法苑珠林 16
English (machine translation) 16
- Language
- English
16.1
Compiled by the monk Daoshi of Ximing Temple
16.2
Section on Reverence for the Buddha, Part 6-4: Maitreya Section, Part 5 (containing five subsections)
16.3
Subsection on Expressing Intent
Subsection on Receiving Precepts
Subsection on Praising the Buddha
Subsection on Karmic Causes
Subsection on Making Vows
16.4
Subsection on Expressing Intent, the First
16.5
Reflecting upon the Greatly Awakened Hero of the World, who benefited beings according to their capacities, he skillfully set forth teachings displaying provisional means to rescue the emergencies of future times. Living in the Latter Age, life is like a candle in the wind; when pursuing what is most essential to benefit beings, nothing surpasses seeing the Buddha. By the bequeathed charge of the Śākya Honoured One, those who cultivate practice within my Dharma are all entrusted to the Benevolent One to awaken to the holy fruit. The Great Sage's earnest intent is in principle truly not in vain; with a single thought of encountering him, one forever cuts off the four torrents. Binding wonderful vows in the Flower Grove and evoking the benevolent countenance in Tuṣita, if one can strike upon the hidden mechanism, dragon and cloud shall meet. Therefore, the Shangsheng jing says: 'All these persons have planted wholesome roots in the Dharma; Śākyamuni Buddha has sent and entrusted them to me.' Observing this single phrase, it can indeed be relied upon. It was only toward the end of the Jin dynasty that this sūtra first circulated, and by the time of Emperor Ming of Song, these assemblies were first inaugurated: raising a thousand-foot revered statue, depicting a ten-thousand-fathom Bodhi tree, setting out offerings in the Shanglin Garden, and gathering the multitudes like fish scales. Thereupon the fourfold assembly leaped for joy, reverently propagating the transformation; on every auspicious day of the year, the three assemblies were never missed. From the time the Qi dynasty assumed governance, the conditions for the Dharma expanded; the virtuous teachings of Emperor Wenxuan comprehensively wove this endeavor. From that time onward, however, great assemblies have rarely gathered, and practitioners have become scarce; even when there are those who study, they lack the method to settle their minds. Now I record various sūtras to practice in reliance upon them, hoping that mastery of the eightfold correct path will spread like fragrance in the purple palace, and that the spread of the ten wholesome actions will shine brightly in Tuṣita, so that the merit will extend to his descent, and the grace will be shared equally in the first assembly.
16.6
Subsection on Receiving Precepts, the Second
16.7
The treatise says: If one is a white-robed layperson dwelling at home who has not yet received the precepts, one should first receive the three refuges that overturn error. At each of the six periods of the day, receive them according to the time, manifestly taking refuge in the Three Jewels and vowing never to turn back; then one will surely attain rebirth above. If one is among the fivefold assembly of renouncers who have already received the precepts, merely practice according to them without needing to receive them separately. If one lacks precept practice and only idly reflects on goodness, one will also not attain rebirth. Thus the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: 'I, so-and-so, for the rest of my life, take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Saṃgha' (say this three times). 'I, so-and-so, for the rest of my life, have taken refuge in the Buddha, have taken refuge in the Dharma, have taken refuge in the Saṃgha' (say this three times). Furthermore, in the Chutai jing, the Buddha addressed Maitreya in verse, saying:
16.8
"The people of your three assemblies / are those whom I previously transformed: / ninety-six hundred million people / who received my five precepts; / next are the people of the three refuges, / ninety-two hundred million of them; / those who utter 'Homage to the Buddha' once / shall all attain the Buddha Path."
16.9
The treatise says: A detailed explanation of the power and efficacy of the three refuges is fully presented in the three fascicles of the Jingfu lun. Having received the three refuges, one must next receive the precepts of the ten wholesome deeds. If one does not practice the ten wholesome deeds, one will definitely not attain rebirth above. One should fully observe the proper deportments, go before a monastic, admonish one's own mind, and repent with utmost sincerity, and then receive them, saying: 'I, so-and-so, for the rest of my life, toward all sentient beings, superior and inferior, without distinction of ordinary or sage, will not give rise to the intention to kill.' And so on through the tenth: 'I, so-and-so, for the rest of my life, toward all sentient beings, superior and inferior, without distinction of ordinary or sage, will not give rise to wrong views' (say this three times).
16.10
'I, so-and-so, for the rest of my life, toward all sentient beings, superior and inferior, without distinction of ordinary or sage, have not given rise to the intention to kill.' And so on through the tenth: 'I, so-and-so, for the rest of my life, toward all sentient beings, superior and inferior, without distinction of ordinary or sage, have not given rise to wrong views' (say this three times). These ten wholesome deeds guard against the three physical faults—killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; the four verbal faults—false speech, frivolous talk, divisive speech, and harsh words; and the three mental faults—greed, anger, and wrong views. These ten are the root of all goods. To cease [from them] is to uphold; to act [contrary to them] is to transgress. Transgression is the root of the ten evils and also the calamity of myriad disasters.
16.11
Subsection on Praising the Buddha, the Third
16.12
As the Pusa benxing jing states: Even if one were to transform countless billions of people to become pratyekabuddhas, and someone were to make offerings to them with the four requisites for a hundred years, though the merit would be exceedingly great, it would not equal someone praising the boundless merit of the Tathāgata with a joyful mind in a single four-line verse. Furthermore, as the Shan jie jing states: making offerings to the Buddha with the jewels of the four continents, or praising the Tathāgata with a mind of deep reverence—these two blessings are equal without distinction. Furthermore, the Dabei jing states: for one who recites the name 'Homage to the Buddha' once, through this wholesome root entering the realm of nirvāṇa, it can never be exhausted. Furthermore, if one can mind the Buddha's merit with utmost sincerity and scatter even a single flower into the air, throughout future ages among the gods and Brahmā kings, the blessings will not be exhausted, and because they are not exhausted, one will ultimately reach nirvāṇa. Furthermore, in the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, Kāśyapa praised the Buddha in verse, saying:
16.13
"Great compassion pities sentient beings, / and therefore causes me to take refuge. / Being skilled at plucking out all poisonous arrows, / you are named the Great Medicine King. / Though what worldly physicians treat / is cured, it recurs again; / what the Tathāgata treats / ultimately never flares up anew. / The World-Honoured One's ambrosia medicine / is bestowed upon sentient beings; / once sentient beings take it, / they neither die nor are born. / The Tathāgata now for my sake / expounds the Great Nirvāṇa; / sentient beings hearing the secret treasury / immediately attain non-arising and non-perishing."
