On the fifth day of the second month, it is said that it is the day of Master Xuanzang's death. Believers from all over the country spontaneously commemorate this great monk.
And what strange work happened to this legendary Tang Dynasty monk in his life in the last days?What signs are there in the dark that indicate his rebirth?
“Xuanzang's poisonous body is very disgusted with it. After finishing his work, it is not appropriate to stay for a long time.I wish to give back to sentient beings with the blessings and wisdom I have cultivated, and all sentient beings will live together to serve the compassionate masters in the family of Maitreya. When the Buddha was born, he would also like to do Buddhist affairs and even the supreme Bodhi.”
The above is Master Xuanzang's last words, annotating that he vowed to be reborn next to Maitreya Bodhisattva.
According to the sutra, Maitreya Bodhisattva is a contemporary of Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha gave the prophecy to Maitreya Bodhisattva, who will replace Sakyamuni Buddha as the next Buddha in the Saha world in the future, and will now live in the inner courtyard of the Tushita Heavenly Palace.He will be born in the world and become a Buddha after (some say 5.6 billion years).According to Master Xuanzang's vow, Master Xuanzang would also follow Maitreya Buddha to be reborn and do Buddhist affairs extensively.
Master Xuanzang
Master Xuanzang's life was not calm in his later years. His mysterious relationship with the royal family and his heavy work on translating scriptures made him gradually feel that he was exhausted.Perhaps it was a response in the dark that Master Xuanzang believed that his return date was approaching.So, what did he do in his last moments of life in the world?
In the first year of Linde (664), Master Xuanzang was 65 years old, and he was still translating Buddhist scriptures at Yuhua Temple.In the historical records of this year, he said to the assistants and students of the translation site: "Xuanzang is 65 years old this year, and he must be ordered to be in this place. The sutras are very big, and everyone is afraid of not ending. Everyone works hard and do not quit hard work."It means: I am sixty-five years old this year, and I will definitely die in this Yuhua Temple. There are huge Buddhist scriptures, and I often worry that I can't finish them. You all work harder and work harder, and don't be afraid of hard work.
For the first time in Master Xuanzang's life, he issued such unconfident words of worry that he was afraid that his work would not be completed.In fact, because of years of hard work, after he translated the Great Prajna Sutra, he himself thought that his physical strength began to fail, and even thought that he was in vain.
Soon, he said another sentence to the students, which could almost be regarded as his last words: "If you send me after the impermanence, you should be frugal and scattered, and you can still choose a remote place in the mountain stream and do not approach the palace and temple.An impure body should be kept far away.”
He mentioned "impermanence" here (the monks talk about death, and most of them are replaced by impermanence), saying that in the future, when you send me, you must be frugal, do not use a lot of etiquette, and use the simplest method to wrap and send me, place me in a secluded place, and do not approach palaces and temples.He believed that the body was impure and should be kept away from these places.
On the third day of the first lunar month of the same year, Master Xuanzang's students begged Master Xuanzang to start the translation of the "Great Treasure Sutra", which is also a very important Buddhist scripture.After reluctantly translating the opening lines, Master Xuanzang suddenly stopped. He hesitated for a long time, looked at his students calmly and solemnly, and said to everyone with a sad expression: "This sutra is the same as the Great Prajna. Xuanzang's own strength will not be done again. His death has arrived, and his power is not far away.”
He said: The weight of this "Great Treasure Sutra" is no less than that of the "Great Prajna Sutra". I think my physical strength and energy are no longer enough to translate the most Buddhist scriptures. "The death period has arrived", not "about to come", but my death period has arrived, not far away.After saying this, Master Xuanzang finished writing and stopped translating.He said that he should leave the few years that can be foreseeable from now on to worship Buddha statues and prepare himself for leaving the world.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Master Xuanjue, one of Master Xuanzang's students, dreamed of a solemn and towering pagoda (i.e., a pagoda), suddenly sank and suddenly woke up. He was worried that this dream would be a sign of something that would happen to him, so he quickly went to his master, Master Xuanzang, and asked Master Xuanzang to explain the dream.
Master Xuanzang told him very clearly: "It is not your own business, this is a sign of my extermination and gratitude.""It means: This has nothing to do with you, but a sign that I am leaving this world.
This is a true record of Master Xuanjue's dream on the eighth day of the first lunar month. Our descendants are not qualified, nor do they have the reason to judge the truth or falsehood in vain, because the monks do not lie, which is stipulated by the precepts, not to mention that they respect Master Xuanzang so much.
Just one day later, on the ninth day of the first lunar month, Master Xuanzang, who had crossed countless mountains and steeped through countless surging rivers, actually fell while crossing a small ditch behind the house.Although it only slightly smeared the skin on the ankle, Master Xuanzang fell from then on and his condition took a sharp turn for the worse.
On the 16th day of the first lunar month, Master Xuanzang's condition was already very serious and he muttered to himself: "There is a white lotus in front of me, which is larger than the plate, fresh and cute."He said he saw a big white lotus, bigger than a plate, extremely clean and extremely cute.
