法華傳記 5

English (machine translation) 5

Language: English

5.1

Chapter 8: The Superior Benefits of Chanting and Reciting, Part 3

1. Śramaṇa Yisu
2. Shi Hexhi of the Shi Village
3. Monk Xuanxiu
4. Monk Daohui
5. Śramaṇa Daotai
6. Śramaṇa Pu'an
7. Śramaṇa Sengding
8. Śrāmaṇera of the Sui
9. Śramaṇa Sengche
10. Śramaṇa Sengyan
11. Cen Wenben
12. Ling Sujing
13. Wei Zhonggui
14. Śramaṇa Huixian
15. Śramaṇa Huihe
16. Cui Yiqi
17. Yang Gaihu
18. Rong Wence
19. Śrāmaṇera of the Song
20. Long Zhitong
21. Widow of Liang
22. Gao Shoujie
23. Śramaṇa Mingyao
24. Śramaṇa Senghong
25. Wang Zhu of the Song

5.3

1. Śramaṇa Yisu of Liquan in Yongzhou under the Tang

5.4

Śramaṇa Yisu was of unknown origin. At the beginning of the Tang dynasty, he traveled to and stayed at the Yanglu household in Meiquan Township, south of Liquan County in Yongzhou, where he was continuously provided for. Pure, frugal, and with few desires, he made the recitation of the Lotus his sole vocation, day and night without interruption, reaching several thousand times. In the early years of the Zhenguan reign period, falling ill and about to pass away, he gave his final instructions to his friend Huikuo, saying: "Lately, although I have been reciting the sūtra, my wish has been to see a miraculous sign so as to give rise to the good roots of faith and devotion among ordinary folk. After I die, do not place me in a coffin, but bury my exposed remains. After ten years, you may exhume them: if the tongue-root has rotted, you will know I had no true upholding [of the text]; but if it still remains, you should inform the monastics and laity to build a stupa for it to manifest the spiritual resonance." Having spoken these words, he passed away, and was buried accordingly. In the eleventh year of the Zhenguan reign period, Kuo and various acquaintances went to the grave and opened it: the flesh of the body had completely dissolved, yet the tongue alone remained undecayed. The gentlemen and women of the whole county all looked up to and praised it, and those who recited and upheld [the sūtra] doubled their customary efforts. Thereupon they enshrined the tongue in a casket and built a brick stupa for it on the south bank of Gangu, north of Yanglu Village. Those of understanding venerated it, growing ever deeper in their faith and reverence, and read and recited all the more.

5.5

2. Shi Hezhi of Shi Village South of the Fushui River in Yongzhou

5.6

To the south of the suburbs within Chang'an County in Yongzhou, on the south bank of the Fushui River, there was a man named Shi Hezhi of Shi Village. From youth he harbored good thoughts, constantly recited the Lotus, practiced the peaceful practices, and held compassion in mind. He did not ride on domestic beasts, because the sūtra speaks of "pitying all beings." With modesty and restraint as his mindset, his name was listed as a clerk, traveling back and forth to the capital ministries. Because of his habit of recitation, and fearing that he might encounter acquaintances along the road and engage in social pleasantries, thereby interrupting his recitation, he always took small bypaths and side roads, lowering his voice with a serene countenance, keeping his contemplation continuous and never showing weariness. When he came to the end of his life, a miraculous fragrance was sensed, filling the alleys of the village; relatives and strangers alike were amazed, without understanding its cause. He was then buried. Ten years later, when his wife died, his corpse was exhumed: the tongue-root was fresh and bright, while the rest had entirely decayed. He was then given a prominent and marked reburial.

5.7

3. Monk Xuanxiu of Suihua Temple in Huangzhou

5.8

Monk Xuanxiu resided at Suihua Temple in Huangzhou. By nature he was pure, prudent, gentle, and respectful in his aspirations. He constantly recited the Lotus, and whenever he elicited strange omens, he never regarded them as miraculous. Once during the summer heat, his companions were seeking a cool place and sent for Xiu, wishing to chat and laugh. When the messenger reached the front of his room, he saw only a solemn and formidable guard of attendants with towering figures and horses; terrified, he returned and reported it. They went together to observe, and it was just as before without difference. Moving around to the back door, the retinue was even larger; looking up into the sky, it was packed without limit, mostly riding elephants and horses, a mixed company of ghosts and spirits. They thus realized it was his spiritual resonance. Leaving it be, they returned, and the next morning they apologized in shame; their social visits subsequently ceased. Xiu devoted himself exclusively to this vocation, and passed away at the end of the Sui.

5.9

4. Monk Daohui of Fucheng Temple in Yizhou under the Tang

5.10

The monk Daohui was a native of Shu. Having lost his parents in his youth, he was raised by his elder brother. Day and night he wept in grief, longing for his parents. At the age of nine, following a master, he recited the Lotus Sūtra until he was fluent in it, praying that they might be freed from suffering. When he had recited a full one hundred copies, he dreamt that in the sky above Fucheng Temple there was an extraordinary light, which gradually approached the courtyard. Suddenly he saw a god surrounded by hundreds of thousands of deities, who addressed Daohui, saying: "We are your two parents. Relying on the power of your recitation of the sūtra, we have been reborn in the second heaven and have escaped the terrors of the bad destinies. If you recite it a full thousand times, you will surely be born in the Pure Land." One should know that this was a deep bond between parents and child, who came to meet and express their feelings. Having spoken these words, they vanished from sight. Upon awakening, his faith and reverence redoubled, and he was ever more devoted to chanting and reciting. Those who heard of it passed the word along, and many recited the sūtra to deliver their parents from suffering, having dreams of such announcements; here they are only briefly passed over without being related.

