龍舒增廣淨土文 8
English (machine translation) 8
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8.1
Composed by Wang Rixiu, Jinshi of the National Academy
8.2
Although Sukhāvatī is separated from here by millions of worlds, in terms of physical distance it is unimaginably far. However, the Buddha's wisdom-nature encompasses empty space and the worlds, and therefore is nowhere absent. For this reason, whenever all sentient beings raise a thought or take a step, they are entirely within the Buddha's nature. When one is utterly sincere and earnest, there is never a lack of stimulus and response. Therefore, this fascicle narrates the stimuli and responses of the present life.
8.3
The Record of Avalokiteśvara's Stimulus and Response states: "Zheng Lin, a military clerk of Raozhou, died and arrived at the underworld, but because he was summoned by mistake, he was released to return. King Yama told him, saying: 'When you return to the human world, exert yourself to do good. When you see someone killing living beings, simply recite Amitābha Buddha and Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. They will obtain rebirth, and you will also gain blessings.'" Deducing from this, it is sufficient to see that recollection of Amitābha Buddha can truly deliver the deceased and can increase and prolong blessings and lifespan; it is not merely for attaining rebirth in the West after death.
8.4
Chen Qi Repels a Ghost by Reciting the Buddha's Name
8.5
Chen Qi of Wangjiang in my home commandery once killed a person wrongfully. Later, seeing a ghost appear, Qi was terrified and urgently recited Amitābha Buddha, and the ghost did not dare approach. Qi recited the Buddha's name incessantly, and the ghost thereupon disappeared. Thereafter he constantly recited the Buddha's name, and at the end of life passed away seated. Half a year later, he possessed his family's granddaughter named Miaoguang, saying: "Because of reciting Amitābha Buddha, I have already been born in Sukhāvatī." His movements and speech were just like in life, and relatives and acquaintances all came to see. After two or three days, his family said: "What a pity! While you were alive, no likeness of you was painted for us to make offerings to." Qi then manifested, looking dignified just as in life, only his face appeared youthful, for in the West there is long life without aging. His head had spiral curls like a Buddha, which is the beginning of becoming a Buddha. The scholar Zhou Xianshu of Wangjiang recounted this to me.
8.6
Zou Binwang Awakens from a Dream through Reciting the Buddha's Name
8.7
I once exhorted the scholar Zou Binwang of Zhenjiang with the teaching of the West, and said: "If you have no leisure, merely join your palms facing west each morning and recite 'Namo Amitābha Buddha' ten times, and that will also suffice." Binwang believed it. That night he dreamed that he and another scholar went together before an official court of law. In his terror, he then recited Amitābha Buddha, and upon reaching ten recitations he awoke. Was this not the Buddha strengthening his faith by this means?
8.8
Zhang Jizu Recites the Buddha's Name to Deliver the Deceased
8.9
I once spoke of matters concerning the West to the scholar Zhang Jizu of Zhenjiang, and Jizu believed it. When his wet nurse died, he recited Amitābha Buddha extensively to make memorial offerings for her. One night he dreamed that his wet nurse came wearing a borrowed sleeveless vest, thanked Jizu, and departed. Such is the efficacy of reciting the Buddha's name to deliver the deceased.
8.10
Liu Huizhong Sleeps Peacefully by Reciting the Buddha's Name
8.11
My old acquaintance Liu Huizhong was a native of Changxing in Huzhou. Because he had many frightening dreams at night, I urged him to recite Amitābha Buddha. Huizhong, with utter sincerity, recited aloud one hundred and eight times, and that very night he slept peacefully. The next day he recited as before, and from then on he always slept peacefully. From this one can see that the Buddha's power is vast and can accomplish anything. This is what my preface referred to as 'bringing peace and tranquility to the body and spirit.'
8.12
Sister-in-Law Ruan's Eyesight Cleared by Reciting the Buddha's Name
8.13
At the Yingtian estate in Huaining County of my home commandery, there was Ruan Niansan, whose sister-in-law suffered from an affliction in both eyes and was going blind. She constantly recited Amitābha Buddha, and thereupon regained her sight. This is something I saw with my own eyes.
8.14
King Yama Urges an Old Woman to Recite the Buddha's Name
8.15
In Zhulin Village of Jintan County, Zhenjiang, an old woman named Jiang was about seventy years old when she died and went to the underworld. Her life not yet having run its course, she was due to return. King Yama asked her, saying: "Can you chant sūtras?" She replied, saying: "I cannot." The King said: "If you cannot chant sūtras, just recite Amitābha Buddha." After she was released and returned, Old Woman Jiang said that King Yama had taught her to recite the Buddha, leaving no room for further doubt; she therefore constantly recited this Buddha's name, and only passed away when nearly one hundred and twenty years old. That she was reborn in the Pure Land is surely certain! Is it not because of her recollection of the Buddha that her lifespan was also lengthened? How abundant was her longevity! Ruo Yanzhi, a scholar of Jintan, told me of this.
