弘贊法華傳 5.11

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.