5.11

The Monk Daotai of Hengtang Monastery in Changshan under the Wei, Five

5.12

The monk Daotai was a man of the late Yuan Wei. He dwelt in Hengtang Monastery in Changshan. In a dream, a person said to him: "When you reach that year, you shall die at the age of forty-two." When he reached that year, he fell gravely ill and was filled with anxiety, so he gave away all his bodily possessions to make merit. A friend said: "I have heard that making offerings to sixty-two koṭis of bodhisattvas is equal to a single invocation of Avalokiteśvara. Why do you not take refuge with utmost sincerity? Your lifespan will surely be extended." Thereupon Tai had a realization, and for four days and four nights he concentrated his devotion without interruption. Beneath the curtain where he sat, he suddenly saw a bright light enter from outside the door, and beheld Avalokiteśvara's instep and ankle, shining brightly in a golden color. [Avalokiteśvara] said to Tai: "Do you contemplate Avalokiteśvara? Do you also recite the Lotus Sūtra?" As soon as Tai lifted the curtain, [the vision] was no longer seen. Weeping with both sorrow and joy, drenched in sweat, he immediately felt his body grow light, and his illness was thereby cured. He recited the text of the Lotus Sūtra until he was fluent in it, and contemplated that Avalokiteśvara. Only at the age of forty-four did he speak of this to like-minded persons. Tai later died having lived out his natural lifespan.

5.13

The Monk Pu'an of the Capital of the Chen, Six

5.14

The monk Pu'an's surname was Chen. Having renounced the household in his youth, he recited the Lotus Sūtra until he was fluent, but took pride in it as his achievement. Stricken with the suffering of a febrile illness, his teeth all fell out. He then put an end to his pride, and with a mind of wisdom recited [the sūtra] for a full summer retreat. He dreamt that a celestial youth arrived, pointed to his gums with a willow branch, and said: "You have concentrated your mind on reciting the sūtra; your fallen teeth will grow back as they originally were. When you attain the Way in the future, your teeth will be white and fine-set." Having spoken, [the youth vanished and] he woke from the dream; his mouth was filled with teeth. Later he moved to live in a quiet room, and as he recited the sūtra facing the window, food and drink naturally appeared before his desk. Just as he finished eating, for the next seven days he was as though full and sated, and his body was plump and well-nourished like this. His sympathetic resonances and supreme benefits were very numerous. At the age of eighty-nine he died; fragrance filled the room, and music was heard in the sky. That night, a disciple dreamt of a Central Asian monk who spoke a verse, saying:

5.15

"If one hears the Lotus Sūtra / And chants and recites it with a concentrated mind, / The noble assembly will come and extend their hands, / And one will surely be born into the Pure Land."

5.16

Inferring from this, he was born into the Pure Land by relying on the recitation of the sūtra.

5.17

The Monk Sengding of Fazhu Temple in Luzhou under the Tang, Seven

5.18

The monk Sengding was a fellow disciple of Tanrong. Dwelling in Fazhu Temple, he practiced the Vaipulya confession and chanted and recited the Lotus Sūtra, never lying down to sleep day or night. His conduct in the precepts was pure and lofty. Through the resonance of his dreams he saw various noble assemblies, and the more he repented, the more he recited. On the fourteenth day of the seventh month in the seventh year of Zhenguan, inside the Fazhu sanctuary, he saw a great radiance in which five colors arose alternately, descending from above. Amidst it were seven Buddhas, with extraordinary marks and signs. They addressed Sengding, saying: "I am Vipaśyin Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha. Because your sins have been dissolved, I have come to bear witness; yet, not being your original teacher, I do not confer a prediction on you." The six [other] Buddhas all spoke these same words. Furthermore, there was a great radiance twice as bright as before, descending from above, amidst which were nine hundred and ninety-four Buddhas, who all addressed Sengding with these same words. The last Buddha said: "I am your original teacher, Śākyamuni. Because your sins have been dissolved, I have come to confer a prediction on you. The vessel of your body is pure; in the Bhadrakalpa you shall become a Buddha named Universal Light (Samantaprabhā). In practicing the Vaipulya Mahāyāna and the Samantabhadra sanctuary, your upholding and reciting of the Lotus Sūtra is inconceivable." Such manifestations and miraculous resonances as this are difficult to recount in full. (If one relies on the Xu gaoseng zhuan, Tanrong and Sengding practiced the Vaipulya repentance together, and saw the seven Buddhas and Śākyamuni confer predictions on both men, without mentioning the recitation of the Lotus Sūtra. However, in separate records, they upheld and recited the Lotus Sūtra and practiced the Vaipulya Mahāyāna Samantabhadra repentance; it is merely that what the chroniclers heard differed.)

