法苑珠林 62

English (machine translation) 62

Language: English

62.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple

62.2

Section 69: Sacrifices
Section 70: Divination and Physiognomy

62.3

Section on Sacrifices (This has three parts)

62.4

Part on Expressing Intent
Part on Making Offerings to the Buddha
Part on Sacrifices

I have heard: Gold and jade are different treasures, yet commonly prized by all people; the dark [Daoism] and the Ru [Confucianism] have distinct doctrines, yet are equally revered far and wide. Why must one desire to take Kong [Qiu] as master merely because he was born in one's own land, yet be minded to cast the Buddha aside because he dwelt in a distant realm? Overcome by the urgency of the matter, I venture to present my humble discernment; regarding the principles of right and wrong, I dare not decide them on my own.
In ancient times, when Kong Qiu departed and passed away, his temple became a model for a thousand years; when Śākyamuni left and passed on, monasteries established his numinous stūpas for ten thousand generations. This is to cause those who see the form to arouse recollection, and those facing the image to turn their hearts in devotion. Reverencing the master and remaining loyal to the lord—their meaning is one and the same.
As when Ding Lan fastened his belt to filially serve the form of his wooden mother; or when Boundless [Intention] took off his necklace to present it to the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Buddha. Gazing back into distant antiquity and pondering their pure dust, since the seed has formed a grove, this does not transgress principle.
Furthermore, according to the Classic of Rites: The Son of Heaven has seven ancestral temples, the feudal lords have five temples, and grand masters and ministers each have their respective ranks. Therefore, that of heaven is called 'spirit' (shen), and one sacrifices to heaven at the circular mound; that of earth is called 'earthly deity' (qi), and one sacrifices to earth at the square marsh; that of humans is called 'ghost' (gui), and one sacrifices to them in ancestral temples. The labor of dragon spirits in bringing down rain and the utility of cattle in pulling plows have led people to set up forms at the entrance of villages and erect images at city gates. How much more so for the Great Master of the Three Realms, supreme above heaven and beneath heaven, the Compassionate Father of the four forms of birth in this realm and other realms! His majestic virtue is revered by tens of thousands, and his transformative influence serves as a standard for myriad spirits.
Therefore, the redirection of merit by good people is like the myriad streams returning to the dark abyss; the embrace of his great radiance is like the two luminaries accompanied by the host of stars. Since the Yuezhi realm received the shadow left at Nagarahāra, and the śarīra of his cremated body spread throughout Jetavana, following which the holy and the wise were produced, relying upon this magnificent blessing, whether honored or noble, people hope thereby to obtain peace."

62.7

Part 2: Making Offerings to the Buddha

62.8

Question: On occasions such as the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when the sacred teachings instruct that Buddha basins be made to present offerings, on this day there are also many guests; from what provision should these items be supplied?
Answer: If there are donors who provide goods for common use, these should be used to entertain guests. If there are no donors who provide goods for common use, one must observe the monastery: monasteries vary between large and small, official and private. For instance, in a small monastery that was not built by the state, where there are no external offerings presented, nor are there noble dignitaries to deliberate on the occasion, one should, according to the monastery's abundance or scarcity, draw from the permanent property of the saṃgha to prepare food to offer to the Buddha and the saṃgha; in this there is no fault. Because the Buddha is universally counted among the saṃgha that is worthy of offerings, monasteries at every large and small mealtime regularly set out two platters, one for the Buddha and one for the saṃgha; thus we know it may be used. If discussing the poṣadha recitation of precepts, the Buddha is not counted within the karmic saṃgha. Why is this? Because the stations of the Three Jewels are distinct.

62.9

If it is a great state monastery—such as Ximing Temple or Ci'en Temple in Chang'an—in addition to their allocation fields they have estate lands specially bestowed by imperial decree, and all their provisions are state offerings. Therefore, every year when basins are sent and offerings of various sundry goods are presented, along with the palanquin bearers, musicians, and the like, as well as the officials sending the basins, those who come are not few. From what goods should they provide for these guests? Furthermore, before the official basins arrive, from what goods are the various requisites prepared for presenting offerings before the Buddha? The answer is: If there are goods for common use, these goods should be used first. If there are no such goods and no special donations either, one may only draw upon the permanent property of the Saṅgha to entertain the guests and to prepare the food offerings. Objection: According to the Vinaya, if an evil bhikṣu comes, one should not even give to him, whereas if a good bhikṣu comes, one ought to give to him. Since this is the permanent property of the Saṅgha, how can it be permitted to be given to laypeople? Answer: According to the Mahāsāṃghika and Daśabhāṇavāra Vinayas, for kings, great ministers, artisans, or vicious bandits whose actions could cause harm or benefit to the Saṅgha, the Buddha permitted the administrators to draw upon the Saṅgha's goods to entertain them, all without committing an offense. This is not because laypeople are entitled to consume them, but the administrators are merely permitted [to use them because], if they do not entertain them, it will directly bring harm upon the Buddha and the Saṅgha; therefore, permission is granted to entertain them without committing an offense. Knowing this to be so, when the state today prepares basins and presents offerings, and the hundred officials and musicians are sent by imperial command to deliver the Buddha-basins, how could they not be entertained? If they were not entertained, it would directly invite censure and blame, and further attract external ridicule, [with people saying] that those who have left the household merely seek the goods of others while not relinquishing their own stinginess. Laypeople see what is near and do not know what is far off; they claim they are entitled to receive and consume them, so how could they know the future retribution? The Buddha knew the harm and benefit, and therefore established permissions and prohibitions according to circumstances. Objection: If the food offerings presented before the Buddha are prepared using the permanent property of the Saṅgha, after the event is over, they definitely accrue to the permanent Saṅgha—of this there is no doubt. But as for the basins, offerings, and various sundry goods presented by outside donors, to whom do these belong? Answer: This depends on whether the donor's intention is general or specific. If the donor prepares them according to the sūtras, originally to rescue living and deceased kin, this depends upon the Saṅgha of both ordinary and noble beings of the ten directions who have observed the summer retreat and performed the pravāraṇā, for only then can they rescue and extricate their deceased parents, enabling them to escape the three evil destinies and ascend purely to humanity and heaven. Therefore, after the offerings are made to the Buddha, all the leftover food and drink, as well as the uncooked grain, flour, and the like, accrue to the permanent Saṅgha, to be used in turn to provide meals for the Saṅgha. Apart from these, sundry goods, money, wealth, clothing, and the like all accrue to those who observed the summer retreat, because guests and hosts divide them equally. Hence the lower text of the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya says that summer food should not be divided, but permits the division of summer robes, pravāraṇā robes, and the like.

