佛說觀佛三昧海經 3.50

3.50

The Buddha said to the monks: "The reason you saw the Buddha's form-body as like red earth is that in a past life, during the Final Dharma period of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, you went forth into homelessness to study the Path. Having gone forth, you gave rise to impure thoughts toward your teacher and preceptor. However, that preceptor had attained the path of an arhat. Knowing the disciples' thoughts, he told them: 'Dharma sons! Do not give rise to doubtful thoughts toward your preceptor and the Saṅgha. If you give rise to doubtful thoughts, there will never be any principle by which you can attain the pure precepts.' Then the monks, hearing the preceptor speak, gave rise to anger and hatred in their hearts. At that time, the preceptor, knowing the disciples' minds, gradually restrained himself and did not speak to them. Then the one thousand disciples, each according to their lifespan whether long or short, were about to die, while the preceptor was still living and had not entered nirvāṇa. At that time, the preceptor went to his disciples' quarters and spoke these words: 'You monks! When first receiving the Dharma, you doubted your teacher and doubted the precepts, consuming the alms of the faithful in vain. Now what will you rely on?' Hearing this, the men's hearts were terrified and their hair stood on end. They said: 'Preceptor! Expound the Dharma for us.' The preceptor said: 'Your situation is now urgent; it is not suitable to teach you to repent elsewhere. You should now simply recite the complete ten epithets: Dīpaṃkara Buddha, Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha.'