往生集

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IX. THE SAGES ALL RETURN TO THE SAME DESTINATION

1. Choosing Rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss

The Contemplation Sutra of the Buddha of Infinite Life records:

At that time, Lady Vaidehī wept and addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Please tell me of a place free from anxiety and suffering, so that I may vow to be reborn there. I no longer wish to remain in this evil world of Jambudvīpa!” At that moment, the World-Honored One emitted light from between His eyebrows, illuminating all worlds throughout the ten directions, and within it all the lands of the Buddhas appeared. After Lady Vaidehī had seen them, she turned toward the Buddha and said: “World-Honored One! All the lands of the Buddhas are pure and filled with light, but now I wish only to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss of Amitābha Buddha!”

2. Countless Beings Attain Rebirth

The Larger Sutra of Infinite Life records:

Bodhisattva Maitreya asked the Buddha: “How many bodhisattvas in this world will attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss?”

The Buddha replied: “In this world, six billion two hundred million non-retrogressing bodhisattvas^[15] will attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss; as for bodhisattvas of lesser practice,^[16] their number cannot be calculated. This is true not only in this Sahā world but also in the lands of the Buddhas of other directions. For example, in the land of the Buddha Far-Illuminating, eighteen billion bodhisattvas will all attain rebirth. Even throughout the lands of the Buddhas of the ten directions, the bodhisattvas attaining rebirth are likewise innumerable. Were I to describe them fully, I could not finish even in an entire kalpa.”

Note:

In this world and in lands of other directions, countless bodhisattvas attain rebirth. If so, how can the Pure Land contain them all? Ah! The great ocean can receive the waters of all the hundreds of rivers; space encompasses the myriad phenomena; and boundless lands are all contained within a single pore of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. Therefore, a speck of earth no larger than that adhering to the point of a needle in the Pure Land can contain innumerable beings who attain rebirth. How could it not be vast? What land could be more expansive?

3. Beholding Amitābha Buddha

The Sutra on the Samādhi of Contemplating the Buddha records:

The Buddha bestowed upon Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī the prediction that he would attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī made a vow and spoke this verse:

I vow that when my life is ending,

All obstructions shall be extinguished;

I shall behold Amitābha Buddha

And attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Once reborn within that land,

I shall fulfill my great vows;

Amitābha Tathāgata

Will appear before me and confer a prediction.

4. Cultivating the Ten Vows and Seeking Rebirth

The Avataṃsaka Sutra records:

Bodhisattva Samantabhadra set forth ten great, universally extending vows for sentient beings to cultivate in seeking rebirth in the Pure Land. He spoke this verse:

I pray that when my life approaches its end,

All karmic obstructions shall be extinguished;

I shall behold Amitābha Buddha

And immediately attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

He further said:

That Buddha’s assembly is wholly pure;

When I am born within a lotus flower,

I shall immediately behold the Tathāgata of Infinite Light,

Who will appear before me and predict my Buddhahood.

Note:

Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī was the teacher of seven Buddhas, and Samantabhadra’s ten vows are the destination toward which all practices proceed in seeking rebirth in the Pure Land; yet both bodhisattvas offered earnest exhortations. Those who assist Śākyamuni Buddha in the Sahā world are also those who attend Amitābha Buddha in the Land of Peace and Nurturance. This is perfectly clear. Anyone who disparages the Pure Land and does not vow to attain rebirth there is gravely mistaken!

5. Verses and a Treatise on the Pure Land

Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, a native of India, was the author of many treatises. He ascended to the inner court of Tuṣita Heaven to pay homage to and attend Bodhisattva Maitreya. Later, he composed the Treatise on the Sutra of Infinite Life and Verses on the Pure Land. Through the practice of the five gates,^[17] he encouraged everyone to seek rebirth.

6. Requesting Images of the Buddha

Bodhisattva Five Powers resided at the Kukkuṭārāma Monastery in India. Employing his spiritual powers, he traveled to the Land of Peace and Bliss, met Amitābha Buddha, and addressed Him:

“World-Honored One! Sentient beings in the Sahā world wish to seek rebirth in the Pure Land, but they cannot behold an image of the Buddha. I beseech You to descend into their world!”

