諸經要集 19.90

19.90

Furthermore, the *Abhiṣeka-sūtra* says: Ānanda asked the Buddha, saying: 'When a person's life ends and he is conveyed to the mountains and wilderness, where a tomb and stūpa are erected, is that person's spirit inside it or not?' The Buddha said: 'It is both there and not there. If, during his life, a person did not plant good roots, did not know the Triratna, yet did no evil: having no good, he receives no merit; having no evil, he receives no disaster; and having no good friend to cultivate merit on his behalf, his spirit remains in the tomb and stūpa because it has nowhere to go. Hence it is said to be there. Alternatively, in his previous life when living in the world, he vastly cultivated meritorious good and diligently practiced the Way; he might be born in the heavens, in the Trayastriṃśa Heaven, enjoying merit therein; or he might be born among humans into a prominent family; wherever he goes, he takes rebirth naturally according to his wishes. As for why it is not there: in his previous life when living in the world, he may have offered prayers and sacrifices to heterodox ways, not believing in the true, leading an evil livelihood, being deceitful and hypocritical, and defrauding people, and thus fell among the hungry ghosts or animals, undergoing all manner of suffering and passing through the hells; hence it is said not to be in the tomb and stūpa. Alternatively, it is not there because it is like the grain among the five cereals: while the bones have not decayed, there remains a faint spirit; once the bones have crumbled, this spirit is extinguished, possessing no power, nor can it bring misfortune or fortune to people. While the spirit is not yet extinguished, he may be a deceased person from one's village who in life had no merit and also practiced heterodox deceit, who ought to fall among ghosts and spirits; or he may become the spirit of a tree or diverse objects, with no heavenly merit to enjoy, nor subsumed by hell. Left to wander in the world among human villages, having no food, he terrifies people and performs diverse strange wonders to agitate people's hearts. Some evil masters of demonic sprites rely on them for blessings, seeking fortune and protection, wishing to attain longevity; in their ignorance and wrong views, they kill living beings for sacrificial worship, and upon death enter the hells, hungry ghosts, or animals, with no time of escape. How can one not be cautious? Furthermore, on the day of a person's death, one should burn incense and light lamps to maintain illumination for him, and on the spire atop a stūpa or monastery, hoist a banner for the deceased and chant the revered sūtras for a full three sevens of days (twenty-one days). Why is this? The deceased person is in the intermediate state (antarābhava), his body like that of a small child, his sins and merit not yet determined. One should cultivate merit on his behalf and make vows for the deceased's spirit, causing him to be born in the immeasurable lands of the ten directions; relying on this merit, he is sure to attain rebirth there. If the deceased during his life had sins and transgressions for which he ought to fall into the eight difficulties, by the merit of the banners and lamps he is sure to attain liberation. If he had good vows but his destined parents are in another land so that he cannot be born quickly, by the merit of the banners and lamps, he will be born quickly without further delay or obstruction. Once born, he will become a child of meritorious virtue for people, not to be taken advantage of by evil ghosts, belonging to an eminent clan. Therefore, one should cultivate the merit of good deeds, banners, and lamps. Furthermore, for men and women of the four assemblies, whether on the brink of death or already deceased, on the day of their death, make yellow banners and hoist them on spires, causing them to obtain merit, leave the sufferings of the eight difficulties, and attain birth in the pure lands of the Buddhas of the ten directions. Making offerings with banners and parasols, according to one's heart's wish, one will reach the attainment of bodhi. As the banner turns with the wind, crumbling entirely to fine dust, as the wind blows the fine dust, the merit is immeasurable: with one turn of the banner, the rank of a wheel-turning king (cakravartin); down to the blowing of the dust, the rank of a lesser king; its retribution is immeasurable. The forty-nine lamps illuminate the dark realms; suffering sentient beings, touched by this light, can all see one another; by virtue of this merit, those sentient beings are rescued and all find rest.' Furthermore, the *Jingdu sanmei jing* says: 'On the days of the eight kings, the devas, Śakra Devānām Indra, his thirty-two guardian ministers, the Great Kings of the Four Quarters, the Directors of Fate and Directors of Records, the Great King Yama, and the envoys of the eight kings all come forth, spreading out in all four directions, inspecting and following. The Four Kings on the fifteenth and thirtieth days report, examine, and check the good and evil deeds established by the people. The king of hell also sends his assisting ministers and lesser kings, coming forth at the same time: whenever there are sins, they record them. If one violated precepts before the fasting day of the eight kings, but has strong merit, there is rescue, and he is peaceful without harm, pardoned by using merit. When the next fasting day arrives, for those who repeat offenses numerous times, their names are entered on lists for reduced lifespans, engraving the year, month, day, and hour of their death, and sending this down to hell. Hell receives the documents and immediately sends hell ghosts holding the rolls to record their names. The hell ghosts have no mercy; before the day of death has arrived, they forcefully urge evil to hasten the end of his life. For those with much merit, their lifespan is increased and their years prolonged; heaven sends good spirits to protect their bodies, and their sin records are withdrawn from hell and eradicated, eliminating death, determining life, and later granting rebirth in heaven.'