佛祖歷代通載 12.7

12.7

(4. Guichou) In the fourth year, Chan Master Huikuan died. He was born of the Yang clan. His father was a Daoist master, known as Master Sandong. His elder sister, Xinxiang, understood the Dao from birth, spending whole days in tranquil Chan absorption. When Kuan was five or six years old, he conversed daily with Xinxiang, never concerning worldly matters. His family had revered Daoism for generations, but Kuan alone took no pleasure in it. His father angrily cursed him and ordered him to bow to the Heavenly Worthy. Having no choice, Kuan knelt before it, and the iron image suddenly collapsed and shattered. The entire clan was astonished. Thereupon, they transcribed the dialogues he had held with Xinxiang. Prior to this, Chan Master Tanxiang of Longhuai Monastery, on the verge of death, said to his disciple Hui: 'My karmic retribution destines me to be born in the Yang family atop Mianzhu Peak in Guanghan. Come see me in seven years.' Having spoken, he passed away. Later, Hui largely forgot this. One night, he dreamed that Xiang reproached him for breaking the promise. Startled awake, Hui went to the mountain peak and knocked on the door. Kuan said, 'Who is knocking on the door?' Hui said at once, 'It is your disciple Hui.' Kuan smiled and said, 'How do you know me, that you call yourself disciple?' Hui said, 'Hearing the Master's voice, it is still the voice of former days.' They then met. The father brought out the recorded conversations held with Xinxiang and showed them; they were indeed treatises such as the Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra. Hui then escorted Kuan back to Longhuai Monastery to shave his head. From then on, his miraculous manifestations became increasingly prominent, and the common people called him the Holy Upādhyāya. His elder sister Xinxiang also left household life along with him. Once, an extraordinary monk at Jinghui Monastery entered samādhi, and the entire monastery was filled with blazing red flames, but no one recognized what it was. Xinxiang said, 'This is the Venerable Fire-Accumulation entering the fire-radiance samādhi.' She then entered the monastery, entered the water contemplation, and the room became completely clear and still, showing only water without her form. The extraordinary monk admired her with praise, regarding her as having attained the fruit [of the path]; at the time she was also called the Holy Nun. Kuan was a fully ordained monk for ten lifetimes, and the Record of Ten Rebirths is still extant today. Successive dynasties bestowed various posthumous titles upon him.