淨土往生傳 3.16

3.16

釋志通。俗姓張扶風人也。後唐之季。兵革日尋。通以居無常處。深所嗟悼。續遊洛下。遇嚩日囉三藏。行瑜伽教。乃曰。此如來之密藏。吾無傳之。是吾失也。遂落髮師事。傳其所謂密藏焉。事之十年。而意無怠。尋欲陟天台游羅浮。遂辭三藏。藏曰。兵革未平。子議南征。奈何尚虞艱阻。通曰。汎乎天塹何其阻也。藏曰。苟之吳會。可授梵文。或時得以傳譯。亦吾事也。遂以梵文授之。石晉天福四年。達錢塘文穆王。奉朝庭之故具威儀。樂部迎之于真身塔寺。未幾請訪天台。繇是登赤城陟華頂。洎見智者淨土儀式。不勝欣抃。不向西唾。不背西坐。天台有招手巖。其為峻峙。下顧千尋。通登其上。顧曰。身臨此境。不於此時捨報見佛。異日尚何及也。於是冥目西向。自陳大願。及念彌陀因地所發行願。願已投身。而下至其巖半。若有神物。捧之于樹。支體無損。通曰。何其復有生耶。及復整心端意。登其巖曰。餘生已厭。大願已發。惟諸海眾。同相接引。毋使此身尚有生也。因之再投。至于巖下蒙茸草上。遲久乃穌。寺僧疑。通他適。或為豺狼所傷。追而尋之。乃見其為捨身也。眾乃舁歸本道場醫療焉。六年請遊越州法華山。七年將欲歸寂。通見白鶴孔雀行列西下。又見蓮華光相開合于前。通曰。白鶴孔雀淨土境也。蓮華光相託生處也。淨土其將迎我耶。乃起禮佛。對佛而終。至闍維時。復有五色煙雲。環覆其火法華山。僧咸共見之。

Shi Zhitong, secular surname Zhang, was a native of Fufeng. In the latter period of the Later Tang, warfare broke out constantly. Because he had no fixed dwelling, Tong felt deep sorrow and lamentation. He later traveled to Luoyang, where he met the Tripiṭaka master Vajra practicing the Yoga teachings. Tong then said, "This is the secret treasury of the Tathāgata. If I do not receive its transmission, that would be my failing." He then shaved his head, served him as his teacher, and received what was called the secret treasury. He served him for ten years without any slackness in intention. Soon, wishing to ascend Mount Tiantai and wander Mount Luofu, he took leave of the Tripiṭaka master. The Tripiṭaka master said, "The warfare has not yet ceased. You propose to journey south; why do you still face hardship and obstruction with no fear?" Tong said, "Floating across the natural moat, what obstruction could there be?" The Tripiṭaka master said, "If you go to Wu and Kuaiji, I can transmit Sanskrit texts to you. If perchance you are able to translate and propagate them, that too would be my undertaking." He then conferred the Sanskrit texts upon him. In the fourth year of the Tianfu reign era of the Later Jin, he reached Qiantang. Because King Wenmu revered the court, he prepared ceremonial regalia and an orchestra to welcome him at Zhengshen Ta Monastery. Soon after, Tong requested to visit Tiantai. Thereupon he climbed Chicheng and mounted Huading. When he saw Zhiyi's Pure Land rituals, he was exceedingly joyful; he would not spit toward the west, nor would he sit with his back to the west. Mount Tiantai has Beckoning Rock, which is towering and steep, looking down a thousand fathoms. Tong ascended its top, looked out, and said, "Standing upon this place, if I do not abandon my retribution-body at this time to see the Buddha, how will I ever reach it on another day?" Thereupon, closing his eyes and facing west, he stated his great vow and contemplated the practice and vows made by Amitābha on the causal ground. When the vow was finished, he cast his body down. When he reached halfway down the cliff, it seemed as if a spirit held him up in a tree, leaving his limbs unharmed. Tong said, "Why do I still have life?" He then settled his mind and straightened his thoughts again, climbed back up the cliff, and said, "I am already weary of this remaining life, and my great vow has been made. I pray only that the ocean-like assembly will together welcome me, and not let this body still have life!" Thereupon he cast himself down a second time, landing upon thick grass beneath the cliff. Only after a long while did he revive. The monastery monks suspected that Tong had gone elsewhere or been harmed by wolves, and they tracked and searched for him, whereupon they saw that he had abandoned his body. The assembly then carried him back to his original bodhimanda and treated him with medicine. In the sixth year, he requested to travel to Mount Fahua in Yuezhou. In the seventh year, about to return to quiescence, Tong saw white cranes and peacocks descending from the west in ranks, and also saw the radiant image of a lotus opening and closing before him. Tong said, "White cranes and peacocks are the realm of the Pure Land. The radiant image of the lotus is the place where one entrusts one's birth. Is the Pure Land about to welcome me?" He then arose, bowed to the Buddha, and passed away facing the Buddha. When the time came for his cremation (jhāpita), there were again five-colored clouds of smoke encircling and covering his fire. The monks of Mount Fahua all witnessed it together.