龍舒增廣淨土文 11.12

11.12

彥弼，乾道癸巳家染疫疾，四月五日彥弼亦病，粥藥不進。至十九日早，夢一人褐衣神貌清癯，以手撫摩彥弼肢體，而呼彥弼令速起。彥弼惕然問曰：「公何人耶？」答曰：「予即龍舒也。」彥弼因告以疾病，雖欲支持莫能，將何以愈其疾乎？公曰：「記省𨷂中雅教汝捷徑否？」彥弼曰：「然。每日持誦阿彌陀佛不輟。」公曰：「汝起食白粥即可。」既悟，索粥食之，病果隨愈。後見龍舒畫像，儼然如夢見者。彥弼稔聞居士潛通六藝，尤精於易，誨人不倦，所至學者輻湊。謝君以靜逸堂待之，戶外之屨常滿。正月十一日令子姪往承其教，不久回云：「居士夜來講書罷，如常持誦禮佛至三鼓，忽厲聲念阿彌陀佛數聲，云：『佛來接我。』言訖立化。」是夕邦人有夢，二青衣引公向西而行。傳為勝異，識與不識咸來瞻敬，恨不欵奉談塵而重惜焉。居士未示寂滅前三日，遍囑諸人勉進道業，有此後不復再見之語。初十日訪趙公省幹，借淨室云：「道業辨，去時好。」乃書曰課，積計九百二十萬五百貼于壁。噫！自非根性融明、達乎生死之理，未易臻此。彥弼一病垂死，棺槨衣衾已陳于前。荷居士陰賜極接，遂獲平愈，可謂生死骨肉者矣。或曰：夢因想成。然食白粥之效，安可誣也。抑知居士悲願甚深切欲及人，雖在常寂光中，不妄念力。其勸修淨土成佛之緣，可不勉勵而進哉。謹刻公像，并著感應事跡，用廣其傳，非敢飾辭以惑耳目。故此直述而具載之，伏冀見聞敬信同霑利益。王神昭著，寔證斯言。公姓王，名日休，字虛中，號龍舒居士云。是歲下元廬陵李彥弼謹記。

In the guisi year of Qiandao, my family was infected with an epidemic illness. On the fifth day of the fourth month, I, Yanbi, also fell ill and could not take congee or medicine. By the morning of the nineteenth day, I dreamed of a person in coarse brown clothing with a serene and emaciated appearance, who stroked my limbs with his hand and called out to me, ordering me to rise quickly. Startled, I asked, 'Who are you, sir?' He replied, 'I am Longshu.' I then told him of my illness: though I wished to support myself, I could not; how could my illness be cured? The gentleman said, 'Do you remember the shortcut I elegantly taught you in the provincial administration office?' I said, 'Yes, I constantly recite Amitābha Buddha every day without ceasing.' The gentleman said, 'If you get up and eat plain congee, you will be fine.' Upon awakening, I asked for congee and ate it, and my illness was indeed cured accordingly. Later, I saw a portrait of Longshu; he looked exactly like the one seen in my dream. I had long heard that the layman was thoroughly versed in the Six Arts and especially refined in the *Book of Changes*, tireless in instructing others, so that students gathered like spokes at a hub wherever he went. Gentleman Xie hosted him at the Hall of Quiet Ease, and the shoes outside the door were constantly packed. On the eleventh day of the first month, I sent my sons and nephews to receive his teachings. Before long they returned, saying: 'Last night, after the layman finished lecturing on the scriptures, he recited and bowed to the Buddha as usual until the third watch. Suddenly, he called out the name of Amitābha Buddha several times in a loud voice, saying, "The Buddha has come to receive me." Having spoken these words, he passed away standing.' That night, people of the commandery dreamed of two youths in blue garments leading the gentleman westward. This was reported as a wondrous marvel; both acquaintances and strangers all came to gaze in reverence, lamenting that they had not been able to converse with him intimately and mourning his passing deeply. Three days before the layman manifested extinction, he universally exhorted everyone to strive forward in the work of the Way, uttering words to the effect that they would not see him again. On the tenth day, he visited Secretariat Official Zhao to borrow a pure room, saying: 'When the work of the Way is settled, the time of departure will be fine.' He then wrote down his daily recitations, amounting to a cumulative total of 9,200,500, and posted it on the wall. Ah! Were it not for one whose root nature is completely luminous and who has thoroughly penetrated the principle of birth and death, it would not be easy to attain this! I was once close to death from illness; the coffin, grave clothes, and coverlet had already been laid out before me. Benefiting from the layman's unseen supreme assistance and reception, I thereupon recovered and was healed; he can truly be called one who gave life to my bones and flesh. Someone said, 'Dreams are formed from thoughts.' Yet how could the effect of eating plain congee be false? One must know that the layman's compassionate vows are exceedingly deep and earnestly seek to reach others; even while residing in the Ever Silent Light, he does not abandon his power of mindfulness. For these causes and conditions of exhorting the cultivation of the Pure Land to become a Buddha, how could one not strive and advance? I have reverently carved the gentleman's portrait and recorded the traces of this resonant response to broaden its dissemination, not daring to use decorative words to delude the ears and eyes [of others]. Therefore, I record it directly and set it down in full, humbly hoping that those who see and hear it will revere and believe it, and share in the benefit. The brilliant illumination of the Prince-Spirits truly bears witness to these words. The gentleman's surname was Wang, his given name was Rixiu, his courtesy name was Xuzhong, and his style was Layman Longshu. Reverently recorded on the Lower Primordial Festival of this year by Li Yanbi of Luling.