諸經要集 1.19

1.19

Furthermore, the Guanfo sanmei jing says: Long ago, when the Buddha was in the world, he expounded the Guanfo sanmei jing for his royal father and the great assembly. The Buddha possessed the thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics, his body was pure golden in color, and his light was boundless. At that time, among the assembly were five hundred Śākyan youths who, due to their sinful hindrances, saw the Buddha's physical body as like an ashen man or an emaciated brāhmaṇa. Having seen this, they wept aloud, tore out their hair, cast their whole bodies to the ground, and bled from their noses. The Buddha comforted them, saying, "Do not weep aloud; I shall explain it to you. In the past, there was a Buddha named Vipaśyin. After his parinirvāṇa, during the Semblance Dharma age, there was an elder named Yuede (Candraguṇa) who had five hundred sons, all of whom were intelligent, possessed great wisdom, and were well-versed in everything. Their father, the elder, faithfully revered the Triratna and constantly expounded the meanings of the Buddha's teachings to his sons; yet the sons held wrong views and had no faith at all. Later, the sons all contracted a grave illness together. The father came before his sons, wept tears, joined his palms, and said to them: 'You have held wrong views and had no faith in the Buddha's teachings. Now the knife of impermanence is severing your bodies; upon what can you rely? There is a Buddha, a World-Honoured One, named Vipaśyin; you may call upon his name.' When the sons heard this, out of respect for their father's words, they recited, 'Namo Buddhāya.' He further taught them to recite the name of the Dharma and the name of the Saṅgha. Having recited them, their lives ended. Because they recited the Buddha's name, they were born in the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. When their lifespan in heaven ended, due to their former wrong views they fell back into hell. The rākṣasa hell-wardens pierced and destroyed their eyes with heated iron forks. While suffering this torment, they remembered their father's instruction to invoke and be mindful of the Buddha. Emerging from hell, they were reborn among humans, poor and base. Later, when the Buddha Śikhin appeared, they also were able to meet him, but only heard the Buddha's name and did not behold the Buddha's form. Later, with the Buddhas Viśvabhū, Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, and Kāśyapa, they likewise only heard their names and did not see their forms. Because they heard the names of these six Buddhas, they have now been born together with me in the Śākya clan. My body is dignified and magnificent like Jāmbūnada gold, yet that you see an ashen-colored, emaciated brāhmaṇa is entirely due to the wrong views of your previous lives. You should now invoke the names of the past Buddhas, invoke your father's name, and also invoke my name and the name of the Buddha Maitreya. Having invoked them, pay homage, and facing the great assembly and the venerable Saṅgha, cast your five limbs to the ground, confessing and revealing the sins of your wrong views." After all these people received the instruction and completed their confession, they saw the Buddha's golden color like Mount Sumeru. Having seen it, they said to the Buddha, "We now see the Buddha's thirty-two marks, eighty minor characteristics, and boundless light." Having spoken these words, they attained srotāpanna; they requested the Buddha for ordination and attained arhatship, being endowed with the three knowledges, the six supernatural powers, and the eight liberations. The Buddha told the bhikṣus, "After my parinirvāṇa, if anyone recites my name and says 'Namo to the Buddhas', the merit and virtue obtained are immeasurable and boundless."