淨土往生傳 1.10

1.10

釋僧濟。未詳何許人。亦不知落髮為誰師也。晉安之時。甞入廬山。問道于遠公。內外經書。皆貫深要。遠每謂曰。與吾紹隆大法。爾其人乎。濟由敏悟之識。為遠稱譽。凡所講議時多欽伏。殆其有疾。沈殢枕席。欲起而不能作者三日。遠附一燭遺之曰。汝可憑此建心安養。濟承其意。執燭停想。復延諸僧。夕諷觀經。漏殘星轉。殆將五更。濟以所執之燭。授弟子元弼。於僧中行之頃之。且覺自秉一燭浮空而行。蒙彌陀佛接置于掌。遍至十方歷事諸佛。須臾既覺備與弼等道之。已而喜曰。吾以一夕觀念蒙佛接引。惟佛大慈與念俱至。至于明夕。復見空中化佛與化菩薩隱顯來集。又謂弼曰。化佛來也吾其去矣。於是西顧一息而終。終之餘三月。當其敲暑。肌肉為之不腐。

Shi Sengji: it is not clear where he was from, nor is it known under whom he shaved his head and took as master. During the Jin'an era, he once entered Mount Lu to inquire about the Path from Master Huiyuan. In both internal [Buddhist] and external [secular] classics and texts, he penetrated the profound essentials. Huiyuan often said to him: "To continue and glorify the Great Dharma with me—are you not the one?" Because of his keen and awakened understanding, Ji was praised by Huiyuan; whenever he lectured and debated, the people of the time mostly admired and yielded to him. When he became ill and bedridden, sinking into weakness, he wished to rise but could not do so for three days. Huiyuan sent him a candle and gave it to him, saying: "You may rely on this to establish your mind on Anyang." Ji received his intention, grasped the candle, and stilled his thoughts; he also invited the monks to chant the Contemplation Sūtra in the evening. As the water clock ran down and the stars turned, nearly at the fifth watch, Ji handed the candle he held to his disciple Yuanbi, to carry it among the monks. Shortly thereafter, he felt himself holding a candle and walking through empty space; he was received by Amitābha Buddha and placed upon his palm, traveling throughout the ten directions to serve all the buddhas. In a short while, when he awoke, he fully related this to Bi and the others. Soon he rejoiced and said: "By one night of contemplative mindfulness, I have received the Buddha's reception and guidance. The Buddha's great compassion arrives together with mindfulness!" By the next evening, he again saw transformed buddhas and transformed bodhisattvas gathering in the sky, appearing and disappearing. He said again to Bi: "The transformed buddhas have come; I shall depart!" Thereupon, turning his gaze to the west, with a single breath he passed away. For more than three months after his passing, during the blazing summer heat, his flesh did not decay.