法苑珠林 40.9

40.9

As the Guanfo sanmei jing says: When the Buddha first left his shadow in the stone chamber, it was in the country of Nagarahāra, south of the cliff of Mount Anas, beside the pool of the venomous dragon. There were five rākṣasīs who engaged in intercourse with the venomous dragon and constantly made hail and rain fall; the common people had suffered famine and pestilence for four years already. At that time, the king offered sacrifices and incantations against the dragon, but the rākṣasīs' power was flourishing, and the incantations were ineffective. The king knelt long with palms joined, praising the Buddha's penetrative wisdom: “You should know my heart's wish; we pray you will bend your loving-kindness and compassion to illuminate and visit this country.” At that time, the Tathāgata went to that country. The dragon raised thunder and lightning, its scales smoke and flame; the five rākṣasīs' eyes were like flashes of lightning. At that time, a vajradhara held a great pestle in his hand; the tip of the pestle was ablaze like a whirling wheel of fire, burning the wicked dragon's body. The dragon king was terrified and ran into the Buddha's shadow, as if sprinkled with sweet dew. Seeing the vajradharas, he was exceedingly alarmed and frightened, and bowed in homage to the Buddha; the five rākṣasīs also bowed in homage to the Tathāgata. The dragon king emerged from his pool with a jewelled dais to offer to the Buddha. The Buddha said: “I have no need of your dais; only give me the stone cave of the rākṣasas.” The devas each took off their jewelled robes to dust the cave. The Buddha withdrew his supernormal foot and entered the stone chamber alone, causing the top of this stone to become seven treasures under his tread. At that time, the dragon built stone caves for the four great disciples and Ānanda. Then the World-Honoured One emerged from the stone cave. When the dragon heard that the Buddha was returning to his country, he wept with tears falling like rain: “Why do you abandon me? If I do not see the Buddha, I shall commit wicked deeds and plunge into the evil destinies.” The Buddha comforted the dragon: “I accept your invitation; I shall sit in your cave for one thousand five hundred years.” Sitting in the cave, the Buddha performed eighteen transformations, leaped his body into the stone as if into a bright mirror, and within the stone he shone through to the outside. Looked at from afar, he was visible; looked at from close by, he did not appear. Hundreds and thousands of devas made offerings to the Buddha's shadow, and the shadow also preached the Dharma, remaining there even down to the present.