弘贊法華傳 3.13

3.13

Shi Huimin was a native of Hedong. His resolve and purpose were upright, and his conduct stood out from the crowd. At the age of nine, he went forth from the household life, vigorously practicing pure deeds. Reciting the Lotus Sūtra, he mastered it within a full year. Soon he visited various masters, fully plumbing the profound and wondrous. At the age of seventeen, answering an invitation, he returned to his home region and lectured on the Lotus Sūtra at Guangxing Temple. The listeners soared like clouds, all witnessing auspicious signs: extraordinary fragrances and snap-of-the-finger sounds repeatedly gathered in the open air. After receiving the full precepts, his illustrious fame increased further. For seventeen years he did not step outside the temple gate, maintaining his practice consistently from beginning to end, wearing coarse cloth and eating vegetarian food. He severed completely pleasantries and idle chatter with relatives, and it was said that this led herds of wild beasts to remain undisturbed and flocks of birds to assemble without agitation. At the beginning of the Great Tang, he entered Mount Haiyu to live in seclusion for more than twenty years. Those from distant regions seeking instruction constantly numbered over a hundred. The land was suitable for catalpa trees, so he encouraged the planting of hundreds of thousands of them, to universally provide merits for the Triple Gem in future generations. In his middle years, he made a separate thatched hut by the southern stream to reside in; two rabbits and a tiger came to share the space with him, roaming together inside and out without infringing upon or harming one another. As for birds, beasts, and spirits coming to request refuge and precepts, the accounts of these deeds cannot be fully detailed. Li Shijia, the Area Commander of Suzhou and Duke of Wuyang, and the Prefect, the Prince of Jiang, frequently invited him before and after, but he steadfastly declined all of them. On the morning of the eleventh day of the eighth month in the final year of Zhenguan, he passed away at his retreat. His age was seventy-seven. Three days before his end, an extraordinary fragrance filled the temple. The whole assembly wondered and asked about it, to which he said, 'The day after tomorrow, I shall depart. Life and death are the ordinary course of humanity; our lodging in the world is originally like passing clouds. Be careful not to weep; let each mindful of impermanence seek self-deliverance early. For mortuary matters and burial, the Vinaya has its constant rites; decorative words on stone tablets and epitaphs are entirely unnecessary. If you can follow this instruction, what more need I say?' Thus he remained unbent even at the threshold of death; he may truly be called firm and steadfast.