佛祖統紀 21.10

21.10

Dharma Master Lingzhao was of the Lu clan of Lanxi. Having lost his parents in youth, he spoke to his elder brother requesting to leave household life. His brother took three rattan canes, showed them to him, and said: 'If these canes are used to tie you until both you and they are broken to pieces, I may grant your wish.' The Master gladly entered the forest, gathered a bundle of canes, placed it before him, and said: 'If you truly permit me to enter the Way, use these to tie me; even if broken to pieces, I shall have no regret.' His brother could not bend his resolve. He then entered Baohui Temple. He vowed to cast aside pillows and mats, and with incense and lamp, bowed and recited. In less than a year, he recited and mastered the Lotus Sūtra and the Golden Light Sūtra. At his coming of age, he presented himself for examination; the authorities commended him and rewarded him on a separate roster. Having received full ordination, he immediately went to Qiantang and relied upon Master Xiangyan Zhan to study the teachings and contemplation. After several years, he went to Wuxing and relied upon Jingjue. He thoroughly comprehended the household teachings without exception. At first he presided over Jiekong on Mount Wu, and subsequently moved to Jingde. During the Xining reign, he moved to Chaoguo in Yunjian. From the Yuanfeng reign onward, at the beginning of spring every year, he established a pure karma society for a seven-day period. Those who participated numbered twenty thousand; the verifications obtained through reciting the Buddha's name could not be recorded. He once dreamed of the majestic appearance of the Three Noble Ones; he knelt before them and bowed, saying: 'Throughout my life, Lingzhao has recited Mahāyāna sūtras, aspiring to be born in the Land of Peaceful Nurture. Will my vow be fulfilled?' Avalokiteśvara pointed and said: 'The Pure Land is not far; wherever there is a vow, one is immediately born there.' While reciting sūtras deep in the night, he suddenly dreamed of Samantabhadra revealing his body; he then gave rise to the aspiration to make his image and recite ten thousand fascicles of sūtras to adorn his pure recompense. In the winter of the fifth year of the Yuanfeng reign, he lay ill and said to his attendants: 'The time for my [departure to] the Land of Peaceful Nurture has arrived.' He then placed his head to the north and faced west, crossed his feet, and passed away. At the cremation, an extraordinary fragrance struck people, and relics surged forth. A stupa was erected in the southeast corner of the monastery courtyard.