法苑珠林 98.35

98.35

The Buddha told Śakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the others: 'In the Vajra Cave of Mount Sumeru, take the yellow sandstone and make many stone bowls, and place them within the new stupas. Let their dimensions and shapes be like my broken bowl, all made in the form of five joined pieces, and deposit them in those stupas. You must guard and protect them, letting no harm come to them. After a hundred years, when King Aśoka has finished building his stupas, you shall take my stupas throughout the great chiliocosm, to a billion households; or, across a span of ten thousand li, two bowl-stupas should be installed. Within those lands, search all around for famous mountains and ancient holy dwelling-places, and install them there.' He also told the Heavenly King of the North: 'Go to Mount Laṅkā, collect ox-head candana incense, and at the three periods of the day go to those stupas and burn incense as an offering without interruption. I command the Maheśvara deva to install the bowl-stupas, and I also dispatch the Four Heavenly Kings and the gandharva kings to burn incense and play music to make constant offerings. You devas, humans, nāgas, and spirits do not yet understand my intention: this is to cause the unlawful bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs of future times to reform evil and give rise to good, and for this reason I have had them installed in this way.'