樂邦文類 3.92

3.92

我觀眾生顛倒妄想，耽著五欲不求出離，未有能發決定願生西方極樂世界者。至於冤憎會遇、恩愛別離，老病死相危險逼迫，顛沈痛毒不可堪忍，然後悲涕號呼歸依佛寶，以冀脫死。故凡心念口言，歸命慈尊，願賜接引往生淨國者，唯越國夫人王氏則不然。夫人，荊王之妻，宜其耽著五欲不求出離，而獨傾心約己，歸依無量壽佛，願生西方。與夫眾苦見前不可堪忍，始求出離者，豈可同日而語哉？世謂夫人宿植德本，受佛記莂，却來人間代佛設教，為唱導師。躬率內外富貴等人，同修淨觀，悉歸佛土。理或然乎？夫人事西方精恪端潔，不捨晝夜。給侍奔走之人，無有異念。惟一庶𭩃，懈慢不勤，夫人訓告之曰：「我盡室皆勤，唯爾怠墮不從人告。幻惑在會，恐失道心。不可在吾左右也。」其妾悚悟悲悔，精進思惟，淨念相繼。久之謂同事曰：「吾其行矣。」一夕異香遍室，無疾而終。明日同事之妾，告夫人言：「昨夜夢化去之妾，託致起居。夫人訓責我勤修西方，今獲往生，感德無量。」夫人曰：「使我亦夢，乃可信爾。」是夜夫人夢遇亡妾，敘謝如前。夫人曰：「西方可至乎？」妾曰：「第從（某）行。」夫人隨之，見二池塘，白蓮華小大間錯，或榮或悴，種種不同。夫人問曰：「何以如此？」妾曰：「此皆世間發念修西方境人也。纔發一念，善根已萌，遂成一華。唯其勤墮不同，是以榮悴各異。蓋精進者鮮榮，間斷者枯悴。若悠久不息，念定觀成，形消命盡化生其中矣。」中有一蓮華，華葉忽落。復有人朝服而坐，其衣飄揚，隨風散滅，寶冠瓔珞莊嚴其身。夫人問曰：「何人也？」妾曰：「楊傑也。」又一華開，衣朝服而坐者，然其華悴而葉存。夫人復問之，妾曰：「馬玗也。」夫人曰：「我當生何許？」妾導夫人前邁約數里許，妾請夫人延望。唯見一壇，金碧照輝，光明交徹。妾曰：「夫人化生之地，乃金壇上品上生也。」既覺，悲喜兼集。徐訪楊傑、馬（玗）所在，則傑已死而（玗）無恙。夫人始生之日，秉爐爇香，望觀音閣而立。頃時子孫左右，趣夫人受獻壽之儀，則已立化矣。嗚呼異哉！富樂之人常於佛事不暇，而有暇者失於不信，能信之者又患於不能斷疑。至於困苦發心者，多失於遲暮。固知聞正信、發正念、修善緣，豈易事哉。楊傑次公，洞明宗說，而人不知其密修淨觀，臨終乃有將錯就錯之偈。（余）聞夫人軼事，乃銓次之，以助發信受往生者。而未信之士，必將感發于斯文，而歸向於淨觀佛國也。宣和五年季冬，隨緣居士黃（策）子虛記（荊王即哲宗皇帝叔）。

