扶疾燃指供佛
有拜舍利皆参加。众说非一。公初见如绿豆。紫黑色。至十月半。两藏拜完。再看大如前。变赤珠有光。再急拜。看舍利大如黄豆。黄白各半。始信因根境示现。十一月初。大病不能坐。十六日有八人约燃指。公决参加燃指。病亦愈。
宣化偈曰:
显亲宗亮大慈仁。助人燃指发道心。
夙愿克遂真快乐。本怀已畅喜雍容。
Despite his sickness,
Burning off his finger as an offering to the Buddha
The Master joined some people who were bowing to the Buddha's sharira. Each of them saw it differently. When he first observed it, it was the size of a green bean and magenta in color. However, by the middle of the tenth month, after bowing in respect to the two Pitakas, he again viewed the relic. This time it had grown in size and appeared as a glowing red pearl. The master was elated and began to bow. The sharira was now half yellow and half white and the size of a yellow bean. He was beginning to see how the same situation appears differently to each person according to his disposition. By the first day of the eleventh lunar month, the Master had become so ill he could not even sit up. He was one of a group of eight people, each of whom vowed to burn off a portion of finger as an offering to the Buddha on the sixteenth day of the month. The Master was determined to take part, and recovered form his illness!
The gatha says:
Bhikshu Hsien Ch'in (Apparent Relative) and Bhikshu Tsung Liang (Bright Honor)
were men of great compassion.
They aided those who burned their fingers to mark their resolve on the Way.
Enabled to fulfill his vow of the past, the Master was truly joyous.
His earnest wish thus completed, he became quite peaceful and calm.