法華傳記 6
English (machine translation) 6
- Language
- English
6.1
Chapter 8, Part 4: Superior Benefits of Chanting and Reciting
6.2
The man of the Way from Yue, 1
Xun Xiong of Hedong, 2
Shi Tonghui, 3
The novice of the Sui, 4
Monk Fuyuan, 5
Peng Ziqiao, 6
Shi Huisheng, 7
The nun Fakong, 8
Shi Miaolian, 9
Shi Huisheng, 10
Shi Tanyi, 11
Shi Qinghui, 12
Wang Gu of Jian, 13
The nun Miaofa, 14
Lin Tong of the Tang, 15
Li Shanlong, 16
Monk Faxian, 17
Shi Sengzhi, 18
Shi Huida, 19
The woman Yang, 20
Shi Fadao, 21
The monk of the northern circuit, 22
Shi Siyueshu, 23
Zhu Changshu, 24
6.3
The Man of the Way of the Avalokiteśvara Bodhimaṇḍa in Yuezhou, 1
6.4
The Baekje śramaṇa Shi Fazheng, during the Tianjian reign of the Liang dynasty, carried his book-box and crossed westward [to China], seeking teachers to study the Way. He understood the doctrinal purport quite well and also practiced with vigor. After staying in the Liang for more than thirty years, unable to suddenly forget his homeland, he returned to his native land. Fazheng personally recounted that he heard from others that in the boundary mountains of Yuezhou there was a bodhimaṇḍa called Guanyin, where there was an earthen hut of Guanyin. Hence he went to see it. The rafters were completely rotted away, and only the earthen wall remained. There were still two men of the Way who agreed together to enter the mountain. One wished to chant the Avataṃsaka-sūtra, and one wished to chant the Lotus Sūtra. Each occupied a ravine and built an earthen hut. The one who chanted the Avataṃsaka was able to finish in a month. He wondered about his companion, how much he had attained, and went to visit him, but he had not [memorized] even a single scroll. That man said to him: "The deadline is nearly exhausted and provisions are about to run out. You should complete it by the deadline. If you cannot recite the entire work, you can just chant the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra." He then returned to his hut. Thereupon this man felt sorrow and pain in his heart at his dull faculties due to past karma, and with utmost mind read and chanted, without resting day or night. He committed about half to memory. Several days later, that man came again. This man told him the truth. That man said: "I have already chanted the Avataṃsaka. How can it be that with just this beginning of the Avalokiteśvara [Chapter], after two or three days, you still have not committed it to memory? If I abandon you and leave, I would betray our agreement; if I wait for you to finish, the food will run out. Since you have not finished in three days, in principle I cannot wait for you. I will come again tomorrow. You must do your utmost." This man reached a sorrow and pain redoubled beyond before, and with utmost mind chanted and recited, just managing to finish. The next morning, that man came again and said: "If you still cannot recite even this beginning of the Avalokiteśvara [Chapter], there is nothing to be done; I must now leave you and go." This man knelt and said: "Just last night I managed to finish." Thereupon that man was overjoyed. Wishing to test each other, he sat on the couch and chanted it; across thirty scrolls of the scripture, not a single character was omitted. Next, this man went up on the couch to chant it; no sooner had he raised his voice than from the air rained various flowers and incense. Flowers overflowed the earthen hut, incense was smelled throughout the entire ravine, and fragrant vapor filled the sky beyond count. Thereupon the chanter of the Avataṃsaka stepped down to the ground and prostrated, his head and face bleeding, repenting and acknowledging his fault. The matter concluded, he was about to bid farewell and leave. This man stopped him, saying: "An old man regularly brings me food. You may wait a little while and share it." After a long time he did not come to provide it. This man went to fetch water and saw the old man carrying food resting beneath the grass. This man wondered and asked: "My companion has just arrived, and I hoped to eat together. What matter caused you to conceal yourself and not deliver it?" The old man replied: "That man looked down on me in such a way, how could I bear to see him?" Thereupon he first knew that this was Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. He immediately threw his five limbs to the ground and bowed with the utmost reverence. In an instant, looking up, he had lost his whereabouts. The earthen wall built by this man still remains today. Fazheng personally saw it.
