法苑珠林 15.30

15.30

隋時有阿彌陀佛五十菩薩像者。西域天竺之瑞像也。相傳云。昔天竺雞頭摩寺五通菩薩。往安樂界請阿彌陀佛。娑婆眾生願生淨土。無佛形像願力莫由。請垂降許。佛言。汝且前去尋當現彼。及菩薩還其像已至。一佛五十菩薩。各坐蓮華在樹葉上。菩薩取葉所在圖寫流布遠近。漢明感夢使往祈法。便獲迦葉摩騰等至雒陽。後騰姊子作沙門。持此瑞像又達此國。所在圖之。未幾齎像西返。而此圖傳不甚流廣。魏晉已來年載久遠。又經滅法。經像湮除。此之瑞迹殆將不見。隋文帝開教。有沙門明憲。從高齊道長法師所得此一本。說其本起與傳符焉。是以圖寫流布遍於宇內。時有北齊畫工曹仲達者。本是曹國人。善於丹青妙盡梵迹。傳摸西瑞。京邑所推。故今寺壁正陽皆其真範云（右一驗出西域傳記）。

During the Sui dynasty, there was an image of Amitābha Buddha and fifty bodhisattvas, which was an auspicious image from Tianzhu (India) in the Western Regions. Tradition relates that in the past, a five-superknowledge bodhisattva of the Kukkuṭārāma Temple in Tianzhu went to the Land of Peace and Sustenance (Sukhāvatī) to implore Amitābha Buddha: "The sentient beings of the Sahā world wish to be born in the Pure Land, but having no physical images of the Buddha, they have no means to arouse the power of their vows. We pray that you deign to grant our request." The Buddha said: "Go ahead, and I shall manifest there shortly." By the time the bodhisattva returned, the image had already arrived: one Buddha and fifty bodhisattvas, each seated upon a lotus blossom on a tree leaf. The bodhisattva took the leaves and painted copies wherever he went, circulating them far and wide. Emperor Ming of the Han, moved by a dream, dispatched envoys to seek the Dharma, and thus obtained Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and others, who arrived in Luoyang. Later, Mātaṅga's nephew became a śramaṇa, carried this auspicious image to this land, and painted it wherever he went. Before long, he returned west carrying the image, so this painting was not very widely circulated. Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, long years had passed, and having also undergone the destruction of the Dharma, scriptures and images were lost and eradicated; this auspicious trace was nearly extinguished. When Emperor Wen of the Sui promoted the teaching, there was the śramaṇa Mingxian, who obtained a copy of this from Dharma Master Daozhang of the Northern Qi; its origin narrative matched the tradition. Therefore, copies were made and circulated throughout the realm. At that time, there was a Northern Qi painter named Cao Zhongda, originally from the country of Cao, who was skilled in painting and exquisitely captured the Indian forms; his copies of western auspicious images were praised throughout the capital. Therefore, today the south-facing walls of temples are all painted according to his authentic models. (The one account above is taken from the *Xiyu chuanji*.)