法苑珠林 35.44

35.44

The Buddha addressed the monks: "All Buddhas of the past and future have worn this saṅghāṭī of mine to attain liberation. Evil monks of the final age will not accept and uphold the three robes, nor will they maintain the precepts, but will disparage the Dharma robes, causing the Dharma to be swiftly extinguished. I now give you three thousand saṅghāṭī robes; may you accept and uphold them and not allow them to be lost or damaged. You must use coarse cotton cloth to make these saṅghāṭīs; you must not use patterned silk, plain silk, or fine, soft fabrics. They must all be made with coarse and broad cotton cloth, so that the monks of the final age will not delight in fine clothing." When the World-Honoured One spoke these words, the earth shook in six ways, and gods and humans sighed in sorrow yet were all greatly delighted. As for these great robes, the World-Honoured One instructed that they be entrusted to the Four Heavenly Kings and the Eight Envoys, ordering the ghost and spirit assemblies of the eight classes to guard these robes and not allow them to be lost or damaged, until Maitreya descends to be born, when they are to be entrusted to that Buddha. He also entrusted them to Brahmā and Śakra: when the six fasting days and the three long fasting months of the year arrive, they are to sweep and sprinkle the celestial palaces and carry the saṅghāṭīs to those celestial palaces to make offerings, storing them in seven-jewel caskets. They are to boil ox-head sandalwood and agarwood incense powder to obtain fragrant decoctions to wash the saṅghāṭīs, and after drying them in the sun, they are to take incense powder and place it in the jewel caskets to perfume the saṅghāṭīs, so that those great robes may endure for long. During the six fasting days, they remain there for seven days; during the long fasts, for one month. Once these days and months have passed, they are to be returned to the Four Heavenly Kings. Such are their places of lodgement.