16.14
Furthermore, in the Dafangdeng tuoluoni jing, at that time the Bodhisattva Flower Accumulation praised the Buddha in verse, saying:
16.15
"The World-Honoured One's physical form is like a mountain of gold, / like the sun's light shining upon the world. / Able to uproot all suffering and afflictions, / I now bow my head to the Great Dharma King. / The Lord of the World, the Dharma King, is exceedingly rare; / such wondrous Dharma surpasses even this. / Difficult to see, difficult to hear, and difficult to meet; / if anyone beholds it, they will attain Sambodhi."
16.16
At that time, the asuras praised the Buddha in verse:
16.17
"The World-Honoured One's face and eyes are like the sun and moon, / able to extinguish all darkness. / Now once again you rescue us; / we take refuge in the Honoured One among gods."
16.18
In the Wenshushili wen jing, Mañjuśrī spoke verses praising the Buddha, saying:
16.19
"I pay homage to all Buddhas, / peerless tamers of men, / the sixteen-foot true Dharma body; / I also pay homage to the Buddha's stūpas. / The place of birth, the place of attaining the Way, / the place of the Wheel of Dharma and of nirvāṇa, / the places of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down— / to all of them I bow in homage. / The Buddhas are inconceivable; / the wondrous Dharma is likewise so. / The ability to believe and the retribution / are also inconceivable. / One who can with this geya / praise the Tathāgata / shall, for thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas, / not fall into the evil destinies."
16.20
The Buddha said: 'Mañjuśrī, excellent, excellent! The Tathāgata is inconceivable.' Then he spoke a verse, saying:
16.21
"The Buddha was born into the sugarcane clan; / having entered extinction, he is not born again. / If a person takes refuge in the Buddha, / they need not fear the suffering of hell" (say this three times).
16.22
Furthermore, a verse in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says:
16.23
"I would rather endure all sufferings / and get to hear the Buddha's voice, / than receive all pleasures / and not hear the Buddha's name. / The reason that for immeasurable kalpas / one endures all these sufferings and afflictions, / drifting in birth and death, / is because one did not hear the Buddha's name."
16.24
Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Original Vows Inquired by Bodhisattva Maitreya states: The Buddha told Ānanda, “Not only does Maitreya praise me with verses. In the distant past, ten incalculable kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named King Who Resounds with Blazing Light Tathāgata. There was a brāhmaṇa elder named Bhadrakārin. In the presence of that Buddha, he had already attained the tolerance of the non-arising of phenomena. That brāhmaṇa Bhadrakārin of that time is the present Bodhisattva Maitreya.” Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Maitreya attained the tolerance of phenomena so long ago, why did he not quickly attain the unexcelled, true and proper path and realize supreme saṃbodhi?” The Buddha told Ānanda, “A bodhisattva does not realize saṃbodhi on account of four matters. What are the four? First, purifying the realm. Second, protecting the realm. Third, purifying all beings. Fourth, protecting all beings. These are the four matters. When Maitreya originally sought buddhahood, he did not realize buddhahood because of these four matters.” The Buddha told Ānanda, “When I originally sought buddhahood, I also had these four. However, Maitreya generated the aspiration forty-two kalpas before me. I generated the aspiration for the path only after him. In this Bhadrakalpa, through great diligence, I surpassed nine kalpas, attaining the unexcelled, true and proper path and achieving supreme saṃbodhi.” The Buddha told Ānanda, “I achieved supreme saṃbodhi through ten matters. What are the ten? First, begrudging nothing whatsoever that I possessed. Second, wives and concubines. Third, sons and daughters. Fourth, head and eyes. Fifth, hands and feet. Sixth, realms and lands. Seventh, precious treasures and wealth. Eighth, bone marrow and brain. Ninth, blood and flesh. Tenth, not begrudging bodily life. Through these ten matters, I quickly attained the Buddha Path.” Furthermore, the Mahākāruṇika-sūtra states: The Buddha told Ānanda, “Look when the Tathāgata walks upon a road: he causes the high places of the great earth to become low, and the low places to become high, so that all places high and low become level and even. After the Tathāgata passes, the earth returns to its previous state. All groves and trees bend toward the Buddha, and tree deities manifest their bodies, bowing their heads in worship. After the Tathāgata passes, the trees return to their previous state. All mounds, pits, cesspools, foul waste, thickets, rubble, and tiles are entirely swept away, becoming level, even, and pure. Fragrant scents drift intensely, and various flowers are scattered upon the ground; the Tathāgata steps upon them and passes by. If even insentient things incline and bend, how much more so sentient beings—how could they not increase their reverence? Why is this? When I originally practiced the bodhisattva conduct, there was no one toward whom I did not bow, humble myself, and show reverence. Having attained buddhahood by virtue of this wholesome karma, whenever the Tathāgata walks, both sentient and insentient beings without exception incline, bend, and bow their heads in worship. In the past, I once gave pure, subtle, and satisfying possessions to sentient beings with a sincere mind and my own hands. As the karmic retribution for this, when the Tathāgata walks, the great earth becomes level and even, swept and sprinkled clean, free of rubble and tiles. When I walked on roads where countless worthy ones and sages dwelt, I once swept and repaired roads and plastered dwellings. With an impartial mind free of high and low, I swept and repaired them to make them pure, at all times constantly seeking bodhi to benefit sentient beings. By virtue of these wholesome roots, wherever the Buddha Tathāgata walks along the roads, they are naturally pure, and the ground is as level as the palm of a hand. Even King Mount Sumeru, eighty-four thousand yojanas high and just as deep within the great ocean, and the Iron Ring Mountains, one hundred and sixty-eight thousand yojanas high and as solid as vajra, all incline and bow their heads in reverence when the Buddha enters nirvāṇa. If one wished to distance oneself and not incline, that too would be impossible.”
