三寶感應要略錄 1.29

1.29

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.