6.5
Xun Xiong of Hedong, 2
6.6
Xun Xiong of Hedong was sincere in his faith in the Buddha's Way from his youth, eating vegetarian food for several decades. During the Zhenguan era, he served as Assistant in the Court of Judicial Review. In the spring of the fourteenth year, he was implicated in the affair of the prefect Li Xiantong and detained in the Censorate. At that time, the Emperor took them to be a faction, was greatly enraged, and dispatched Assistant Censor Wei Cong and others to interrogate them. The security and restriction were suddenly extremely tight; over a dozen people were held in custody. Li Jingxuan, Assistant in the Court of Judicial Review, and Wang Xin, Judicial Investigator, were both implicated in this same offense and imprisoned in the same room with Xiong, all bound firmly with shackles. Xiong single-mindedly chanted the "Universal Gate Chapter" of the Lotus Sūtra, completing three thousand recitations in several days. Sitting alone at night chanting the sūtra, the shackles suddenly released themselves and fell to the ground. In astonishment, Xiong informed Xin and Xuan. Xin and Xuan together looked at the lock: it was still closed as normal on the ground, and its hook was also intact and undamaged, yet the hook and the lock were several feet apart. Xuan and the others marveled at it. Fearing blame and punishment, Xiong reported to the guard and requested to unlock and re-lock it. That night, Investigating Censor Zhang Shouyi, who was on night watch, ordered it unlocked again. The official illuminated it with a torch and saw that the lock was not open, yet they were naturally separated, which was extremely uncanny. He then unlocked and locked it again, wrapped and sealed the lock with paper, wrote his signature on the seal, and left. Later, during the fifth watch while Xiong was sitting and chanting the sūtra, the lock again released and fell, making a sound as if someone had opened it. Frightened, Xiong informed Xin and Xuan again. Xin, Xuan, and the others thought that since dawn was approaching, it was not suitable to summon the official. Once it became bright, they looked at it together: the hook and lock were separated on the ground, yet the lock was still closed. The place where it was sealed and signed was completely firm and undisturbed, and the hook was intact and secure with no way to open it. From youth to adulthood, Jingxuan had never believed in the Buddha-Dharma. Seeing his wife read sūtras, he would often say to her: "Why are you bewitched by foreign deities and read these books?" When he saw this incident of Xiong's, he sighed in deep awakening, saying: "Only now do I know that the Buddha is a Great Sage without peer, truly inconceivable." At that time, Xin also chanted the names of the eight bodhisattvas; when he completed thirty thousand recitations, in broad daylight his lock released and fell by itself. Looking at it, the lock was pulled open and lay on the ground. Xiong did not find it strange. Thereupon Xuan was convinced and felt deep remorse. Soon after, all three men received miraculous deliverance. Xuan then copied the Lotus Sūtra, painted images of the eight bodhisattvas, took refuge in them, and made offerings. At that time, [one official] was gravely ill at home; before Xuan inquired after his illness, he related the incident in full. When the official recovered and resumed his post, he inquired of the officials in the Censorate, and it did not differ from Xuan's account. Xiong also related the matter himself, and his diligent vigor grew ever more earnest. Xiong is currently alive and serves as the Magistrate of Zhouzhi. (Gantong lu, lower fascicle).
6.7
Shi Tonghui of Liuzhou of the Tang, 3
6.8
Shi Tonghui was of the Yu clan. In his youth he possessed diligent vigor and chaste discipline; he left household life to become a novice, ate vegetarian food, maintained ascetic discipline, and devoted himself to studying the vinaya deportment, further mastering the Vinaya Piṭaka. At the age of twenty he received the full precepts. At that time, a physiognomist said to Tong: "Master, you have great intelligence and wisdom, and lack any evil marks, but your lifespan is completely short; you cannot carry on the lineage." Hearing these words, Tong thereupon consulted various Venerables on what merit he should cultivate to extend his life. The Venerables of penetrating discernment deliberated together: "Among the teachings of the Buddha's lifetime, the Lotus is the greatest. If one upholds it, one will neither age nor die. If you can uphold, chant, and recite it according to the Dharma, you will surely attain a long life." Following their consensus, Tong set aside the books of precepts and vinaya and received the sūtra from his teacher. He immediately entered the deep mountains to uphold the Lotus Sūtra, chanting and reciting it with diligent vigor. After three years, he left the mountains and again met the previous physiognomist, who said: "What merit did you cultivate, Master, to have gained fifty years of lifespan and suddenly be like this?" Tong said: "Previously, my lifespan was physiognomized as short, so I entered the deep mountains and chanted and recited the Lotus Sūtra six thousand times. Could it be such superior benefits as this? I have no other merit." The physiognomist sighed and said: "The merit of the Great Vehicle can extend a short lifespan!" Because of this merit, he eventually became a Venerable, his age exceeding ninety. Later, it indeed matched the physiognomist's prediction.
6.9
The Novice of Kaishan Monastery of the Sui, 4
6.10
During the Sui dynasty, Venerable Zang of Kaishan Temple had an attendant novice who, at the age of fifteen, was well versed in deportment and never went against the sentiments of others. All who saw him praised his spirit and disposition. At that time there was a man named Heyin Zhi, who said to Zang, "This novice has entirely no lifespan left." Hearing this, Zang felt sorrow and pity. The novice then returned to his parents' home. After five years had passed, he came back to Zang's place. Venerable Zang was amazed, and speaking of him to Zhi again, he said, "Has this novice's physiognomy changed?" Zhi replied, "His physiognomy has indeed changed; he has attained an eighty-year lifespan." Venerable Zang marveled greatly and said to the novice, "What superior merit do you possess?" The novice replied, "I have cultivated no other merit. Long ago, while in the monastic quarters, I merely heard a single verse: 'The Buddhas, the Honoured Ones of Two Feet, / Know that phenomena are always without an intrinsic nature; / The Buddha-seeds arise from conditions: / For this reason they preach the One Vehicle.' I recited it casually with my mouth, I know not how many millions of times. Then I dreamed of an official in red robes holding a roll of documents, who introduced himself as presenting an official certificate. He opened and read it, saying: 'Your lifespan was only eighteen, but now, because you recited this single verse, it has been changed to eighty.' This was the condition for the prolongation of my life." Venerable Zang sighed and said, "This verse is the text from the 'Expedient Means' chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. Because you recited this wondrous verse, you were able to prolong your life. Formerly, when I went into the mountains, I upheld the Diamond Wisdom for five years to obtain long life; your casual recitation surpasses my arduous asceticism. The power of the Great Vehicle is inconceivable! Do not let yourself grow lax or weary." None who heard this failed to establish solid faith.
