樂邦文類 3.112

3.112

二、法照師者，唐代宗大曆四年，於衡州湖東寺啟五會念佛道場，感五色祥雲覆其寺。雲中有樓閣，睹阿彌陀佛及二菩薩，其身高大，滿虛空中。復於道場之外遇一老人，指見文殊。因往五臺，大聖現竹林寺。照入寺之講堂，見文殊在西、普賢在東，為眾說法。照遂作禮問曰：「末代凡夫智識淺劣，佛性心地無由顯現。未審修何法門最為其要？」文殊曰：「汝所請問，今正是時。諸修行門，無如念佛。我於過去，因念佛故，得一切種智。」照又問曰：「當云何念？」文殊曰：「此世界西有阿彌陀，願力難思。汝當繫念令無間斷，命終決定往生。」說已為照摩頂而退。師續於并州行五會教，化人念佛。德宗於長安宮中，常聞東北方有念佛之聲。遣使尋覓，至于太康，果見照師勸化之盛。遂勅迎入內，教宮人念佛亦及五會。按柳文南嶽彌陀和尚碑曰「在代宗時，有僧法照為國師。初居廬山，由正定以趣安樂國，見蒙惡衣持佛者。佛告曰：『此衡山承遠也。』出而求之，肖焉，乃從而學，傳教天下。」準此，法照師於遠公也。

Second: Master Fazhao. In the fourth year of the Dali era of Emperor Daizong of the Tang, he opened a ritual sanctuary for five-tempo buddha-mindfulness at Hudong Temple in Hengzhou, evoking auspicious clouds of five colors that covered the temple. Within the clouds were multistoried pavilions; he beheld Amitābha Buddha and two bodhisattvas, whose bodies were so tall and vast that they filled empty space. Furthermore, outside the ritual sanctuary, he encountered an old man who pointed the way to see Mañjuśrī. He consequently went to Mount Wutai, where the Great Holy One manifested Zhulin Temple. Zhao entered the lecture hall of the temple and saw Mañjuśrī in the west and Samantabhadra in the east, preaching the Dharma to the assembly. Zhao then paid homage and asked: "Common mortals of the final age have shallow and inferior intellects; their Buddha-nature and mind-ground have no means to become manifest. I wonder which Dharma gate is the most essential to cultivate?" Mañjuśrī said: "What you have asked is precisely at the right time. Among all cultivation gates, none equals buddha-mindfulness. In the past, because of buddha-mindfulness, I attained omniscience." Zhao asked again: "How should one be mindful?" Mañjuśrī said: "To the west of this world is Amitābha, whose vow-power is inconceivable. You should continuously fix your mindfulness so that it is without interruption; at the end of life, rebirth is certain." Having spoken, he rubbed Zhao's crown and withdrew. The master subsequently practiced the five-tempo teaching in Bingzhou, transforming people to practice buddha-mindfulness. Emperor Dezong, within the palace in Chang'an, constantly heard the sound of buddha-mindfulness from the northeast. He sent envoys to search for it, and upon reaching Taikang, they indeed saw the flourishing of Master Zhao's exhortation and transformation. He was then summoned by imperial decree into the palace to teach the palace women buddha-mindfulness, also in the five tempos. According to Liu Zongyuan's Stele for Upādhyāya Amitābha of the Southern Sacred Peak: "During the time of Daizong, there was the monk Fazhao who served as National Preceptor. Initially residing at Mount Lu, he proceeded to the Land of Peace and Joy by means of right concentration, where he saw someone in coarse, ragged clothes attending upon the Buddha. The Buddha told him: 'This is Chengyuan of Mount Heng.' When he emerged and sought him out, he matched the description, so he followed him to study and transmitted the teaching throughout the world." According to this, Master Fazhao took Lord Yuan as his teacher.