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TheSutraOnTheMeritOfBathingThe

Buddha
(TripitakaNo.698)
TranslatedduringtheTangDynastybySramanaSigYee
Jing

ThushaveIheard:
AtonetimetheBlessedOnewasinRajagriha,onEaglesPeak,
togetherwithonethousand,twohundredandfiftymonks.There
werealsoanimmeasurable,unlimitedmultitudeofBodhisattvas
andtheeightclassesofgods,nagasandsoforth,whowereall
assembled.Atthattime,thePureWisdomBodhisattvawas
seatedinthemidstofthisassembly.Becauseheaspiredto
extendcompassiontowardallsentientbeings,hethought:"by
whatmeansdotheBuddhas,Tathagatas,obtainthepurebody,
furnishedwiththemarksofthegreatperson?"Againhe
thought:"allclassesoflivingbeingsareabletomeetthe
Tathagataandapproachhimwithofferings.Theblessingsthat
areobtainedarewithoutmeasureorlimit.Idonotyetknow,
however,whatofferingslivingbeingswillmakeorwhatmerit
theywillcultivateafterthedeathoftheTathagatasoastobring
aboutthoserootsofgoodmeritthatquicklyleadtofinal,
supremeenlightenment."Afterthinkingthis,hethenarosefrom
hisseatandbaredhisrightshoulder,havingbowedhisheadat
thefeetoftheBuddha;hekneltupright,withpalmsinsalutation
andspoketotheBuddha,saying,"WorldHonoredOne,Iwish
toaskquestionsandhopethatyoudeigntoacknowledgethem."
TheBuddhasaid,"Nobleson,Iwillteachaccordingtowhatyou

ask."
AtthattimethePureWisdomBodhisattvaspoketotheBuddha
saying,"BywhatmeansdotheBuddhas,Tathagatas,perfectly
enlightenedonesobtainthepurebody,furnishedwiththemarks
ofthegreatperson?Also,alllivingbeingsareabletomeetthe
Tathagataandapproachhimwithofferings.Theblessingsthat
areobtainedarewithoutmeasureorlimit.Ihavenotyet
discernedwhatofferingslivingbeingswillmakeorwhatmerit
theywillcultivateafterthedeathoftheTathagatasoastobring
aboutthosegoodqualitiesthatquicklyleadtofinal,supreme
enlightenment."
Atthattime,theWorldHonoredOnesaidtothePureWisdom
Bodhisattva:"excellent,excellent,thatyouareableforthesake
offuturebeingstobringforthsuchquestions!Nowlisten
carefully,reflectonthiswell,andpracticeasIsay.Iwill
explainforyouindetail."
ThePureWisdomBodhisattvasaid,"Sobeit,WorldHonored
One,Idearlywishtolisten."
TheBuddhaexplainedtothePureWisdomBodhisattva:"Noble
son,youshouldknowthatbecausegiving,morality,patience,
vigor,meditation,andwisdom;benevolence,compassion,
delight,andshouldknowthatbecausegiving,morality,
patience,vigor,meditation,andknowledgeandexperienceof
liberation;thetenstrengthsandthefourconfidencesareallthe
characteristicsoftheBuddhaandareallvariouskindsof
knowledge,virtue,andpurity,theyarethepurityofthe
Tathagata.
IftheBuddhas,Tathagatas,areinthiswaygivenvarious
offeringswithapureheartincense,flowers,gems,garlands,
banners,parasols,andcushionsdisplayedbeforetheBuddha,
multifariouslyadorninghim,andthemarvelouslyscentedwater

isusedtobathehisnobleform,thedarksmokeoftheburning
incensewillcarryyourmindtotheDharmarealm.Furthermore,
youcelebratetheextraordinarymeritoftheTathagatawithfood
anddrink,percussionandstringedmusic;youwillmanifestthe
superbvowtodirectyourmindtothesupremeoceanof
omniscience.Themerittherebyproducedwillbeimmeasurable
andwithoutlimit;itwillbeperpetuallycontinuedthrough
successiverebirthstothepointofenlightenment.Whyisthis?
TheblessedwisdomoftheTathagataisinconceivable,infinite,
andunequaled.
Nobleson,allBuddhas,WorldHonoredOnes,havethree
bodies.TheyareknownastheDharmabodyorDharmakaya,
theglorifiedbodyortheSambhogakaya,andthemanifestation
bodyortheNirmanakaya.AftermyNirvana,ifyouwishtodo
homagetothesethreebodiesthenyoushoulddohomagetomy
relics.Buttheseareoftwokinds:thefirstisthebodilyrelic;the
secondistheDharmaverserelic.Iwillnowrecitetheverse:"
Allthingsarisefromacause.
TheTathagatahasexplainedtheircause
andthecessationofthecauseofthesethings.
ThisthegreatSramanahasexplained.
"Ifmen,women,orthefivegroupsofmendicantswouldbuild
animageoftheBuddha;orifthosewithoutstrengthwould
depositoneaslargeasagrainofbarley,orbuildastupaits
bodythesizeofajujube,itsmastthesizeofaneedle,itsparasol
equaltoaflakeofbran,itsreliclikeamustardseedorif
someonewritestheDharmaverseandinstallsitinsidethestupa,
itwouldbelikedoinghomagebyofferingupararejewel.Ifin
accordancewithone'sownstrengthandabilityonecanbetruly
sincereandrespectful,it(theimageorstupa)wouldbelikemy

presentbody,equalwithoutdifference.
Nobleson,iftherearebeingswhoareabletomakesuch
excellentofferings,theywillglorifythemselvesbyachieving
thefifteensuperbvirtues.First,theywillalwaysbemodest.
Second,theywillmanifestamindofpurefaith.Third,their
heartswillbesimpleandhonest.Fourth,theywillcleaveto
goodfriends.Fifth,theywillenterastateofpassionless
wisdom.Sixth,theywillconstantlyencounterBuddhas.
Seventh,theywillalwaysmaintainthecorrectteaching.Eighth,
theywillbeabletoactaccordingtomyteaching.Ninth,they
willbereborninpureBuddhafieldsaccordingtotheirwishes.
Tenth,iftheyarerebornamongmen,theywillbenoblemenof
greatfamilies;beingrespectedamongmen,theywillproduce
joyousthoughts.Eleventh,beingbornamongmen,theywill
naturallysettheirmindsontheBuddha.Twelfth,anarmyof
demonswillnotbeabletoharmthem.Thirteenth,theywillbe
ableinthefinalagetoprotectandmaintaintheTrueDharma.
Fourteenth,theywillbeprotectedbytheBuddhasoftheten
directions.Fifteenth,theywillbeabletoquicklyobtainthefive
attributesoftheDharmabody."
Atthattime,theWorldHonoredOneutteredtheseverses:
Aftermydeath
Youwillbeabletohonormyrelics
Somewillbuildstupas
OrimagesoftheTathagata.
Attheplaceoftheimageorstupa,
Onewhoanointsthatspotofground

Withvariousincensesandflowers
Scatteringthemoveritssurface
Usespure,beautifullyscentedwater
Topourontothebodyofthisimage,
Offersitvariousflavorfuldrinksandfoods,
Fullymaintainingitwithoblations,
EulogizesthevirtueoftheTathagata,
Whichisendlesslydifficulttoconceive;
Throughthewisdomofskillfulmeansandthesupernatural
poweroftheBuddha
SuchaonewillquicklyreachtheothershoreofNirvana.
Hewillobtainthediamondbody
Completewiththethirtytwomarksofagreatperson
Andtheeightyminorsignsofexcellence.
Hewillferrythemultitudeoflivingbeingstotheshoreof
Nirvana.
Atthattime,thePureWisdomBodhisattva,havingheardthese
verses,addressedtheBuddhasaying,"Futurelivingbeingswill
ask,'whybathetheimage?'"
TheBuddhaansweredthePureWisdomBodhisattva:"Because
youwillequaltheTathagatainproducingrightmindfulness.

