法苑珠林 36
English (machine translation) 36
- Language
- English
36.1
Compiled by Shi Daoshi, śramaṇa of Ximing Temple
36.2
Chapter 32: Suspending Banners
Chapter 33: Flowers and Incense
Chapter 34: Hymnic Chant
36.3
Chapter on Suspending Banners (This has two sections)
36.4
Section 1: Stating the Intent
36.5
Now, awakening to the principle through phenomena necessarily relies on marks to guide toward the true. Gazing up at the sacred countenance, one reveres the spirit banners to present offerings. Therefore King Aśoka initiated stūpas for the relinquished bodily remains, soaring high and floating in the void; the Wei emperor raised the Platform that Penetrates Heaven, its benevolent shrine piercing the Milky Way. Thereupon flower banners flutter, hoping to soar across the great chiliocosm; pearls and purple reflect each other, emitting radiance over hundreds of millions [of worlds]. When the wind of wisdom stirs, the karmic deed of pure ascension finds its proof; when gentle breezes arrive, the retribution of a cakravartin is inexhaustible.
36.6
Section 2: Citing Evidence
36.7
As the Sūtra of Kāśyapa Questioning Ānanda states: Formerly, King Aśoka himself erected one thousand two hundred stūpas within his borders. Later, the king fell gravely ill. A śramaṇa came to inquire after his illness. The king said, “Previously, for the one thousand two hundred stūpas, I had banners woven with golden thread made for each, wishing to hang the banners and scatter flowers with my own hands to bring it to completion. Yet I have contracted a severe illness and fear my wish will not be fulfilled.” The man of the Way said to the king, “Your Majesty, please join your palms with a focused mind.” The man of the Way then displayed supernatural powers, and at that moment all one thousand two hundred monasteries appeared before the king. Seeing this, the king rejoiced, and immediately had the golden banners and golden flowers taken and hung upon the stūpa poles. The stūpas and monasteries bowed low and raised up, all coming into the king's hands. The king obtained his original vow, his body was cured of illness, and he thereupon aroused the great resolve, extending his lifespan by twenty-five years. Hence it is called the life-extending divine banner. Also, the Puguang jing states: If men or women of the four assemblies, when nearing the end of life or after life has passed, on the day of their death make yellow banners and hang them upon stūpa poles, it will cause them to obtain merit, leave behind the sufferings of the eight difficulties, and attain rebirth in the pure lands of the Buddhas of the ten directions. Offerings of banners and canopies will accord with the wishes of their hearts until they achieve bodhi. As the banners turn in the wind until worn away and completely reduced to fine dust, for each turn of a banner one attains the station of a cakravartin, down to the station of a minor king for each blown speck of dust; its retribution is immeasurable. Making offerings by lighting lamps illuminates all dark realms; suffering sentient beings, receiving this light, are enabled to see one another. By virtue of this merit, those sentient beings are all delivered and obtain rest. (The author remarks: Why does the sūtra state that one should make yellow banners for the deceased and hang them upon stūpas and poles? The answer is: Although we have not seen a sacred explanation, it may be sought through principle. Among the five primary colors, yellow occupies the center; it is used to express loyalty and sincerity, and to guide the rebirth of the intermediate existence (antarābhava) so that it does not go to peripheral realms, hoping instead that it will be born in a central land. Furthermore, yellow resembles gold; the ghosts, spirits, and the underworld regard it as gold. Therefore, when offering sacrifices to disperse spirits, if white paper money is cut, ghosts obtain white coins to use; if yellow paper money is cut, they obtain gold coins to use. Thus the Avadāna-sūtra says: Once there was a grain thief who stole all the grain of a householder. The householder caught him and rebuked him, saying, “Why did you steal all my grain? What spirit are you?” The grain thief said, “Take me to the road where someone knows my name.” On the road they met a yellow horse and carriage, whose driver and clothes were all yellow. The person in yellow clothing asked, “Grain thief, why are you here?” Only then did the householder know he was a grain thief. The householder further asked, “Who is the person riding the horse in yellow clothes?” The grain thief said, “He is the essence of yellow gold, paying the householder for the value of the grain consumed.” Because of this, the householder obtained inexhaustible gold to use. Truly, because the realms of humans and ghosts differ, their perceptual responses are distinct. Hence the Sage established the yellow banner for the deceased, to be hung upon stūpa poles so that by seeking it they may obtain treasure and deliver the spirits of the departed.) Also, the Avadānaśataka states: Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, there was an elder in the city of Kapilavastu whose family was immensely wealthy, with boundless and unreckonable treasures. A baby boy was born to him, handsome and extraordinary, surpassing the multitude. When the child was first born, there was a great banner in the sky covering the entire city. Seeing this, the parents were boundlessly rejoiced, and accordingly gave him the name Patāka. Gradually growing up, he sought the Buddha to go forth and attained arhatship, endowed with the three knowledges, six supernatural faculties, and eight liberations. Seeing this, the bhikṣus said to the Buddha, “What merit did this Patāka cultivate in the past, that at birth he was handsome and surpassed the multitude, that a great banner and canopy covered the entire city in the sky, and that he encountered the World-Honoured One, went forth, and attained the Way?” The Buddha told the bhikṣus: “Ninety-one kalpas in the past, after the Buddha Vipaśyin entered nirvāṇa, there was a king named Bandhumat who collected his śarīra and built a four-jewelled stūpa one yojana in height to make offerings to it. At that time, a person held a great assembly beside the stūpa, made a long banner, hung it upon the stūpa, made a vow, and departed. By virtue of this merit, from that time onward for ninety-one kalpas he did not fall into evil paths. In heaven and among humans, a great banner always sheltered him above, and he received blessings and happiness, until now he has encountered me, gone forth, and attained the Way.”
