往生集 2.39

2.39

宋胡闉。官宣義。平日雖信佛乘。而未諳淨土。年八十四。疾革。其子迎清照律師。乞垂誨示。照謂闉曰。公知安身立命處否。闉曰。心淨則佛土淨。照曰。公自度平昔時中有雜念染污否。闉曰。既處世間。寧無雜念。照曰。如是則安得心淨土淨。闉曰。一稱佛名。云何能滅八十億劫生死重罪。照曰。阿彌陀佛。以弘誓願塵劫修行。威德廣大光明神力不可思議。是以一稱其名。滅無量罪。猶如赫日消於霜雪。復何疑哉。闉遂省悟。即日延僧念佛。次日照復至。闉曰。師來何暮。二大士降臨已久。照於是率眾厲聲念佛。闉乃合掌而逝。

Hu Yin of the Song held the post of Xuanyi (Court Gentleman of Manifesting Righteousness). Throughout his life, though he had faith in the Buddhayāna, he was not familiar with the Pure Land. At the age of eighty-four, his illness grew grave. His son invited Vinaya Master Qingzhao, begging him to deign to offer instruction. Zhao said to Yin: 'Do you, sir, know the place where you can settle your life and destiny?' Yin said: 'When the mind is pure, the Buddha-land is pure.' Zhao said: 'Do you yourself judge whether in ordinary times your mind has had extraneous thoughts and defilements or not?' Yin said: 'Since I dwell in the world, how could there be no extraneous thoughts?' Zhao said: 'If so, how can mind and land be pure?' Yin said: 'How can a single invocation of the Buddha's name eliminate the grave karmic offenses of birth and death spanning eighty kotis of kalpas?' Zhao said: 'Because Amitābha Buddha practiced through dust-mote kalpas with his vast vows, his awesome virtue is immense, and his light and spiritual power are inconceivable. Therefore, a single invocation of his name eliminates measureless offenses, just as the blazing sun melts frost and snow; what doubt could there still be?' Yin thereupon awakened. That very day he invited monks to engage in buddhamanasikāra. The next day, when Zhao arrived again, Yin said: 'Why did you come so late, Master? The two Great Beings have already descended long ago.' Zhao then led the assembly in reciting the Buddha's name in a loud voice, and Yin joined his palms and passed away.