Master Huiming: A Vow Set Westward, "All Saw the Buddha Come"
Person：Huiming
Period：Northern Zhou (d. 569)
Died in the third year of the Tianhe era of Northern Zhou; the Chiyan ji files him under Northern Zhou.
Reading preferences
事見《法華經顯應錄》「高僧」門「後周命法師」條，並見《法華經持驗記》北周「北周釋慧命」條。《顯應錄》註明出處為《續高僧傳》。以下白話譯註以《持驗記》較詳本為主，《顯應錄》異文詳見考證。
故事
慧命法師，俗姓郭，太原晉陽人，儀姿英挺出眾。十五歲誦《法華經》，二十五天，一部經典全部通徹。不久剃度出家，專行方等懺、普賢懺等懺法。
後來他遊化到河陽仙城山，住善光寺，講演大乘教法；禪智所到之處，聽者無不折服。濟北戴逵曾寫信給他，他覆信酬答，書信往來並稱幽致勝義。同郡的法音禪師，與他堪稱德友，二人同到長沙果願寺能禪師處同學心定，之後回到仙城山。
一天晚上，他攜著法音的手走在松林間，相視而笑，傾談中共同立定志向——誓願西邁往生。
到北周天和三年（569）十一月，慧命跏趺而坐、面向西方、念佛而逝。臨終之時，在場的人都看見佛前來迎接；他合掌，化去。奇異的香氣與音樂，不止一處可以聞見。
八天之後，法音禪師也坐化，種種瑞相與慧命完全相同。
編者省思
這則記載的珍貴處，在「咸睹佛來」四字——不是他自己說見佛，而是在場大眾共同看見。原書未指名來迎之佛是誰，只說「佛來」；但「跏趺西向念佛」與先前「剋志西邁」的誓願，已把方向與行法交代清楚。編者據此將本則歸入「往生極樂」主題，並標為「經解讀推斷」，而非明言往生——這是本站處理此類記載的一貫尺度。
另一個動人的細節，是兩位道友在松林中「相顧笑語」地立願。修行人的生死大事，在原書筆下竟有這樣的從容。
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