佛說大乘造像功德經

UPPER FASCICLE

Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the Trayastrimsa Heaven beneath the Paricitraka tree,^[1] together with an immeasurable assembly of great bhiksus and immeasurable great bodhisattvas, headed by the great bodhisattva Maitreya.

At that time, the Blessed One spent the three-month rains retreat in that heaven, teaching the Dharma to his mother and greatly benefiting the devas. Immeasurable devas escaped suffering and attained liberation, while immeasurable others, imbued with the teachings, gained great meritorious fruits. Among them was a devaputra whose life span was nearly exhausted and in whom the five signs of decline had appeared.^[2] Through the power of hearing the Dharma, after his death he was reborn in that same heaven and forever left the evil destinies behind.

At that time there was no Buddha in Jambudvipa. It was like a dark night filled with stars but without the moon, like a country without a king or a household without a master; all festivities and entertainments ceased. Sentient beings seemed orphaned, with nowhere to rely. Longing for the Buddha, everyone was deeply grieved, as though they had lost their parents or an arrow had pierced their hearts. Together they went to the places where the Buddha had formerly stayed, but saw only deserted groves, terraces, and courtyards. Everywhere was empty and without the Buddha, and their sorrowful longing only increased.

King Udayana, dwelling in his palace, was constantly sorrowful and deeply moved by his yearning for the Buddha. He took no pleasure in his chief consort, the palace women, or any entertainment. He thought, “In my present grief, I shall soon die! How may I behold the Buddha before my life ends?” Again he thought, “When someone loves another but cannot meet them, seeing the place where that person once stayed, or someone closely resembling them, may perhaps lessen the sorrow.” He then reflected, “If I go to a place where the Buddha formerly stayed^[3] and do not see him, I shall surely weep so bitterly that I may die! I see no one in the world whose physical marks, merit, and wisdom equal those of the Tathagata. How can I meet someone like him and thereby ease my grief?”

After conceiving this thought, the king reflected again, “I should now have an image of the Buddha made, and bow to it and make offerings.” Yet he considered, “If I make an image unlike the Buddha, I fear that I shall incur immeasurable offenses.” Then he thought, “Even if all the wise people in the world^[4] jointly proclaimed the Buddha’s virtues, they could not exhaust them. Yet anyone who praises him according to their capacity still gains immeasurable merit. Likewise, I should make an image according to my own capacity.”

The king immediately ordered all the skilled artisans in the country to assemble. When they had gathered, he told them:

“Whoever can make an image of the Buddha for me, I shall reward and compensate with precious jewels.”

The master craftsmen jointly addressed the king:

“Your Majesty’s command presents a truly difficult task. No one in the world can equal the Tathagata’s wondrous excellent marks. How could we make an image of the Buddha? Even if the divine artisan Visvakarman^[5] were to make it, he could not reproduce the Tathagata’s likeness. If we accepted Your Majesty’s commission, perhaps we could imitate a small portion of his curled hair and urna. But who could fashion the other radiant excellent marks, filled with majestic virtue? The Buddha will eventually descend from heaven to the human realm. If the image we make is defective, our reputations will be ruined. We humbly believe that we dare not undertake it.”

King Udayana then replied:

“My resolve is firm; do not refuse! If a thirsty person wishes to drink fresh water, would he abstain merely because he cannot drink it all?”

Hearing the king’s words, the artisans all knelt before him and said:

“We shall obey your command, but we ask Your Majesty to allow us to consider the matter tonight. We shall begin tomorrow morning.”

They further said:

“The image should be made entirely of sandalwood,^[6] whose grain is fine and substance durable. But should the Buddha-image be seated or standing, and how tall should it be?”

The king consulted his ministers. One learned minister addressed him:

“Your Majesty should make a seated image of the Tathagata. Why? All Buddhas attain great bodhi, turn the Dharma wheel, manifest great spiritual powers, subdue non-Buddhist teachers, and accomplish great Buddha-works while seated. Therefore, the Buddha-image should be seated in full lotus posture^[7] upon a lion throne.”

At that very time, the deva Visvakarman saw the affair from afar and understood the king’s intention to make a Buddha-image. That night he thought, “My craftsmanship is exceedingly wondrous, and no one in the world equals me. If I make the image for the king, it may somewhat resemble the Buddha.”^[8] He transformed himself into a carpenter holding sharp tools. At daybreak he stood beside the palace gate and told the gatekeeper to report to the king: “I wish to make the image for Your Majesty. No one equals my craftsmanship. I respectfully ask the king not to employ anyone else.”

The king was delighted on hearing this and ordered that he be admitted. Observing his appearance and bearing, the king knew that he was a master artisan and thought, “How could such a person exist in this world? Could he be the divine artisan Visvakarman or one of his disciples?” The king immediately removed the jeweled necklace he was wearing and personally placed it around Visvakarman’s neck, promising still more precious treasures as a reward.

The king then accompanied the keeper of the treasury into the storehouse, selected fragrant wood, carried it upon his own shoulder,^[9] and delivered it to the divine artisan, saying:

“Excellent, sir! Please use this wood to make an image for me resembling the Buddha.”

The divine artisan replied:

“Although my craftsmanship is foremost, I can never perfectly fashion an image of the Buddha.

“It would be unreasonable for someone to draw the sun with charcoal and claim that the likeness was accurate. Even if one made a Buddha-image from pure gold, the same would be true.

“Certain non-Buddhist teachers habitually declare, ‘Brahma can create the world,’^[10] yet even he could not fully create the excellent marks of the Buddha’s form. My craft alone is supreme in the world; therefore, I shall now undertake this work for the king. Today is the eighth day of the month, when the stars Pusya and Brhaspati are appearing. The same auspicious signs appeared when the Buddha was born. Today is propitious; we should begin.”

Having spoken, Visvakarman took up his axe and carved the wood. The sound of carving rose as far as the Trayastrimsa Heaven and reached the Buddha. Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, wherever the sound resounded, sentient beings who heard the chisel had their defilements, offenses, and afflictions eliminated.

The Tathagata then smiled and praised the king’s merit in many ways, even bestowing from afar a prediction that the king would attain the noble path of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

At that time, the lord of the Trayastrimsa Heaven addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One, has anyone in the world ever made a Buddha-image in a former age?”

The Buddha told Sakra, lord of the devas:

“All who formerly made Buddha-images belonged to the past and have already attained liberation. Not one remains even among this heavenly assembly, much less elsewhere. Only Narasabha, son of Vaisravana in the north, once made an image of a bodhisattva. Through this merit, he later became King Bimbisara. Moreover, because he encountered me, he has now been reborn as a powerful deva and has forever left the evil destinies.

“The three bhiksus Uruvilva Kasyapa, Gaya Kasyapa, and Nadi Kasyapa^[11] once repaired an old Buddha shrine in a former age; through that cause and condition, they attained liberation forever. Gavampati formerly had the body of an ox. While searching for grass and water, he walked around a monastery and ate grass among its bamboo thickets.

Seeing the Buddha’s honored countenance, he gave rise to joy, and through that merit he has now attained liberation. Sivala once held a jeweled parasol as an offering to a Buddha-image. Aniruddha lit a lamp as an offering.

Yuvema once swept a Buddha shrine. Abhamana lit a lamp before a Buddha-image to provide illumination. The bhiksu Nanda cherished the honored figure and therefore bathed it with scented water, and so forth.

Immeasurable arhats such as these formerly made even modest offerings before Buddha-images. Even Nagapala, the least among them, used a little golden pigment before the image’s throne to color the body of an image as an offering. Through such merit, they all forever escaped suffering and attained liberation.

“O Sakra, if anyone, before my teaching disappears,^[12] makes a Buddha-image, that person will attain liberation in the first assembly of the Buddha Maitreya.

