法苑珠林 65.75

65.75

陳攝山栖霞寺沙門惠布。俗姓郝。廣陵人。少懷遠操。性度虛梗志行罕儔。為君王所重。或見諸人樂生西方者。告云。方土乃淨非吾願也。如今所祈化度眾生。如何在蓮華中十劫受樂。未若三塗處苦救濟也。年至七十與眾別云。布命更至三五年在。但老困不能行道。住世何益。常願生邊地無三寶處。為作佛事去也。幸願好住。願自努力。於是絕穀不食。命將欲斷。下勅令醫診之。縮臂不許。沈皇后欲傳香信。又亦不許。臨終遺訣曰。

During the Chen dynasty, the śramaṇa Huibu of Qixia Temple on Mount She was surnamed Hao, a native of Guangling. In his youth he cherished far-reaching integrity; his character was open and upright, his resolve and practice rarely matched, and he was held in high regard by princes and kings. When he saw people rejoicing in rebirth in the Western Pure Land, he would tell them: 'That land is indeed pure, but it is not my wish. What I pray for now is to transform and deliver sentient beings; how could one experience pleasure within a lotus blossom for ten kalpas? It cannot compare to delivering those who suffer in the three miserable destinies.' When he reached the age of seventy, he took leave of the assembly, saying: 'My life has three to five more years left, but I am old and fatigued and cannot practice the Path; what benefit is there in remaining in the world? I always vow to be reborn in the borderlands where the Three Jewels do not exist, to go perform Buddhist works there. May you remain well, and may you strive with effort.' He then abstained from grains and ate no food. When his life was about to end, an imperial decree ordered a physician to examine his pulse, but he drew back his arm and refused. Empress Shen wished to send an offering of incense, but he also refused it. On his deathbed he left these parting words: