藥師經疏 1.43

1.43

經。曼殊至右繞佛像　二示其軌則文分為八。一正勸修形。二勸念昔行。三如所願樂。四稱遂所求。五百怪長蠲。六眾災永彌。七毀禁還淨。八臨難蒙恩。此則初也。此人應作如來形像者。造立形像。福報經說。時憂填王復白佛言。人作善者。此之福祐當何所獲。佛去已後我恐不復見佛。今欲作佛形像恭敬承事得何福報。願佛哀愍為我說之。佛告王言。作佛形像報父母見歡喜端政威德重愛樂終無厭。作佛形像報金色身炎光猶妙師子像。眾生見歡喜。作佛形像報閻浮提大姓剎利婆羅門福人。於中生作佛形像報不生邊地國不盲不醜陋。六情常完具作佛形像報臨終識宿命見佛在其前不覺死苦時。又法華經第一卷說。若人為佛故。建立諸形像刻彫成眾相。皆已成佛道。或以七寶成鍮石赤白銅白鑞及鉛錫鐵木及與泥。或以膠漆布嚴飾。作佛像如是。諸人等皆已成佛道。采畫作佛像百福莊嚴相自作。若使人皆已成佛道。慈悲喜捨者。維摩第三卷。文殊問云何行慈。維摩詰言。菩薩作是念。我當為眾生說法。是則真實慈也。何謂為悲。答菩薩所作功德。皆與一切眾生。何謂為喜。答有所饒益歡喜無悔。何謂為捨。答所作福祐無所希望。又涅槃經第十五說。夫修慈者。能斷貪欲。修悲心者。能斷瞋恚。修喜心者。能斷不樂。修捨心者。能斷貪欲。瞋恚眾生。瞋有二種。一者久於過去修集。二者於今現在修集。修慈心者。能斷過去。修悲心者。斷於現在。又解為諸眾生除無利益。是名大慈。欲與眾生無量利樂是名大悲。於諸眾生生歡喜心。是名大喜。無所擁護名為大捨。若不見我法相己身見一切法平等無二。是名大捨。自捨己樂施與他人是名大捨。問法有多門。何故唯修慈悲喜捨。答如偈說言。若於一眾生不生瞋恚心。而願與彼樂是名為慈善。一切眾生中。若起於悲心。是名聖種性。得福報無量。假使五通仙悉滿此大地。有大自在王奉施。其所安象馬種種物所得福報果不及修一慈十六分中一下三亦爾。

Sūtra: “Mañjuśrī…” to “…circumambulate the Buddha image to the right.” Second, showing the rules and procedures, divided into eight: first, directly exhorting the fashioning of images; second, exhorting mindfulness of former practices; third, according to what is wished and desired; fourth, fulfilling what is sought; fifth, eliminating a hundred portents forever; sixth, eradicating all disasters permanently; seventh, restoring purity after breaking the precepts; eighth, receiving grace when facing adversity. This is the first. “This person should make an image of the Tathāgata”: regarding making and erecting images, the Merit and Retribution Sūtra says: “At that time, King Udayana spoke to the Buddha again, saying: ‘When a person does good, what blessing and reward will this obtain? After the Buddha has passed away, I fear I will no longer see the Buddha. Now I wish to make an image of the Buddha to revere and serve; what retribution of merit will I obtain? May the Buddha have pity and explain it to me.’ The Buddha told the king: ‘As retribution for making an image of the Buddha, one's parents will look upon one with joy; one will be handsome, of majestic virtue, deeply loved and delighted in without satiety. As retribution for making an image of the Buddha, one will have a golden-hued body, radiant light, and a wondrous lion-like form, which sentient beings see with joy. As retribution for making an image of the Buddha, one will be born among the great clans of Jambudvīpa, kṣatriyas, brahmins, and fortunate persons. As retribution for making an image of the Buddha, one will not be born in borderlands, and will not be blind or ugly, with the six sense faculties always complete. As retribution for making an image of the Buddha, when facing death one will recognize past lives, see the Buddha before oneself, and not perceive the suffering of death.’” Also, the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 1, says: “If a person, for the Buddha's sake, / Erects various images, / Carving and sculpting numerous forms, / They have all attained the Buddha path; / Or made with the seven precious jewels, / Brass, red or white copper, / Pewter, lead, or tin, / Iron, wood, and clay, / Or adorned with lacquer and cloth— / People such as these, who have made Buddha images, / Have all attained the Buddha path; / Painting Buddha images / Adorned with the marks of a hundred merits, / Made by oneself or having others make them, / They have all attained the Buddha path.” Regarding loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity: in the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, fascicle 3, Mañjuśrī asks how to practice loving-kindness. Vimalakīrti says: “The bodhisattva reflects thus: ‘I shall expound the Dharma for sentient beings.’ This is true loving-kindness. What is compassion? Answer: Dedicating all merits cultivated by the bodhisattva to all sentient beings. What is sympathetic joy? Answer: Being joyful without regret when benefiting [others]. What is equanimity? Answer: Having no expectations regarding the blessings cultivated.” Also, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, fascicle 15, says: “Practicing loving-kindness can sever desire; practicing compassion can sever anger; practicing sympathetic joy can sever unhappiness; practicing equanimity can sever desire and anger toward sentient beings. Anger is of two kinds: first, accumulated long ago in the past; second, accumulated at present. Cultivating loving-kindness can sever the past; cultivating compassion can sever the present.” Another explanation says: Removing what is disadvantageous for sentient beings is called great loving-kindness; wishing to bestow boundless benefit and bliss upon sentient beings is called great compassion; giving rise to a joyful mind toward all sentient beings is called great sympathetic joy; having no favoritism or defensiveness is called great equanimity. If one sees no mark of self or dharmas, and sees one's own body and all dharmas as equal and non-dual, this is called great equanimity; relinquishing one's own happiness to give to others is called great equanimity. Question: The Dharma has many gateways; why cultivate only loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity? Answer: As the verse says: “If toward a single sentient being / One does not give rise to an angry mind, / But wishes to bestow bliss upon them, / This is called wholesome loving-kindness. / If among all sentient beings / One gives rise to a mind of compassion, / This is called the noble lineage, / Obtaining immeasurable merit and reward. / Even if ṛṣis of the five superknowledges / Fully filled this great earth, / And a great independent sovereign king / Offered to them for their comfort / Elephants, horses, and various goods, / The fruit of merit and reward obtained / Would not equal a sixteenth part / Of cultivating a single [thought of] loving-kindness; / The same applies to the three below.”