法苑珠林 42.9

42.9

故依請賓頭盧經云。如天竺優婆塞國王長者。若設一切會者。常請賓頭盧頗羅墮誓阿羅漢。賓頭盧者字也。頗羅墮誓者姓也。其人為樹提長者現神足。故佛遏之不聽涅槃。勅令末法四部眾生作福田。請時於靜處燒香禮拜。向天竺摩梨山至心稱名言。大德賓頭盧頗羅墮誓。受佛教勅為末法人作福田。願受我請於此處食。若新作屋舍亦應請之。願受我請於此舍床敷上宿。若普請眾僧澡浴時。亦應請之言。受我請於此洗浴。及未明前見香湯灰水澡豆楊枝香油。調和冷暖如人浴法。開戶請入然後閉戶。如人浴訖頃。眾僧乃入。凡欲會食澡浴要須一切請僧至心求解脫。不疑不昧。信心清淨。然後可屈。近世有一長者。聞說賓頭盧大阿羅漢受佛教勅為末法人作福田。即如法施設大會。至心請賓頭盧。𣰽㲣下遍敷好華欲以驗之。大眾食訖發𣰽㲣。華皆萎黃。懊惱自責。不知過所從來。更復精竭審問經師。重設大會。如前布施。華亦復皆萎。復更傾竭盡家財產復作大會。猶亦如前。懊惱自責更請百餘法師。求請所失懺謝罪過。如向上座一人年老。四布悔其愆咎。上座告之。汝三會請我我皆受請。汝自使奴門中見遮。以我年老衣服弊壞謂是被擯。賴提沙門不肯見前。我以汝請欲強入。汝奴以杖打我頭破。額右角瘡是。第二會亦來復不見前。我欲強入復打我頭。額中瘡是。第三會復亦來如前被打頭。額左角瘡是。汝自為之。何所懊惋。言已不現。長者乃知是賓頭盧。自爾已來。諸人設福皆不敢遮門。若得賓頭盧來其坐處。華即不萎。若新立房舍床榻欲請賓頭盧時。皆當香湯灑地然香油燈新床新褥褥上奮綿敷之以白練覆上。初夜如法請之。還閉房戶。慎勿輕慢窺看。皆各至心信其必來。精誠感徹無不至也。來則褥上現有臥處。浴室亦現用湯水處。受大會請時。或在上座。或在中座。或在下座。現作隨處僧形。人求其異終不可得。去後見坐處。華不萎乃知之矣。

Therefore, according to the Sūtra on Inviting Piṇḍola: If an upāsaka, king, or elder of India holds any gathering, they always invite the arhat Piṇḍola-bhāradvāja. 'Piṇḍola' is his personal name, and 'Bhāradvāja' is his clan name. Because this man manifested supernormal feet for the elder Jyotiṣka, the Buddha restricted him and did not permit him to enter nirvāṇa, commanding him to serve as a field of merit for the sentient beings of the four assemblies in the Dharma-ending age. When inviting him, one should burn incense and pay homage in a quiet place, turn toward Mount Mālya in India, and with a sincere mind invoke his name, saying: 'O Venerable Piṇḍola-bhāradvāja, you received the Buddha's instruction to serve as a field of merit for the people of the final age. May you accept my invitation to dine at this place.' If one has newly built a house, one should also invite him, saying: 'May you accept my invitation to lodge upon the bedding in this house.' When universally inviting the community of monks to bathe, one should also invite him, saying: 'Accept my invitation to bathe here.' Before dawn, prepare fragrant hot water, ash water, bath powder, willow tooth-sticks, and fragrant oil, adjusting the warmth and coolness according to the human method of bathing. Open the door and invite him to enter, and then shut the door. After the duration of a human bath, the community of monks may enter. Whenever holding a meal gathering or bathing, it is essential that all those inviting the monks seek liberation with a sincere mind, without doubt or confusion, and with pure faith; only then can he be induced to come. In recent times, there was an elder who, having heard that the great arhat Piṇḍola received the Buddha's instruction to serve as a field of merit for the people of the final age, arranged a great assembly according to the Dharma and invited Piṇḍola with a sincere mind. Beneath the woolen rugs, he spread fine flowers everywhere, wishing to test his presence. When the great assembly had finished eating, he uncovered the woolen rugs, but the flowers were all withered and yellowed. In distress, he blamed himself, not knowing where his fault lay. Exerting himself further, he inquired carefully of masters of the scriptures, and held another great assembly, making offerings as before. The flowers again withered. He then exhausted all his family wealth to hold yet another great assembly, but it was still as before. Distressed and self-reproaching, he invited more than a hundred Dharma masters, seeking where his fault lay and repenting of his transgressions. He prostrated himself before an elderly thera at the head of the assembly, repenting of his errors on all sides. The thera told him: 'At all three of your assemblies you invited me, and I accepted your invitation each time. But you had your servant bar the gate. Seeing that I was old and my robes were tattered, he thought I was an outcast, a miserable śramaṇa, and would not let me enter. Because you had invited me, I tried to force my way in, but your servant struck my head with a staff, breaking it open; the wound on the right corner of my forehead is from that. At the second assembly, I came again and was again refused entry. When I tried to force my way in, he struck my head again; the wound in the middle of my forehead is from that. At the third assembly, I came again and was struck on the head as before; the wound on the left corner of my forehead is from that. You brought this upon yourself; why are you lamenting?' Having spoken, he vanished. Only then did the elder know that he was Piṇḍola. From that time onward, whenever people arranged meritorious events, none dared bar the gate. If Piṇḍola comes, the flowers at his seat do not wither. When newly building rooms, beds, and couches and wishing to invite Piṇḍola, one should sprinkle the ground with fragrant water, light fragrant oil lamps, prepare a new bed and new mattress, beat fine cotton spread upon the mattress, and cover it with white silk. In the early night, invite him according to the Dharma, and then shut the room's door. Be careful not to spy on him with disrespect. Everyone must believe with a sincere mind that he will surely come; when sincere devotion penetrates through, there is nowhere it does not reach. When he comes, an impression of someone lying down appears on the mattress, and signs of using hot water also appear in the bathhouse. When he accepts an invitation to a great assembly, he may sit in the upper seat, the middle seat, or the lower seat, appearing in the guise of an ordinary monk in any place; even if people seek something unusual about him, they will never find it. Only after he leaves, upon seeing that the flowers at his seat are not withered, do they know it.