淨土往生傳 2.9

2.9

釋善胄。俗姓淮瀛州博野人也。少通義學。出於流伍。甞遊吳中。遇法師慧靖講涅槃經。道俗千人。傾耳注聽。胄於千人之中。與之論議。往復徵詰。大為克勝。由是數郡飛播時譽。隋仁壽三年。文皇帝詔。擇名僧五十三人。分舍利于五十三郡。胄以所負之善。獲預其選。就其所選。胄尤有聲焉。然胄寡親世務。親戚故舊情亦薄。然惟於淨土。特著勳業。所居堂宇。有彌陀像及二菩薩。累放光明內外。見者靡不稱歎。而胄也其終無言焉。大業二年臥疾。至唐武德三年。疾乃有瘳。胄曰。吾病瘳矣。命且將盡。俄而驟致綿篤。又曰。吾於佛教。本無輕略。不慮淨土不生。即令諸僧拂拭房宇。嚴待時至。其夕諸僧。尚在胄側。而胄倐起合掌。而祝曰。佛以四十八願攝我。有情必冀。此時如佛本願。已而又曰。諸有眾生。於多劫中。不值佛不聞法。今佛光明。幸既照胄。胄向所願無愆矣。言訖遂終。

Shi Shanzhou had the secular surname Huai and was a native of Boye in Yingzhou. In his youth, he mastered doctrinal studies, rising far above his peers. He once traveled to Wuzhong, where he met Dharma Master Huijing lecturing on the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, with a thousand monastics and laypeople listening intently. From among those thousand people, Zhou debated with him, repeatedly challenging and cross-examining him, and gained a decisive victory. From this, his renown spread across several commanderies. In the third year of the Renshou era of the Sui, Emperor Wen issued an edict selecting fifty-three eminent monks to distribute relics among fifty-three commanderies. By virtue of his outstanding virtues, Zhou was chosen among them, and in this selection, Zhou was especially renowned. Yet Zhou had little regard for worldly affairs and was detached toward relatives and old acquaintances; he devoted all his efforts exclusively to the Pure Land. In the hall where he resided, there were images of Amitābha and the two bodhisattvas, which repeatedly emitted light inside and out; all who saw it marveled in praise, but Zhou never said a word about it. In the second year of Daye, he fell ill in bed; only in the third year of Wude of the Tang did his illness abate. Zhou said, "My illness has abated, but my life is about to end." Shortly thereafter, he suddenly became critically ill. He said again, "Toward the Buddha’s teachings, I have never been careless; I have no anxiety about not being reborn in the Pure Land." He then had the monks sweep clean his room and wait solemnly for the moment to arrive. That evening, while the monks were still at his side, Zhou suddenly rose, pressed his palms together, and prayed, "The Buddha uses the forty-eight vows to gather me in. Sentient beings must hope that at this moment it will be according to the Buddha's original vows." After a moment, he said again, "Sentient beings, through many kalpas, fail to encounter the Buddha or hear the Dharma. Now the Buddha's radiance has fortunately shone upon me, Zhou; what I previously vowed has not gone astray." Having spoken these words, he passed away.