, gave it to the divine craftsman, and said to him, "Good sir, make the image and cause it to resemble the form of the Tathāgata." Then Mahāmaudgalyāyana, by requesting the Buddha's supernatural power, went [to heaven] to depict the physical form, and returned. [The craftsman] swung his axe and split the wood, and the sound penetrated upward to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, reaching the Buddha's assembly. Where the sound reached through the Buddha's power, all sentient beings who heard it had their sins and defilements eliminated: the blind gained eyes, the deaf were able to hear, the mute were able to speak, the ugly became handsome, the poor gained fortune, and even those in the three wretched realms left suffering and attained joy; unprecedented benefits of every kind all manifested. Then the divine craftsman finished it in no time at all. It was seven feet tall—or, some say, five feet; beings saw it differently according to their capacities. Its face, hands, and feet were all purple-gold in color. When the king saw the major and minor marks, pure faith arose in his heart, and he attained the patience of compliance; his karmic obstacles and afflictions were all eliminated, except for his karma of having spoken harsh words to a noble one in the past. At that time, King Prasenajit also summoned skilled craftsmen in his country, wishing to make an image of the Buddha, and had this thought: "For the Tathāgata's physical form, nothing compares to real gold." He then made one five feet tall entirely of purple-gold. At that time, within Jambudvīpa, these were the first two images of the Tathāgata. When the Tathāgata had spent ninety days passing the summer [retreat], he said to the fourfold assembly, "Seven days from now, I will descend to the side of the great pool in the country of Saṃkāśya in Jambudvīpa." Then the Lord of the Devas told the Deva of Sovereignty to construct three pathways from the summit of Mount Sumeru to the pool, made of gold, silver, and crystal; or, as some say, made by the earth, or made by the Pure Abode devas. Then the Tathāgata trod upon the golden path. At that time, five kings went to the Buddha's location: King Prasenajit of the country of Kāśi, King Udayana of the country of Vatsa, King Virūḍhaka the ruler of the people of the five cities, King Udayana the ruler of the Southern Sea, and King Bimbisāra of the country of Magadha; they touched their heads to the ground in veneration at his feet. At that time, King Udayana carried the Buddha image atop his head and brought supreme offerings of rare treasures to the Buddha's location, presenting them all to the Buddha. Then the wooden image rose from its seat, as if alive, and the Buddha stepped through the void, flowers raining beneath his feet as he radiated light to welcome the World-Honoured One. It pressed its palms together, bowed to the Buddha, resembling the Buddha a little, and spoke a verse: / "When the Buddha was in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, / preaching the Dharma for his mother, / the sound of the master craftsman making the image / was heard far away in the Sudharmā hall. / The assembly of the Thirty-Three Heavens / all rejoiced in unison. / Making images in future worlds / will obtain measureless supreme merit." / At that time, the World-Honoured One also knelt long with palms pressed together toward the image; in the sky, hundreds of thousands of transformed Buddhas likewise all pressed their palms together. The image bowed its head, and the World-Honoured One personally patted its head and gave it a vyākaraṇa, saying, "More than a thousand years after my extinction, you will bring great benefit to humans and devas in this land. I entrust all my disciples to you. If there are sentient beings who make images after the Buddha's extinction, holding banners, flowers, and various incenses to make offerings, these people in future lives will surely see the Buddha and transcend the suffering of birth and death." At that time, King Udayana said to the World-Honoured One, "Are those who made images after the extinction of past Buddhas still in the world or not?" The Buddha said, "With the Buddha-eye, I see everywhere in the ten directions: those who made images after the extinction of past Buddhas have all been born before the Buddhas of the ten directions; not a single person remains in birth and death. Only those who made bodhisattva images still remain in the world, King Bimbisāra being one." Then the wooden image said to the living Buddha, "May the World-Honoured One advance and enter the vihāra." The World-Honoured One also said to the image, "Stop, stop! There is no need to speak. My karmic conditions are about to end; I will enter extinction before long. You will benefit sentient beings for a long time in the world, so enter first. If you enter later, people will give rise to contempt." After exchanging words three times, the image withdrew and returned to its original seat. Thereupon, the World-Honoured One himself moved into a small vihāra beside the monastery, staying in a different place from the image, separated by twenty paces. King Udayana was overjoyed beyond measure. At that time, the five kings said to the World-Honoured One, "How should a divine monastery be built?" Then the World-Honoured One extended his right hand, and the monastery of Kāśyapa Buddha emerged from the earth to serve as the model. The five kings then erected a great divine monastery at that place, installed the image, and departed, and so forth.