The Buddha said:

“You may return first. I shall come.”

When the bodhisattva returned, he saw an image of the Buddha and fifty images of bodhisattvas seated upon lotus thrones atop a tree. Bodhisattva Five Powers then had an account of the event written and circulated widely, naming it the Record of Spiritual Communion.

Note:

Some do not believe that “one can reach the Land of Peace and Bliss by means of spiritual powers.” Alas! In a single thought one attains rebirth, without even the effort of snapping one’s fingers. How could such a thing be impossible?

7. Composing the Awakening of Faith

Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa was the twelfth patriarch of the Indian Chan lineage. He composed the Treatise on the Awakening of Faith.^[18] At the end of the treatise, he declared that seeking rebirth in the Pure Land is of the utmost importance.

8. Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna Receives a Prediction of Rebirth

The Laṅkāvatāra Sutra^[19] records:

“Mahāmati! You should know that after the Tathāgata enters nirvana, in a later age there will be a bhikṣu who upholds My Dharma and is renowned by the name Nāgārjuna. He will refute the doctrines of existence and nonexistence and reveal My unsurpassed Mahāyāna Dharma^[20] throughout the world. He will realize the First Ground, the Ground of Joy, and attain rebirth in the Land of Peace and Nurturance.”

9. Attaining Rebirth Through Wholesome Deeds

The Great Compassion Sutra^[21] records:

The Buddha said: “After My nirvana, in northern India there will be a bhikṣu named Jīvaka who cultivates immeasurable roots of goodness directed toward supreme bodhi. After his life ends, he will be reborn in the land of the Buddha of Infinite Life in the West, a hundred thousand koṭis of worlds from here. There, in the presence of Amitābha Buddha, he will continue planting roots of goodness and will afterward attain Buddhahood with the name Stainless Light.”

10. Attaining Forbearance and Rebirth

The Sutra on the Bodhisattva’s Birth Ground^[22] records:

The Buddha taught: “When Masai Kiệt attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas,^[23] five hundred men and twenty-five women all attained non-retrogression. After their lives ended, they were all reborn in the pure land of the Buddha of Infinite Life.”

Note:

One seeks rebirth in the West in order to awaken to the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas and ascend to the ground of non-retrogression. Those who have already attained forbearance and non-retrogression nevertheless seek rebirth in the Pure Land because bodhisattvas wish to draw near to the Tathāgata. Ordinary beings today are bound because their power of forbearance is not yet complete. Those who regress are beyond counting, yet they pay no heed to seeking rebirth in the Pure Land—why is this so? They are therefore called truly pitiable people.

11. The Second Great Vow

The Sutra on the Bodhisattva’s Inner Precepts^[24] records:

A bodhisattva has three vows. The second is: “I vow that when my life ends, I shall attain rebirth in the land of Amitābha Buddha.”

12. Recollecting the Buddha Extinguishes Offenses

The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom^[25] records:

Certain bodhisattvas reflected: “Those who slander the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sutra will fall into the evil destinies for immeasurable kalpas; even if they cultivate other Dharma gates, they will be unable to extinguish this offense.” Later, they encountered a good spiritual friend who taught them to recite the name of Amitābha Buddha. Their karmic obstructions were consequently extinguished, and they transcended birth in this world and were reborn in the Pure Land.

Note:

It is perfectly clear that sincerely reciting the Buddha’s name once extinguishes grave offenses accumulated over eight billion kalpas. Why is this so? Because one recites the Buddha’s name with utmost sincerity. If one does not recite the Buddha’s name with utmost sincerity, one’s karmic obstructions will not be extinguished. Do not say that the teachings of the sages are without foundation!

13. Enrolling Names in the Supreme Assembly

Chan Master Trường Lô Trách took Patriarch Huiyuan as his model and established the Supreme Lotus Assembly to encourage people to recite the Buddha’s name. One day, the master dreamed that a person dressed in white, wearing a black headcloth, and possessing an exceptionally handsome appearance came to bow and said: “I wish to join your Supreme Lotus Assembly and ask that you enroll a name for me.”

Trường Lô Trách asked:

“What is your name?”