16.25
Because of praising the Tathāgata, even Śāriputra, hearing a verse praising the Buddha from another, attained the fruition of the path. Thus, the Lalitavistara states that the bhikṣu Assaji replied to Śāriputra with a verse, saying:
16.26
“My teacher is the Deva among devas,
Most honoured throughout the tridhātu without bound.
His body sixteen feet, with marks and signs,
His divine powers are like empty space.
Flowery fragrance clears away the five skandhas,
Pulling up the twelve roots.
He does not crave divine or worldly stations;
With pure mind he opens the Dharma-gate.”
16.27
At that time, Śāriputra was immensely delighted, like seeing light in darkness. He voiced aloud, “Excellent! In the past I harboured doubts. Moreover, I was fond of learning; from the age of eight I followed a teacher, and by the age of sixteen there was nothing I had not thoroughly mastered. Travelling through all sixteen great states under heaven, I thought of myself as already having reached the goal. Only now do I hear this wondrous, unexcelled, and true [teaching] and attain my original wish!” Because the Tathāgata’s mind in the past was pure, free from attachment, and did not harm sentient beings, wherever he walked, his feet were unstained, and insects and ants were unharmed. Thus the Chuchu jing states: “There are three reasons why the Buddha does not wear shoes. First, to cause practitioners to have few desires. Second, to display the wheels beneath his feet. Third, to cause people to be joyful upon seeing them. There are three reasons why the Buddha’s feet walk four inches above the ground. First, because he sees that there are insects and ants on the ground. Second, because there is living grass on the ground. Third, to display his divine feet, and also because he wishes to bring people’s minds to rest. There are three reasons why the ground becomes level whether high or low when the Buddha walks. First, his original practice of the four impartial minds aimed to bring peace and ease to all. The earth rests upon water, and within the water there are spirits; insects, moths, and all creatures, when encountering the Buddha’s feet, are all at peace and ease, united in mind and purpose. Therefore the low becomes high, and the high becomes low. Second, the devas, ghosts, and spirits cultivate merit by clearing the ground for the Buddha; therefore the high and low become level. Third, when the Buddha was a bodhisattva, he cleared and made accessible paths, trails, and bridges to cross people over, and thus derived merit from this; therefore the high and low become upright and level, wishing also to make people’s minds so.”
16.28
Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: “The World-Honoured One’s body is endowed with marks of fine and thin skin, so that dust and dirt do not adhere to it. His body is like a lotus leaf, unaffected by dust or water. If a bodhisattva walks in meditation among hills of dry earth, the soil does not stick to his feet. Even when a violent wind comes and blows apart the hills of earth, scattering them into dust, not a single speck of dust adheres to the Buddha’s body. When a bodhisattva takes food and places it into his mouth, at that time from two places beside his throat amṛta flows, blending with the various flavours. These flavours are pure, and therefore it is called ‘attaining the supreme flavour among flavours’.”
16.29
Furthermore, the Ekottarika-āgama states: “Those who lack a mind of reverence toward the Buddha shall be born among nāgas and snakes, because in the past they came from among them, and presently they still lack reverence and are prone to sleep and delusion.” Furthermore, the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya speaks in verse, saying:
16.30
“Those who revere the elders—
Such persons can protect the Dharma.
In this present life they attain renown,
And in the future they will be born in wholesome realms.”
16.31
Text of the Four Bows Praising Maitreya (translated based on the sūtras by Dharma Master Xuanzang):
16.32
With a sincere mind I take refuge in and bow to the future Maitreya Buddha.
16.33
All Buddhas equally realize the unconditioned essence;
The truth of tathatā is fundamentally without conditions.
To guide the devas, he manifests in Tuṣita,
Just as an illusionist produces various forms.
Where originally there were no men or horses, the deluded take them as real;
Those who have realized know illusion never truly was.
The Buddha’s body is fundamentally pure, always like this;
Foolish mortals do not comprehend, deeming him the same as ordinary beings.
Knowing the Buddha has no coming, one sees the true Buddha;
Herein one will surely attain everlasting joy.
Therefore I bow my head to Maitreya Buddha;
I only pray the Compassionate Honoured One will deliver sentient beings.
16.34
May I, together with all sentient beings, be reborn above in the Tuṣita Heaven to attend upon and see Maitreya Buddha.
16.35
With a sincere mind I take refuge in and bow to the future Maitreya Buddha.
16.36
The Buddha possesses inconceivable sovereign power,
Able to contain multiple lands within a speck of dust.
How much more so now, abiding in the Tuṣita Palace,
Seated cross-legged upon the lion throne!
His body is like sandalwood-gold, beyond compare,
Marks, signs, and jewel-like colours radiate dazzling brilliance.
Bodhisattvas of divine powers are all immeasurable,
Assisting the Buddha in propagating transformation and saving sentient beings.
If sentient beings can only bow with a sincere mind,
Beginningless sinful karma will certainly not arise.
Therefore I bow my head to Maitreya Buddha;
I only pray the Compassionate Honoured One will deliver sentient beings.
16.37
May I, together with all sentient beings, be reborn above in the Tuṣita Heaven to attend upon and see Maitreya Buddha.
16.38
With a sincere mind I take refuge in and bow to the future Maitreya Buddha.
16.39
In the Compassionate Honoured One’s jewelled crown are many transformation Buddhas,
Their number exceeding hundreds of thousands.
Assemblies of bodhisattvas from this land and other directions
Widely manifest divine transformations within jewelled windows.
The Buddha’s body has eighty thousand rays of light from the white ūrṇā,
Constantly preaching the causes of the irreversible wheel of the Dharma.
If sentient beings can only cultivate meritorious deeds,
In the time it takes to bend or extend an arm they will meet the Compassionate Honoured One.
Buddhas numerous as the sands of the Ganges manifest through this—
How much more so our fundamental teacher, Śākyamuni!
Therefore I bow my head to Maitreya Buddha;
I only pray the Compassionate Honoured One will deliver sentient beings.
