Master Daoang: Declining Tuṣita, Choosing the West

Bacheng (printed in the source with a variant glyph of 跋)|Eastern Jin (Chang'an)

Bacheng became a monk at twenty with dull faculties, vowing to recite the Lotus Sutra for rebirth in the West. He memorised a line a day, sometimes half a verse, completing the sutra only at eighty. When a heavenly envoy came to invite him to Trāyastriṃśā he declined — his prayer was solely for Ultimate Bliss. He later dreamt of a jeweled pagoda and the welcoming stairway of the Western jeweled city, arranged a communal offering, asked his disciples whether they saw the thousand Buddhas and smelled the uncanny fragrance, then passed away facing west.

Huiming|Northern Zhou (d. 569)

Master Huiming of Northern Zhou memorised the Lotus Sutra at fifteen and devoted himself to the repentance rites. Studying meditation with Chan master Fayin, the two walked one evening in a pine grove, talking and smiling as they set their vow westward. In the eleventh month of the third Tianhe year he sat cross-legged facing west reciting the Buddha's name; everyone present saw the Buddha come as he joined his palms and passed away amid uncanny fragrance and music. Eight days later Fayin too died seated, with the same auspicious signs.

Liu Chengzhi, styled Yimin|Eastern Jin (d. 410)

Liu Chengzhi of the Eastern Jin left office for Mount Lu, joining Huiyuan's Lotus Society to practise the Pure Land path together. In the samādhi of Buddha-recollection he repeatedly saw the Buddha's light, Amitābha's welcoming touch, and himself drinking the water of eight virtues in the jeweled pool. At the end he offered incense before the sacred images — first to Śākyamuni, then to Amitābha, and third to the Lotus Sutra: "By the power of this sutra I shall be reborn." He passed away facing west with palms joined; the fragrance lasted seven days.

Kejiu|Northern Song (d. after 1093)

Kejiu of Kaiyuan Monastery in Siming constantly recited the Lotus Sutra and was known as 'Master Jiu of the Lotus'. A close friend of Su Shi, he died without illness in 1093 and revived after three days, reporting that he had travelled in spirit to the Pure Land: what he saw matched the Contemplation Sutra exactly, and on the lotus platforms of the jeweled pool were written the names of those yet to be born — a purple-gold platform for the monk Xun (already born), golden platforms for Sun the Twelfth and for Kejiu himself, a silver platform for the nun Xu. Five years on, the nun died with fragrance filling her room; seven years on, Sun died to celestial music — each just as he had said.