佛祖統紀 28.73

28.73

The District Mistress née Wu was the wife of Director of Bureaus Lü Hong. Because an extraordinary monk urged him, Hong had an exquisite awakening to Buddhist principles. Lady Wu read the Diamond Sūtra verses and also accorded with emptiness and quiescence. Husband and wife observed fasts and precepts for forty years. Lady Wu suddenly saw three pairs of giant footprints, all of golden lotus flowers. After several days she also saw their knees, after several more days their bodies, and after several days their faces—namely, the three holy beings of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. She also saw palace towers and pure realms. When men asked her, 'How does the Buddha preach the Dharma there?' she replied, 'I have attained the eye-penetration, but have not yet attained the divine ear.' Thus it went for three years. One evening, slightly indisposed, she said of herself, 'I am about to return to the West.' Having spoken, she passed away. She once served Guanyin, arranging several tens of jars and pots filled with water; holding a willow branch and chanting dhāraṇī, she always saw Guanyin emit light that poured into the vessels. When sick people drank it, they were always cured. The world consequently called her the 'Guanyin District Mistress.'