大宋僧史略 1.29

1.29

浴佛者。唐義淨三藏躬游西域見印度。每日禺中維那鳴鐘。寺庭取銅石等像。於盤內作音樂。磨香或泥灌水。以㲲揩之。舉兩指瀝水於自頂上。謂之吉祥之水。冀求勝利焉。問。浴佛表何。通曰。像佛生時龍噴香雨浴佛身也。然彼日日灌洗。則非生日之意。疑五竺多熱。僧既頻浴。佛亦勤灌耳。東夏尚臘八。或二月四月八日。乃是為佛生日也。

Regarding the bathing of the Buddha: Tripiṭaka Master Yijing of the Tang personally travelled to the Western Regions and witnessed in India that every day at late morning the karmadāna would ring the bell, and in the monastery courtyard they would take statues of bronze or stone, place them in a basin to music, rub incense or mud, and pour water over them, wiping them with fine cotton. Raising two fingers, they would sprinkle water onto their own heads, calling it the water of auspiciousness, hoping to obtain supreme benefit. Question: What does the bathing of the Buddha signify? Answer: It symbolizes the moment of the Buddha's birth when dragons sprayed fragrant rain to bathe the Buddha's body. However, their daily washing there is not with the intention of celebrating the birthday. I suspect that because the Five Indias are very hot, since the monks bathe frequently, the Buddha is also washed diligently. In the Eastern Xia, esteeming the eighth day of the twelfth month, or the eighth day of the second or fourth month, is done specifically for the Buddha's birthday.