The man replied:

“I have recorded my name as Universal Wisdom.” He continued: “My elder brother is named Samantabhadra. He also asks that his name be enrolled in the Supreme Assembly.”

When Trường Lô Trách awoke, he consulted the chapter “Transcending the World” in the Avataṃsaka Sutra and found the names of these two bodhisattvas. He then placed their names at the head of the Supreme Assembly.

Note:

When an ordinary monk established an assembly for reciting the Buddha’s name, many ancient sages enrolled their names in it! The Pure Land is no minor condition. Because the establishment of that Buddha-recitation assembly arose from a sincere heart, it secretly evoked a spiritual response. How could there have been any falsehood in it? Even honorable people would not stoop to deception, much less the ancient sages! Some people today maintain that it was called a Buddha-recitation assembly merely because Trường Lô Trách saw this event. How lamentable they are!

14. A Brief Account of the Venerable Masters

Chan Master Baizhang Huaihai was a Dharma successor of Mazu. He was an enduring pillar of the monastic communities. He established procedures for praying on behalf of ill monks and conducting funeral rites for deceased monks, directing them all toward the Pure Land.

Chan Master Huanglong Tân visited Master Giác Lão, realized the essential principle, and succeeded to the Huanglong lineage. Thereafter, the school flourished, yet he devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivating pure karma. He composed an Exhortation to Recollect the Buddha, which circulated throughout the world and inspired faith in all who read it.

Chan Master Zhenxie Qingliao succeeded to the lineage of Master Danxia Zichun, a branch of the Caodong school. In his time, the school flourished. Later, he built a thatched hermitage at Mount Putuo named Solitary Pinnacle and single-mindedly sought rebirth in the West. He lectured on the Pure Land to encourage the fourfold assembly to practice.

Chan Master Từ Thụ Thâm received the Dharma from Master Trường Lô Tín. He devoted himself to reciting the Buddha’s name and maintained that no shortcut in cultivation surpasses the Pure Land! He therefore established a Western Pure Land practice center and wholeheartedly exhorted everyone to cultivate the Pure Land path. At the end of his life, he attained rebirth.

Dharma Master Thạch Chi Hiểu succeeded to the lineage of Master Nguyệt Đường Tuân. Thoroughly versed in the sutras and teachings, he instructed others through the Pure Land Dharma gate. He once collected works in the Buddhist canon that discussed the Pure Land; among them was the Classified Literature of the Land of Bliss,^[26] which circulated throughout the world.

Chan Master Tịch Đường Nguyên studied Chan under Master Mật Am Kiệt. He wholeheartedly practiced the Buddha-Recollection Samādhi, moving a golden-armored deity to descend from the heavens. One day, he dreamed of a red lotus rising from the earth. Consequently, the Lotus School flourished throughout the ten regions.

Chan Master Zhongfeng Mingben received the Dharma from Master Gaofeng Yuanmiao. People revered him as they did Mount Tai and the North Star. He composed one hundred Poems Reflecting on the Pure Land, which circulated throughout the world.

Academician-in-Waiting Wang Yining called himself a disciple of Amitābha Buddha.

Hanlin Academician Chao Yuezhi, in his reply to a letter from Zhao Ziang, praised the Western Pure Land as a teaching of true and factual words.

Academician-in-Waiting Chen Guan composed the commemorative inscription for the Pure Land Cloister of Yanqing Monastery, in which he vigorously extolled the Dharma gate of recollecting the Buddha.

Patriarch Youtan resided in the Hall of Wholesome Dharma at Donglin Monastery on Mount Lu. He composed the Precious Mirror of the Lotus School^[27] and, by imperial decree, had it engraved and circulated throughout the world, thereby reviving the Pure Land Dharma gate.

Note:

Beginning with Master Baizhang and concluding with Youtan, throughout successive generations there was not one among these venerable masters who failed to cultivate the Pure Land Dharma gate. How truly flourishing it was!

General Discussion

Chan Master Tianru said: “Those in the world today who disparage the Pure Land Dharma gate do not merely disparage ignorant men and women; they disparage the bodhisattvas Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra, Aśvaghoṣa and Nāgārjuna themselves.” I have therefore assembled passages from the sutras to establish the truth of these words. Some may still doubt: “Bodhisattvas possess great power of the Way and are already nearly equal to Buddhas, so they need not necessarily seek rebirth in the Pure Land.” Alas! Until one attains the stage of Wondrous Awakening,^[28] even one at the stage of Equal Awakening cannot remain apart from a Buddha for a single day, much less an ordinary being!

