往生西方淨土瑞應傳 1.27

1.27

唐朝衒法師并州人。逢綽禪師講觀經。方始迴心。五年專念佛。一日一夜禮千拜。念佛七萬遍。恐壽終倍加精進。夢見釋迦佛文殊讚法華經。又夢見三道向西去。第一道總是俗人。第二道上道俗相兼。第三道上唯有僧。口曰總是往生人。

Dharma Master Xuan of the Tang dynasty was a native of Bingzhou. Encountering Dhyāna Master Daochuo lecturing on the Guan Wuliangshou jing, he only then changed his mind. For five years he practiced buddhamanasikāra exclusively. In a single day and night he would make one thousand prostrations and practice buddhamanasikāra seventy thousand times. Fearing the end of his lifespan, he redoubled his vigor. In a dream he saw Śākyamuni Buddha and Mañjuśrī praising the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra. He also dreamt of three paths leading west: the first path had only laypeople; on the second path, monastics and laity were mixed together; on the third path, there were only monks. A voice said, “These are all people attaining rebirth.”