Sutra on the Merits of Building Stupas for Extending Life

Translated by the Tripitaka Master Prajñā of Jibin Kingdom, by Imperial Command.

This is what I have heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove of Anathapindika's Park in the city of Shravasti, together with a great assembly of bhikkhus and bodhisattva-mahasattvas. At that time, King Prasenajit was among the great assembly. He rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, bowed at the feet of the Buddha, and with palms joined respectfully addressed the Buddha, saying:

"Rare and honored World-Honored One! Fortune-tellers have predicted that I have only seven days left to live. I am tormented by the suffering of impermanence and have no one to rely upon. I have come to seek refuge in the World-Honored One. I sincerely pray that the World-Honored One will rescue and protect me. How can I be freed from this sorrow and distress?"

The Buddha replied, saying: "Great King, comfort yourself well. Do not be distressed or fearful. The Tathagatas have skillful means that can enable you, Great King, to obtain supreme benefit, extend your life, and attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Listen carefully, listen carefully, and reflect well upon it. I shall explain it to you in detail.

"Great King, you should know that if you wish to be free from the suffering of impermanence and transcend into the Tathagata's Dharma-body life span, you must first arouse the mind, uphold the pure precepts of the Buddha, and cultivate the highest merit. By arousing this mind, the king's life span will be extended."

The king addressed the Buddha, saying: "I sincerely pray that the World-Honored One will rescue and protect me. Regarding the arousing of the mind, upholding the Buddha's pure precepts, and cultivating the highest merit that you have spoken of, I will respectfully practice them and also cause the people of my country to practice this Dharma. However, I do not know what mind is to be aroused, what precepts are to be upheld, and what merit is the highest. I pray that the Tathagata will explain this to me."

The Buddha told the great king: "The mind to be aroused is the mind of the Four Immeasurables. The precepts to be upheld are the precept of not killing. Cultivating the highest merit is none other than building a stupa. By compassionately rescuing and protecting all beings, the virtuous gods and spirits will constantly come to guard and protect, never abandoning you, just as a shadow follows the body. This will generate boundless benefit and happiness for you, Great King.

"Great King, establishing a Buddha stupa brings benefits and happiness that are inconceivable. All Tathagatas of the past, present, and future praise it together. I shall briefly explain the cause and condition to you, Great King. Listen carefully.

"In the distant past, there was a young boy herding cattle in this very place. Some fortune-tellers came and made a prediction, saying that this cowherd boy had only seven days left to live. On another occasion, this cowherd boy was playing with other children, piling up sand. Among them, a child heaped sand into a mound, saying he was making a Buddha stupa, one handspan high, or two, or three, or even four handspans high. At that time, this child playfully piled a sand stupa one handspan high, and as a result, his life was extended by seven years.

"While they were piling the sand, a Pratyekabuddha was walking by, holding his alms bowl. The children, with playful minds, offered sand to him, saying, 'I offer food.' The Pratyekabuddha extended his bowl and received it. Through his spiritual power, the sand transformed into food. Seeing this cause and condition, all the children obtained pure faith. The Pratyekabuddha then bestowed predictions upon all the children, saying thus: 'You children who have built a stupa one handspan high will, in a future life, become an Iron Wheel-Turning King, ruling one continent. Those who built one two handspans high will become a Copper Wheel-Turning King, ruling two continents. Those who built one three handspans high will become a Silver Wheel-Turning King, ruling three continents. Those who built one four handspans high will become a Golden Wheel-Turning King, ruling four continents.'

"Great King, those children, with merely a playful mind, built such stupas and experienced such results. How much more so for you, Great King, if you arouse a sincere mind! If good men or good women, with a resolute mind, build a stupa in accordance with the Dharma—even if it is only the size of an elbow, a handspan, a finger joint, or a grain of barley—the merit they obtain will be immeasurable and limitless. Constantly, the gods will rain down flowers in offering.

"Therefore, Great King, when good men or good women wish to build a stupa, they should first, as a guiding principle, give rise to a great compassionate mind toward all beings. With the mind of Bodhi as the foundation, they should then purify a piece of ground, make an altar, make offerings, smear it with cow dung, burn incense, and scatter flowers. Sitting facing due east, they should contemplate thus: 'The Buddha Bhagavan has perfected the merit of benefiting himself and others, and is also able to fulfill the wishes of beings. I now accomplish the foremost Dharma-body, arouse the Bodhi mind, and respectfully practice, one by one in sequence and in accordance with the Dharma, all the rules and methods for building a stupa taught by the Bhagavan.'"

First, gather exquisite flowers. Empower them by reciting the mantra seven times, then scatter them upon the altar as an offering to the Tathagata. The mantra is:

I take refuge in the Buddha, the fully awakened one. I take refuge in the Dharma, the sacred teachings. I take refuge in the Sangha, the noble community. Homage to the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One. Homage to the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One. Homage to the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One. May all beings be happy and free from suffering.

Second, when kneading clay to form a lump, visualize the syllable "A." This is the Dharma-body of the Tathagata. First, take refuge and recite this verse:

Namo Ratna Trayāya. Namo Bhagavate Tathāgatāyārhate Samyaksaṃbuddhāya. Namo Bhagavate Amitābhāya Tathāgatāyārhate Samyaksaṃbuddhāya. Namo Bhagavate Avalokiteśvarāya Bodhisattvāya Mahāsattvāya Mahākāruṇikāya.

Om, Sukha-same, Sukha-same, Sukha-same, Anuttara-gate, San-san-gate, Tan-tan-gate, Ni-ra-ku-li-ye, Shu-fa-ti, Gate Zhu-fa-ti, Sa-ba-mu-tuo, A-di-she-zha-nang, A-di-she-chi-duo, A-mu-di, Di, Suo-ha.