6.11
5. Fuyuan of Xier [Temple] in the Country of Sahala
6.12
In a foreign land there was a monastery called Bodhi Monastery. Over ten li to the south of it, a silver palace appeared in the sky, wherein devas and devīs were sporting and amusing themselves. There was also an apparition of a golden palace, within which was a holy monk. This was an extraordinary occurrence. The kings and ministers of various countries gathered like clouds to pay homage and make offerings. At that time, the holy one said, "The world is not at peace: grains and fruits do not ripen, and pestilence spreads competitively. This is truly because people do not have faith in the Three Jewels. The realm of the Three Jewels is inconceivable, inexhaustible to praise throughout kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. The power of the Buddhist scriptures is also inconceivable. Why is this so? I originally lived in Xier Temple in the country of Sahala, and my name was Fuyuan. Living in a small room at the temple, I constantly recited the Lotus Sūtra and attained anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti. The sūtra I recited was placed in a white box and kept inside the temple. My former skeletal remains were buried in an ancient tomb in the small hills over ten li west of the temple. Only thirty years after I cast off my life, by the power of my vows, my tongue has transformed into a glowing red, emitting light from time to time. By this you should know whether my words are false or true. Now I have come to display my past conditions. The heavenly beings in the silver palace were the attendants who assisted my sūtra-recitation." Having spoken these words, he vanished and was no longer seen. The kings and ministers were filled with both sorrow and joy. When they traced his original background, it was just as he had spoken, without error in a single detail. (This is taken from the Records of the Western Regions. Although not heard firsthand, it is now recorded here based on an ancient account.)
6.13
6. Peng Ziqiao of Yiyang in the Song
6.14
Peng Ziqiao was a native of Yiyang County. He served as an administrative clerk in his home commandery, in service to the crown prince Shen Wenlong. He was arrested and cast into prison, and Wenlong then wished to execute him. In his youth, Ziqiao had once renounced household life; though he later returned to secular life, he still constantly recited and practiced the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra. At that time, Wenlong was determined to execute Ziqiao, and the magistrate held out no further hope. Ziqiao merely recited the sūtra with supreme sincerity, reaching over a hundred recitations. Being utterly exhausted, he took a brief nap during the day. There were about ten others imprisoned with him, and they too were all asleep. An official of Xiangxi County, Du Daorong, was also imprisoned there. At that time, in a half-sleeping, half-waking state, not sleeping very deeply, he suddenly saw in a daze two white cranes alight on Ziqiao's screen. After a moment, one crane flew down and came to Ziqiao's side; then he perceived it as a beautiful person, exceptionally fair in countenance. Daorong wondered at this in his heart. Getting up to look at Ziqiao, he found him awake. Daorong asked, "Did you just have a dream?" Ziqiao answered, "I did not dream." Daorong told him what he had seen, and Ziqiao was overjoyed beyond words. He put the fetters back on himself, letting no one know. After four or five days, he was unexpectedly released. Wang Yan of Taiyuan, Grand Master of Yian, was an old friend of [Xiao] Guo and composed the Mingxiang ji (Records of Miraculous Signs); he related that his elder cousin Lian personally knew Ziqiao and Daorong, and heard both men relate it, and their accounts agreed with this. (Fayuan [zhulin], fascicle 27).
6.15
7. Śramaṇa Huisheng of Baigou Temple in Qingzhou
6.16
The man of the Way Śramaṇa Huisheng of Baigou Temple in Qingzhou, in the twenty-sixth year of the Yuanjia era of the Song, suddenly fell ill with deafness and blindness, abruptly losing his hearing and sight. He reflected to himself: "This is not a curable illness, nor is there medicine for it. I must only vow with all my heart to take refuge in Avalokiteśvara and recite this sūtra one thousand times." After reciting for several years and completing the number, his ears and eyes suddenly and unconsciously recovered of themselves.
6.17
8. The Nun Fakong of Xuanzhou
6.18
The nun Fakong had the secular surname Han and was a native of Xuanzhou. In her youth she took leave of her parents, went to Jian'an Temple over a hundred li southwest of Mount Wutai, and renounced household life. Later she received the precepts at Jeta Temple. She made the constant recitation of the Lotus Sūtra her regular practice. Tradition relates that there was a monk named Daochao who had no other religious practice, but merely lived for a long time at Huayan Temple on Mount Wutai, not leaving the mountain gate for over twenty years. Later, when his life came to an end, he was born into the Inner Court of Tuṣita. At that time, a deva said to Chao, "In the human realm you had no other religious practice, but merely recited the Lotus; by relying on the power of Mañjuśrī's realm, you were able to be born in this heaven. You may return down to the human realm to assist the fourfold assembly, letting them hear and know of this." Following these words and without abandoning his heavenly retribution, Daochao descended to inform those in the human realm. When Fakong [heard of] this, she reflected upon it, produced a mind that recognized how rare and difficult it was to encounter, and made vows. Thereafter she went to the Sanquan Cloister, northwest of Huayan Temple. In the woods before it she met an old man, who said to Fakong, "If you lodge here and practice the Wondrous Dharma, you are certain to realize the supreme fruit." Having finished speaking, he disappeared. Fakong knew it was the announcement of a great sage; weeping tears of sorrow, she built a separate thatched hermitage in dependence on this cloister. Living there, she spurred on the three actions, never slacking morning or night. After five years, she took the garments she wore on her body and instructed her disciples to send them all to the communal property of the monastery as gifts for the great assembly. Fakong said, "Since I came to abide here, I have received the announcement of a great sage, who taught and revealed the four characters 'Wondrous Dharma Lotus' (Miao Fa Lian Hua), opening the Buddha's knowledge and vision, pure and undefiled, so that I shall be born in the Pure Land. Strive diligently, all of you; do not pass your time in vain!" Having finished speaking, she passed away, sitting upright as if alive. The assembly cremated her and collected over a thousand grains of śarīra; the fourfold assembly divided them and made offerings to them.
