淨土往生傳 1.14

1.14

釋曇鑒。俗姓趙冀州下博人也。孩稚厭俗。求師于竺道祖。學究群經。兼窮諸論。論文有所未通必曰。不有聖人復生。吾將安附。後聞羅什入關。杖策詣之。咨決心疑。一隅三反。及什之亡鑒曰。不幸什師去世。咨決無所。乃之江陵之山寺。時膺暮年履行尤謹。甞願躬陞安養。面覲彌陀故。雖毫芒之善。悉迴向之。一日定中。見彌陀佛手捧金瓶。以水灑其面曰。滌汝塵垢。清汝心念。汝之身口。俱致嚴淨。乃於瓶中。出一蓮華授之。鑒之出定。謂弟子慧嚴曰。汝於淨土有觀念因。吾於汝也宜無隱乎。爾遂以所見告之。殆三日弟子道濟辭往上明。鑒曰汝徒未能陞安養脫娑婆。驅驅南北其終為何。既而又曰。汝能奉吾言他日之來。猶吾在焉。不然則汝之報。隨業有遷。其夕鑒與寺僧。歷敘疇昔。亦露其長往不復之意。聞者莫之測也。夜寢深矣。有沙彌僧願。隨在左右。鑒迴顧曰。夜闌燈耗。汝奚在耶。僧願引去。鑒乃獨步廊下。念彌陀佛。近逾五更。其聲彌勵。及旦嚴等。依常問訊見鑒。趺坐而口不言。就而視之已亡矣。嚴等不以其棺掩之。凡三旬支體柔滑。有若芙蕖之香。內而發出焉。同時亦有江陵釋道海。淮南釋曇泓。東轅釋道廣。弘農釋道光。並祈心安養。至其棄世。光等皆言。目擊金臺寶網。暨頻伽命命之鳥。來現其前。

Shi Tanjian, whose lay surname was Zhao, was a native of Xiabo in Jizhou. From childhood he was weary of worldly life, and sought ordination under Zhu Daozu. In his studies he investigated the various sūtras and thoroughly mastered the treatises. Whenever there was a point in the treatises that he could not penetrate, he would say, “If a sage is not reborn, to whom shall I attach myself?” Later, hearing that Kumārajīva had entered the passes, he took up his staff and went to him, resolving the doubts in his mind and deducing the rest from a single corner. Upon Kumārajīva's passing, Jian said, “Unfortunately, Master Kumārajīva has departed this world, and I have nowhere to resolve my questions.” He then went to the mountain monastery of Jiangling. In his declining years, his conduct was exceptionally scrupulous. He constantly vowed to ascend to Anyang in person and behold Amitābha face to face; therefore, even the slightest speck of merit was entirely dedicated to this end. One day while in samādhi, he saw Amitābha Buddha holding a golden vase with both hands, who sprinkled water upon his face and said, “I wash away your defilements and purify your mental thoughts, causing both your body and speech to become utterly pure.” Thereupon, from the vase the Buddha drew forth a lotus flower and bestowed it upon him. Emerging from samādhi, Jian said to his disciple Huiyan, “You have the causal conditions of contemplation regarding the Pure Land; between me and you, nothing should be concealed.” He then recounted what he had seen. Nearly three days later, the disciple Daoji took his leave to travel to Shangming. Jian said, “If you disciples cannot ascend to Anyang and escape the Sahā world, rushing about between north and south, what will it ultimately amount to?” Then he added, “If you can heed my words, when you come another day I shall still be here; otherwise, your retribution will shift according to karma.” That evening, Jian recounted past days with the monastery monks, also revealing his intention of departing forever; none of the hearers could fathom it. Late into the night, the novice Sengyuan was attending at his side. Jian looked back and said, “The night is deep and the lamp-oil is spent; why are you still here?” Sengyuan withdrew. Jian then walked alone under the veranda reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha. As the fifth watch drew near, his voice grew even more impassioned. At dawn, when Yan and the others came to pay their customary respects, they saw Jian sitting cross-legged and speechless. Approaching to look, they found he had already passed away. Yan and the others did not cover him with a coffin; for fully thirty days his limbs remained supple and smooth, and a fragrance like that of lotuses emanated from within. At the same time, there were also Shi Daohai of Jiangling, Shi Tanhong of Huainan, Shi Daoguang of Dongyuan, and Shi Daoguang of Hongnong, who all directed their minds toward Anyang. When they departed this world, Guang and the others all stated that they witnessed with their own eyes golden daises, jeweled nets, and kalaviṅka and jīvaṃjīvaka birds appearing before them.