廣弘明集 2.7

2.7

Emperor Ming of the Later Han dreamed of a golden man with sunlight around his neck flying in the palace courtyard. Fu Yi first identified him as the Buddha to the Emperor. The Emperor dispatched Gentleman of the Palace Cai Yin, Erudite Qin Jing, and others as envoys to Tianzhu to copy the handed-down model of the Futu, whereupon they returned to Luoyang with the śramaṇas Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna. They also obtained the Scripture in Forty-Two Sections and standing statues of Śākya[muni]. The Emperor ordered artisans to paint them and placed them on the Qingliang Terrace and atop the Xianjie Tomb, locking the scriptures away in the stone chamber of the Orchid Terrace. "Futu" is sometimes pronounced "Fotuo," which is an alternation of phonetic sounds, translated as "Pure Awakening," meaning the eradication of defilement to achieve clarity, a path of holy awakening. As for the general purport of its scriptures, it broadly states that all forms of living beings arise on account of their actions and karmic deeds. With past, present, and future, traversing the three periods of existence, the conscious spirit is forever indestructible. In all cases, doing good or evil must bring retribution. Gradually accumulating superior karma and refining away the crude and base, across countless kalpas polishing and training the spiritual brightness, one thereby arrives at non-arising and attains the Buddha-way. Along the way, the stages and mental practices are not singular; all proceed from the shallow to the deep, relying on the subtle to reach the manifest. In general, it lies in accumulating benevolence and compliance, eliminating cravings and desires, and practicing emptiness and tranquility to achieve penetrating illumination. Thus, when one first cultivates the mind, one relies upon the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, which are called the Three Refuges, akin to the three awe-inspirations of the gentleman. There are also the five precepts: abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and drinking alcohol. Their general meaning is the same as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, trustworthiness, and wisdom. It is said that upholding them leads to rebirth in superior places among gods and humans, while breaching them causes one to fall into the various sufferings of ghosts and beasts. Furthermore, the places where good and evil are reborn comprise in total the six realms of rebirth.