經律異相 6.50

6.50

When the Buddha ascended to the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, King Udayana, unable to bear his longing and yearning, cast an image in gold. Hearing that the Buddha was about to descend, he carried it on an elephant and looked up waiting for the Bhagavat, just as if he were the living Buddha. From afar, he saw the Buddha walking in empty space, treading on a pair of lotus flowers and emitting great light. The Buddha said to the image: 'In future ages, you shall perform great Buddha-deeds. After my extinction, my disciples are entrusted to you. If there are sentient beings who make images and present various offerings, these people in future ages will surely attain the pure samādhi of mindfulness of the Buddha.' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'Take my words and tell all the disciples: After my extinction, make images of the Buddha, complete with the major and minor marks; also make immeasurable transformed Buddhas, and paint the Buddha's footprints with exquisite pigments, and place a crystal gem in the position of the white curl between the eyebrows. Causing those who see it to produce joy in their minds will extinguish the transgressions of birth and death for hundreds of billions of nayutas of Ganges sands of kalpas.' (From the sixth fascicle of the Sūtra on the Samādhi of Contemplating the Buddha)