5.19

The Śrāmaṇera of the Village below Dongshan in Qizhou under the Sui, Eight

5.20

At the beginning of the Kaihuang era of the Sui, there was a monk from Yangzhou whose name has been forgotten. He had recited the entire Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra until fluent, and, boasting of having recited so much, took pride in it as his achievement. At that time, in a village below Dongshan in Qizhou, there was a śrāmaṇera who recited the Avalokiteśvara-sūtra. Both men died suddenly, while the region below their hearts remained warm, and together they arrived at the dwelling of King Yama. [The king] placed the śrāmaṇera on a high golden seat, treating him with great reverence, but placed the Nirvāṇa monk on a high silver seat, with less reverence. When the proceedings were finished and they were interrogated, both still had remaining years of life, and were both released to return. That Nirvāṇa monk was filled with deep resentment; relying on having recited more, he asked where the śrāmaṇera lived. Thereupon, bidding farewell, each revived in his respective place. Coming from the south, he arrived in Qizhou, sought [the śrāmaṇera] out, and questioned him thoroughly about the cause. The śrāmaṇera said: "When beginning to recite the Avalokiteśvara[-sūtra], I put on special robes and go to a special place, burn incense, and make vows; only then do I recite. I never grow lax in this method, and there is no other secret." That [monk] apologized, saying: "My sins are grave indeed! With what I called the Nirvāṇa, my deportment was irregular, my body and mouth were impure, and I merely sought to avoid forgetting it. An ancient saying has been passed down: 'Many bad deeds are not as good as a few good ones.' Today this has been verified." Repenting of his past, he returned.

5.21

The Monk Sengche of Xianquan Temple in Jiangzhou, Nine

5.22

The monk Sengche lived in Xianquan Temple on Mount Nangu in Jiangzhou. Formerly, while walking, he met a leper in a cave. Che led him into the mountains, dug a cave for him, supplied him with food, and had him recite the Lotus Sūtra. [The man] had never known letters, and was moreover stubborn and rustic, yet [Che] taught him sentence by sentence, never flagging with fatigue. When he had recited nearly half the sūtra, he dreamt of someone instructing him; thereafter he became somewhat intelligent. Having mastered five or six scrolls, he gradually felt his sores healing. Once the full sūtra was finished, his beard and eyebrows were restored and his complexion was normal. Thus the sūtra says: "It is a good medicine for illness." This is truly verified!

5.23

The Monk Sengyan of Bingzhou under the Tang, Ten

5.24

The monk Sengyan was a native of Bingzhou. In general, the people of Bingzhou, from seven years of age and up, all understood mindfulness of the Buddha, and many were born in the Pure Land. Yan resided in Bingzhou for a long time, reciting the Lotus Sūtra and joyfully seeking rebirth in the Land of Peaceful Nurture, on the grounds that the sūtra says: "[One will] immediately go to the World of Peace and Joy." Reciting it once every day, in three years he completed a thousand repetitions. He dreamt that wings sprouted on the left and right of his body, with the characters of the Lotus Sūtra serving as their patterns and colors. Wanting to soar, his body felt naturally light, and he immediately flew away to the west. Arriving at a land of the seven jewels, where palaces stood side by side and were filled with devas and humans, he looked back at his own body: his wings were suddenly transformed into a platform of a great jeweled lotus, and each and every character turned into a sixteen-foot Buddha body. Each spoke a verse, saying: "You recited the Wondrous Dharma in the defiled world; / Sentient beings, through karmic hindrances, only saw the words; / They are truly the Buddhas complete in the three bodies; / Now turning into wings, they have restored their original form." Hearing the verse, he saw the platform: over sixty-nine thousand three hundred transformation Buddhas sat upon the petals, and the Buddha atop the platform was Amitābha Buddha. He advanced and bowed his head in reverence, and the Buddha on the platform said to Yan: "Return to Jambudvīpa, and show sentient beings the signs I have spoken of; also propagate the merit of the Lotus Sūtra." Thereupon the Buddhas turned back into his original wings, and he returned to the Sahā world. Awakening from the dream, he shed tears. Reciting the Lotus Sūtra, he entered further into mind-contemplation: at the tip of his tongue there was an eight-petaled lotus, upon which a Buddha sat cross-legged; each and every character of the Lotus Sūtra emerged from the Buddha's mouth, all in golden color, endowed with radiance, and transforming into Buddha bodies that filled the empty sky and surrounded the upholder of the sūtra. When he closed his eyes, this sign immediately appeared; when he opened his eyes, it was not seen. Devoting himself exclusively to contemplation and recitation, when he was at the verge of death, purple clouds towered above the steps, and he died sitting upright while reciting the sūtra. He was over seventy years of age. Having recorded these events in detail, he secretly preserved them deep within the scriptures. Those who later saw or heard of it merely wept with grief and formed a karmic connection.

5.25

The Director of the Chancellery Cen Wenben, Eleven

5.26

The Director of the Chancellery Cen Wenben was a native of Jiangling. In his youth he had faith in the Buddha, and constantly contemplated and recited the Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. He once took a boat, and in the middle of the Wu River the boat was wrecked and the passengers all died. Wenben was submerged in the water, when he heard someone say: "Only be mindful of the Buddha and you will surely not die." This was said three times. Soon, following the waves, he was swept ashore, and thereby escaped. Later, he set out a vegetarian feast in Jiangling, and the monks gathered at his home. There was a guest monk who lingered alone behind the others, and said to Wenben: "The realm is just now falling into disorder; fortunately you will not take part in its calamity, and in the end you will encounter great peace, wealth, and honor." Having spoken, he hurried out. Soon afterwards, as Wenben ate by himself, he found two grains of śarīra in his bowl. Later it indeed turned out just as he had said. (Wenben himself related this to Tang Lin.)

