續高僧傳 28.32

28.32

Shi Baoxiang, whose secular surname was Ma, was a native of Chang'an in Yongzhou. He went forth from the household at nineteen. Pure, chaste, and lodging in virtue, he resided at Luohan Temple. He listened exclusively to the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, deeply reflecting on the difficulty of subduing false consciousness. Seeing that there was never a moment free of clamor, he entered the meditation quarters, practicing dhūta to quiet himself. For over forty years, he performed the six periods of repentance. At night, he strictly assigned himself the recitation of the Amitābha Sūtra seven times and the recitation of the Buddha's name sixty thousand times. By day, he read the canonical scriptures, never becoming distracted or remiss. Later, he read the Nirvāṇa Sūtra exclusively, completing it one thousand and eighty times, while also chanting the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā Sūtra until the end of his life. Yet his body remained free from troubles and ailments, being robust and well-adjusted. He ate cold food and wore coarse garments, putting on whatever he obtained, his mind fearless of hardship. Moreover, his aspiration was set on the proper practice, focused intently morning and evening; when fleas and lice crawled over his body, he did not take the time to look for or pick them off. When he met with severe illness and was nearing his end, his recitation and chanting never ceased. When the appointed time arrived, he repeatedly instructed the clergy and laity: "Put reciting the Buddha's name first. The Western Land awaits you; do not live your lives in vain." He also instructed: "You should cremate and scatter my corpse; do not bother with an inscribed stūpa, which would only burden common worldly people." Having spoken, he passed away. His age was eighty-three, and his monastic age was sixty-two. He did not hoard an inch of wealth, causing no trouble for the saṅgha's rules.