樂邦文類 3.133

3.133

Wang Zhonghui, Departmental Officer of Public Works and Administrative Assistant of Guangzhou, was a native of Wuwei Commandery. Because he presented a proposal concerning the water conservancy of the embankments in his home commandery, the Minister of Agriculture verified the facts and requested that the court confer grace, whereupon he received this appointment. By nature he was sincere and generous, never disputing with others over trivial matters. He was quite versed in the study of arithmetic, and even in old age the book never left his hand. When Chan Master Tianyi Huai resided at the Iron Buddha Bodhimaṇḍa, Wang also inquired of him, and his village neighbors regarded him as a good man. At the end of the Xining reign era, when I escorted the funeral of my late mother, the Grand Mistress of Changshou, to be buried in our native village, having leisure to read the scriptures of the Great Canon, I took occasion to show the wondrous conditions of the Pure Land to my elders and old friends. At that time, the Departmental Officer was already capable of sincere faith and yearning, but had not yet developed a deep mind. In the early years of the Yuanyou reign era, I requested from the Department of State Affairs to govern Danyang, awaiting assignment on the Jinxiu Creek. The Departmental Officer frequently visited to inquire and seek instruction, and I never turned him away. He asked: "The scriptures mostly teach mindfulness of Amitābha to be reborn in the Pure Land, whereas the patriarchs say that the mind itself is the Pure Land, and there is no need to seek rebirth in the Western Direction. Why are they different?" I replied: "In the ground of ultimate reality, there is neither Buddha nor sentient beings, neither joy nor suffering, neither longevity nor premature death; what purity or defilement could there be? How could one further harbor the mind of being born or not being born? This is principle overriding phenomena. However, are those living in this realm sentient beings, or are they Buddhas? If it is the realm of a Buddha, then there are no sentient beings, and what suffering, joy, longevity, premature death, purity, or defilement could there be? Try reflecting on yourself. If you have not yet transcended the realm of sentient beings, how can you not believe the scriptures, mindfully recite Amitābha with the utmost heart, and seek rebirth in the Pure Land? What is pure is not defiled, what is joyful has no suffering, and what is long-lived has no premature death. Arousing mindfulness in the midst of non-mindfulness, and seeking birth in the midst of non-arising—this is phenomena overriding principle. Therefore the Vimalakīrti Sūtra states: 'Although knowing that all Buddha lands / and sentient beings are empty, / one constantly cultivates the Pure Land / to teach and transform all living beings.' This is precisely what it means." He asked again: "How can one achieve uninterrupted mindfulness?" I replied: "Once you have faith, to never doubt again is precisely to be uninterrupted." The Departmental Officer leapt for joy and departed. On the evening of the first day of the twelfth month of the second year, while I was governing Danyang, I suddenly dreamt of the Departmental Officer saying: "Previously I was graced with your instruction on the Pure Land, and now I have attained rebirth. I have come specially to thank you." He then bowed twice and exited. The next day, I summoned Chen Anzhi, Magistrate of Dantu, and told him of this dream, for Magistrate Chen possessed deep faith in the Pure Land. Later, I received a mournful obituary from the Departmental Officer's son, Shu, stating that seven days before his death, the Departmental Officer foreknew the time had arrived and bid farewell to his village friends. My younger brother Zuo was also in attendance, and the officer repeatedly uttered words of gratitude. From this we know that the Departmental Officer was definitively reborn in the Pure Land. Recorded by Master Wuwei (Jie) on the eighth day of the fourth month of the fourth year of the Yuanyou reign era.