淨土往生傳 2.10

2.10

釋法祥。同州澄城人。童稚之歲。操志自立。周武之末。冠帶僧徒。其間負明敏者。必錄用之。祥以所負獲陞官路。隋復大化。祥乃陳表乞再為僧。尋住楊都大興國寺三十年。潛思玄籍。羅總權實。開蒙指俗。動有饒益。每以饒益之善。助生安養。至於基一堂構一室。形器土木之為。必引願之。唐武德七年有疾。至其增劇。弟子在祥之側。聞祥稱佛之聲。繼發于口。初未悟之。謂其病中念佛。以著願想。尋迴顧之。乃見其房之西壁有光焉。其光圓合。若諸寶鏡。雖他國土畢亦現之。光中又有頻伽之鳥鼓冀四來。祥指所見謂弟子曰。頻伽諸鳥。汝徒見耶。見之他日淨土必見吾也。旋而光隱。祥亦亡焉。於是用西域茶毘法。收舍利而葬焉。

Shi Faxiang was a native of Chengcheng in Tongzhou. From his childhood, he upheld his resolve and was self-reliant. In the final years of Emperor Wu of the Zhou, monks were forced to return to lay dress, and among them, those who possessed discernment were selected for official service. Because of his abilities, Xiang attained an official post. When the Sui restored the great teaching, Xiang submitted a memorial requesting to become a monk once again. Soon after, he resided at Daxingguo Monastery in the capital of Yang for thirty years, deeply contemplating esoteric texts and encompassing both the provisional and the real teachings. When he guided the ignorant and instructed the worldly, his every action brought benefit, and he always used the good merit of such benefit to aid his rebirth in Anyang. Even down to laying the foundation of a hall or constructing a room—any work with clay or timber—he unfailingly dedicated it with a vow. In the seventh year of Wude of the Tang, he fell ill. When it worsened, his disciples were at Xiang's side and heard the sound of his invoking the Buddha coming continuously from his mouth. At first they did not understand, thinking he was merely reciting the Buddha's name in illness to manifest his vowed thoughts. Soon they turned to look, and saw light upon the west wall of his room. The light formed a circle, like a treasure mirror, in which other lands were completely visible. Within the light, there were also kalaviṅka birds flapping their wings and approaching from all directions. Xiang pointed to what he saw and said to his disciples, "Do you disciples see the kalaviṅka birds? If you see them, then in the future you will certainly see me in the Pure Land." Shortly afterward, the light vanished, and Xiang passed away. Thereupon, according to the cremation (jhāpita) method of the Western Regions, they collected his relics and entombed them.