法苑珠林 62.13

62.13

問曰。依小盆經云。佛告目連。十方眾僧。七月十五日自恣時。當為七世父母及現在父母厄難中者具飯。百味五果汲罐盆器香油然燭床臥眾具。盡施甘果以著盆中。供養十方大德眾僧。初受盆時先安在佛塔前。眾僧呪願竟便自受食。不論雜華供養。今時諸寺有力富者。廣造雜華。或用雜寶。或用雜繒。或用米麫。或用諸臘。或用鉛錫。或用雜色等。亦有道俗貴勝譏論此事。目連為母生在餓鬼。佛令設百味飲食獻佛及僧。何因將此寶華雜物獻之佛僧。豈得食此寶華雜色等不。答曰。不得以己狹劣妨他大福。故大盆經云。瓶沙王造五百金鉢。盛滿千色華。五百銀鉢盛滿千色白木香。五百瑠璃鉢盛滿千色紫金香。五百硨璖鉢盛滿千色黃蓮華。五百馬腦鉢盛滿千色赤蓮華。五百珊瑚鉢盛滿千色青木香。五百琥珀鉢盛滿千色白蓮華。王視如法。即勅兵臣嚴駕十四萬眾。俱到祇桓寺禮佛奉盆及僧。以七寶盆鉢俱施與佛及僧。受用竟。還駕歸國。七世父母超過七十二劫生死之罪。其次須達居士。毘舍佉母。二百優婆夷。波斯匿王末利夫人等。頒宣國內。依目連盆法為吾造盆。各用五百紫金盆黃金盆。盛滿百一味飲食。後以五百紫金輿。五百黃金輿盛滿百一物。事事具足。遂至王及夫人前。見其如法。時王即以嚴駕。十八萬眾共至佛前。奉千金盆千金輿等竟。敬禮還歸。七世父母超過七十二劫生死之罪。

Question: According to the Short Basin Sūtra: 'The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: "The monks of the ten directions, at the time of the pravāraṇā on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, should prepare food for parents of seven lifetimes and present parents in adversity: vessels and basins with a hundred delicacies and the five fruits, ladles and pitchers, fragrant oil and burning lamps, beds, bedding, and all requisites, providing all sweet fruits and placing them inside the basins, to offer to the venerable monks of the ten directions. When first receiving the basins, one should first place them before the Buddha's stupa; after the assembly of monks has completed the recitation of mantras and vows, they may then partake of the food themselves."' It does not mention offerings of sundry flowers. Nowadays, the capable and wealthy in various monasteries extensively make sundry flowers, using either various jewels, various silks, rice and flour, various types of wax, lead and tin, or various colors. There are also monks and laypeople of noble status who criticize this, saying: 'Maudgalyāyana's mother was reborn as a hungry ghost, and the Buddha instructed him to prepare food and drink of a hundred delicacies to offer to the Buddha and the Saṅgha. For what reason are these jeweled flowers and sundry items offered to the Buddha and Saṅgha? Can they eat these jeweled flowers and sundry colors?' Answer: One must not let one's own narrow pettiness obstruct the great merit of others. Thus the Great Basin Sūtra states: 'King Bimbisāra made five hundred golden bowls, filled to the brim with flowers of a thousand colors; five hundred silver bowls, filled to the brim with white agallochum incense of a thousand colors; five hundred lapis lazuli bowls, filled to the brim with purple gold incense of a thousand colors; five hundred tridacna bowls, filled to the brim with yellow lotus flowers of a thousand colors; five hundred agate bowls, filled to the brim with red lotus flowers of a thousand colors; five hundred coral bowls, filled to the brim with green agallochum incense of a thousand colors; and five hundred amber bowls, filled to the brim with white lotus flowers of a thousand colors. When the king saw that all was done according to the Dharma, he immediately commanded his military ministers to array an escort of one hundred and forty thousand people, and they went together to the Jetavana Temple to pay homage to the Buddha and present the basins to him and the Saṅgha. Having donated all the basins and bowls of the seven treasures to the Buddha and the Saṅgha, and after they had received and made use of them, he returned with his retinue to his kingdom. His parents of seven lifetimes transcended the sins of birth and death spanning seventy-two kalpas.' Next, the householder Sudatta, Mother Viśākhā, two hundred upāsikās, King Prasenajit, Queen Mallikā, and others proclaimed throughout their realms: 'According to Maudgalyāyana's basin ritual, make basins for us!' They each used five hundred purple-gold basins and yellow-gold basins, filled to the brim with food and drink of a hundred and one flavours. Then, with five hundred purple-gold palanquins and five hundred yellow-gold palanquins, filled to the brim with a hundred and one items, everything was fully provided. They proceeded before the king and queen, who saw that it was done according to the Dharma. Thereupon the king arrayed an escort, and together with one hundred and eighty thousand people went before the Buddha. After presenting the thousand golden basins, thousand golden palanquins, and so forth, they paid reverent homage and returned. Their parents of seven lifetimes transcended the sins of birth and death spanning seventy-two kalpas.