淨土論 3.23

3.23

It is heard that there was a person whose name is not known. By nature he was cunning and treacherous, nor did he believe in karmic cause and effect; he constantly took killing and hunting as his occupation. Encountering illness on the verge of death, he fully saw the instruments of suffering of hell, as well as all the sentient beings he had killed coming to demand his life. The man repented, saying: “Throughout my life I did not believe the words of masters and monks; what I see today is indeed as the sūtras explain.” Thereupon he said to his family members: “You all must save me!” His wife, children, and others replied, saying: “How can we save you?” The man said to them: “If you cannot save me, quickly send someone to a monastery to invite a master to come and save me!” Following his words, they invited a monk. Seeing the monk, the man wept sorrowfully and said: “May the master be compassionate and quickly save this disciple!” The monk replied, saying: “Dānapati, throughout your life you did not believe in the Three Jewels; now, on the brink of death, a sudden rescue is difficult to obtain.” The man said: “Indeed it is so. The master reads the Buddha's sūtras—for a sinner like this disciple, is there a method of rescue on the brink of death, or not?” The monk answered, saying: “The Contemplation Sūtra has a passage on this.” The man suddenly leaped with joy and said: “The Buddha said there is a hell, and as he said it, there indeed is one; if the Buddha said one can attain rebirth, this disciple will certainly attain rebirth!” He then said to his family members: “You may bring incense and fire.” The family lit the fire and handed him an incense burner. The man said to them: “In a short while I will enter hell, being in the caldrons and cauldrons—what use is an incense burner? You may bring the fire and place it in my hand.” He thereupon lit the fire in his left hand and held the incense in his right hand, facing the west, and with utmost mind recited the Buddha's name. Before ten recitations were completed, he immediately told the assembly: “The Buddha is coming from the west with a great retinue, and emitting bright light, he offers me a flower seat.” Having finished speaking, he immediately expired (this is rebirth through ten recitations).