English
English version: After the death of my parents, I single-mindedly upheld the Vajra-chedika-prajna-paramita-sutra (金刚经). I was escorted to a palace, and I suspected it was the domain of Dongyue (东岳, God of Mount Tai), but there were no ox-headed jailers. A person on the throne, wearing a flat-topped crown, ordered a servant to bring me forward. The crowned person stood up and said, 'You are destined to be reborn here.' I replied, 'Throughout my life, I have upheld the Vajra-chedika-prajna-paramita-sutra. I only wish to be reborn in the Pure Land, not to be reincarnated.' The crowned person said, 'Your merit from upholding the sutra is insufficient.' I said, 'I have heard that even ten recitations can lead to rebirth, let alone my upholding the sutra for many years.' The crowned person then turned to two green-robed attendants and said, 'Send him back to continue upholding the sutra. He has been dead for nine days, but his heart is still warm and he has not yet been placed in a coffin.' I then left home and lived in Biyun Temple (碧云寺) in the Western Hills, dedicating myself to reciting the Vajra-chedika-prajna-paramita-sutra. Eleven years later, one day, I gathered the people and said, 'By the power of upholding the sutra, I am now going to the West.' After bathing and changing clothes, I sat upright and passed away. During the Xuande (宣德) period (1426-1435) of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Ruxuan (陈入玄), a Taoist priest of Heming Temple (鹤鸣观) in Western Sichuan, aspired to immortality and prayed for divine instruction. One night, he saw a person in a dream who claimed to be a Vajra Devata (金刚神). The deity said to Chen Ruxuan, 'Go to Mount Min (岷山) and pay respects to the monk Zhirong (智融). He will impart the Dharma to you.' Chen Ruxuan followed the deity's instructions and asked Zhirong, 'I hope to achieve immortality and wish to hear the secret essence.' Zhirong said, 'Have you not seen the Vajra-chedika-prajna-paramita-sutra which says, 'All conditioned dharmas are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows?'' Chen Ruxuan said, 'Since they are like illusions and bubbles, how can one achieve immortality?' Zhirong said, 'If you see all forms as non-forms, then you will see the Tathagata (如来).' He also said, 'That which is not the Tathagata is called the Tathagata.' Upon hearing these words, Chen Ruxuan suddenly awakened and retreated to Huju Rock (虎踞岩) on Mount Wawu (瓦屋山). At the age of ninety-eight, one day, he gathered his neighbors and said, 'I initially aspired to cultivate immortality as a celestial being, but now I am fortunate to have attained the immortality of the Buddha's Dharma. I hope that you all may attain what I have attained.' After speaking, he closed his eyes and passed away. Zhang Yuan (张元), a fisherman from Haiyan (海盐), and his younger brother Zhang Zhen (张贞) were returning home at night after casting their nets. When their boat reached Qingsong Pond (青松塘), they saw a strange light on the water's surface, reflecting the stars and moon. Suspecting it was a precious pearl, they dove into the water and retrieved a stone box. The brothers were overjoyed and reverently opened the box at home, finding a volume of the Vajra-chedika-prajna-paramita-sutra written in golden characters. They then enshrined the Vajra-chedika-prajna-paramita-sutra in their family shrine. That night, a golden-armored deity (金甲神) appeared in their dream and said to them, 'In your previous life, you were workers at the lecture hall of Dharma Master Changshui (长水法师).' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
因不信心。退堕至此。然微因未泯。赐汝大法。当精进持诵。元以不识字辞。神令开口。以一丸投之。明日启诵。熟如久习。元以告昭庆寺僧传如。如勉其回向西方。越三年。元谓亲识曰。莲台现矣。端坐而化。时万历丁丑七月事。 归一居士论曰。归西与生天有别。盖生天尚未脱轮回。归西则永离生死也。 何言之。轮回共有六道。一曰天道。二曰人道。三曰修罗。四曰畜生。五曰饿鬼。六曰地狱。六道生死。皆轮转不已。天上受福。虽胜人间。然寿命亦皆有数。如忉利夜摩兜率化乐诸天。寿以千计。多者不过数千岁。他化魔身光音遍净诸天。寿以万计。多者亦不过数万。到数尽时。仍来欲界受生。不能永居天上。故曰未脱轮回也。 至若西方。过十万亿佛土。有世界名曰极乐。其教主号无量寿佛。至今现在说法。一归其境。永不退转。直至成佛。其人寿命。皆无量无边。非算数之所能知。经所谓天地坏时。这个不坏。故曰永离生死也。较之生天者。不迥别手。 又持金经。与修净土同功。修净土。与参禅家一致。何言之。盖参禅固能顿悟真空。立地成佛。而修净。 现代汉语译本： 因为不具信心，（他）退堕到这个地步。然而微弱的善因并未完全泯灭，（我）赐予你大法。应当精进地受持读诵。元某以不识字为理由推辞。神灵让他开口说话，并用一个药丸投喂给他。第二天，（元某）开始诵读，熟练得像练习了很久一样。元某将此事告诉了昭庆寺的僧人传如。传如劝勉他回向西方极乐世界。过了三年，元某对亲戚朋友说：‘莲花宝座已经显现了。’然后端坐而逝。这是万历丁丑年（1577年）七月的事情。 归一居士评论说：往生西方极乐世界与仅仅升到天界是有区别的。因为升到天界仍然没有脱离轮回，而往生西方则永远脱离生死。 为什么这么说呢？轮回共有六道：一天道、二人间道、三阿修罗道、四畜生道、五饿鬼道、六地狱道。六道众生生死相续，轮转不息。在天上享受福报，虽然胜过人间，但是寿命也都是有限的。比如忉利天（Trayastrimsa）、夜摩天（Yama）、兜率天（Tushita）、化乐天（Nirmanarati）等天，寿命以千年计算，多的也不过数千年。他化自在天（Paranirmita-vasavartin）、光音天（Abhasvara）、遍净天（Subhakrtsna）等天，寿命以万年计算，多的也不过数万年。等到寿命终尽时，仍然要来到欲界受生，不能永远居住在天上。所以说没有脱离轮回。 至于西方极乐世界，在经过十万亿佛土的地方，有一个世界名叫极乐。那里的教主名为无量寿佛（Amitabha），至今仍然在那里说法。一旦往生到那个境界，就永远不会退转，直到成佛。那里的人的寿命，都是无量无边，不是算数所能知道的。《经》上说天地坏灭时，极乐世界也不会坏灭。所以说永远脱离生死。与仅仅升到天界相比，难道不是天差地别吗？ 而且，受持《金刚经》与修习净土法门有相同的功德。修习净土法门与参禅的人的最终目标是一致的。为什么这么说呢？因为参禅固然能够顿悟真空，立地成佛，而修习净土...
English
English version: Because of lack of faith, he fell to this state. However, the subtle cause was not completely extinguished, (I) bestow upon you the Great Dharma. You should diligently uphold and recite it. Yuan declined on the grounds that he was illiterate. The spirit made him speak and fed him a pill. The next day, (Yuan) began to recite, as proficiently as if he had practiced for a long time. Yuan told the monk Chuanru of Zhaoqing Temple about this. Chuanru encouraged him to dedicate his merits to the Western Pure Land. After three years, Yuan said to his relatives and friends, 'The lotus throne has appeared.' Then he sat upright and passed away. This happened in the seventh month of the Dingchou year (1577 AD) of the Wanli reign. Layman Guiyi commented: Rebirth in the Western Pure Land is different from merely being born in the heavens. Because being born in the heavens still does not escape reincarnation, while being reborn in the West means eternal liberation from birth and death. Why is this said? Reincarnation has six realms: first, the realm of the Devas (gods); second, the realm of humans; third, the realm of Asuras (demigods); fourth, the realm of animals; fifth, the realm of hungry ghosts; sixth, the realm of hells. The birth and death in the six realms continue without ceasing. Enjoying blessings in the heavens, although superior to the human realm, still has a limited lifespan. For example, the Trayastrimsa Heaven (忉利天), Yama Heaven (夜摩天), Tushita Heaven (兜率天), Nirmanarati Heaven (化乐天), etc., have lifespans calculated in thousands of years, with the longest being only a few thousand years. The Paranirmita-vasavartin Heaven (他化自在天), Abhasvara Heaven (光音天), Subhakrtsna Heaven (遍净天), etc., have lifespans calculated in tens of thousands of years, with the longest being only tens of thousands of years. When the lifespan is exhausted, they still have to be reborn in the Desire Realm, unable to reside in the heavens forever. Therefore, it is said that they have not escaped reincarnation. As for the Western Pure Land, beyond hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddha lands, there is a world called Sukhavati (极乐). The teaching master there is named Amitabha Buddha (无量寿佛), who is still preaching the Dharma there today. Once reborn in that realm, one will never regress, until one becomes a Buddha. The lifespan of the people there is immeasurable and boundless, beyond what can be known by calculation. The Sutra says that when the heavens and earth are destroyed, this (Pure Land) will not be destroyed. Therefore, it is said to be eternally free from birth and death. Compared to merely being born in the heavens, isn't it vastly different? Moreover, upholding the Diamond Sutra and practicing the Pure Land Dharma have the same merit. Practicing the Pure Land Dharma and the ultimate goal of Chan practitioners are consistent. Why is this said? Because Chan practice can indeed lead to sudden enlightenment of emptiness and instant Buddhahood, while practicing Pure Land... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------