弘贊法華傳 5

English (machine translation) 5

Language: English

5.1

Compiled by the śramaṇa Huixiang of Langu

Shi Huishao of Zhaoti Temple under the Song
Shi Sengyu of Mount Lu under the Song
Shi Huiyi of Zhulin Temple under the Song
Shi Sengming of Shimen Temple under the Liang
Shi Daodu of Mount Ruoye under the Liang
Shi Sengya of Dacheng Temple in Yizhou under the Zhou
Shi Fachong of Huacheng Temple on Mount Lu under the Sui
Shi Dazhi of Fengding Temple on Mount Lu under the Sui
A retainer of the Prince of Jiang, Governor of Jizhou under the Tang
Bhikṣuṇī sisters of Jingzhou under the Tang (with a scholar of Bingzhou appended)
Shi Huitong of Baolin Valley in Yongzhou under the Tang
Shi Tanyou of Mount Yueling in Xiangzhou under the Tang (with Master Hu of Ximing Temple appended)

5.4

Shi Huishao's clan and ancestry are unknown. As a young child, whenever his mother fed him fish or meat, he would vomit and spit it out; thereupon he was able to eat only vegetables. At the age of eight, he renounced worldly life to become a disciple of Sengyao, being diligent and rigorous, with ascetic practices as his exemplary conduct. Later, following Yao, he went up to Zhaoti Temple in Linchuan, where he secretly formed the intention to burn his body. He frequently hired people to cut firewood and stacked it in a stone chamber on the Eastern Mountain, several tens of feet high, opening a niche in the center just large enough to contain his body. He then returned to the temple to bid farewell to Yao, who bitterly admonished him, but he would not comply. Thereupon, in the twenty-eighth year of Yuanjia, he established the eightfold precepts for the great assembly on the Eastern Mountain and bade farewell to his acquaintances. On that day, the entire district bustled with people; carts, horses, crowds, and those bearing gold and treasures were beyond count. When it came to the first night watch to circumambulate and practice the Way, Shao personally offered incense. When the offering of incense was finished, he held a torch, ignited the firewood, entered inside, and sat down, reciting the Chapter on the Ancient Accounts of Bhaiṣajyarāja. When the assembly no longer saw Shao, they realised he had already gone; before their bows were finished, they all arrived. The pile of firewood was already blazing fiercely, but the sound of his recitation had not ceased. When the flames reached his forehead, he cried out, 'Single-mindedly!' Having spoken, he suddenly expired. The great assembly all saw a star as large as a sheng fall straight down into the smoke, and after a moment rise to heaven. Those who saw it at the time all said that the heavenly palace had welcomed Shao. After three days, the pyre was consumed. Facing death, Shao had said to his fellow students, 'At the place where I burn my body, a paulownia tree will grow; take care not to cut it down.' Three days later, it indeed grew. At that time he was exactly twenty-eight years of age. Shao's master Sengyao was also pure, prudent, and possessed of admirable virtue; he passed away at the monastery at the age of one hundred and sixty.

5.5

Shi Sengyu was surnamed Zhou and was a native of Yuhang in Wuxing. He left home [for the monastic life] when he came of age (ruoguan). His pure practice was refined and unadulterated. In the fifteenth year of the Yuanjia reign (438), together with his fellow students the monks Tanwen, Huiguang, and others, he co-founded a vihāra on the southern ridge of Mount Lu, naming it Zhaoyin. Sengyu always considered that entanglements in the three evil paths arise on account of emotional attachment and physical form. If emotional attachment is about to be exhausted, then the physical form should also be relinquished. Why should the footsteps of Bhaiṣajyarāja alone be considered distant? Thereupon, he repeatedly made vows, resolving to burn his body. On the third day of the sixth month in the second year of the Xiaojian reign of the Song (455), he gathered firewood to make a shrine, invited the sangha to conduct a vegetarian feast, and took his leave of the assembly. On that day, clouds and mist gathered darkly, and dense rain fell steadily. Sengyu then vowed: 'If what I aspire to is clearly approved, may the sky become clear and bright; if there is no response, then let the downpour continue, so that these four assemblies may know that spiritual resonance is never dim.' When he finished speaking, the clouds cleared and the sky became bright and sunny. At the end of the first watch of the night, he entered the shrine of firewood, sat upright with palms joined, and recited the 'Chapter of Bhaiṣajyarāja'. As the flames closed in, his palms remained joined without parting. Monastics and laypeople who knew of it rushed over, filling the mountain, and all bowed their heads in homage, wishing to forge karmic affinities. Soon after, purple vapor was seen soaring into the sky, lingering for a long time before dissipating. He was then forty-four years old. Fourteen days later, twin parasol trees (tong) sprouted in Sengyu's chamber, with luxuriant roots and branches, both thick and thin, piercing the ground and towering straight up, thereby forming an extraordinary pair of trees. Those who understood considered that the precious Śāla trees brightly illuminated the nirvāṇa, and that Sengyu, being nearly of that caliber, was thus shown this miraculous proof. Hence, he was called the 'Śramaṇa of the Twin Parasol Trees'. Zhang Bian of Wu Commandery, who served as Changshi of Pingnan, witnessed this affair in person and composed a biography and encomium in full detail. The encomium says:

5.6

Boundless is the profound mystery, / Vast is the supreme Way. / Entering life and leaving death, / What is the wondrous treasure? (First) / Of old was Bhaiṣajyarāja, / Whose extraordinary transformation had no peer. / Formerly we heard of his account, / Now we behold this man. (Second) / Outstanding is this śramaṇa, / Whose wisdom, concentration, and mind were steadfast. / His focused spirit became purple vapor; / Manifesting a sign in the twin trees. (Third) / His virtue is to be rejoiced in; / His conduct is to be emulated. / Through the composition of this text, / May his presence be faintly proclaimed. (Fourth)

5.7

Shi Huiyi was a native of Guangling. He left home at an early age and accompanied his master to reside in Shouchun. During the Xiaojian era of the Song, he went to the capital and stayed at Zhulin Temple, where he vigorously practiced ascetic austerities and vowed to burn his body. Those who heard of it either censured or praised him. In the fourth year of the Daming era (460), he began to abstain from grains, consuming only hemp and barley. By the sixth year (462), he also stopped eating barley and the like, consuming only melted butter (su) and oil. Soon after, he discontinued butter and oil as well, taking only incense pills. Although his four great elements were weak and frail, his spirit was alert and upright. Emperor Xiaowu deeply revered and marveled at him, sending attentive inquiries, and dispatched Grand Preceptor (Taizai) Prince of Jiangxia, Yigong, to visit the temple to dissuade Huiyi. Huiyi's sworn resolve remained unchanged. On the eighth day of the fourth month in the seventh year of the Daming era (463), about to undergo incineration, he set up a cauldron and prepared oil to the south of Mount Zhong. On the morning of that day, he rode in an ox cart pulled by men from the temple to the mountain. Considering that the emperor is the one upon whom the myriad people rely and the one to whom the Three Jewels are entrusted, he went in person into the imperial palace. Reaching the Yunlong Gate, unable to walk, he had someone announce: 'The man of the Way Huiyi is now about to cast off his body, and has arrived at the gate to bid farewell, deeply entrusting the Buddha-Dharma to Your Majesty.' When the emperor heard this, his countenance changed, and he personally stepped out through the Yunlong Gate. After Huiyi met the emperor, he repeatedly entrusted the Buddha-Dharma to him. Thereupon, he took his leave. The emperor followed soon after. Princes, consorts, empresses, monastics, and lay commoners filled the valleys, throwing down robes and discarding treasures beyond count. Huiyi then entered the cauldron, seated upon a small stool, wrapped in white cotton cloth (jiebei), with a tall cap placed upon his head, and had oil poured over it. When it was about to be set on fire, the emperor sent the Grand Preceptor to the cauldron to dissuade him, saying: 'There are many ways to practice the Way; why must you destroy your life? We hope you will think twice and take another path.' Huiyi's noble resolve was steadfast, without the slightest regret. He replied: 'Why should this insignificant body and humble life be preserved? If the imperial heart and holy compassion are boundless, I wish that twenty people be ordained as monks.' An imperial decree was issued granting this immediately. Huiyi then took a torch in his own hand to light the cap. Once the cap was lit, he discarded the torch, joined his palms, and recited the 'Chapter of Bhaiṣajyarāja'. When the fire reached his eyebrows, the recitation remained distinct; only when it reached his eyes did it grow faint. The noble and the base lamented and sighed, their voices echoing through the dark valleys; there were none who did not snap their fingers, invoke the Buddha, and weep in sorrow, wiping their tears. The fire burned until the following morning before dying down. At that time, the emperor heard pipes and flutes in the sky, and an extraordinary fragrance was richly scented. Only at the end of the day did the emperor return to the palace. That night, he dreamt of Huiyi arriving with a shaking tin staff, once more entrusting him with the Buddha-Dharma. The next day, the emperor held an assembly to ordain monks, ordering the host of the feast to make an announcement and recount the auspicious signs in full. At the site where he burned his body, Yaowang Temple (Temple of Bhaiṣajyarāja) was built to commemorate this original act.

5.8

Shi Sengming—his original clan and surname are not clear. His observance of the monastic precepts was pure and spotless, and he took dhūta austerities as his vocation. He resided at Mount Shimen in Zhaoyi County, Haozhou. On a rock at the summit of the mountain, he piled bricks to build a Maitreya heavenly palace and an image of Maitreya. He constantly recited the Lotus Sūtra, searching deeply for its wondrous import. Whenever he recited, he would hear finger-snappings in the sky and the praise 'Excellent!'. During the Tianjian era (502–519), he submitted a memorial to Emperor Wu of Liang requesting permission to burn his body. Only after repeated requests was he granted permission. He then fulfilled his prior aspiration on a square stone in front of the Maitreya Palace. His entire body turned to ashes, leaving only a single fingernail. After the burning, the stone, four or five feet square, suddenly sank down and formed a pool. Within two nights, flowers blossomed, their fresh splendor unmatched in their era. Those who drank from this pool were all cured of illnesses. Later people took the ashes from the burning to make a sculpted image of him, and also made a small wooden image, burned this fingernail once more, and smeared the ashes upon it. If someone polluted it, the image would move away. At the place where he had practiced walking meditation, flowers sprouted everywhere, as large as pears and jujubes, numbering in the hundreds and thousands. A memorial stūpa stands there today, recording this affair in full detail (and so forth).

5.9

Furthermore, in Pinglu County of Jiaozhou, there was a faithful layman whose name has been lost. Because he recited the Lotus Sūtra, he looked up to the example of Bhaiṣajyarāja. After he burned his body, the ground swelled up in the shape of a human figure. When his father went and excavated it, he found a golden statue, the same size as a human. As he held the radiance and was about to lift it, it suddenly disappeared.

5.10

Shi Daodu was a native of Pingyang, originally surnamed Liu. Practicing walking meditation and subduing his mind in dhyāna, he dwelt on the lofty mountains. In the first year of the Tianjian era (502), he first arrived in the state of Liang and stayed at Dinglin Temple on Mount Zhong to practice dhyāna. Coming out of contemplation, what he cared for was benefiting beings, removing suffering, giving joy, and constantly exercising compassion. Prince Chengkang of the Liang state and Prince Zhonglie of Poyang both followed the Chan Master with reverence and received the prohibitive precepts from him. In the seventeenth year of the Tianjian era (518), the Chan Master personally produced one hundred copies of the Lotus Sūtra, and day and night recited the single chapter of Bhaiṣajyarāja. Later, in the Juedian of Hualin Temple, he submitted a petition to Emperor Wu of Liang, saying: 'This body is a poisonous tree, and truly should be incinerated. I have loathed this physical frame for a long time. I wish to offer it to all the Buddhas, just like Sarvasattvapriyadarśana (Xijian).' The imperial decree replied: 'If you truly wish to benefit the living beings, you may simply cultivate the Way in accord with conditions. If your life is impermanent, casting your corpse in the Śītavana to give to birds and beasts will fulfill your dāna-pāramitā, which is also a good deed. The eighty thousand families of worms should not be burned to ashes; this is not something I encourage.' Daodu replied in turn: 'Daodu's mind cannot be swayed. Since I have received the imperial edict, I shall temporarily uphold it.' On the third day of the eighth month in the seventh year of the Putong era (526), he entered the eastern province, arriving among the precipitous crags of Heling Temple on Mount Ruoye, where he built a meditation hut. He would often say to himself: 'What was to be done has all been completed; what more is there to worry about?' Thereupon, he gradually accumulated firewood and progressively reduced his food intake. On the third day of the eleventh month of that year, the bell sounded on its own from the void. The assembly of the temple was frightened and could not comprehend the omen. On the eighth day of that month, the bell sounded on its own again. On the twenty-third day, he invited one hundred monks to the mountain to perform walking meditation. The fourfold assembly gathered like flowers, some three hundred people. On that day, more than one hundred and seventy disciples begged to receive the precepts. He said himself: 'Daodu is an ordinary person, whose ignorance is deep and heavy. Possessing only the pure bodhisattva precepts, I reverently forge good karmic affinities together with the great assembly.' Thereafter, he ate no more food, using only a water jar to draw fresh water, drinking one sheng per day. On the morning of the twenty-fifth day, the assembly went together to see him, and found the jar emitting five-colored brilliant light and fragrant vapors. On the morning of the twenty-ninth day, the temple abbot Quan and several others climbed to the meditation hut together, and from afar they saw purple light shining outward from the shrine. As dusk approached that day, a flock of five or six hundred birds suddenly gathered in a single tree, and took flight shortly afterward. At the beginning of the second watch that night, multicolored light filled the temple, illuminating the rooms and buildings. In the fifth watch, the crackling roar of fire was heard at the mountain summit. Running in alarm to see, they saw the Chan Master with palms joined amid the fire. His age was sixty-six. The regional inspector, Prince of Wuling, sent people to clean and collect his remains, and built a stūpa at that site. Later, the sound of a stone chime was heard at the mountain summit, its sound exceedingly clear and penetrating. Prior to this, at the place where he burned his body, there was a large persimmon tree that had been withered and dead for more than ten years; whenever the Chan Master entered the mountain, he always sat beneath this tree, and the following spring it sprouted branches and leaves. When the Chan Master first set off for the east, he told his disciple Daoyin: 'I have had the rare fortune in a thousand ages to encounter the King of the Dharma. Now I am making a distant journey on account of this body, and have no further day to be received in audience. I have an iron alms bowl that I have upheld; it should be offered separately [to the emperor].' The disciple Daoyin reported the circumstances in full and presented the iron bowl. Thereupon an imperial decree was issued: 'The Chan Master's mental resolve was resolute and strong; he was able to practice what is difficult to practice. We had still hoped that he would broadly transform and guide, benefiting the four kinds of living beings, yet he has suddenly passed to another realm, which is truly lamentable. Following the footsteps of Sarvasattvapriyadarśana, he will surely see Jaladharagarjitaghoṣasusvaranakṣatrarājasankusumitābhijña (Jingming) face to face. Spoken of in this way, it is rather something to rejoice over.'

5.11

Shi Sengan was originally a man of the Rang barbarians. Although living among barbarian customs, his heart yearned for Chinese culture. His deportment was dignified and austere, his conduct relaxed and refined. Moreover, his innate observance of the precepts was fully developed, and he never engaged in cruelty. Among the vulgar customs of the Rang, they mostly dwelt in mountain woods, took pleasure in killing and hunting, and netted game from dawn to dusk. Sengya alone stood aloof with hands folded and would not take part. His father and brothers were constantly angry, calling him cowardly and inept. Sengya, unable to avoid it entirely, carried a blade and went along. Whenever he saw herds of deer, he drew his bow to shoot them, yet he always took care to graze their fur and pass by, never inflicting any harm in the end. Although his father and brothers witnessed this, they were not moved to realization. Sengya, knowing they could not be reformed, took his leave and departed. He came to Yizhou and went to Ācārya Chong, requesting to become his disciple. After leaving household life, he was devout and energetic: he possessed no extra robe, and his bowl held no surplus food. Whenever he read the Lotus Sūtra and came to the "Bhaiṣajyarāja Bodhisattva Chapter," upon hearing of burning the body to make offerings to the Buddha and burning the fingers to propagate the sūtra, he pondered deeply upon these words and inwardly gave rise to a vow. He then burned one finger and copied the Lotus Sūtra. On the day he burned it, onlookers choked the streets, and donation offerings piled up high. Later, he planned to construct a hall and stūpa, extending to monastic quarters and corridors. Setting a date to burn his body, he intended to dedicate this merit to their construction. At that time, King Zhao of the Northern Zhou raised the carriage curtains in Yi commandery, overseeing the administration and governing the populace, eliminating troublesome matters and removing oppressive measures; in addition, he revered the Three Jewels and protected the four reliances. Ya consulted the King regarding this matter, and the King readily gave his consent. Setting a date, he announced it far and wide, so that both near and far knew of it. Firewood was accumulated, and fragrant oils were abundant. On that day, the King personally led his officials to come together to witness the ceremony. Ya thereupon held burning incense in his hand, stepped onto the woodpile, sat upright upon it, and addressed the fourfold assembly, saying: "Ya's heart is set on benefiting living beings, and in my mind there is no craving. Now I renounce this defiled body to establish a pure monastery. If these words are not false, I must surely show you a fleshy heart." After making this vow, he had the fire set. Sitting upright, he recited the sūtra with a clear and bright voice. When the fire reached his face, his voice finally ceased. Thereupon, flowers rained from the sky above, falling all over the city and town below. Far and near, people wept in sorrow, while young and old sighed with grief. Donated offerings piled up profusely, and precious wealth accumulated like a mountain, all of which was given to the monastery to erect the hall and stūpa. When the burning of his body was complete, the fleshy heart alone remained intact. Was this not because he had attained the stage of non-retrogression, and thus his vowed words were not in error? The King gazed at the fleshy heart, stroked it, and wept aloud: "A bodhisattva, a holy person, has departed from here forever! Alas, how painful! How can we bear losing our shelter?" People of the time all called him Bodhisattva Sengya. The King received the fleshy heart and built a great stūpa for it, reverently worshipping morning and evening, never failing in his offerings.

5.12

Shi Fachong, surnamed Bi, was a native of Jiujiang. He constantly recited the Lotus Sūtra, the number of times beyond reckoning. In addition, he repaired and built monastery buildings, with his heart devoted to maintaining the Dharma. In his later years, he resided at Huacheng Monastery halfway up Mount Lu to practice meditation. Unless on monastic business, he never took a step outside. He constantly urged the assembly of monks: "Do not let women enter the monastery. Above, this harms the Buddha's teachings; below, it gives rise to vulgar gossip." However, because worldly people considered material foundations of major importance, some did not comply. Chong sighed, saying: "Not encountering a buddha in this life is already the consequence of past transgressions. When the correct teaching is not practiced, it is right that one should die early. Why worry that men of the world will not keep the precepts?" He thereupon threw himself down from the Incense Burner Peak of this mountain, vowing to pulverize his flesh and bones so that he might be born in the Pure Land. In mid-air, his head suddenly turned upwards, and he floated gently downward, coming to rest in the deep valley without harming a single hair. The monastic assembly initially knew nothing of it. Later, someone ascended the mountain peak and looked down the path, more than a thousand fathoms deep. Hearing a human voice, he followed the sound to search for it, and it was indeed Chong. His life was still intact, and he was reciting as before. They welcomed him back to the monastery. The monks, moved by his admonition unto death, barred women [from the monastery]. Six years later, he finally passed away. The weather was at the height of summer heat, yet his corpse did not putrefy or smell foul. This was at the end of the Kaihuang reign era of the Sui.

5.13

Shi Dazhi, surnamed Gu, was a native of Shanyin in Kuaiji. He left household life at an early age and served Zhizhe of Tiantai as his master. Zhiyi, observing that his bodily form and spirit were uninhibited and soaring beyond material things, accordingly named him Dazhi. He took meditation and recitation as his vocation, wholly devoting himself to ascetic discipline. Wherever there were famous places in the four directions, no matter how distant, he surely reached them. His tone of speech was serene and harmonious, and his demeanor genuinely solemn, so that those who saw him opened their eyes wide in wonder, knowing he was no ordinary vessel. In the tenth year of the Kaihuang era, he came to travel to Mount Lu and resided at the Peak Monastery, not enrolling on official registers and not joining the ranks of ordinary monks. He recited the Lotus Sūtra with an untroubled and refined manner, and was exceptionally skilled in clear melodic chanting, causing all listeners to forget their fatigue. Later, south of Ganlu Peak on Mount Hua, he established the Jingguan Bodhimaṇḍa and took dhūta asceticism as his vocation. Alone by himself, he did not avoid roaring tigers; whenever he heard there were fierce beasts, he deliberately went and threw himself before them, but they all turned away and did not devour him. Grains were originally absent on the mountain, and all day he forgot food, sometimes merely sustaining his life with cakes and fruits. From the outside, others saw this as unbearable torment, but Zhi was at peace with it, his complexion remaining unchanged. Seven years passed, throughout which his meditation practice was unbroken. In his later years, he dwelt at Fulin Monastery on a nearby mountain. When the Daye reign era's purges occurred, he followed the path of reclusion. Lameting that the Dharma had declined to such an extent, he altered his garments and disfigured his appearance, placed the Classic of Filial Piety upon his head, wore rough hemp cloth as clothing, and in the Buddha hall wailed loudly in grief for three days and three nights without any break from the start. The monastery monks consoled him. Zhi said: "I sigh that evil karma has come to such a pass! I must exhaust this physical body to make clear the correct teaching." He thereupon went to the Eastern Capital and submitted a memorial, saying: "May Your Majesty revive and make manifest the Three Jewels. I shall burn an arm on the high mountain to repay the nation's kindness." The emperor granted it and decreed the hosting of a great vegetarian feast, where the sevenfold assembly gathered together. Zhi fasted for three days, climbed onto a high scaffold, and with glowing hot irons branded his arm, burning it completely black, then severed it with a blade, so that the flesh tore open and the bone appeared. He then branded the bone, burning it black as well; wrapped it in cloth and poured wax over it, and lit it with fire below. The light illuminated the mountain crags and valleys. At that time, seeing his painful practice, the great assembly all felt sorrow piercing their marrow, unable to stand still. Yet although Zhi endured the burning and branding, his words and expression did not change, and he spoke and smiled as before. From time to time he recited verses of the Dharma or praised the Buddha's virtues, preaching the Dharma for the assembly, his voice resounding without cease. When the arm had completely burned away, he climbed down the scaffold as before, entered samādhi for seven days, and passed away seated cross-legged. He was forty-three years of age at the time. From when Zhi first left household life until the end, his integrity was resolute like the pine and bamboo. He wore one set of clothing throughout winter and summer, never wearing fine silk or floss, using rough hemp and coarse cloth as his norm. His complexion was exceptionally fair, his lips red like cinnabar, his skirt hung halfway down his shins, and he wore rush sandals. His voice was bright and clear, his poise elevated above the clouds. When people did not recognize him and wondered where he came from, he would knit his brows and tell them: "I am merely Dazhi, a minor monk of Fulin Monastery on Mount Lu in Jiujiang." Moreover, he was skilled in literary composition, his writing clear and incisive. He composed an aspiration and vow text of more than seventy sheets of paper, intending to form good spiritual friendships with all living beings. When monks who were stubborn and hard to inspire with faith saw this vow, none failed to cover their faces and weep. Nowadays on the peak of Mount Lu, whenever the end of the year arrives, the monks of the various monasteries gather together for the night and read his posthumous vows to instruct monastics and laypeople, causing the assembly to weep in heartfelt grief.

5.14

In the household of Prince Jiang, there was a retainer whose name has been forgotten. From the age of eight or nine, he received and held the Lotus Sūtra, reciting it day and night, forgetting both sleep and food. The Prince was at that time serving as the Regional Inspector of Qizhou. The retainer thereupon wished from his heart to burn his body. He had a daughter who served the Prince and was deeply favored by him. The daughter reported the situation to the Prince, and the Prince granted it. The retainer thereupon bathed and purified himself in the mountains and also cleansed the altar area, whereupon he burned his body. After a month had passed, his daughter sent people to collect her father's ashes. His bodily form and bones were entirely consumed, yet amidst the ashes they found only a single tongue, its fleshy color fresh and lustrous, just as when he was alive. The Prince's son-in-law, Wei Zheng, sighed in admiration upon seeing it, and thereupon reported it to the Prince. The Prince personally viewed it and felt ever greater reverence and wonder. Even after several years had passed, it remained just as before.

5.15

In Jingzhou, there were two bhikṣuṇīs who were sisters; their names have been lost. Together they recited the Lotus Sūtra, feeling deep revulsion for their physical vessels, and both wished to renounce their bodies. Restricting their food and clothing, they strove to elevate ascetic practice, consuming various fragrant oils and gradually cutting off grain food. Later they abruptly cut off all grain, eating only fragrant honey. Sustained by their spiritual vigor, their minds remained fresh and lucid. They made announcements all around to monastics and laypeople, setting a date to burn their bodies. On the night of the eighth day of the second month in the third year of Zhenguan, they erected two high pyres on the main thoroughfare of Jingzhou. They wrapped their bodies with waxed cloth up to their crowns, exposing only their faces and eyes. The multitude gathered like a mountain, chanting praises as clouds converge. Both women recited the Lotus Sūtra up to the "Bhaiṣajyarāja Chapter." The elder sister first touched a torch to the younger sister's crown, and the younger sister in turn touched a torch to the elder sister's crown. In the clear night, the two torches shone together at once. As the flames descended to their eyes, their voices became increasingly distinct; only when the fire reached their noses and mouths did the sounds gradually cease. Just as dawn arrived, their seated bodies collapsed completely, cremated by the fire at once. Although their bones were ruined and decayed, both tongues remained intact. The entire assembly rejoiced and sighed in admiration, and erected a high stūpa for them.

5.16

Recently, to the west of the city of Bingzhou, there was a scholar aged twenty-four or twenty-five. He recited the Lotus Sūtra and vowed to burn his body as an offering. He therefore gathered several bundles of wormwood and firewood and dried them in the sun. When people asked him the reason, he kept it secret and did not explain. Later, in the middle of the night, he set fire to burn himself. By the time people went to save him, the fire was raging and he was already dead. They thereupon added firewood and consumed his physical remains completely. Heavenly music and extraordinary fragrances caused everyone greatly to give rise to faithful hearts.

5.17

Shi Huitong was a native of Yushuchuan in Wannian of Yongzhou. In his youth, he took delight in the discipline of the Way and roamed among forests and springs; ascetic practices and precepts were what he held dear. He went to the Baolin Valley on Mount Zhongnan, living in seclusion and pursuing his studies. He read the Lotus Sūtra, and when he reached the "Bhaiṣajyarāja Chapter," he rejoiced in renouncing his body. Secretly accumulating firewood, he vowed that he would carry it out. On a quiet night in the late years of the Zhenguan era, he piled up wood in the forest to make a cave-like pyre. Reciting up to the "Bhaiṣajyarāja Chapter," he ordered the fire to be set. The wind stirred and the flames burst forth, smoke and fire both blazing vigorously. Seated tall and upright, his reciting voice continued as before. Soon after, toward the southwest, a great white light was seen flowing into the mass of fire, and only then did his body fall over. By dawn, both body and fire were entirely extinguished. They thereupon collected his remaining bones, built a white stūpa for him, and carved an inscription to preserve his memory.

5.18

Shi Tanyou, whose secular surname was Zhang, was a native of Xuzhou. He travelled to Xiangyang to study, where he suddenly gave rise to aversion [to the world] and renunciation. Meeting Chan Master Zhi, Chan Master Wuxing, and others, he went forth from the household to practice the Way at Mount Yueling. He devoted himself exclusively to reciting the Lotus Sūtra. When reciting the sūtra, he would without fail set up a pure altar several feet square, hang twenty-one banners, burn incense, and scatter flowers, only then reciting it; he made this his regular practice. Later, at Mount Xian, when he wished to read the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, he was repeatedly moved by someone in his dreams teaching him to recite various verses; when he came to turn the scrolls of the sūtra, they corresponded exactly with the text. Later, hearing that the miraculously airborne image made by King Aśoka at Changsha Monastery had displayed very many spiritual traces, [he thought] that if he did not disdain his life to sacrifice himself for principle, there would be no means to accord with this profound sincerity. He contemplated taking Bhaiṣajyarāja as his model to burn his body as an offering. In the first year of the Qianfeng reign era, he went to the place of the image, prayed sincerely with a grand vow, wishing that there would be no obstructing conditions. Thereupon, he heard the sound of finger-snapping in front of the hall. At that time, dense clouds and sudden downpours had accumulated for ten days. Bystanders tried to stop him, fearing it might cause an obstacle. You said, 'This is an auspicious sign; it will surely be fulfilled without doubt.' Just on the night of the fifteenth day of the second month, the sky became completely clear and bright, and the moonlight shone down. You, using wax-soaked cloth, ignited both his hands and his head, wishing to burn long and make an offering for a long time, not wishing to die early. When the fire reached his two wrists, his expression did not change; when the fire reached his eyebrows and forehead, he expounded the Dharma as before. Serenely one-minded, his eyes gazed upon the auspicious image, making an offering with bright light, wishing to see Sun-Moon-Pure-Bright-Virtue Buddha. People asked whether it was painful or not; he replied, 'My mind is like a vajra, without turning back; it is exceedingly cool and joyous, and there is no pain at all.' In an instant, fierce flames flared brilliantly, illuminating through from top to bottom. From within the fire, he further uttered words mindfulness of the Buddha. Earlier, when the fire was about to flare up, the monastic assembly were all terrified, fearing that there would be no remains and that the signs of the burning would not be known; they requested that one sign be left behind to show to sentient beings. Later, all had turned to ashes and embers, leaving only the skull bone. The following morning, the entire prefecture rushed there, and officials all gathered, prostrating, circumambulating, and lamenting with gratitude before returning. Just as they stepped out of the monastery gate, the skull bone shattered on its own. There were more than ten faithful people who, before the miraculous bones, prayed for relics; those that descended successively numbered eight in all, sinking or floating freely, responding to the promptings of their hearts. Now his remaining ashes have been gathered and buried within the monastery, where there is frequently a response of finger-snapping.

5.19

Recently, the śramaṇa Hulun of Ximing Monastery, when first reciting the Lotus, had barely finished one roll when he burned one finger; arriving at eight rolls, he had burned eight fingers. Although this is not completely abandoning the body, it is nevertheless the next best thing to leaving behind the body.

5.20

Accounts in Praise of the Lotus Sūtra, Fascicle Five

5.21

The Accounts in Praise of the Lotus Sūtra was brought over from the kingdom of Goryeo among more than a hundred scrolls of sacred teachings by Yong Sujing, a man of Song, pursuant to my encouragement. Based on a single exemplar, and fearing it might be lost or scattered, I urged Dharma Master Junyuan to first request the copying of one copy. In the course of this, while Sujing and others were returning to the court, at Iki Island they encountered an outbreak of turmoil caused by pirates; the first five rolls of this record fell into the sea and suffered slight water damage. Even so, while the pirates were either killed by the Song men or drowned upon reaching the island, the lost articles could still be recovered. The Song men said this was solely due to the mighty power of the sacred teachings. (And so forth.) Recorded at the Dazaifu on the fifth day of the seventh month in the first year of the Hōan era by the Great Dharma Master Jukuju.

Linked texts (1)

弘贊法華傳 — Classical Chinese