法苑珠林 40.7

40.7

“Śarīra” is the Sanskrit language of the Western Regions; here it means “bodily relics”. Fearing that they might be confused with the ordinary bones of dead commoners, the Sanskrit original's name is retained. There are three kinds of śarīra: the first is bone śarīra, its colour being white; the second is hair śarīra, its colour being black; the third is flesh śarīra, its colour being red. Bodhisattvas, arhats, and others also have these three kinds. If they are the Buddha's śarīra, they cannot be crushed when struck with a mallet; if they are a disciple's śarīra, they immediately shatter when struck with a mallet. Furthermore, the Pusa chutai jing says: The World-Honoured One told the great assembly: “Remember the merits I practiced in ancient times: I abandoned bodies and took on bodies not once or twice. Now I shall speak to you of the Dharma of a single bodily form. The unbroken whole-body śarīra of all the buddhas are all in the diamond kṣetra below. The diamond kṣetra is eight hundred and forty thousand koṭis of li thick. Below it are the shattered-body relics of all the buddhas, all in that kṣetra. In that place is a buddha-kṣetra named Wondrous Fragrance (Gandhasugandha). The buddha's name is Tathāgata Abiding Nowhere, endowed with the ten titles, who is now in the present expounding the Dharma.” The Buddha told the great assembly: “Eight hundred and forty thousand koṭis of li below the shattered-body relics, the land is pure, the buddha's name is Pervasive Light, endowed with the ten titles, and that buddha is now in the present expounding the Dharma. Further below there is a land named Giving of the Inexhaustible Treasury, and the buddha is named Exhorting and Aiding. Further below there is a land named Drum of the Dharma, and the buddha is named Good Vision. In that land there are whole-body śarīra. Hundreds of thousands of koṭis of past buddhas have all left their śarīra there. In the śarīra of that land, I too have a share.” Furthermore, the Sāgara-nāgarāja-paripṛcchā-sūtra says: At that time, the dragons said to the Buddha: “Now that the World-Honoured One is returning to the land of Jambudvīpa, the dragons in the sea will have nothing to rely upon and look up to. We pray only that with great compassion, when the Buddha enters extinction, you will leave your whole-body śarīra in this great sea, so that all kinds of beings can make offerings to it, increasingly cultivate merit, quickly shed their dragon bodies, and swiftly attain the unexcelled, truly authentic path. We only pray the Buddha bestow his kindness, add his majestic virtue, and let our wish bear fruit.” The Buddha said: “Excellent! It shall be according to your wish.” Subhūti said to the dragons: “The śarīra for all humans and devas must be pervasive, so that all universally receive salvation. If you gentlemen pray that the Buddha's śarīra remain exclusively whole to be served by you alone, by what means will all sentient beings be saved?” The dragons replied: “O Subhūti, do not utter these words! Do not use the limited, obstructed wisdom of your own person to limit the Tathāgata's boundless wisdom. There is nothing into which the Tathāgata's sacred virtue cannot transform and manifest: he manifests individually in each of the trichiliocosms. The Buddha's whole-body śarīra neither increases nor decreases, universally appearing to all, just as the reflection of the sun appears in water. The Buddha is neither born nor does he enter extinction. How could one wish to limit the Tathāgata's wisdom?” When Subhūti heard this, he was silent and had no words. The Buddha praised the dragons: “You virtuous and wise ones, it is truly as you have said, without any difference. The Buddha's path is lofty and wondrous, without boundary or limit, neither square nor round, neither broad nor narrow, neither far nor near, just like empty space—it cannot be compared.”