1.8

2. Sympathetic response of Great King Bimbisāra's painted image of Śākyamuni (drawn from the Vinaya texts)

1.9

The Buddha was in the Bamboo Grove. At that time, in Jambudvīpa, there were two great cities: one was called Kusumpura (Huazi), and the second was called Roruka (Shengyin). These two cities alternated in decline and prosperity. At that time, the city of Roruka was rich and prosperous in population. Its king was named Rudrāyaṇa (Xiandao). He ruled the country by the True Dharma, without enmities, illnesses, or suffering, and the five grains matured well. His principal queen was named Śikhī (Dingji). He had two great ministers: one was named Benefitting (Liyi), and the second was named Removing Affliction (Chuhuan). At that time, the king of Rājagṛha was named Bimbisāra. His principal queen was named Vaidehī (Shengshen), the crown prince was named Ajātaśatru (Weishengyuan), and the great minister was named Varṣākāra (Xingyu). At that time, the great king Rudrāyaṇa held a great morning assembly and said to the multitude, "Is there any other country whose abundance and happiness resemble our country?" Then a merchant from the kingdom of Magadha addressed the king, "To the east there is the city of Rājagṛha; that country is similar to your majesty's realm." When Rudrāyaṇa heard this, he gave rise to feelings of affection toward Bimbisāra. He asked his ministers, "What is that country lacking?" They replied, saying, "That place lacks jewels." The king filled a golden casket with wondrous jewels and, together with an imperial letter, dispatched an envoy to send them to King Bimbisāra. When the king read the letter and heard of the state gift, he rejoiced greatly and said, "What is that country lacking?" The people replied, "They lack fine cotton cloth." The king then filled chests and caskets with great cotton cloth produced in his country, and, following what had been done before, sent a reply to King Rudrāyaṇa together with a letter. At that time, King Rudrāyaṇa of Roruka saw it, rejoiced, and asked the envoy, "What is that king's appearance like?" [The envoy] replied, "His form is tall and large, just like your majesty. His character is heroic and fierce, and he personally engages in battle." The king then made a fine suit of armor with five virtues according to [Bimbisāra's] measurements, and ordered an envoy to deliver it: first, when worn in sweltering heat, it is cool and cold; second, swords striking it cannot cut through; third, arrows shot at it cannot pierce; fourth, it wards off all poisons; fifth, it can emit bright light. When the armor was completed, the king drafted an imperial letter and sent the envoy to present it to Bimbisāra. When the king read the letter and looked at the armor, he thought it extraordinary, estimating its value at ten hundred million gold coins. It caused him to worry and ponder, "My country lacks something like this; how can I repay it?" At that time, the great minister Varṣākāra saw that the king bore a worried expression and asked the reason. The king answered in full. The minister said, "That king only presented a single suit of precious armor, but within your majesty's kingdom there is the Buddha, a wondrous jewel among humans, with whom none are equal throughout the ten directions." The king said, "This is truly so, but what should be done?" The minister said, "You should paint the image of the World-Honoured One on cotton cloth and dispatch an envoy to speed and deliver it." The king said, "If so, I will tell the Buddha." The king then informed the Buddha of the matter. The Buddha said, "Excellent, an exquisite thought! You may paint one panel of the Buddha's image and send it to that king. As for the method of painting the image: after first painting the image, write the Three Refuges beneath the image; next, write the five courses of study—namely, the five precepts; next, write the twelvefold conditioned arising in its revolving and its cessation. On the upper edge, write two verses." The verse said:

1.10

"You should seek to escape, / and be diligent in the Buddha's teaching. / You can subdue [death] within birth and death, / as an elephant crushes a hut of grass. / In this Dharma and Vinaya, / always practice diligence; / you can exhaust the ocean of afflictions, / and shall bring suffering to its ultimate end."