It is just as the ancients once said: “The higher a person’s rank, the closer he draws to the sovereign. By contrast, porters and plowmen keep company with fishermen and woodcutters, considering this sufficient. They have no desire whatsoever to enter the royal palace, yet their mouths ceaselessly proclaim: ‘That enlightened ruler is not worthy of our approach.’” How laughable!

X. RESPONSES AND MIRACLES DURING LIFE

1. The Demon Dared Not Eat Him

When the Buddha was in the world, there was a kingdom near the land of the rākṣasas.^[29] The people of that kingdom were freely seized and eaten by the rākṣasas. The king issued an order that henceforth every household in the kingdom, taking turns in due order, must deliver one person each day to the rākṣasa so that it would cease its indiscriminate killing.

At that time, there was a Buddhist family with only one child. When their turn came to offer their child to the rākṣasa, the parents wailed bitterly and instructed him to recollect the Buddha with utmost sincerity, for the Buddha’s awesome power would prevent the rākṣasa from drawing near. When they returned the following morning, they saw that their child was still alive and joyfully brought him home. From then onward, no one was eaten by the rākṣasa again. All the people in the kingdom greatly rejoiced.

2. Dreaming of Becoming Intelligent and Unhindered in Debate

Chan Master Nanyue Huisi lived during the Sui dynasty and served the Buddha wholeheartedly. One day, he dreamed that Amitābha Buddha expounded the Dharma to him. Thereafter, the master possessed wisdom and intelligence surpassing others and eloquence without obstruction.

3. Releasing a Grudge

Shao Biao lived during the Tang dynasty. A native of Zhenjiang, he was a Confucian scholar of his time. One day, he dreamed that he went to the residence of the Duke of Yi, which people called the Pacification Commissioner’s Office. A moment later, an official came out and asked:

“Do you know why you have failed the civil-service examination?”

Shao Biao replied:

“I do not know.”

The official then led him forward. Shao Biao saw a small oyster being boiled in a large cauldron. The oyster spoke with a human voice and called his name. Terrified, Shao Biao immediately recited the name of Amitābha Buddha. As soon as he opened his mouth to recite, he saw the small oyster transform into a golden oriole and fly away. Shao Biao later took the examination, passed, and eventually attained the office of Pacification Commissioner.

Note:

Killing living beings delays one’s fortune and official advancement, while recollecting the Buddha resolves enmity. Here, a Confucian scholar rescued a creature from a cauldron. Those who implore ghosts and spirits for aid but do not know to recite the Buddha’s name are likewise misguided in their designs. That this precious Dharma gate was offered and that this event became known were also due to the scriptures.

4. Husband and Wife Behold the Buddha

Ge Jizhi lived during the Song dynasty. A native of Jurong, he was a descendant of Zhichuan and had studied the Way of the immortals for many generations. His wife, Lady Ji, secretly and sincerely recited the Buddha’s name.

In the thirteenth year of the Yuanjia era ⁽⁴³⁶⁾, just as she sat down at her loom, she suddenly saw extraordinary light in the sky. She left the loom and gazed in the four directions. In the west, she saw a Buddha appear, with banners and jeweled canopies filling the sky.

Joyfully, she said: “The sutra speaks of the Buddha of Infinite Life. Could this be He?” She immediately went before the Buddha and bowed in homage. Astonished, Ge Jizhi came to where she was bowing.

She pointed out the place where the Buddha had appeared, but Ge Jizhi saw only the upper half of the Buddha’s body, which vanished after a brief moment. At that time, a five-colored auspicious cloud appeared in the sky, and all the villagers saw it. From then onward, a great many people placed their faith in the Buddhadharma.

5. The Ghost Ceased to Appear

Chen Qi lived during the Song dynasty and was a native of Longshu. He had once killed a person. Later, when he saw the victim’s ghost appear, he became terrified and immediately recited the name of Amitābha Buddha. The ghost could not approach him. He therefore continued reciting the Buddha’s name without interruption, and the ghost never appeared again.

Note:

If one owes a life-debt to a ghost, why does recollecting the Buddha drive the ghost away? It is because the meritorious and awesome spiritual power of Amitābha Buddha is inconceivable. When one recites the Buddha’s name once, the ghost attains deliverance and therefore no longer appears. How could ordinary spells ever drive a ghost away!

6. Delivering the Spirit of the Deceased

Zhang Jizu lived during the Song dynasty and was a native of Zhenjiang. He had profound, single-minded faith in the Western Pure Land. When his mother died, he often recited the Buddha’s name to deliver her spirit. One day, he dreamed that his mother returned to thank him, saying: “Because you recited the Buddha’s name, I was reborn in a wholesome realm!”

7. Sleeping Peacefully

Liu Zhonghui lived during the Song dynasty and was a native of Changxing in Huzhou. While ill, he often had nightmares in his sleep. Someone instructed him to recite the Buddha’s name. Thus, one night, he sincerely recited the Buddha’s name aloud one hundred and eight times before going to sleep. That night, his mind and spirit were peaceful. From then onward, he recited the Buddha’s name continuously.

Note:

The ancients compared sleep to being half-dead. This is indeed an excellent saying. Since confusion and dreams resemble the delusion of birth and death, how can one sleep peacefully? If one wishes for even a little freedom when life is about to end, one should follow Great Master Shandao’s instruction that everyone recite the Buddha’s name before going to sleep!

8. Blind Eyes Regain Their Sight

The third sister-in-law of Ruan Nian lived during the Song dynasty. She was a farm woman from Huaining. When both her eyes were becoming blind, she recited the Buddha’s name continuously, and her sight was restored.

9. Blind Eyes Regain Their Sight

There was a blind woman of the Chai family. She diligently recited the Buddha’s name for three years without the least negligence, and her sight was restored as before.

Note:

The light of Amitābha Buddha is infinite and illuminates all lands throughout the ten directions. If people recite His name with utmost sincerity, then even if their physical eyes do not regain their sight, the eye of the mind will become radiant. Yet blind people nowadays often become fortune-tellers and thereby create further karma of killing. This is called passing from darkness into darkness, never again beholding the sun. Alas! How can I bring this Dharma gate of recollecting the Buddha to all the blind people in the world and instruct them in it!

10. Malaria Ceases to Recur

Li Ziqing lived during the Song dynasty and had long suffered from malaria. Seeing this, Layman Longshu advised him: “When the fever arises, you should single-mindedly recite the Buddha’s name and only afterward take medicine.” Ziqing listened and followed his advice. On the first day, the fever was reduced by half. On the second day, he continued reciting the Buddha’s name, and the fever ceased completely. From then onward, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to recollecting the Buddha.

11. Śarīras Appear

The wife of the Grand Master of Remonstrance Lian Zhong in Ganzhou, who lived during the Song dynasty, embroidered an image of Amitābha Buddha sixteen feet tall. When she had completed only half of it, śarīras suddenly appeared, shining among the threads. Her entire household marveled and offered praise.

12. Śarīras Appear

Lady Ren, wife of Junior Preceptor Zhongli in Zhenzhou, carved an image of Amitābha Buddha four inches and eight fen tall. She enshrined it in a most magnificent shrine and often carried it upon her head while circumambulating in practice. One day, she suddenly saw a śarīra the size of a grain of rice appear between the eyebrows of the image, radiating light upon everyone present.

13. Every Illness Is Cured

During the Song dynasty, a monk in Xiuzhou often recited the name of Amitābha Buddha to heal people’s illnesses. Whoever was ill and invited the master to provide treatment was cured. The people of the prefecture revered and trusted him as they revered and trusted the Buddha.

14. Prisoners Escape Calamity

In the winter of the fifteenth year of the Zhizheng era (1355) during the Yuan dynasty, Zhang Shicheng led troops in an attack on Huzhou and fought against the Chancellor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Forty people were captured, placed under guard, and escorted to the authorities. Along the way, they spent the night at Niaoke Monastery by West Lake. That night, they happened to see Chan Master Dayou Mou strolling beneath the monastery corridor. Seeing the master composed and at ease as he recited throughout the night, they said:

“Elder, please save us!”

The master said:

“I cannot save you. Only if you sincerely recite, ‘Namo Amitābha Buddha, Savior from Suffering and Calamity,’ can you be saved.”

Among them, three men believed him and followed his instruction, reciting the Buddha’s name without ceasing. The next morning, before the prisoners were escorted onward, the guards reinspected their cangues and shackles. Upon reaching those three men, they discovered that the men wore neither cangues nor shackles and were bound only with ropes. Further inquiry revealed that they were innocent civilians who had been taken captive. In the end, all three were released and returned home.

Note:

The Universal Gate chapter records:

Or if imprisoned and bound in chains,

With hands and feet confined in cangues,

Through the power of recollecting Guanyin,

One is released and gains liberation.

From ancient times to the present, people have commonly believed this. Yet when it is said that recollecting the Buddha can also deliver one from calamity, some still do not believe. Such people merely follow conventional habits. Moreover, they do not understand that the Buddha’s awesome power surpasses that of a bodhisattva by no one knows how many times. If one’s hands and feet are severed and one recollects Śākyamuni Tathāgata, the hands and feet will grow back by themselves! If even hands and feet can grow back, what significance could cangues and shackles possibly have? Yet because so few people believe this, I have recorded the event here.

General Discussion

People know only that the Dharma gate of recollecting the Buddha brings benefit at death; they do not know that it also brings benefit during life. Therefore, when they hear that reciting mantras produces miraculous responses, they turn to reciting mantras. When they hear that giving Dharma lectures brings wisdom and eloquence, they turn to lecturing.

When they hear that building monasteries and stupas brings blessings, they do so; and when they hear that arranging vegetarian feasts and offerings creates affinities with many people, they do that. They may even hear that caring for and supporting others brings longevity. Besides these, there are many other undertakings they have not yet attempted.

How, then, could they attain single-mindedness without distraction and hope to accomplish pure karma?

I have therefore compiled this Collection on Rebirth in order to restrain people today from seeking outwardly. In truth, seeking rebirth in the Pure Land is fundamentally for the sake of attaining Buddhahood and liberating sentient beings, not for seeking comfort in one’s next existence. If so, should one seek benefits for one’s present existence or not?

Postscript to the Collection on Rebirth

In the West there is a Buddha who carried out the forty-eight vows of Bhikṣu Dharmākara. When His merit was perfected and His fruition fulfilled, He attained Perfect Awakening with the name Amitābha. He constantly emits great light to obstruct all evil paths and opens wide the eye of wisdom to extinguish the delusion of this Sahā world. In His land, precious jewels cover the ground and jeweled pearls tower to the sky. Within ponds of water possessing the eight virtues, flowers radiate light of every color. His bodily marks and His land are wondrous beyond measure and utterly nondual.

Although that jeweled land is exceedingly distant, in truth it is never separate from this realm. Moreover, although consciousness appears to depart, it has never been apart from one’s own mind. Cultivation has higher and lower levels, and its benefits have greater and lesser depths.

Yet for one who believes in the Dharma gate of recollecting the Buddha, the land is very near, not far away. For one who does not believe in this Dharma gate, it becomes ever more distant, and no one reaches it. Those who possess steadfast faith and practice diligently cross the ocean of suffering in no more than a single kṣaṇa.

Why, then, do they not recite the Buddha’s name aloud, instead resigning themselves to remain forever in delusion? It is said that single-mindedness without agitation is the mother of all goodness, while purity without admixture is the root of all practices. Practitioners of pure karma need not worry about the root, for when the root is firmly established, the Way arises.

Those who have attained the Buddha-Recollection Samādhi remain steadfast and unshaken even while walking amid the defilements of the world. Should they encounter the winds of karma, they certainly will not be overturned. The ancients said: “Even the combined strength of ten thousand oxen could not pull back one who seeks rebirth in the Pure Land.” Here, profound faith is the “achievement,” and rebirth is its “function.” Those of lofty virtue attain it with ease.

There is now a great virtuous master known as Chan Master Lianchi. His family name is Shen, he is a native of ancient Hangzhou, and his Dharma name is Zhuhong. From birth, the master was naturally more intelligent than others and weary of worldly life.

In his youth, he received a proper education and gained some renown. Seeing the impermanence of life, at the age of thirty-one he sought ordination under the Venerable Wumen Dongxing Tianli. He later received the complete precepts from Vinaya Master Wuchen Yu at Zhaoqing Monastery.

After receiving the complete precepts, he packed his belongings and set out, traveling widely in search of teachers and the Way. He visited good spiritual friends and mastered both the Chan school and the doctrinal teachings. In his later years, he resided at Yunqi Monastery, followed in the footsteps of Chan Master Fuhu,^[30] and devoted himself to propagating the Pure Land school.

Admiring Master Huiyuan’s way of practice, he recited the Buddha’s name, sought rebirth, and caused the tradition to shine more brightly than before. His writings comprise several works; of these, one has now been selected—the present Collection on Rebirth—to circulate throughout the world. Worthy people of earlier generations cherished it, and students of later generations recited and transmitted it.

Thus, the ancients said: “When we see people of perfect talent and virtue, we should strive to become like them.” I now follow those masters to advance myself.

Alas! Those who exalt themselves and disparage the Pure Land suffer humiliation in this life and incur misery in lives to come. I therefore issue this special and universal admonition that practitioners of pure karma must be exceedingly cautious.

Although the deeds of worthy sages through successive generations were commonly recorded in biographies and chronicles, Master Zhuhong knew that people of later ages would be confused. He therefore gathered these accounts and compiled them into a separate collection, removing cumbersome details, supplying what was lacking, and arranging them into nine categories. He also added recently heard accounts and wrote explanations for the narratives, clarifying the meanings hidden within them.

Monastics and laypeople, those in seclusion and those in public life, were all compiled and arranged according to category. This collection may be compared to melting earrings, hairpins, and bracelets together in a single cauldron, or to the Song, Huai, and Ji rivers all flowing into the great ocean. My learning is shallow, and I am truly ashamed before later generations.

Moreover, my writing is clumsy, incomplete, and lacking in clarity. I now have this work engraved and circulated throughout the world, hoping only that its readers will concentrate their minds, practice diligently, awaken early, develop profound faith and earnest vows, ascend together to the summit of Samyak,^[31] and enter together the ocean of Sarvajña.^[32]

On the Pravāraṇā Day—the full moon of the seventh lunar month—in the Renchen year (1652), during the Qing’an era.

Postscript written by the traveling monk of the Xuan family, Śramaṇa Huijing.

End of Volume 3

Notes:

^[15] Non-retrogression 不退轉 (S: avinivartanīya): the state of not turning back. It indicates that one’s cultivation does not regress until Buddhahood is attained.

^[16] Bodhisattvas of lesser practice 菩薩小行: bodhisattvas who have newly aroused the aspiration for awakening.

^[17] The five gates (五門): 1. The gate of prostration; 2. The gate of praise; 3. The gate of making vows; 4. The gate of contemplation; 5. The gate of dedication of merit.

^[18] The Treatise on the Awakening of Faith (起信論): Also called the Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna. It was composed by Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa. There are two translations: the first, in one fascicle, was translated by Paramārtha during the Liang dynasty; the second, in two fascicles, was translated by Śikṣānanda during the Tang dynasty. Its contents encourage people to arouse correct faith in the Three Jewels. This treatise sets forth the ultimate principle of the Mahāyāna teachings.

^[19] The Laṅkāvatāra Sutra (楞伽經, S: Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra): Also called the Precious Laṅkāvatāra Sutra, in four fascicles, translated by Guṇabhadra in 443 and included in volume 16 of the Taishō Canon. “Laṅkā” is the name of a mountain, while “avatāra” means “entry.” Thus, it is the precious sutra spoken by the World-Honored One when He entered Mount Laṅkā. It is one of the six sutras upon which the Faxiang school is based.

^[20] Mahāyāna 大乘 (S: mahā-yāna): Originally indicating a great means of conveyance, such as a cart or boat. In the scriptures, this term is commonly used as a metaphor for the Buddha’s profound and wondrous teaching, which can carry immeasurable sentient beings from the shore of afflictions to the shore of liberation.

^[21] The Great Compassion Sutra (大悲經, S: Mahā-karuṇā-puṇḍarīka): A sutra in five fascicles, translated by Narendrayaśas at Tianping Monastery in 570 and included in volume 12 of the Taishō Canon. The sutra records that when the Buddha was about to enter nirvana, He entrusted the true Dharma to the Venerable Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda. It also teaches the merit of making offerings to śarīras and the method of compiling the canon.

^[22] The Sutra on the Bodhisattva’s Birth Ground (菩薩生地經): A sutra in one fascicle, translated by Zhi Qian of the state of Wu. Its contents concern the elder Masai Kiệt of the Śākya clan, who asked: “What Dharma gate should one cultivate to attain Buddhahood quickly?” The Buddha replied: “Employ the four requisites of the two kinds; this practice can produce the fruit of Buddhahood.”

^[23] Forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas 無生法忍 (S: anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti): One of the three kinds of forbearance and the fourth of the five kinds taught in the Sutra for Humane Kings. It means contemplating the principle that all dharmas neither arise nor cease, clearly realizing that principle, and abiding with an unmoving mind.

^[24] The Sutra on the Bodhisattva’s Inner Precepts (菩薩內戒經): A sutra in one fascicle, translated by Guṇavarman during the Liu Song dynasty. Its contents concern the Buddha’s exposition of the precepts on the fifteenth day. Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī asks: “What merit should bodhisattvas, whether monastic or lay and newly resolved upon the path, create?” The Buddha then teaches the precepts for the twelve periods of the day.

^[25] The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom (大智度論, S: Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra): Also called the Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom. This treatise consists of one hundred fascicles, was composed by Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna, translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva during the Later Qin dynasty, and included in volume 25 of the Taishō Canon. It explains the Larger Prajñāpāramitā Sutra and provides lucid explanations of doctrines, thought, examples of application, legends, history, geography, practical regulations, and the Sangha.

^[26] Classified Literature of the Land of Bliss 樂邦文類: A work in five fascicles, compiled by Zongxiao (1151–1214) during the Southern Song dynasty in China. Completed in 1200, it is included in volume 47 of the Taishō Canon. It compiles important writings relating to the sutras and treatises of the Pure Land school, as well as writings, poems, verses, and biographies of eminent monks.

^[27] Precious Mirror of the Lotus School 蓮宗寶鑑: Also called the Mount Lu Precious Mirror of the Lotus School: The True Cause of Recollecting the Buddha. A work in ten fascicles, compiled by Pudu during the Yuan dynasty in China and included in volume 47 of the Taishō Canon. This book was compiled according to the essential principle of the Buddha-Recollection Samādhi taught by Huiyuan of Mount Lu.

^[28] Wondrous Awakening 妙覺: The final stage in the Mahāyāna bodhisattva’s course of cultivation. At this stage, all ignorance has been eliminated and inconceivable wisdom has been realized. It is one of the forty-two stages, or the fifty-two stages, of a bodhisattva.

^[29] Rākṣasa 羅剎 (S: rākṣasa): A type of evil demon in Indian mythology, first recorded in the Ṛgveda. According to tradition, Rākṣasa was originally the name of an indigenous people of India. After the Aryans conquered India, the term became a general designation for evil people and gradually came to refer collectively to evil demons. Rākṣasas possess spiritual powers and can fly swiftly through the air or travel rapidly over the ground. They are violent and fearsome.

^[30] Chan Master Fuhu 服虎禪師: The epithet of Chan Master Zhifeng, who lived during the Song dynasty. In the fifth year of the Qiande era ⁽⁹⁶⁷⁾, he resided at Mount Yunqi. Because he subdued a tiger, he was called Chan Master Fuhu, “Tiger-Subduing Chan Master.”

^[31] Samyak 三藐: An abbreviation of samyak-saṃbodhi. The older translation by Kumārajīva is “Correct and Universal Knowledge”; the newer translation by Xuanzang is “Perfect Awakening.”

^[32] Sarvajña 薩雲: An abbreviation of sarvajñā, rendered in Chinese as “all-knowledge,” meaning the wisdom of a Buddha.