法苑珠林 42.9

42.9

Therefore, according to the Sūtra on Inviting Piṇḍola: If an upāsaka, king, or elder of India holds any gathering, they always invite the arhat Piṇḍola-bhāradvāja. 'Piṇḍola' is his personal name, and 'Bhāradvāja' is his clan name. Because this man manifested supernormal feet for the elder Jyotiṣka, the Buddha restricted him and did not permit him to enter nirvāṇa, commanding him to serve as a field of merit for the sentient beings of the four assemblies in the Dharma-ending age. When inviting him, one should burn incense and pay homage in a quiet place, turn toward Mount Mālya in India, and with a sincere mind invoke his name, saying: 'O Venerable Piṇḍola-bhāradvāja, you received the Buddha's instruction to serve as a field of merit for the people of the final age. May you accept my invitation to dine at this place.' If one has newly built a house, one should also invite him, saying: 'May you accept my invitation to lodge upon the bedding in this house.' When universally inviting the community of monks to bathe, one should also invite him, saying: 'Accept my invitation to bathe here.' Before dawn, prepare fragrant hot water, ash water, bath powder, willow tooth-sticks, and fragrant oil, adjusting the warmth and coolness according to the human method of bathing. Open the door and invite him to enter, and then shut the door. After the duration of a human bath, the community of monks may enter. Whenever holding a meal gathering or bathing, it is essential that all those inviting the monks seek liberation with a sincere mind, without doubt or confusion, and with pure faith; only then can he be induced to come. In recent times, there was an elder who, having heard that the great arhat Piṇḍola received the Buddha's instruction to serve as a field of merit for the people of the final age, arranged a great assembly according to the Dharma and invited Piṇḍola with a sincere mind. Beneath the woolen rugs, he spread fine flowers everywhere, wishing to test his presence. When the great assembly had finished eating, he uncovered the woolen rugs, but the flowers were all withered and yellowed. In distress, he blamed himself, not knowing where his fault lay. Exerting himself further, he inquired carefully of masters of the scriptures, and held another great assembly, making offerings as before. The flowers again withered. He then exhausted all his family wealth to hold yet another great assembly, but it was still as before. Distressed and self-reproaching, he invited more than a hundred Dharma masters, seeking where his fault lay and repenting of his transgressions. He prostrated himself before an elderly thera at the head of the assembly, repenting of his errors on all sides. The thera told him: 'At all three of your assemblies you invited me, and I accepted your invitation each time. But you had your servant bar the gate. Seeing that I was old and my robes were tattered, he thought I was an outcast, a miserable śramaṇa, and would not let me enter. Because you had invited me, I tried to force my way in, but your servant struck my head with a staff, breaking it open; the wound on the right corner of my forehead is from that. At the second assembly, I came again and was again refused entry. When I tried to force my way in, he struck my head again; the wound in the middle of my forehead is from that. At the third assembly, I came again and was struck on the head as before; the wound on the left corner of my forehead is from that. You brought this upon yourself; why are you lamenting?' Having spoken, he vanished. Only then did the elder know that he was Piṇḍola. From that time onward, whenever people arranged meritorious events, none dared bar the gate. If Piṇḍola comes, the flowers at his seat do not wither. When newly building rooms, beds, and couches and wishing to invite Piṇḍola, one should sprinkle the ground with fragrant water, light fragrant oil lamps, prepare a new bed and new mattress, beat fine cotton spread upon the mattress, and cover it with white silk. In the early night, invite him according to the Dharma, and then shut the room's door. Be careful not to spy on him with disrespect. Everyone must believe with a sincere mind that he will surely come; when sincere devotion penetrates through, there is nowhere it does not reach. When he comes, an impression of someone lying down appears on the mattress, and signs of using hot water also appear in the bathhouse. When he accepts an invitation to a great assembly, he may sit in the upper seat, the middle seat, or the lower seat, appearing in the guise of an ordinary monk in any place; even if people seek something unusual about him, they will never find it. Only after he leaves, upon seeing that the flowers at his seat are not withered, do they know it.