大明高僧傳 1.19

1.19

釋了宣四明人。肄業於寶林。因慕南湖之盛投之。精究三觀十乘之旨。閱大藏教無不知其大義。修法華懺法二十七年。與釋善榮為同志相善。凡所修進必偕榮甞金書法華楞嚴淨名圓覺等經。宣亦為助。或遇西資會則施人手畫水墨觀音像。二人結誓往生。每說法則諄諄勸人皆求生安養。從之念佛者眾。一日宣詣榮之室默坐。榮故問之。對曰。我西歸有期矣難忘若道義。與若淨土重會也。榮曰。正所幸願。宣即集眾告別。命誦經念佛號。端坐書偈曰。性相忘情。一三無寄。息風不行。摩訶室利。合掌而逝時正炎暑。停龕七日。顏色紅潤口角有微涎。觀者以帕裛之則異香噴人。傾城士庶來裛香涎愈滋。闍維舍利無算。宣入寂三年。榮忽取經像分施親故。諷普賢行法經小彌陀經。令眾同助念佛。跏趺乃曰。我為赴宣公之約。言畢蛻然而化。

Shi Liaoxuan was a native of Siming. He pursued his studies at Baolin. Yearning for the flourishing practice at Nanhu, he went to join it. He thoroughly investigated the purports of the three contemplations and ten vehicles, and in reading the Tripiṭaka teachings, there was none of the great import he did not comprehend. He cultivated the Lotus Repentance rite for twenty-seven years. He was close friends with the śramaṇa Shanrong, sharing common aspirations; in whatever cultivation and progress they made, they were always together. Shanrong once wrote the Lotus, Śūraṅgama, Vimalakīrti, and Perfect Enlightenment sūtras in gold ink, and Xuan assisted him. Whenever there was a Western Rebirth gathering, he would give people ink-wash paintings of Avalokiteśvara drawn with his own hand. The two made a mutual vow for rebirth in the Pure Land. Whenever expounding the Dharma, they earnestly urged everyone to seek birth in the Land of Peace and Sustenance. Many followed them in chanting the Buddha's name. One day, Xuan went to Rong's room and sat in silence. Rong deliberately asked him about it. He replied, "My return to the West has its date; I cannot forget our shared path of righteousness, and shall meet you again in the Pure Land." Rong said, "That is precisely my fortunate wish." Xuan then assembled the community to bid farewell, directing them to recite scriptures and chant the Buddha's name. Sitting upright, he wrote a gāthā: / "Nature and form forget emotional attachments; / The one and the three find no lodging. / The breath wind ceases to stir: / Mahā-śrī!" / Pressing his palms together, he passed away. It was then the height of summer. The casket remained for seven days; his facial complexion was rosy and moist, with slight moisture at the corner of his mouth. When onlookers blotted it with a handkerchief, an extraordinary fragrance struck them. The scholar-officials and commoners of the entire city came to blot it, and the fragrant moisture grew even more plentiful. At the jhāpita, the śarīra relics were countless. Three years after Xuan's entering quiescence, Rong suddenly took his scriptures and images and distributed them among his relatives and friends. He recited the Scripture on the Practice of Samantabhadra and the Shorter Amitābha Sūtra, having the community assist in chanting the Buddha's name. Sitting cross-legged, he said, "I go to fulfill the pact with Master Xuan." Having spoken, he shed his body and transformed.