法苑珠林 96.12

96.12

又法華經藥王菩薩本事品略要云。爾時佛告宿王華菩薩。乃往過去無量殑伽河沙劫有佛。號日月淨明德如來。爾時彼佛為一切眾生喜見菩薩及眾菩薩諸聲聞眾說法華經。是喜見菩薩樂習苦行。於日月淨明德佛法中。精進經行一心求佛。滿萬二千歲已。而自念言。我雖以神力供養於佛。不如以身供養。即服諸香。滿千二百歲已。香油塗身。於淨明德佛前。以天寶衣而自纏身。灌諸香油。以神通力而自然身。光明遍照八十億殑伽河沙世界。其中諸佛同時讚言。善哉善哉。是名真精進。是名真法供養如來。其身火然千二百歲。過是已後其身乃盡。喜見菩薩作如是法供養已。命終之後復生淨明德國中。於淨德王家忽然化生。而白父言。淨明德佛今故現在。我先供養佛已得解一切眾生語言陀羅尼。復聞是法華經。我今當還供養此佛。乃至彼佛入涅槃已。收佛舍利作八萬四千寶塔。即於八萬四千塔前。然百福莊嚴臂。七萬二千歲。而以供養令無數求聲聞眾無量阿僧祇人發阿耨菩提心。爾時諸菩薩天人阿脩羅等。見其無臂憂惱悲哀。喜見菩薩是我等師。教化我者。而今燒臂身不具足。于時一切眾生喜見菩薩。於大眾中立此誓言。我捨兩臂必當得佛金色之身。若實不虛。令我兩臂還復如故。作是誓已。自然還復。當爾之時。大千世界六種震動。天雨寶華。一切人天得未曾有。佛告宿王華菩薩。於汝意云何。一切眾生喜見菩薩。豈異人乎。今藥王菩薩是也。若有發心欲得阿耨菩提者。能然手指乃至足一指供養佛塔。勝以國城妻子及三千大千國土珍寶而供養者。

Furthermore, the Summary of the Chapter on the Ancient Accounts of Bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra says: At that time, the Buddha told the Bodhisattva Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña: In the past, countless kalpas ago, as many as the sands of the Gaṅgā, there was a buddha named Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī Tathāgata. At that time, that buddha expounded the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra for Bodhisattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, as well as for the assemblies of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas. This Bodhisattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana delighted in practicing austerities. Within the Dharma of the Buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī, he vigorously practiced walking meditation and single-mindedly sought buddhahood. When twelve thousand years were fulfilled, he reflected: 'Although by divine power I have made offerings to the Buddha, it is not as good as making an offering of my body.' Thereupon he consumed various perfumes, and after twelve hundred years were fulfilled, he anointed his body with fragrant oil, and before the Buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī, wrapped his body in heavenly jeweled garments, poured various fragrant oils over it, and by supernormal power burned his own body. Its light universally illuminated eighty kotis of worlds, as many as the sands of the Gaṅgā. The buddhas therein praised him simultaneously, saying: 'Splendid, splendid! This is called true vigor; this is called the true offering of Dharma to the Tathāgata.' His body burned with fire for twelve hundred years, and only after that was his body exhausted. After Bodhisattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana made this Dharma offering, when his life ended, he was reborn in the land of the Buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī, being spontaneously born by transformation in the household of King Vimaladatta. He addressed his father, saying: 'The Buddha Candrasūryavimalaprabhāsaśrī is even now still present. Having previously made offerings to the Buddha, I obtained the dhāraṇī of understanding the languages of all sentient beings, and again heard this Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra. I should now return to make offerings to this Buddha.' Up to when that buddha entered nirvāṇa, he gathered the Buddha's relics and built eighty-four thousand jeweled stūpas. Then, before the eighty-four thousand stūpas, he burned his arms adorned with the hundred merits for seventy-two thousand years to make offerings, causing countless assemblies seeking to be śrāvakas and immeasurable asaṃkhyeyas of people to generate the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. At that time, all the bodhisattvas, gods, humans, asuras, and others, seeing that he had no arms, were sorrowful and grieved: 'Bodhisattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana is our teacher who transforms and guides us; yet now, having burned his arms, his body is incomplete.' Then Bodhisattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana made this vow among the great assembly: 'Having relinquished both my arms, I shall certainly obtain the golden body of a buddha. If this is true and not false, let both of my arms be restored as before.' Having made this vow, they were naturally restored as before. At that time, the trichiliocosm shook in six ways, the heavens rained down jeweled flowers, and all humans and gods attained what was unprecedented. The Buddha told Bodhisattva Nakṣatrarājasaṃkusumitābhijña: 'What do you think? Could Bodhisattva Sarvasattvapriyadarśana be anyone else? He is the present Bodhisattva Bhaiṣajyarāja. If there is someone who resolves to attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, and can burn a finger or even a toe as an offering to a buddha stūpa, it surpasses offering kingdoms, cities, wives, and children, as well as the rare treasures of a great trichiliocosm.'