法苑珠林 35.8

35.8

如華嚴經云。著袈裟者捨離三毒也。又大悲經云。但使性是沙門。污沙門行自稱沙門。形似沙門被著袈裟。於彌勒佛乃至樓至佛所得入涅槃無有遺錯。又悲華經云。釋迦牟尼佛。昔於過去寶藏佛所發菩提心。願我成佛時。令我袈裟有五功德。一者我成佛已。若有眾生入我法中出家著袈裟者。或犯重禁。或犯邪見。若於三寶輕毀不信。集諸重罪比丘比丘尼優婆塞優婆夷。若於念中生恭敬心尊重佛法僧。如是眾生乃至一人必與授記。於三乘中得不退轉。二者我成佛已。天龍鬼神人及非人。若能於此著袈裟者。恭敬供養尊重讚歎。其人若得見此袈裟少分。即得不退於三乘中。三者若有眾生為飢渴所逼。若貧窮鬼神下賤諸人。乃至餓鬼畜生。若得袈裟少分乃至四寸。其人即得飲食充足。隨其所願疾得成就。四者若有眾生共相違反。起賊想展轉鬪諍。若諸天龍八部人及非人共鬪諍時。念此袈裟。尋生悲心。柔軟之心。無怨賊心。寂滅之心。調伏善心。五者有人若在兵甲鬪訟斷事之中。持此袈裟少分至此輩中。為自護故。供養恭敬尊重袈裟。是諸人等無能侵毀觸嬈輕弄。常得勝他過此諸難。若我袈裟不能成就如是五事聖功德者。則為欺誑十方世界現在諸佛。於未來世不成菩提作佛。又正法念經云。若有眾生持戒信心清淨。知僧福田。為法衣故。施一菓直為作衣價。心常愛樂而生隨喜。命終生林戲天。自在游戲隨意所至。若生人中神德自在。若有眾生心有淨信。為比丘僧染治袈裟法服。命終生彩地天。與諸天女五欲自娛。飲食甘露無有醉亂。從天命終得受人身。人所愛敬。

As the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'Those who wear the kāṣāya abandon the three poisons.' Furthermore, the Mahākaruṇā-sūtra says: 'If someone merely has the nature of a śramaṇa, defiles the conduct of a śramaṇa, calls himself a śramaṇa, looks like a śramaṇa, and wears the kāṣāya, from Maitreya Buddha down to Rucika Buddha, they will be able to enter nirvāṇa without any omission or failure.' Furthermore, the Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka-sūtra says: 'In the past, before Ratnagarbha Buddha, Śākyamuni Buddha generated the bodhicitta and vowed: “When I attain Buddhahood, may my kāṣāya have five virtues. First, after I have attained Buddhahood, if any sentient beings enter my Dharma, leave home, and wear the kāṣāya, and yet violate the grave prohibitions, fall into wrong views, or disrespect and lack faith in the Three Jewels, amassing all grave offenses—whether bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, or upāsikās—if in a single thought they give rise to a reverent mind that honors the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha, then to every such sentient being, down to even a single person, I shall surely bestow a prophecy that they will achieve non-retrogression within the three vehicles. Second, after I have attained Buddhahood, if heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, spirits, humans, or non-humans are able to show reverence, make offerings, honor, and praise anyone who wears this kāṣāya, and if that person merely gets to see even a small portion of this kāṣāya, they will immediately achieve non-retrogression within the three vehicles. Third, if sentient beings are afflicted by hunger and thirst, or if poor ghosts, spirits, lowly people, or even hungry ghosts and animals obtain even a small portion of the kāṣāya, down to four inches, they will immediately obtain an abundance of food and drink, and whatever they wish for will quickly be fulfilled. Fourth, if sentient beings turn against each other, perceive each other as foes, and repeatedly quarrel, or if the devas, nāgas, the eight classes of beings, humans, and non-humans quarrel with one another, and they recall this kāṣāya, they will immediately give rise to a mind of compassion, a tender mind, a mind free of enmity and malice, a peaceful and extinct mind, and a subdued, good mind. Fifth, if someone is in the midst of armed combat, litigation, or judicial judgment, and they take a small piece of this kāṣāya into their company for self-protection, and they offer, venerate, and honor the kāṣāya, then no one will be able to harm, harass, or demean them; they will always triumph over others and overcome these various difficulties. If my kāṣāya cannot accomplish these five sacred virtues, then I would be deceiving the present Buddhas of the ten directions and would not attain bodhi to become a Buddha in future ages.”' Furthermore, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: 'If there are sentient beings who uphold the precepts with pure faith, know the Saṃgha to be a field of merit, and, for the sake of the Dharma robes, donate the value of a single fruit as the cost of a robe, always rejoicing and sharing in joy, at the end of their lives they will be born in the Grove-Play Heaven, roaming and playing at will wherever they wish. If born among humans, their divine power and virtue will be autonomous. If sentient beings have pure faith in their hearts and dye and prepare kāṣāya Dharma robes for the saṃgha of bhikṣus, at the end of their lives they will be born in the Varied-Ground Heaven, amusing themselves with celestial maidens in the five desires, drinking nectar without intoxication or confusion. When their lives in heaven end, they will obtain human bodies and be loved and revered by people.'