[22]【各种】往生【净土之证据】
[22] [Various Proofs Of] Rebirth [In Pure Land]
【种种瑞相】
[All Kinds Of Auspicious Signs]
讲到那怀疑往生的人，没有消息回来，可能不是真的，那也是乱疑惑。
Speaking of those persons doubting rebirth in Pure Land, assuming that without news returning, it might not be true, that also is being disturbed by doubts and confusions.
讲到往生的确实证据，最明白的，是一种 [1] 暖顶相。哪怕断了气后，过了十多个钟头，他的头顶上，还是热腾腾的。
Speaking of rebirth’s reliable proof, the most clear is one kind of [1] sign, with warmth on the crown. Even if after ending of breathing, having passed more than ten hours, his/her head’s crown above, is still hot.
[Note 1: For more ‘only with the head crown warm’ (头顶独热), see https://purelanders.com/2015/12/30/the-third-great-essential-%e7%ac%ac%e4%b8%89%e5%a4%a7%e8%a6%81-pure-land-passport-section-3d.]
这件事情，是可以试验的。
This matter can be tested [after adequate offering of guidance (开示) and support-chanting (助念) without touching first: https://purelanders.com/wake].
还有 [2] 面色有光彩滋润，[3] 尸体轻软，种种的和寻常的相不一样的。
There is also the [2] complexion having radiance and moisture, the [3] corpse being light and soft, with all kinds of signs not the same as the usual.
[Note 2: The above are also called with the [2] ‘facial appearance as if alive’ (面相如生) and with the [3] ‘body and mind gentle and soft’ (身心柔软).]
照《往生集》，和《净土圣贤录》上所记载的，临终的时候，有的 [4] 看见佛光照耀、有的 [5] 听得天空里，有各种天上很好听的乐器的声音、有的 [6] 闻到特别的香气。
According to the Rebirth Collection and Record Of Pure Land’s Noble Sages, in those records, when approaching life’s end, some [4] see the Buddha’s light illuminating, some [5] hear within the sky, to have all kinds of very pleasant-sounding heavenly musical instruments’ sounds above, and some [6] smell special fragrance.
[Note 3: The above are also called with [5] ‘heavenly music filling the sky’ (天乐盈空) and with [4] ‘extraordinary fragrance filling the room’ (异香满堂).]
不只是本人看见、听到、闻着，旁边的人也有一起看见佛光、听得天乐、闻着香气的。
Not only with the persons themselves seeing, hearing and smelling, people by the side also have those together seeing the Buddha’s light, hearing the heavenly music and smelling the fragrance.
[Note 4: This can also be understood as an ‘bonus’ auspicious sign, when personally experienced auspicious sign(s) are experienced by others too, who can thus confirm that the sign(s) experienced was/were not delusional.]
有的结跏趺坐死去的，叫做 [7] 坐化。有的立在平地上死去了，身子不跌倒的，叫做 [8] 立化。
Some sit in the full-lotus posture and die, which is called [7] sitting departure. Some stand on flat ground and die, with their bodies not falling down, which is called [8] standing departure.
[Note 5: While some signs like these, which represent ease in any posture might be expressed by those well-practised in other practices, if they are expressed by those who practise mindfulness of Buddha (念佛), it is clear that they result from it.]
有的临终前几天，自己就 [9] 先知道哪一天要往生了，从从容容，向平时要好的人，都告别了，到了死的时候，没有一些病痛，就安然死去的。像这样的情形，还可以说往生没有证据吗？
Some, a few days before, when approaching life’s end, with themselves right away [9] first knowing which one day they will be reborn, unhurriedly [with all in good time], to people on good terms in normal times, all biding farewell, when reaching the moment of death, without one bit of sickness and pain, right away peacefully die. Appearing with these kinds of circumstances, how can there still be speaking of rebirth being without proof?
[Note 6: The above is also called [9] ‘knowing in advance (and declaring) the time of Buddha’s arrival (to receive and guide to Pure Land, followed by departing on time)’ (预知时至).]
【往生净土归来报告之公案】
[Reports Of Those Reborn In Pure Land Returning To Inform So]
【阙公则之瑞相】
[Quē Gōngzé’s Auspicious Signs]
晋朝的时候，远公法师在庐山上，结了一个东林莲社。他是第一个提倡修念佛法门的。莲社里，总共有一百二十三个人，都往生西方的。
When it was the Jìn Dynasty, Grand Dharma Master Huìyuǎn (慧远) [who became the Pure Land Tradition’s 1st Patriarch: 净土宗初祖) on Mount Lú, formed the Dōnglín [White] Lotus Society (白莲社). He was the first to promote cultivation of the Dharma Door Of Mindfulness Of Buddha. In the Lotus Society, altogether having a hundred and twenty-three persons, who were all reborn in the Western Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss (西方极乐世界).
[Note 7: For the biography of the Pure Land Tradition’s 1st Patriarch Great Master Huìyuǎn (净土宗初祖慧远大师), see https://purelanders.com/2017/03/17/biography-of-the-first-patriarch-of-chinese-pure-land-tradition-great-master-huiyuan.]
里面有一个人，叫做阙公则，他先前立愿，将来自己往生了，要回来报信的。
Within was a person called Quē Gōngzé. He had previously established the vow, that in the future, with himself reborn already, he wants to return to inform so.
后来他死了一周年，他的朋友，替他做佛事功德。忽然满间屋里，都是金光。
Later, after he had died already, on the first anniversary, his friends for him, conducted Buddhist practices for creating meritorious virtues. Suddenly, filling the house within, everywhere was golden light.
[Note 8: He probably waited for the best time to return and report, when many could gather to witness it, so as to best inspire as many as possible.]
[Note 9: According to Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text《龙舒净土文》, during the anniversary’s practices, the forest’s trees and hall all became gold in colour.]
听得空里有人说道：「我是阙公则，已经生在极乐世界了。因为从前立过报信的愿，所以特地回来告诉你们。大家只要诚心念佛，没有不往生的。」说完了这句话，那金光就没有了。
Heard within the air was a person saying, ‘I am Quē Gōngzé, and have already been born in the Land Of Ultimate Bliss. Because in the past, having established the vow to inform, therefore specially returning to inform you. Everyone only has to, with the sincere mind be mindful of Buddha, and it will be without those not reborn there.‘ Having spoken these lines of words completely, that golden light right away disappeared.
[Note 10: This attests to the importance of having utmost sincerity when practising mindfulness of Āmítuófó’s name (阿弥陀佛), which binds the Three Provisions (三资粮) of Faith, Aspiration and Practice together, thus connecting to the Buddha to be born in his Pure Land.]
[Note 11: According to the Record Of Pure Land’s Noble Sages《净土圣贤录》, Quē Gōngzé appeared and also said that he has come with all superior persons from Pure Land to listen to the sūtras. Quē Gōngzé’s frequently used bowl also fell from the air. It was full of fragrant rice from Pure Land, with the eating of which there was no hunger for seven days.]
【久法华之瑞相】
[Jiǔ Fǎhuá’s Auspicious Signs]
宋朝时候，有一个高僧，叫做可久。他住在明州地方，常常念《法华经》，发愿求生西方极乐世界。那时候的人，都叫他做久法华。
When it was the Sòng Dynasty, there was a high monastic, named Kějiǔ [which means, ‘can practise for long’]. He lived in a place at Míngzhōu, where he frequently recited the [Wonderful] Dharma [Lotus] Flower Sūtra《妙法莲华经》, and gave rise to the Aspiration [i.e. Vow] to seek birth in the Western Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss. The people at that time, all called him Jiǔ Fǎhuá [which means, ‘long-time practitioner of the Dharma Flower Sūtra’].
仁宗皇帝元祐八年，久法华八十一岁，那一天坐化了。
In Emperor Rénzōng’s Yuányòu’s eighth year [i.e. 1093 C.E.], when Jiǔ Fǎhuá was eighty-one years old, on that one day, he sat and departed.
过了三日，重新活过来，对人说道:「我看见净土境界，和那经上所说的情形，完全一样的。
Passing three days, he again revived and returned, to people saying, ‘I have seen the Pure Land’s realm. Together with those circumstances spoken in the Sūtras, they are completely the same.
[Note 12: This attests to the truthfulness of the teachings in the Pure Land Sūtras taught by the Buddha, thus serving to increase our Faith in them.]
[Note 13: Conversely, if some claim to have seen or been to the Pure Land, but state that not according with the sūtras, there is no reason to believe them. This is while if that claimed accords, we might as well be inspired to study the sūtras more diligently for more details, as they were taught by the Buddha. More on this can be seen at https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2012/06/who-has-been-to-pure-land-back.]
莲华台上，都标明了那应该往生的人的姓名。看见一个金台，标的是明州孙十二郎。一个金台，标的是久法华。一个银台，标的是明州的徐道姑。」说了这几句话，又化去了。
On lotus flower daises above, all are labelled clearly with the surnames and names of those persons who should be reborn there. I saw on one golden dais, with its label being Míngzhōu’s Sūn Shí’èrláng. On one golden dais, its label is Jiǔ Fǎhuá. On one silver dais, its label is Míngzhōu’s Xú Dàogū.’ Having spoken these few lines of words, he again departed.
[Note 14: A related testimony is that of Wáng Shì (王氏), who in a dream saw a great pond in Pure Land with lotus flowers big and small, with some flourishing and some emaciating. Within one lotus was Yáng Jié (杨杰) seated with a treasure crown and necklaces adorning his body, who was already born there.
There was also Mǎ Yú’s (马玗) flower, which was quite emaciated then. Mǎ Yú’ was still living in our world without sickness, who was later reborn in Pure Land too. The flourishing or emaciating state of the flowers should represent their level of practice and/or readiness to reach the Pure Land. Their names should be labelled on their lotus flowers too. More on these cases can be seen at https://purelanders.com/2018/12/04/10-related-song-dynasty-pure-land-sages.]
后来过了五年，徐道姑死的时候，她屋里，满屋的异香扑鼻，大家都闻着的。
Later, passing five years, when Xú Dàogū died, in her house, filling the house was extraordinary fragrance that ‘assailed’ the nostrils, which everyone all smelled.
过了十二年，孙十二郎死的时候，虚空里，有很好听的那种天上的乐器声，大家都听见的。
Having passed twelve years, when Sūn Shí’èrláng died, in empty space, were those very pleasant-sounding kinds of heavenly musical instruments’ sounds above, which everyone all heard.
[Note 15: According to Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text《龙舒净土文》, Jiǔ Fǎhuá returned and said that the Pure Land accords with that described in the Contemplation Sūtra《观经》. He also saw a purple-golden dais labelled ‘The Great Sòng’s Chéngdū Residence’s Guǎngjiào [i.e. Vast Teachings] School’s Xūn Fǎhuá (i.e. Xūngōng: 勋公) is already born within here’ (大宋成都府广教院熏法华已生其中). This explains where there is no record of his departure later. He was probably waiting to emerge from the lotus flower.
According to the Record Of Pure Land’s Noble Sages《净土圣贤录》, Jiǔ Fǎhuá returned and said that all in its the Pure Land’s supreme realm are with that in the sūtras the same, and that those in this world cultivating pure karma, are all already with their names labelled on lotus flower daises there.]
[Note 16: Silver daises might represent those yet to be fully ready for birth in the Pure Land, thus yet to be golden, as there are no silver ones mentioned in the Contemplation Sūtra’s nine grades (九品) of birth.]
照这样看起来，那些人，不都是往生到西方去的吗？像阙公则和久法华，[10] 往生后，还回来报信，怎样还可以疑惑往生不是真实的呢？
Apparently, according to these, of those persons, were they not all reborn in the Western Pure Land? Like Quē Gōngzé and Jiǔ Fǎhuá, [10] after their rebirths, returning to inform, how can there be doubts and confusions that rebirth [in Pure Land] is not true?
[Note 17: As Jiǔ Fǎhuá’s testimony upon return also fulfils two other cases with auspicious signs of birth in Pure Land later, along with his own case, his testimony is a case of 3-in-1, triply inspiring.]
皈依弟子黄智海演述
By Refuge Disciple Huáng Zhìhǎi Narrated
《佛法大意》(笛藤出版本)
The Buddha Dharma’s Main Meanings (Dee Ten Publishing’s Edition)
(印光大师师鉴定)
(By Great Master Yìnguāng Appraised)
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
相关教理
Related Teachings:
《一切念佛人往生及不往生之证据》
Proof Of All People With Mindfulness Of Buddha Being Reborn And Not Reborn In Pure Land
https://purelanders.com/zhengju
如何知道往生者已达净土？
How To Know If The Deceased Has Reached Pure Land？
15 种瑞相
15 Auspicious Signs
(How To Seek Advice For Difficult Decisions?)
https://purelanders.com/sure
相关感应录
Related Testimonies:
《净土圣贤录》：
Record Of Pure Land’s Noble Sages:
晋阙公则
Jìn Dynasty’s Quē Gōngzé
https://purelanders.com/2024/10/23/85-jin-dynastys-que-gongze
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《龙舒净土文》
Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text:
东晋阙公则
[3] [85] Eastern Jìn Dynasty’s Quē Gōngzé
https://purelanders.com/2022/01/22/3-eastern-jin-dynastys-que-gongze
《净土圣贤录》：
Record Of Pure Land’s Noble Sages:
宋可久（勋公，徐道姑，孙十二郎）
Sòng Dynasty’s Kějiǔ (Xūngōng, Xú Dàogū, Sūn Shí’èrláng)
https://purelanders.com/2024/10/23/103-song-dynastys-kejiu-xungong-xu-daogu-sun-shierlang
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《龙舒净土文》
Lóngshū’s Pure Land Text:
宋明州僧可久
[24] [103] Sòng Dynasty’s Míngzhōu’s Monastic Kějiǔ
https://purelanders.com/2022/01/29/24-song-dynastys-mingzhous-monastic-kejiu
