Translations

[1] [83] Eastern Jìn’s Dynasty’s Dharma Master Huìyuǎn 东晋远法师

《龙舒净土文》
Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text
第五卷:感应事迹三十篇

[5] Fifth Scroll: Thirty Essays [On] Deeds [Of] Connection [And] Response

东晋远法师倡首修净土。

Eastern Jìn’s [Dynasty’s] Dharma Master [Huì]yuǎn first led cultivation [of] Pure Land [practice].

本朝王敏仲侍郎及近年钱塘陆居士编集往生事迹,凡二百余传,皆镂板流传。

This [Sòng (宋)] Dynasty’s assistant minister Wáng Mǐnzhòng and recent years’ layperson Qián Tánglù edited [and] compiled rebirth deeds, all [with] more [than] two hundred biographies, all carved [onto] boards [for] handing down.

今不及尽载,略取其斋戒修者,及中人修者,及罪恶人修者,及疾苦中修者,共三十传,所以发人之信心也。

Now not [with] enough time [to have] all conveyed, briefly obtaining those [on] cultivators [with] purification precepts, and those average cultivators, and those cultivators [as] people [with] transgressions [and] evils, and those cultivators within sickness [and] suffering, together [are] thirty biographies, therefore [for] giving rise [to the] faithful minds of people.

东晋远法师
[1] Eastern Jìn’s [Dynasty’s] Dharma Master [Huì]yuǎn

僧慧远,雁门人。居庐山,与刘遗民等僧俗百二十三人结为莲社以修净土,谓他日托生莲华中也。远澄心观想,初十一年三睹圣相,而远沉厚不 言。

[The] monastic Huìyuǎn, [was a] Yànmén person. [i.e. Today’s Shānxī’s Guōxiàn (山西崞县)]. [He] lived [at] Mount Lú, with Liú Yímín, other monastics [and] laypersons, [one] hundred [and] twenty three persons [together], forming as [the White] Lotus Society [白莲社] [in 402 C.E.], with [them] cultivating Pure Land [practice, for the] cause [of, in] another day, [to be] conceived [for] birth [in] lotus flowers within. [When] Yuǎn quietened [his] mind [and] contemplated, [in the] first eleventh year, [he] thrice saw [the] noble [one’s] form. Yet, Yuǎn concealed [this] earnestly, not speaking [of this, until when about to depart].

后十九年七月晦夕,远面见阿弥陀佛身满虚空,圆光之中有诸化佛,观音、势至侍立左右;又见水流光明分十四支,一一支水流注上下,自能演说苦、空、无常、无我妙法,如《十六观经》所说。

Later, [in the] nineteenth year’s [i.e. 416 C.E.] seventh lunar month’s last day’s evening, Yuǎn faced [to] see Amitā[bha] Buddha’s body fill [the] empty space, [with] his halo’s light within having many manifested Buddhas, Contemplator [Of] Sounds [Bodhisattva and] Power Arrived [Bodhisattva] standing [in] attendance [on his] left [and] right. Also seen [were] streams [with] bright light, clear [and] distinct [with] fourteen tributaries, [with] each [and every] one stream, each able [to] expound [the] wonderful Dharma [of] suffering, emptiness, impermanence [and] non-self, like that spoken [in the] Sixteen Contemplations’ Sūtra.

佛告远曰:「我以本愿力故,来安慰汝,后七日当生我国。」

[The] Buddha told Yuǎn, ‘I, with [my] fundamental vows’ power thus, [have] come [to] reassure you. Seven days later, [you] will [be] born [in] my land.’

见僧佛驮耶舍及慧持及昙顺在佛之侧,向前揖远曰:「法师之志在吾先,何来之迟也?」

Seen [were the] monastics Buddhayaśas and Huìchí and Tánshùn at [the] Buddha’s side, [going] forward [to] bow [to] Yuǎn, saying, ‘[As the] Aspiration of [the] Dharma Master [to reach Pure Land arose] earlier [than] ours, why [have you] come this late?’

远目见分明,乃与其徒言之,且曰:「始吾居此十一年,幸于净土三睹圣相,今复见之,吾生净土决矣。」

Yuǎn [with his] eyes saw [them] distinctly [and] clearly, then with his disciples speaking it [later], moreover saying, ‘[When I] began [to] live here, [in the] eleventh year, [I had] fortunately in [the] Pure Land, seen [the] noble [one’s] form, now again seeing him, my birth [in] Pure Land [is] definite.’

次日寝疾,至七日卒。

[The] next day, [when] resting, [he became] sick. Reaching [the] seventh day, [he then] departed.

远少年博览经史,尤通《庄》、《老》。因往太行山听道安法师讲《般若经》,豁然开悟,乃曰:「九流异议,皆糠粕耳。」

Yuǎn, [in his] younger years read extensively [the] classics [and] history, [and was] especially learned [in the teachings of] Zhuāng[zi] [庄子] [and] Lǎo[zi] [老子]. Because [he] went [to the] Tàiháng Mountains [to] hear Dharma Master Dào’ān speak [the] Prajñā Sūtra, [he] suddenly awakened, then saying, ‘[The] nine [pre-Qín (先秦)] schools of thought [and their] different opinions, [are] all chaff [and] dregs only.’

[Note: As chaff is the waste to be removed for wheat, and dregs are the sediments after distilling, they represent what do not form the essence of that which is truly valuable.]

因削发事之。后至庐山,凡三十年不出,卒年八十二。

Because [of this], shaving [his] hair [to] practise then. Later arriving [at] Mount Lú, [for] all thirty years not leaving [it, his] departure age [was] eighty-two.

宋‧王日休
《龙舒净土文》
第五卷: 感应事迹三十篇

Sòng [Dynasty’s] Wáng Rìxiū
Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text:
Fifth Scroll: Thirty Essays [On] Deeds [Of] Connection [And] Response

Namo Amituofo : Translation by Shen Shi’an

相关教理
Related Teachings:

上篇
Previous Essay:

观音坐相说
[17] Speaking Of Guānyīn’s Seated Form
https://purelanders.com/2022/01/18/17-speaking-of-guanyins-seated-form

下篇
Next Essay:

东晋刘遗民
[2] Eastern Jìn Dynasty’s Liú Yímín
https://purelanders.com/2022/01/22/2-eastern-jin-dynastys-liu-yimin

三十篇
Thirty Essays:

《龙舒净土文》
第五卷:感应事迹三十篇
Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text:
[5] Fifth Scroll: Thirty Essays On Deeds Of Connection And Response
https://purelanders.com/longshu5

相关传记
Related Biography:


中国净土宗初祖慧远大师传
Biography Of The First Patriarch Of The Chinese Pure Land Tradition Great Master Huìyuǎn
https://purelanders.com/2017/03/17/biography-of-the-first-patriarch-of-chinese-pure-land-tradition-great-master-huiyuan

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