佛說浴像功德經
Sutra on the Merits of Bathing the Buddha
大唐天竺三藏寶思惟譯
Translator: Baosivei of the Tang Dynasty, from India
如是我聞：一時，薄伽梵在王舍城鷲峯山中，與大苾芻眾及與無量諸大菩薩摩訶薩俱。爾時，會中有一菩薩，名清淨慧，作是思惟：「以何因緣諸佛如來得清淨身？」又復念言：「若佛在世親近供養，及滅度後供養舍利，此二種人所獲福德功德齊不？」作是念已，承佛威神從座而起，頂禮佛足，白言：「世尊！諸佛如來以何因緣得清淨身？若佛在世親近供養，及滅度後供養舍利，此二種人所獲福德其功等不？」
Thus have I heard at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling on Vulture Peak in Rajagriha, together with a great assembly of monks and countless great Bodhisattvas. At that time, there was a Bodhisattva in the assembly named Pure Wisdom, who was thinking: "By what causes and conditions do the Buddhas and Tathagatas attain a pure body?" He further thought: "When the Buddha is alive, if one draws near and makes offerings to him, and after his passing, if one makes offerings to his relics—are the merits and virtues gained by these two kinds of people equal or not?" Having thought this, by the Buddha's spiritual power, he rose from his seat, prostrated himself at the Buddha's feet, and said: "World-Honored One! By what causes and conditions do the Buddhas and Tathagatas attain a pure body? When the Buddha is alive, if one draws near and makes offerings to him, and after his passing, if one makes offerings to his relics—are the merits gained by these two kinds of people equal or not?"
爾時，世尊告清淨慧菩薩言：「善哉，善哉！汝今乃能為未來世諸眾生故，發如是問。汝當善聽，我今為汝分別解說。」
Then the Blessed One said to the Bodhisattva Pure Wisdom: "Excellent, excellent! You have asked this question for the sake of all beings in future ages. Listen carefully, and I will explain it to you in detail."
爾時，清淨慧菩薩白佛言：「唯然。世尊！願樂欲聞。」
佛告清淨慧菩薩言：「諸佛如來為求菩提，於往昔時所修三昧、戒定忍辱智慧、慈悲喜捨、解脫、解脫知見，力、無所畏、一切佛法、一切種智，悉皆清淨，是故如來得清淨身。又以華香幡蓋而以供養；復以香水浴如來身；復以寶蓋彌覆其上；以諸飲食鼓樂弦歌讚詠如來；以此功德迴向一切種智，所得功德無量無邊，乃至得成無上菩提。何以故？如來智慧無量無邊不可思議，所有福德亦復如是！
The Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Pure Wisdom: "All Buddhas and Tathāgatas, in their past pursuit of Enlightenment, cultivated Samādhi, moral precepts, concentration, patience, wisdom, loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, liberation, and the knowledge of liberation. Their powers, fearlessness, all the Buddha's teachings, and omniscience were all completely pure. Therefore, the Tathāgata attained a pure body.
"Furthermore, they made offerings with flowers, incense, canopies, and banners; bathed the Tathāgata's body with perfumed water; covered it with precious canopies; and praised the Tathāgata with various foods, music, and songs. By dedicating all these merits to omniscience, the merits they attained were limitless and boundless, ultimately leading to the attainment of supreme Enlightenment.
"Why is this? Because the wisdom of the Tathāgata is limitless, boundless, and inconceivable, and so too is all his merit and virtue!"
「清淨慧！我滅度後有二種舍利：一者、法身，二者、化身。若善男子，善女人等，供養舍利，造佛形像如大麥等，造塔如菴羅果，表剎如針、蓋如浮萍；持佛舍利，如芥子大安置其中，所得功德，如我在世等無差別。
"Pure Wisdom! After I pass into nirvana, there are two kinds of relics: one is the Dharma Body relic, and the other is the Transformation Body relic. If good men and good women make offerings to these relics, create Buddha images as small as a barley grain, build stupas the size of a mango, with spires as thin as a needle and canopies as small as duckweed; and if they place a Buddha relic, no bigger than a mustard seed, inside such a stupa, the merit they gain will be no different from what they would have gained if I were still in the world."
「如是之人得十五種功德：一者、得淨念心。二者、得順法心。三者、得慚愧心。四者、得見如來。五者、發淨信心。六者、能持正法。七者、如說修行。八者、得親近諸佛。九者、諸佛國土隨意受生。十者、若生人中生大姓家，其心柔軟人所敬重。十一者、纔生人中得念佛心。十二者、諸魔軍眾不能惱亂。十三者、於末法時能護正法。十四者、常得十方諸佛如來恒加覆護。十五者、速得成就五分法身。」
"Such a person obtains fifteen kinds of merit:
1. They attain a pure mind of mindfulness. 2. They attain a mind that accords with the Dharma. 3. They attain a mind of shame and remorse. 4. They attain the ability to see the Tathagata (Buddha). 5. They give rise to pure faith and confidence. 6. They are able to uphold the true Dharma. 7. They practice in accordance with the teachings. 8. They are able to draw near to all Buddhas. 9. They may be reborn spontaneously in whichever Buddha land they wish. 10. If reborn as a human, they are born into a noble family, with a gentle nature respected by others. 11. From the moment of human birth, they gain a mind that remembers the Buddha. 12. They cannot be disturbed or troubled by any armies of demons. 13. In the degenerate age of the Dharma, they are able to protect the true Dharma. 14. They are always constantly sheltered and supported by all Tathagatas and Buddhas of the ten directions. 15. They quickly attain the five-part dharma body (the undefiled transcendental dharmas of virtue, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge of liberation)."
