法苑珠林 15.25

15.25

宋葛濟之句容人稚川後也。妻同郡紀氏。體貌閑雅甚有婦德。濟之世事仙學。紀氏亦同。而心樂佛法。常存誠不替。元嘉十三年方在機織。忽覺雲日開朗空中清明。因投釋筐梭仰望四表。見西方有如來真形及寶蓋幡幢蔽映天漢。心獨喜曰。經說無量壽佛。即此者耶。便頭面作禮。濟之敬其如此。仍起就之。紀授濟手指示佛所。濟亦登見半身及諸幡蓋。俄而隱沒。於是雲日鮮彩五色燭曜。鄉比親族頗亦覩見。兩三食頃方稍除歇。自是村閭多歸法者。

During the Song, Ge Jizhi was a man of Jurong and a descendant of [Ge] Zhichuan. His wife, from the Ji clan of the same commandery, had a serene and graceful demeanor and possessed great wifely virtue. For generations, Jizhi's family had practiced the arts of the immortals, and Lady Ji conformed to this as well; yet in her heart she delighted in the Buddha-Dharma and constantly maintained sincere devotion without fail. In the thirteenth year of the Yuanjia reign era (436 CE), she was weaving at the loom when she suddenly perceived the clouds and the sun parting brightly, and the sky turned clear and luminous. Thereupon she threw down her basket and shuttle, looked up toward the four quarters, and saw in the west the true form of the Tathāgata, with jeweled canopies, banners, and streamers overshadowing the Milky Way. Rejoicing alone in her heart, she said: "The scriptures speak of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life—is this not him?" She then bowed down in obeisance, touching her head and face to the ground. Jizhi respected her actions and rose to join her. Lady Ji took Jizhi's hand and pointed to where the Buddha was. Jizhi also immediately saw half of the Buddha's body along with the banners and canopies, which vanished shortly thereafter. Thereupon the clouds and sun took on fresh, vibrant colors, radiating with five-colored brilliance. The neighboring clans and kin largely beheld it as well, and it only gradually subsided after the space of two or three meals. From then on, many in the village took refuge in the Dharma.