6.19
9. Śramaṇa Miaolian of Zongyin Temple in Daizhou
6.20
Śramaṇa Miaolian took compassion and rescuing beings as his aim, and made the recitation of the Lotus Sūtra his special vocation. He said to his teachers and friends, "By the power of reciting the sūtra, I wish to be born in the Inner Court of Tuṣita and meet Maitreya. Is this vow acceptable?" His teachers and friends replied, "It is entirely acceptable. The sūtra says: 'If a person upholds, reads, and recites it, when that person's life comes to an end, he will go straight to the place of Maitreya Bodhisattva in Tuṣita Heaven.' Would the Buddha speak falsely?" Lian strove all the more diligently with great energy, chanting and reciting the Lotus without ever resting. When he was over seventy years of age, a slight illness suddenly arose. He summoned his teachers and friends and spoke to them: "I have a slight illness, but it is not a painful affliction. A heavenly youth has come to welcome me, and a transformation Buddha extends his hand." Having finished speaking, he passed away, sitting upright as if alive. After three days he revived and said: "By the power of reciting the Lotus, I reached the Tuṣita Inner Court of Maitreya. The devas praised me, saying: 'You recited the Lotus in Jambudvīpa, / And by your merit you have come of yourself to this heavenly place, / To behold the Venerable One of Wondrous Marks, Maitreya, / And hearing the Dharma, quickly realize non-retrograde forbearance.' Hearing this verse, I gave rise to a joyful mind. Maitreya Bodhisattva told me: 'Because of the power of reciting the Lotus in the human realm, you were able to be born in this place. Most of the devas here are those who, during the remaining Dharma of Śākyamuni, upheld, read, recited, explained, and copied the Wondrous Lotus Sūtra. You should quickly return down to the human realm to assist the disciples of the fourfold assembly, letting them hear and know of this. Temporarily upholding the Wondrous Dharma vastly dissolves all sins, and serves to make up for any lacking practices for birth in heaven.' At that time I said to the Bodhisattva: 'What proof can there be, so that the assembly of disciples will faithfully accept it?' The Bodhisattva then rubbed incense onto my hand. Due to these causes and conditions I returned to life." At that time, the fragrance on his hand filled the entire prefecture, and all the people of the region placed their faith in him. Having finished speaking, he passed away not long after. A stūpa was erected northeast of the temple to enshrine his bodily remains. The stūpa still smelled of incense; if one touched the wall, the fragrant scent did not dissipate for more than three days. This is what was witnessed and heard in recent times.
6.21
10. Śramaṇa Huisheng of Zhenji Temple in the Tang
6.22
Śramaṇa Huisheng received the Way under Huiru. Born of Hui's [guidance], he was named Huisheng. Hearing Master Hui explain the signs of the hells and seeing the blemishes upon his legs, he felt profound dread of future lives and exclusively chanted the Lotus Sūtra. He then sat motionless for a day and a night as if having entered dhyāna-concentration. The assembly all marveled at this, saying, "His master, Huiru, was once motionless for seven days entering samādhi and was summoned by King Yama. This must surely be the same." At the break of dawn, Huisheng opened his eyes, weeping tears of mingled sorrow and joy. The assembly of monks asked him, "Why are you weeping with sorrow and joy?" He answered, "Suddenly I saw two people in red garments of handsome and elegant bearing, dressed in dazzling brocade and silk garments. They said, 'We are King Yama, Lord of Mount Tai, who has sent us to invite the Venerable Master.' They had me mount a white horse, and in an instant I arrived at the King's abode. The King descended from his seat, respectfully escorted me to take a seat, and said to me: 'Venerable Master, in the past you had a karmic destination in hell that you were determined to receive. That hell karma arose because your parents slaughtered pigs, sheep, geese, ducks, and the like on your behalf. Although it was not your own killing, due to this evil karma you must inevitably receive retribution. Furthermore, when you were a novice, you wrongly used monastic provisions and your deportment was unrefined; such offenses are limitless and should cause you to fall into hell. Now, because you have chanted the Lotus Sūtra, these offenses have been entirely eliminated, and you will be born before the Buddhas of the ten directions. However, so that you may know your karmic destinations and that everyone may hear and know the retribution of evil karma and the essentials for eradicating sins, I have invited you, Venerable Master, to go to the hells to see the places where punishment was due to be received.' He then commanded the envoys to take me there. Pointing to the east, there was a great city four or five li away, followed in succession by thirty-two great cities. These were the cities of the hells, and I was to inspect the manifestations of suffering of the sentient beings in each city. I then advanced and entered one city gate and saw iron carts, iron horses, iron oxen, and iron donkeys with raging flames blazing fiercely. The horns and hair of the oxen were all like razor points; the body hair of the horses was like barbed hooks, trampling and leaping upon the sinners. Countless śramaṇas were suffering among them. The envoy said, 'These śramaṇas had no regard for the future, but only grasped at fame and profit in the present, violated the Buddha's pure precepts, accumulated impure property, rode in carriages and on horses, and received the faithful donations of others. This is the retribution they have incurred.' Next, coming to another city, the ground was spread all over with iron spades, scrapers, and shears like razor points. Furthermore, there were iron garments wrapped around the sinners, blazing together with flames. Five hundred śramaṇas were suffering therein. The envoy said, 'These śramaṇas formerly wore secular clothing and abandoned the robes of the true Dharma; therefore, they suffer this severe misery.' Next, coming to another city, the hell wardens were pouring molten bronze into mouths, and the sinners' five limbs were burnt away. There were five thousand śramaṇas suffering this severe misery. The envoy said, 'Formerly they ate without understanding the Three Jewels, the Four Noble Truths, and so forth, seeking offerings from the faithful; therefore they suffer this severe misery.' Like this, in the thirty-two great cities: those who received people's faithful donations yet did not use tooth-wood to brush, rinse, or bathe in scented water, but roamed about the world and touched Buddhist scriptures with their hands; those who violated the four parājikas and knew no contentment; those who lodged together with laypeople; those who stepped upon the master's seat; those who lay down in the cool shade of Buddha statues; those who