經律異相 38.20

38.20

When the Buddha was in the state of Śrāvastī, there was the daughter of an elder named Shanxin. She was just fifteen years old, by nature compassionate and filial, broad and penetrating in wisdom. From childhood she always harboured great vows and took no delight in worldly matters. Sitting, she pondered to herself: 'All things are impermanent and must end in death. Even a lifespan of ten thousand years must likewise end in death. Heaven and earth are destined to decay and collapse; how much more so the human body? I reflect that I must undergo such blames and reprimands, with suffering beyond words. After death, my spirit must enter the evil realms, and I alone must endure cruel torments and bitter hardship. From what did it originally arise? Suddenly there is anger, terror, grief, and sorrow, or at times joy. These impermanent things—one does not see whence they come or whither they go. Such things come and go without rest or cease. I consider my parents, brothers in the household, and the five kinds of relatives internal and external; they know nothing of guilt or merit, and their greed and desire are insatiable. At fifteen I have been promised to another man, and my brothers have eaten food, wine, and meat, and accepted bolts of silk. I reflect that my body must go to receive affliction and disaster, bound and tied fast, unable to break free. What should be done? Rather than living this life of old age, it is better that, while I am pure today, I make a supreme vow to seek and find a peaceful and constantly joyful palace where I may delight myself. It is not fitting to plunge into defilement and drown in the three destinies, never beholding the light and forever joined with suffering.' Thereupon she unified her mind and made a vow herself: 'Taking my body and life, I take refuge. May there be spirits and deities who know the sincerity of my heart.' At that time, a celestial deity appeared in the sky and said to Shanxin: 'If you are to take refuge in the peaceful and pure Dharma-realm of the West, you should first make obeisance toward the ten directions; with a compassionate mind and reverent intent, your mindfulness will surely reach it.' Having spoken, the deity disappeared. Shanxin then leapt for joy; she bathed, burned incense, scattered flowers, bowed toward the ten directions with joined palms, and thought of all people. Thereupon a celestial deity said in the sky: 'You should direct your mind toward the West, recite this single verse, and thereby praise Amitābha Buddha.' Shanxin then faced the West, following what the deity had instructed. The earth shook greatly; all who were in distress were liberated; diseases were removed, painful afflictions became peaceful, and sorrows turned into joy; the blind and deaf were cured, the mute could speak; the unwholesome all became wholesome, the faithless all had faith; humans and non-humans each attained what they wished. Shanxin burned incense, scattered flowers, and recited the verse. She focused her mind, closed her eyes, counted her breaths, and contemplated the internal matters of her body. Śakra transformed himself into a handsome man, eighteen or nineteen years of age, holding yellow gold in his hand. Standing before Shanxin, he teased her with a verse. Shanxin, with a focused mind, answered with a righteous verse, rebuking the faults of men and women. Śakra leapt up, clasped his hands, and consoled her: 'What do you seek? In the entire world, you are peerless; your merit is vast and immeasurable. Please tell me.' Thereupon Shanxin, hearing Śakra's praise, had faithful and joyful thoughts, and the earth shook greatly; she then spoke a gāthā, vowing to uphold the Buddha's Dharma. Śakra was greatly delighted, and then vanished. Shanxin burned incense and took refuge in the Buddhas. The Buddha and the great assembly immediately flew through the air to Shanxin's home. Her parents and brothers, seeing the Buddha flying through the air, were all delighted. Shanxin went forward, paid homage, and circumambulated the Buddha a hundred times. The Buddha smiled and emitted countless rays of light, instructed her in the precepts and Dharma, circumambulated her body a hundred times, and returned into the crown of his head; he immediately conferred the twenty-four precepts upon her. The Buddha said: 'These are the lofty practices of my upāsikā: the three eights, twenty-four precepts.' Shanxin rejoiced and attained the seventh dwelling. She then transformed her body into a man before the Buddha, and her parents and brothers all received the five precepts. (From the Shanxin mozhu jing, fascicle 1.)