佛祖統紀 14.33

14.33

Dharma Lord Jingfan was a native of Jiahe, surnamed Ji. His mother, Lady Gong, dreamed that the light of the Buddha filled the room, whereupon she became pregnant. When he was born, he was consequently named Fohu (Buddhapālita). At ten years old, he left home under Repentance Master Yong of Shengguo. He constantly recited Amitābha Buddha. Someone asked why he recited the Buddha's name at such a young age. He answered, "I wish to go to another Abbot's room to seek lodging." At eighteen, he received the full precepts, and immediately relied on Master Zhan of Chaoguo to study. Before long, he went again to pay respects to Shenwu; repeatedly attending his lectures, it greatly accorded with his innate aspirations. In the early Yuanyou era, he presided over Daci in Gusu. He lectured on the Three Great Works more than ten times, and on other texts proportionally. The disciples who received his instruction virtually filled the Wu region, and faithful people receiving the precepts almost filled the cities and towns. He once led twenty-seven people to cultivate the Lotus Samādhi for a period of twenty-eight days. He did this three times. It moved the Great Being Samantabhadra to bestow the precepts and perform the karmavācanā. When the name "Bhikṣu Jingfan" was called, a resonant voice boomed like the striking of a giant bell. As the samādhi was about to conclude, two monks bowed and said, "This spring, when we arrived at the Stone Bridge to pay homage to the sacred traces, we suddenly saw flowers scattered in the air and extraordinary fragrance. One monk abruptly said, 'Dharma Lord Fan of Gusu is conducting a period repentance, and the scattered flowers have reached here.' Having finished speaking, he disappeared. Therefore we came to pay homage." Huang Gongyan, the Magistrate of Changzhou, carved a record on stone, saying, "Marvelous is the master's power of the Way! It shares the same efficacy in different eras as Master Jin of Beijing dreaming of Śākya bestowing the precepts, and Nanyue dreaming of forty-two people adding the karmavācanā rites." The master established the regulations and rituals for period repentances, which are practiced in the two Zhe regions to this day. Relying on the *Suvarṇaprabhāsa* translated by Dharmakṣema, he separately composed a repentance ritual and cultivated it together with the assembly, repeatedly witnessing resonant responses. At the place of dhyāna contemplation, the assembly saw a divine king in golden armor kneeling before the seat. Later, during a period repentance at another place, Heavenly King Skanda was seen inspecting the repentance hall; whenever any practitioner was scrutinized by him, an obstacle arose and the practitioner withdrew. While staying in the Western Compound at night during scorching summer heat, the assembly could not sleep peacefully. As the master was wearing the three robes and sitting on a water pavilion, suddenly wind and snow gathered, and a chilling coolness pressed upon people. At dawn he said to the assembly, "In summer, winter's command was executed." The assembly all marveled and looked up to him, knowing that divine dragons had guarded him, transforming heat into coolness. During the Yuanfu era, he dreamed that an envoy in yellow invited him to the underworld. The king welcomed him to take a seat, and ordered an official to check the register of auspicious vapors, which said: "Bhikṣu Jingfan has continuously lectured on the *Lotus Sūtra* through many kalpas." The king immediately rose, bowed in reverence, and sent an envoy to escort him back. During the Zhenghe era, the maidservant of Prefect Ying was harassed by a ghost, singing and laughing incessantly; when the master was invited to confer the precepts, her spirit immediately calmed. Lady Ge invited the master to confer the precepts on her deceased husband, and she immediately saw her husband revering the master and circumambulating the seat three times, declaring that he had attained liberation. In the early Xuanhe era, Prefect Jia respected the master's lofty conduct and appointed him Dharma Lord of the jurisdiction. In the tenth month of the first year of the Jianyan era, he passed away seated. From his cremation, many śarīras were obtained, which were enshrined in a stupa at Prajñā in Hengtang.