made profits from money and fields, prepared food with their own hands, and ate it themselves without giving to others; those who did not wash their hands and were full of dirt, grasped the male or female genitalia, had foul grime beneath their fingernails, and immediately grasped scripture scrolls; those whose feet were unclean and came walking on the Buddha's ground or the saṅgha's ground, or rode carriages and horses while roaming into the gates and portals of Buddhist monasteries; those who wore boots and shoes into the privy without taking them off, or stepped upon the shadows of Buddha and saṅgha grounds and sacred stūpas; those who drank alcohol and ate meat, claiming themselves to be without karmic retribution; those who grasped bows and arrows in their hands; those masters and disciples who harbored mutual anger and contention, giving rise to notions of resentment; those who plucked with their own hands the fruit of the monastic community, eating it themselves without giving to others; those who led followers to wander among the laypeople, claiming themselves to be pure men; those who entered villages without wearing their kāṣāya robes; those who gave rise to minds of attachment or aversion while gathering almsfood; those who preached the Dharma with impure motives; those who indulged in lustful conduct yet continually entered halls and monasteries in bodily form to bow to Buddha statues—such sinners filled the place. Having fully seen the places where sinners suffered retribution, I returned to the King's abode. The King said, 'If you, Sir, had been unable to uphold the Mahāyāna scriptures that eradicate sins, you would surely have had to suffer these miseries. There are countless other hells; this was merely a small fraction in one direction.' Hearing this speech, sorrow and joy welled up together, and I merely awakened." When the monks heard these words, their minds were terrified as if walking on iron blades. Each wept with sorrow and joy, and all placed faith in the great scripture. Those who saw or heard of it practiced diligently without ceasing. From that time onward, those chanting and reciting it became as numerous as a forest, adopting it as their model.
6.23
Śramaṇa Tanyi of Bingzhou, eleven
6.24
Śramaṇa Tanyi was a native of Bingzhou. He went forth as a youth, dwelt at Shili Monastery, firmly maintained the prohibitive precepts, cast aside secular affairs, and practiced austere dhūta. Constantly dwelling on Mount Wutai, he vowed to rely on the Great Master Mañjuśrī to cultivate superior practices. Daily he chanted the Lotus Sūtra twice and read one fascicle case of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, making this his constant practice. In this manner, he cultivated and accumulated merit over many years. Later, he traveled with his disciple Tanxun through the various peaks. Coming to the South Peak, he saw a nun whose mouth emitted light as she chanted the scriptures. Since Tanyi had made vows to chant the Lotus and the Avataṃsaka, his sincere devotion resonated: his own mouth emitted light, and amidst the light, transformation Buddhas appeared following the cadence of his voice. Near his death, he recounted this matter in full, saying, "Only I clearly saw it; other people did not see it." These words were indeed verified.
6.25
Śramaṇa Qinghui of Mount Sanzong in Qizhou, twelve
6.26
Śramaṇa Qinghui was a disciple of Qingling of Huiyi Monastery in Zizhou. Following his master, he went to Mount Sanzong, north of Lingyan Monastery in Qizhou, and dwelt there for many years. After his master departed, Qinghui also made a vow to chant and recite the Lotus Sūtra for the sake of the sentient beings suffering in the three evil paths, his prayer stating: "All sentient beings are our parents throughout transmigration; entering darkness from darkness, they do not recognize each other's kindness. I pray that through the power of chanting this sūtra, they may swiftly leave suffering, eternally attain liberation, and roam through the Buddha lands." Thus from the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the first year of Chang'an to the first month of the first year of Shenlong, he chanted with single-minded devotion for five years, his resolve never wavering. Yet having received no sympathetic resonance, he wept and lamented, saying: "The Great Master Qingling made a deep vow to uphold the Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra for the sake of suffering beings in the three paths, and within three weeks he swiftly received a sympathetic resonance. Now I have practiced with single-minded sincerity for five years without any sign. I regret that I am not the right person, and though pondering the Causes and Conditions of the One Great Matter, I have failed to attain even the slightest sign of the Supreme Vehicle." Tears of blood ran down his face as he sorrowfully repented and apologized. At mid-morning on the fifteenth day of the first month in the first year of Shenlong, suddenly, as if in a dream, he saw a great city about five or six li square, adornments extraordinarily magnificent, with jeweled banners and pennants hung in rows. Within it sat one holding a white fly-whisk in his right hand, wearing a jade crown on a golden throne, who called himself a king. There were also two empty silver thrones. As Hui was about to enter the city, a heavenly youth accompanied him. Seeing Hui and the youth, the king descended from his seat with great reverence, inviting him to sit on the golden throne. Hui ascended the jeweled throne, while the youth sat on the silver throne. Kneeling with his right knee on the ground, the king addressed him: "Venerable Master, you chant the Lotus Sūtra for the suffering sentient beings in the three paths, which accords greatly with the Buddha's intention. However, when your late master chanted the Diamond Sūtra for the suffering beings in the three paths, he released a few whose offenses were light. Now, as he is no longer present, over the past five years suffering sentient beings have fallen and gathered here; regardless of whether their sins were light or heavy, they have all been released for your sake, Master. Go together with the youth to see the places of suffering." The youth then rose from his seat, led Hui by the hand, and gradually entered the city walls, where there was not a single person. Hui asked, "Why is there no one here?" The youth answered, "In accordance with the Master's recitation vows, all have been born in heaven. Do you see the one person suffering within? This is the upāsaka Yao Tong, who spoke slander against the Venerable Master's vows." Hui said, "Even one who slanders can attain non-retrogression; how could he be left behind and not born in heaven?" Immediately upon his words, the man vanished. Hui then returned to the king's place and reported the matter. Awakening, he recounted these causes and conditions himself. The merit of chanting the scriptures to save both oneself and others was simply like this.
