PACIFIC WORLD - The Institute of Buddhist Studies

Yamabe: Practice of Visualization and Visualization S¥tra 137Figure 12 57This appears to consist of fragments of a painting of a meditatingmonk, who is watching six burning square-column jewels, very similar inshape to those seen in painting No. I.7. The important point here is that wecan read the following inscription in this painting: 58 “The meditator visualizesrays of jewels.” 59This inscription is very significant, because we can confirm that (1)these paintings are scenes of visualization, and that (2) the burning columnsin painting No. I.7 are indeed jewels. 60 As possible textual sourcesthat can be linked to these paintings, I would like to suggest the following:There are four venomous snakes holding a jewel in their mouths.They come out of flames and fly away over clouds.” 61 (Ocean S¥tra,in Taishø, vol. 15, p. 664c28–29)When [the practitioner] visualizes the inner fire, he sees the fire ofthe heart. It always has light that surpasses one hundred billionbright moons or divine jewels. The purity of the light of the heartis also similar. When he enters or comes out of samådhi, it is as ifa man were walking carrying a bright burning jewel . . . . Furtherhe sees the king of ma√i jewels in the water of the greatocean, which emits flames. 62 (Secret Essentials, in Taishø,vol. 15, p. 262c12–20)In order to visualize the purification of one’s heart, one should firstvisualize the heart and make it clearer and clearer like a burningjewel. (Cures, in Taishø, vol. 15, p. 333b27–28)