續高僧傳 25.127

25.127

釋道幽。代州耆闍寺僧。善解經論。仁壽中於寺講婆伽般若并論。聽眾百餘人。日午坐繩床。如睡見一天人。殊為偉異。自云。我是釋提桓因。故來奉請。在天講經。初聞介介情不許之。以畏死。答云。為造佛堂未成。事有不可。眠覺向侍者如法師述之。如曰。此事罕逢。人生終死。死時不知何道。今得生天。則勝人也。開通法利天解勝人。何得不往。佛堂事中功德不足及言。幽從之。不久又如前夢。依如天請。天帝乃以少香注幽手中。剋時來迎。及覺見掌中有香氣熏一寺。自後如前說法。下講至廊下。床上諸僧。遙見香煙充滿床側。驚怪來看。幽執香爐正念蟬蛻而去。于時寺外道俗。望見雲氣從寺而出如一段雲。騰空直上。飄飄而沒。

Shi Daoyou was a monk of Qishe Temple in Daizhou. He was well-versed in sūtras and treatises. During the Renshou reign, he lectured on the Bhagavat-prajñā and its treatise at the temple, with an audience of more than a hundred people. At midday, as he sat on a corded chair, he saw a heavenly being as if in a dream, who was remarkably extraordinary. The figure said of himself, 'I am Śakra Devānām-Indra, and have come specially to invite you to lecture on the sūtras in heaven.' Upon first hearing this, he felt reluctant and would not agree out of fear of death, answering, 'Because I am building a Buddha hall that is not yet completed, it is not possible.' Awakening from sleep, he recounted it to his attendant, Dharma Master Ru. Ru said, 'Such an occurrence is rarely encountered! In human life, one must ultimately die; at the time of death, one does not know which rebirth path one will take. Now, gaining birth in heaven is superior to being human. Expounding the Dharma benefits heaven and brings understanding superior to men; how can you not go? The merit in the construction of the Buddha hall is not even worth mentioning by comparison.' You followed his advice. Not long after, he had a dream just as before, agreeing to the heavenly invitation. The Heavenly Emperor then placed a small amount of incense into You's hand, fixing the time when he would come to receive him. Upon awakening, he saw incense in his palm, and its fragrance filled the entire temple. Thereafter, he preached the Dharma as before. Coming down from the lecture to the corridor, the monks on the platforms saw the smoke of fragrance filling the side of the platform from afar; amazed, they came to look. You, holding an incense burner with proper mindfulness, sloughed off his mortal coil and departed. At that time, monastics and laypeople outside the temple looked and saw a cloud of mist emerging from the temple like a piece of cloud, soaring straight up into the sky and floating away until it vanished.