佛祖統紀 28.82

28.82

于佛子秦氏淨樂。家錢唐。其夫姓于。賣魚為業。有男販私商。常遭官事。秦氏愁苦。幾欲沈身於江。遇淨住寺照師。勸之曰。有此煩惱宿世怨家。枉自沈江不如念佛。秦氏醒然回心。即燼一指誓長齋三白。念佛十年不怠。見一切人皆稱佛子。一日請戒行人諷觀經。每一觀誦佛千聲。至像觀忽焉而化。

The Disciple of the Buddha, Lady Qin, [styled] Jingle, was from Qiantang. Her husband was surnamed Yu, whose occupation was selling fish. She had a son engaged in contraband trade who was constantly embroiled in official litigations. Lady Qin was so sorrowful and distressed that she almost drowned herself in the river. She encountered Master Zhao of Jingzhu Monastery, who advised her, saying, 'Having such afflictions is due to past-life adversaries. To drown yourself in the river in vain is not as good as reciting the Buddha's name.' Lady Qin awoke to this and turned her mind; she thereupon burned off a finger, vowed to observe perpetual vegetarianism and the 'three whites,' and recited the Buddha's name for ten years without slackening. Whenever she saw anyone, she addressed them as 'disciple of the Buddha.' One day she invited monks of pure conduct to chant the Contemplation Sūtra; for each contemplation, they recited the Buddha's name a thousand times. When they reached the Contemplation of the Image, she suddenly passed away.