佛祖統紀 27.56

27.56

僧衒。并州人。初念慈氏期生內院。年九十遇綽禪師聞淨土之法。始回心焉。早暮禮佛千拜念佛萬聲。三年有疾。謂弟子曰。阿彌陀佛授我香衣。觀音勢至示我寶手。吾其去矣。既終七日異香不散。時啟芳圓果二師目擊斯事。乃於悟真寺觀音像前。折楊枝置像手。誓曰。芳等若於淨土有緣。當使七日不萎。至期枝益茂。芳果慶抃。晝夜觀念不捨。數月忽覺臨七寶池入大寶帳。見佛及二大士坐寶華臺光明輝映。芳果前作禮。佛告之曰。汝念我名皆生我國。又見寶幡珠網。有梵僧御寶車中。謂曰。吾法藏也。故來迎汝。芳果忽覺乘車前邁。又聞釋迦佛文殊菩薩以梵音聲稱讚淨土。寶殿之中有寶階三道。第一道純是白衣。第二道僧俗相半。第三道唯是僧輩。佛指謂芳曰。此皆閻浮提念佛之人得生此土也。後五日二人無病忽聞鍾聲。芳果曰。鍾聲我輩事也。當時俱即化去。

Sengxuan was a native of Bingzhou. At first, he was mindful of Maitreya, expecting to be born in the Inner Court. At the age of ninety, he met Chan Master Chuo and heard the teachings on the Pure Land, whereupon he turned his mind toward it. Morning and evening he performed a thousand prostrations to the Buddha and recited the Buddha's name ten thousand times. Three years later he fell ill and told his disciples, 'Amitābha Buddha has conferred upon me fragrant robes; Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta have revealed their jeweled hands to me. I am departing!' After he passed away, the extraordinary fragrance did not dissipate for seven days. At that time, the two masters Qifang and Yuanguo witnessed this event with their own eyes. Thereupon, before the image of Avalokiteśvara at Wuzhen Monastery, they broke a willow branch and placed it in the hand of the image, making a vow: 'If Fang and the others have an affinity with the Pure Land, let this branch not wither for seven days.' When the time arrived, the branch was even more luxuriant. Qifang and Yuanguo rejoiced and clapped their hands, contemplating without cessation day and night. Several months later, they suddenly felt themselves overlooking the Seven-Jewel Pond and entering a great jeweled pavilion; they saw the Buddha and the two Great Beings seated on jeweled flower pedestals, their radiant light shining brightly. Qifang and Yuanguo stepped forward and paid homage. The Buddha told them, 'Because you recite my name, you will all be born in my land.' They also saw jeweled banners and pearl nets, and an Indian monk driving a jeweled chariot said to them, 'I am Dharmākara; I have come specifically to welcome you.' Qifang and Yuanguo suddenly felt themselves riding the chariot forward, and they also heard Śākyamuni Buddha and Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva praising the Pure Land with Brahmā sounds. Within the jeweled hall were three tiers of jeweled steps: the first tier was composed entirely of laypeople; the second tier was half monks and half laity; the third tier was monks alone. The Buddha pointed and said to Fang, 'These are all people from Jambudvīpa who recited the Buddha's name and attained birth in this land.' Five days later, both men were free of illness and suddenly heard the sound of a bell. Qifang and Yuanguo said, 'The sound of the bell is our business.' At that very moment, both passed away together.