淨土往生傳 2.6

2.6

Shi Zhitong had the secular surname Cheng and was a native of Hedong. At ten years old, he donned the black robes to become a novice monk (śrāmaṇera). His solemn deportment was praised by his contemporaries. After receiving full ordination, he halted all external concerns and diligently devoted himself solely to repentance and recitation, chanting more than three thousand verses in praise of the Buddha composed by past sages. At the six times of the day, facing the venerable image, he chanted aloud, his tones nuanced and mournful, moving those who heard him to sorrow. For some fifty years, he showed no weariness. In the final years of Emperor Wu of the Zhou, when the Buddhist order was suppressed, Zhitong withdrew to a secluded place to ride out the troubles of the time. When the founding emperor of the Sui took the throne and caused the sun of the Buddha to shine brightly once more, Zhitong resided at Gulao Monastery, where his austerity during the six times of the day doubled that of his early years. Ever distressed by the day-to-day afflictions of the three realms and five sufferings, he vowed to attain release and be reborn in Anyang. In the tenth month of the seventh year of Daye, he fell ill. For the time being, he ordered dozens of his disciples, including Dinggai, to face west with one voice and recite Amitābha Buddha. Zhitong then closed his eyes and remained in focused contemplation for a long time. He asked Gai, "For what reason are the lanterns and candles lit so brightly?" Gai then extinguished the candles. Zhitong said again, "Why has the light grown even brighter?" Since there were no candles, Gai replied to him, "This wondrous manifestation of radiant light must presage something; it is not something I can understand." Zhitong immediately opened his eyes, looked all around, and instructed Gai to light incense. Once the smoke of the incense arose, Zhitong snapped his fingers and said, "Unsurpassed wondrous omens are mine!" Someone asked what was wondrous, and he replied, "Jeweled banners and flower canopies are entirely before me. If not wondrous, then what are they? Day is about to turn to dusk." He also said to Gai, "My rebirth in the Pure Land is set for tonight. You disciples must advance with vigor and never fall back into indolence!" When the middle of the night arrived, he passed away sitting in the hall of repentance and recitation, as if in meditative absorption. Daohui, a monk of the monastery, saw to the left of the hall thousands of multistoried pavilions arrayed across the void, departing westward, growing gradually more distant and faint, like ten thousand folds of clouds and mist, now dispersing, now scattering, beyond description. At that time, Dinggai's mother, Lady Wang, was also devoted to pure karma. When she cast off her retribution body, blue-green lotuses were also seen filling her chamber; those who came, more often than not, could still smell the fragrance of the lotuses, which did not disperse for days.