淨土往生傳 3.17

3.17

Shi Shaoyan, secular surname Liu, was a native of Yongzhou. His mother, Lady Zhang, when first pregnant with Yan, had a very wondrous waking dream. When he was born, his appearance was imposing. At eighteen, he received full ordination from Vinaya Master Huihui. Soon after, he traveled to Wu and Kuaiji, dwelling on Mount Tiantai, Mount Siming, and other mountains, deeply investigating the various vaipulya sūtras for nearly ten years. He also once resolved his doubts with Chan Master Deshao and attained the mind-ground under Master Wenyi of Linchuan. He then stayed at Huxin Monastery in Qiantang, reciting the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka exclusively. He once said, "I vow to recite this sūtra ten thousand times, hoping to be born in Anyang." Day and night he was devoted and earnest, and in response, lotuses grew upon the dry land. The entire city looked on, and the footprints of people and horses crisscrossed. Because the crowds of people were so noisy, Yan plucked the lotuses and trampled them underfoot. In the second year of the Jianlong reign era of the Great Song, having fulfilled his vow of reciting the sūtras, he vowed to burn his body as an offering to Amitābha and the ocean-like assembly of pure beings. Qian, the King of Wuyue, painstakingly pleaded with him to stay, so his intention was temporarily halted. Later, he threw himself into the Cao'e River to feed the fish and turtles. It happened that a fisherman rescued him, allowing him to live again. When the fisherman rescued Yan, he seemed to feel something supporting Yan's feet; amid the swift and violent raging waves, he stood calmly atop them. When King Qian heard of this, he respected and cherished him all the more, specially building a Pure Land Cloister at Baota Monastery in Hangzhou for him to dwell in. On the ninth day of the seventh month of the fourth year of the Kaibao reign era, he fell ill. During his illness, his eyes saw a lotus, whose radiant image illuminated Yan's body. Yan thereupon composed several gāthās to show to his disciples. Shortly afterward, he said again, "By my reciting ten thousand sets of the Lotus Sūtra, what I hoped for on another day was the nine grades of lotus daises upon which to entrust my birth. Now, before I have even died, the lotus dais has arrived first. How could the causes I have cultivated ever betray me?" Three days later, when he was about to pass away, his mind was joyous and comforted, as if self-possessed.