The next day, Master Xuanzang dreamed that hundreds of people suddenly appeared in the meditation room where he lived, extremely tall, wearing beautiful clothes, walking back and forth in his meditation room. The mountain monuments behind the yard were suddenly covered with bright golden banners and flags, and various music was played in the forest. Outside the door was filled with gorgeously decorated cars, and the cars were filled with all kinds of food to support Master Xuanzang.Master Xuanzang said, "How dare you accept Xuanzang before he reached this position?"While he is still eating.
The student quickly woke up Master Xuanzang. Master Xuanzang opened his eyes and told Master Huide, the master of the Yuhua Temple who had just seen, who was waiting by his side at any time. The master of the temple wrote down Master Xuanzang's descriptions very respectfully and left them to future generations.
Master Xuanzang also said to Master Huide: "Xuanzang has cultivated blessings and wisdom in his life, and it is accurate to have a limitless style. He wants to be like a merit without giving up, and believes in Buddhism as cause and effect is not false."Master Xuanzang means: These phenomena I saw in my dreams seem to explain the blessings and wisdom I have cultivated in this life are not in vain.I am sure that Buddhist cause and effect are not false.
When his life was dying, Master Xuanzang, as a generation of monks, was still doing his last energy to prove the Dharma. This is part of a monk's practice and his homework.
Of course, he knew clearly that he had not had much time left in this world, so he ordered his students to compile a catalog of the translated Buddhist scriptures and see how many were translated.According to statistics, there are still 582 Buddhist scriptures that I prayed back from the West and did not have time to translate.In fact, this is already Master Xuanzang making a self-summary.
Master Xuanzang also instructed all the monks to make statues and write scriptures for him and give alms. At the same time, he gave all the equipment he used to the monks in the temple according to Buddhist precepts.
Master Xuanzang was fully prepared and waited for the arrival of the moment of passing away.So what was the last last words left by Master Xuanzang in the last moment of his world?In what manner did Master Xuanzang pass away?
Judging from the records, Master Xuanzang's condition seems to have stabilized for a period of time, or it is what the secular world calls "returning back".
The statue of Master Xuanzang of the Great Ci'en Temple in Xi'an
On the 24th day of the first lunar month, Master Xuanzang was still very awake. He asked a clay statue worker named Song Fazhi to erect a Bodhi statue in Jiashou Hall of Yuhua Temple and set up the skeleton.
He summoned the students who translated Buddhist scriptures at the time of his pregnancy and left his last words in the world: "Xuanzang's poisonous body is very disgusting. After finishing his work, it is not appropriate to stay for a long time.I wish to give back to sentient beings with the blessings and wisdom I have cultivated, and all sentient beings will live together to serve the compassionate masters in the family of Maitreya. When the Buddha was born, he would also like to do Buddhist affairs and even the supreme Bodhi.”
Master Xuanzang said: My own vulgar body is impure. I have already hated this vulgar body. The work I have to do in this world has been done and I don’t need to stay anymore.I am not cultivating blessings and wisdom for my Xuanzang self. I am willing to repay all of this to those who are still alive in the world.I pray that I can be born along the way to Maitreya Bodhisattva with everyone and serve Maitreya Bodhisattva.I vow that when Maitreya Buddha was born, I would like to follow him to "do Buddhist affairs extensively" to pursue supreme Bodhi and pursue the highest wisdom.This is the last paragraph of Master Xuanzang's words, and it is also his last vow.
In the following days, Master Xuanzang almost stopped talking, but just kept reciting Buddhist scriptures, taking refuge in Maitreya and Tathagata, and wishing to be reborn in Maitreya Pure Land.We generally talk about the "Three Refuges", which means taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
In other words, what he has always recited at this moment, and we can still recover today. He must have been reciting refuge, and he must have been reciting refuge in the speech that Buddha used in the past - the sacred Sanskrit.
Starting from the fourth night of the second month, Master Xuanzang supported his head with his right hand, put his left hand on his left leg, and lay his very smooth position on his right flank, and he never moved a little longer (with his right hand as he supported himself, and with his left hand as he moved his left thigh, he relaxed his feet and lie down on his right flank, and he did not turn back until his death).This is the last posture before Master Xuanzang's death, which is the last posture of Master Xuanzang's physical body. We can think of this posture when we see the reclining Buddha.
At midnight on the fifth day of the second month, his student asked Master Xuanzang: "Will the Lord be reborn in Maitreya?"Seeing Master Xuanzang who has been chanting Buddhist scriptures for so long and preparing to leave this world, his student asked Master Xuanzang, "Monk" is a respectful title in Buddhist scriptures, but he cannot call himself a "monk", he can only call him a "poor monk" or a "little monk", and the most respectful way of writing should be "Hankang"), have you decided to be reborn in the Pure Land of Maitreya Buddha?
Master Xuanzang replied: Be reborn.
These are the last two words left by Master Xuanzang in this world.
Master Xuanzang devoted his whole body and mind to the earth of earth throughout his life to repay the Buddha's kindness. He was praised by the people of the world as an excellent messenger for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. His patriotism and great offerings to protect Buddhism were praised as "the backbone of the Chinese nation" and a messenger of world peace.His sights are spread all over India, affecting them as far as Japan, South Korea and the whole world.His thoughts and spirit are now the joint wealth of Chinese, Asian and even the world's citizens.
Therefore, on this extraordinary and auspicious day, let us accumulate virtue and develop the Bodhi heart together to thank and commemorate this compassionate and great monk!