When I observe the deluded thoughts of sentient beings, indulging in the five desires and not seeking escape, none can give rise to a resolute vow to be born in the Western World of Ultimate Bliss. It is only when meeting with the hated and encountering separation from those loved, when the signs of old age, illness, and death perilously press upon them, and misery, distress, pain, and venom become unbearable, that they then weep, wail, and take refuge in the Buddha Treasure, hoping to escape death. Therefore, among all those whose minds reflect and mouths speak, taking refuge in the Benevolent Honored One and wishing to be received and led to rebirth in the Pure Land, only Lady Wang of the State of Yue was not like this. The Lady was the wife of the King of Jing; by rights she should have indulged in the five desires without seeking escape, yet she alone inclined her mind and restrained herself, taking refuge in the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and vowing to be born in the West. Compared with those upon whom myriad sufferings manifest unbearably before they first seek escape, how could they be mentioned on the same day? The world said that the Lady had planted roots of virtue in past lives, received the Buddha's prediction, and returned to the human realm on behalf of the Buddha to establish teachings as an instructing leader, personally guiding noble and wealthy persons inside and outside to cultivate pure contemplation together and all return to the Buddha land. In principle, might this be so? The Lady served the West with refined reverence and pure integrity, abandoning neither day nor night. Among the attendants and messengers, none had contrary thoughts. Only one secondary concubine was slack, negligent, and not diligent. The Lady instructed and admonished her, saying, 'My entire household is diligent; only you are lazy and negligent, not following others' counsel. Harboring illusions within the assembly, I fear you will lose the aspiration for awakening. You cannot remain by my side.' The concubine was alarmed and awakened with sorrow and regret; she engaged in vigorous contemplation, with pure thoughts continuing one after another. After a long time, she said to her fellow workers, 'I shall be going.' One evening, an extraordinary fragrance filled the room, and she died without illness. The next day, a concubine who was a coworker reported to the Lady, saying, 'Last night I dreamed of the concubine who had transformed away; she entrusted me to convey her regards: "The Lady admonished me to diligently cultivate the West, and now I have attained rebirth, feeling boundless gratitude for her virtue."' The Lady said, 'If I too dream it, only then may it be believed.' That night, the Lady dreamed of meeting the deceased concubine, who expressed thanks as before. The Lady said, 'Can the West be reached?' The concubine said, 'Just follow me.' The Lady followed her and saw two ponds, where white lotus flowers of small and large sizes were intermingled, some luxuriant and some withered, varied in diverse ways. The Lady asked, saying, 'Why is it like this?' The concubine said, 'These are all people of the world who have given rise to the thought to cultivate the Western realm. The moment they give rise to a single thought, the good roots have already sprouted, and thereupon a flower is formed. Only because their diligence and laziness are not the same are the luxuriant and withered different. For the vigorous, it is fresh and luxuriant; for those who lapse, it is dried and withered. If they persist without ceasing, when mindfulness is settled and contemplation accomplished, with physical form perished and life exhausted, they will be born by transformation within it.' In the middle was a lotus flower whose petals suddenly fell. There was a person sitting in court dress, his clothes fluttering, dispersing and dissolving with the wind, with a jeweled crown and necklace adorning his person. The Lady asked, saying, 'Who is that person?' The concubine said, 'It is Yang Jie.' Another flower opened, and one sitting in court dress was there; however, its flower was withered while the leaves remained. The Lady asked about him again; the concubine said, 'It is Ma Yu.' The Lady said, 'Where shall I be born?' The concubine guided the Lady forward about several li, and the concubine invited the Lady to gaze into the distance. She saw only a platform, golden and emerald shining brilliantly, its light mutually permeating. The concubine said, 'The place of the Lady's transformation birth is the golden platform of the highest grade of the highest rebirth.' When she awoke, sorrow and joy converged together. Gradually inquiring about the whereabouts of Yang Jie and Ma Yu, Jie had already died while Yu was well. On the day of the Lady's departure, she held an incense burner, burned incense, and stood facing the Guanyin Pavilion. Shortly thereafter, when her children, grandchildren, and attendants hurried to present the rituals of wishing long life to the Lady, she had already transformed while standing! Ah, how extraordinary! Wealthy and joyful people often have no leisure for Buddha affairs, and those who have leisure fail through lack of faith; those who can believe are again afflicted by inability to sever doubts. As for those who give rise to the mind amid hardship, most fail due to being too late in life. Thus we know that hearing correct faith, giving rise to right mindfulness, and cultivating good affinities—how could it be an easy matter! Yang Jie, [styled] Cigong, thoroughly illuminated the doctrines and teachings, yet people did not know that he secretly cultivated pure contemplation; at the time of death, he had the verse about 'making the best of a mistake.' Having heard of the Lady's anecdotes, I arranged them in order so as to foster the faith of those seeking rebirth. And gentlemen who have not yet believed will surely be stirred by this text and turn toward the pure contemplation of the Buddha land. Late winter of the fifth year of the Xuanhe era, recorded by Upāsaka Suiyuan, Huang Ce (Zixu) (The King of Jing was the uncle of Emperor Zhezong).