佛說樓閣正法甘露鼓經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the World-Honored One was dwelling in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time the Venerable Ānanda, arousing a sincere mind, came to the place of the World-Honored One. Having arrived, the Venerable bowed his head at the feet of the Buddha; and when he had finished paying reverence, he stood to one side. Then the Venerable Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying:

"Reverently I beseech the World-Honored One! What is it to sow and cultivate pure roots of goodness? What is a maṇḍala? What is it to take refuge and to receive and uphold the precepts of training? What is it to join the palms in reverent offering to the Tathāgata, and what wholesome karma shall thereby be accomplished?"

"World-Honored One!

"What is the unceasing root of goodness within saṃsāra? When karma is exhausted and Nirvāṇa is attained, how is this so? And what merit is gained by making an image of the Tathāgata?"

The Buddha said:

"Ānanda! At present, with regard to the five virtues, one must practice, cultivate, and guard them so as to keep them pure. Tell me further: by what is it that one is said to arouse one's own mind and to arouse the minds of others, so that the sages and worthies attain a mind of joy, that wholesome karma is lofty and exalted, and that all that is sought is obtained? And so that, after the body perishes and life comes to an end, one is reborn in the heaven of the Well-Gone?"

"Ānanda! If there be a person who arouses the mind toward the Buddha and, with utmost sincerity, makes offerings and fashions a four-sided maṇḍala, then I say that such a person, in the life to come, shall be a lord of wealth and nobility in Uttarakuru; and after the body perishes and life comes to an end, shall be reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven.

"Ānanda! If there be a person who arouses the mind toward the Buddha and, with utmost sincerity, makes offerings and fashions a maṇḍala in the shape of a half-moon, then I say that such a person, in the life to come, shall be a lord of wealth and nobility in Pūrvavideha. After death, he shall be reborn in the Yāma Heaven.

"Ānanda! If there be a person who arouses the mind toward the Buddha and, with utmost sincerity, makes offerings and fashions a round maṇḍala, then I say that such a person, in the life to come, shall be a lord of wealth and rank in Aparagodānīya. After the body perishes and life comes to an end, he shall be reborn in the Tuṣita Heaven. Ānanda! If there be a person who arouses the mind for the sake of the Buddha and, with utmost sincerity, makes offerings and fashions a round maṇḍala, then I say that such a person, in the life to come, shall be a lord of wealth and nobility in Jambudvīpa of the South. After the body perishes and life comes to an end, he shall be reborn in the Nirmāṇarati Heaven.

"Ānanda! If one takes refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and guards and upholds the pure precepts, then I say that such a person's roots of goodness and meritorious virtues are immeasurable and boundless. Not even all the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas at the very brink of Nirvāṇa can be compared to it."

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the Venerable Ānanda:

"As you please, you should know that yonder red lotus flower is soft and undefiled. The leaves of the Aśoka tree are of a subtle and marvelous crimson hue. My tongue is likewise so: long and broad enough to cover the whole of my face, even up to the hairline, as you have seen.

"Ānanda! How could one who speaks false speech, frivolous speech, harsh speech, and slanderous double-tongued speech ever obtain such a thing? The Tathāgata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, speaks only the truth, and therefore has such a mark upon his tongue. Ānanda!

If there be a person who, with body and life, takes refuge, joins the palms, and bows in reverence to the World-Honored One, the Tathāgata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, then that sentient being who performs such a refuge shall be delivered and saved by me. Why is this so? Because the Dharma-realm of the Tathāgata is thus determined.

If there be a person who, with a sincere and resolute mind, joins the palms, pays reverence, and gives in charity; and again, if there be a person who, in but the brief span of time it takes to wash one's hands and cleanse one's vessels, arouses the mind to benefit beings and vows that each and every sentient being may attain peace and joy, then I say that such a person has opened the gate of merit, closed the road of evil destinies, and escaped the three kalpas.

What are the three kalpas? They are the kalpa of warfare and weapons, the kalpa of disease and illness, and the kalpa of famine and hardship. Ānanda! Furthermore, if a person, for a single day, guards and keeps far from the precept against killing, then that person shall not be born into the kalpa of warfare and weapons.

If one offers to the assembly of monks butter from raw or cooked milk, honey, oil, or rock-sugar, then that person shall not be born into the kalpa of disease and illness. If one offers to the assembly of monks a single bowl of food and drink, then that person shall not be born into the kalpa of famine and hardship. Ānanda! There are three roots of goodness that are endless and boundless, which even within the realm of saṃsāra are not destroyed, and which moreover lead one to Nirvāṇa.

What are the three? It means that one who, with regard to the Tathāgata, sows and cultivates roots of goodness shall have what is endless and boundless and is not exhausted even within the realm of saṃsāra, and in the future shall surely attain the fruit of Nirvāṇa. One who cultivates roots of goodness with regard to the Dharma and the Saṅgha shall likewise have what is endless and boundless and is not exhausted within the realm of saṃsāra, and in the future shall surely attain the fruit of Nirvāṇa."

At that time, the World-Honored One, by his own merit and virtue, said to Ānanda:

"Do you see yonder Jambudvīpa of the South?"

"Yes, World-Honored One, I see it."

"Ānanda! If there be a good man or a faithful woman who takes the seven treasures and makes the southern Jambudvīpa, a circle seven thousand yojanas long and broad, and gives it in charity and offering to the Saṅgha of the four directions, and to the Stream-enterers, the Once-returners, the Non-returners, the Arhats, and even the Pratyekabuddhas. And if there be a Tathāgata, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Enlightened One in Nirvāṇa, and after his Nirvāṇa one takes a lump of earth and clay and makes a stūpa as large as an āmalaka fruit (a mango); upon its top one makes the spokes of the Dharma-wheel as fine as a needle, and fashions a parasol to shade it shaped like a jujube;

and then within it one enshrines an image of the Buddha the size of a barley grain, and below it interns a relic like a white mustard seed—then I say that the merit and virtue of this person is vaster and greater than that of those spoken of before. Ānanda!

That is the southern Jambudvīpa that you have just come to know.

"Ānanda! If there be a good man or a faithful woman who takes the seven treasures and makes the eastern Pūrvavideha, with its four sides fashioned in the shape of a half-moon, eight thousand yojanas long and broad, and gives it in charity and offering to the Saṅgha of the four directions, and to the Stream-enterers, the Once-returners, the Non-returners, the Arhats, and even the Pratyekabuddhas;

and moreover, if there be a Tathāgata, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Enlightened One in Nirvāṇa or after his Nirvāṇa, and one takes a lump of mud and earth and makes a stūpa like an āmalaka fruit, upon its top fashioning the form of the spokes of the Dharma-wheel, pointed as fine as a needle, and makes a parasol to shade it shaped like a jujube leaf, and within it enshrines an image of the Buddha made the size of barley, and below interns a relic like a white mustard seed—then I say that the merit and virtue of this person is vaster and greater than that of those spoken of before. Ānanda, that is the southern Jambudvīpa and the eastern Pūrvavideha that you have just come to know.

"Ānanda! If there be a good man or a faithful woman who, having faith, takes the seven treasures and makes the western Aparagodānīya, round like the moon, nine thousand yojanas long and broad, and presents it as an offering to the Saṅgha of the four directions, and to the Stream-enterers, the Once-returners, the Non-returners, the Arhats, and even the Pratyekabuddhas. And if there be a Tathāgata, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Enlightened One in Nirvāṇa, or after his Nirvāṇa one takes a lump of mud and earth and makes a stūpa like an āmalaka fruit, its top pointed like a needle in the shape of the spokes of the Dharma-wheel, with a parasol above to shade it like a jujube leaf, within it enshrining an image of the Buddha made of barley,

and in front of it interning a relic like a white mustard seed—then I say that the merit and virtue of this person is vaster and greater than that of those before. Ānanda, that is the southern Jambudvīpa, the eastern Pūrvavideha, and the western Aparagodānīya that you have come to know.

"Ānanda! If there be a good man or a faithful woman who takes the seven treasures and makes the northern Uttarakuru, all four of its sides equal to ten thousand yojanas, and presents it as an offering to the Saṅgha of the four directions, and to the Stream-enterers, the Once-returners, the Non-returners, the Arhats, and even the Pratyekabuddhas. And if there be a Tathāgata, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Enlightened One in Nirvāṇa, or after his Nirvāṇa one uses a lump of mud and earth to make a stūpa like an āmalaka fruit, its top pointed like a needle in the shape of the spokes of the Dharma-wheel, with a parasol above to shade it like a jujube leaf, within it enshrining an image of the Buddha made of a barley grain,

and below interning a relic like a white mustard seed—then I say that the merit and virtue of this person is vaster and greater than that of those before.

"That is the four great continents that you have just come to know. Ānanda! If there be a good man or a faithful woman who takes the seven treasures and makes the Hall of the Good Dharma of Śakra, the lord of the gods, and gives it in charity and offering to the Saṅgha of the four directions, and to the Stream-enterers, the Once-returners, the Non-returners, the Arhats, and even the Pratyekabuddhas. And if there be a Tathāgata, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Enlightened One in Nirvāṇa, or after his Nirvāṇa one takes a lump of mud and earth and makes a stūpa like an āmalaka fruit, adorned with every kind of ornament, fashioning the spokes of the Dharma-wheel for its top, with a parasol to shade it above,

making an image of the Buddha and interning a relic just as before without difference—then I say that the merit and virtue of this person is vaster and greater than that of those before.

"Ānanda! That is the four continents and the Hall of the Good Dharma that you have just come to know.

"Ānanda! If there be a good man or a faithful woman who, having faith, even takes the seven treasures and makes the three-thousandfold great-thousand world, and gives it in charity and offering to the Saṅgha of the four directions and to the holders of the four fruits, along with the Pratyekabuddhas. And if there be a Perfectly Enlightened One in Nirvāṇa, or after his Nirvāṇa one takes a lump of mud and earth and makes a stūpa like an āmalaka fruit, adorned with every kind of ornament, with the mark of the Dharma-wheel, a parasol shading it, enshrining an image of the Buddha and interning a relic just as before without difference—then I say that the merit and virtue of this person is vaster and greater than that of those before.

Why is this so? Ānanda, because the Tathāgata practices giving, keeping the precepts, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and all that is immeasurable and boundless, even up to the ten powers, the four wisdoms, the three exclusive dharmas, and the four foundations of mindfulness; and moreover his great compassion is also immeasurable and boundless; it is because the Tathāgata possesses such merit and virtue. Ānanda!

When the Tathāgata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, expounds the Dharma, the entire three-thousandfold great-thousand world trembles and quakes."

At that time, the Venerable Ānanda addressed the Buddha:

"Reverently I beseech the World-Honored One! What is this present True Dharma named? And how shall it be received and upheld?"

The Buddha said to Ānanda:

"This sūtra is named The Drum of the Sweet Dew of the True Dharma; it is also called The True Dharma That Has Never Been Before. Thus should it be received and upheld."

The Venerable Ānanda, with a rare and wondrous mind, obeying the instruction and guidance of the Buddha, faithfully received it and reverently put it into practice; then he bowed his head in reverence and withdrew.