5.27

The Libationer of the Directorate of Education Xiao Jing, Twelve

5.28

Xiao Jing, Libationer of the Directorate of Education, was a native of Lingling. When the Liang was destroyed, he entered the Sui. His elder sister was the empress of Emperor Yang. Though raised in nobility and prosperity, his family revered the Buddha-Dharma. During the Daye era, because he personally recited the Lotus Sūtra, he constructed a Prabhūtaratna stupa in accordance with the sūtra text, making it of sandalwood. The stupa was about three feet high, with its upper canopy and lower base, and he also made a wooden image of Prabhūtaratna Buddha. After several years, his elder brother's son Quan was in the residence; rising in the morning, he suddenly saw in the grass of the front courtyard a sandalwood stupa canopy, beneath which was a brass Buddha image. Its craftsmanship differed from that of China, its facial features resembled a Central Asian, and the pupils of its eyes were made of silver, radiating bright light inside, pure as if natural. Astonished, Quan ran to tell Jing. Jing was startled and delighted upon seeing it; taking the canopy, he tried placing it on the Prabhūtaratna stupa, and it fit perfectly, matching as though originally made for it. Jing was overjoyed and encouraged, regarding it as the result of his sincere devotion, and enshrined the Buddha image. Inside the casket were over a hundred grains of śarīra. Jing's daughter, being young as a nun, secretly had doubts, for Central Asian monks had often said: "Śarīras cannot be broken by a hammer." So she took thirty grains and tried to smash them on a stone with an axe, but the śarīras were entirely unmarred. The daughter searched on the ground to pick them up, but found only three or four; all the rest were lost and could not be found anywhere. Soon, in fear, she reported this to Jing. Jing went to look inside the stupa, and the śarīras were all there as before. From that day forth, Jing recited the Lotus Sūtra once daily until the end of his life. In the eleventh year of Zhenguan, he became critically ill, and Empress Xiao together with his younger brothers and nephews came to see him. Jing met with them, had each of them light incense, and thereupon parted with them. He kept only his younger brother, Lord Yu, and his daughter who was a nun, bidding them to light incense and recite the sūtra. Shortly after, he said to the nun: "I wish to depart. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva has come to welcome me, and is in the eastern courtyard. You, Reverend, may go and welcome him." The nun went to welcome him as instructed, but before she returned, Jing said: "Because this courtyard is impure, he is unwilling to come. I shall go to him. May you all abide well!" He then bid farewell to Yu and the others, rose, knelt upright with palms joined, facing squarely to the west, then lay down and passed away. In his testamentary instructions, he ordered that a single cart alone should carry his coffin, dressed only in the clothes he wore; that women must not join the funeral procession; that no wine or meat be offered; and that the pit be dug only deep enough to conceal the coffin. Both court and countryside marveled at his awakening to the Way, and his family revered and carried out his wishes.

5.29

Wei Zhonggui of Linqiong, Thirteen

5.30

Zhonggui was by nature filial and fraternal, and was respected in his home commandery. At the age of seventeen his deportment was especially outstanding, and he served as Magistrate of Mengyang. His father, Lian, took up residence in Ziyang, and subsequently retired due to old age. During the Wude era, his father fell ill; Zhonggui did not take off his cap and belt while nursing him. After a long time his father passed away. Sending away his wife and concubines, he built a hut beside the grave. He had deep faith in the Buddha's teachings and recited the Lotus Sūtra. By day he carried earth to raise the burial mound, and by night he devoted himself to reciting the sūtra, unwearied in his sincere devotion. For three whole years he did not return home. Once, a tiger came before his hut at night and crouched down to listen to the sūtra, remaining there for a long time without departing. Gui held a proper mindfulness, saying: "I do not wish for wild beasts to press close." The tiger thereupon arose and departed. The next morning, seventy-two stalks of lingzhi mushrooms were found growing around the tomb. Those facing the front of the mound stood in neat rows as if planted by human hands; all had scarlet stems and purple caps, with caps five inches across, exhibiting an extraordinary radiance and color. The neighbors reported this to the prefecture and county. At that time, Zheng Junchang was the Inspector and Shuo Yu was the Vice-Governor; they went together to the grave site to inspect it. Suddenly a bird, resembling a duck, flew over clutching a pair of carp, each about a foot long. It landed before Junchang, laid the fish on the ground, and flew away. Junchang and the others sighed in profound admiration. Gathering the lingzhi, they presented a memorial to the throne, and an imperial decree was issued to confer honors upon his village gate. (Zhonggui's younger brother Xiaosui, who was an Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision, recounted this in person. People of Lüzhou also said the same thing.)

5.31

14. Monk Huixian of Waguan Monastery in Jincheng under the Tang

5.32

Monk Huixian was a native of Jincheng. After losing his parents, he renounced household life, maintained the precepts, sought out masters to inquire into the Way, recited and mastered the Lotus Sūtra, and took this as his single-minded endeavor. He made a vow to recite the sūtra at the grave site of his parents, seeking to deliver them from the suffering of saṃsāra. For a total of three years, he chanted and recited with diligent exertion, never setting it aside even for a moment. At the third watch of the night, a great radiance appeared in the sky, and flowers fell like snow. Amidst them a voice addressed Xian, saying: "I am your father. Through the power of your initial sūtra recitation, I had already come to abide in the Second Heaven. Now that you have completed one thousand readings, a holy assembly has come to welcome me, and from heaven I am to be born in the Pure Land. Your mother, relying on the power of the Nirvāṇa-sūtra, was immediately born in the land of Akṣobhya. While she was alive, she copied one fascicle of the Nirvāṇa-sūtra; your sūtra recitation helped support that wholesome deed from her life." Having spoken, it vanished and was no longer seen. The neighbors had thought there was a fire; when dawn came they went to ask Huixian, and Xian recounted the entire story from beginning to end. Those who heard it wept with sorrow. Those who recite sūtras at burial sites to aid their parents are indeed many of this kind.

