法苑珠林 86.17

86.17

Furthermore, the Ākāśagarbha Sūtra states: “If upāsakas or upāsikās break the five precepts or violate the eightfold fast precepts; if ordained bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, śrāmaṇeras, śrāmaṇerīs, or śikṣamāṇās commit the four grave prohibitions; or if lay bodhisattvas break the six grave prohibitions—such foolish persons were previously determined by the World-Honoured One in the Vinaya to be expelled, like a great stone that has broken. Now, in this scripture, it is taught that the Great Compassionate Ākāśagarbha can rescue them from all sufferings, and spells are spoken to eradicate sins and faults. If there is such a person, what serves as proof? The Buddha told Upāli: ‘There are thirty-five Buddhas who teach the great compassion that rescues the world; you should pay homage to them. At that time, you should put on the robe of shame and remorse, as if an eye had grown a sore, feeling deep shame and disgrace; just as a leper follows the instructions of an excellent physician, you too should be like this and give rise to shame and remorse. Having developed shame and remorse, for one day up to seven days, pay homage to the Buddhas of the ten directions, recite the names of the thirty-five Buddhas, and separately recite the name of the Great Compassionate Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha. Bathe your body, burn various famous incenses such as hard black agallochum, and when the morning star appears, kneel upright with palms joined, weeping and shedding tears like rain, recite the name of Ākāśagarbha, and say: “Venerable One, Great Compassionate Bodhisattva, out of pity and regard for me, please manifest your body for me.” At that time, one should form this thought: On the crown of this Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha is a wish-fulfilling jewel of purple-golden color. If one sees the wish-fulfilling jewel, one immediately sees the heavenly crown. In this heavenly crown thirty-five images appear, and within the wish-fulfilling jewel images of the Buddhas of the ten directions appear. The body of Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha is twenty yojanas tall; if he manifests a great body, it is equal to Avalokiteśvara. This bodhisattva sits cross-legged, holding the king of wish-fulfilling jewels in his hand. The wish-fulfilling jewel expounds the sounds of manifold Dharmas, in accord with the Vinaya. If this bodhisattva takes pity on sentient beings, he assumes the form of a monk or all manner of forms. Either in a dream or while sitting in meditation, he stamps the person’s arm with a maṇi-jewel seal. On the seal’s inscription are characters meaning “sin extinguished.” Having obtained these characters, he may re-enter the Saṃgha and recite the precepts as originally done. If an upāsaka obtains these characters, his going forth into homelessness is not obstructed. If one does not obtain these characters, then in the sky there will be a voice calling out: “Sins extinguished, sins extinguished!” If there is no voice in the sky, he should cause one who knows the Vinaya to see Ākāśagarbha in a dream, who tells him: “Bodhisattva of the Vinaya, have the bhikṣu so-and-so or the upāsaka so-and-so confess further. For one day up to seven days, by the power of paying homage to the thirty-five Buddhas and Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha, your sins will become light and slight.” The one who knows the Dharma should further instruct him to plaster and clean the latrines for eight hundred days, telling him every day: “You have performed impure deeds. You must now single-mindedly plaster all the latrines without letting anyone know.” After plastering them, he should bathe, pay homage to the thirty-five Buddhas, recite the name of Ākāśagarbha, cast all five limbs to the ground before the twelve divisions of scriptures, and state his faults and evils. Such confession should continue for another three seven-day periods (twenty-one days). At that time, a wise person should gather close associates before the Buddha’s image, recite the names of the thirty-five Buddhas, and recite the name of Ākāśagarbha, with Mañjuśrī and the bodhisattvas of the Bhadrakalpa serving as his witnesses; then perform the announcement and karmavācanā again, receiving the precepts as before. Through the power of this person’s austerities, the retribution of his sins will be permanently eliminated, and his engagement with the three kinds of bodhi will not be obstructed.’ The Buddha told Upāli: ‘You should uphold this method of contemplating Ākāśagarbha and explain it broadly for the sake of future sentient beings who lack shame and remorse and frequently commit evils.’ When these words were spoken, Ākāśagarbha sat cross-legged and emitted golden light; after thirty-five Buddhas appeared within the wish-fulfilling jewel, he said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honoured One, this wish-fulfilling jewel of mine speaks the Śūraṅgamasamādhi; therefore, sentient beings who see this jewel will attain sovereign fulfillment of their wishes.’ At that time the World-Honoured One instructed Upāli: ‘You should uphold this scripture; do not explain it broadly to many people, but explain it only to a single person who upholds the Vinaya, so as to act as eyes for the blind sentient beings of future generations. Be careful not to forget or lose it!’ At that time Upāli, having heard what the Buddha said, rejoiced and practiced it.”