62.10

If a donor's mind is specific, offering food only to the Buddha, it accrues to the Saṅgha; other sundry goods and money either accrue to the Buddha, to the Dharma, or to the Saṅgha of the present, according to the donor's intention, which must not be opposed. Thus the Sarvāstivāda-śāstra states: 'If one donates to the Buddha-jewel, it should be placed in a stupa containing fingernails and hair to make offerings to the Dharmakāya Buddha, because the Dharmakāya is ever-abiding.' Again, the Vibhāṣā asks: 'When the Buddha was in the world, among all goods offered to the Three Jewels, he always received the share of one person; why then, after his parinirvāṇa, is one share specially taken [for him]?' The answer states: 'When the Buddha was in the world, his physical body made use of it, so he took the share of one person. After his parinirvāṇa, the merit of his Dharmakāya surpasses that of the Saṅgha, so one share is taken.' If one donates to the Dharma, it is divided into two shares: one share is given to the scriptures, and one share is given to those who chant the scriptures and preach the Dharma. If one donates to the Dharma-jewel, it is suspended inside a stupa to make offerings to the principle of the Dharma-jewel. If one donates to the Saṅgha-jewel, it is also placed inside a stupa to make offerings to the Saṅgha of ultimate truth. If one says 'I donate to the community,' both ordinary and noble beings receive it, because the statement has no specific designation. Knowing this, when receiving donations, one must clearly understand what is general and what is restricted, and not allow them to be used interchangeably, causing impropriety. (According to this, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when lay households each prepare food offerings according to the sūtra to rescue their kin, after the event is over, all the food must be sent to the monastery; they are not permitted to eat it themselves. If originally prepared solely as an offering to the Buddha and not given to the Saṅgha, eating it oneself incurs no offense, but it contravenes the intention of rescuing one's mother.) Furthermore, the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya states: 'If there are too many flowers offered to the Buddha, it is permitted to sell them and buy incense and lamps; if there is still an excess, sell them and place [the proceeds] into inexhaustible wealth.' Furthermore, the Wubai wenshi states: 'If there are many goods belonging to a stupa and one wishes to use them for other Buddha-affairs, it is permitted; if the donor does not allow it, it is not permitted.' Furthermore, the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya states: 'As for food offered to a stupa, the person who tends the stupa may eat it.' Furthermore, the Samantapāsādikā states: 'As for cooked rice offered before the Buddha, the bhikṣu attending upon the Buddha may eat it. If there is no bhikṣu, a white-robed layman attending upon the Buddha may also eat it.'

62.11

Discussion: This applies to specific intentions, as decided above. If monks and laypeople casually hold a vegetarian feast and offer food to the Buddha and the noble Saṅgha, and the donor's intention is general, announcing that any leftover food from the donation shall revert to the donor, there is no need to redeem it, nor does it accrue exclusively to the attendant. The two categories of goods belonging to the Dharma and the Saṅgha may be understood similarly to the above.

62.12

Question: Since monks and laypeople are permitted to prepare basins and present offerings on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, may one make jeweled basins and offer various kinds of treasures to the Buddha or not? Answer: All are permitted. If one relies on the Short Basin Sūtra on Repaying Kindness, jeweled items are omitted; but if one relies on the Great Basin Pure Land Sūtra, they are present. For when the kings of the sixteen countries heard the Buddha explain how Maudgalyāyana rescued his mother from the suffering of being a hungry ghost for three kalpas, enabling her to be reborn among humans where mother and son saw each other, King Bimbisāra immediately commanded his treasury minister: 'Make basins for me!' The treasury minister received the command and thereupon prepared five hundred golden basins, five hundred silver basins, five hundred lapis lazuli basins, five hundred tridacna basins, five hundred agate basins, five hundred coral basins, and five hundred amber basins, each filled to the brim with food and drink of a hundred and one flavours, everything conforming to the Dharma, and brought them to offer to the Buddha and the Saṅgha. Based on this, it is definitely permitted.