5.33

15. Huihe of Zhongzao Monastery in the Capital

5.34

The man of the Way Huihe: During the Yijia rebellion in the Taishi era of the Song, before he renounced household life, he was an insurgent of the South. Following Liu Hu down to the capital, he served as a spy and arrived at Xinlin. He was captured, and they immediately intended to execute him. Earlier, he had encountered imperial troops at Quezhu and had already experienced terrifying peril. From that time on, he constantly recited the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra. When he was about to be executed, his mindful devotion became all the more intense. When they thereupon struck to behead him, the blade struck three times and broke three times. Thereupon the military commander regarded this as an extraordinary event and immediately released him. Having obtained deliverance, Huihe thereupon renounced household life.

5.35

16. Cui Yiqi, Junior Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices

5.36

Cui Yiqi did not believe in the Buddha at all. His father-in-law, Xiao Keng, was devoted to good deeds and recited the Lotus and the Prajñā several thousand times, never allowing pungent vegetables or alcohol to enter his gate. Qi's wife died in the fifth month. As they were holding a vegetarian feast on the twenty-first day for the midday meal, the deceased wife arrived. A maidservant named Suyu saw her speak in the mistress's voice: "Although during my life I heard of hell, I did not truly believe. Now I suffer indescribable pain. You, my sons and daughters, must believe! Because of the merit of your revolving the sūtras and lighting lamps for me, I have been granted temporary leave to return." Thereupon she confessed and repented before the great assembly: "On the twentieth day I will come again, and take Suyu to see me undergo my punishment." When the time arrived, she indeed came and took Suyu away. They saw the offices of a great city; the lady entered a separate courtyard. In an instant, cauldrons of fire and iron beds all arrived, and the lady suffered excruciating torment. Suddenly they saw the lady's father, Duke Su, seated upon a lotus pedestal. He said to the lady: "Release Suyu at once." He then addressed Suyu: "When my daughter was alive, she would not follow my words; she was full of anger and jealousy, and did not believe in good and evil. Now she suffers this torment, and I lack the power to save her. When you return, you can awaken her husband, sons, and daughters, telling them to cultivate merit, and before long she will obtain liberation." She also saw a Brahmin monk descend from the sky, who taught Suyu to recite the Diamond Prajñā, as well as to recite once through two fascicles of the Bhaiṣajyaguru and the Lotus; the two fascicles were both renamed "Śrāvaka". He also said: "The people of Jambudvīpa do not believe in the Buddha. When you recite this sūtra, Brahmins who hear it will all understand the words of the scripture." The maidservant revived after having been dead for three days. The household, both free and bonded, had at first thought she had contracted an ordinary illness. In the first month of the first year of the Linde era, a vegetarian feast was held at General Xue's residence; they invited the maidservant and requested three pieces of the Buddha's uṣṇīṣa-bone. A Brahmin monk had Suyu tested and examined; she then ascended the seat and recited at length without a single omission. All pressed their palms together and sighed in praise, saying: "It does not differ in the least from the texts of the Western Countries!" The whole assembly was astonished by this rare and marvelous event. General Xue thereupon presented an oral report to the throne. The Emperor sighed in great admiration, saying: "Among the civil and military officials there are also those who do not believe. If the unseen ways are like this, how can one not believe?" When the court dignitaries of the time heard of it, all gave rise to great faith. Mang Shuyuan, Erudite of the Directorate of Education, together with twenty monks, went to the residence in the Yishan Ward and summoned Suyu, bidding her recite the original scripture. Its Sanskrit sounds were profound and wonderful, causing people to listen with delight. She said of herself that she simply did not forget it. (Lower fascicle of the Gantong lu.)

5.37

17. Gai Hu of Shanyang

5.38

Gai Hu was a native of Shanyang. He was once bound in prison and condemned to die. This man had customarily recited the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra. For three days and three nights, his mind was uninterrupted. Suddenly in the middle of the night, his eyes saw Avalokiteśvara, who also emitted light illuminating him. Instantly the shackles and fetters fell away on their own, the various doors opened of themselves, and [the figure] led Hu out. Hu walked, following the light; after he had gone a few li, the light was extinguished. Hu stopped and lodged amidst the grass, and on the morrow he departed at leisure and escaped. (Yingyan zhuan.)

