往生集 1.79

1.79

Huihai of the Sui dynasty lived at Anle Temple in Jiangdu. He was skilled in the sūtras and treatises, and practiced buddhamanasikāra with pure sincerity. There was a monk named Daoquan who arrived from Qizhou carrying an image of Amitābha Buddha that was exquisite and skillfully wrought, such as did not exist in the world. When asked about it, he said, “A bodhisattva of the five superknowledges from Kukkuṭārāma Temple in India traveled through the air to that Sukhāvatī world system, drew it, and returned.” Huihai felt blessed to have encountered it, and reverently and devoutly paid homage to it, whereupon he saw a divine light shining brilliantly. Thereupon he copied it with deep earnestness, aspiring to be reborn in that land. Later, he fell slightly ill. At night, he suddenly arose, and after paying homage facing west as was his custom, he sat cross-legged until dawn and passed away, looking dignified as though still alive.