62.13

Question: According to the Short Basin Sūtra: 'The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: "The monks of the ten directions, at the time of the pravāraṇā on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, should prepare food for parents of seven lifetimes and present parents in adversity: vessels and basins with a hundred delicacies and the five fruits, ladles and pitchers, fragrant oil and burning lamps, beds, bedding, and all requisites, providing all sweet fruits and placing them inside the basins, to offer to the venerable monks of the ten directions. When first receiving the basins, one should first place them before the Buddha's stupa; after the assembly of monks has completed the recitation of mantras and vows, they may then partake of the food themselves."' It does not mention offerings of sundry flowers. Nowadays, the capable and wealthy in various monasteries extensively make sundry flowers, using either various jewels, various silks, rice and flour, various types of wax, lead and tin, or various colors. There are also monks and laypeople of noble status who criticize this, saying: 'Maudgalyāyana's mother was reborn as a hungry ghost, and the Buddha instructed him to prepare food and drink of a hundred delicacies to offer to the Buddha and the Saṅgha. For what reason are these jeweled flowers and sundry items offered to the Buddha and Saṅgha? Can they eat these jeweled flowers and sundry colors?' Answer: One must not let one's own narrow pettiness obstruct the great merit of others. Thus the Great Basin Sūtra states: 'King Bimbisāra made five hundred golden bowls, filled to the brim with flowers of a thousand colors; five hundred silver bowls, filled to the brim with white agallochum incense of a thousand colors; five hundred lapis lazuli bowls, filled to the brim with purple gold incense of a thousand colors; five hundred tridacna bowls, filled to the brim with yellow lotus flowers of a thousand colors; five hundred agate bowls, filled to the brim with red lotus flowers of a thousand colors; five hundred coral bowls, filled to the brim with green agallochum incense of a thousand colors; and five hundred amber bowls, filled to the brim with white lotus flowers of a thousand colors. When the king saw that all was done according to the Dharma, he immediately commanded his military ministers to array an escort of one hundred and forty thousand people, and they went together to the Jetavana Temple to pay homage to the Buddha and present the basins to him and the Saṅgha. Having donated all the basins and bowls of the seven treasures to the Buddha and the Saṅgha, and after they had received and made use of them, he returned with his retinue to his kingdom. His parents of seven lifetimes transcended the sins of birth and death spanning seventy-two kalpas.' Next, the householder Sudatta, Mother Viśākhā, two hundred upāsikās, King Prasenajit, Queen Mallikā, and others proclaimed throughout their realms: 'According to Maudgalyāyana's basin ritual, make basins for us!' They each used five hundred purple-gold basins and yellow-gold basins, filled to the brim with food and drink of a hundred and one flavours. Then, with five hundred purple-gold palanquins and five hundred yellow-gold palanquins, filled to the brim with a hundred and one items, everything was fully provided. They proceeded before the king and queen, who saw that it was done according to the Dharma. Thereupon the king arrayed an escort, and together with one hundred and eighty thousand people went before the Buddha. After presenting the thousand golden basins, thousand golden palanquins, and so forth, they paid reverent homage and returned. Their parents of seven lifetimes transcended the sins of birth and death spanning seventy-two kalpas.

62.14

Question: According to the preceding determination, based on the sūtra, donors are permitted to offer precious vessels and varied flowers as stated before. If there are no donors, is it permissible to use the permanent property of the Saṃgha to make flowers and offer them to the Buddha? Answer: One must also weigh the time and observe the gain and loss in the situation. If it is a small monastery without many nobility and prominent persons, and also free from external reproach, it is not permissible to use the permanent property of the Saṃgha to fashion varied flowers and offer them before the Buddha. If trees on the Saṃgha's land produce flowers, one may take them to offer before the Buddha. Hence the Daśādhyāya-vinaya states: 'Trees and flowers in the Saṃgha's park are permitted to be taken and offered to the Buddha's stūpa. If there are fruits, people are dispatched to harvest them to supply the Saṃgha for eating.' Furthermore, the Vinayamātṛkā states: 'When land has already been assigned and trees planted, once the timber is obtained, it may later be used to repair dwellings; there is no need to announce it to the Saṃgha. If the Saṃgha's trees are to repair a stūpa, with the harmonious consensus of the Saṃgha they may be used.' Hence the Ratnamudrā-sūtra states: 'If one uses the Saṃgha's property to repair and construct a Buddha stūpa, taking it according to the Dharma with the harmonious consensus of the Saṃgha, it may be used. If they are not in harmony, encourage laypersons to repair it.' Furthermore, the Sarvāstivāda-śāstra states: 'On the land of the Saṃgha of the four directions, if they are not in harmonious agreement, one must not make a Buddha stūpa or plant flowers and fruits for the Buddha. If they are apportioned from within the Saṃgha, they are permitted to be offered as one pleases. If the flowers are limitlessly abundant, one may use them for offerings at will.' Furthermore, the Ratnamudrā-sūtra states: 'Those who wish to build a monastery to make offerings, once the offered goods have been entrusted to the Saṃgha, may no longer interfere. If the original owner takes the wealth and property back for use, he must repay it sevenfold. When a monastery is newly established, the bhikṣu announces to the Saṃgha: "All flowers and fruits planted within this monastery shall be offered to the Buddha. The branches, leaves, seeds, and fruits shall be eaten by the present Saṃgha and bestowed upon all sentient beings." If it is not done so, whether monastic or lay, anyone who eats them commits an offense.' The discussion states: Since we know that the Three Jewels are distinct from one another and their property cannot be used interchangeably, when a monastery is first established, the Buddha courtyard and the Saṃgha courtyard must each have separate allocations. For instance, in a large monastery where a Buddha stūpa is built separately, all the flowers and fruits within the four surrounding open enclosures belong to the use of the stūpa once obtained; outside the open enclosure, they belong to the use of the Saṃgha. Hence the Daśādhyāya-vinaya states: 'The Buddha permitted monastic dwellings and Buddha shrines to keep laborers, elephants, horses, oxen, sheep, and the like, each having its own affiliation, and they must not be used interchangeably.' Furthermore, the Ratnarāśi-sūtra and the Ratnamudrā-sūtra state: 'The property of the Buddha and the Dharma must not be used interchangeably. Because no one acts as master over the property of the Buddha and the Dharma, and there is no one who can be consulted, they are not like the property of the Saṃgha.' If the permanent residents and visiting monks mutually have needs, the monastic manager harmonizes the Saṃgha and solicits their consent; if they reach harmony through the distribution of voting-sticks, it may be used. Furthermore, the Sarvāstivāda-śāstra states: 'If a monastery undergoes famine, and there is nowhere to inquire about the distinguishing of the fields and gardens of the Three Jewels: if the Saṃgha harmoniously agrees, they may dispose of it at will. If it belongs permanently to the stūpa through the labor of the stūpa, the Saṃgha incurs a grave offense by using it. If the labor came from the Saṃgha, they should deliberate the amount; the Saṃgha may take and use it, but must not exceed the limit, otherwise they incur a grave offense.' The above enumeration concerns small monasteries free from external reproach and harm, which must follow the preceding determination. However, in present times, there are large monasteries constructed by the state, with separate allocations and imperial grants of estates and manors, where officials and noble guests come and go frequently each day. Since there are no common-use funds, how could one not attend [to their appearance]? Moreover, as on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when making offerings before the Buddha hall, how could it be left bare and empty? If one does not elaborately prepare food, drink, flowers, and fruit to offer to the Buddha, but merely adds a little to the ordinary meals to offer to the Buddha, could that be permissible? Should superiors come to inspect and laypeople ridicule and gossip, saying that the monastics are stingy and inferior to the white-robed, this would not only show disrespect to the Buddha, but also show no fear of receiving reprimand from above one morning. How could one rigidly adhere to the rule that the Saṃgha's property must not be taken to offer to the Buddha? Since this is known to be so, if there are no common-use funds, one can only use the permanent property of the Saṃgha to prepare varied flowers, fruits, and the hundred flavors of food and drink to offer to the Buddha, causing other laypeople to give rise to goodness and eradicate evil; this also causes no harm. Although using the Saṃgha's property cannot rescue others' living or deceased relatives, it at least avoids the offense of receiving lay ridicule and slander. As the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya states: When laypeople entered the monastery and met the Saṃgha during their meal, the Saṃgha did not provide for them and was slandered and ridiculed by the laypeople. The Buddha permitted giving [food] to them. Having permitted giving to them, they served it in poor vessels and were also resented by the laypeople. The Buddha said: 'I permit giving it in good vessels.' These all depend on the administrators and monastic officers to weigh according to circumstances; adapting appropriately conforms to the sage's intent, and one must not blindly follow a uniform rule with unbending obstinacy. Hence the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya states: 'Although it was spoken by me, if it is impure in other regions, there is no fault in not practicing it. Although it was not spoken by me, if it is pure in other regions, one must practice it.' (This statement deliberates on circumstances; what matter does it not encompass?)

