In the Jin Dynasty in northern Henan, there was a man named Dou Chuan, who was a family soldier of Gaochang in Bingzhou (now Taiyuan, Shanxi) during the Yonghe reign of Emperor Mu of the Jin Dynasty. He was captured by Lu Hu, and together with six or seven of his companions, he was kept in a cell, and he was scheduled to be killed someday.
Dou Chuan hurried to his heart to recite the holy title of "Namo Avalokiteshvara" and persisted for three days and three nights. The shackles on his body gradually loosened and suddenly fell off automatically. Although he was secretly happy in his heart, he couldn't bear to leave alone when he thought of the number of others in his companions, so he still prayed for his companions sincerely. After a while, the shackles of the companions fell off one by one.
So they opened the window to escape, ran across the city wall overnight, walked four or five miles, and hid in a hazel forest. At dawn, Lu Hu's men and horses hunted around and set fire to the wilderness. Only the small piece of land hidden by Dou Chuan did not come over.
[Note] This is an example of "You can be liberated by reciting the holy name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva" in "Pu Men Pin". As for entering the water without being drowned, or into the fire without being burned, there are so many efficacies that have been recorded in other books, so I won't mention them here.
The body can be freed from water and fire, and the spirit can be freed from worries. There is no difference in the meaning of liberation. Freed and unfreed are all mental states, and the non form state is true liberation. Recite the holy name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and get relief quickly. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Great Mercy and Compassion. Excerpted from An Shiquan Book "Wenchang Emperor Silently Doing Good Virtue": The shackles fall off by themselves
The craving that is hardest to give up has been given up, so there is no more sorrow. -Venerable Gavājpati
Liu Du in the Jin Dynasty, from Liaocheng, Shandong. There are more than 1,000 people in the township, all of whom believe in Buddhism and make offerings to monks and nuns. At that time, there were people who had escaped from the Northern Wei Dynasty, and most of them were hiding in the city. The leader of the Northern Wei Dynasty was furious and would lead his troops to kill all the people in the city. Liu Du learned the news and led all the men and women in the city to recite the sacred title of "Namo Avalokiteshvara" together. Before long, the leader of the Northern Wei Dynasty saw something falling from the sky, falling into his courtyard, and wrapping around the pillars of the house. He took a look, and it turned out to be a volume of "Avalokiteśvara-vikurvạna-nirdeśaḥ". The leader was overjoyed, so he stopped attaching the city, and the city was preserved. [Note] If people usually understand the principle of cultivating blessings, and when faced with a crisis, they can sincerely pray for the protection of the Bodhisattva, the change of heart by the leader of the northern captives was a matter of course. Excerpted from "An Shi Book" "Wenchang Emperor Silently Doing Good Virtue" : chanting to save the city
With the great sea of Buddhism, only those who believe can go deep and only those who be wise can be saved. Therefore, the Buddha said: "I am opening the door of nectar taste today, anyone who believes can be rejoicing; I am telling people about the wonderful insights, it is not for irritating them to say it." The Buddha did not mention that people who can give will be rejoicing, nor did the Buddha say a person who can hear and learn a lot, or keep the precepts, or forbearance, or diligence, or meditation, or wisdom will be rejoicing. The Buddha only said those who believe in Buddhism will rejoice.
"The Sutra of the Metaphor with a Raft" says that Buddhism is like a raft. When you have not crossed the river, you need a raft to cross the river. After landing, the raft is no longer needed. In other words, you should not be attached to Buddhism in the end. From this point of view, in the end, there should be no desire to gain knowledge about Buddhism, so it is even more important to abandon incorrect views.
There was a man in Huating County in the Ming Dynasty named Gu Zhengxin. His father is called Gu Zhongli. His father used to serve as an official in Guangxi. Gu Zhengxin usually likes to do good deeds and accumulate virtue. He once donated 104,700 silver to buy 6,720 acres of farmland. He gave these fields to the people in Huating and Qingpu counties for farming free of charge, and did not charge rent, allowing the people to use the farming income to pay for the cost of corvee, so that the people were relieved of the difficulty of burdening corvee.
Once, the governor came to Songjiang. On New Year’s Eve, the government banned the setting of firecrackers. Many citizens violated the ban by setting off firecrackers. The government accidentally arrested Gu Zhengxin and imprisoned him. After Gu Zhengxin arrived in prison, when he saw people who were hungry and cold, he gave them food and clothing; when he saw people who could be bailed with money for crimes, he used his own money to bail him. Soon, the prison was almost empty. He then donated money to repair the prison room. This is how Gu Zhengxin sacrificed himself and never asked for anything in return. Later, the governor reported his deeds to the top, and the emperor appointed Gu Zhengxin as a minister of Guanglu. Later he was revered as a virtuous person in the locality.
Note: Fan Zhongyan created Yitian (a farmland that was cultivated for the poor for free, and no land rent was collected). However, Fan Zhongyan's Yitian only benefits people of the same surname, and has not extended it to people of other surnames. Fan Zhongyan's righteousness can only be calculated in a hundred, and it cannot reach more than 6,742 acres. Gu Zhengxin's good deeds have surpassed Fan Zhongyan. If you speculate on Gu Zhengxin's blessings based on the good things he has done, he must be in the sky at this time, flying freely, and enjoying endless blessings. -Selling righteous fields, donating to all living beings [From "Yi Xing Lu" Guangzhi Yitian]. -Rent farmland for free and give to all beings [From "Yi Xing Lu", buy a lot of land and rent it out to others for free]
In the Tang Dynasty, during the Xiantong period, a man named Chen Huidu lived by hunting. One day, he went hunting in Mountain Yanshan and shot a doe with an arrow. After the shot, when he tracked the doe, he discovered that the doe was pregnant. The doe knew that she was going to die, and gave birth to the fawn before she died with her injuries. The doe licked the blood from the fawn before dying. Chen Huidu witnessed the situation where the doe gave up her life and gave birth. He was shocked in his heart and deeply blamed himself for his cruel behavior. From then on, Chen Huidu broke his bow and arrow and turned to the monastery as a monk. In the eighth year of Tang Xiantong (867 AD), Chen Huidu rebuilt Prajnadai Temple and renamed it Fahuatai Temple, which is today the Hui'an Temple in Shengzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The place where the doe died, gave birth to a kind of strange grass, which was named "doe's fetus grass" at that time. Since then, Mountain Yanshan has been renamed Mountain Doe's fetus. After Chen Huidu became a monk, he only ate one meal a day at noon, practiced asceticism with diligence, and repented of his first sins. He recites the Lotus Sutra and Vimalakirti Sutra every day. The sound of chanting can be heard everywhere. Because of the prosperity of Dharma, hundreds of people have converted to learn the Dharma here.
It is not about seeing, hearing, or knowing. It is not acquired from taking the precepts. It is nor not about seeing, hearing, or knowing. It is nor not taking the precepts. Abandon all of the above-mentioned ways, and abandon ego and everything related to ego, do not take any forms, so it is the Buddha's way. -"A Tuo Po Qi Sutra"