6.27
Wang Gu of Jiande Commandery, thirteen
6.28
Wang Gu was a native of Jiande Commandery. Serving as governor of the Kingdom of Huanglong, the implements and goods in the storehouse were depleted and scattered, and punishment was imminent. He felt aggrieved that the loss was not due to his own hoarding, yet there was no escaping the punishment. He then with single-minded sincerity chanted and recited the Avalokiteśvara Sūtra a thousand times, whereupon the chains and shackles upon his body all broke apart. People regarded this as extraordinary.
6.29
The Nun Miaofa of Dasi Monastery in Chang'an, fourteen
6.30
The nun Miaofa, secular surname Li, was a native of Jingzhao. Her mother, née Min, initially dreamed of an Indian monk holding three stalks of lotus flowers, who handed them to her and said, "I give you good seed; care for it well." Because of this, she became pregnant. When she gave birth, she named the child Lianhua (Lotus). As she grew older, she took no pleasure in family life and wished to leave secular life. When she was twelve, her elder sister taught her the Lotus Sūtra. She read the text as if she had studied it in a past life, chanting eight sheets a day, and before a month had passed, she had completely chanted the entire scripture. People praised her virtue and named her Miaofa (Wondrous Dharma). Thereupon before the Buddha, she burned incense and made a vow to chant and recite it eight thousand times, and also to chant and master the Amitārtha-sūtra and the Samantabhadra Contemplation Sūtra. Was this not indeed the fulfillment of the dream of the three stalks? When she chanted in the quiet of the night, her voice reached over a hundred li away; heard near and far, its volume seemed neither louder nor softer. After entering the Way, her integrity grew ever firmer. Near her death, she told the assembly, "Samantabhadra has appeared before me to comfort my heart. All my masters and friends have come to welcome me, and I am about to be reborn in the Pure Land." Having spoken, she passed away. Three stalks of white lotuses grew from her seat, just as when growing in a pond, and the flowers did not wither or fall for seven days. Those who saw it regarded it as a miraculous omen.
6.31
Yu Lintong of Luozhou under the Tang, fifteen
6.32
In the third year of Zhenguan, Yu Lintong resolved his mind to chant the Lotus Sūtra. However, troubled by secular duties, he was largely unable to fulfill his original aspiration, and consequently fell ill and died. Suddenly, six underworld officials surrounded him front and back and brought him to the gate of a great city. To the side he saw a monk who announced himself, saying, "I am Bhaiṣajyarāja. Your vow to chant the sūtra was not fulfilled according to your wish before you suddenly died. You may chant a single verse." He taught him the text, saying, "'I constantly think to myself: / How can I cause sentient beings / to enter the unsurpassed way / and quickly accomplish the Buddha body?'" The Bodhisattva bestowed the verse upon him and said, "If you chant this verse, you can turn hell into a lotus pond and transform vessels of suffering into the bodies of the Buddha realm. Strive hard and do not forget it." Lintong fully mastered and recited it. He then entered the city and met the king. The king asked, "Does this man possess merit?" They answered, "He has practiced no other good, but has only chanted a single verse." The king said, "How does that verse go?" Wherever the sound of Lintong's chanting reached, those suffering were all liberated, and the eighteen hells transformed into lotus ponds. The king said, "Stop, stop! There is no need to chant any further. Return swiftly to the human realm." After two days, he revived and recounted these causes and conditions. This is what I, Xiang, personally saw and heard.
6.33
Li Shanlong of Pingyi, Officer of the Left Gate Guard, sixteen
6.34
Li Shanlong took the recitation of two fascicles of the Lotus Sūtra as his wholesome practice. During the Wude era he died suddenly, yet over his heart remained an area the size of a palm that was not cold. His family could not bear to encoffin and bury him, and after seven days he revived. He himself recounted: When he died, he was arrested and recorded by underworld officials and brought to a bureaucratic office hall. The building was extremely grand and imposing, and its courtyard was also vast. Inside the courtyard were several thousand prisoners, some in cangues and chains, some in shackles and fetters, all standing facing north and filling the courtyard. An official brought Shanlong to the hall, where he saw a heavenly official sitting on a high throne, with attendants and guards like those of a king. Shanlong asked the official, “What official is this?” He replied, “This is the King.” Shanlong stepped forward to the base of the stairs, and the King asked, “What merit and wholesome deeds did you perform during your lifetime?” Shanlong replied, “Whenever the villagers held vegetarian feasts and lectures, I constantly donated goods in common with them.” The King said, “What wholesome deeds did you yourself perform?” Shanlong said, “I recited two fascicles of the Lotus Sūtra.” The King said, “Excellent! You may ascend the stairs.” When he ascended into the hall, there was a high seat in the northeast corner like a lecture throne. The King pointed to the seat and said to Shanlong, “You may ascend this seat and recite the sūtra.” Receiving the command, Shanlong approached the side of the seat. The King immediately stood up and said, “I invite the Dharma master to ascend the seat.” Once Shanlong had ascended the seat, the King turned toward him and sat down. Shanlong opened the sūtra and said, “The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, Chapter One: Introduction.” The King said, “I ask the Dharma master to step down.” Shanlong immediately stopped, descended the seat, and stood again at the foot of the stairs. Looking around, the prisoners in the courtyard were all gone; not a single person remained. The King said to Shanlong, “The merit of your recitation of the sūtra not only benefits yourself, but has also caused the crowd of prisoners in the courtyard all to attain deliverance by hearing the sūtra. Is this not wholesome indeed? Now I release you to return.” Shanlong bowed in farewell. Having walked several tens of paces, the King called him back again and said to an official, “You may take this man to view the various hells.” The