36.8
Also, the Bodhisattva-cariyā-sūtra states: Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, he wandered through villages from the country of Upariṭṭha together with the bhikṣus and Ānanda. At that time, the weather was scorching hot with no shade. A shepherd, seeing the Buddha walking in the heat, gave rise to a pure mind, wove grass into a canopy, and used it to cover the Buddha as he wandered along following him. Having gone a great distance from his sheep, he threw the canopy to the ground and returned to them. The Buddha smiled and told Ānanda, “With a reverent mind, this shepherd covered the Buddha with a grass canopy. By this merit, for thirteen kalpas he will not fall into evil paths; born into noble families in heaven and the human world, his joy will be limitless. Naturally, there will always be a seven-jewelled canopy over him. After the thirteen kalpas, he will go forth, cultivate the Way, and become a pratyekabuddha named Anavatapta.”
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The verse says:
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The jewelled spire catches the high dew;
The fine patterned silks mirror the empty sky.
Winding and turning, fluttering among the clouds,
Inverted, they resemble red lotuses.
Rosy-cloud banners unfurl brocade hues;
Their fragrance blends with the censer's smoke.
Drifting without a fixed resting place,
Only because their nature is light and spinning.
The pond shines, reflecting myriad images;
The springs play, sparkling with a hundred fresh blooms.
Day and night, the wind blows and stirs them;
Multiplying causes for the rank of a cakravartin.
Looking up without ever tiring,
Joining companions, moved to linger on.
Who knew that patterns among the colors
Could invite blessings and long extend life?
36.11
Circumstances of Sympathetic Resonance (briefly citing one verification):
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Liu Chenzhi of the Song was a native of Pei Commandery. He was once in Guangling when he met a śramaṇa, who said to Chenzhi, “You have an aura of illness, but you should not die. You may prepare food worth one or two hundred coins to offer to the saṃgha, and you will avoid this peril.” Chenzhi had never believed in the Dharma, and felt anger and arrogance in his heart. The śramaṇa said, “You ought to be reverent and faithful; do not be angry.” Moving twenty paces away, he suddenly vanished. After seven days, Chenzhi fell ill with a pestilential qi; he was in critical condition and nearly died. On the ninth day, during the daytime, as if in a dream yet not a dream, he saw a five-tiered stūpa resting on his chest, with about twenty monks circumambulating the stūpa and making prostrations. He woke up because of this, and at once obtained great benefit; his illness gradually healed. Later, while residing in the capital, a śramaṇa whom he had never known before suddenly entered his door and said, “You have a karmic connection with the Dharma; why do you not make vigorous progress?” Chenzhi then recounted what he had met previously. The monk replied, “That was Piṇḍola.” Having spoken, he left, and no one knew where he went. In the summer of the seventeenth year of the Yuanjia reign (440 CE), at Guangling, Chenzhi saw from afar numerous banners and canopies in front of the Vihāra of Huiwang, yet there were no statues or images. He hurried over to look, but by the time he reached the gate, they abruptly vanished altogether. (The above one verification is from the Mingxiang ji.)
36.13
Chapter 33: Flowers and Incense (This contains two sections)
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Section 1: Stating the Intent
36.15
With reverence, we reflect on Śākya descending his spirit into Kapilavastu, entrusting his form to the royal palace. His true wisdom was innate knowledge; his Way was all-pervading awakening. He manifested the brightness of wisdom throughout the hundred millions [of worlds], and poured down the rain of Dharma over the great thousand [world systems]. Numinous images fill the ten directions; jewelled stūpas pervade the realm of phenomena. Exquisite incense is densely fragrant, like light clouds dispersing mist; precious flowers hold vibrant colors, like inverted lotus roots hanging blossoms. Revering them with sincere devotion, all proceed to the Dharma feast; bowing heads and snapping fingers, all partake in blessings and benefits.
36.16
Section 2: Citing Proofs
36.17
As the Sūtra of the Dhāraṇī of Flower Gathering Spoken by the Buddha states: The Buddha said, “Furthermore, if after the Tathāgata’s parinirvāṇa, someone traveling on an open road sees a Tathāgata stūpa or shrine, and is able to bring a single flower, a single lamp, or a lump of mud to apply before the image as an offering, or even can bring a single coin to give to the Buddha image for repairs, or if with a handful of water cleanses a Buddha stūpa to remove impurity, offers flowers and incense, raises a foot to take a step toward a stūpa or temple, or utters ‘Namo Buddhāya’ just once—for this person to fall into the three evil paths for hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, there is utterly no such possibility.”
