法苑珠林 11.31

11.31

依宣律師住持感應記云。具論因緣。並在第十卷中灌帶部內述之。時有四天王子告律師云。世尊初成道第十一年。於王舍城中須摩長者園內。告諸大菩薩及大弟子曰。我初踰城時。至彼洴沙國。路逢牧牛女。我語云。我有少飢渴。從汝乞飲食。彼女答云。汝何所往。答言。求趣菩提。又問。名字何等。答言悉達。彼女又白我言。我讀韋陀之典云。不久有大智人。當成正覺。我觀仁者相貌音聲。是諸佛相。我作此山神。經十六大劫。過去諸佛我皆親覲。汝可隨我往至住處。當與汝飲食。過去迦葉涅槃時。付我一澡罐。其項上有雙龍繞。下有師子蹲。拘留佛所製。遞相付我訖至樓至佛。此龍瓶內。具足有八功德水。汝若飢渴當飲此水。能消煩惱增長菩提。勿輕此小瓶。假使四大海水內此瓶中。猶不能滿中。有四龍王。此賢劫初三佛出世所有遺法。多在瓶內與娑竭龍宮。一無有二。又迦葉佛。付我香鑪及一黃金函。將付仁者。其香鑪前有十六頭。半是師子。半是白象。於二獸頭上。別起蓮華臺。以臺為鑪相。於鑪四緣別起六銀樓。樓出天童。可長二寸。如是諸天童合有九十六。每燒香時。是諸童等。各各分番來付香鑪。後師子向外而蹲踞。從師子頂上有九龍盤繞。上承金蓮。華內有金臺。即臺為寶子。於臺寶子內。有十三萬億真珠大樓觀。各盛諸妙香。復有十三萬金牒毘尼藏。中有比丘。入于滅盡定。若至燒香時。其諸鑪頭諸天童子來至寶臺所。各各口出燒香歌曲。臺門自開。諸比丘從定而出。從真珠觀取香付囑天童。付已臺門自閉。從九龍口中。又銜白銀觀。為臺眷屬。而諸銀臺內。皆有天童子。常作天樂讚歎燒香。其音清雅無可為比。眾生聞者生信悟道。如來每說法時。在大眾前常執香鑪。天童取香來授與佛。令之供養。又有黃金函。內盛大般若。合三十億偈。黃金為經牒。白玉為界道。白銀為字。其函長三寸。內有二比丘。亦入滅定。此函及鑪。是拘留佛所製。次第付我乃至樓至佛。諸佛欲興世。皆開此金函披閱經典。以般若力天魔不嬈速登正覺。今將付囑。努力守護勿令損失。我受得已於菩提樹下。六年苦行。常飲此瓶水。故除飢渴。煩惱亦消也。