“If sentient beings make Buddha-images not for their own sake, but in seeking emancipation and wishing to realize unsurpassed bodhi, know that this is a direct cause of the thirty-two marks and can enable them swiftly to attain Buddhahood.”

At that time, King Udayana thought, “How may I cause the image I commissioned to be completed quickly?” He then said to the divine artisan:

“Please exert yourself and complete the work quickly, so that I may soon behold and bow to it.”

Visvakarman then employed all his skill, working single-mindedly without delay, and completed the image in less than one day. The image sat in full lotus posture, stood seven carpenter’s feet high, and had a purple-gold face, hands, and feet.

When King Udayana saw that the image was complete and adorned with excellent marks, pure faith arose in his mind and he realized the patient acceptance of accord with the Dharma.^[13] Having attained this acceptance, he rejoiced all the more. All his karmic obstructions and sorrows vanished, as mist disappears when the sun rises, except for one karma whose result he had to undergo in that very body,^[14] because he had once spoken harshly to a noble being. The king then offered every precious jewel and rarity as a reward, but the divine artisan said:

“Seeing Your Majesty make this image, I rejoice and wish to cultivate this merit together with you. I dare not accept your gifts. If we must exchange gifts, please wait for another auspicious day.”

Having spoken, the divine artisan returned to heaven that night.

Soon afterward, the kings of great countries, including King Ajatasatru,^[15] who had likewise long yearned for the Buddha, heard that King Udayana’s finely wrought image had been completed. They all rejoiced and came together to King Udayana. Each brought abundant flowers, incense, and music as offerings to the Buddha-image, and also presented precious jewels to King Udayana. They all said, “What you have done is exceedingly rare; you have removed the poisoned arrow of sorrow from us all.”

Meanwhile, in the Trayastrimsa Heaven, the Tathagata had finished expounding the sutras and Dharma teachings to his mother,^[16] and the devas had all gained benefit and joy. The Buddha had completed all that was to be done. He then told the heavenly assembly:

“Devaputras, the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, possess eternally abiding bodies. Whenever sentient beings are ready to be liberated, the Buddhas manifest to teach and transform them and expound the Dharma. When their work is finished and no one remains capable of receiving their teaching and transformation, the Tathagatas no longer manifest. Those without wisdom believe that a Buddha has truly entered extinction. The body of every Tathagata is the Dharma-body, an eternal body that never truly enters extinction.

“Devaputras, the Dharma of all Buddhas is thus: for the sake of teaching sentient beings, they either appear or do not appear.”

The Buddha continued:

“You should know that I have liberated all in this heavenly assembly who were ready to be liberated. I shall now descend to Jambudvipa. If you devas remain mindful of me, diligently strive and do not become heedless.

“Why? The fault of heedlessness prevents you from attaining the noble path of unsurpassed bodhi. Because you planted roots of goodness long ago, you now enjoy the pleasures and wealth of heaven,^[17] yet you become heedless, intoxicated by pleasure, and fail to cultivate meritorious practices. These pleasures are subject to impermanence. Once you fall from them, you will wander endlessly through the evil destinies.

“Furthermore, devas, your afflictions are exceedingly heavy.^[18] On seeing someone superior to yourselves, you become jealous. You never reflect, ‘That deva enjoys greater happiness because abundant meritorious karma brought it about; if I cultivate diligently, I too shall attain it.’ Your bodies now shine radiantly like the rising sun at dawn. But if you harbor jealousy and envy, you will become dark like extinguished ashes and fall into a pitch-black hell where you cannot even see your own hands; afterward, you will become ghosts that feed on excrement.

“Furthermore, devas, though through merit you have received pure and adorned bodies and possess mighty power and majesty, jealousy will cause you to assume female bodies and entirely lose the vigorous strength and majesty of men.

“Devaputras, I recall that in former times immeasurable kings were unjustly harmed because of your jealousy.

“Devaputras, there was once an asura king^[19] named Ura, who practiced austerities and maintained pure moral discipline. You devas sent a heavenly maiden named Urvasi to bewitch his mind and cause him to lose his virtue. Because the king became defiled by attachment, his majestic virtue diminished, and the deva Narayana killed him. Immeasurable hosts of asuras were defeated and destroyed at the same time. After killing that king, Narayana annihilated the asura army and brought the heavenly maiden Urvasi back to the celestial palace.

“There was also a king named Nahusa. Through deceitful words you devas induced him to help the heavenly hosts fight and defeat the asuras; after the asuras were defeated, you turned around and harmed him.

“Furthermore, because of Lady Saci,^[20] you devas became jealous. Saci incited the king to provoke a conflict, causing the rsi Agastya to be suspected without cause and to utter a venomous curse.

“Again, you devas once deceived King Ila, telling him, ‘The rsi’s abode contains much pure gold.’ Believing these words, the king forced the rsi to produce it. The rsi became enraged, and a fierce fire immediately burned the king.

“Long ago there was also a king named Deva who regularly convened great assemblies to make offerings. Through this meritorious karma, he gained sovereign power and ascended to this heaven to enjoy heavenly pleasures. You devas became jealous and caused Deva to fall from the Trayastrimsa Heaven to the human world. All his majesty was shattered, like the moon losing its light or a river running dry.

“Devaputras, many people in the world possess sovereign majesty or spiritual powers; some have perfected the four bases of spiritual power.^[21] Yet if they give rise to a single jealous thought, such merit can vanish at once. For example, Devadatta, immersed in delusion, became jealous of me and immediately lost his five spiritual powers.”

Sakra then addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One, I now have a doubt and wish to ask: What exactly is jealousy?”

He continued:

“World-Honored One, if sentient beings see someone superior and think, ‘How may I attain what that person has attained?’ is that thought jealousy?”

The Buddha replied:

“No. That is craving, not jealousy.^[22]

“Sakra, jealousy means seeking fame and gain for oneself while not wishing others to possess them, and becoming hateful and angry over what others possess. That is jealousy.”

The heavenly assembly then rose from their seats, knelt with their faces to the ground, joined their palms toward the Buddha, and said:

“As the Buddha has taught, we devas shall all respectfully practice. The Tathagata, honored by the world, is our Father, Lord, Most Honored One, and Supreme Victor. Out of great loving-kindness and compassion for us, he came here and enabled the heavenly assembly to gain benefit. Yet our wishes are not completely fulfilled, and we would ask the Buddha for one further favor.

“World-Honored One, people in the world below often slight us devas. Why? Because Buddhas are born among human beings^[23] and attain perfect enlightenment in the human realm. Among humans, arhats realize the fruit, and greatly majestic pratyekabuddhas also appear.

“If the Tathagata now leaves us and descends to Jambudvipa, people will say that we devas fail to recognize the Tathagata’s great majestic virtue and his worthiness to receive proper offerings from the devas. They will also say, ‘The devas do not know how to make offerings to the Tathagatas honored by the world.’ We pray that the Tathagata remain a little longer and accept our modest offerings, so that the people of the world may know that the devas make offerings to the Buddha.”

The Buddha silently accepted their request.

The Buddha then told Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana:

“Go ahead of me to Jambudvipa, inquire after the fourfold assembly, and say: ‘All who are mindful of me should gather in the kingdom of Sankasya. Seven days from now, you shall see me.’”

Maudgalyayana bowed at the Buddha’s feet. Having done so, in the time of a wink he arrived in Jambudvipa^[24] and conveyed the Buddha’s words to the fourfold assembly. When King Udayana and all the people heard the Buddha’s announcement, their bodies and minds leapt with joy; their sorrow vanished and they felt at ease.

The fourfold assembly—the bhiksus, bhiksunis, male lay followers, and female lay followers—wished to travel together to Sankasya. They first assembled at Rajagrha^[25] and discussed among themselves:

“The Buddha, the Tathagata honored by the world, is about to descend again to Jambudvipa. Whoever first reverently bows to the Buddha shall be the leader until the Dharma comes to an end.”

When Venerable Mahakatyayana heard this, he was displeased, fearing that a bhiksuni might become the leader. Why? Among the entire community of nuns were Upananda and Utpalavarna. These two bhiksunis thoroughly understood the Buddhas’ Dharma treasury and had realized spiritual powers. Apart from Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana, no one equaled them. With this thought, Katyayana repeatedly reproached the bhiksunis.

Bhiksuni Utpalavarna then told the community of nuns:

“We women are ordinarily honored in secular society. Even those of humble lineage receive men’s respect and every form of service. Moreover, among the nuns in the Buddha’s teaching, many have parents and relatives from royal or official families. We nuns diligently maintain the precepts, do not violate proper deportment, and possess every virtue, yet we must still bow to bhiksus who received full ordination only recently. Now Venerable Katyayana has also reproached us at length. I shall devise an expedient for the nuns that will enable a bhiksuni to surpass him.”

Having spoken, she traveled with the fourfold assembly^[26] to Sankasya.

At that time, King Prasenajit, King Ajatasatru, King Licchavi of Vaisali, and others each led the four mighty divisions of their armies^[27] as escorts, displaying great power. Their elephants and horses were adorned with precious objects. With banners, pennants, parasols, incense, flowers, music, and majestic bearing, they resembled heavenly beings as they traveled to Sankasya.

King Udayana also arranged the four divisions of his army as attendants. Riding a white elephant adorned and embroidered with jewels, he personally carried the Buddha-image he had made. Scattering flowers, bearing banners, and accompanied by musicians playing offerings of music, he departed from his kingdom for Sankasya.

Visvakarman and the heavenly assembly knew that the Buddha was about to descend to Jambudvipa. They therefore created three precious stairways extending from Sankasya to the Trayastrimsa Heaven. The central stairway was made of vaidurya, the two side stairways of gold, and the places where feet would tread were inlaid with white silver interspersed with the seven heavenly treasures.

Sakra sent celestial messengers to the Yama Heaven, Tusita Heaven, Heaven of Delight in Transformations, Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Transformations, and the Brahma worlds,^[28] announcing: “The Buddha is about to descend to Jambudvipa. Those who wish to make offerings should come here.” He also sent messengers to the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the naga kings of the great ocean, the gandharva kings, kinnara kings, and yaksa hosts, telling them, “The World-Honored One is about to descend to Jambudvipa. You may bring offerings here to honor him.”

Hearing the announcement, the devas, nagas, spirits, and others all assembled in the Trayastrimsa Heaven.

At that time, the World-Honored One stood upon the summit of Mount Sumeru with a vast multitude of devas from all the heavens.^[29] As he was about to descend, the devas filled the sky before and behind him, majestic and resplendent. They were like the full moon surrounded by myriad stars in the open sky, or like the newly risen sun shining with dazzling radiance. Such was the Buddha and the assembly at that moment.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, five rare occurrences then appeared in Jambudvipa:

First, the devas were prevented from seeing the unclean things of the human realm.

Second, women who saw male devas conceived no thought of sensual attachment.

Third, men who saw heavenly maidens conceived no defiled thought.

Fourth, humans could clearly see from afar the offerings of the heavenly assembly.

Fifth, although the devas’ pure, radiant, beautiful bodies could not ordinarily be seen by humans, through the Buddha’s spiritual power people could see them clearly.

As the Buddha left the celestial palace and placed his foot upon the central jeweled stairway, Brahma stood to his right holding a white parasol, while Sakra stood to his left holding a white fly whisk. The other devas traveled through the air and descended behind the Buddha, simultaneously playing every kind of music. Some held streamers, banners, and jeweled canopies or scattered flowers as offerings.

