法苑珠林 33.54

33.54

又摩訶剎頭經。亦名灌佛形像經云。佛告天下人民。十方諸佛皆用四月八日夜半時生。皆用四月八日夜半時去家學道。皆用四月八日夜半時得佛道。皆用四月八日夜半時般泥洹。佛言。所以用四月八日者。為春夏之際殃罪悉畢。萬物普生毒氣未行。不寒不熱時氣和適。今是佛生日。故諸天下人民共念佛功德浴佛形像。如佛在時。以示天下人。佛言。我為菩薩時。三十六返為天王帝釋。三十六返作金輪王。三十六返作飛行皇帝。今日諸賢誰有好心念釋迦佛恩德者。以香華浴佛形像求第一福者。諸天鬼神所證明知。四月八日浴佛法時。當取三種香。一都梁香。二藿香。三艾納香。合三種草香按而漬之。此則青色水。若香少者可以紺黛秦皮權代之。又用欝金香手按漬之於水中。按之以作赤水。以水清淨用灌像訖。以白練拭之。斷後自占更灌名曰清淨。其福第一也。

Furthermore, the Mahāsāṃghika-śāstṛ-sūtra, also titled the Sūtra on Bathing the Buddha's Image, says: The Buddha addressed the people of the world: "All the Buddhas of the ten directions are born at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month; they all leave home to study the path at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month; they all attain the Buddha path at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month; and they all enter parinirvāṇa at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month." The Buddha said, "The reason why the eighth day of the fourth month is used is that at the turn of spring and summer, calamities and offenses have all come to an end; all things are universally growing; noxious vapors have not yet spread; it is neither cold nor hot, and the seasonal climate is mild and pleasant. Today is the Buddha's birthday; therefore, the people of the world join in mindfully recollecting the Buddha's merit and bathe the Buddha's image just as when the Buddha was in the world, to show it to the people of the world." The Buddha said, "When I was a bodhisattva, thirty-six times I was the celestial king Śakra; thirty-six times I was a golden wheel-turning king; and thirty-six times I was a flying emperor. Today, among all you worthy ones, whoever has the good mind to mindfully recollect the kindness and merit of Śākyamuni Buddha, and bathes the Buddha's image with fragrant flowers to seek the foremost blessing, will be witnessed and clearly known by all the devas, ghosts, and spirits. When bathing the Buddha according to the Dharma on the eighth day of the fourth month, one should take three kinds of fragrance: first, dūlyā fragrance; second, huoxiang fragrance; third, ainaxiang fragrance. Combine these three herbal fragrances, crush them, and steep them; this produces blue-green water. If the fragrances are few, one may temporarily substitute dark indigo and Chinese ash bark for them. Furthermore, use saffron, crushing and steeping it by hand in the water; crush it to produce red water. Using this purified water, after finishing the ablution of the image, wipe it with white silk. If one washes oneself afterwards, pouring water again is called purification. Its blessing is foremost."