According to Vinaya Master Daoxuan's Zhuchi ganying ji (Record of Sympathetic Resonances for the Maintenance of the Dharma): A detailed discussion of the causes and conditions is given in the section on pouring water on the sash in fascicle 10. At that time, the Prince of the Four Heavenly Kings addressed the Vinaya Master, saying: "In the eleventh year after the World-Honoured One first attained the Way, inside the park of Elder Sumana in Rājagṛha, he addressed the great bodhisattvas and great disciples, saying: 'When I first leaped over the city wall and reached the kingdom of Bimbisāra, I met a cowherd maiden on the road. I said to her: "I am slightly hungry and thirsty, and beg food and drink from you." She answered, saying: "Where are you going?" I replied: "Seeking to attain bodhi." She asked again: "What is your name?" I replied: "Siddhārtha." That maiden again said to me: "I have read the Vedic scriptures, which say that before long a person of great wisdom will attain perfect awakening. I observe that your appearance, countenance, and voice, O benevolent one, are the marks of the Buddhas. I have served as the deity of this mountain for sixteen mahākalpas, and I have personally attended all the Buddhas of the past. You may follow me to my dwelling place, and I will give you food and drink. When the past Buddha Kāśyapa entered nirvāṇa, he entrusted to me a washing flask. Around its neck two nāgas are entwined, and beneath it a lion crouches; it was fashioned by Buddha Krakucchanda and handed down successively until Buddha Rucika. Within this nāga flask, water possessing the eight virtues is fully present. If you are hungry or thirsty, you should drink this water; it can extinguish afflictions and increase bodhi. Do not look down upon this small flask: even if the water of the four great oceans were poured into this flask, it still could not fill it. Within it are four nāga kings. Most of the bequeathed teachings of the first three Buddhas who appeared in this Bhadrakalpa are within this flask and within the Sāgara Nāga Palace, one and the same without difference. Furthermore, Buddha Kāśyapa entrusted to me an incense burner and a golden casket to hand over to you, O benevolent one. In front of that incense burner there are sixteen heads, half of which are lions and half white elephants. Above the heads of these two beasts, lotus platforms are separately erected, with the platforms forming the incense burner. On the four rims of the burner, six silver towers are separately erected; from the towers emerge heavenly youths, about two inches tall. In all, there are ninety-six such heavenly youths. Whenever incense is burned, these youths take turns coming to tend the incense burner. Behind, a lion crouches facing outward. From the top of the lion's head, nine nāgas coil around, supporting a golden lotus above. Within the flower is a golden platform, which itself serves as a jewel receptacle. Within the jewel receptacle on the platform are one hundred and thirty billion large pearl towers, each containing various wondrous incenses. Furthermore, there are one hundred and thirty thousand golden leaves of the Vinaya piṭaka. Inside there are monks who have entered the meditative attainment of cessation. When the time comes to burn incense, the heavenly youths at the burner heads come to the precious platform, each chanting songs for burning incense from their mouths; the platform doors open on their own, and the monks emerge from their samādhi, take incense from the pearl towers, and hand it to the heavenly youths. Once handed over, the platform doors shut of their own accord. From the mouths of the nine nāgas, they also hold white silver towers as retinues of the platform. Inside all these silver platforms are heavenly youths who constantly play divine music in praise of the burning of incense. Their tones are clear and elegant, beyond compare. Sentient beings who hear them give rise to faith and awaken to the Way. Whenever the Tathāgata preaches the Dharma, he constantly holds this incense burner before the great assembly; the heavenly youths take the incense and present it to the Buddha for him to make offerings. Furthermore, there is a golden casket containing the Great Prajñā, totaling three billion verses, with golden leaves for the sūtra text, white jade for the margins, and white silver for the characters. That casket is three inches long, and inside are two monks who have also entered the meditative attainment of cessation. This casket and the burner were fashioned by Buddha Krakucchanda and successively entrusted until Buddha Rucika. Whenever Buddhas are about to arise in the world, they all open this golden casket to inspect and read the scriptures; through the power of prajñā, heavenly demons do not harass them, and they swiftly ascend to perfect awakening. Now I entrust them to you; strive to protect them and do not let them be damaged or lost." Having received them, during the six years of austerities beneath the Bodhi tree, I constantly drank the water of this flask, whereby my hunger and thirst were removed, and afflictions were also extinguished.'"}, sovereigns, celestial kings, Śakra, Māra, and Brahmā each washed his feet in turn. The earth shook in six ways. From beneath his feet, the Tathāgata emitted golden light and sat upon a golden lotus throne. The Buddhas of the ten directions each came and offered incense. Within the radiance, Vairocana Buddha extended a golden hand and stroked Śākyamuni Buddha's crown, and furthermore preached the wondrous Dharma: "I bid the Buddhas of the ten directions to perform the jñapti-caturtha-karman to confer upon Śākyamuni Buddha the position of the unsurpassed Dharma King." The Buddhas carried out this karman upon the golden terrace. The assembly of gods and humans, countless as the sands of the Ganges, heard the Buddhas' karman and simultaneously became tranquil, just like a monk entering the fourth dhyāna. After the Buddhas had carried out the karman and [the Bodhisattva] received the position of Dharma King, the earth shook greatly in six ways. The Buddha emitted light that illuminated the ten directions everywhere, extensively performing Buddha-activities to benefit both ordinary beings and sages, which cannot be fully described.