8.16
Pacification Commissioner Shao escapes danger through recollection of the Buddha
8.17
Shao Biao, courtesy name Xiwen, of Jinjiang, while still a scholar, dreamed that he came to a government office where everyone addressed him as "Pacification Commissioner." Biao was secretly pleased, saying: "Can it be that after passing the examinations I will serve as Pacification Commissioner?" Walking to the front, he saw an official who asked, saying: "Do you know the reason why you have not yet passed the examinations?" He replied, saying: "I do not know." The official ordered someone to lead Biao to go and look. He saw a great cauldron boiling clams; when they saw Biao, they uttered human voices calling Biao's name. Biao then recited Amitābha Buddha. Just as he recited a single phrase, the clams all transformed into yellow sparrows and flew away. Biao later indeed passed the examinations and reached the office of Pacification Commissioner. From this it can be seen that killing living beings obstructs a person's future prospects; one must not fail to abstain from it. One also sees that the Buddha's power is vast and great; one must not fail to revere it. Official posts have their destined shares; one must not seek them improperly.
8.18
Wind affliction does not arise through recollection of the Buddha
8.19
Recently, I boarded a boat to Zhenjiang; the lock lacked water, so it could not proceed. I then borrowed four sūtras—that is, the Amitābha-sūtra—from Jinshan, intending to collate and carve printing blocks to distribute them widely. At the time I raised my brush, there was wind in my right hand, and the fingers shook of themselves, making writing inconvenient. I then raised my fingers, recited the names of Amitābha Buddha and Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva several times, and prayed, begging for the removal of the wind affliction in order to successfully copy this sūtra. When my prayer was finished, my fingers thereupon ceased to shake, such that right to the end of the fascicle there was no trouble. From this it can be seen that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are right before our eyes; it is only that people's faith does not reach them.
8.20
Escaping fear in a dream through recollection of the Buddha
8.21
Whenever I have had fearful moments in my dreams, upon reciting Amitābha Buddha and Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, I have never failed immediately to become tranquil and secure, or immediately to awaken. This is sufficient to show that the awe-inspiring spiritual power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is as swift as this. If one only musters faith, there is no response that does not take effect.
8.22
A house does not crush someone to death through recollection of the Buddha
8.23
There was an old woman, blind in both eyes, who had a young boy lead her as she walked; she constantly recited Amitābha Buddha. One day she rested beneath an old house. The house suddenly collapsed; the young boy ran away, and the old woman remained beneath. Thereupon two timbers propped each other up, shielding the old woman from above, so that she was not crushed to death. This is the efficacy of recollection of the Buddha. Layman Miaoding told me of this.
8.24
Malaria is promptly healed through recollection of the Buddha
8.25
There was an official named Li Ziqing who was temporarily residing in Xiuzhou. He was quite fond of the Daoists and had once studied under me. In a previous year he suffered long from malaria. I told him, saying: "I only fear you will not believe, Ziqing; if you believe it, it will certainly take effect." I then gave him a prescription, instructing him that when the onset approached, he should single-mindedly recite Amitābha Buddha and take this medicine. Ziqing followed this, and that day he was eighty percent healed; on the following day he did the same again, and was completely healed. From this, Ziqing came to have deep faith in Buddhist principles, and constantly kept Pure Land writings in his sleeve.
8.26
Chronic diseases are all healed through recollection of the Buddha
8.27
A daughter of the Liang clan was blind in both eyes. She recited Amitābha Buddha for three years, holding the thought without interruption, and both eyes opened and became bright. Furthermore, Lady Feng also recited the Buddha, and a long-standing illness was promptly healed. This appears in Fascicle Five.
8.28
Śarīra burst forth from an embroidered Buddha
8.29
The wife of Grand Master for Thorough Counsel Lian of Ganzhou embroidered a sixteen-foot body of Amitābha Buddha. When the embroidery had just reached the halfway point, śarīra burst forth. Her relative Zheng Fengyuan told me of this.
8.30
Buddha images constantly have śarīra
8.31
At the residence of Junior Preceptor Zhongli in Zhenzhou, ever since Lady Ren cultivated the Western direction, she had carved an image of Amitābha Buddha four inches and eight tenths tall. The niche was very strictly adorned, and she constantly bore it on her head while walking the Way. Between the eyebrows of that image, śarīra constantly burst forth, as large as grains of millet, their radiance shining upon people. This appears in the Collection of Precious Gems.
8.32
Attaining intelligence and eloquence upon dreaming of the Buddha
8.33
Chan Master Huisi of the Sui, because he dreamed that Amitābha Buddha expounded the Dharma to him, thereafter possessed intelligence and eloquence surpassing others, and auspicious omens were not just one. This appears in the Biographies of Rebirth.
8.34
Recollection of the Buddha cures illnesses and brings healing
8.35
In recent years, a monk in Xiuzhou constantly recited Amitābha Buddha to cure illnesses for people. When the sick invited him to go, they would constantly attain complete recovery. The people of Xiuzhou can all speak of this.
8.36
A grandson escapes danger through recollection of the Buddha
8.37
In the villages of my hometown, there was an old man who, whenever anything occurred, would put his palms together to his forehead and recite Amitābha Buddha. His grandson was only two or three years old; following his mother to the open fields, he was suddenly lost, and the old man sought him everywhere without finding him. Several days later someone told him, saying: "He is on the other side of the creek." They indeed found him. They saw his footprints covering the riverbank; the creek was very deep, and they did not know by what means this child had crossed over to the other side, nor how he had remained unharmed for so long. People considered this to have been evoked by his grandfather's utmost sincerity toward Amitābha Buddha.
8.38
Longshu's Expanded Pure Land Writings, Fascicle Eight (End)
Linked texts (1)
- 龍舒增廣淨土文 — Classical Chinese