請賓頭盧法

In the land of Tianzhu (India) there was a king who had received the precepts of an Upāsaka, and who was likewise an Elder (Gṛhapati) that had opened up all manner of assemblies and would often invite the Venerable Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja. "Piṇḍola" is the personal name of this Arhat, and "Bhāradvāja" is indeed his clan name. This one manifested spiritual powers on behalf of the Elder Sudatta.

The Buddha drove him out and would not heed him, and he hastily entered Nirvāṇa. The Buddha gave the command that, in the age of the Dharma's decline, he should, for the sake of the four assemblies, become a field of merit. At the time of invitation, one must pay homage in a pure place, light incense, face toward the Malaya Mountain of Tianzhu, and with a single-pointed mind recite his name.

The Great Virtuous One Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja received the Buddha's instruction that, for the people of the age of the Dharma's decline, he should become a field of merit; and so he accepted my invitation. At the place where he comes to take food, if one has built new rooms and dwellings, one should likewise invite him, saying: "May you accept this invitation of mine." Then within that house he sits upon the bed. If one invites the assembly of monks to bathe, one should again invite him, saying:

"May you accept this invitation of mine, at the place of bathing." First one should blend warm water, pure and fragrant, boiled together with bean-stalks and aromatic incense, balancing the cold and the hot. If there is one who bathes in accordance with this method, then open the door and invite him in. Afterward, close the door again. Once the one bathing has finished, only then may the assembly of monks enter. Whenever inviting him to eat, drink, or bathe, the essential thing in all cases is that one must invite the venerable monks with a single-pointed mind seeking liberation, without doubt and without hindrance, with a faithful mind that is pure and clear; only after that can he conceal himself.

In recent times there was an Elder who heard it said of the Arhat Piṇḍola that he had received the Buddha's instruction to become, in the age of the Dharma's decline, a field of merit for the people; and so he straightaway prepared a Dharma assembly in accordance with the method, and then with a single-pointed mind invited the Venerable Piṇḍola, using a cushion woven of wool with flowers placed beneath it, wishing to test him.

When the Great Assembly had finished using it, he discovered that beneath that woolen cushion all the flowers had withered. Distressed and reproaching himself, not understanding why it had turned out so, he thereupon, with even greater longing for purity, invited the Dharma Master once more and straightaway held a still larger Great Assembly. As before, all the flowers likewise withered.

Again he longed and yearned, and he sold off all the property of his household to hold yet another Great Assembly. Again, just as before. Distressed and reproaching himself, this time he invited a hundred Dharma Masters, leaving nothing wanting in his entreaty, and having repented of his transgressions, he first turned toward one aged Senior Elder and, with a contrite heart, made his confession.

The Senior Elder said: "Three times you have invited me, and each time I accepted the invitation; yet you yourself dispatched your gatekeepers to drive me away, because you saw that I was old and that my garments were shabby and disorderly. That is to say, I was driven off. The Pure-Practice Śramaṇa harbored no doubt about what he had seen and heard as before, and because I saw that you had extended the invitation, I had a mind to enter; yet the servants of your household struck me with a staff, my head was split open and the right side of my forehead was wounded.

The second time I again came, and it was no different from before — again I wished to enter the house — and straightaway I was beaten until my head swelled and I was injured. This third time I again came, and as on the former occasions I was again beaten until my head swelled and I was wounded on the left side of my forehead. This is precisely what was directed by your own household; there is no denying it." Having spoken, he straightaway vanished.

The Elder then knew that this had indeed been the Venerable Piṇḍola.

From that time onward, whenever people wished to make merit, they did not close the door. If one could have the Venerable Piṇḍola sit in this place, then those flowers would not wither. If one comes upon rooms, dwellings, and houses newly built, together with beds and couches and the like, and wishes to invite Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, then in every case one must use fragrant flowers, sprinkle warm water upon the ground, then light incense and lamps, and take a new bed and a new pillow and spread white cloth over them.

On the first night, in accordance with the method, one invites him and then closes the door, taking care not to be contemptuous or to treat the matter lightly; then if all, with a single-pointed mind, place their trust, he will surely come — when faith and sincerity penetrate through, it cannot be that he does not come. When he comes to the bed, a resting place straightaway appears; and in the bath-house warm water likewise appears.

When he accepts the invitation of a Great Assembly, then either at the seat of the Senior Elders, or among the Middle-ranked, or among the Junior-ranked, he appears according to type and according to place in the form of a single monk. One who seeks other things will in the end be unable to obtain them. After he has departed, one sees that at his seat the flowers have not withered, and thereby one knows clearly that this is so.

The method for inviting Piṇḍola is herewith complete.