62.15

Furthermore, the Sūtra on Eliminating Calamities and Disasters Spoken by the Buddha states: At that time, in the country of Vaiśālī, pestilential vapours and epidemics caused countless deaths, and the people had nowhere to turn. The king and ministers assembled to discuss the matter extensively: 'Our country has encountered disasters and calamities; this is not the ruin brought by evil spirits, but countless deaths burned by the fire of pestilence. What appropriate measure should be taken to eliminate the disaster and calamity?' Some suggested: 'We should establish sacrificial altars at all the city gates.' Some suggested: 'We should set up a great sacrificial offering at the crossroads in the center of the city to avert the pestilential vapours.' At that time, in the assembly there was an elder named Dānī (in the language of the Jin: Caiming ['Talented and Bright']), who upheld the Buddha's five precepts and cultivated the ten wholesome deeds. He proposed: 'I have heard only your words that the country has encountered disasters and calamities with countless deaths. But as you gentlemen propose, to harm life to save life—how could that be right? It is because of unwholesome deeds done in past lives that we now suffer this plight. We should devise an expedient method to avert evil with good and forever part from suffering. How could we perversely commit killing to seek peace, suffering in the long night with no time of escape?' The great assembly then asked Caiming: 'What appropriate measure should be devised?' Caiming replied: 'In the world there is a Teacher of the Great Trichiliocosm of gods and humans, who covers and protects all, and has compassionate pity for sentient beings, titled Buddha, who treads alone in the three realms. If we can bring him to grace our country with his presence, the disasters and calamities can be eradicated, and humans and livestock will be safe and tranquil.' When the great assembly heard this, none failed to praise it as good, saying: 'As you have spoken, it would indeed be a great joy. But the Buddha is in the country of Ajātaśatru in Rājagṛha, which bears enmity toward our country; how could he allow him to come?' Caiming said: 'The Buddha's appearance in the world is aimed at saving beings from suffering; he is like empty space, unobstructed by anything, and like the light of the sun, nurturing everything without exception. The Buddha pities our country's plight and will surely come without doubt. We need only send abundant tribute, express our apologies to King Ajātaśatru, and harmony will be achieved.' The king and ministers all agreed, saying: 'Only the pure-faith elder Caiming, being a disciple of the Buddha, can serve as the envoy.' Then Caiming accepted the mission and prepared to depart. The great assembly all rose, faced toward the Buddha's direction, joined their palms, knelt upright, threw their five limbs to the ground, and bowed their heads in homage to the Buddha. Thereupon Caiming, having received the commission as envoy, went to the city of Rājagṛha, delivered the letter, presented the tribute, and fully explained the purpose of his coming. The king told Caiming: 'You may go to the Buddha's dwelling and announce your country's mission.' Thereupon Caiming took his leave and went to the Bamboo Grove. Arriving at the monastery, he saw the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, paid homage with utmost devotion, and fully submitted the request. The Buddha then silently granted his request. Seeing the Buddha accept the invitation, Caiming was immeasurably joyful. At that time, all the spirits, deities, gods, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits within the borders of Rājagṛha, knowing that the Buddha had accepted the invitation and was about to go to another country, were all agitated, saddened, and displeased. Thereupon King Ajātaśatru, along with his ministers and all the great assembly of hundreds of millions of people, cast their five limbs to the ground, took refuge, repented their faults, and wept as they escorted the Buddha. The Buddha manifested divine transformations and arrived in Vaiśālī. The people of the entire country paid homage with their five limbs, threw themselves at the Buddha's feet, and took refuge in the Three Jewels. With fragrant flowers, music, silk canopies, and banners, they welcomed the World-Honoured One. Fragrant flowers covered the ground, and along the road they made offerings day after day without interruption. Arriving at the national capital, the Buddha, along with the noble assembly, gods, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits, stopped at the city gate. With his golden arm and hand endowed with auspicious marks, he touched the lintel of the city gate, and with the pure Brahma-voice possessing eight qualities, he spoke a verse:

62.16

"All species of sentient beings
Who dwell within this earthly realm,
Those who walk and abide upon the ground,
And those who are in empty space:
Extend loving-kindness to sentient beings,
Causing each to rest in peace and tranquility;
Day and night be diligent and devoted,
Turning toward all wholesome dharmas."

62.17

When he had spoken this verse, the earth shook greatly in six ways. The Buddha then entered the city. The ghosts and spirits in the air scattered and retreated into the sky. The ghosts and spirits moving on the ground vied for the gates and rushed out together; the city gates could not contain them, so they scrambled against each other, breached the city walls, and fled. At that time, all impurities, cesspools, foulness, and stench in the city sank down into the earth; high and low became level, and ditches and pits were all smoothed out. The blind could see and the deaf could hear; the mute could speak and the crippled could walk; the mad regained their sanity and the sick were cured. Elephants, horses, cattle, and livestock neighed and called to one another in harmonious sounds. Konghou harps and musical instruments sounded on their own without being plucked, in harmonious gong and shang notes. The pearls and rings of women chimed against each other with wondrous resonance. Vessels, jars, and urns naturally produced sounds, gentle, pure, and harmonious, voicing the wondrous sound of the Dharma. Hidden treasures in the ground emerged of their own accord. All sentient beings, as if suffering from burning thirst and obtaining cool water, drank, bathed, and recovered in peaceful refreshment. The illnesses of the entire assembly were eliminated, and all attained liberation in just this manner. The exposition states: One should know that the divine power of the Buddhas is inconceivable, and the karmic power of sentient beings is also inconceivable. Hence the Alaṃkāra-śāstra states: 'If there is wholesome karma, by its natural power, one receives a good karmic retribution. Though one may have the power of a king's faction and support, this does not know the fruition obtained by karmic power.' I once heard in the past that there was a poor man who thought to himself: 'I should go to the shrine of a deva to seek an abundance of wealth and treasures in this present life.' Having had this thought, he said to his younger brother: 'You must diligently till the fields and properly make a living, and do not let the household lack anything.' He then took his brother to the fields: 'Here you may sow sesame; here you may sow barley and wheat; here you may sow grain, beans, and peas.' Having shown him where to sow, he went to the deva's shrine to hold a religious feast for the devas as a sacrificial disciple. With fragrant flowers for offering and fragrant mud smeared on the ground, he bowed day and night to plead for grace and pray for blessings, hoping to increase his property in this present life. At that time, the deva thought to himself: 'Let me examine whether this poor man has any cause and condition of merit from giving in his past lives or not. If there is a slight condition, I will devise an expedient means to make him prosperous.' Having examined that man, he saw that he had no cause or condition of giving whatsoever. He further thought: 'Since that man lacks the cause and condition, yet now diligently begs of me, his toiling will be in vain and of no benefit, and he will again resent me.' The deva then transformed himself into the younger brother and came to the shrine. The elder brother then said to him: 'What have you sown? Why have you come here again?' The transformed brother said: 'I too wish to come and pray to the deva, to please the deity and seek clothing and food. Though I do not sow, by the power of the deva, the grain and wheat in the field will naturally be obtained in abundance.' The elder brother scolded the younger brother: 'Where in a field could one not sow seeds and expect a harvest? There is no such thing!' He then spoke a verse:

62.18

"Within the great earth of the four seas
And in all places whatsoever,
Where has anyone failed to sow seeds
Yet obtained the fruits?"

62.19

At that time, the transformed brother inquired of his elder brother: 'Is it indeed the case in the world that without sowing seeds, one gets no fruit?' The elder brother answered the younger brother: 'It is truly so; without sowing, there is no fruit.' Then that deva resumed his original form and immediately spoke a verse:

62.20

"You yourself now say,
'Without planting seed, there is no fruit.'
Having no causes of giving from past lives,
How could you obtain fruit now?
Although you now endure hardship,
Fasting and making offerings to me,
You vainly undergo weariness and toil,
And furthermore disturb and trouble me.
By what means could I cause you
To have present benefit in actual affairs?
If you wish to obtain wealth and treasures,
Wives, children, and family retinues,
You should purify your body and speech
And perform the karma of giving (dāna).
[If] one could obtain blessed benefit without planting,
The sun, the moon, and the constellations
Should not shine upon the world;
Because they illuminate the world,
You should know that it is due to karma.
Among all the devas in the heavens
There are likewise respective differences:
Those with abundant power of merit have flourishing majesty and virtue,
While those with little merit have scant majesty and virtue.
Therefore, know that in the world
All things are caused by karma.
By giving, one attains wealth;
By keeping precepts, one is born in the heavens.
If one lacks the conditions of giving,
Majesty and virtue will be destroyed over kalpas.
Through concentration and wisdom, one attains liberation.
The retributions obtained by these three
Were spoken by the Ten-Powered One.
All these seeds are causes;
You should not disturb me.
Therefore, you should cultivate karma
To seek future fruits."