36.18
Also, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra states: If there are sentient beings who apply fragrant paste while observing the precepts to a Buddha stūpa, at the end of life they will be born in the Heaven of Fragrant Delight, always making merry with celestial maidens; after life in heaven ends, they will obtain a human body and be born into a family of great wealth. Also, the King Ajātaśatru Sūtra states: Incalculable kalpas in the past, there was a Buddha named Sarvātīta (All-Crossing), who went on alms rounds together with his retinue. There were three sons of elders, finely dressed, playing together. Seeing the towering radiance of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas, they pointed to one another and said, “We should jointly make an offering.” Two of the boys replied, “Since we have no incense or flowers, what shall we use?” One boy took off a white pearl from his head, held it in his hand, and said to the two boys, “We can use this to make an offering to the Buddha.” The two boys followed his example, untied the white pearls from their heads, and held them in their hands. They immediately went to the Buddha's place. The one boy then asked the two boys, “By means of this merit, what will you seek?” One boy said, “I wish to be like the bhikṣu on the Buddha's right.” One boy said, “I wish to be like the bhikṣu of supernatural powers on the Buddha's left.” The two boys jointly asked the one boy, who answered, “I wish to be like the Buddha.” Eight thousand sons of heaven all said, “Excellent! If it is as you say, all in heaven and under heaven will receive your grace.” These three young boys arrived before the Buddha and each scattered his white pearl over the Buddha. For the two boys who had aroused the intention of śrāvakas, the pearls rested on the Buddha's shoulders. For the one boy who had aroused the bodhicitta, the pearl rested on top of the Buddha's head and transformed into a pavilion draped with pearl flowers, inside of which was a Buddha. The Buddha told Śāriputra, “The boy in the middle was myself; the boy on the right was Śāriputra; the boy on the left was Maudgalyāyana. Śāriputra, because you feared saṃsāra in the past, you did not arouse the bodhicitta, wishing for quick nirvāṇa. Behold this one boy: because he aroused anuttarabodhi, he was able to become a Buddha.” Also, the Sūtra on Plucking Flowers and Receiving Prediction states: At that time, the king of the country of Rājagṛha dispatched more than ten men to regularly gather fine flowers to supply the royal household. One day, the ladies of the inner palace went out of the city to gather flowers, met the Buddha, aroused faith, and bowed their heads in homage. They thought to themselves, “We would rather give up our bodies and lives to offer flowers to the Buddha and scatter them over the noble assembly; even if we are killed, we will not fall into bitter suffering.” They then scattered the flowers over the Buddha and the noble assembly, then took refuge and made repeated prostrations with a focused mind. Knowing their thoughts, the Buddha had great compassion for them and expounded the Dharma in full. All the flower gatherers aroused the thought of the Way, and the Buddha immediately bestowed a prediction: “In the future you shall become a Buddha named Wonderful Flower (Suphulla).” When the flower gatherers returned home to bid farewell to their parents, they said, “Our lives are now at an end; we will be killed by the king.” The parents were astonished and asked what fault they had committed. They answered fully with the cause: “Without flowers to present to the king, we will certainly be put to death; thus we have come to bid farewell.” Hearing this, their parents grew even more sorrowful. Opening the baskets to look, they found them filled with fine flowers, their fragrance permeating all four directions. The parents said to them, “You can present these to the king.” At that time, the king was furious that they had not come on time; he had them tied with hands behind their backs, condemned to execution in the marketplace. Entering the palace to see the king, their facial complexions did not change. Surprised, the king asked them, “You have committed a transgression and your lives are doomed to execution. Why are you not afraid?” They said to the king, “Where there is human life there is death; where things are accomplished there is decay. Constantly doing what is unlawful, we never spared our lives. This morning when we went to gather flowers, we encountered the Buddha and offered them to him. Knowing that by violating your command our crime deserved death, we would rather die with virtue than survive without virtue. When we returned to look at the flower baskets, they were still filled as before. This is all the sheltering kindness and benevolence of the Tathāgata.” The king found this very strange and did not believe it was so; thus he went to the Buddha's place to ask the Buddha about this matter. The Buddha said, “It is indeed so. These people, with supreme devotion wishing to deliver [beings of] the ten directions, did not begrudge their bodies and lives; hence they took the flowers to scatter over the Buddha. With minds devoid of expectation of reward, they have received a prediction: in the future they will become Buddhas named Wonderful Flower.” The king was overjoyed; he untied their bonds, repented of his transgression, and reproached his own foolish mind for falling short of bodhisattvas, begging only to forgive their crime. The Buddha said, “Excellent! One who can reform himself is equal to one without fault.”
36.19
Furthermore, the Avadānaśataka states: The Buddha was in the country of Śrāvastī, at the Jetavana, the park of Anāthapiṇḍada. At that time, the World-Honoured One, leading the monks, put on their robes, took their bowls, and went to beg for food, entering an alley. There was a woman holding a small boy, sitting on the ground in the alley. When that small boy happened to see the World-Honoured One, he felt joyful in his heart and asked his mother for flowers. His mother immediately bought them for him. Having received them, the boy took them to the Buddha's place and scattered them over the Buddha. In the empty sky, they transformed into a flower canopy that followed the Buddha as he walked and stood. When the boy saw this, he rejoiced greatly and made a great vow: 'By the merit of these roots of goodness from this offering, may I in a future life attain true awakening and ferry sentient beings across, no different from the Buddha!' At that time, when the World-Honoured One saw this small boy make this vow, the Buddha smiled, and from his mouth issued light of five colours, which circled the Buddha three times and entered back into the crown of his head. At that time, Ānanda came forward and addressed the Buddha, saying: 'The Tathāgata is dignified and does not smile without cause. For what reason do you smile today? May the World-Honoured One please explain and expound it.' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'Did you see this small boy scatter flowers over me? In a future life, he will not fall into evil destinies, and he will constantly experience pleasure among devas and humans. Passing through thirteen asaṃkhyeyas, he will become a pratyekabuddha named Blossoming Flower (Huāsheng), widely ferrying across immeasurable sentient beings. It was for this reason that I smiled.' At that time, having heard what the Buddha said, the monks rejoiced and put it into practice.
36.20
Furthermore, the Avadānaśataka states: The Buddha was in the country of Śrāvastī, at the Jetavana, the park of Anāthapiṇḍada. At that time, the wealthy elders of that city gathered together by a spring to play music and sing for their own amusement, holding a flower garland gathering for the vāraṇasi flower. At that time, within that gathering, one person was sent to the forest to gather vāraṇasi flowers to make garlands. When the flower-gatherer was returning to the gathering place, on the road he saw the marks, signs, and radiant light of the World-Honoured One shining universally like hundreds of thousands of suns. Feeling joyful in his heart, he went forward and bowed at the Buddha's feet, scattered the gathered flowers over the Buddha, and left. He went back and climbed a tree again to gather flowers, but a branch broke and he fell to his death. When his life ended, he was born in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, handsome and extraordinary, with a palace made of vāraṇasi flowers. Śakra asked him: 'Where did you cultivate meritorious karma to come and be born here?' He recounted the primary causes and conditions in full to Śakra. At that time, Śakra praised him with a verse:
36.21
Your body is like pure gold, / Shining extremely bright and clear. / Your countenance is handsome and dignified, / Foremost among all the devas.
36.22
Then the devaputra replied to Śakra with a verse, saying:
36.23
I received the Buddha's gracious virtue, / And scattered vāraṇasi flowers over him. / Due to this wholesome cause and condition, / I now attain this retribution.
36.24
Then the devaputra, together with Śakra, went to the Buddha's place. The Buddha preached the Dharma for him, opening his mind and bringing understanding. Destroying two billion karmic obstacles of wrong views, he attained the fruit of a srotāpanna. Rejoicing in his heart, he then recited a verse before the Buddha in praise of the Buddha:
36.25
Towering is the Great World-Honoured One, / Supreme and without equal. / Parents, teachers, and elders, / None have merit reaching his. / He dries up the four great oceans, / Transcends the mountain of white bones, / Shuts the three evil destinies, / And can open the three wholesome gates.
36.26
Furthermore, the Saṃyuktaratnapiṭaka-sūtra states: At that time, a devī spoke a verse, saying:
36.27
In the past, with flower garlands, / I made offerings to the stūpa of Kāśyapa Buddha. / Now born in heaven, / I obtain this superior merit, / Born among the devas, / Retribution yielding a golden body.
36.28
Furthermore, the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya-vibhāṣā states: If it is land of the saṃgha of the four directions, a stūpa must not be built upon it, because the Buddha-dharma naturally plants its own [merit]. If the saṃgha is in harmony, it may be done; if not in harmony, it must not be built. If there are various flowers on the saṃgha's land, a pure person (kalpikāra) should gather them and sequentially supply them to the saṃgha as needed. One must not privately take them to make personal offerings to the Three Jewels. If the flowers are abundant and the saṃgha cannot use them all, then if the saṃgha is in harmony, they are permitted to be taken as desired. Inside the monastic quarters, stūpas must not be erected nor images made, because they would be close to human foulness and impurity. In a multi-storeyed building, if scriptures or images are on the lower storey, one must not dwell on the upper storey. Flowers from the land of a stūpa must not be used to make offerings to the saṃgha or the Dharma; they should properly be offered to the Buddha. These flowers may also be sold to obtain money to be used for offerings to the stūpa. Water belonging to the stūpa is to be used for the stūpa's needs. If there is leftover after use, and if it was the labor of the stūpa's people that provided it, this water should be sold and the money should belong to the stūpa; it must not be used for other purposes. Using it otherwise is an offense calculated according to the money. If there was no labor of people within the stūpa providing the water, it depends entirely on the saṃgha's people; after careful deliberation of the remaining amount of water, it may be used.
36.29
Furthermore, the Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā-sūtra states: At that time, Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha, saying: 'World-Honoured One, how should the remaining flowers from offerings be used according to rule to cure various diseases?' The Buddha told Mañjuśrī: 'Chant incantations over each flower individually one hundred and eight times.'
36.30
Reciting the incantation for flowers offered to the Buddha, say: [...]
36.32
The incantation for flowers offered to the Prajñāpāramitā says: [...]
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The incantation for flowers offered to the Buddha's feet says: [...]
36.36
The incantation for flowers offered to the Bodhi tree says: [...]
36.38
The incantation for flowers offered to the site of turning the wheel of Dharma says: [...]
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The incantation for flowers offered to a stūpa says: [...]
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The incantation for flowers offered to bodhisattvas says: [...]
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The incantation for flowers offered to the assembly of monks says: [...]
36.46
The incantation for flowers offered to Buddha images says: [...]
36.48
The Buddha told Mañjuśrī: 'When using these flowers, if the fourfold assembly can faithfully practice this, they should rise early, bathe cleanly, rinse their mouths, and contemplate the Buddha's merit. Revering these flowers, they must not tread on them with their feet nor step across them. Holding and taking them according to rule, place them in a clean vessel. If someone suffers from chills, fever, or headache, grind the flowers with cold water and smear it on their body. If they vomit, have diarrhea with blood, or suffer distress and pain in the abdomen, grind the flowers with liquid beverage and drink this flower beverage. If there are sores in the mouth, grind the flowers with warm water and rinse the mouth with this flower juice. If rain does not cease, burn the flowers with fire in an open, quiet place, and the rain will immediately stop. If there is a severe drought, place the flowers in water in an open, quiet place, chant the incantation over cold water, and sprinkle it again on the flowers; rain will immediately fall. If cattle, horses, and the like are wild by nature, feed them with the flowers, and they will immediately become tamed. If fruit trees do not flourish with blossoms and fruit, grind the flowers to extract their juice with cold water and cow dung, and irrigate their roots; they must not be trampled upon, and the blossoms and fruit will become abundant. If there is excessive water in the fields and the crops are damaged, pound the flowers into powder and scatter it in the fields, and they will flourish. If there is pestilence in the country, grind the flowers with cold water, smear conch-trumpets, drums, and the like, and blow or strike them to produce sound; those who hear it will immediately be cured. If enemy nations or bandits intend to invade the border, grind the flowers with water and sprinkle and scatter it at that place, and they will immediately retreat and scatter. If on a high mountain there is a place with flat boulders, and many monks grind the flowers upon the rock, and having finished grinding the flowers, bow to one another, after a long time precious gems will naturally be produced upon the rock.' (Briefly stated in summary; for the rest, rely in full on the sūtra.) The Buddha told Mañjuśrī: 'Recite each one a full one hundred and eight times. These verses of incantation you should proclaim everywhere, just like the method for flowers offered to the Buddha; for other flowers it is also like this.'
36.49
Furthermore, the Avataṃsaka-sūtra states: Formerly, among humans there was an incense named Great Elephant Treasury, produced from dragons fighting. If one pellet of it is burned, it raises a great radiance, with fine clouds covering above, tasting like amṛta. For seven days and seven nights, it rains perfumed water. If it touches one's body, the body turns golden; if it touches clothes, palaces, or pavilions, they all likewise turn golden. If any sentient beings get to smell this incense, for seven days and seven nights they rejoice and are happy, all illnesses are eradicated with no untimely deaths, and they leave behind fearful and harmful thoughts, dedicating themselves to great compassion and being mindful of all sentient beings. Knowing them, I preach the Dharma for them, causing immeasurable sentient beings to attain non-retrogression. Furthermore, ox-head candana incense is produced from Mount Vimalā; if smeared on the body, fire cannot burn it.
36.50
Furthermore, the Avadānaśataka states: Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, in the city of Kapilavastu there was an elder whose household was exceedingly wealthy, with boundless and incalculable wealth and treasures. He had a son whose countenance was upright and rare in the world. From all the pores of his body emanated candana fragrance, and from his mouth emanated the fragrance of utpala flowers. Seeing this, his parents rejoiced boundlessly and thus gave him the name Candanagandha. As he gradually grew up, he sought the Buddha to go forth, and attained the fruit of arhatship. Seeing this, the monks addressed the Buddha, saying: 'What merit did this Candanagandha plant in the past to be born in a noble family, have fragrance issue from his body and mouth, and furthermore meet the World-Honoured One, go forth, and attain the Way?' The Buddha told the monks: 'Ninety-one kalpas ago in the past, after Vipaśyin Buddha entered nirvāṇa, at that time there was a king named Bandhumat who collected his relics and built a stūpa of the four jewels one yojana high to make offerings to them. At that time, an elder entered the Buddha's stūpa, saw that the ground was damaged, mixed mud to repair it, sprinkled candana incense over it, made a vow, and departed. By virtue of this merit, for ninety-one kalpas since then, he did not fall into evil destinies, his body and mouth were always fragrant among devas and humans, and he experienced blessings and joy, up until now when he met me, went forth, and attained the Way.'
36.51
Furthermore, the Kalpanāmaṇḍitikā states: The Buddha said: 'I once heard that at the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, there was a Dharma master who preached the Dharma for the assembly and praised Kāśyapa Buddha among the great assembly. Due to this reason, when his life ended, he was born in heaven, constantly experiencing pleasure among humans and devas. One hundred years after the parinirvāṇa of Śākyamuni Buddha, at the time of King Aśoka, he was a great Dharma master, attained arhatship, and constantly had marvelous fragrance issuing from his mouth. At that time, that Dharma master was not far from the king, preaching the Dharma for the assembly. The fragrance from his mouth reached the king's presence. Smelling the fragrance, the king gave rise to doubt in his mind and thought: "Could that monk have mixed wonderful perfume and held it in his mouth? The fragrance is so great!" Having thought this, he spoke to the monk: "Open your mouth and rinse it; there is still fragrance." The monk addressed the king: "Why do you tell me to open my mouth and rinse my mouth?" Then the king replied: "I smelled the fragrance and gave rise to doubt in my mind; therefore, I had you open your mouth and rinse your mouth, yet the fragrance became even more abundant. There is only this fragrant-mouthed monk, and none other." The king said to the monk: "Please explain it to me." The monk smiled and then spoke a verse:'
36.52
'Sovereign of heaven and earth, / I shall now explain it to you: / This is not agallochum incense, / Nor is it flowers, leaves, or stems. / Nor is it that candana and other various incenses / Combined could produce this. / I gave rise to a mind of rare wonder / And made such a declaration: / Due to praising Kāśyapa in the past, / I then obtained such fragrance. / At the time of that Buddha it was already compounded, / Yet it is no different from fresh incense. / Day and night there is always fragrance, / Without ever ceasing.'
36.53
Furthermore, the Riguang jing states: 'If incense smoke has not ended and it is placed on the ground, one incurs the offense of duṣkṛta, and for a full five hundred years falls into the Dung and Excrement Hell. Why is this? Because of an indulgent mind.' Furthermore, the Yewen jing states: 'Adorning the utensils of offering, if one blows away the ashes with one's mouth, one falls into the Utpala Hell; as a secondary retribution, one becomes a wind-spirit king.' Furthermore, the Yaoyongzui jing states: 'One who smells incense with the nose, because of reducing the scent, has no merit, and as primary retribution falls into the Padma Hell; in future lives, the nose faculty lacks the perception of scent.' It also says: 'The Gongyang jing states: "When making offerings, if the incense [censer] is not covered, one falls into the Black Dung and Excrement Hell, suffering retribution for half a kalpa, receiving the result of lacking faith and wisdom. Why is this? Because downward breath rises to foul the incense."' (Although the above three sūtras are not in the catalogue, because they are inspired divine teachings, they are specially noted.) Furthermore, the Sanqian weiyi states: 'Burning incense before the Buddha involves three things: first, change the old incense inside; second, bring out the incense oneself; third, distribute it to others. Preparing the censer involves three things: first, pour out the old ashes beforehand, collect the half-burned incense, and gather it to one side; second, wipe it clean, then add fire, and put the old incense back inside; third, when the fire is lit and blazing, one must not blow on it to extinguish the coals.'
36.54
The verse says:
36.55
Long weary of the tree of ignorance, / Only now rejoicing in the flowers of the Jetavana; / Just entering the path to Mount Gandhamādana, / Yet encountering the carts of the burning house. / The compassionate father repeatedly leads and receives, / But the young child betrays his kindness and strays far. / Though awakened to the mice on the perilous vine, / Still sorrowing over the snakes within the basket. / In the Deer Park, the dhyāna grove is lush; / On Vulture Peak, the branches and boughs stir. / Flowers of samādhi put forth fruits of wisdom; / Riding the empty raft, one crosses the river. / The rain of Dharma falls timely; / Fragrant clouds drift in abundant wisps. / How to take to feathered flight, / To come and deliver those in the worldly snare?
36.56
Circumstances of Sympathetic Resonance (briefly citing seven proofs)
36.57
Śramaṇa Guṇavarman of the Song
Noble Scholar Ming Sengshao of the Qi
Śramaṇa Shi Huizhao of the Liang
Xiao Zimao, Prince of Jin'an of the Southern Qi
Śramaṇa Shi Huizhu of the Tang
The divine incense of Leopard Valley in Weinan Mountain, Yongzhou of the Tang
Together with miscellaneous secular accounts of places producing incense
36.58
Formerly, during the Yongjia years of the Song, there was the foreign Tripiṭaka master Guṇavarman, who was summoned by imperial decree to Jetavana Temple. Whenever he lectured, the fourfold assembly gathered like clouds. Once, when the summer retreat had ended, people of faithful mind went to pick various flowers and laid them beneath the monks' seats. Afterwards, upon inspection, only where Guṇavarman had sat remained as fresh and flourishing as before. Knowing in advance the time of his death, on that day he first bathed, then joined his palms, chanted sūtras, sat upright, and passed away. His body was fragrant and soft. Beneath his seat, an autograph scroll of his final writing was found. Its verses said:
36.59
"In the realm of Mālava, / Within the Āraṇyaka Monastery, / I first attained the holy fruit, / The path's traces freed from all outflows. / And in the country of Siṃhala, / In the village named Kapāli, / Advancing in practice, I attained the three fruits: / This is called the sakṛdāgāmin."
36.60
Emperor Wen was deeply pleased. Moreover, at the site of his corpse, an object was seen resembling a dragon or snake, about one zhang in length, rising straight into the heavens. The monastic assembly wept in loving remembrance. In accordance with the foreign custom, they cremated him with fragrant firewood and erected a stūpa. (The one proof above is from the Liang Biographies of Eminent Monks.)
36.61
Qixia Temple of the Qi is located on Mount She in Pinjia Village, Jiangchui North Canton, Langye Commandery, Nanxuzhou. Ming Sengshao of Pingyuan, a noble scholar of the Qi, founded it during the Taishi era of the Song. He often heard the Dharma bell ring of its own accord. The mountain lodge was five or six li from the village. During the Shengming era of the Song, at dawn, the villagers all saw banners and canopies arranged along the mountainside, with smoke and light of five colours illuminating the empty sky. Men and women gazed in admiration, all saying it was real; yet when they vied to come and see, there was nothing to be seen. At that time, Master Fadu was lecturing on the Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra at the mountain lodge. In the middle of the night, a golden light suddenly shone upon the temple, within which terraces and towers appeared, loudly proclaiming [the Dharma]. If the monks or pure attendants in the temple acted slightly contrary to the Dharma, or if white-robed guests entered the temple with defilements, a tiger would immediately appear, roaring and patrolling the cells, its reverberations shaking the mountain valleys. To this day it is still so. Or if anyone grew slightly weary or remiss during chanting, the mountain deity would manifest his form: clad in black garments, a zhang in height, holding a rope in his hand. The assembly would be frightened and terrified, chanting and reciting without laxity.
36.62
Nanmingzhen Temple of the Liang is in Zhongxing Village, Meiling County. It was founded in the fifth year of Putong by the śramaṇa Huizhao. Huizhao was born of the Xu family. In the early Qi, he accompanied his maternal uncle to Luling. On the road, he found a bundle. Inside the bundle was an embroidered cloth, within which was wrapped paper of five colours, each in a separate wrapper. When he first opened four layers, there was nothing to be seen; but when he finally opened the lowest layer of stitched paper, he saw a light, flashing like lightning and illuminating the whole room. From this, he was moved by divine omens: entering water he would not drown; entering fire he would not burn. His family thought him mad, and at first placed him in a cage and locked him up strictly. Shortly thereafter he was outside, and so they recognized his divine power. Thereupon they set up an empty seat to pray for blessings. A voice from the sky said, 'I am Long-Life Bodhisattva, who should bring benefit to this land. You may make pure offerings in accordance with the Buddha's Dharma.' Thereupon people vied to present incense and flowers, and there were always miraculous responses. Li Shuxian, a man of the south, repeatedly vowed to seek his home prefecture; later, he indeed became the Regional Inspector of Jiaozhou. He then crafted a divine statue of aloeswood. Because the people of the world honoured the spirit under the name Hua, they called her Goddess Huaning. The common people sent offerings so abundant they choked the feast gatherings. With whatever remained from Huizhao's conversions, he built the temple. (The two proofs above are from the Record of Temples in the Capital Liang.)
36.63
Xiao Zimao, Prince of Jin'an of the Southern Qi, styled Yunchang, was a son of Emperor Wu. When he was just seven years old, Lady of Grace Ruan fell critically ill. Monks were invited to perform ritual practice. Someone offered a lotus flower to the Buddha. The monks filled a copper jar with water and submerged the flower's stem, hoping to keep it from withering. After three days, the flower was even fresher. Zimao wept, prostrated before the Buddha, and vowed: 'If my mother may thereby achieve superior harmony, I pray that by the power of the Buddha, the flower will not wither until the fast is completed.' When the seven-day fast ended, the flower was even more freshly red. Looking into the jar, there were slight roots and filaments. His mother's illness soon subsided. His contemporaries praised his filial resonance. Zimao's younger brother, Xiao Zihan, Prince of Nanhai, styled Linghua, had a mother, Lady of Splendid Countenance Yue, who fell sick and took to her bed. Zihan prostrated himself day and night. At the time, bamboo was used as a lamp-stand to hold the lamp; it shone through the night with extreme brilliance. Overnight, this stand sprouted lush branches and leaves. His mother's illness was soon cured. (The matter appears in Wu Jun's Annals.)
36.64
Shi Huizhu of Yong'an County in Shizhou under the Tang was surnamed Jia. He was foremost in upholding the Vinaya, and combined this with managing merits. Later, he went into hiding in the Southern Mountains of his native village. He ate only pine needles. Strange birds and beasts gathered together in silence. Mountain deities would bring and present him with fuling and spikenard incense. He practiced the ritual path during the six intervals of the day without missing a single one. The beasts followed him in circumambulation, prostrating before the Buddha and requesting sūtras, seeming to listen and revere. He then administered the bodhisattva precepts for both the hidden and the manifest. Later, a troupe of monkeys spoke, saying, 'A marvel has been done for you, sir; the sun of the Buddha penetrates everywhere.' Huizhu was deeply astonished by this anomaly, for it was unheard of for beasts to speak. Furthermore, auspicious dragons and flying beasts gathered, carrying strange incense that filled the interior of the mountain. Later, eight men who were gathering wood for bows were greatly astonished. They comforted Huizhu, saying, 'A sage ruler has appeared in the world; the era is named Kaihuang.' In the third year of Zhenguan, there was Meditation Master Ming at the temple, who was eminent and extraordinary. Sitting alone in the daylight, he saw that half of his body was missing. He related to the assembly: 'Vinaya Master Zhu and I established this temple together. We two were of one mind, and now I have suddenly lost half my body. Could it be that the Vinaya Master is about to pass away first?' At mealtime the next day, laypeople said in astonishment: 'Is the temple holding a gathering? We saw thousands of visiting monks entering the temple from four roads. Where are they now?' Shortly thereafter, at noon, Huizhu passed away without illness, at the age of eighty-nine.
36.65
In the Southern Mountains of Weinan County, Yongzhou, under the Tang, there is the cliff of Daobao Valley (Overturned Leopard Valley). There is a hanging rock whose markings resemble an overturned leopard, hence the name. The valley has a rock resembling the face of a Buddha, so it is also called Likeness Valley. An old tradition relates: Formerly, an Indian monk came and said, 'I hear that in this valley there is Image-Face Mountain with the shrines of the seven Buddhas. Long ago, the seven Buddhas once came to this valley to preach the Dharma. In the ravine are campaka flowers, which were constantly offered.' Recently, during the Yonghui years, the śramaṇa Zhiji of Longchi Temple in the Southern Mountains heard of this and went to search for it. Arriving in the valley, he smelled incense, not knowing where it came from. He was deeply astonished that the fragrant aroma arose from the sand within the ravine. He immediately dug into the sand to look, and found something shaped like cogongrass root, wrapped with sand and earth, yet extremely fragrant. Bringing it to the water, he shook and washed it, and the entire ravine became fragrant. When he brought it back to the Buddha hall of Longchi Temple, the whole hall was filled with an intensely fine fragrance. Laypeople at the foot of the mountain occasionally see this mountain either like a Buddhist stūpa or entirely like the face of a Buddha rising into the sky; thus the name of Image Head is not an empty designation. Nearby, it is very close to Jiamei Valley, which was where Wang Jia lived during the Yao Qin. (The two proofs above are from the Tang Biographies of Eminent Monks.)
36.66
The Soushen ji says: 'Earlier, Lady Gouyi was condemned to death for a crime. When her corpse was encoffined, it did not reek, but was fragrant.'
36.67
The Xu soushen ji says: 'At the mouth of Hefei there was a large white boat, capsized in the water. Fishermen who spent the night beside it heard the sounds of zithers and flutes, and an extraordinary fragrance arose. Tradition has it that Lord Cao's boat carrying singing-girls capsized here.'
36.68
The Yiyuan says: 'The mother of Guard Shi Du of Sizhou constantly recited sūtras and observed a perpetual fast, undertaking nothing that was not of the Path. Once she came out of the fasting hall while the monks had not yet eaten. They all looked up and saw an object descend from the clouds, and when it landed before her, it was a large bowl filled with fragrant rice. The entire assembly fell solemn and reverently bowed together. The mother distributed it herself, and none of those fasting were hungry for seven days.'
36.69
The Shuyi ji says: 'Formerly, a man set out for Mount Lu to gather pine. He heard a human voice saying, "This may not yet be taken." Following the voice, the man climbed up and saw a strange flower of very lovely form, its fragrance extraordinary. Knowing it to be divine and anomalous, he plucked and ingested it, and attained a lifespan of three hundred years.'
36.70
The Youming lu says: 'Chen Xiangzi was a native of Wucheng in Wuxing. When he first saw Buddhist scriptures, he subsequently studied the arts of ascending into the mist. Whenever he observed a fast in the world of men, he would always hear extraordinary sounds and smell wonderful, pure, and soaring fragrance in the sky.'
36.71
The Supplementary Biography of Xu Mai says: 'In his youth, Mai was named Ying. Yan Qing and others of Gaoping all went to receive instruction from him. When Qing and the others were first about to leave Ying, he burned incense, and smoke of five colours came forth.'
36.72
The Biography of Fotudeng says: 'Deng filled a bowl with water, burned incense, and prayed over it. In an instant, blue lotus flowers grew.'
36.73
The Bowu zhi says: 'An envoy from the Western Regions offered incense. According to Han regulations, if an incense offering was less than a jin, it could not be accepted. As the Western envoy was about to depart, he opened the incense container, and [took a piece] the size of a soybean to test it on the palace gate. The fragrant aroma was smelled for dozens of li in all four directions around Chang'an, and subsided only after an entire day.'
36.74
The Account of Funan says: 'The people of the kingdom of Dunxun constantly serve heavenly deities with fragrant flowers. There are many kinds of flowers: qubaye flower, zhihua flower, gezui flower, and moyi flower, which do not wither in winter or summer. Every day dozens of carts carry them to the market to sell. When dry, they are even more fragrant. They can also be made into powder to apply to the body.'
36.75
The Shuzheng ji says: 'In the Northern Wastes is the tomb of Mother Zhang. An old tradition says she was the wife of a Wang. She had been buried for many years, but when the tomb was later opened, the incense and lamp were still burning. Her family revered it and called it the Way of Pure Water.'
36.76
The Shishuo says: 'At the time of General of Chariots and Cavalry Huan, there was a certain Chen Zhuang, who entered the Wudang Mountains to study the Way. At his dwelling place, there was white smoke and a fragrance that could be smelled through and through.'
36.77
Musk (shexiang): The Shanhai jing says: 'On the northern side of Mount Cui, there are many musk deer.' The Bencao jing says: 'Musk is acrid in flavour; it wards off evil and kills ghost essences. It grows on Mount Zhongtai.'
36.78
Weirui incense: Master Sun's Illustrated Treatise on Auspicious Omens says: 'Weirui grows when the king's rites are completely fulfilled; another text says it grows when a king cherishes people's lives. Another name is wei incense.'
36.79
Turmeric incense (yujinxiang): Under the Minister of Spring in the Rites of Zhou, the Director of Yuchang says: 'The Director of Yuchang is in charge of libation vessels. Whenever there is a libation for formal ceremonies and guests, he mixes the fragrant turmeric wine to fill the yi vessels and displays them.' (Pounding turmeric and boiling it to mix with the chang libation wine.)
36.80
The Shuowen says: 'Yuchang is the flower of a hundred grasses, a fragrant substance presented as tribute from distant lands. The Director of Yuchang blends and brews it to bring down the spirits.'
36.81
Storax (suhexang): The Sequel to the Book of the Han says: 'The kingdom of Da Qin blends various incenses and simmers them; the juice is called storax.' The Guangzhi says: 'Storax comes from the kingdom of Da Qin; some say from the kingdom of Suhe. The people of the kingdom harvest it and squeeze the juice to make fragrant paste, and then sell the dregs to merchants. Or, some say, they blend various fragrant herbs and simmer them into storax, and it is not a single natural substance.' Fu Zi says: 'The Western foreigners say storax is produced by a beast. People in China all consider this strange.'
36.82
Clove (jishexiang): The Account of Foreign Countries in the Wu Period says: 'Wuma Prefecture produces clove.' The Xu soushen ji says: 'Liu Guang of Yuzhang was young and unmarried. Going to a farmhouse, he saw a girl who said, "I am the daughter of Adjutant He. I died young at fourteen, and was raised by the Queen Mother of the West, who sent me to bring disasters to the lower earth." Guang had an intimate affair with her. That day, beneath the mat, he found a handkerchief wrapping clove. His mother took the handkerchief and burned it, and it turned out to be fire-proof cloth.' The Record of Strange Things in the Southern Regions says: 'Clove is produced in Dubo Prefecture; it is said to be an herb that can be held in the mouth to perfume the breath.' Yu Yiqi's Letter says: 'Old foreign monks say the various incenses all come from a single tree; the flowers of the tree are clove.'
36.83
Sparrow-head incense (quetouxiang): The Jiangbiao zhuan says: 'Emperor Wen of the Wei sent an envoy to Wu to seek sparrow-head incense.'
36.84
Frankincense (xunluxiang). The Weilüe states: 'Da Qin produces frankincense.' The Nanfang caowu zhuang states: 'Frankincense comes from the state of Da Qin. It is said that by the seashore, large trees naturally grow in the sand. At the height of summer, the tree resin flows out onto the sand. The barbarians collect it and sell it to others.' (The Nanzhou yiwu zhi says the same, differing only in saying: 'Its form is like peach resin.' The Dianshu says the same, differing only in saying: 'Taken according to the method for consuming pine resin over a long period, it enables communication with divine spirits.') The letters of Yu Yiqi state: 'All the various fragrances share a single tree; the tree resin is frankincense.'
First 75 of 136 passages. Read on
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- 法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese