淨土往生傳 1.12

1.12

Liu Chengzhi, styled Zhongsi, was a native of Pengcheng and a descendant of King Yuan of Chu of the Han dynasty. His grandfather and ancestors before him had been eminent officials of the Jin. Having lost his father when young, Chengzhi served his mother with filial conduct renowned throughout the province and village. Furthermore, confident in his literary talent, he did not humble his spirit to the customs of the age. Even when cold and hunger beset him, or power and fortune stood before him, his mind remained serene. The Minister of Works Wang Mi, the Chancellor Huan Xuan, the Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary Xie Kun, the Commander-in-Chief Xie An, and the Grand Commander Liu Yu all praised his virtue and wished to recommend him. Chengzhi said, “Those recommended by you lords are all heroes among men. As for Chengzhi, my conduct is insufficient to adorn myself, and my talent is inadequate to shelter me from worldly vulgarity. If you recommend me now, not only will I incur the disgrace of holding a sinecure, but I also fear the world will consider that you lords cannot recognize talent.” He thereupon went to Mount Lu to entrust himself to Master Yuan. Master Yuan said, “Official rank and emolument are exalted; what would you not wish to pursue?” Chengzhi replied, “Ruler and ministers harbor mutual suspicion like parasitic growths; looking upon the Jin court, it lacks the firmness of a solid rock, and the worldly situation faces the peril of piled-up eggs. What would I pursue?” Hearing this discourse, Yuan esteemed and respected him deeply. The Grand Commander Lord Liu also recognized that his resolve could not be bent by force, and conferred upon him the title 'Yimin' (Hermit-Subject) in consultation with the various lords to honor him. When Lei Cizong, Zhou Xuzhi, Bi Yingzhi, Zhang Xiushi, and others came together to dwell with Yuan, Yuan said, “Having come here, gentlemen, should you neglect wandering in the Pure Land? If you have the aspiration, you ought to apply diligent effort and not fall behind.” Among the gentlemen, Chengzhi was the most skilled in literary composition; he recorded these events, inscribing them on stone to endure forever. Thereafter, Chengzhi devoted himself single-mindedly to the Buddhist path for eleven years without being disturbed by honor or disgrace. In his final years, while practicing buddhānusmṛti, he saw the purple-golden body of the Buddha Amitābha appear in his room. Chengzhi, feeling unworthy yet fortunate, wept with sorrow and uttered, “How could I obtain the Tathāgata to stroke my head with his hand and cover me with his robe?” Presently the Buddha stroked his head and drew forward his kāṣāya to cover him. On another day while practicing buddhānusmṛti, he again saw his body enter a great pool of seven jewels. In the pool, blue and white lotus flowers grew intermingled, and its water was vast and clear, as if shoreless. Within it was a person whose head bore a circular halo and whose chest bore a svastika. Pointing to the pool's water, he said, “This is the water of eight virtuous qualities; you may drink it.” Chengzhi drank the water, which filled his mouth with delicious sweetness. When he awoke, an extraordinary fragrance still emanated from his pores. Chengzhi said, “My conditions for the Pure Land have arrived. Who among the community of six harmonies will bear witness for me?” After the monks of Mount Lu gathered, Chengzhi burned incense before the venerable image, bowed repeatedly, and prayed: “It is due to Śākyamuni’s bequeathed teachings that I have come to know of Amitābha Buddha. This incense shall first be offered to Śākyamuni Tathāgata, next to Amitābha Buddha, and then to the assembly of Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the Lotus Gathering, and onward to the assemblies of Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions. May all sentient beings be reborn together in the Pure Land.” Having finished his vow, he clicked his teeth three times, knelt upright, and passed away. On the eleventh day after his death, Master Yuan, because Chengzhi was a member of the Society, composed a biography for him.