佛說觀佛三昧海經 9.30

9.30

The Buddha told Maitreya: "Ajita! Listen attentively, listen attentively, and reflect on it well! After the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa, there will be many sentient beings who, because they do not see the Buddha, will commit various evil deeds. Such people should be instructed to contemplate the image. If one contemplates the image, it is completely no different from contemplating my body." When these words were spoken, there were flowers in the sky. The Buddhas of the ten directions stood in the sky, joined their palms with fingers clasped, and praised: "Excellent, Son of the Buddha! You have well asked about this matter. Only Śākyamuni, the savior from the world's suffering, can expound the method of contemplating the image for the blind and ignorant sentient beings of the final age. Now is precisely the right time; take care not to have doubts." Maitreya Bodhisattva again earnestly requested the Bhagavat to speak on the method of contemplating the image.