弘贊法華傳 8.12

8.12

Śramaṇa Faxi, secular surname Li, was a native of Xiangyang. He went forth from home at the age of seven and served Chan Master Hao as his guide. There were more than forty monks at the Qingxishan Temple in Jingzhou; Xi, as a śrāmaṇera, personally waited upon and served them. By day he cooked and gathered firewood, and by night he recited and practiced the scriptures. Living in the mountains without torches, he burned firewood to get light; each evening he set himself the task of mastering and reciting one sheet of paper. Continuing thus for a long period, whatever he turned his attention to became smooth and fluent. Although he studied the various classes of sūtras, he consistently took the Lotus Sūtra as the primary focus. He often used the intervals of eating and resting to recite a fascicle, while otherwise devoting himself exclusively to the practice of dhyāna with mindfulness foremost; whenever drowsiness arose, he immediately refreshed what he had learned. Furthermore, because Master Hao had passed away, he wished to grant unseen assistance to his departed spirit, vowing to recite the Lotus Sūtra a thousand times. Thereupon he ceased residing in his old room, merely circumambulating the temple stūpa, walking and sitting in both postures, vowing to fulfill his original resolve. Having completed eight hundred recitations, striving diligently morning and night with mind focused and undistracted, he felt increasingly robust and vigorous. A monk of the same temple saw a white ox drawing a jeweled carriage into Xi's room; following it to look, there was no trace of it whatsoever, and only then was it known that this hidden spiritual resonance was in accord with the teachings. In the fourth year of the Wude era (621), Xiao Yu summoned him to reside at Jinliang Temple. Later he retired to Lifu, maintaining humility and forbearance, keeping the rescue of others in mind. Whenever anyone was sick or suffering, whether visitors or old acquaintances, he gave provisions to all and inquired after them, personally attending to their medical care. Even when it came to feces, urine, pus, and vomit, he would approach and tend to them, never regarding them as defiled or base, his heart all the more joyous, taking this as his regular practice. In the spring of the sixth year of the Zhenguan era (632), he first contracted a slight illness. Knowing he would not last long, he was urged to take medicine, but ultimately made no progress. On the twelfth day of the tenth month, he told his disciples: 'Impermanence has arrived. Do not make noise or disturbance; remain silent in quiet contemplation to guide my departing consciousness. Do not let strangers enter the room.' From time to time he called out, 'The three realms are empty space; they are only one mind.' The assembly suddenly heard north of the forest the sound of music and vibrating carriages, and informed him of it. Xi said, 'I cast away worldly retributions long ago; why should I be reborn into a place of pleasant rebirth? It is still an entanglement.' He then entered samādhi again. In a short while the sounds ceased, and a fragrant scent filled the air. When the fifth watch began, he passed away sitting upright, at the age of sixty-one. His countenance remained fresh and clean, as if constantly in samādhi.