1.11

When the writing was finished, he handed it to the envoy, and instructed him, saying, "When you take the painted image to their realm, you should hang silk banners and parasols in a wide, spacious place, arrange incense and flowers, and set up grand adornments; only then open the image. If someone asks, 'What is this?', answer them, 'This is the image of the World-Honoured One, who abandoned the royal throne and achieved right awakening.' You may then explain the meanings of the characters written below in proper order." At that time, King Bimbisāra went forth joyfully. He completely painted the image and inscribed the matters, packed them in gold and silver boxes, and wrote an imperial letter to notify King Rudrāyaṇa. When Rudrāyaṇa had opened and read it, he was filled with fury. He said to his ministers, "I do not know what rare and superior state gift that country could have! His letter says: 'Repair and level the roads for two postal stations, adorn the city walls and moats, assemble crowds of people with floral parasols and pennants, and send me yourself, leading the fourfold army, far out to welcome and receive it.' Seeing this state of affairs, [I know] he intends to despise me. You should assemble the fourfold army; I myself will personally go and attack the kingdom of Magadha!" The minister memorialized, saying, "We have previously heard that that king has great tolerance; he would not despise your majesty. For now, you should comply with his words." The king made offerings according to the sealed letter, led [the procession] to the city, opened the painted image, and stood gazing at it with reverent admiration. At that time, merchants from the Central Region arrived together and, with one voice, chanted, "Namo buddhāya," and so forth. When the king heard this, the hair all over his body stood on end. He asked about the meaning step by step, and the merchants replied in full. The king recited the text, returned to his palace, and contemplated according to the text. Sitting without rising from his seat until dawn, he attained the first fruit [of stream-entry]. Rejoicing, he spoke a verse:

1.12

"I pay homage to the Great King of Healers, / who is skilled at curing the sickness of the mind. / Although the World-Honoured One is far away, / he can make the eye of wisdom clear."

1.13

He immediately reported to Bimbisāra in a letter, saying, "Relying on your grace, I have seen the true reality. I wish to see bhikṣus; please have them come here." Bimbisāra read the letter and informed the Buddha. The Buddha, looking and knowing that Kātyāyana had an affinity with that place, thereupon commanded him to go and instruct them. At that time, five hundred bhikṣus went to the city of Roruka. At that time, Bimbisāra replied to Rudrāyaṇa, saying, "Hearing that you have realized conditioned arising and attained the first fruit, you wish to meet bhikṣus. The Buddha said: 'The five hundred bhikṣus have arisen from afar at your prayer and petition; you should go in person to welcome them, build a great monastery, and construct five hundred rooms, thereby obtaining immeasurable merit.'" When Rudrāyaṇa had read the letter, he acted according to these words. The venerable one preached the Dharma according to their capacities, and some attained arhatship or even resolved to aspire to the Great Vehicle. At that time, the women in the palace invited the venerable one, but he was not permitted to enter among women to preach the Dharma. There being a nun, she could preach the Dharma to them. Rudrāyaṇa wrote a letter informing Bimbisāra, and Bimbisāra informed the Buddha. [The Buddha] dispatched Śailā and other five hundred nuns to receive his instruction and go preach the Dharma to them. At that time, Queen Candraprabhā (Yueguang) died and was born in the heavens; she came down to awaken the great king. With mingled grief and joy, the king had this thought: "I should install Crown Prince Śikhī as king, and I shall leave the household life." He informed the two ministers of this state of affairs. When the ministers heard it, their tears flowed. They summoned Śikhī to tell him, and the crown prince wept with sorrow. The king beat drums and rang bells to proclaim it universally to the people of the country. At that time, grateful for his kindness, they wept and cried out, as he gave away much wealth and treasures and broadly held an unrestricted assembly. Taking a single attendant, the king set out on foot toward the city of Rājagṛha. The crown prince and the people of the realm all followed behind, escorting him a distance before returning. The king went on gradually and arrived at the city of Rājagṛha. Resting in a park, he informed Bimbisāra. When [Bimbisāra] heard it, he repaired the roads and led the fourfold army to where King Rudrāyaṇa was. They comforted each other, rode a single horse into the city, and asked the reason for his coming. [Rudrāyaṇa] replied, "I wish to seek to leave the household life in the presence of the World-Honoured One." They then went together to the Buddha's place. The Buddha said, "Welcome!" and his topknot and hair fell off of their own accord, [leaving him] like a hundred-year-old bhikṣu. Bimbisāra bowed to the Buddha and departed. The bhikṣu Rudrāyaṇa relied on the assembly and excelled among them. (Abridged to extract the essential meaning.)

