法苑珠林 86.17

86.17

又虛空藏經云。若優婆塞優婆夷等。破五戒犯八戒齋。出家比丘比丘尼沙彌沙彌尼式叉摩那犯四重禁。在家菩薩毀六重禁。如是愚人。世尊先於毘尼中決定驅擯。如大石破。今於此經。說大悲虛空藏能救諸苦及說呪以除罪咎。設有此人。云何為證。佛告優波離。有三十五佛教救世大悲。汝當敬禮。爾時當著慚愧衣。如眼生瘡深生耻愧。如癩病人隨良醫教。汝亦如是。應生慚愧。既慚愧已。一日乃至七日。禮十方佛。稱三十五佛名。別稱大悲虛空藏菩薩名。澡浴身體。燒眾名香。堅黑沈水。明星出時。長跪合掌悲泣雨淚。稱虛空藏名。白言。大德。大悲菩薩。愍念我故為我現身。爾時當起是想。是虛空藏菩薩頂上有如意珠。其如意珠紫金色。若見如意珠即見天冠。此天冠中有三十五像現。如意珠中十方佛像現。虛空藏菩薩身長二十由旬。若現大身與觀世音等。此菩薩結跏趺坐。手捉如意珠王。其如意珠演說眾法音。與毘尼合。若此菩薩憐愍眾生。作比丘像及一切像。若於夢中。若坐禪時。以摩尼珠印印彼臂。印文上有除罪字。得此字已。還入僧中。如本說戒。若優婆塞得此字者。不障出家。設不得此字。便於空中有聲唱言。罪滅罪滅。若無空聲使知毘尼者夢見虛空藏。告言。毘尼菩薩。某甲比丘。某甲優婆塞。更令懺悔。一日乃至七日。禮三十五佛虛空藏菩薩力故。汝罪輕微。知法者復教令塗治圊廁。經八百日。日日告言。汝作不淨事。汝今一心塗一切圊廁。莫令人知。塗已澡浴。禮三十五佛。稱虛空藏。向十二部經五體投地。說汝過惡。如是懺悔復經三七日。爾時智者。應集親厚於佛像前稱三十五佛名稱虛空藏名。文殊師利賢劫菩薩為其作證。更白羯磨如前受戒。此人苦行力故罪報永除。不障三種菩提業。佛告優波離。汝持是觀虛空藏法。為未來世無慚愧眾生多犯惡者。廣分別說。說是語時。虛空藏結跏趺坐放金色光。如意珠中現三十五佛已。白佛言。世尊。我此如意珠寶說首楞嚴坐是故眾生見此珠者。得如意自在。爾時世尊勅優波離。汝持此經不得多眾廣說但為一人持毘尼者。為未來世無眼眾生作眼目故。慎莫忘失。時優波離聞佛所說歡喜奉行。

Furthermore, the Ākāśagarbha Sūtra states: “If upāsakas or upāsikās break the five precepts or violate the eightfold fast precepts; if ordained bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, śrāmaṇeras, śrāmaṇerīs, or śikṣamāṇās commit the four grave prohibitions; or if lay bodhisattvas break the six grave prohibitions—such foolish persons were previously determined by the World-Honoured One in the Vinaya to be expelled, like a great stone that has broken. Now, in this scripture, it is taught that the Great Compassionate Ākāśagarbha can rescue them from all sufferings, and spells are spoken to eradicate sins and faults. If there is such a person, what serves as proof? The Buddha told Upāli: ‘There are thirty-five Buddhas who teach the great compassion that rescues the world; you should pay homage to them. At that time, you should put on the robe of shame and remorse, as if an eye had grown a sore, feeling deep shame and disgrace; just as a leper follows the instructions of an excellent physician, you too should be like this and give rise to shame and remorse. Having developed shame and remorse, for one day up to seven days, pay homage to the Buddhas of the ten directions, recite the names of the thirty-five Buddhas, and separately recite the name of the Great Compassionate Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha. Bathe your body, burn various famous incenses such as hard black agallochum, and when the morning star appears, kneel upright with palms joined, weeping and shedding tears like rain, recite the name of Ākāśagarbha, and say: “Venerable One, Great Compassionate Bodhisattva, out of pity and regard for me, please manifest your body for me.” At that time, one should form this thought: On the crown of this Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha is a wish-fulfilling jewel of purple-golden color. If one sees the wish-fulfilling jewel, one immediately sees the heavenly crown. In this heavenly crown thirty-five images appear, and within the wish-fulfilling jewel images of the Buddhas of the ten directions appear. The body of Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha is twenty yojanas tall; if he manifests a great body, it is equal to Avalokiteśvara. This bodhisattva sits cross-legged, holding the king of wish-fulfilling jewels in his hand. The wish-fulfilling jewel expounds the sounds of manifold Dharmas, in accord with the Vinaya. If this bodhisattva takes pity on sentient beings, he assumes the form of a monk or all manner of forms. Either in a dream or while sitting in meditation, he stamps the person’s arm with a maṇi-jewel seal. On the seal’s inscription are characters meaning “sin extinguished.” Having obtained these characters, he may re-enter the Saṃgha and recite the precepts as originally done. If an upāsaka obtains these characters, his going forth into homelessness is not obstructed. If one does not obtain these characters, then in the sky there will be a voice calling out: “Sins extinguished, sins extinguished!” If there is no voice in the sky, he should cause one who knows the Vinaya to see Ākāśagarbha in a dream, who tells him: “Bodhisattva of the Vinaya, have the bhikṣu so-and-so or the upāsaka so-and-so confess further. For one day up to seven days, by the power of paying homage to the thirty-five Buddhas and Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha, your sins will become light and slight.” The one who knows the Dharma should further instruct him to plaster and clean the latrines for eight hundred days, telling him every day: “You have performed impure deeds. You must now single-mindedly plaster all the latrines without letting anyone know.” After plastering them, he should bathe, pay homage to the thirty-five Buddhas, recite the name of Ākāśagarbha, cast all five limbs to the ground before the twelve divisions of scriptures, and state his faults and evils. Such confession should continue for another three seven-day periods (twenty-one days). At that time, a wise person should gather close associates before the Buddha’s image, recite the names of the thirty-five Buddhas, and recite the name of Ākāśagarbha, with Mañjuśrī and the bodhisattvas of the Bhadrakalpa serving as his witnesses; then perform the announcement and karmavācanā again, receiving the precepts as before. Through the power of this person’s austerities, the retribution of his sins will be permanently eliminated, and his engagement with the three kinds of bodhi will not be obstructed.’ The Buddha told Upāli: ‘You should uphold this method of contemplating Ākāśagarbha and explain it broadly for the sake of future sentient beings who lack shame and remorse and frequently commit evils.’ When these words were spoken, Ākāśagarbha sat cross-legged and emitted golden light; after thirty-five Buddhas appeared within the wish-fulfilling jewel, he said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honoured One, this wish-fulfilling jewel of mine speaks the Śūraṅgamasamādhi; therefore, sentient beings who see this jewel will attain sovereign fulfillment of their wishes.’ At that time the World-Honoured One instructed Upāli: ‘You should uphold this scripture; do not explain it broadly to many people, but explain it only to a single person who upholds the Vinaya, so as to act as eyes for the blind sentient beings of future generations. Be careful not to forget or lose it!’ At that time Upāli, having heard what the Buddha said, rejoiced and practiced it.”