往生集 2.234

2.234

贊曰。母遺命具龕。無棺槨。無迎殺神。無燒紙錢。無殺牲以祭。諸子悉隨順不二。吾聞。昔有臨終坐脫者。子恐乖名教。拽其足伸之。父忽躍臂捶子。子懼曰。助父坐脫耳。視今日周氏諸子。為何如。先是母以殘息。待予至授戒。予適稽緩。母曰。時至不可待矣。即化去。人以為恨。寧知予未下船舷。羯磨已竟。噫諸上善人。同會一處。周氏之母子。不其然歟。

In praise: The mother left testamentary instructions to prepare a niche-shrine, without an inner or outer coffin, without welcoming the spirit of death, without burning paper money, and without slaughtering animals for sacrifice. Her sons completely complied without deviation. I have heard that once there was a man who, on the verge of death, sat and passed away; his son, fearing this violated ritual propriety, pulled his feet to stretch them out, whereupon the father suddenly raised his arm and beat his son. The terrified son said, 'I was only helping father sit and pass away!' Compared to that, how do the sons of the Zhou family today appear? Earlier, with her remaining breaths, the mother was waiting for me to arrive to confer the precepts. I happened to be delayed, and the mother said, 'The time has arrived and cannot wait!' and she transformed. People considered it a regret; little did they know that before I had stepped off the boat, the karmavācanā was already completed. Ah! When all superior good persons gather in one place, is that not truly so for the mother and sons of the Zhou family?