62.21

Furthermore, the Dīrgha-āgama says: "In all the dwellings and houses inhabited by the people, there are ghosts and spirits; none is empty. In the alleys, lanes, highways, slaughterhouses, markets, and upon the mountains and graves, there are ghosts and spirits; there is no empty place. All ghosts and spirits take their names according to that upon which they depend. When a person is newly born, there are always ghosts and spirits who follow and protect them. When a person is about to die, ghosts collect their vital energy. For a person who commits the ten unvirtuous actions (daśākuśala), hundreds or thousands share a single spirit to protect them. For one who practices the ten virtuous actions, it is as if a king were guarded and attended by hundreds of thousands of men." Furthermore, the Shifang piyu jing says: "The ghosts and spirits in the heavens above and beneath the heavens know human life spans, sins, and merits, whether they are yet to arrive or have already arrived. But they cannot give life to humans, they cannot kill humans, and they cannot make humans wealthy, noble, poor, or lowly. They merely wish to cause humans to do evil and commit slaughter. Taking advantage of human decline and exhaustion, they go to cause disturbance, speaking of their misfortunes and fortunes so as to make humans inclined to offer sacrifices." (Hence we know that in vainly sacrificing to ghosts and spirits to seek present blessings, it is difficult to obtain any effect.) Furthermore, in the Lalitavistara, at that time Kāśyapa reported to the Buddha in verse:

62.22

"Reflecting on my sacrificial offerings,
Already eighty years have passed.
I served the gods of wind, water, and fire,
The sun, the moon, and the mountains and streams.
Early and late, never flagging or remiss,
With no other thought in my mind.
Yet in the end I attained nothing;
Only upon encountering the Buddha did I find peace."

62.23

Furthermore, the Saṃyuktaratnapiṭaka-sūtra says: In the past, there was a brāhmaṇa who served a shrine deity, worshipping it day and night. The deity asked him, "What do you seek?" The brāhmaṇa said, "I now seek to become the master of sacrifices for this deity." The deity said, "Over there is a herd of oxen. Go ask the one walking at the very front." He then followed the deity's words and went to ask the ox, "How is it with you now? Is it suffering or joy?" The ox then replied, "It is extreme and great suffering. The goad stabs my two flanks; the wooden yoke breaks my spine. Harnessed to pull the loaded cart, it is heavy and there is no rest." He then asked again, "By what cause did you receive this ox's body?" The ox answered him, "I was once the master of sacrifices to this deity. Giving free rein to my desires, I consumed the offerings of the deity's sacrifice. At the end of my life, I became an ox and suffer this torment." Having heard these words, he returned to the deity. The deity asked, "Do you now wish to become the master of the deity's sacrifices or not?" The brāhmaṇa said, "Seeing this matter, I truly dare not do so." The deity said, "When people do good or evil, they themselves receive their retribution." The brāhmaṇa repented of his faults, immediately cultivated various virtues, and reformed his past evils. Furthermore, the Saṃyuktaratnapiṭaka-sūtra says: In the past, there was an old man whose family was extremely wealthy. This old man desired to eat meat. Devising a cunning expedient, he pointed to a tree at the edge of the field and spoke to his sons, saying, "The reason our family estate is prosperous and wealthy is due to the grace and blessings of this tree spirit. Today you ought to take a sheep from the flock to offer as a sacrifice." Then the sons, obeying their father's instruction, immediately slaughtered a sheep to pray and give thanks to this tree, and set up a shrine under the tree. Later, when the father's life span ended and he died, pursued by his karmic deeds, he was reborn among the flock of sheep in his own household. At that time, the sons wished to sacrifice to the tree spirit, so they took a sheep, which happened to be their father. When they were about to kill it, the sheep wept and laughed, saying, "What spiritual power does this tree possess? In the past, because I craved meat, I falsely made you offer sacrifice, and together with you I ate this meat. Now, paying for the calamitous guilt, I alone must suffer it first." At that time, an arhat came by begging for food. Seeing that the deceased father had received the body of a sheep, he lent the host the spiritual eye to observe it for himself. Knowing that it was his father, his heart was filled with grief and distress; he immediately destroyed the tree shrine, repented his faults, cultivated merits, and killed living beings no more.

62.24

Section 3: Sacrificial Offerings

62.25

As the Upāsakaśīla-sūtra says: The Buddha said, "Some may say that if a son cultivates wholesome dharmas while the father does unwholesome deeds, because the son cultivates wholesome deeds he can prevent the father from falling into the three evil destinies. This meaning is not so. Why? Because the karma of body, speech, and mind are each distinct. If, after the father dies, he falls among the hungry ghosts, when the son pursues merit on his behalf, you should know that he receives it immediately. If he is born in the heavens, he has no recollection whatsoever of the objects of the human realm. Why? Because the heavens are endowed with superior and wondrous treasures. If he enters the hells, he suffers various agonies and has no leisure to recollect; therefore he does not receive it. It is likewise in the animal and human realms. If it is asked: By what cause do hungry ghosts alone receive it? It is because they originally had greed, craving, and stinginess, and thus fell among the hungry ghosts. Having become hungry ghosts, they constantly repent their original faults and yearn with desire to receive [help]; therefore they receive it. If the one for whom it is performed is born in another destiny, and any other relatives have fallen among the hungry ghosts, they will all receive it. Therefore, the wise should urge the creation of blessings and merit for the sake of hungry ghosts."

