淨土往生傳 2.8

2.8

釋法智。不究其族。隋文之時。游學于東越。越之有通大小乘經義者。智必師之。以故強學多聞人罕儔匹。末年以徑直之門。莫如念佛。於是晨興暮息。繼念而不弛者七年。已而議曰。犯一吉羅承其罪也。歷一中劫。此誠可信。以其固而為之也。一稱阿彌陀佛。而滅億劫重罪。則予也竊有疑焉。或告智曰。無自疑矣。教以念佛久則功。功則化。化則三昧現前。今子之疑。是疑教也。夫疑教則信無依。無依則情自亂。亂而失之。則謗讟之過。生地獄之因。起如之何。且自疑也。智誠其意。乃於國清寺兜率臺上。絕去諸緣。一心念佛。想念既極。數感觀音勢至同時來現。異日又感天冠寶瓶光映其身。智謂道俗親知曰。吾生淨土蓋有日矣。誰能具食以餞我。眾笑而對曰。果能之。則吾等豈以一食為惜哉。惟恐道人之不能也。遂刻後三日會食之。其日食罷。智無他疾。眾心或信或否或疑。其卓然為相侮。日既西次。因宿其房伺候之。夜之未央。智於繩床念佛。安坐而化。是夜有金色光。自西而來。照數百里。江上漁人謂。其天曉。舳艫相望。率皆驚起。久而乃曉。

Shi Fazhi's ancestry is unknown. In the time of Emperor Wen of the Sui, he traveled to study in Dongyue. Whenever there was someone in Yue who understood the doctrinal meanings of the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras, Fazhi would study under him; thus, in sheer diligence and broad learning, few could match him. In his later years, deeming that among all direct paths none was as good as buddhānusmṛti, he rose at dawn and rested at dusk, continuing his mindfulness without slackening for seven years. Afterward, he mused, "To commit a single duṣkṛta and bear its retribution for an intermediate kalpa—this can indeed be believed, for it was done deliberately. But that reciting the name of Amitābha Buddha just once can extinguish the heavy offenses of billions of kalpas—this I privately doubt." Someone told Fazhi, "Do not doubt yourself! The teaching says that if one practices buddhānusmṛti for long, it bears merit; with merit comes transformation; with transformation, samādhi becomes manifest. Now, your doubt is a doubt of the teaching. To doubt the teaching leaves faith with no support; with no support, one's mind becomes disordered. Becoming disordered and going astray, the fault of slandering [the Dharma] becomes the cause for being born in hell. How could you let that arise, and why doubt yourself?" Fazhi reformed his mind with sincerity and, upon the Tuṣita Terrace of Guoqing Monastery, cut off all external concerns to focus single-mindedly on buddhānusmṛti. When his contemplation reached its peak, he was repeatedly blessed with the simultaneous appearance of Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta. On another day, he was blessed with the sight of a heavenly crown and a jeweled vase, their light illuminating his person. Fazhi said to his acquaintances among monastics and laity, "The day for my rebirth in the Pure Land is at hand! Who among you will prepare a meal to bid me farewell?" The crowd smiled and replied, "If you can truly do so, how could we begrudge a single meal? We only fear that you, O practitioner, will not be able to do so." They agreed to assemble for a meal three days later. On that day, when the meal was finished, Fazhi showed no illness. Among the crowd, some believed, some disbelieved, and some suspected he was merely mocking them. As the sun sank in the west, they lodged in his room to watch. Before the night ended, Fazhi recited the Buddha's name upon his rope bed, sat peacefully, and passed away. That night, a golden light came from the west, illuminating several hundred li. The fishermen on the river thought it was dawn; boats gazing toward each other, they all rose up in alarm, and only after a long while did the actual day break.