法苑珠林 98.26

98.26

As the Lotus Face Sūtra states: The Buddha said to Ānanda: In a future age, in the kingdom of Kaśmīra, a great Dharma assembly shall be held. There will be five devaputras such as Kumbhīra. After their parinirvāṇa, there will be a disciple of the non-Buddhist Pūraṇa named Lotus Face (Padmamukha), intelligent and wise, with a body of golden hue. This greatly deluded person had previously made offerings to four arhats. At the time of making offerings, he made this vow: 'In a future life, may I destroy the Buddha-Dharma!' Because of his offerings to the arhats, life after life he received an upright and handsome body. In his final life, he will be born into a royal family and become a king named Mihirakula, who will destroy my Dharma. This greatly deluded person will smash my bowl. Having broken the bowl, he will be born into the great Avīci hell. After this greatly deluded person's life ends, there will be seven devaputras who, shedding their bodies one after another, will be born in the kingdom of Kaśmīra to re-establish the Tathāgata's saddharma and set forth great offerings. Ānanda, because the bowl is broken, my disciples will gradually defile the pure precepts and take delight in unwholesome deeds. All people of wisdom will enter parinirvāṇa. Kings will not govern according to the royal law, and the people of those lands will mostly commit the ten unwholesome actions. Owing to these evil karmas, this Jambudvīpa will lose five kinds of flavours: namely ghee, oil, salt, cane sugar, and syrup. Therefore, the Buddha's broken bowl will proceed to the north. At that time, the beings of the north, upon seeing the Buddha's broken bowl, will set forth great offerings. Those who generate aspirations for the three vehicles, moved by the power of beings' wholesome roots, will cause this broken bowl of mine to spontaneously become whole again, no different from its original state. Shortly thereafter, my bowl will disappear from Jambudvīpa and appear in the palace of the Nāgarāja Sāgara. At the time of its disappearance, this Jambudvīpa will be in total darkness for seven days and seven nights; the majestic light of the sun and moon will no longer appear; the earth will quake greatly; and the assemblies of devas, humans, and others will all wail loudly, their tears falling like rain. At the very moment of its disappearance, the Tathāgata's Vinaya and Dharma will also disappear and no longer be seen. At that time, the demon king (Māra), seeing that the Vinaya and Dharma are destroyed, will feel immense joy in his heart, and because he teaches beings to commit evils extensively, he will fall alive into the Avīci hell. At that time, the Nāgarāja Sāgara, seeing the bowl, will make offerings for seven days, bowing and circumambulating it to the right, and some will generate aspirations for the three vehicles. In this way, my bowl will disappear from the dragon palace and appear in the palace of the Four Heavenly Kings, where for seven days they will set forth great offerings and each generate aspirations for the three vehicles. After seven days have passed, it will disappear from the palace of the Four Heavenly Kings and appear in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. The Buddha's mother, Queen Māyā, seeing the Buddha's bowl, will be sorrowful and afflicted as if an arrow had pierced her heart, beyond endurance, rolling about on the ground like a round log, and speaking thus: 'The Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa—how swift it was! The Sugata's passing—how too quick! The eye of the world has been extinguished; the Buddha-tree has toppled; the Buddha-Mount Meru has collapsed; the Buddha-lamp is also quenched; the Dharma-spring has dried up; the impermanent sun of Māra has withered the Buddha-lotus!' Then the Queen, holding the bowl with both hands, will address the heavenly assembly: 'This is the bowl constantly used by my Śākyamuni Tathāgata; now it has arrived here.' At that time, Śakra will set forth great offerings for seven days and seven nights, and some will generate aspirations for the three vehicles. After seven days have passed, it will disappear from the Trāyastriṃśa heaven and appear in the Yāma heaven. At that time, the Yāma heavenly king, seeing the Buddha's bowl, will make various offerings for seven days and seven nights, and some will generate aspirations for the three vehicles. After seven days have passed, it will disappear from the Yāma heaven and appear in the Tuṣita heaven. At that time, the Tuṣita heavenly king, seeing the Buddha's bowl, will make various offerings for seven days and seven nights. After seven days have passed, it will disappear from the Tuṣita heaven and appear in the Nirmāṇarati heaven. At that time, the Nirmāṇarati heavenly king, seeing the Buddha's bowl, will make various offerings for seven days and seven nights, and some will generate aspirations for the three vehicles. Then the heavenly king, holding the bowl with both hands, will speak a verse (the verses of praise spoken previously by the other devas are omitted here because the text is lengthy):