法苑珠林 30.29

30.29

閻浮提外北方海中有一金山。名曰功德。相中有一窟。名為明星。亦是菩薩昔所住處。有一師子（此方名虎）修聲聞慈。復有一窟。名曰淨道。亦是菩薩昔所住處。中有一兔修聲聞慈。復有一窟。名曰喜樂。亦是菩薩昔所住處。中有一龍修聲聞慈。山有水神。名曰水天。有羅剎女。名修慚愧各有五百眷屬圍遶。是二女人常共供養如是三獸。是十二獸晝夜常行閻浮提內。人天恭敬功德成就。已於諸佛所發深重願。一日一夜常令一獸游行教化。餘十一獸安住修慈。周而復始。七月一日鼠初游行。以聲聞乘教化一切鼠身。令離惡業勸修善事。如是次第至十二日。鼠復還行。如是乃至盡十二月。至十二歲亦復如是。常為調伏諸眾生故。此土多有功德。乃至畜獸。亦能教化演說無上菩提之道。是故他方諸菩薩等。常應恭敬此佛世界（述曰。此之十二獸。並是菩薩慈悲化導。故作種種人畜等形。住持世界令不斷絕。故人道初生。當此菩薩住窟。即屬此獸。護持得益。是故漢地十二辰獸依此而行。不異經也）。

In the sea to the north beyond Jambudvīpa, there is a golden mountain named Meritorious Marks. In it is a cave named Bright Star, also a place where a bodhisattva once dwelt. There is a lion (called tiger in this land) cultivating the loving-kindness of the śrāvakas. There is another cave named Pure Path, also a place where a bodhisattva once dwelt; inside is a hare cultivating the loving-kindness of the śrāvakas. There is another cave named Joy and Bliss, also a place where a bodhisattva once dwelt; inside is a dragon cultivating the loving-kindness of the śrāvakas. The mountain has a water deity named Varuṇa, and a rākṣasī named Cultivating Shame, each surrounded by a retinue of five hundred. These two women constantly make offerings together to these three animals. These twelve animals constantly travel through Jambudvīpa day and night; they are revered by humans and devas, accomplished in merit, and have already made deep and weighty vows before the Buddhas. Over one day and one night, one animal is constantly made to travel about teaching and transforming, while the remaining eleven animals abide peacefully cultivating loving-kindness, cycling through and beginning again. On the first day of the seventh month, the rat first travels about, using the śrāvaka vehicle to teach and transform all those with the bodies of rats, causing them to abandon evil karma and encouraging them to cultivate good deeds. Proceeding in this order until the twelfth day, the rat travels again. It continues like this until the twelve months are complete, and through twelve years it is also like this, because they constantly tame all sentient beings. This land has much merit, such that even beasts and animals are able to teach, transform, and expound the path of unexcelled bodhi. Therefore, all the bodhisattvas of other lands should always revere this Buddha-world. (The compiler notes: These twelve beasts are all the merciful transformations of bodhisattvas; thus they take on various human and animal forms, maintaining the world so that it is never cut off. Therefore, when human beings are first born, they correspond to the cave where this bodhisattva abides, and thus belong to this animal, gaining benefit through its protection. Hence the twelve zodiacal animals of the Han lands proceed according to this, which does not differ from the sūtra.)