1.14

Number Three: The Sympathetic Response of the Very First Image of Śākyamuni in the Chinese Land (drawn from texts such as Wang Yan's Mingxiang ji)

1.15

Emperor Ming of the Han dreamed of a divine man whose height approached two zhang, whose body was of golden hue, and who wore the sunlight at the back of his neck. He questioned his assembled ministers about it, and someone replied, saying, "In the Western Regions there is a divinity whose name is the Buddha; his form resembles what you dreamed beneath your steps." Thereupon, he dispatched envoys to India to copy and bring back scriptures and images, displaying them in the Central Xia. From the Son of Heaven down to the princes and marquises, all revered and served him. Hearing that when a person dies their spirit is not extinguished, there was none who was not awestruck and lost in thought. Initially, the envoy Cai Yin returned with the Western Regions śramaṇa Kāśyapa Mātaṅga, carrying a painted image of Śākyamuni Buddha made by King Udayana. The emperor verified it to be just like what he had seen in his dream, and thereupon dispatched painters to make several copies of it, making offerings to them at the Qingliang Terrace of the Southern Palace and above the Xianshoul Tomb at the Gaoyang Gate. Furthermore, on the walls of Baima Temple they painted thousands of chariots and tens of thousands of cavalrymen circumambulating the pagoda three times, and doing the same for the image. This is fully recorded in the records of the Dharma.

1.16

Number Four: The Sympathetic Response of Emperor Wu, the Founding Ancestor of the Liang, Inviting the Image of Śākyamuni

1.17

Emperor Wu, the founding ancestor of the Liang, on the eighth day of the first month of the first year of the Tianjian reign, dreamed of a sandalwood image entering his state. Because of this, he issued an edict recruiting people to go and welcome it. According to the Record of the Buddha's Travels in India and the two-fascicle Sūtra of King Udayana, the Buddha ascended to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven for one summer retreat to preach the Dharma for his mother. The king and ministers longed to see him, so the king sent thirty-two craftsmen carrying sandalwood, requesting the divine power of Mahāmaudgalyāyana to transport them there to paint the Buddha's likeness. Having finished painting as desired, they returned, and the seated image, five feet tall, was in the Jetavana monastery, where offerings are made to this day. The emperor wished to invite this image. At that time, the Decisive Victory General Hao Qian, his father Hua, and others—eighty persons in all—responded to the recruitment and arrived. They detailed the situation and petitioned the King of Śrāvastī, who said, "This celestial image cannot be moved to a peripheral border." Thereupon, he ordered thirty-two craftsmen to carve another image of this sandalwood person's likeness: starting work at the hour of the rabbit (5–7 AM), it was completed by midday (11 AM–1 PM). Its marks and signs were complete; the top of the image's head emitted light, a fine drizzle fell, and there was an extraordinary fragrance. Therefore, the Sūtra of King Udayana says, "When the true body is concealed, it appears in two images to profoundly benefit living beings everywhere"—this is what it refers to. Qian and the others carried the second image on their backs and traveled tens of thousands of li, fully experiencing hardships as have been recounted. Furthermore, they crossed the great ocean, crossing over wind and waves for days and months, following the waves until they reached a mountain, where their provisions were also exhausted. Many of the companions and escorts they had led suffered injury and death. Encountering various fierce beasts, they single-mindedly concentrated their thoughts; thereupon, behind the image they heard the sound of armor and helmets, and also heard the sound of a bell. Beside a cliff, there was a monk sitting upright beneath a tree. Qian set down the image he had been carrying on his back in front of him. The monk rose and paid homage to the image; Qian and the others paid homage to the monk. The monk handed them a water pitcher to drink from, and all were filled to satisfaction. The monk said, "This image is named Samyaksaṃbuddha. King Kumbhīra, following it to that place, will perform great Buddha-works." In a moment after speaking, he vanished. That night, everyone dreamed of seeing a spirit, and at dawn they sketched it together. On the fifth day of the fourth month in the tenth year of the Tianjian reign, Qian and the others arrived at the capital of Yang. The emperor and the civil and military officials walked on foot for forty li to welcome it back to the Taiji Hall. He established vegetarian fasts, ordained people, proclaimed a great amnesty, and forbade killing: all bows, knives, spears, and the like were melted and turned into lotus pagodas. From this time forth, the emperor ate vegetarian food and cut off sexual desires. In the fifth month of the third year of the Taiqing reign, he passed away. The Prince of Xiangdong ascended the throne in Jiangling, titled Emperor Yuan (Chengsheng). He sent people to welcome it from the capital of Yang and brought it up to the capital of Jing to make offerings to it in the Chengguang Hall. In the eighth year of the Dading reign of the Later Liang, Daming Temple was constructed at Jingling to the north of the city, and the image was transferred to it. At present, there are many copies of it circulating, and so forth.