official then led Shanlong eastward for more than a hundred paces, where he saw an iron city that was exceedingly vast. A roof covered the city above, and along the sides were many small windows, some as large as small basins, others like bowls. He saw men and women flying from the ground into the windows, after which they did not come out again. Shanlong wondered at this and asked the official, who said, “Inside this great hell there are many partitions, and the calculations of their sins each differ. These people merely go to the hell to undergo punishment according to their own past karma.” Hearing this, Shanlong was filled with sorrow and fear and invoked, “Namo Buddhāya.” The official sought to lead him out to the courtyard gate, where they saw a huge cauldron with raging fire and boiling soup, beside which two people sat asleep. Shanlong questioned them, and the two said, “Our sinful retribution was to enter the boiling soup of this cauldron. Thanks to the worthy one’s invoking ‘Namo Buddhāya,’ all the sinners in the hell have attained a day of rest and weary sleep.” Shanlong again invoked “Namo Buddhāya.” The official said to Shanlong, “The bureaucratic offices frequently change. Now that the King has released you to go, you should address the King to request an official pass. If not, it is feared that other offices will not know and will arrest and record you again.” Shanlong immediately went again to pay respects to the King and requested a pass. The King ordered a single line of characters to be written on paper, handed it to the official, and said, “Obtain the signatures of the Five Paths and the others for him.” Receiving the command, the official took Shanlong to pass through two more bureaus. Each had an office hall, and their attendants and guards were just like this one’s. The King’s dispatched official obtained a line of writing with the signatures of the offices, finished, and handed it to Shanlong. Shanlong carried it out to the gate, where three men said to Shanlong, “The King has released you to go; will you not give us a little something to send us off?” Before Shanlong could speak, the official said to Shanlong, “The King’s release of you was not due to them. Yet those three men were the emissaries who previously arrested and recorded you: one was the club-master who was to strike your head with a club; one was the rope-master who was to bind you with a red rope; and one was the sack-master who was to take your breath in a sack. Seeing that you have obtained your return, they merely demand things.” Shanlong, frightened and fearful, thanked the three men and said, “In my foolishness I did not recognize you, gentlemen. Please allow me to return home and prepare the goods, but I do not know where to deliver them.” The three men said, “Burn them by the water or under a tree.” Shanlong consented. The official escorted him home, where he saw his relatives weeping and preparing funeral articles. Shanlong entered the room beside his corpse and immediately revived. On a later day, he cut paper to make paper money and silk, and personally brought wine and food to burn by the water. Suddenly he saw the three men come and thank him, saying, “We are grateful that you did not break your word and generously bestowed gifts upon us.” Expressing their gratitude and congratulations, as they finished speaking they disappeared. Shanlong believed all the more, and took reciting the entire text [of the sūtra] as his practice. He personally recounted this to the abbot of Daxingshansi, Sengbian, and others. (The lower fascicle of the Gantong lu and the twenty-first fascicle of the Fayuan [zhulin] state that the above one miracle comes from the Mingbao ji.)
6.35
Śramaṇa Dharmabhadra of the Kingdom of Kucha, seventeen
6.36
Dharmabhadra, translated in Tang as Faxian, was a native of the kingdom of Kucha. Naturally intelligent, he thoroughly mastered the Tripiṭaka. He had a slight knowledge of foreign languages. Considering the Hīnayāna to be the ultimate, he gave rise to arrogance and disparaged the Mahāyāna community. At that time there was an itinerant śramaṇa named Sūrya, who had memorized and mastered the six thousand verses of the Lotus Sūtra without omitting a single dharma. Facing Faxian, he discussed the profound purport of what he recited. Faxian recognized that the Tripiṭaka [he knew] was shallow and limited, and turned his mind to the Mahāyāna. Following Sūrya, he memorized and mastered the Lotus Sūtra, taking reciting it five times each day as his practice. Yakṣas who revere the Dharma protected this man. Furthermore, every night an unusual light appeared in his grass hut. People thought it was a fire and inquired of Faxian, who replied, “The Four Heavenly Kings take turns coming to protect me with their bright light.” When he was on the brink of death, he said to the assembly of disciples, “Formerly I clung to the lesser scriptures as ultimate, like grasping tiles and stones as gold and gems. Now, treasuring the Lotus Sūtra, I have attained true gold. Because of three years of chanting and reciting, I saw Samantabhadra face-to-face, entered the correct station, and received the prediction of non-retrogression. If you single-mindedly chant and uphold this sūtra, your expectation of the correct station will not exceed three lifetimes.” Thereupon he recorded his testamentary letter and passed away as if entering meditative absorption. A stūpa was erected over his mortal remains. When heavy summer rains fell, the rain could not wet the stūpa; when flocks of birds flew by, they did not approach the edge of the stūpa. All who saw or heard of it paid homage and made offerings as if in a marketplace. (This is drawn from the Waiguo ji.)
6.37
Śramaṇa Sengzhi of Jincheng, eighteen
6.38
Śramaṇa Sengzhi's vinaya practice was pure, and he took reciting the Lotus Sūtra as his constant practice. Zhi originally had no teeth, but made a vow to chant and recite. He dreamed that a Central Asian monk touched his gums with a willow twig, and upon waking, teeth had grown in his mouth. Once, when he climbed an ancient stūpa to recite the sūtra, he grew weary in body, fell asleep, and tumbled from the stūpa. Before reaching the ground, someone in the air caught him, so that he was unharmed. Zhi asked, “Who are you?” The reply came, “I am Vaiśravaṇa. If a person upholds the Lotus Sūtra, I will certainly protect him.” Zhi later went to the Western Regions, and his final end is unknown.