62.26

"If a sacrificial offering is made, who receives it? Whichever belongs to the place of sacrifice is the recipient: if it is near a grove of trees, the tree spirit receives it; houses, rivers, springs, wells, upper forests, mounds, and hills are likewise. When this person has sacrificed, they also obtain blessings and merit. Why? Because they cause the recipient to give rise to a joyful mind. The merit of this sacrifice can protect one's body and wealth. If it is said that killing living beings to sacrifice brings merit, this meaning is not so. Why? One never sees worldly people plant eraṇḍa seeds and grow sandalwood trees. [So how could one] cut off the life of sentient beings and obtain merit? If one wishes to sacrifice, one should use incense, flowers, milk, curd, ghee, and fruit. There are three seasons for pursuing merit on behalf of the deceased: the spring in the first month, the summer in the fifth month, and the autumn in the ninth month."

62.27

"If one gives to others rooms and dwellings, bedding, medicines, parks, ponds, wells, oxen, sheep, elephants, horses, and various necessities of life, and dies after having given them, this person's blessings and merit will constantly arise according to how long the donated objects endure and are used. This merit follows the person like a shadow following a form. Some may say that once one dies it is lost, but this meaning is not so. Why? It is lost during the two times when the object is destroyed or no longer used; it is not lost at the end of life. If renunciants imitate householders by discarding food and drink on festival days, this is merely following worldly customs and is not real [virtue], because they believe in both worldly and transmundane dharmas. If one can constantly delight in giving according to whatever one's household possesses, whether good or bad, this is called 'giving of everything.' If one gives to others parts of one's own body, or wives, children, and precious objects, this is called 'inconceivable giving.'"

62.28

Furthermore, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: If one cultivates giving for the sake of a deceased person, and they have been born in the ghost destiny, the ghost may receive the merit. Because ghosts know to repent the stinginess and greed of their former lives, when one gives on their behalf, they rejoice. If they are born in other destinies, for the most part they do not obtain its power. For instance, if one attains birth in heaven, one exclusively experiences pleasant retributions; not repenting past causes, one has no mind to think of merit. Therefore the sūtra says: 'If born in the heavens, they have no recollection whatsoever of the objects of the human realm. Why? Because the heavens are endowed with superior and wondrous treasures. If they enter the hells, they suffer various agonies and have no leisure to recollect. It is likewise for animals.'

62.29

Therefore, the Mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra states: When one makes merit for hungry ghosts, the ghosts obtain food and drink, and their bodies are augmented: the foul-smelling obtain fragrance, and those of ugly complexion obtain a handsome complexion. Furthermore, a sūtra says: The food eaten by ghosts is different—some eat pus and some eat feces; upon receiving these gifts, everything transforms into superior, wondrous colors and flavors. If a ghost has taken birth in another place, when relatives give on their behalf, through the power of that ghost's karma, it knows of it from afar and gives rise to joy. If they have returned to suffer retribution in their own home, when relatives give on their behalf, the ghost sees it in person and gives rise to joy.

62.30

Furthermore, the Mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra says: Suppose a person seeks wealth unlawfully, and when obtaining it, due to stinginess, has no intention of giving even to their own family members, much less to other people. Because they lack the intention to give, when the body breaks up at the end of life, they fall among the hungry ghosts. If they reside near their original house in an impure latrine of feces and filth, their relatives give rise to a pained mind and think: "They accumulated wealth and goods without using them themselves, nor did they give them to others." Out of distress, wishing to give them food, they invite relatives, close friends, acquaintances, śramaṇas, and brāhmaṇas to provide food and drink. At that time, the hungry ghost sees it in person and, regarding the relatives and wealth as their own, thinks: "Such wealth was accumulated by me; now it is given to others," feeling great joy in their heart and giving rise to faith and reverence toward the field of merit (puṇyakṣetra). If they are born in other destinies, they mostly do not obtain its power. Even if the deceased person does not obtain this merit, performing wholesome deeds for their sake brings great benefit to oneself, just as giving rise to loving-kindness always brings merit to oneself.

62.31

Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: Just as when one mindfully regards sentient beings with loving-kindness to make them happy, though the sentient beings obtain nothing, the one who contemplates obtains great merit. If one does not delight in giving, even if one is born in heaven or attains sagehood, one will still lack clothing and food. Therefore, the Upāsakaśīla-sūtra says: "Although keeping the precepts allows one to attain arhatship, it does not avert hunger and suffering; being born in heaven, one does not obtain superior food and necklaces. If one delights in practicing giving, though one falls among ghosts and animals, one will always be sated and without lack."