1.18

Number Five: The Sympathetic Response of Making an Image of Śākyamuni and Being Returned from King Yama's Palace after Death (drawn from biographies)

1.19

The monk Faqing of Ningguan Temple made a dry-lacquer standing image of Śākyamuni in the third year of the Kaihuang reign. Its total height was one zhang and six chi. Before the work on the image was completed, Faqing died. On that day, there was also the monk Dazhi of Baochang Temple, who revived three days after dying. He then told the monks of the temple, saying, "In front of King Yama, I saw the monk Faqing with a worried expression. After a short while, I also saw an image arrive. Hastening forward from before the king, he stepped down the stairs and with joined palms paid homage to this image. The image said to the king: 'Faqing was making me, and it is not yet completed now. Why did you cause him to die?' The king turned and asked an attendant, 'Was Faqing ordered to die or not?' The reply was: 'His lifespan was not destined to end, but his allotted food had run out.' The king said: 'You may provide him with lotus leaves so that he may live out his life and complete his meritorious deed.' Suddenly, they vanished. Dazhi revived and told this to the monks of the temple. They immediately went to Ningguan Temple to look, and in an instant, Faqing revived. What he said was not different from what Dazhi told. After reviving, Faqing always ate lotus leaves and considered them delicious, but he could never swallow any other food. Several years after completing the image, he died. The appearance and marks of that image were complete and round, and it repeatedly emitted light. Although this temple has fallen into ruin, that image still exists today, and so forth.

1.20

Number Six: The Sympathetic Response of the Wife of Li Tai'an of Longxi in the Tang Making an Image of Śākyamuni for Tai'an to Save Him from Death (drawn from Mingbao ji)

