佛說灌洗佛形像經

At that time, the Buddha addressed Mahāsattva, the devas, and all people, bidding them to listen single-mindedly. The Buddha taught:

– The human body is hard to obtain, and the unconditioned Way (asaṃskṛta) is likewise so; yet to encounter a Buddha in the world is harder still. In ages past, throughout asaṃkhyeya kalpas, I once lived as a layman (white-robed one), accumulating much merit and ever restraining myself. Thus, though I revolved through the five destinies, I still did not crave gold, silver, or precious jewels; I cast away my own body and gave in charity without regret. When I became a prince, I was born at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month, when the morning star arose. As soon as I was born, I took seven steps, raised my right hand, and said: "Above the heavens and below the earth, I alone am the Honored One. I shall become the unsurpassed teacher of devas and humans." When I was born, the great earth quaked mightily, and the devas of the heavens, from the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Brahmā King and Trāyastriṃśa (Tāvatiṃsa), all took twelve kinds of fragrance blended with warm water and various precious flowers to bathe me. After attaining the Way, I expounded the Buddha-Dharma and delivered sentient beings.

The Buddha said to the devas and all people:

– The Buddhas of the ten directions are all born, leave the household to study the Way, attain the Way, and enter nirvāṇa at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month.

The Buddha again said:

– The reason for taking the eighth day of the fourth month is that, in the interval of transition between spring and summer, all calamities dissolve, the myriad things grow and flourish, noxious vapors do not arise, and the climate is temperate, neither hot nor cold. This indeed is the day of the Buddha's birth.

– O good men and good women! After I have entered extinction, you must with utmost sincerity bear in mind the immeasurable merits of the Buddhas. If you bathe an image of the Buddha as you would when I was yet in the world, you shall obtain immeasurable merit.

The Buddha again said:

– When I was still cultivating the Bodhisattva path, I served as Śakra, lord of the devas (Indra), thirty-six times; I was a Wheel-Turning Sage King (Cakravartin) thirty-six times; and I was a Flying Emperor^[1] thirty-six times. All of my disciples, once they have faith and good intent, should remember and reflect upon the merits of the Buddhas of the ten directions. If anyone takes fragrant incense and precious aromatic flowers, boils them into water, and bathes an image of the Buddha, then all their aspirations shall be fulfilled, and they shall be supported and attested by the devas, nāgas, and spirits.

The Buddha again said:

– O disciples! It is hard to be born with a human body, and hard to be able to hear the Buddha-Dharma. If any deva or human can take from their own share of the wealth held by the five households^[2] — that of wife and children — to bathe an image of the Buddha as though the Buddha were yet in the world, then all their aspirations shall be fulfilled. Should they wish to rescue the world and realize the unconditioned Way (asaṃskṛta), being free of birth-and-death life after life, this too shall be obtained. Should they wish to be valiant and vigorous like Śākyamuni Buddha, this too shall be obtained; should they wish to be like the non-regressing bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, this too shall be accomplished. Should they seek to become a Wheel-Turning Sage King, flying forth to teach and transform sentient beings, this too shall be accomplished; should they seek to become a pratyekabuddha or an arhat, this too shall be accomplished; should they seek to depart far from the three evil destinies and to be born in the realms of devas or humans, wealthy and at peace, this too shall be obtained; should they seek many children and grandchildren, or long life without illness, this too shall be accomplished.

Yet people in this world have craving like the great ocean: they would sooner cut a piece of flesh from their own body than consent to give a single coin to another. When a person is born, they bring not a single coin with them, and at death they carry none away; their wealth surely remains behind in the world, and at death cannot be taken along — only suffering, regret, and longing remain. But one who bathes an image of the Buddha can preserve the merit of this bathing forever, so that even as death follows upon life, it is never cut off.

The Buddha said:

– If a person, with even the slightest measure of a wholesome mind, creates this merit, then the eightfold host of devas and nāgas and the good spirits will all support them. By bathing an image of the Buddha, one obtains the blessed reward of body and mind ever pure, and then, through this very causal condition, one comes to accomplish the Buddha-Way. (The following passage of scriptural text is not found in the Tibetan Continued Canon (Xuzang) edition, but the Song-dynasty edition does have it.)

The Buddha said:

– One who uses fragrant water to bathe an image of the Buddha obtains blessed virtue and wisdom, the pure merit resounding everywhere. Whoever scatters beautiful flowers in offering to the Buddha obtains blessed virtue, adornment, and a countenance of beauty unmatched by any. Whoever holds a banner-streamer to shade the Buddha obtains blessed virtue, so that wherever they are born, they naturally come to have fine and beautiful garments.

The Buddha said:

– With utmost sincerity I practiced good and accumulated merit; through upholding the precepts, forbearance, vigor, meditative concentration, and wisdom, I attained Buddhahood. Today there is a worthy one named so-and-so… who, with a heart of loving-kindness and good intent, faithfully takes refuge in the Buddha-Way and wishes to seek liberation, and therefore uses various precious fragrances and aromatic flowers to bathe an image of the Buddha. All these acts the worthy one performs on behalf of their parents of seven generations, of wife and children, brothers, and the five ranks of kin who are alive and undergoing suffering and hardship; on behalf of those toiling within the five destinies throughout the ten directions; and on behalf of the foolish who do not believe in the Buddha-Way. Through this deed, in their future lives they shall be born as upright and beautiful persons, respected by all, untouched by defiling dust, and wherever they are born they shall always meet the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. It shall also cause that worthy one to possess wisdom, to penetrate thoroughly the twelve divisions of scripture^[3], the four Āgamas^[4], the Ānāpānasmṛti (Mindfulness of Breathing) Sūtra, the thirty-seven factors aiding the Way^[5], the four bases of mindfulness^[6], the four right exertions^[7], the four bases of spiritual power^[8], the five faculties^[9], the five powers^[10], the seven factors of awakening^[11], and the Noble Eightfold Path^[12]. If anyone with a focused mind seeks the Buddha-Way, they too shall swiftly accomplish the stage of non-regression.

– It shall further cause the worthy one to obtain a body of golden hue with the thirty-two excellent marks, the eighty subsidiary signs of beauty, the ten kinds of power^[13], the four fearlessnesses^[14], the eighteen distinctive qualities^[15], and the eight kinds of sound^[16] issuing from the mouth; to fly forth and observe all the places to which they have come; and wherever they arrive, to be supported by the devas, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, Hārītī (the Mother of Demons), and her retinue, so that wherever they go they shall be safe and at ease. If such a person enters the mountains, they shall not meet tigers or wolves; if they enter the army, no weapon shall wound them; if they travel by boat, they shall not meet wind and waves; in sleep and rest they shall suffer no sickness, and shall not be summoned before the magistrate. If such a person's wife and children face difficulty in childbirth, all shall become safe and well; if they engage in trade, they shall reap profit a hundredfold; they shall not be harmed by evil influences, nor by the calamities of water, fire, robbers, foes, or vengeful creditors. If they dispute with anyone, they shall cause that one to submit. It shall also help them to be vigorous without retreating midway. For by practicing as a bodhisattva, they shall attain the Way as a Buddha.

The Song-dynasty canon records this scripture as the Mahāsattva Sūtra, translated by Shengjian (Saint Jian). Now, upon examining the Kaiyuan Catalogue (Kaiyuan-lu), the Song edition has points of confusion; therefore, on the basis of the Tibetan Continued Canon (Xuzang), it has been changed to the Sūtra on Bathing the Buddha's Image (Sūtra of Contemplative Bathing of the Buddha-Image), translated by Dharmarakṣa (Fa-ju).

Moreover, this scripture, in the Song-dynasty canon, is at first recorded as Mahāsattva, and so on, such that for two pages of the Chinese text it is all recorded as Mahāsattva. In this section the scriptural text of the two editions is identical. Here we take the scriptural text from the Tibetan edition, from the phrase "At that time, the Buddha addressed Mahāsattva" down to "Through this very causal condition, one comes to accomplish the Buddha-Way." As for the portion from the phrase, the Buddha said: "One who uses fragrant water to bathe an image of the Buddha," to the end of the scripture, since it is present in the Song-dynasty canon edition, it is still retained here.

Notes:

^[1] Flying Emperor 飛行皇帝: That is, the Wheel-Turning Sage King (Cakravartin), a king possessing the majestic power to rule over the four continents of the world, fully endowed with the seven treasures and having a thousand sons as his retinue.

^[2] Five households 五家: Material wealth is held in common by five households. These are: kings and rulers, robbers and bandits, flood, fire, and unfilial children.

^[3] Twelve divisions of scripture 十二部經: That is, the twelve categories of all the scriptures that the Buddha expounded during his lifetime. They comprise: prose discourse (sūtra/geya in the long-form sense), repeated verse (geya), spontaneous verse (gāthā), causes-and-conditions (nidāna), past deeds (itivṛttaka), birth-stories (jātaka), marvels (adbhutadharma), parables (avadāna), discourse and discussion (upadeśa), self-spoken teachings (udāna), expansive teachings (vaipulya), and predictions (vyākaraṇa).

^[4] Four Āgamas 四阿含: That is, the four Āgama scriptures. They comprise: the Ekottara Āgama (Increased-by-One), the Dīrgha Āgama (Long), the Madhyama Āgama (Middle-length), and the Saṃyukta Āgama (Miscellaneous).

^[5] Thirty-seven factors of the Way 三十七品: Also called the thirty-seven factors of bodhi (bodhipakṣya dharmas). They comprise: the four bases of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path.

^[6] Four bases of mindfulness 四意止: That is, the four foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna): body, feeling, mind, and dharmas.

^[7] Four right exertions 四意斷: That is, the four right strivings (samyak-pradhāna): 1. To strive vigorously to cut off evil that has already arisen. 2. To strive vigorously so that evil not yet arisen will not arise. 3. To strive vigorously so that good not yet arisen will arise. 4. To strive vigorously so that good already arisen will increase and grow.

^[8] Four bases of spiritual power 四神足: They comprise: the base of spiritual power complete in the practice of severance through concentration of zeal (chanda-samādhi), the base of spiritual power complete in the practice of severance through concentration of mind (citta-samādhi), the base of spiritual power complete in the practice of severance through vigor (vīrya-samādhi), and the base of spiritual power complete in the practice of severance through concentration of investigation (mīmāṃsā-samādhi).

^[9] Five faculties 五根: They comprise: the faculty of faith, the faculty of vigor, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, and the faculty of wisdom.

^[10] Five powers 五力: They comprise: the power of faith, the power of vigor, the power of mindfulness, the power of concentration, and the power of wisdom.

^[11] Seven factors of awakening 七覺: Also called the seven factors of bodhi, the seven factors of awakening (bodhyaṅga). They comprise: the awakening-factor of discernment of dharmas, the awakening-factor of vigor, the awakening-factor of joy, the awakening-factor of tranquility (pliancy), the awakening-factor of mindfulness, the awakening-factor of concentration, and the awakening-factor of equanimity.

^[12] Noble Eightfold Path 八直行道: That is, the Noble Eightfold Path. It comprises: right view, right intention (right thought), right speech, right action, right livelihood, right mindfulness, right concentration, and right wisdom.

^[13] Ten kinds of power 十種力: That is, the ten powers of wisdom (daśabala) of the Buddha. They comprise: 1. The power of wisdom that knows whether things accord with the principle of the Way or not. 2.

The power of wisdom that knows the cause-and-effect and karmic retribution of sentient beings throughout the three times. 3. The power of wisdom that knows the various meditative concentrations, liberations, and samādhis. 4. The power of wisdom that knows the superior and inferior faculties of sentient beings. 5.

The power of wisdom that knows the differing capacities of understanding of sentient beings. 6. The power of wisdom that knows all the differing realms of sentient beings. 7. The power of wisdom that knows the destinations to which all the paths of sentient beings will lead. 8.

The power of wisdom that knows by means of the unobstructed divine eye. 9. The power of wisdom that knows former lives without outflows (anāsrava). 10. The power of wisdom that knows the complete extinction of habitual tendencies (vāsanā).

^[14] Four fearlessnesses 四無所畏: That is, the four virtues of fearlessness (vaiśāradya).

^[15] Eighteen distinctive qualities 十八不共: That is, the eighteen distinctive (āveṇika) dharmas. These dharmas belong to the Buddha alone. They are: the body free of fault, the mouth free of fault, the mind free of fault, the absence of differing notions, the absence of an unconcentrated mind, the absence of any failure to discern before relinquishing, no diminishing of zeal, no diminishing of vigor, no diminishing of mindfulness, no diminishing of wisdom, no diminishing of liberation, no diminishing of the knowledge and vision of liberation, all bodily actions following upon wisdom, all verbal actions following upon wisdom, all mental actions following upon wisdom, wisdom that knows the past without obstruction, wisdom that knows the future without obstruction,

and wisdom that knows the present without obstruction.