16.40
May I, together with all sentient beings, be reborn above in the Tuṣita Heaven to attend upon and see Maitreya Buddha.
16.41
With a sincere mind I take refuge in and bow to the future Maitreya Buddha.
16.42
The Buddhas constantly dwell in pure lands,
Their enjoyment-reward bodies being immeasurable in scale.
Ordinary mortals with physical eyes have never known them;
For their sake he manifests a single golden form of a thousand cubits.
Sentient beings look upon it without sating,
Causing them to understand karmic fruit manifested in Jambudvīpa.
If one can only hear the sūtras and diligently recite the Dharma,
One will serenely and surely go to the Tuṣita Palace.
The three bad destinies will hereby be eternally severed,
And in the future one will together realize the single dharmakāya.
Therefore I bow my head to Maitreya Buddha;
I only pray the Compassionate Honoured One will deliver sentient beings.
16.43
May I, together with all sentient beings, be reborn above in the Tuṣita Heaven to attend upon and see Maitreya Buddha.
16.44
Section 4: Karmic Causes
16.45
As the Adbhutadharmaparyāya-sūtra says: 'Inferior-grade ten good deeds means for the space of a single thought. Middling-grade ten good deeds means for the space of a single meal. Superior-grade ten good deeds means from dawn to noon. If during such times one mentally focuses on the ten good deeds and abstains from the ten evil deeds, one will also attain rebirth [there]. Thus a jackal mentally focused on the ten good deeds, fasted for seven days, and was born in Tuṣita Heaven.' Furthermore, the Scripture on the Upward Rebirth [of Maitreya] says: 'After my parinirvāṇa, if the four assemblies and eight classes of beings wish to be born in the fourth heaven, they should, from the first day to the seventh day, fix their mindfulness on that heaven, uphold the Buddha's prohibitive precepts, reflect upon the ten good deeds, and practice the path of the ten good deeds. By means of this merit, dedicating it with the vow to be born before Maitreya Buddha, they will attain rebirth in accordance with their mindfulness.' (Speaking of seven days is merely starting from the immediate; if even that evokes [rebirth in] that heaven, how much more so an entire lifetime—how could one not attain it?) Furthermore, the Scripture on the Upward Rebirth says: 'If anyone pays homage and reveres Maitreya Buddha, the transgressions of birth and death for a hundred billion kalpas will be eliminated, and they will even attain sight of the Buddha beneath the Dragon Flower Tree in a future life.' It also says: 'After my parinirvāṇa, if the four assemblies and eight classes of beings hear his name and bow in homage, at the end of their lives they will be born into Tuṣita Heaven. If there are men or women who have violated the prohibitive precepts and committed many evil deeds, upon hearing this bodhisattva's name of Great Compassion, if they cast their five limbs to the ground and repent with a sincere mind, all their evil karma will swiftly become pure. If anyone takes refuge in Maitreya Bodhisattva, one should know that this person will attain non-retrogression; when Maitreya achieves Buddhahood, upon seeing the Buddha's radiance, they will immediately receive prediction [of Buddhahood].' Furthermore, the Scripture on the Upward Rebirth says: 'After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, if there are those who diligently cultivate all merits, keep their deportment intact, sweep stupas and smear the ground [with plaster], make offerings of flowers and incense, practice all samādhis, and recite the scriptures—though such people have not yet severed their defilements, they are as if having attained the six supernatural powers. They should fix their mindfulness on the Buddha's image and recite Maitreya's name. If for the space of a single thought they receive the eight precepts and cultivate all pure karma, at the time their life ends they will immediately attain rebirth within a lotus pedestal in Tuṣita Heaven. They will immediately see the light of the Buddha's ūrṇā mark, surpass the transgressions of birth and death for ninety billion kalpas, and in accordance with their past conditions, he will preach the wondrous Dharma for them, causing them to attain non-retrogression.' Furthermore, the Ekottarika-āgama says: 'If sentient beings who have created evil with their three modes of action recall the Tathāgata's merit at the verge of death, they will certainly leave the evil destinies and attain rebirth in heaven. Even if one is an extremely evil person, by virtue of mindfulness of the Buddha, one will also attain rebirth in heaven.' Furthermore, the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra says: 'If one cultivates loving-kindness, when relinquishing the bodily life one will see the Buddhas of the ten directions stroke the crown of one's head with their hands; receiving the touch of their hands, one's mind becomes peaceful and joyful, and one will promptly attain rebirth in a pure Buddha land.' Furthermore, the Scripture on the Contemplation of Samantabhadra says: 'If someone during the six periods of day and night pays homage to the Buddhas of the ten directions, recites Mahāyāna scriptures, and contemplates the supreme truth of the profound Dharma of emptiness, in the space of a finger-snap the transgressions of birth and death for a hundred trillion nayutas of Ganges-sands of kalpas will be eliminated. One who practices this Dharma is truly a child of the Buddha, born from the Buddhas. The Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions will be their upādhyāya. This is called possessing the bodhisattva precepts, naturally accomplished without need for a karmavācanā ceremony. They ought to receive the offerings of all humans and devas.' Furthermore, the Lotus Sūtra says: 'If someone upholds, recites, correctly bears in mind, and understands its meaning, when this person's life ends, a thousand Buddhas will extend their hands to prevent them from feeling terror and from falling into the evil destinies; they will immediately go to the abode of Maitreya Bodhisattva in Tuṣita Heaven. Maitreya Bodhisattva has the thirty-two marks and is surrounded by an assembly of great bodhisattvas, with hundreds of thousands of myriads of heavenly maidens as attendants, and one will be born among them.' Such are the merits and benefits. Therefore, a wise person should single-mindedly copy it oneself or have others copy it, uphold, recite, correctly bear it in mind, and practice it as preached. Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: 'If a good man can practice this profound prajñāpāramitā, one should know that this person has come from the human realm, or has come from Tuṣita Heaven. Why is this? In the three evil destinies, because sins and suffering are numerous, one cannot practice profound prajñā. In the heavens of the desire realm, because they are attached to the pure and wondrous five desires and their minds are wild and deluded, they cannot practice it. In the heavens of the form realm, because they are deeply attached to the taste of dhyāna absorption, they cannot practice it. In the heavens of the formless realm, because they are formless, they cannot practice it. Because on Tuṣita Heaven there is always a Bodhisattva Bound to One Last Birth, the devas therein constantly hear prajñā being preached; though the five desires are abundant, the power of the Dharma is superior. Therefore, these two places are said to be superior. If one comes to be born here from another Buddha land, this is even more superior.'
