三寶感應要略錄 1.97

1.97

Formerly, when the Buddha dwelt in Jetavana vihāra, he emitted a great light that illuminated the hundred billion worlds of the great trichiliocosm so that everything was clear and transparent, like looking at the palm of one's hand. At that time, in the midst of the light, the great assembly of myriad billions led by Śāriputra and the others saw that throughout the hundred billion four continents, the ground was everywhere filled with yellow gold. The Buddha's light dispersed, remained upon the grounds of yellow gold, and did not return. After a long while, the householder Sudatta arose from his seat, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-Honoured One, for what reason today do we, the great assembly, see that throughout this defiled world there are grounds of yellow gold everywhere as if carved and engraved? Why has the World-Honoured One's light dispersed, remained upon the golden places, and not returned?” The Buddha said: “After my nirvāṇa, during the periods of the True, Semblance, and Final Dharma, faithful men and faithful women, monks and nuns, kings and elders, ministers and common people, through the Buddha's majestic power, will establish monasteries and halls in all these places. These are precisely the grounds of yellow gold where the light rests today. Because of a portion of the merit of my ūrṇā hair, those disciples of the fourfold assembly will perform vast Buddha-works, and the merit they obtain will be no different from yours. Furthermore, although I shall enter extinction, the light of the ūrṇā that I have left behind will abide permanently and never be extinguished. In future times, when they undertake construction, it will provide supreme illumination. Moreover, entering through the donors' mouths, it will abide within their very hearts and gradually illuminate and dissolve the heavy ice of birth and death. They are determined never to fall into the four evil destinies and will certainly attain Buddhahood in golden, precious lands like Mañjuśrī and the others. Although there is this benefit, the disciples of the fourfold assembly in that time will use it daily without knowing it.”