法苑珠林 33.28

33.28

又優填王作佛形像經云。昔佛在世時。跋耆國王。名曰優填。來至佛所頭面頂禮。合掌白佛言。世尊。若佛滅後其有眾生作佛形像。當得何福。佛告王曰。若當有人作佛形像。功德無量不可稱計。世世所生不墮惡道。天上人中受福快樂。身體常作紫磨金色。眼目清潔面貌端正。身體手足奇絕妙好。常為眾人之所愛敬。若生人中。常生帝王大臣長者賢善家子。所生之處豪尊富貴。財產珍寶不可稱數。常為父母兄弟宗親之所愛重。若作帝王王中特尊。為諸國王之所歸仰。乃至得轉輪聖王王四天下。七寶自然千子具足。飛升天上無所不至。若生天上天中最勝。乃至得作六欲天王。於六天中尊貴第一。若生梵天作大梵王。端正無比勝諸梵天。常為諸梵之所尊敬。後皆得生無量壽國。作大菩薩最尊第一。過無數劫當得成佛。入泥洹道。若當有人作佛形像獲福如是。又法華經偈云。

Furthermore, the *Sūtra on King Udayana Making a Buddha Image* says: Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, the king of the Vṛji country, named Udayana, came to the Buddha's dwelling, bowed with his head to the ground, joined his palms, and said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, if after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa there are sentient beings who make images of the Buddha, what merit will they obtain?" The Buddha told the king: "If someone makes an image of the Buddha, his merit will be immeasurable and incalculable. Lifetime after lifetime wherever he is born, he will not fall into the evil destinies. He will enjoy merit and happiness among gods and humans, his body constantly of purple-polished gold color, his eyes clear, his countenance upright and handsome, and his limbs, hands, and feet extraordinarily fine and wondrous. He will always be loved and respected by all people. If born among humans, he will constantly be born into the families of emperors, kings, great ministers, elders, and the virtuous, and the place of his birth will be noble, eminent, rich, and honorable, with immeasurable wealth and treasures. He will always be cherished by parents, siblings, and kinsmen. If he becomes a ruler, he will be especially honored among kings and relied upon and revered by all monarchs, even becoming a wheel-turning sage king (cakravartin) ruling over the four continents, endowed naturally with the seven treasures and a thousand sons, soaring into heaven with nowhere he cannot go. If born in heaven, he will be supreme among gods, even becoming the king of the six heavens of desire, first in nobility among the six heavens. If born in the Brahmā heaven, he will be a great Brahmā king, peerlessly upright, surpassing all Brahmā gods, and always revered by all the Brahmās. Afterwards, all will be born in the Land of Immeasurable Life as foremost and most revered great bodhisattvas; after countless kalpas, they will attain buddhahood and enter the path of nirvāṇa. If someone makes an image of the Buddha, he obtains merit such as this." Furthermore, a verse in the *Lotus Sūtra* says: