高僧傳 3.29

3.29

At that time, the nuns Huiguo, Jingyin, and others of Yingfu Temple jointly inquired of Guṇavarman, saying: 'Six years ago, eight nuns from the kingdom of Siṃhala arrived at the capital, saying that the land of Song had never previously had nuns, so how could the two assemblies have conferred the precepts? They feared that the quality of the precepts was incomplete.' Guṇavarman said: 'The precept Dharma originally arises from the assembly of great monks (bhikṣus). Even if the original matter was not [strictly followed], it does not obstruct the attainment of the precepts, just as in the case of Mahāprajāpatī.' The nuns also feared that the years and months [since their ordination] were not fulfilled, and earnestly wished to receive them again. Guṇavarman praised them, saying: 'Excellent! If you desire to increase clarity, I rejoice with and assist you greatly.' However, the Western nuns had not yet reached the required monastic age, and they were fewer than ten persons; so he had them learn the Song language for the time being, and separately through laymen of the Western Regions, requested foreign nuns again to complete the number of ten. In the summer of that year, he spent the rains retreat at Lower Dinglin Monastery. At that time, a believer gathered flowers and spread them upon the seats; only the flowers upon which Guṇavarman sat were even fresher in their hues, and the assembly all revered him with rites due to a sage. When the summer ended, he returned to Jetavana Monastery. On the twenty-eighth day of the ninth month of that year, before the midday meal was finished, he first arose and returned to his chamber. When his disciples arrived later, he had suddenly passed away at the age of sixty-five. Before his passing, he had composed in advance a testamentary gāthā text of thirty-six lines, recounting his own conditions and stating that he had already realized the second fruit. Sealing it with his own hand, he entrusted it to his disciple A-sha-luo, saying: 'After my passing, you may take this text back and show it to the monks of Tianzhu, and you may also show it to the monks of this land.' After he passed away, they propped him up to sit on a rope-bed; his countenance was no different [from in life], appearing as if entering samādhi. More than a thousand monastic and lay people arrived, all smelling a fragrant and intense aroma, and all saw an object resembling a dragon or serpent, about one bolt [of cloth] in length, rising from beside the corpse and shooting straight into the sky, which none could name. Right in front of the precept platform of Nanlin, they cremated (jhāpita) him according to foreign methods. The fourfold assembly gathered like fish scales, fragrant firewood formed a pyre, and fragrant oil was poured on it to burn his mortal remains; five-colored flames arose, their vapors hanging beautifully in the sky. At this time, the weather was clear and bright, and monastic and lay lamented; thereupon, a white stūpa was erected on that spot. The nuns who wished to receive the precepts again wept in heartbreak, unable to contain their grief.