16.46
Furthermore, the Chuchu jing says: 'The Buddha said: There are four causes and conditions why Maitreya does not come down: first, there are times when the blessings correspond to that realm; second, the people of this realm are crude and none can receive the scriptures; third, his merit is not yet full; fourth, there is someone in the world who can preach the scriptures. Therefore Maitreya does not come down. When he descends in the future, there will remain fifty billion, seven hundred and sixty thousand years. In Maitreya's time, the eyes of people will all see four thousand li, attained through ten primary causes and conditions: first, not obstructing others' eyesight; second, not harming others' eyes; third, not covering others' eyes; fourth, not concealing others' goodness; fifth, not watching killing; sixth, not watching stealing; seventh, not watching sexual misconduct; eighth, not looking at private secrets or others' shortcomings; ninth, not watching any evil deeds; tenth, lighting lamps in Buddhist monasteries.'
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Furthermore, the Scripture Preached by the Buddha on the Time of Maitreya's Coming says: 'The Buddha said: When Maitreya Buddha is about to appear, within Jambudvīpa the lands, mountains, trees, grasses, and woods will all be scorched away. Now the land of Jambudvīpa has a circumference of six hundred thousand li. When Maitreya appears, the land of Jambudvīpa will be four hundred thousand li long from east to west, and three hundred and twenty thousand li wide from north to south. The earth will produce the five grains. Within the four seas there will be no mountain peaks, valleys, or ravines; the ground will be flat like a whetstone, and trees will grow tall and large. People will have few of the three poisons, and the populace will have many settlements. The city will be called Bārāṇasī. There will be a brāhmaṇa named Subrahma, who shall be Maitreya's father; his mother will be named Brahmavatī, and Maitreya shall be their son. Endowed with the primary and secondary marks, his body will be sixteen zhang tall. When born onto the city ground, his eyes will see through within ten thousand li, and the sunlight from his head will illuminate four thousand li. When Maitreya attains the Way and becomes a Buddha, he will sit beneath the Dragon Flower Tree. The tree will be forty li high and forty li broad (the Scripture on the Great Attainment of Buddhahood says its flowering branches are like dragon heads, hence it is called the Dragon Flower Tree; there is also an alternate tradition that says its seeds emerged from the dragon palace, hence it is called the Dragon Flower Tree). He will attain the Way on the eighth day of the fourth month when the morning star appears. Maitreya Buddha shall descend after sixty billion and sixty thousand remaining years (the rest is mostly the same as the preaching of the Scripture on the Attainment of Buddhahood).' Wang Xuance's Account of Missions to the Western Regions says: 'In the second year of the Xianqing era of the Tang, imperial envoys Wang Xuance and others were dispatched to the Western Regions to deliver the Buddha's kāṣāya robe. Arriving southwest of the kingdom of Nepāla, down into a pit east of the village of Bharadvāja, there was a pond of water and fire. If one took household fire to illuminate it, flames would immediately emerge from within the water on top of the pond. If one wished to extinguish it and poured water on it, its flames blazed all the more vigorously. The Han envoys once set up a cauldron over it and cooked rice until done. The envoy asked the king of that country, and the king replied to the envoy, saying: 'Once, when a stick was jabbed into it, it touched a golden casket. People were ordered to haul it out, but the more they hauled, the deeper it sank. Tradition says: This is the celestial crown gold for Maitreya Buddha's future attainment of the Way, and a fire dragon guards it. The fire of this pond is none other than the fire of the fire dragon.' Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: 'When Maitreya Bodhisattva was a layperson, his teacher was named Bāvari, who possessed three marks: first, the ūrṇā-hair mark between the eyebrows; second, the tongue covering the face mark; third, the concealed organ mark. Such marks as these—even when he was not a bodhisattva, he possessed all of them.'
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Furthermore, the New Vibhāṣā-śāstra says: 'I have heard that the Venerable Mahākāśyapa entered Rājagṛha for his final almsround. Not long after eating, he climbed Mount Kukkuṭapāda. The mountain has three peaks like the upturned feet of a cock. The Venerable One entered within them, sat cross-legged, and made a vow of truth, saying: 'May this body of mine, together with my patchwork robe, bowl, and staff, remain for a long time without decaying, until after fifty-seven koṭis and sixty hundred thousand years have passed, when Maitreya, the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha, appears in the world to perform the Buddha's work.' Having made this vow, he promptly entered parinirvāṇa. At that time, those three peaks joined together into one, concealing the Venerable One as he sat dignified and motionless. When Maitreya Buddha appears in the world, he will lead immeasurable humans and devas to this mountain, and tell the assembly, saying: 'Do you wish to see Kāśyapa, the foremost great disciple among the disciples endowed with dhūta virtues of Śākyamuni Buddha?' The entire assembly will all say: 'We wish to see him.' Maitreya Tathāgata will then pat the summit of Mount Kukkuṭapāda with his right hand. Instantly the peak will split open and turn back into three parts. At that time, Kāśyapa, holding his hempen patchwork robe, bowl, and staff, will emerge from within and ascend into empty space. Immeasurable devas and humans, witnessing this miraculous transformation, will praise it as unprecedented, and their minds will become pliable and gentle. Maitreya, the World-Honoured One, will preach the Dharma according to their capacities, and all will attain sight of the truths.' If there were no such thing as leaving behind an apparitional transformation, how could this occur? Some say there is such a thing as leaving behind an apparitional transformation. Question: If so, why did the World-Honoured One not leave behind an apparitional body after nirvāṇa to maintain the Dharma and preach? Answer: Because what was to be done had already been completed—meaning all whom the Buddha was to save had already been saved, and those not yet saved are saved by the noble disciples. Some say there is no such thing as leaving behind an apparitional transformation. Question: If so, how could Kāśyapa's matter occur? Answer: Because he was sustained by devas and spirits of faith and reverence. Some say Kāśyapa had not yet entered parinirvāṇa at that time, and only attains extinction at the time of Maitreya Buddha. This is not reasonable; it is better to say it does not exist rather than to say he sat silently for a long time, dwelling in vain. Those who speak thus hold that there is such a thing as leaving behind an apparitional transformation; therefore Mahākāśyapa had already entered nirvāṇa.
