往生集 1.95

1.95

The appraisal says: Some might suspect that buddhas emerging from the mouth seems to border on the bizarre. Ah! When the Bhagavat encountered the drunken elephant, golden-rayed lions emerged from the tips of his five fingers. His words were, “How could I have had any intention to ward off the elephant? It is because through my cultivation of the power of loving-kindness and forbearance over immeasurable kalpas, lions naturally appeared. I myself did not know it either.” Now, Master Kang’s manifestation of buddhas was likewise brought about by his taking refuge and paying homage over immeasurable kalpas. What is bizarre about it? In the world there are demonic teachers who instruct people to sit in the dark night and fix their gaze upon incense smoke to see a buddha appear, taking this to be sympathetic resonance. Compared to this, the difference between the heterodox and the orthodox is truly like that between heaven and earth! Cultivators of pure karma cannot fail to discern this.