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Li Taian of Longxi in the Tang dynasty was the elder brother of Li Taigao, Minister of Works. During the Wude era, Taigao served as Commander-in-Chief of Yuezhou. Taian went from the capital to visit him. Taigao sent several male and female servants to accompany his brother back. When they reached Guzhou and crossed the bridge to lodge at an inn, one of the male servants plotted to murder Taian. Waiting until he was fast asleep past midnight, the servant stabbed Taian in the neck with a small dagger, the blade lodging in the bedframe. The servant then fled without pulling it out. Taian awoke in terror and called out to the servants. Those who had not rebelled came, and a servant wanted to pull out the blade. Taian said, 'If you pull out the blade, I will die immediately. First bring paper and brush so I may write a letter.' The county official also arrived, and thereupon pulled out the blade, washed the wound, and applied medicine. Taian then expired. Suddenly, as if in a dream, he saw a thing over a foot long and four to five inches wide and thick, shaped like pork, hovering about two feet off the ground, which entered through the door and came before his bed. Within it a voice spoke: 'Quickly return my pork!' Taian said, 'I do not eat pork; on what account do I owe you anything?' He immediately heard a voice outside the door saying, 'A mistake; it is not he!' This thing then went back out through the door. Taian then saw a pond in front of the courtyard; its water was clear, shallow, and lovely. On the western bank of the pond was a golden statue about five inches tall, which in a moment gradually grew larger and transformed into a monk wearing very fresh and clean kāṣāya robes. He said to Taian: 'You have been injured; I will now take away the pain for you. You shall recover. Return home, be mindful of the Buddha, and cultivate good deeds.' Thereupon, stroking the wound on Taian's head with his hand, he departed. From this form, Taian saw on the monk's back a square-inch patch of red silk mending the kāṣāya, which was very distinct. Soon Taian awoke; he revived, and the wound was no longer painful. He was able to sit up and eat. After ten or so days, younger relatives from his household in the capital arrived to welcome him home. His family members came to look at Taian because of what had happened, and he recounted to them the circumstances of his injury and the incident of seeing the statue. A maidservant standing to the side heard his account and said: 'When the master of the house first set out, his wife sent me to an artisan to have a Buddha statue made. When it was finished and painted in colours, there was a red cinnabar stain on the back of the statue. When I had the artisan remove it, he was unwilling. It is still there now, just like the appearance you described!' Taian then arose together with his wife and family members to view the statue, and it was identical to what he had seen; the spot on its back was unmistakably just like the mended patch. Thereupon they marvelled in admiration, and knew with faith that the sacred teaching is not in vain. They increased their revered faith in the Buddha-Dharma, paying even more earnest homage, and his lifespan was lengthened so that he did not die. Ever since the Buddha-Dharma flowed eastward, sympathetic responses of miraculous statues cannot all be recounted, yet none compares to this statue.

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7. The sympathetic response of the Śramaṇa Shi Huijing of Wuzhen Monastery making statues of Śākyamuni and Amitābha and beholding the signs of the Pure Land (New record)

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Shi Huijing of Wuzhen Monastery was originally a man of Zizhou. After renouncing household life, he followed a vegetarian diet, practiced austerities, and had considerable skill in craftsmanship. With a mind aspiring to the Pure Land, he personally fashioned two statues of Śākyamuni and Amitābha, making offerings and paying homage to them. In his sixty-seventh year, on the night of the fifteenth day of the first month, he dreamed of a śramaṇa whose body was golden in colour, who said to Jing: 'Do you wish to see the Pure Land or not?' 'My only wish is to see it.' 'Do you further wish to see the Buddha or not?' He answered: 'My only wish is to see him.' At that time, the śramaṇa handed a bowl to Jing, saying: 'You should look inside the bowl.' Thereupon looking inside the bowl, he suddenly saw the vast and adorned Pure Land, decorated with manifold jewels, with ground of gold and golden cords demarcating the roads. Palaces and tiered pavilions were manifold and inexhaustible. Devas and young boys roved and dwelt among them. An ocean-wide assembly of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas surrounded the World-Honoured One, who was expounding the Dharma for them. At that time, the śramaṇa went ahead and Jing followed behind, gradually advancing before the Buddha. Having reached the Buddha's presence, the śramaṇa suddenly vanished. Jing stood with palms joined. The Buddha said: 'Do you recognize the śramaṇa who guided you?' He replied: 'I do not know him.' The Buddha said: 'He is the Śākyamuni statue you fashioned.' 'And do you recognize me or not?' He answered: 'I do not.' The Buddha further said: 'I am the Amitābha statue you fashioned. Śākyamuni is like a father and I am like a mother; the sentient beings of the Sahā world are like infant children. For example, parents may have many children who are young, foolish, and fall into deep mire. The father enters the deep mire, holds his child, and sets him upon the high bank. The mother remains on the bank, embraces and nurtures him, teaching and guiding him not to return to the original mire. We two are also fundamentally like this: Śākyamuni teaches and transforms the turbid, evil, and foolish sentient beings of the Sahā world, clearing away obstacles, guiding them, and showing them the path to the Pure Land. In the Pure Land, I gather them in so they do not retrogress.' Hearing these words, Jing leaped for joy. Wishing to gaze upon the Tathāgata, suddenly nothing was to be seen. Awakening from the dream, his body and mind were at peace and bliss, as if having entered dhyāna-concentration. He paid even greater homage and made offerings to the statues of the two Tathāgatas. Again he dreamed of the former śramaṇa, who told Jing: 'Twelve years from now, you shall be born in the Pure Land.' Having heard these words, his body and mind were untiring day and night. He passed away at the age of seventy-nine. A monk in an adjacent room dreamed of hundreds of thousands of holy beings coming from the west to welcome Huijing away. Faint music lingered in the sky; those who heard it at the time were truly numerous.

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8. The sympathetic response of two poor men in the country of Gandhāra who with one gold coin each jointly painted a single statue (From the Xiyu ji)

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In the country of Gandhāra, there was a painted Buddha statue sixteen feet tall. From the chest up, it divided into two bodies; from the chest down, it was united into a single body. An elder was heard to say: Originally there was a poor man who relied solely on his own labour to sustain himself. He obtained one gold coin and vowed to make a Buddha statue. He said to a painter: 'I now wish to paint the wondrous form of the Tathāgata. I have one gold coin, which is modest compensation for your labour, but my heartfelt wish has long grieved over poverty and been constrained by destitution.' At that time, the painter was moved by his utmost sincerity, said nothing of the price, and agreed to accomplish the work. There was another man whose circumstances were the same as the former; holding one gold coin, he sought to have a Buddha statue painted. The painter then accepted the money from the two men, procured fine paints, and together painted one statue. On the same day, both men came together to pay homage. The painter pointed to the single statue, showed it to the two men, and said to them: 'This is your Buddha statue.' The two looked at each other with misgivings. The painter, knowing their doubt in his heart, said to the two men: 'Why do you ponder so long? Regarding everything I received, not a hair's breadth was withheld. These words are not false; the statue will surely manifest a spiritual transformation.' Before his voice fell silent, the statue displayed a miraculous marvel: dividing its bodies and intersecting their shadows, their radiant marks shone upon each other. The two men gladly yielded, their hearts filled with faith and joy.

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9. The sympathetic response of Yu Anliang of Yuyang County in Youzhou under the Tang dynasty assisting another in making a Śākyamuni statue and escaping suffering

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Anliang of Yuyang County in Youzhou was surnamed Yu. His clan took killing living beings as their livelihood, and the living beings Liang had killed were of an unknown number of thousands, ten thousands, and kotis. Furthermore, he did not know how to cultivate merit, and was always saying: 'Those who cultivate good deeds must inevitably decline.' In his thirty-seventh year, while hunting he fell from his horse, lost consciousness, and his breath ceased abruptly. Only after half a day did he revive. Rising, he wept sorrowfully, threw himself to the ground, and repented before the pure sky, saying: 'I was mistaken! I was mistaken!' When the male and female servants asked the reason, after a long while he said: 'When I first lost consciousness, two horse-headed and ox-headed beings came with a fiery cart and threw me into it. Fierce flames burned my body, causing immeasurable agony. At that time, a monk in coloured robes came, sprinkled water over the cart, and fended off the flames with his hand; my physical and mental suffering ceased. We arrived at the realm of King Yama, the Dharma King. When the King saw the śramaṇa, he ran down from the steps, joined his palms in reverence, and addressed him: 'For what reason have you come here?' The monk said: 'This sinner is my dānapati. I wish to beg for a reprieve of his life.' The King said: 'He is an evil man and cannot be released to return. However, because the Great Master has specifically come, I cannot begrudge him to you.' The monk brought me back. In my heart I wondered in bewilderment who had helped me, so I asked the monk. He answered: 'Do you not recognize me? Your elder brother Antong gave rise to the aspiration to make a Śākyamuni statue. Relying on that condition, you contributed thirty copper coins to help him make the statue. Since you contributed a small sum of money to have my statue made, I have therefore come to rescue you. Take seeing the coloured robes as verification.' Having spoken, he was seen no more. For this reason, I repent and sorrowfully blame myself.' He then went over to Antong's house; his brother's statue was identical in every detail to what he had seen. Deeply moved by its attire, he personally made a statue.

