淨土往生傳 3.6

3.6

釋自覺。博陵望都人。十歲事本郡開元寺知欽。為弟子。欽觀其志不群。命名曰自覺。因戲之曰。聞名思義得無益乎。覺曰。佛種從緣起。安忘明誨哉。唐至德二年受具。北詣靈壽禪法寺。習諸經律大小之乘。條然分辯。久而念曰。人事紛紛。日新萬端。若入泰山。得一盤石之上結茅。以居足矣。大曆元年。得平山之西重林院。覺曰。空山無人煩慮不生。以煩慮不生之地。豈宜佛教無聞乎。固有鬼神之道在焉。於是為諸幽陰。晨夕講貫者三年。五年天其大旱。群盜蜂起。加又林麓蒙翳。虎狼交跡。覺採果實。日充一食。恒陽節度使張昭。以時亢旱。聞覺精苦屢有祥感。躬自入山。請曰。昭無政術禍累百姓。三年亢陽。涓澤不下。引咎自責。良無補矣。又曰。昭聞。龍王依師聽法。與諸儔類。忘其施雨願哀蒸黎。以起大悲。則昭之誠無患矣。覺乃焚香。遙望潭洞而祝曰。惟龍之為雨澤其滋。不滋不澤。龍孰為德。不頃刻雲霧四起。甘澤大下。是歲恒陽之人。為之有年。覺自入法以來。甞發四十九願。其一願者。願由大悲菩薩接見彌陀。於是鳩率檀度。鑄大悲像。高四十九尺。造寺居之。及寺之成。盛陳佛事。於大悲前俯伏泣曰。聖相已就。梵宇已成。願承聖力。早登安養。其夜三更。忽有祥光二道。作中金色。光中阿彌陀佛。乘雲而下。觀音勢至左右隨之。佛垂金臂。桉覺首曰。守願勿悛。利物為先。寶池生處。孰不如願。俄而光收雲斂。杳無眹迹。後十一年七月望夕。復見一人於雲間現半身。有若毘沙門狀。俯謂覺曰。安養之期於斯至矣。即日覺以所見告弟子。訓其精勤。勇猛於如來法。無生懈惰。既而於大悲前。跏趺化識。弟子欲奉靈龕。以歸舊山。州人苦留。遂於大悲寺南遷塔焉。

Shi Zijue was a native of Wangdu in Boling. At the age of ten, he served Zhiqin of Kaiyuan Monastery in his home commandery as a disciple. Qin, observing that his aspirations were uncommon, named him Zijue (“Self-Awakening”) and teased him, saying, “Hearing your name and reflecting on its meaning, could it not bring you benefit?” Jue said, “The Buddha-seed arises from conditions; how could I forget your clear instruction?” In the second year of the Zhide reign of the Tang dynasty, he received the full precepts. He went north to Chanfa Monastery in Lingshou and studied various sūtras and vinaya texts of both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna vehicles, distinguishing their branches clearly. After a long time, he reflected, “Human affairs are chaotic, renewing themselves ten-thousandfold each day. If I were to enter Mount Tai and find a flat boulder upon which to tie a thatched hut to dwell, that would suffice.” In the first year of the Dali reign, he obtained the Chonglin Compound west of Pingshan. Jue said, “In an empty mountain with no people, vexations do not arise. In a place where vexations do not arise, how could it be right for the Buddha’s teaching to go unheard? Indeed, the way of spirits and ghosts is present here.” Thereupon, for three years, morning and evening he lectured and practiced for the hidden spirits. In the fifth year, there was a great drought, and bands of bandits swarmed like bees; in addition, the forest at the foot of the mountain was dense and overgrown, with the tracks of tigers and wolves crossing. Jue gathered fruits to serve as his single daily meal. Zhang Zhao, the military commissioner of Hengyang, because of the protracted drought and having heard that Jue’s rigorous asceticism had repeatedly elicited auspicious responses, personally entered the mountain and petitioned him, saying, “Zhao lacks governmental skill, and calamity has burdened the common people. For three years the sun has blazed, and not a drop of moisture has fallen. Blaming myself and taking the fault upon myself truly brings no remedy.” He also said, “Zhao has heard that dragon kings rely on the master to listen to the Dharma, and together with their companions, they have forgotten to bestow rain. I pray you take pity on the common folk to arouse great compassion; then Zhao’s sincerity will not have been in vain.” Jue then burned incense, gazed toward the pool and cave, and prayed, “The purpose of dragons is to provide rain and bring abundant moisture; if they provide neither moisture nor rainfall, what virtue do dragons possess?” In no time, clouds and mist arose on all four sides, and sweet rain poured down abundantly. That year, the people of Hengyang had a bountiful harvest. Ever since Jue entered the Dharma, he had made forty-nine vows; one of those vows was that he wished to be received and see Amitābha through the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion [Avalokiteśvara]. Thereupon he gathered donations and cast an image of Great Compassion forty-nine feet high, building a temple to house it. When the temple was completed, he lavishly arranged Buddhist services, bowed down prostrate before the image of Great Compassion, and wept, saying, “The holy form is completed, and the pure sanctuary is built. I pray that, relying on holy power, I may quickly ascend to Anyang.” At the third watch of that night, suddenly two rays of auspicious light appeared, of an intermediate golden color. Within the light, Amitābha Buddha descended upon a cloud, with Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta accompanying him on left and right. The Buddha lowered his golden arm, placed his hand upon Jue’s head, and said, “Keep your vow and do not waver; put benefiting beings first. When you are born in the jeweled pond, what will not be according to your wish?” Presently the light withdrew and the clouds dispersed, leaving no trace behind. Eleven years later, on the full moon night of the seventh month, he again saw a person manifest half a body amidst the clouds, appearing in the likeness of Vaiśravaṇa, who looked down and said to Jue, “The time for Anyang has arrived at this moment.” On the same day, Jue told his disciples what he had seen and admonished them to be diligent and vigorous in the Tathāgata’s Dharma, never giving rise to laxity. Soon after, before the image of Great Compassion, he sat cross-legged and transformed his consciousness. His disciples wished to escort his sacred casket back to his former mountain, but the people of the prefecture pleaded earnestly to keep him; they thereupon relocated his pagoda south of Dabei Monastery.