62.32

Furthermore, the Adbhutadharmaparyāya-sūtra says: A king addressed the Buddha, saying, "My father, the former king, worshipped non-Buddhists and constantly practiced giving, seeking the blessings of the Brahmā heaven. Through such merit, in which heaven was he born?" The Buddha told the king, "The former king's retribution is now in the hells. Why is this? He did not encounter a good time, he did not meet good friends, and he lacked good expedients. Although he cultivated merit, he could not escape guilt. Yet the merit of his giving is not lost; when his guilt is exhausted, he will then receive the blessings. You should know that the cultivation of merit does not merge with guilt. The late Great King had five kinds of evil karma that led to his birth in the hells: first, he was arrogant and jealous, and regardless of whether matters were trivial or serious, he would administer whippings and punishments because he lacked forbearance; second, he was greedy for treasures and settled disputes unjustly, causing the realm to harbor resentment; third, he went on hunting amusements, bringing suffering and distress to the people and harming the cherished lives of sentient beings; fourth, he was infatuated with female beauty, loving the new and spurning the old, treating them unfairly and causing resentment; fifth, he broke the precepts." Proved by this passage, we know that when serving false paths while cultivating merit, good and evil are always distinct, and the two retributions of suffering and joy do not mix. How much more so for those of sharp faculties and wide learning who have correct faith in the Three Jewels—how could they invite painful retribution? Furthermore, the Weiwu sanmei jing says: The Buddha told Ānanda, "Good son, when a person seeks the Way and pacifies their meditation, they must first sever thoughts. The reason humans living in the world do not attain the Way is solely because their thoughts and defiled ideas are numerous. As one thought comes and one thought goes, in a single day and a single night there are 840,000,000 thoughts, thought after thought without ceasing. A single wholesome thought also obtains a wholesome retribution; a single unwholesome thought also obtains an unwholesome retribution, like an echo responding to a sound, or a shadow following a form. Therefore, good and evil, sin and merit, are each distinct."

62.33

Furthermore, the Madhyama-āgama says: If one performs giving and makes sacrificial offerings for the deceased, if they have entered birth among hungry ghosts, they will obtain the food; those in other destinies do not obtain it, because each has their own sustenance for life. If relatives are not born among them, the donor alone obtains the merit. Furthermore, when the donor is born in the six destinies (ṣaḍgati), the merit of giving always follows them. Because of holding the precepts, although one obtains a human body, one must have additional merit to assist the retribution. The Wangsheng jing says: "When merit is made after death, the deceased obtains one part out of seven, and the remainder belongs to the one who performed it."

62.34

Furthermore, the Abhiṣeka-sūtra says: Ānanda asked the Buddha, "If a person dies and is carried to the mountain wilderness and a tomb or stūpa is built, is that person's spirit present within it or not?" The Buddha said, "It is both present and not present. If, during their lifetime, the person neither cultivated good roots nor recognized the Three Jewels, but also did not commit evil—having no good to receive blessing for, and no evil to receive misfortune for—and had no good friends to cultivate merit on their behalf, their spirit remains within the tomb or stūpa with nowhere else to go; therefore it is said to be present. Or, during their former life in the world, they may have extensively cultivated merit and goodness and diligently practiced the path, and they were either born in the heavens—among the Trāyastriṃśa gods—to receive blessings therein, or born in the human realm into an eminent family, naturally being born wherever they wished; in such cases it is not present. Furthermore, as for it not being present: in their former life in the world, they may have killed living beings, performed sacrificial prayers, disbelieved in what is true and right, earned their livelihood by wrong livelihood, and flattered, feigned, and deceived others, falling into the realms of hungry ghosts and animals, fully suffering all kinds of torment and passing through the hells; therefore it is said not to be within the tomb or stūpa. Or, as for it not being present: when the bones of the five grains have not yet decayed, there is still a faint spirit; once the bones are rotted away, this spirit is extinguished, having no vigor and being unable to bring misfortune or fortune to people. When the spirit is not yet extinguished, it may be that of a fellow villager or relative; the deceased person had no merit in life, and furthermore practiced wickedness and flattery, so they should fall into the class of ghosts and spirits, or become the spirit of a tree or miscellaneous object. Having no heavenly blessing to receive, yet not taken in by hell, they roam freely about human villages; since they have no food, they frighten people, producing various anomalies to disturb their minds. Or there are demonic charlatans and false teachers who rely on them to seek blessings, asking for fortune and protection in their desire to attain long life; through their foolishness and wrong views they kill living beings to offer sacrifices, and upon death they enter the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals, with no time of release. How could one not be cautious? Furthermore, on the day when a person approaches the end of life, one should burn incense, light lamps to keep the brightness burning, and upon the pinnacle mast of a stūpa or monastery hang a banner for the deceased and recite the venerable sūtras for full twenty-one days. Why is this so? A deceased person is in the intermediate state, their body like that of a small child, their sins and merits not yet determined; one should cultivate merit on their behalf, wishing that the spirit of the deceased will be born in the immeasurable lands of the ten directions. Relying on this merit, they will surely attain rebirth. If the deceased committed offenses during life and should fall into the eight difficulties, by virtue of the banner and lamp they will surely attain liberation. If they had good vows to be born to parents in another land but could not be born quickly, by virtue of the banner and lamp they will swiftly be born without further obstruction. Once reborn, they will become a meritorious child to people, never to be taken advantage of by wicked ghosts, and their clan will be wealthy and powerful. Therefore, one should cultivate the merit of goodness, banners, and lamps. Moreover, if men or women among the four assemblies, either when approaching the end of life or after having passed away, fashion a yellow banner on the day of death and hang it upon the mast, this will cause them to obtain merit, leave the sufferings of the eight difficulties, and attain rebirth in the pure lands of the Buddhas of the ten directions. By making offerings with banners and canopies according to their heart's wishes, they will directly attain bodhi. As the banner turns with the wind until it is completely worn out and reduced to fine dust, the wind blows the fine dust, and the merit is immeasurable. When the banner turns once, they attain the position of a cakravartin; even when it is reduced to dust, they attain the position of a lesser king; the retribution is immeasurable. The forty-nine lamps illuminate all the dark regions; sentient beings undergoing suffering, bathed in this light, are all able to see one another. On account of this merit, those sentient beings are delivered and all attain rest."

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法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese