法苑珠林 98.34

98.34

又佛在世時告天帝釋言。汝施我真珠并天工匠。又告天魔。汝施我七寶。又告娑竭龍王。汝施我摩尼珠。帝釋天龍等即奉珠寶。於三七日中並集戒壇所造作珠塔。用七寶莊。上安摩尼珠。以佛神力故。於三七日中一時皆成。合得八百億真珠七寶塔。以盛如來瓦鉢。爾時魔王白佛言。我自造珠塔用盛世尊鉢。我雖是天魔敬順佛語。故於未來世不令惡人損壞聖教。化惡比丘令生慚愧。佛即聽許。純用摩尼以盛一大塔。高四十由旬。以盛佛鉢。世尊涅槃時付囑魔王造塔。令付帝釋及四天王并大魔王。汝自守護。我涅槃後正法滅盡已。將我鉢塔安置戒壇南。十二年中住。汝等四天王日夜常自供養。守護勿令損失。過十二年已。將付娑竭龍王。安置彼宮中毘尼大藏所。又勅龍王當造十六塔為鉢塔眷屬。還經十二年後付囑帝釋四天王。將往須彌頂。帝釋歡喜園中金砂池南住。佛告揵闥婆王八部神等。汝於四十年中。作天音樂供養寶塔。為彼惡世中持戒弟子。守護應器如護眼睛。

Furthermore, when the Buddha was in the world, he said to Śakra, Lord of the Devas: 'You must offer me pearls and celestial craftsmen.' He also said to the heavenly Māra: 'You must offer me the seven precious gems.' He also said to the Dragon King Sāgara: 'You must offer me maṇi jewels.' Śakra, the devas, and the nāgas thereupon offered jewels and gems. Within three times seven days they all gathered at the ordination platform and constructed pearl stupas adorned with the seven precious gems, upon which maṇi jewels were placed. Through the Buddha's supernatural power, within three times seven days all were completed simultaneously, yielding in all eighty billion stupas of pearls and seven precious gems in which to enshrine the Tathāgata's earthenware bowl. At that time King Māra addressed the Buddha, saying: 'I shall myself construct a pearl stupa to enshrine the World-Honoured One's bowl. Although I am the heavenly Māra, I revere and obey the Buddha's words; therefore, in future ages I will not let evil persons harm the holy teaching, and I will transform evil bhikṣus to make them feel shame and repentance.' The Buddha then granted his consent. Using pure maṇi [jewels], a single great stupa forty yojanas high was fashioned to enshrine the Buddha's bowl. When the World-Honoured One was about to enter nirvāṇa, he entrusted King Māra with building the stupa, ordering that it be entrusted to Śakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the Great King Māra: 'Guard and protect it yourselves. After my nirvāṇa, when the saddharma has completely disappeared, place my bowl-stupa to the south of the ordination platform and keep it there for twelve years. You Four Heavenly Kings must constantly make offerings to it yourselves day and night, guarding and protecting it so that it suffers no harm. After twelve years have passed, entrust it to the Dragon King Sāgara to be placed in his palace at the great storehouse of the Vinaya. Further, command the Dragon King to build sixteen stupas to be the retinue of the bowl-stupa. After another twelve years, entrust it again to Śakra and the Four Heavenly Kings, who shall carry it to the summit of Mount Sumeru, to remain to the south of the Golden Sand Pool in Śakra's Pleasure Garden.' The Buddha said to the gandharva kings and the spirits of the eight classes: 'For forty years, perform celestial music to make offerings to the jewel stupa. For those disciples who uphold the precepts in that evil age, protect their almsbowls as you would protect the pupils of your eyes.'