法苑珠林 62.12

62.12

問曰。七月十五日既開道俗造盆獻供。未知得造寶盆種種雜珍獻佛以不。答曰並得。若依小盆報恩經。略無寶物。依大盆淨土經。即有故。十六國王聞佛說目連救母脫三劫餓鬼之苦生人道中母子相見。時瓶沙王即勅藏臣。為吾造盆。藏臣奉勅。即以五百金盆。五百銀盆。五百瑠璃盆。五百硨璖盆。五百瑪瑙盆。五百珊瑚盆。五百琥珀盆。各各盛滿百一味飲食。事事如法。將來獻佛及僧。准此定得。

Question: Since monks and laypeople are permitted to prepare basins and present offerings on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, may one make jeweled basins and offer various kinds of treasures to the Buddha or not? Answer: All are permitted. If one relies on the Short Basin Sūtra on Repaying Kindness, jeweled items are omitted; but if one relies on the Great Basin Pure Land Sūtra, they are present. For when the kings of the sixteen countries heard the Buddha explain how Maudgalyāyana rescued his mother from the suffering of being a hungry ghost for three kalpas, enabling her to be reborn among humans where mother and son saw each other, King Bimbisāra immediately commanded his treasury minister: 'Make basins for me!' The treasury minister received the command and thereupon prepared five hundred golden basins, five hundred silver basins, five hundred lapis lazuli basins, five hundred tridacna basins, five hundred agate basins, five hundred coral basins, and five hundred amber basins, each filled to the brim with food and drink of a hundred and one flavours, everything conforming to the Dharma, and brought them to offer to the Buddha and the Saṅgha. Based on this, it is definitely permitted.