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Section Five: Generating Vows
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Ordinary mortals have weak faculties and have cultivated much evil in the past. Dwelling in the Sahā world, their minds are timid and weak; when first learning this Dharma, they fear retreating and failing. They should constantly generate great vows to support this practice, so that right up to the end of life their minds are free of obstacles and afflictions. In accordance with the planted roots of goodness, they vow, together with all sentient beings, to be born freely in Maitreya's inner assembly and reach the presence of the Buddha, cultivating and studying in accordance with mindfulness to realize non-retrogression. They do not wish to be born in the outer assembly, fearing attachment to the five desires and inability to attain liberation. Therefore the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: 'There are people who cultivate little meritorious karma; hearing of a place with merit, they constantly vow to be born there, and upon reaching the end of life, each is born therein.' Furthermore, the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra says: 'The matter of a Buddha land is great; practicing merit alone cannot accomplish it; one must rely on the power of vows. Just as an ox, though strong enough to pull a cart, must depend on a driver to reach where it goes, the purification of a Buddha land is brought to fruition by being guided by vows. By the power of vows, merit increases, is not lost and not destroyed, because one constantly sees the Buddha.' Furthermore, as the Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā says: 'If a person generates the mind to seek Buddhahood without resting or stopping—even if someone were to lift the great trichiliocosm with a finger and hold it in the air, that would not be difficult. But if one makes the vow, 'I shall become a Buddha,' such a person is rare. Why is this? Because worldly people have inferior minds and lack great aspirations.' Furthermore, the Bodhicittotpāda-śāstra contains ten great vows, which one should constantly practice in full:
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First, I vow that the roots of goodness planted by me in past lives and in this present body be given to all sentient beings and dedicated toward the Buddha Path, causing this vow of mine to increase thought after thought, never to be forgotten in life after life, and constantly to be protected by dhāraṇīs.
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Second, I vow that by means of these roots of goodness, wherever I am born I will encounter Buddhas, constantly be able to make offerings to them, and not be born in lands without Buddhas.
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Third, I vow that I will always be close to all Buddhas, attending upon them on their left and right like a shadow following a form.
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Fourth, I vow that having gained close proximity, they will preach the Dharma for me and I will accomplish the five supernatural powers.
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Fifth, I vow that I will penetrate worldly truth and the dissemination of conventional designations, understand the supreme truth, and attain knowledge of the true Dharma.
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Sixth, I vow that with a tireless mind I will speak to sentient beings, instructing, benefiting, and gladdening them, causing them all to awaken and understand.
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Seventh, I vow that by the Buddha's spiritual power I will go everywhere to all worlds in the ten directions, making offerings to all Buddhas, listening to and receiving the true Dharma, and broadly gathering sentient beings.
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Eighth, I vow that I will accord with the pure wheel of Dharma, so that all sentient beings who hear my Dharma or hear my name will promptly abandon and depart from all afflictions.
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Ninth, I vow to follow sentient beings, to care for and protect them, and to give them joy; to renounce my body, life, and wealth; and to shoulder the True Dharma, eliminating what is without benefit.
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Tenth, I vow that although I practice the True Dharma, my mind will neither practice anything nor not practice anything; and that for the sake of transforming sentient beings, I will never abandon my true vows. May I, by means of these ten great vows, pervade the realms of sentient beings and embrace all vows as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. If the realm of sentient beings were ever exhausted, only then would my vows be exhausted; yet because the realm of sentient beings can never be exhausted, these great vows of mine likewise can never be exhausted. All roots of good cultivated across the boundless Dharma realm for widely delivering sentient beings are wholly dedicated toward unsurpassed complete enlightenment, so that I may be born before Maitreya Buddha, hear the pure Dharma, and realize the tolerance of non-arising. May all the roots of good cultivated in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down throughout my entire life, together with all sentient beings of the Dharma realm, be dedicated toward being born before Maitreya Buddha and swiftly attaining non-retrogression.
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Dharma Master Xuanzang said: 'In the Western Regions, monastics and laypeople alike cultivate karma for Maitreya. Because it is in the same desire realm, its practice is easy to accomplish. Masters of both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna accept this practice. As for the Pure Land of Amitābha, it is feared that for ordinary beings of lowly defilement, practice is difficult to accomplish. According to old sūtras and treatises, only bodhisattvas of the tenth bhūmi and above can perceive, according to their capacity, the Pure Land of the Saṃbhogakāya Buddha. According to the meaning of new treatises, only bodhisattvas of the third bhūmi and above may begin to perceive the Pure Land of the Saṃbhogakāya Buddha; how could it allow ordinary beings of the lowest grade to attain rebirth there immediately? This was spoken with an intention regarding a different time, and cannot yet be taken as definitive. Hence, in the Western Regions the Mahāyāna accepts it while the Hīnayāna does not.' Therefore, throughout his whole life, the Dharma Master constantly engaged in karma for Maitreya. When he was near the end of his life, he made vows to ascend and be born to see Maitreya Buddha, and asked the great assembly to recite together in verse:
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Homage to Maitreya Tathāgata,
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the Arhat, Fully and Completely Enlightened One. / May I, together with all conscious beings, / swiftly behold your compassionate countenance!
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Homage to Maitreya Tathāgata,
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and the inner assembly where he dwells. / May I, having relinquished this life, / surely be born therein!
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Conditions of Sympathetic Resonance (briefly citing six verifications):
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Dai Kui of Qiaoguo during the Jin;
Śramaṇa Shi Dao'an during the Jin;
Nun Shi Huiyu during the Song;
Śramaṇa Shi Senghu during the Liang;
Śramaṇa Shi Linggan during the Sui;
Śramaṇa Shi Shanxiang during the Tang.