5.39

18. Murong Wence of Qinzhou

5.40

Murong Wence was a native of Shangbang County in Qinzhou. At the age of seventeen he recited and maintained the Diamond Prajñā and the Lotus Sūtra, never missing the vegetarian fasts. On the night of the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the seventh year of the Daye era of the Sui, two ghosts suddenly appeared before his bed holding documents, saying: "The King has now sent us to fetch you, sir." Wence was extremely flustered and frightened, and thereupon followed the messengers away. They approached a great city with imposing watchtowers and six concentric walls. As they were about to enter the first and second gates, there was an extremely great brilliance. When they reached the third gate, the gates were more than four li apart, and all was pitch dark; no road could be seen at all. The messengers led him through. Inside the fifth and sixth gates, there was again great brilliance. Three li from the gate, there were palace halls and chambers, with attendants on night watch holding staves all around, not different from the imperial palaces seen in the present world. The King sat in the palace hall. The men, women, monks, nuns, Daoist masters, and maidens brought there, along with six barbarian tribes of foreign lands, were beyond reckoning. Ce was walking behind the record-keeper; as names were called out, they passed before him. The King questioned them one by one regarding the karmic merits of their lives. Those with proof of merit were stationed to the west; those without proof of merit were stationed to the east. At the very end, Ce's name was finally called. The King asked: "What karmic merits have you accomplished in your lifetime?" Ce explained in detail: "Throughout my life, I have only recited and maintained the eight fascicles of the Diamond Prajñā and the Lotus, revolving and reading the Prajñā day and night; I have also kept the vegetarian fasts without missing a single day." When the King heard these words, he pressed his palms together in reverent admiration and said: "The merit is exceedingly deep!" He handed him over to the presiding official to examine the registers carefully to ensure he had not been brought by mistake. The record-keeper held the files and reported to the King: "His physical death is not yet due." The King immediately released him to return, and sent him walking westward. While he was standing there before departing, a śramaṇa aged about fifteen or sixteen, holding a bright torch, passed before Ce. Following behind him, another novice passed by holding a bright torch. Ce grabbed his kāṣāya and held him back: "I beseech the master to save this disciple! The messengers mistakenly arrested and brought me here; having received the King's grace, my registers were inspected and I was released to return, but I do not know where to go. May the master have compassion and protect this disciple, showing me the road by which I came!" The two monks said to Ce: "Because the dānapati upholds the Prajñā, revolves and reads the Mahāyāna scriptures, and firmly maintains the vegetarian fasts, we have come to save you." The master said: "I will hold the bright torch in front; the dānapati need only follow behind me." They returned out through the six concentric city gates, and went back to the two pitch-black gates. The bright torches held in the hands of the two monks were like the radiance of the rising sun; all emerged outside the six concentric gates. The two monks then said to Ce: "Does the dānapati know where the hells are?" Ce said: "I do not know." The two novices raised their hands and pointed to the northwest corner of the city, where there was a great city four li away: "This is the city of hell." The two novices said: "We shall take the dānapati to view this city." Following the masters thither, the city was lofty and precipitous, with a great gate hung with iron nets. Four rākṣasas held iron pitchforks, standing in attendance to the left and right. The two monks said: "This is the gate of hell. All sinners assigned here pass through this gate." They immediately led Ce through the gate; after walking about two hundred paces, he saw a river of ashes. All the suffering people therein were immersed in the river, with only their heads visible, hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of them. Fierce flames blazed around these sinners; their agony and cries could not be fully described. Moreover, on all four sides were iron beds and sword-trees, and four hell wardens held iron pitchforks, running along the banks; the sounds of their shouts were terrifying indeed. The two monks said: "The eighteen hells are all in this city." Seeing this, Ce was terrified in his heart, and only held proper mindfulness of the Buddha, constantly reciting sūtras in his mind without ceasing. The two monks then led Ce out of the city gate, returning to the original path. There were five pathways close together; in his confusion, he did not know the path that led to his home. As the two monks were about to take leave of Ce and depart, he bowed down and pleaded: "Among the five paths, this disciple does not know which path to take. May the masters have compassion and show me the path!" The two monks thereupon led the way along the middle path. After walking about ten li, there was a great gate blocking the mouth of the path, making it impossible to pass through. The two monks opened it with their khakkhara staffs, and said to Ce: "Strive diligently to cultivate merit and recite sūtras; do not give rise to laxity, and you will surely attain a long life." Ce bade farewell to the masters and reached home, waking up in his body. His parents and relatives were all flustered and frightened; he comforted them with proper etiquette and recounted the circumstances of his release and return home through the power of merit. Those who heard of it rejoiced, their minds peaceful and serene. With this merit of reciting sūtras and observing the vegetarian fasts, he exhorted and transformed everyone; each gave rise to the aspiration to read and recite without missing a single day, increasing their diligence, and he too lived to an advanced age.

5.41

19. The Novice of the Lotus Platform under the Song

5.42

The Lotus Terrace of the Song: After Shi Fazong set his mind [on the Dharma], he used the former dwelling of Kaiyou as a monastery. Because of [his] chanting, it was called the Lotus Terrace. Whenever there were those from various prefectures who aspired to chant and recite, they gathered in flocks at this terrace. The assembly was about three thousand. Chanting and recitation became clamorous and chaotic. The great assembly deliberated and divided [the day] into twelve periods, setting quotas for the groups, and striking the wooden striker (ghaṇṭī) as the time signal. Chanting and recitation did not cease, and their practice was constant. At that time, a novice monk came from afar. Ignorant and foolish, he did not know the words and phrases. Day and night, he aspired to chant and recite, hoping to enter the quotas for the assembly. However, he was naturally indolent and also did not understand the time signals. The great assembly took pity on his foolishness [and said], "Take the striking of the wooden striker at dawn as your set time. First practice chanting and recitation, and only when the practice is accomplished will you be fit to join the assembly's quota." He chanted and practiced for an entire summer retreat, but managed to learn only two or three lines. The assembly disdained him, for what he chanted was so little, and they took no joy in him. The novice monk was sorrowful. Taking the morning bell as his set time, day after day he applied his mind single-mindedly, shedding tears and feeling ashamed of his past deeds. He wished to cast his body off a mountain cliff or into a deep river. Going to a high cliff, he let go of his body and leaped, falling unconscious. According to his past deeds, he entered the Hell of the Boiling Cauldron. The hell wardens beat the sinners with staves; as the iron staves struck the edge of the cauldron, the sound resembled the wooden striker of former times. The novice monk recalled his original aspiration and unconsciously began chanting the title of the Lotus Sūtra. The sinners in the hell all sat upon lotus flowers, and the hell transformed into a cool pool. The hell wardens exclaimed at such an unprecedented event and brought the novice monk to report to King Yama. The king said, "The novice monk still has lifespan remaining; send him back to Jambudvīpa to fulfill his aspiration." Having heard these words, he awoke as if from sleep, his body unharmed. Returning to the terrace, he told of these events. The assembly partly believed and partly doubted him. The novice monk made a vow with utmost sincerity: "If what I saw in the netherworld was not in vain, may my karmic hindrances become light and subtle, and may the meaning of the entire text naturally illuminate [my mind]." Having made this vow, he circumambulated and chanted the scripture; the meaning of the entire text was naturally recited fluently. When the assembly heard his recitation, they all yielded to him in reverence. The senior monks ordained the novice monk as a monk, and he became the head of the assembly of chanters.

