法苑珠林 27.58

27.58

Monk Facheng of Wuzhen Temple on Mount Zhongnan under the Tang was of the secular surname Fan, a native of Wannian County in Yongzhou. Leaving home in his childhood, he resided at Wangxiao Temple in Lantian, serving the śramaṇa Senghe as his master. He was also revered by his fellow townsmen and compared to a sage. Once, someone wished to harm him and went to his room at night, only to see fierce flames rising within the door up to the canopy. The person thereupon repented. He's nature was clean and undefiled. Someone tried to deceive him by secretly washing sheep bones in water and having him drink it; He, not knowing this, drank it and immediately vomited. His unseen resonances and hidden perceptions were like this. Cheng respectfully bore his master's instructions in mind and always recited the Lotus Sūtra as his daily practice. Yearning in his heart, he practiced the Lotus Samādhi, bathing inside and out, warm and respectful morning and evening. In a dream, he was inspired by Samantabhadra, who exhorted him to transcribe the Great Teaching. Cheng said, 'The Mahāyāna refers to the wisdom of all Buddhas, the great wisdom of prajñā.' Thereupon he entered into pure practice, bestowing heavy donations upon craftsmen to have them transcribe the eight sections of Prajñā, completing them adorned with fragrant stands and jeweled rollers. Furthermore, on the ridge south of the temple, he built the Avataṃsaka Hall, cutting through mountains and quiet valleys, aligning beams and opening eaves. It faced layered peaks in front and overlooked the diagonal valley to the right, inhaling and exhaling clouds and mist, looking down upon thunder and lightning—truly a magnificent sight. He also exhausted his utmost devotion in copying, receiving, and upholding scriptures. Zhang Xiaojing, a Scholar of the Hongwen Academy, was the father of Zhang Zan. Known at the time as 'Silver Hook', few could surpass his calligraphy. Cheng invited him to the mountain, had him receive the precepts and keep a pure fast, cleansing his body and mouth, keeping fragrant juice in his mouth and wearing new robes upon his body. However, in his usual practice of copying scriptures, Jing did not exceed five sheets of paper a day. Cheng offered him double the remuneration, desiring perfection. Jing was attracted by the payment and exerted his utmost effort in transcribing it. Whenever a fascicle was completed, Cheng would always burn incense and make offerings before his desk; between the dips of ink, his mind contemplated and his eyes witnessed without the slightest omission. Due to his devoted concentration, he repeatedly moved strange birds: rare in form and color, they flew into the hall, circling and fluttering, landing on the scripture desk and rising to the incense burner, perching and watching, naturally tame and familiar. After a long while they took flight and vanished. The following year, when the scripture was completed and a celebration was about to be held, the birds flew in again, tame as before, crying plaintively and clearly. In the early years of Zhenguan, when he had a painting of the Thousand Buddhas made, the birds again flew in, landing on the chief craftsman's back. On the day of the vegetarian feast celebrating its completion, around midday, they wondered why the birds had not come. Cheng looked at the mountain peaks and said, 'Since the birds have not arrived, my sincere resonance must be lacking. Could it be that they dislike our impurities, or that our remuneration was meager, causing this absence of omen?' As soon as he finished speaking, the birds suddenly flew down, circling and chirping, diving into the perfumed water, fluffing their feathers, and taking flight once they had bathed. Such repeated auspicious omens were too numerous to recount. Cheng was naturally skilled in calligraphy, known among his native villagers. On mountain cliffs and perilous paths, he personally inscribed marvelous lines of scriptural gāthās for people to recite, all in his own hand. Once, when he had personally transcribed the Lotus Sūtra in the open air, he had to leave on business and forgot to put it away. Suddenly, torrential rain poured into the ravines and gullies. Running back to see, only his desk was completely dry while all else was flowing water. Once, when he stepped back on a fallen pine tree, he plunged into a sheer waterfall; before reaching the gully below, he found himself already standing on the high bank without harm to a single hair, which proved the power of the scripture. Moreover, beside the Qingni quarter, there was an ancient Buddha niche buried by the Zhou dynasty that had not yet been unearthed. Cheng dreamed at night that there were great honored images at that place. Upon waking, he went to excavate it and found the niche and images. Having accumulated many years, they were entirely peeled and damaged. He proceeded to repair them, for which both monastics and laity praised him. These were all accomplishments of unseen workings, initiated by Cheng. On the final day of summer in the fourteenth year of Zhenguan, he suddenly contracted an illness. Knowing his life was at an end, he vowed to be born in Tuṣita. He asked for water and washed, and then asked for a simple palanquin to be prepared, inspecting it himself and not permitting any luxury. Just at the end of the month, as the morning dawn was about to appear, he said without cause, 'If you wish to come, just enter; there is no need for music.' Looking at his attendants, he said, 'I have heard that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent, rising and ceasing without halt; the nine grades of rebirth—these words are verified! A boy has been waiting outside the door for a long time to welcome me. I am departing now; you all stay well. The Buddha has pure precepts; do not violate them and bring about sorrow and repentance later.' As the words left his mouth, a bright light illuminated the pillars, and an extraordinary, delicate fragrance wafted in. He was seen sitting upright in dignified contemplation, and without anyone noticing, his spirit had passed away. He was seventy-eight years old. In Cheng's practice of recitation, he completed five hundred readings of the Lotus Sūtra in a single summer retreat. On other days, he combined reading and walking, still accomplishing two recitations. Even if guests arrived and demanded to speak with him, he would not converse with others until he had completed his recitation. In a rough calculation of ten years' effort, he recited it more than ten thousand times. (The two miracles above are from the Tang Gaoseng zhuan.)