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Now, the marks of the Most Victorious One are wondrous and surpass all comparison. Not only can his radiant appearance not be depicted, but his physical marks and signs certainly cannot be transmitted. To use the mortal fingers of the worldly realm to craft the consummate perfection of the Dharmakāya—how could numbers and metaphors reach even one part in ten thousand of it? Since Parinirvāṇa, it has long exceeded a thousand years. The models of images from the Western Regions flowed into the Central Radiance. Although casting and molding were based on the scriptures, each striving for resemblance, and renowned scholars and extraordinary artisans vied with mind and strength, their fine proportions and exact measurements had not yet achieved excellence. In the Jin dynasty, there was a man from Qiaoguo named Dai Kui, styled Andao. His character was pure and his ideals lofty; he retired into seclusion in ancient Wu. Habituating his nature in ultimate principle, he roamed his mind in the teachings of the Śākya. Moreover, his sharp intellect was vast and thorough, and his craftsmanship mirrored the Creator. Contemplating how to reflect the Dharma forms and bring the Nirmāṇakāya close to hand, he fashioned an Amitāyus accompanied by attendant bodhisattvas. Deliberating deeply to attain perfection, he energetically fixed the design. Hiding behind a curtain, he secretly listened to the discussions of the crowd. Whenever he heard praise or criticism, he carefully revised the work accordingly, checking measurements down to the finest hair and scrutinizing radiance and colour in their shades. In blending ink, applying colours, carving forms, and chiselling models, even the subtlety of the man of Zhou exhausting the measuring rod or the skill of the guest from Song carving the mulberry leaf could not surpass him. Putting his mind to it and accumulating thoughts, it took three years to complete. It was something never seen before throughout the ages. All who gazed up at it felt as if they were before the True One. Soon, the image was welcomed into Lingbao Temple in Shanyin. Both monastics and laypeople who viewed it gave rise to the bodhicitta. Xi Chao of Gaoping, hearing of it, went to pay homage. He gathered incense and made a vow, saying: 'If I am to remain long in this world, may I see the holy countenance again; if life is impermanent, may I meet Maitreya.' Thereupon, the incense in his hand flared up of itself; fragrant smoke rose straight up, its scent merging with the clouds, and the residual fragrance flourished and overflowed along the roadways. All who happened to smell and see it felt joy throughout their bodies. The Prince of Kang of Linchuan during the Song compiled the Xuanyan ji, which also recorded this wondrous sign. Dai's residence was a hundred paces from Lingbao Temple. Dai once rose in the middle of the night and saw a light above the temple. Its brightness was blazing intensely, and thinking it was a fire, he rushed over in a hurry. The neighbours who noticed also vied to run swiftly there. When they arrived, the temple gates were quietly shut, and it was the image emitting light. The next morning, when the crowd heard knocking at the gate, they rose together to observe; all saw the radiant flames of the Buddha hall shining up into the sky. None failed to compose themselves, make reverent obeisance, and praise the boundless transformation of the Enlightened One. Emperor Wen of the Song welcomed the image to make offerings, and kept it constantly in the rear hall. Emperor Gao of the Qi founded Zhengjue Temple and, wishing to protect the Dharma hall with a supreme, miraculous image, conveyed this image there; it was formerly in Zhengjue Temple. Dai also made five processional images, reflecting deeply on them for ten years; these images were formerly in Waguan Temple. Dai's second son was Yong, styled Zhongruo. His plain temperament was profound and quiet, and he had an elegant fondness for hills and gardens. He not only took up the mantle of secluded integrity, but also inherited his father's talent and skill. Whenever Dai crafted an image, they would always deliberate together. Jiang Yi of Jiyang had been a friend of Yong from youth. Jiang once entrusted Yong to make an image of Avalokiteśvara. Yong exerted all his effort and exhausted his thoughts, wishing to make it consummate, but the marks and signs were not rounded and full, remaining incomplete for years. Later, he dreamed that someone told him: 'Jiang Yi has no affinity with Avalokiteśvara; it may be changed to Maitreya Bodhisattva.' Dai immediately stayed his hand and sent a letter to inform Jiang. Before the messenger could be dispatched, Jiang's letter arrived; both had experienced the dream on the same night, and their accounts agreed. Dai rejoiced at the divine resonance and immediately changed it to Maitreya. Thereupon, every touch of his hand was wondrous, without pausing to deliberate. The radiant countenance was perfected and complete in an instant. The discerning praised it and all realized that causes and conditions do not err. This image was formerly in Longhua Temple in Kuaiji. Indeed, the image crafting of the two Dais was unparalleled throughout the dynasties. Those they made were very numerous and dispersed among various temples, difficult to record in full.
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At Wuji Temple in Chang'an during the Jin, there was Shi Dao'an, of the Wei family, a native of Fuliu in Changshan. Although his physical appearance was inferior to others, his intelligence and talent were rarely matched. At seven he read books, and after looking at them twice, he could recite them. At the age of thirteen he went forth from home; daily he recited ten thousand words without a single mistake. His teacher held him in awe and wonder, had him receive full ordination, and permitted him to travel for study. Reaching Ye, he entered Zhong Temple and met Fotudeng. Deng saw him, sighed in marvel, and spoke with him the entire day. Thereupon he served Deng as teacher. When Deng lectured, Dao'an repeated the lectures; sharp objections and doubts arose, but Dao'an blunted their points and resolved the knots, with surplus ability to spare. People at the time said: 'The lacquer monk astounds the four neighbours.' Later, Dao'an avoided regional unrest and went south to Xiangyang, crossing the river with over four hundred disciples including Shi Huiyuan. Traveling at night, they encountered thunder and rain, advancing by the light of lightning. Proceeding forward, they were able to enter a household, where they saw a horse trough inside the gate, in the middle of which hung a horse nosebag that could hold one hu. Dao'an called out, 'Lin Bosheng!' The master of the house came out in astonishment, and his surname was indeed Lin and his given name Bosheng. Taking Dao'an for a divine being, he received him generously. Later, the disciples asked how he knew the surname and name. Dao'an said: 'Two trees (mu) make Lin; a bag holds a hundred sheng.' After he arrived in Xiangyang, there was a foreign bronze image with an ancient and extraordinary design; the assembly at the time did not revere it very deeply. Dao'an said: 'The shape and marks of the image are exceptionally fine, but the form of the topknot is not well matched.' He ordered his disciples to melt and re-cast the topknot. Thereupon, radiant flames shone brightly, filling the whole hall. Looking closely into the topknot, they saw a śarīra. The crowd was all ashamed and convinced. Dao'an said: 'Since the image is divinely extraordinary, there is no need to melt it again,' and stopped. The discerning all said that Dao'an knew there was a śarīra and brought it forth to show the assembly. At that time, Xi Zuochi of Xiangyang possessed an eloquence that soared into the heavens, overshadowing his contemporaries. Having long heard of Dao'an's lofty reputation, he had previously sent letters to cultivate good relations: 'I have heard that you respond to the true and tread in rectitude, with bright understanding harmonized within; your compassionate instructions shine everywhere, shading monastics and laypeople alike. Since the Great Teaching flowed eastward for over four hundred years, although border kings and lay devotees have occasionally revered it, the ancient instructions of Cīnasthāna were practiced in prior eras. The fortunes of the Dharma change with time, and worldly people have not yet all awakened. Of late, the flourishing of your practice of the Dharma is peerless. As it is said, when the Moonlight youth is about to appear, the divine bowl should descend. The Master bears the great norm, and your transformation reaches everywhere without obscurity. The monks of this land all long for you. If the dust of your spirit moves eastward and your maṇi jewel turns its radiance, once you step upon the seven-jeweled seat and temporarily display the lamp of wisdom, raining sweet dew upon the luxuriant grass and planting sandalwood on the riverbanks, then the teaching of the Tathāgata will be exalted again in our day, and the profound waves will surge and cleanse the age anew.' Much of the text is not recorded in full. When Xi heard that Dao'an had arrived, he immediately went to call on him. Once seated, he declared: 'Xi Zuochi of the Four Seas.' Dao'an replied: 'Shi Dao'an of the Vast Sky.' People of the time considered it a celebrated rejoinder. Dao'an often wrote commentaries on the scriptures, fearing they might not accord with reason. He made a vow: 'If what I have explained is not too far from the truth, may I see an auspicious sign.' He then dreamed of an Indian monk with white hair and long eyebrows, who spoke to Dao'an, saying: 'The sūtras you have annotated accord remarkably with reason. I cannot enter Nirvāṇa and remain in the Western Regions; I shall help you propagate them. You may set out food for me from time to time.' Later, when the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya arrived, Master Huiyuan realized that what the preceptor had dreamed of was Piṇḍola. Thereupon they set up a seat and offered food to him, which became a universal rule everywhere. As Dao'an's virtue was honoured by all and his learning encompassed the Tripiṭaka, he established regulations for monks and nuns and statutes for the Buddha Dharma, divided into three categories: first, the ritual of presenting incense, determining seats, and reciting and lecturing on sūtras; second, the ritual of practicing the path, eating, and announcing the hours during the six intervals of the ordinary day; third, the ritual of the poṣadha, assigning tasks, and repentance. Monasteries throughout the world followed and complied with them. Dao'an, together with his disciple Fayu and others, regularly made vows before the image of Maitreya, aspiring to be born in Tuṣita. Later, on the twenty-seventh day of the first month in the twenty-first year of Jianyuan of the Qin, an extraordinary monk of very crude and lowly appearance suddenly came to lodge at the temple. As the temple rooms were cramped, he was accommodated in the lecture hall. At that time, the karmadāna was on duty in the hall and saw this monk entering and exiting through the window crevices at night. He hurried to report this to Dao'an. Dao'an rose in shock, made reverent inquiries, and asked his purpose in coming. He answered, 'I have come for your sake.' Dao'an said, 'Considering how deep my sins are, how can I be delivered?' He answered, 'You can certainly be delivered! However, if you bathe the holy monks for a short while, your heartfelt wish will surely be fulfilled.' He showed the bathing method in detail. Dao'an asked about the place where he would be born in his next life. He then brushed the northwest of the sky with an empty hand, whereupon the clouds parted, and they fully beheld the wondrous, supreme retribution of Tuṣita. That night, several tens of people in the great assembly all saw it together. Later, when Dao'an prepared the bathing implements, he saw several tens of extraordinary children come into the temple to play and shortly take baths. It was indeed a holy response. On the eighth day of the second month of that year, he suddenly announced to the assembly: 'I must depart.' That day, after concluding the midday meal, he passed away without illness. He was buried in Wuji Temple inside the city. This was the tenth year of Taiyuan of the Jin; he was seventy-two years old. Before Dao'an's passing, whenever he previously heard of Kumārajīva in the Western Regions, he longed to analyze and discuss texts together with him, and constantly urged Fu Jian to bring him. Kumārajīva also heard of Dao'an's renown from afar, regarded him as a sage of the East, and constantly bowed to him from a distance. Originally, when Dao'an was born, on his left arm was a piece of skin about an inch wide attached along the arm; it could be moved up and down, but could not be slipped off the hand. People at the time called him the Seal-Hand Bodhisattva. Sixteen years after Dao'an passed away, Master Kumārajīva finally arrived; he lamented that they had not met, mourning with boundless regret. As Dao'an was deeply fond of the scriptures and set his mind on propagating the Dharma, he invited foreign śramaṇas such as Saṃghadeva, Dharmanandin, and Saṃghabhūti to translate various scriptures amounting to over a million words. He constantly settled sounds and characters and scrutinized textual meanings together with Śramaṇa Fahe; thus newly translated scriptures were rectified. Sun Chuo wrote the Treatise on Renowned and Virtuous Śramaṇas, appraising him: 'Shi Dao'an was erudite and broadly conversant; his talent encompassed the principles of the scriptures.' He also composed a eulogy for him, saying:
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- 法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese