佛祖統紀 28.46

28.46

Lou Fen came from the prestigious Zhoujin family of Siming. Because his elder brother Baozhou investigated and understood Buddhist principles and frequently discussed the Dao with śramaṇas, Lou Fen was always at his side listening with delight. At the age of twenty-two, he suddenly fell ill; he then directed his mind single-mindedly toward returning to the West. He told his parents: 'If only one can be born in the Pure Land and see the Buddha, this path is supreme.' He asked them to invite monks to expound the Dharma, provide guidance, chant the Guan jing, and set up a painted scroll of the Buddha facing his bed. Joyfully, he said: 'Truly my teacher!' Again he asked the monks to recite the Buddha's name a thousand times, and then said: 'I am already in the Western Paradise.' Thereupon, closing his eyes and facing west, he recited the Buddha's name and passed away.