His journey to learn from the scriptures is a feat. His spread of Buddhism has deeply influenced China, including neighboring countries. He is one of the greatest figures in the history of China.
Life is a process of life and death, which is the natural law of the universe. No one can escape this cycle, including Xuanzang.
In the first year of Linde, Tang Gaozong (664), Xuanzang was 65 years old, but he was still tirelessly translating Buddhist scriptures in Yuhua Temple. It is reported that he once said to his assistants and disciples, "Xuanzang will die here in Galand this year, and his department is very large. Everyone will work hard and don't give up. " It means: I am sixty-five years old this year, and I will definitely die in this Yuhua Temple. There are so many Buddhist scriptures that I often worry that I can't turn them over. Please work harder and don't be afraid of hard work.
That year, he predicted that time was running out. The long-term translation work has seriously consumed his spirit and physical strength. After translating Mahayana Sutra, he had a premonition that his physical strength was exhausted and his energy was sharply reduced. Shi Zai, at that time, he said to his disciples, "If you are impermanent, you can send me frugally, but you can send me in a package. You still choose a secluded place in a mountain stream and don't go near the palace temple." An unclean body should stay away. "It means that when you send me away after my death, you must be frugal, don't use a lot of manners, wrap me up in the simplest way and put me in a quiet place, away from palaces and temples. He thinks that the body is unclean and should stay away from these places.
It was also in this year that Xuanzang's disciples begged Xuanzang to start translating the Dabaojijing, which is a very important Buddhist sutra. After barely translating the first few lines, Xuanzang suddenly stopped. He pondered for a long time, looked at his disciples calmly and dignified, and said to everyone with a gloomy face: "This warp axis is the same as the Great Prajna. Xuanzang will not rely on his own efforts, and if he dies, he will be finished. " In other words, the warp beam component of this book is no less than that of the Great Prajna Sutra. Personally, I feel that my physical strength and energy are not enough to translate so many Buddhist scriptures, which is "death". History has proved that all virtuous monks with promising practice can predict the end of their lives.
After saying this, Xuanzang never started writing again and stopped his translation work. He said that he would leave himself a few foreseeable years to worship Buddha and prepare himself for leaving this secular world.
On the eighth day of the first month, Master Xuanjue, one of Xuanzang's disciples, woke up suddenly because he dreamed that a solemn and tall floating statue (pagoda) suddenly collapsed. He was worried that the dream predicted what would happen to him, so he went to his master Xuanzang and asked him to explain his dream. Xuanzang told him clearly: "It's none of your business, it's my little gift." It means it has nothing to do with you. It's a sign that I'm going to die.
On the 16th day of the first month, Xuanzang was seriously ill and spent the whole day in a daze. He muttered, "I have Bai Lianhua in front of me, bigger than a plate, fresh and lovely." At this moment, when Xuanzang was fascinated, his eyes shone with auspicious colorful flowers. He saw auspicious Bai Lianhua, fresh and lovely.
On the 17th day of the first month, Xuanzang saw hundreds of people suddenly appear in the meditation room where he lived. They are tall and dressed in gorgeous costumes, walking back and forth in his meditation room. The hill behind the yard was suddenly covered with bright gold banners and flags, and all kinds of music were playing in the forest. The entrance is full of ornate cars and all kinds of food to support Xuanzang.
Seeing this, Xuanzang said dreamily, "How dare Xuanzang accept this position without rank?" The disciples quickly woke Xuanzang up. Xuanzang opened his eyes and told Master Huide of Yuhua Temple that he was waiting for him at any time. Huide respectfully wrote down Xuanzang's description of future generations.
Obviously, on his deathbed, he saw the god who took him to the west. Maybe some people think this is superstitious knowledge. In fact, there is a commandment in Buddhism that monks should not talk nonsense, not to mention Master Xuanzang's noble morality and perfect practice!
We know that everything in the universe has two poles, positive and negative, positive and negative, but we can't know what form they exist for unknown or invisible things, but what is certain is that we can't deny them because we can't see or feel them.
Later, Xuanzang said to Master Huide, "Xuanzang has been practicing Fu Hui all his life and looks like a monk. He wants to make contributions, but it is not worthwhile to believe in Buddhism. " It means: these phenomena I saw in my dreams show that the blessings I have cultivated in my life have not been in vain. I firmly believe that Buddhist cause and effect is not an illusion.
On the deathbed of his life, Xuanzang, as a generation of eminent monks, is still making a final effort to prove the Dharma, which is part of a monk's practice and his homework.
According to "Datang The biography of Master Sanzang", on the 24th day of the first month, Xuanzang called all the disciples who translated Buddhist scriptures around him and left his last words on earth:
"Xuan zang poison body disgusting, never put off till tomorrow what you can not stay. I will return my blessings to all beings, and all beings will live together for many days and see the kindness and respect of Maitreya's family. When the Buddha is born, he will be willing to be a Buddha or even a bodhi. " He said: my own vulgar style is unclean, and I am tired of this vulgar style. What I want to do in this world has been done, and there is no need to stay. I am not repairing Fu Hui for Xuanzang, but I am willing to give it back to the people who are still alive in the world. I pray that I can go to Maitreya with you and serve Maitreya. I swore that as soon as Maitreya was born, I would follow him down to "do Buddhism extensively" and pursue Bodhi and the highest wisdom.
This is Xuanzang's last words and his last wishes. In the following days, Xuanzang kept chanting Buddhist scriptures, worshiping Maitreya and wishing to live in the pure land of Maitreya. On the fourth night of February, Xuanzang's right hand supported his head, and his left hand, Xu Xiasheng, lay very gently on his right side, without moving for half a minute. This is the last posture of Xuanzang before his death, that is, the last posture of Xuanzang's body. We can think of this posture when we see the reclining Buddha.
On the fifth midnight of February, the disciple asked Xuanzang, "Did harmony decide to give birth to Maitreya?"
Seeing that Xuanzang had been chanting scriptures for so long and was ready to leave this world, disciples asked Xuanzang and Shang He ("monk" is a respectful name in Buddhist scriptures), have you decided to live in the pure land of Maitreya Buddha?
Xuanzang replied: I have to live.
These are the last two words that Xuanzang left to this world. Xuanzang finally achieved a positive result and safely went to the pure land of Maitreya, which he wanted to visit all his life.
When the news of Xuanzang's death came out, the whole country mourned in the Tang Dynasty.
Tang Gaozong lamented: "I lost my national treasure!" When he was in Tang Zhongzong, he called Xuanzang a "master".
(Part of the content comes from Qian Wenzhong's speech)