Youwillnotbeattachedtothetwosidesthatdeceivepeople
with'emptiness'and'being.'Youwilllonginsatiablyfor
virtuousconduct.Thethreeemancipations,morality,and
wisdomwillbeconstantlysoughttoescapetheendlesscycleof
birthanddeath.Youwillproducegreatcompassiontowardall
livingbeings.Youwillaspiretoobtainandquicklyperfectthe
threekindsofbodies.
Nobleson,Ihavealreadyexpoundedforyoursakethefour
nobletruths,thetwelveconditionedcoproductionsandthesix
perfections.NowIteachthemethodofbathingtheimagefor
yoursakeandthesakeofthevariouskings,princes,ministers,
concubines,princesses,gods,nagas,menanddemons.Among
thevarioustypesofhomage,this(thebathingoftheimage)is
thebest.Itexcelsthegivingofthesevenjewelsequaltothe
sandsoftheGanges.
Whenyoubathetheimage,youshoulduseoxhead
sandalwood,whitesandalwood,redsandalwood,oraloewood
incenses.YoushouldburnMountainTopTulipincense,
'DragonsBrain'incense,Lingling(Mountain)incense,andso
forth.Onthesurfaceofacleanstoneyoushouldgrindtheseto
makepaste;usethispastetomakescentedwaterandplaceitin
acleanvessel.Atacleanspot,makeanaltarwithgoodearth,
squareorround,itssizesuitedtothecircumstances.Ontop
establishthebathingplatformandplacetheBuddhaimagein
themiddle.Pouronthescentedhotwater,purifyingand
cleansingit,repeatedlypouringthepurewateroverit.Thewater
thatisusedmustbecompletelyfilteredsoasnottocauseharm
toinsects.Dropsfromtwofingersofthewaterwithwhichyou
bathedtheimageshouldbetakenandplacedonyourownhead?
athisiscalled'goodluckwater.'Drainoffthewaterontoclean
groundwithoutallowingyourfeettotreaduponit.Withafine,
softtowelwipetheimage,makingitclean.Burntheabove
nameincensesspreadingthearomaallaroundandputtheimage
backinitsoriginalplace.

"Nobleson,theconsequenceofperformingthisbathingofthe
Buddhaimageisthatyouandthegreatmultitudeofmenand
godswillpresentlyreceivewealth,happiness,andlonglife
withoutsickness;youreverywishwillbefulfilled.Your
relatives,friends,andfamilywillallbeatease.Youwillbida
longfarewelltotheeightconditionsoftroubleandforever
escapethefountofsuffering.Youwillneveragainreceivethe
bodyofawomanandwillquicklyachieveenlightenment.
Whenyouhavesetuptheimageandburnedthevarious
incenses,facetheimage,claspyourpalmstogetherinpious
salutationandrecitethesepraises:
InowbathetheTathagata.
Hispurewisdomandvirtueadorntheassembly.
Ivowthatthoselivingbeingsofthisperiodofthefive
impurities
MayquicklywitnessthepureDharmabodyoftheTathagata.
Maytheincenseofmorality,meditation,wisdomandthe
knowledgeandexperienceofliberation
Constantlyperfumeeveryrealmofthetendirections.
Ivowthatthesmokeofthisincensewilllikewise
DotheBuddhasworkofsalvationwithoutmeasureorlimit.
Ialsovowtoputastoptothethreehellsandthewheelof
samsara,
Completelyextinguishingthefiresandobtainingthecoolnessof

relief
Sothatallmaymanifestthethoughtofunsurpassed
enlightenment
Perpetuallyescapingtheriverofdesiresandadvancingtothe
othershoreofNirvana."
TheBuddhafinishedexpoundingthisSutra.Atthistimethere
wereamongthisassemblyanimmeasurable,unlimitednumber
ofBodhisattvaswhoobtainedstainlessconcentration.The
countlessgodsobtainedneverlapsingwisdom.Themultitudeof
VoiceHearersvowedtoseekthefruitsofBuddhahood.The
eightyfourthousandlivingbeingsallmanifestedthethought
towardunexcelled,completeenlightenment.
Atthattime,thePureWisdomBodhisattvasaidtotheBuddha:
"WorldHonoredOne,beingfortunatetoreceivethecompassion
andpityoftheGreatTeacher(theBuddha),weshallteachthe
methodofbathingtheimage.Iwillnowconvertkings,
ministers,andallthoseofgoodfaith,cheer,ormerit.Everyday
Iwillbathethenobleimagetoprocuregreatblessings.Ipledge
toalwaysreceiveandcarryoutwithpleasure
"TheSutraOnTheMeritOfBathingTheBuddha."

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