續高僧傳 16.48

16.48

Shi Huiyi, whose secular surname was Li, was a native of Linyuan. Listening to Mahāyāna sūtras and treatises, he devoted himself to practicing dhyāna. When the Yuwen clan abolished the Dharma, he fled south to Liang. Together with Huiming of Xiancheng Mountain, with the same teacher, he sought out the essentials of the mind. Later he resided at Jingkong [Monastery], managing affairs for the permanent property in Master Cong's former hall. Dispensing with lamps and candles, it was always bright day and night. There was a fellow-townsman, the governor of Deguang Commandery named Liu Jing, who did not believe in the Dharma at all. He then invited Yi to his residence and separately set up a meditation hall for a hundred days of circumambulation. Four people, including Jing's sons Yixi and Bing, secretly went there every night. The whole family together saw the meditation hall brilliantly illuminated, with Yi sitting upright and lofty. Only then did they give rise to faith and devotion. The monastics and laity of the local township mostly received the refuges and precepts. He died at the beginning of Kaihuang. When he was about to pass away, he said to his disciple Huixing: 'Today many guests will come; you may prepare plenty of vegetarian meals.' When noon came, Yi indeed passed away sitting upright. At that time in Xiangyang during the Kaihuang era, there was Dhyāna Master Fayong, a native of Nanxiang. Emperor Ming of the Liang had often provided offerings to him. Knowing in advance that his lifespan was exhausted, he earnestly took leave to return to Xiang[yang], wishing to die there. For seven days and seven nights, wondrous music and strange fragrances filled the monastery, and he thereupon died sitting. His corpse was conveyed to Umbrella Mountain and left seated in the open. There was Vinaya Master Quan of the same monastery, who approached Yong's corpse and said: 'I pray that your spirit will wait for me for seven days.' When the period was complete, Quan died. His corpse was conveyed to Yong's side, and Yong's corpse suddenly crumbled and changed. At that time, Ācārya Cen, whose secular surname was Yang, was a native of Linyuan. To the west of the monastery, at the southern spring of Umbrella Mountain, he established a sūtra-recitation hall, where he constantly recited the Golden Light Sūtra, inspiring the Four Heavenly Kings to come and listen. Later he read through the Tripiṭaka and forgot none of it, reciting by count more than three thousand fascicles. Clothed in hemp and begging for food, the remnants from his bowl he fed to the mice in his room. More than a hundred of them were all tame, rushing to approach people. If there was a sick mouse, Cen stroked it with his hand. Yet he was unconstrained by conventional rules: sometimes lifting a jug to drink and eat, sometimes playing with children, scolding the monastic assembly, or chanting scriptural texts, singing and predicting future events. By day he seemed distracted, but by night he engaged in worship, recitation, and dhyāna reflection. Together with the fellow monk of the assembly, Zhixiao, they looked after each other, gathering dhyāna disciples, practicing themselves to convert the laity, and providing for students of dhyāna. Zhixiao, knowing his final day, urgently called Dhyāna Master Ba to entrust matters, went up to the Buddha hall to take leave, and visited all the monks of the monastery, begging joy from them all. As the great vegetarian feast at Shanju Monastery was about to conclude, he said to Cen: 'I am going to Tuṣita Heaven to listen to the Prajñā.' Cen said: 'Brother, go ahead; I will come in seven days.' That night, in the third watch, he died sitting. At the fourth watch, his conscious spirit went to Bianxue Monastery, which was ten li away, arriving before the bed of Dharmabhāṇaka Tai. It was as bright as day. He said: 'Xiao wishes to depart afar, and thus have come to take leave; I cannot stay long.' Tai escorted him outside the three gates. The farewell complete, when he returned to his room and sat on his bed, it suddenly became dark again. He called his disciples and asked, saying: 'We heard the master speaking with someone.' Bringing torches to illuminate all around, the three gates were all locked. Only then did they realize that Xiao's spiritual power could pass in and out without obstruction. They immediately sent someone to inquire, and indeed it was said that he had already passed away. Seven days later, Cen, without any illness, passed away sitting. The bones of the two bodies were completely solid and seamless. Furthermore, there were Dhyāna Master Haochun and others, who had many spiritual wonders and passed away sitting one after another; they are briefly omitted here.