往生集 1.159

1.159

宋宗坦。潞州黎城人。五十年名播講林。晚於唐州青臺鎮。專求淨土。三業四儀。曾無暫忘。政和四年四月二十七日。夢阿彌陀佛。謂曰。汝說法止六日。當生淨土。覺而白眾。至五月四日。集眾告曰。因緣聚散。固當有時。淨土勝緣。惟憑時刻。願眾念佛助我往生。言已坐脫。滿空雷鳴。白雲覆地。三日方歇。所持瑪瑙數珠。盤於指上。眾取之。竟不能得。感應事繁。具如別說。

Zongtan of the Song dynasty was a native of Licheng in Luzhou. For fifty years, his fame spread through the lecture halls. In his later years, at Qingtai Town in Tangzhou, he sought the Pure Land exclusively. In the three karmic activities and four postures, he never forgot it for even a moment. On the twenty-seventh day of the fourth month of the fourth year of the Zhenghe era, he dreamed of Amitābha Buddha, who said to him: 'Your preaching of the Dharma will cease in six days, and you shall be reborn in the Pure Land.' Waking, he informed the assembly. On the fourth day of the fifth month, he gathered the assembly and addressed them, saying: 'The coming together and parting of causes and conditions certainly must have their time. The supreme condition of the Pure Land relies solely upon this moment. I wish the assembly would practice buddhamanasikāra to aid my rebirth.' Having spoken, he passed away seated. The entire sky resounded with thunder, and white clouds covered the ground, ceasing only after three days. The agate rosary he held was coiled around his fingers; the assembly tried to remove it, but in the end could not. His responsive wonders were numerous, fully recorded in other accounts.