The devas of the Pure Abodes filled the sky, while immeasurable hundreds of thousands of devas and heavenly maidens wearing jeweled necklaces sang praises of the Buddha’s noble virtue. Other devas scattered incense and fragrant flowers from the sky. The naga spirits released a gentle fragrant rain.

Though no cloud covered the sky, soft thunder delighted all who heard it. Gandharvas and kinnaras performed the exceedingly exquisite Deva-Naga melody and sang praises of the Tathagata’s deeds in former lives.

In Jambudvipa, kings, officials, citizens, and the fourfold assembly filled the whole region around Sankasya. Scattering fragrant flowers, holding banners and parasols, blowing conches, beating drums, and playing every kind of music, they directed their offerings skyward. Raising their hands and joining their palms, they gazed upon the Buddha. Renowned flowers and fragrances from the heavens and human realm mingled as they fell, accumulating as high as the knees. Seeing these events, the followers of non-Buddhist paths all resolved to take refuge and bow in reverence.^[30]

When the World-Honored One had descended halfway down the jeweled stairway, the Four Great Kings arranged offerings in their respective places and presented them to the Buddha. These offerings were so wondrous that humankind had never seen their like since ancient times.

After accepting the offerings of the Four Great Kings, the World-Honored One descended all the steps with the great assembly. Just as he was about to place his foot on the ground from the final step, Bhiksuni Utpalavarna transformed herself into a wheel-turning monarch,^[31] leading the four divisions of an army and accompanied by the seven treasures. She hurried ahead, descended through the air, and reached the Buddha. The kings all wondered, “Where has this wheel-turning monarch come from?”

Venerable Subhuti, who was in his chamber, saw the Buddha descending. He adjusted his robes and bowed from where he stood. Bhiksuni Utpalavarna abandoned the form of the wheel-turning monarch, resumed her original appearance, and hurriedly bowed at the World-Honored One’s feet.

The Buddha reproached her in many ways, saying:

“Do you not know that Subhuti has already bowed to me first? Who instructed you to transform yourself into a wheel-turning monarch? Being admitted among the renunciants and receiving full ordination already exceeds what was due to you. Your wisdom is slight, while your deceit is boundless. Even your compassionate repayment of kindness is no more than a drop of dew. How could you become a leader within my Dharma?”

Hearing the Buddha’s admonition, Utpalavarna became deeply ashamed and said:

“World-Honored One, I now know that my offenses are not few. From this day onward, I shall not dare display spiritual powers again.”

The kings, officials, and fourfold assembly of Jambudvipa then presented all the offerings they had brought to the Buddha.

King Udayana carried the Buddha-image upon his head^[32] and brought the rarest and most precious offerings to the Tathagata. The Buddha’s excellent marks were exceedingly dignified and resplendent amid the devas, like the full moon emerging from clouds. Compared with the Buddha, the carved image was as impossible to compare as a mound with Mount Sumeru. Only its curled hair and urna slightly resembled the Buddha, enabling the fourfold assembly to recognize it as a BUDDHA-IMAGE.

King Udayana addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One, in former times, while coursing through birth and death in search of bodhi, the Tathagata practiced immeasurable and boundless austerities that were difficult to perform and endure.^[33] As a result, he attained this supreme wondrous body, unequaled by anyone. The image I commissioned does not resemble the Buddha, and I privately fear that my offense is very grave.”

The World-Honored One told King Udayana:

“You have committed no offense! You have now brought immeasurable benefit, and no one equals you. Within my teaching, you have established the first model for others. Through this cause and condition, immeasurable sentient beings of later ages will give rise to exceedingly profound faith. You have now gained immeasurable merit and vast roots of goodness.”

Sakra, king of the devas, then told King Udayana:

“Your Majesty, do not be afraid. While dwelling in heaven, and again here among humans, the Tathagata praised the merit of your making this image, and the heavenly assembly greatly rejoiced in it. In later ages, faithful people will follow your example, make Buddha-images, and gain merit. You should now rejoice and congratulate yourself.”

(END OF THE UPPER FASCICLE)