爾時世尊而說頌曰：
At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:
「若以清淨心， 於如來滅後，
供養舍利者； 或造於塔廟，
及如來形像； 於彼塔像前，
掃塗漫陀羅， 以種種花香，
散布於其上， 以諸妙香水，
而浴於佛像， 上妙諸飲食，
淨持以供養， 讚禮佛功德。
無量難思議， 智慧及神通，
諸善巧方便， 悉皆到彼岸。」
With a pure and focused mind, After the Tathagata has passed from this world, One who honors His relics, Or builds a stupa or a temple, Erects an image of the Tathagata; Before that stupa or image, Sweeps and anoints the ground, Spreads various flowers and incense And scatters them upon it, Uses fine fragrant waters To bathe the Buddha's image, Offers exquisite foods With pure intention and respect, Praising and bowing to the Buddha's virtues— The merits from such acts are Immeasurable and inconceivable. Wisdom, spiritual powers, And all skillful means Will reach the other shore.
爾時，清淨慧菩薩聞佛世尊說是頌已，而白佛言：「世尊！若佛在世及滅度後未來世中，諸眾生等，云何浴像？唯願如來為眾生故，開示演說。」
At that time, the Bodhisattva Pure Wisdom heard the World-Honored One speak these verses and said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! When the Buddha is in the world, and also in the future after His passing, how should sentient beings bathe the Buddha's image? We only ask the Tathagata, out of compassion for all beings, to explain and teach us."
佛言：「清淨慧！如佛在世，諸眾生等發起淨心，於佛滅後亦應如是，不作執空有想，於諸善品心懷渴仰不生疲厭，何以故？為成就如來法報身故。我已曾為汝說四真諦法、十二因緣、六波羅蜜，我今為汝說浴像法，諸供養中最為殊勝。
The Buddha said, "Pure Wisdom! Just as sentient beings arouse a pure mind when the Buddha is in the world, so too should they do after my parinirvāṇa. Do not cling to thoughts of emptiness or existence. Yearn for and admire all virtuous qualities without becoming weary or disheartened. Why is this? It is for the sake of realizing the Tathāgata's Dharma body and Reward body. I have already taught you the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, and the Six Perfections. Now I will teach you the rite of bathing the Buddha image—this is the most supreme of all offerings."
「善男子！若欲沐像，應以牛頭栴檀、紫檀、多摩羅香、甘松、芎藭、白檀、欝金、龍腦、沈香、麝香、丁香，以如是等種種妙香，隨所得者，以為湯水置淨器中，先作方壇敷妙床座，於上置佛；以諸香水次第浴之；用諸香水周遍訖已，復以淨水於上淋洗。其浴像者，各取少許洗像之水，置自頭上，燒種種香以為供養。
"Good man! If you wish to bathe an image of the Buddha, you should use sandalwood from Ox-head Mountain, red sandalwood, tamāla leaf, spikenard, ligusticum root, white sandalwood, saffron, borneol, agarwood, musk, and cloves. Using whatever of these various fine fragrances you have available, make a fragrant bathwater and place it in a clean vessel. First construct a square altar and arrange a fine seat upon it, then place the Buddha image there. Gently bathe the image with the scented water. After thoroughly anointing the image with the fragrant waters, pour clean water over it to rinse it. Each person who bathes the image should take a little of the water used for washing and pour it over their own head. Then burn various kinds of incense as an offering."
「初於像上下水之時，應誦以偈：
"At the very beginning, when placing the statue and lowering it into the water, one should recite the following verse:"
「『我今灌沐諸如來， 淨智功德莊嚴聚；
五濁眾生令離垢， 願證如來淨法身。』
”I now pour water to bathe all Tathāgatas,
A gathering of pure wisdom, wisdom’s virtues and adornments;
May beings in the five turbidities be cleansed of all defilements,
And vow to realize the Tathāgata‘s pure Dharma body.”
「燒香之時當誦斯偈：
When lighting incense, recite this verse:
「『戒定慧解知見香， 遍十方剎常芬馥；
願此香烟亦如是， 迴作自他五種身。』」
"The fragrance of precepts, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge of liberation Spreads through all worlds, eternally fragrant and pure. May this incense be the same, Transforming into the five types of bodies for self and others."
爾時世尊說是法已，眾中有無量菩薩摩訶薩獲得清淨無垢三昧，即從座而起；無量天人得不退轉無上菩提。
When the World-Honored One had finished teaching this Dharma, countless great bodhisattvas in the assembly attained the pure and undefiled samadhi. They then rose from their seats. Countless celestial beings and humans also realized the irreversible supreme enlightenment.
爾時阿難白佛言：「世尊！當何名此經？我等云何奉持？」
At that time, Ananda said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, what should we call this sutra? How should we uphold and practice it?"
佛言：「此經名為『洗浴諸佛得身清淨』，應如是持。」
說是經已，一切眾會皆大歡喜，信受奉行。
After this sutra was spoken, the entire assembly was filled with great joy. They received it with faith and put it into practice.
佛說浴像功德經
Sutra on the Merits of Bathing the Buddha