佛祖歷代通載 7.13

7.13

（三）　劉程之字仲思。彭城人。少孤事母以孝聞。才藻自負不委氣于時俗。雖寒餓在己威福當前。其意湛如也。司徒王謐承相桓玄侍中謝琨太尉劉裕。咸嘉其賢。欲相推薦。程之力辭。乃之匡山託于遠公。遠曰。官祿巍巍何以不為。程之曰。君臣相疑疣贅相虧。晉室無磐石之固。物情有累卵之危。吾何為哉。遠然其說大相器厚。太尉亦以其志不可屈。與群公議遺民之號旌焉。時雷次宗周續之畢潁之張秀實宗炳等。同依遠公。遠曰。諸君之來豈宜忘淨土之遊乎。有心焉當加勉勵。無宜後也。以程之最文使誌其事。號蓮社誓文。其辭曰。維歲在攝提格七月戊辰朔二十八日乙未。法師釋惠遠真感幽興霜懷特發。乃延命同志息心正信之士雷次宗劉程之等百有二十三人。集于廬山之陰般若臺精舍阿彌陀佛像前。率以香花敬薦而誓。惟茲一會之眾。夫緣化之理既明。而三世之傳顯矣。遷感之數既符。則善惡之報必矣。推交臂之潛論。悟無常之期切。審二報之相催。知險阻之難援。此其同志諸賢所以夕惕宵勤仰思攸濟者也。蓋神者可以感涉。而不可以迹求。必感之有物則幽路咫尺。苟求之無方則渺茫何津。今幸以不謀而感。僉心西境叩篇開信。亮情天發。乃機象通於寢夢。欣歡百於子來。於是雲圖表暉景侔神造。功由理諧事非人運。茲實天啟其誠冥運求萃者矣。可不克心克念重精疊思以凝其慮哉。然景續參差功福不一。雖晨期云同而夕歸攸隔。即我師友之眷。良可悲矣。是以慨然胥命整衿泫堂。等施一心亭懷幽極。誓茲同人俱遊絕域。其有警世絕倫首登神界。則無獨善於雲嶠忘兼全於幽谷。先進後升勉思彙征之道。然後妙觀大儀啟心真照。識以悟新形由化革。藉芙蕖於中流。蔭瓊柯以詠言。飄靈衣於八極。沈香風以窮年。體忘安而彌穆。心超樂以自怡。聽三途而緬謝。傲天宮而長辭。紹眾靈而繼軌。指太息以為期。究茲道也。豈不弘哉。

(3) Liu Chengzhi, whose courtesy name was Zhongsi, was a man of Pengcheng. Losing his father at a young age, he served his mother and was renowned for filial piety. Self-confident in his literary talents, he did not demean his spirit before worldly customs. Even when cold and hunger beset him, or authority and fortune stood before him, his mind remained serene. Minister over the Masses Wang Mi, Chancellor Huan Xuan, Palace Attendant Xie Kun, and Grand Commander Liu Yu all commended his worthiness and sought to recommend him for office. Chengzhi resolutely declined; he thereupon went to Mount Kuang to entrust himself to Master Yuan. Yuan said: 'Official rank and emolument are lofty and magnificent; why not undertake them?' Chengzhi replied: 'Ruler and minister distrust one another; extraneous factions undermine each other. The Jin dynasty lacks the solidity of bedrock, and worldly matters have the peril of stacked eggs. What should I undertake?' Yuan agreed with his statement and greatly esteemed him. The Grand Commander also considered his resolve unbendable, and after conferring with the various dignitaries, bestowed upon him the title 'Hermit' (Yimin) to honor him. At that time, Lei Cizong, Zhou Xuzhi, Bi Yingzhi, Zhang Xiushi, Zong Bing, and others all relied upon Master Yuan together. Yuan said: 'Gentlemen, having come here, how could you possibly forget the journey to the Pure Land? If your minds are set upon it, you should redouble your efforts and not lag behind.' Because Chengzhi was the most skilled in literary composition, Yuan had him record the event, entitled the 'Vow of the Lotus Society.' The text reads: 'In the year of Shetige (the tiger year), on the twenty-eighth day, yiwei, following the new moon of the seventh month, wuchen, the Dharma master Shi Huiyuan, having genuinely experienced profound inspiration, brought forth especially austere aspirations. He thereupon invited like-minded gentlemen who had stilled their minds and possessed correct faith, including Lei Cizong and Liu Chengzhi, totaling one hundred and twenty-three persons, to assemble on the northern slope of Mount Lu before the image of Amitābha Buddha in the Prajñā Platform vihāra. Leading them with incense and flowers, he respectfully made offerings and took this vow: We, this assembly of people! Since the principle of transformation through conditions has already been clarified, the transmission across the three periods of time is made evident. Since the tally of migrating karmic responses matches, retribution for good and evil is certain. Inferring the imperceptible discussions between rubbing shoulders, we awaken to the urgency of the moment of impermanence; examining how the two retributions press upon us, we know the difficulty of obtaining rescue from peril. This is precisely why all these like-minded worthies, watchful in the evening and diligent through the night, gaze upward and ponder what will bring deliverance. The spirit can indeed be engaged through resonance, yet cannot be sought through traces. If resonance has an object, then the dim path is but a short pace away; but if seeking lacks proper direction, how vast and shoreless the crossing! Now fortunately, having resonated without premeditation, our minds are united toward the Western Realm. Opening the scriptures, our faith unfolds, and our genuine feelings burst forth from heaven. Thus, signs and omens communicate in slumber and dreams; our joy is a hundredfold as when people come like children [to build King Wen's tower]. Thereupon, the cloud-like image manifests its radiant light, an appearance rivaling divine creation. The achievement accords with principle; the event is not moved by human effort. This is truly heaven opening our sincerity, an unseen movement seeking convergence. How could we not subdue the mind and subdue our thoughts, redoubling refinement and piling reflection upon reflection to consolidate our contemplation? However, our circumstances and life spans are varied, and our merit and blessings are not uniform. Though our morning aspiration is said to be identical, our evening returns may be set apart; for the kinship of our teachers and friends, this is truly lamentable. Therefore, sighing with emotion, we mutually pledge one another, straighten our robes, and stand weeping in the hall. Equalizing our giving with one mind, we hold serene thoughts upon the profound summit, vowing that these companions shall together roam the transcendent realm. If any among us, warning the world and unmatched in excellence, should be the first to ascend to the spiritual realm, let him not merely cultivate himself alone among the cloudy peaks while forgetting to bring complete liberation to those in the shadowy valleys. May those who advance first and those who ascend later diligently contemplate the way of collective journeying! Thereafter, contemplating the great embodiment with subtle discernment, opening the mind to true illumination, consciousness is renewed through awakening, and form is altered through transformation. Resting upon lotus blossoms in midstream, shaded by jeweled branches while chanting verses, our spiritual garments will flutter throughout the eight extremities, steeped in fragrant breezes throughout endless ages. The body forgets peace yet becomes ever more serene; the mind transcends worldly joy and delights in itself. Hearing the three paths of suffering, we bid them eternal farewell; scorning heavenly palaces, we take our final leave of them. Continuing the traces of the myriad spirits and carrying on their path, we point to the ultimate breath as our term of completion. Investigating this Dao, how could it not be vast?'