6.39
Śramaṇa Huida of the Jin, nineteen
6.40
Śramaṇa Huida took reciting the Lotus Sūtra as his constant practice. In the second year of the Long'an era of the Jin, he was digging licorice root on Beilong. At that time the Qiang were starving and captured people to eat them. Da was captured by the Qiang and locked in an enclosure. There were many people inside. The Qiang first selected the fat ones to eat. Da single-mindedly invoked Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva and also recited the “Universal Gate Chapter.” When the Qiang had eaten all the other people, only Da and a young boy remained, marked to be eaten next. The following day, as Da finished his worship and recitation, the Qiang came intending to eat them. Suddenly they saw a tiger emerge from a clump of grass, roaring and giving chase. At that time the Qiang scattered and fled, and [Da] fortunately gained great peace. Taking the young boy with him, he returned to his original place. The power of reciting the sūtra stimulated Avalokiteśvara's response, which was made manifest in this way.
6.41
The Widow Lady Yang of Chang'an City, twenty
6.42
The woman Lady Yang lost her parents when young, and in middle age lost her husband, living alone as a widow. She particularly loathed impermanence and also loathed the female body. Seeking the Way from a master, she was instructed in the “Devadatta Chapter.” With sincere devotion she diligently recited it, memorizing and reciting it within one year, untiring day and night. She dreamed that she was sitting in a lotus blossom reciting the sūtra. Upon waking, she informed her master, who said, “The sūtra says, ‘born by transformation from a lotus blossom’—it refers to this matter.” She was all the more encouraged in her earnest resolution. Again she dreamed that her own body suddenly became a man, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of retinue members. She reported this in detail to her master, who said, “The sūtra says, ‘endowed with the marks of a man.’ The dream indicates your future mark. What you vow will certainly come to pass without doubt.” The woman's faithful mind was chaste and pure, and she made a vow: “May my parents, my deceased husband, and all my relatives and friends certainly escape suffering through the merit of reciting the sūtra.” She dreamed that her parents, deceased husband, and relatives and friends came to tell her, “Relying on your grace, we have obtained lotus seats.” She reported what she had dreamed to her master again, who said, “Relying on the power of your recitation, they have obtained reception into the Pure Land.” The woman rejoiced and said, “I also do not take pleasure in sensual desires. I dedicate the wholesomeness of my present body to Sukhāvatī, to be born before the Buddhas of the ten directions. Does the text make an exception for the Western Direction?” She made a vow to recite the sūtra day and night. When her life was coming to an end, she told her master, “All my relatives and friends, together with Avalokiteśvara, have come to welcome me to be born in the Pure Land first.” Waiting until her master finished speaking, she passed away. Subtle music was heard in the outer districts, with rare fragrance wafting. Due to the widow’s influence, many men and women upheld the single “Devadatta Chapter.” For this reason, many of the old manuscripts in Chang'an lacked this chapter, because they were not collated and copied [together], as the merit of the chapter itself was so great.
6.43
Śramaṇa Fadao, twenty-one
6.44
Śramaṇa Fadao took reciting the “Avalokiteśvara Chapter” as his constant practice. Growing even more averse to noisy clamor, he entered the mountains to wander and recite the sūtra. Suddenly encountering bandits, [the bandits,] thinking that meeting a Buddhist monk was inauspicious, drew their bows and arrows to shoot him. Intending to loose their arrows, [the arrows] stuck fast to the bows, and they were unable to shoot. The bandits thereupon submitted, threw their bows to the ground, and realizing that they could not match such a spiritual person, abandoned them and fled. Because of his meditation, he escaped calamity—that was all.
6.45
Two Monks of the Northern Circuit of Xiangzhou under the Sui, twenty-two
6.46
On the Northern Circuit of Xiangzhou there were two monks whose names have been lost. In their bond of friendship, their sharp unity could cut metal, and they lived in adjoining rooms. One recited the Daśabhūmika-śāstra, and one recited the Lotus Sūtra. In the quiet of night, pausing their recitations, they told each other, “Between the two of us, whichever dies first shall return to report whether cause and effect exist or not.” Several years later, the monk who recited the Daśabhūmika fell ill and died first. For a long time there was no report. His friend the monk wept in sorrow day and night, regretting the delay in his coming to report. [The deceased] came to report in a dream, saying, “Because of my arrogance and competitive mind, I recited the Daśabhūmika-śāstra without contemplating the suffering and joy of future rebirths. Because my mind was coarse, King Yama, the Dharma King, relegated and confined me to a dark chamber. If left to my sins, only after exhausting the sins of arrogance and vying with others could I be born in the Pure Land. Because you remembered me and recited the sūtra, a great bright light illuminated the dark chamber, my body cooled, and my suffering ceased; before long, I will leave suffering. The way of friendship extends far into future lives. I rejoice that you are a good friend in the Dharma; why should you hold a grudge against me? Three years from now, you will be born in the Pure Land. Please chant and recite one hundred complete texts for me, so that I may be born in the Pure Land quickly and come to welcome your spirit.” Waking from the dream, he washed away his dust and impurities, put on new clean robes, and recited another one hundred complete texts. [The friend] again came to report in a dream, saying, “Relying on your grace, I have gone to the Pure Land. In three years I will come to welcome you. Do not abandon your recitation practice.” Waking, he recounted this to his fellow practitioners.
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Linked texts (1)
- 法華傳記 — Classical Chinese