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10. The sympathetic response of the Śramaṇa Dharmaruci of the country of Siṃhapura in Northern India being startled by a statue of Śākyamuni (From Changmin's Youli ji)

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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.

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11. The sympathetic response of the Bodhisattva of Fivefold Supernormal Powers at Kukkuṭapāda Monastery requesting the painting of Amitābha Buddha (From the Gantong lu, citing the Xiyu zhuan)

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According to tradition, in the past in India, a Bodhisattva of Fivefold Supernormal Powers at Kukkuṭapāda Monastery went to the World of Peace and Bliss to make a request of Amitābha Buddha: 'Sentient beings of the Sahā world wish to be born in the Pure Land, but having no physical image of the Buddha, their power of vows has no basis. We pray you deign to grant your appearance.' The Buddha said: 'You go ahead; I will soon appear there.' When the Bodhisattva returned, the image had already arrived: one Buddha and fifty bodhisattvas, each seated on a lotus flower atop tree leaves. The Bodhisattva took the leaves wherever he went, painted copies of them, and circulated them far and near.

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12. The sympathetic response of Shi Huihai of Anle Monastery in the Sui dynasty painting the revered image of Amitāyus (From the Tang Gaoseng zhuan)

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During the Sui dynasty, monk Huihai of Anle Temple in Jiangdu, whose secular surname was Zhang, was a native of Wucheng in Qinghe. He was well versed in the sūtras and treatises, yet took the Pure Land as his practice, focusing his mind and evoking deep sympathetic response. Suddenly, a monk from Qizhou named Daoling arrived carrying an image of Amitāyus, saying: 'This was painted in its likeness by a five-superknowledge bodhisattva of the Kukkuṭārāma monastery in India, who traveled through the air to that world of Sukhāvatī.' As it silently accorded with his long-held devotion, he harbored deep reverence and made repentant prostrations; thereupon he beheld divine light flashing and blazing, exceeding what he had ever hoped or prayed for. Thereupon he copied it to escape suffering, vowing to be born in that land, keeping it in mind to the end of his days. Coming to the night, he suddenly arose, faced west as usual, made reverent and longing prostrations, and sat cross-legged; only at dawn did he pass away. His countenance was pleasant and serene, dignified as though his spirit were still present. His age was sixty-nine.

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13. The sympathetic response of the Sui dynasty monk Daoyu's three-inch image of Amitābha (drawn from the Ruiying zhuan)

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During the Sui dynasty, the monk Daoyu recited [the name of] Amitābha Buddha at Kaijue Temple, and made a sandalwood [image] three inches in height. Later, Daoyu suddenly died, but revived after seven days, saying: 'At first I saw a worthy who had attained rebirth arrive beside a jeweled pond. The worthy circumambulated a flower three times, and the flower immediately opened and bloomed; he then entered and sat within it. I circumambulated a flower three times, but it did not open for me. I pushed the flower open with my hand, but the flower then withered and fell. Amitābha Buddha addressed me, saying: "You must first return to that country, repent of all your transgressions, and bathe in fragrant warm water. When the morning star appears, I will come to welcome you. But when you made an image of me, why did you make it so small?" I said: "If the mind is large, it is large; if the mind is small, it is small." When I finished speaking, the image pervaded empty space.' He then bathed in fragrant warm water as instructed and single-mindedly repented. He said to the assembly: 'Recite the Buddha's name on my behalf.' When the morning star appeared, a transformation Buddha came to welcome him; the assembly all saw the bright light. He then expired. It was the eighth year of Kaihuang.

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14. The sympathetic response of Zhang Yuanshou of Bingzhou making an image of Amitābha for his deceased parents (drawn from the Bingzhou ji)

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