法苑珠林 17.51

17.51

又集一切福德三昧經云。昔過去久遠阿僧祇劫有一仙人。名曰最勝。住山林中具五神通。常行慈心。後作是念。非但慈心能濟眾生。唯集多聞能滅眾生煩惱邪見能生正見。念已便詣城邑聚落。處處推求說法之師。時有天魔。來語仙言。我今有佛所說一偈。汝今若能剝皮為紙刺血為墨折骨為筆書寫此偈。當為汝說。最勝仙人聞已念言。我於無量百千劫中。常以無事為他割截。受苦無量都無利益。我今當捨不堅之身易堅實法。歡喜踊躍。即以利刀剝皮為紙刺血為墨折骨為筆。合掌向天請說佛偈。時魔見已愁憂憔悴。即便隱去。仙人見已作如是言。我今為法不惜身命。剝皮為紙刺血為墨折骨為筆為眾生故至誠不虛。餘方世界有大慈悲。能說法者當現我前。作是語時。東方去此三十二剎有佛國土。名普無垢。其國有佛。號淨名王。忽住其前放大光明照最勝身。苦痛即除。平復如故。佛即廣為說集一切福德三昧。最勝聞法得無礙辯。佛說法已還沒不現。最勝仙人得辯才已。為諸眾生廣說妙法。令無量眾生住三乘道。經千歲後乃命終生淨名王普無垢國。由敬法故今得成佛。佛告淨威。昔最勝者今我身是。是以當知。若有人能恭敬求法。佛於其人不入涅槃。法亦不滅。雖在異土常面覩佛得聞正法。

Moreover, the Sarvapuṇyasamuccaya-samādhi-sūtra says: In the distant past, incalculable asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a sage named Agrasiddhi (Zuigao/Zuiji). He lived in the mountain forests, possessed the five supernormal knowledges, and constantly practiced a mind of loving-kindness. Later, he had this thought: 'It is not only through a mind of loving-kindness that one can rescue sentient beings; only by gathering extensive learning can one eliminate sentient beings' afflictions and wrong views, and generate right views.' Having thought this, he went to cities and villages, everywhere searching for a teacher to preach the Dharma. At that time, a heavenly Māra came and said to the sage, 'I now have a verse spoken by a Buddha. If you can now strip off your skin for paper, prick out your blood for ink, and snap your bones for a pen to write down this verse, I shall speak it for you.' When the sage Agrasiddhi heard this, he thought: 'Over countless hundreds of thousands of kalpas, I have constantly been cut up by others for nothing, suffering immeasurable pain completely without benefit. Now I should give up an impermanent body to exchange it for the firm and real Dharma.' Exulting with joy, he at once used a sharp knife to strip off his skin for paper, pricked out his blood for ink, and snapped his bones for a pen. Joining his palms toward the sky, he requested the speaking of the Buddha's verse. When the Māra saw this, grieved, distressed, and withered, he immediately vanished. When the sage saw this, he said: 'Now, for the sake of the Dharma, I do not spare body or life. I have stripped off my skin for paper, pricked out my blood for ink, and snapped my bones for a pen; for the sake of sentient beings, I am utterly sincere and not false. If in the worlds of other directions there is one of great compassion who can preach the Dharma, may they appear before me!' When he spoke these words, thirty-two buddha-lands away to the east, there was a buddha-field named Viśuddhi (Samantavimalā). In that country there was a Buddha named Vimalarāja (Jingmingwang). He suddenly stood before him, emitting a great radiance that illuminated the body of Agrasiddhi. His pain was instantly eliminated, and he was restored as before. The Buddha then extensively spoke the Sarvapuṇyasamuccaya-samādhi for him. Hearing the Dharma, Agrasiddhi attained unimpeded eloquence. After the Buddha finished preaching the Dharma, he returned into concealment and was no longer seen. Having attained eloquence, the sage Agrasiddhi extensively spoke the wondrous Dharma for sentient beings, causing immeasurable sentient beings to abide in the path of the three vehicles. After a thousand years, he passed away and was reborn in King Vimala's realm of Samantavimalā. Because of his reverence for the Dharma, he has now attained Buddhahood. The Buddha told Vimala-tejas: 'The former Agrasiddhi was my own body. Therefore, you should know: if someone can reverently seek the Dharma, the Buddha does not enter nirvāṇa for that person, nor does the Dharma perish. Although in a different land, they constantly gaze upon the Buddha face to face and get to hear the true Dharma.'