隋开觉寺僧道喻
[8] Suí [Dynasty’s] Kāijué Monastery’s Monastic Dàoyù
道喻，念阿弥陀佛，造栴檀像长三寸。
Dàoyù, recited Āmítuófó[‘s name, and] created [his] sandalwood image [of] three cùns [in] height.
[Note 1: As one cùn is 3.33 centimetres, this is 9.99 centimetres.]
后忽死，七日却苏，云：「见阿弥陀佛云：『汝造我像何太小？』
After sudden death, seven days [later, he] however revived, saying, ‘[I have] seen Amitā[bha] Buddha, [who] said, “You, [since] creating my image, why [is it] very small?”
对曰：『心大即大，心小即小。』言讫，其像遍于虚空。
[I] replied, “[With the] mind great then [is it] great, [with the] mind small then [is it] small.” [With these] words completed, his image pervaded everywhere in [the] empty space.
又云：『汝且回本国，香汤沐浴，明星出时，我来迎汝。』」
Also saying, “You shall return [to your] original land, [and with] fragrant hot water bathe. When [the] Bright ‘Star’ appears. I [will] come [to] welcome you.”‘
[Note 2: The Bright ‘Star’ is actually not a star, but a ‘moving star’ (行星) or rather, planet. (If it was an actual star, it would be another sun, farther than our sun, which is our nearest star.) It is the brightest planet that can be seen from Earth, which is Venus (明星 [Bright Star] / 金星 [Golden Star]).
It is also called the ‘Evening Star’ (晚星), as seen shortly after the sun sets at dusk in the West, (which is the direction of where the Pure Land is), as it follows the sun to set, with this representing ‘return’ to the Pure Land, with this ‘return’ being realignment to our Buddha-nature (佛性), awakening to it there.
(From the planetary point of view, as the Earth rotates, its Western direction thus changes. However, from the larger intergalactic point of view, looking at our Sahā World (娑婆世界) on the whole with reference to other worlds, its Western direction is thus constant, even as galaxies spin on in the expanding universe.)
Venus is also called the ‘Morning Star’ (晨星), with it seen shortly before the sun rises at dawn in the East, as it follows the sun to rise. The Morning Star was seen by the Buddha when he realised Buddhahood, with this representing awakening to his Buddha-nature, by realigning to its inner light of wisdom, which destroyed the darkness of ignorance.]
至时，果见化佛来迎，光明照室，众皆闻见，乃亡。时开皇八年。
Arriving [at that] time, really seen [was a] manifested Buddha coming [to] welcome [him, with] bright light illuminating [the] room, [and the] assembly all hearing [and] seeing [this], then departing. [This was] at the time [of] Kāihuáng’s eighth year [i.e. 588. C.E.].
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:
后魏壁谷僧昙鸾
[7] Later Wèi Dynasty’s Bìgǔ’s Monastic Tánluán
https://purelanders.com/2022/01/22/7-later-wei-dynastys-bigus-monastic-tanluan
下篇
Next Essay:
唐京师僧善导
[9] Táng Dynasty’s Capital City’s Monastic Shàndǎo
https://purelanders.com/2022/01/24/9-tang-dynastys-capital-citys-monastic-shandao/
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
相关文章
Related Articles:
阿弥陀佛的净土在何处？
Where Is Āmítuófó’s Pure Land?
https://purelanders.com/2018/12/26/where-is-amituofos-pure-land/
About Venus (With Explanation Of Diagram Above)
https://www.quora.com/How-come-at-certain-times-Venus-is-only-visible-in-the-evening-and-at-others-only-in-the-morning-Is-this-the-same-for-the-whole-earth-or-is-it-different-in-other-parts-of-the-world/answer/Lucas-Curtis
