三寶感應要略錄 1.17

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.