5.43

Zhitong of Longcheng in Tianshui, 20

5.44

Zhitong of Longcheng County in Tianshui Commandery, before reaching the age of twenty, maintained the fasts and precepts and recited scriptures such as the Lotus Sūtra and the Diamond Prajñā[-pāramitā Sūtra]. His repentance and worship during the six periods of the day were never omitted. At the age of twenty he was robust and clever. He was enrolled as a guardsman in the Qingde Garrison, registered in the Shujun militia. He received an imperial command sending him on an expedition against the southern barbarians, more than ten thousand li from his home. On the road, day and night, his worship and chanting never ceased. When they reached the territory of the southern barbarians, the imperial army was defeated in battle, and the soldiers scattered and fled. At that time, a group of more than a hundred men did not know where to turn, and many were wounded or killed. Zhitong was terrified and had nowhere to run. Suddenly, there were five men, all riding mares, surrounding Tong in front and behind. One of them rode up and told Tong, "Do not fear, do not fear! You are fully endowed with cultivated merits; surrounded in front and behind, harm cannot befall you." They traveled for some seven-odd li and reached a pagoda temple. They entered inside to hide, and the barbarians then returned to their camp. Suddenly, two monks came to where Tong was and said to Tong, "Patron, you chant the Diamond Prajñā and the Lotus Sūtra, and worship and mind the Buddhas; this is inconceivable, which is why [we] were sent to rescue you. The five men who just rode horses surrounding you in front and behind were all the power of the Lotus Sūtra and Prajñā; they also jointly rescued you, fearing the brigands would harm you. Diligently cultivate meritorious deeds, chant and uphold the scriptures, and do not give rise to negligence. All the good spirit kings will constantly protect you." Having spoken these words, they ascended into the air and departed. Tong had not had food for whole days and was extremely hungry and exhausted. In an instant, two young boys brought a bowl of rice with pickled vegetables and flatbread, and gave it to Tong to eat. Having finished eating, they also told Tong, "Diligently cultivate merit, chant the Prajñā-sūtra, and do not let it fall into neglect." When they finished, they also ascended into the air and departed. Tong wept with tears, repenting from the depths of his heart. He then joined the main army and went through three battles without being wounded by an inch of iron. Relying on these conditions, this was all the power of the Lotus Sūtra and Prajñā. When the barbarians routed the imperial army, he was released and returned, and single-mindedly chanted and upheld the Lotus Sūtra and Prajñā, daring not to be negligent. It is also said that on the twenty-eighth day of the first month in the eighth year of Zhenguan, his body fell ill, and on the night of the eighth day of the second month, his life came to an end. He was then brought before the King [of the Underworld]. The crowd inspected and passed through was exceedingly large; Tong stood at the rear. The clerk called the names, and the king asked about their karmic deeds of good and evil, allocating them in sequence. At the very end, Tong's name was called. [The king] questioned him in detail as to what meritorious deeds he had done while alive. Tong then reported to the king, "Throughout my life, I have chanted and upheld the Diamond Prajñā and the Lotus Sūtra, constantly maintained the fasts and precepts, and worshiped the Buddha during the six periods." When the king heard these words, he pressed his palms together reverently and said, "Excellent, excellent! This man's merit is inconceivable." He told the messengers who brought him, "According to which ledger was he summoned? Hand it over to the officer in charge to examine the records carefully, so that he was not brought here in error." The officer in charge reported that Tian had previously cast off his life, but this man still had six years of lifespan remaining and was not yet due to die. The king then asked for the records, inspected them himself, and indeed it was not an error. He said to the attendants on his left and right, "Fetch a couch and table." Thereupon, from the southern wing, they brought a golden couch and a jade table before the king. He ordered them placed on the west side of the hall, spreading various felt mats, and ordered Tong to take the upper seat and chant the scriptures. Tong then chanted one fascicle each of the Prajñā and the Lotus Sūtra, both with complete fluency. [The king] also sent a clerk into the repository to fetch the ledger recording his scripture-chanting and cultivated merits. The clerk and Tong went westward together to fetch it. After walking about two li, there was a great scripture repository; all the ledgers of merit were within it, all adorned with the seven jewels. From the very bottom, the messenger retrieved one scroll, which had about one sheet of paper, titled "Register of Merit Cultivated by Zhitong." He brought it to the king, who opened and unrolled it. Inside it was noted that Tong had chanted the Prajñā-sūtra ten thousand times and the Lotus Sūtra a thousand times; his merits from worshiping the Buddha and observing the fasts and precepts were all contained within. The king said to the messenger, "The merit cultivated by Tong is exceedingly deep. Lead him to view the hells, so that he may know [the consequences of] sin and merit." The messenger obeyed the order and led Tong out of the city to the northwest for more than five li. There was a great city, with watchtowers and breastworks, and iron nets hanging down. In the gate were four hell wardens, their heads like rākṣasas, fire spewing from their mouths, their bodies tall and massive, holding iron pitchforks, standing on the left and right. There were two bronze dogs at the two wings of the gate, spitting molten copper from their mouths, which poured and flooded into the hells, spraying over the sinners. All the people undergoing suffering entered through this gate. The eighteen hells were all inside this city. Seeing this, Tong trembled in body and mind, unable to calm himself. The guide then brought him to the king and reported, "He has finished viewing the hells." The king said to Tong, "You have now seen in full the karmic fruits of suffering for sins and receiving merit. Diligently advance in recitation and do not abandon it. You still have six years of lifespan; I release you to return home. Do not give rise to a regressing mind and fall into the evil destinies where no one will save you. You must chant and recite, and not regress from bodhi. Throughout your remaining years until your life ends in old age, you will certainly be born in the Pure Land." Tong revived and recounted this matter, cultivating and chanting all the more. After six years had passed, he died. An extraordinary fragrance filled the room, and he was welcomed to the Pure Land.

