法苑珠林 13.16

13.16

又迦葉經云。昔過去久遠。阿僧祇劫。有佛出世。號曰光明。入涅槃後。有一菩薩。名大精進。年始十六。婆羅門種。端正無比。有一比丘。於白㲲上。畫佛形像。持與精進。精進見像心大歡喜。作如是言。如來形像妙好乃爾。況復佛身。願我未來亦得成就如是妙身。言已思念。我若在家此身叵得。即啟父母求哀出家。父母答言。我今年老。唯汝一子。汝若出家我等當死。子白父母。若不聽我者。我從今日不飲不食。不昇床坐亦不言說。作是誓已。一日不食乃至六日。父母知識八萬四千諸婇女等。同時悲泣。禮大精進尋聽出家。既得出家。持像入山。取草為座。在畫像前結跏趺坐。一心諦觀此畫像不異如來。如來像者非覺非知。一切諸法亦復如是。無相離相體性空寂。作是觀已。經於日夜成就五通。具足無量得無礙辯。得普光三昧具大光明。以淨天眼見於東方阿僧祇。佛以淨天耳聞佛所說悉能聽受。滿足七月。以智為食。一切諸天散華供養。從山而出來至村落。為人說法。二萬眾生發菩提心。無量阿僧祇人住於聲聞緣覺功德。父母親眷皆住不退無上菩提。佛告迦葉。昔大精進今我身是。由此觀像今得成佛。若有人能學如此觀。未來必當成無上道。

The Kāśyapa-sūtra also states: "In the remote past, asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, a Buddha appeared in the world named Prabhāsa. After he entered nirvāṇa, there was a bodhisattva named Mahāvīrya, aged sixteen years, of brāhmaṇa stock, peerlessly handsome. There was a bhikṣu who painted an image of the Buddha on white fine cloth and gave it to Mahāvīrya. Seeing the image, Mahāvīrya felt great joy and said: 'The likeness of the Tathāgata is as wondrous as this; how much more so the Buddha's body! May I in the future also accomplish such a wondrous body!' Having spoken, he reflected: 'If I remain at home, this body cannot be attained.' He then petitioned his parents, begging to leave household life. His parents replied: 'We are now old and have only you as an only son. If you leave home, we shall die.' The son addressed his parents: 'If you do not permit me, from this day on I will neither drink nor eat, neither mount a couch or seat nor speak.' Having made this vow, he did not eat for one day, up to six days. His parents, acquaintances, and eighty-four thousand palace maidens wept together at the same time, prostrated before Mahāvīrya, and immediately permitted him to leave home. Having left home, he took the image and entered the mountains, gathered grass for a seat, and sat cross-legged before the painted image, single-mindedly and attentively contemplating: 'This painted image is not different from the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata's image possesses neither consciousness nor cognition; all dharmas are also like this, signless, free from signs, their essential nature empty and quiescent.' Having practiced this contemplation, after a day and a night he accomplished the five supernormal powers, was endowed with immeasurable qualities, and attained unobstructed eloquence. He attained the Universal Radiance Samādhi, being endowed with great light; with the purified divine eye he saw asaṃkhyeya Buddhas in the east, and with the purified divine ear he heard what the Buddhas taught and was able to receive it all. Fulfilling seven months, he took wisdom as his food, and all the devas scattered flowers in offering. Coming out of the mountains, he arrived at villages and towns to expound the Dharma for the people. Twenty thousand sentient beings resolved on bodhi, immeasurable asaṃkhyeyas of people dwelt in the merits of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and his parents and relatives all dwelt in non-retrogression toward unexcelled bodhi. The Buddha told Kāśyapa: 'The Mahāvīrya of that time was my own person. Through this contemplation of the image, I have now attained buddhahood. If anyone can learn such a contemplation, in the future they will certainly attain the unexcelled path.'"