5.45

The Widow of Liangzhou, 21

5.46

In Liangzhou there was a widow surnamed Li whose family originally served the Buddha. She constantly attended fasting assemblies; with her keen intelligence, whenever they concluded she was always able to recite [the texts]. Later, the primary wife of a barbarian lord unexpectedly lodged with her; as darkness fell, [Li] could not bear to turn her away. Shortly thereafter, officers came to arrest her, saying that Li was harboring a runaway slave girl. Having been arrested and handed over to prison, she single-mindedly recited the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra. After ten-odd days, her eyes suddenly beheld Avalokiteśvara day and night, who asked Li, "Why do you not leave?" She answered in full that she was unable to leave. [The Bodhisattva] further said, "Just arise, and the chains will come off." Thereupon she went straight home. The prison officials and the guards were entirely unaware of it. Later, when the barbarians learned of this, they sent someone to ask how she was able to return. She answered in full as it had happened, and they did not arrest her again. This was solely the power of reciting the scripture that stimulated a sacred response.

5.47

Gao Shoujie of Bingzhou under the Sui, 22

5.48

Gao Shoujie of Bingzhou under the Sui came from a family that had believed and revered [the Dharma] for generations, and Shoujie was especially meticulous and devoted. When he was sixteen or seventeen years old, he once traveled through the commanderies. On the road he met a novice monk, about fifty or sixty years of age, who called himself Haiyun. Conversing with him, [Haiyun] asked, "Son, can you chant the scriptures?" He replied, "I understand my original mind." Yun then took him to Mount Wutai. Reaching a place, they saw three thatched huts, just barely enough to contain their bodies, and they stayed therein. [Haiyun] taught him to chant the Lotus Sūtra; while chanting, he went outside to beg for alms to supply him with food and clothing. Jie frequently saw a foreign monk come to converse and laugh with the master, returning at the end of the day. Later, Yun asked him, "Do you recognize that foreign monk from before?" He replied, "I do not." Yun earnestly, as if joking, said, "That is the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī." Although Jie repeatedly received this notification, he did not realize its significance. Later, [Haiyun] sent Jie down the mountain to a village to fetch goods, warning him, "Women are the root of evil; they ruin the path of bodhi and shatter the city of nirvāṇa. When you go into the human world, you should be exceedingly cautious." Jie respectfully agreed, received the instruction, and went down the mountain. Halfway along the road, he saw a woman of fourteen years, her clothes fresh and gorgeous, her appearance graceful and beautiful. Riding a white horse, she came straight toward him, kowtowing to Jie and saying, "My body has an urgent distress; I desperately need to dismount. The horse I ride likes to leap, and I cannot control it. I hope you will take pity and save this humble life!" Jie then remembered his master's words and never looked back. The woman pursued him for several li, her pleas urgent and earnest, but Jie held his resolve as before. In a short while, she vanished. Having returned to his former place, he related the incident in full. The master said, "You are truly a great man! Even so, that was the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī." Jie still did not realize it, still thinking it was a joke. However, he chanted the scripture there for three years in all, and became exceedingly refined and pure in the entire Lotus Sūtra. Later, hearing that ordinations were being granted in Chang'an, his heart aspired to be tonsured. [The master said,] "If you must go, you should take leave of your good teacher properly. Once parted, it will be hard to fathom when we shall meet again. In the capital, you may rely on Chan Master Wolun at the Dhyāna Training Ground." Jie went to the capital seeking ordination, but did not attain his wish. He then went to Master Lun's place. Lun said, "Where do you come from?" He replied, "I come from Mount Wutai. My master sent me to be your disciple." Lun asked, "What is your master's name?" He replied, "His name is Haiyun." Lun was greatly astonished and sighed, "Mount Wutai is where Mañjuśrī dwells. The monk Haiyun is none other than the third great spiritual friend of the youth Sudhana in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra! Why did you abandon this sage? In a thousand kalpas or ten thousand kalpas, there is no way to encounter him again. How mistaken you are!" Jie only then realized what had transpired. Regretting that he could not crush his own body, he took blame upon himself; yet his foolish mind still longed for him, hoping to see him once more. He thereupon took leave of Lun and retraced his steps, galloping day and night. When he reached the former place, there was nothing to be seen.

First 48 of 56 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

法華傳記 — Classical Chinese