University of Virginia Library

26. Shan-miao

[OMITTED]

The nun Shan-miao (Excellent Subtlety) of Shu Commandery in
western China

Shan-miao's secular surname was Ou-yang. She was from Fan County
[in western China].[85]

Shan-miao left the household life while still a child. Being amiable
in character, she seldom went to either extreme of anger or joy. She
neither wore good clothing nor ate fine food. She had a younger sister,
a widow, whose husband had died, leaving her no support. Therefore,
taking her child with her, she lodged with Shan-miao. Often she heard
Shan-miao herself lament that she had not been born while the Buddha
was on earth, and every time she said this her tears flowed in
uncontrollable sorrow.

They lived together for four or five years, but the younger sister
never once saw Shan-miao eating. Whenever the younger sister had
cooked a meal, she would call Shan-miao to come join her, but Shan-miao
would always say that she had already eaten somewhere else, or
she would say that she was not feeling well and therefore could not eat
anything. This went on for quite a few years until the sister felt so
ashamed that she said, "My unlucky husband has perished, and, further,
my child and I have no other relatives and must depend on elder
sister, troubling her to no end. She is no doubt tired of us and therefore
will not eat with us."

Having spoken, she wished to leave, but Shan-miao took her by the
hand and explained to her, "You have misunderstood my intention.
Because, fortunately, I am able as a Buddhist nun to receive offerings
and donations from others, why should I eat up the food here? Don't
be upset any more. Before long, I'll be going away, so you should
maintain your household here and by all means do not leave." When
the younger sister heard these words she stayed.

Shan-miao herself wove a length of cloth and bought many measures
of oil, putting it in various jars and jugs in the courtyard. She
cautioned her sister, "This oil is for a work of religious merit. Be careful
that you do not use any of it."

At midnight of the eighth day of the fourth month, the [Buddha's
birthday], Shan-miao wrapped herself up in the cloth she had woven
and had soaked in the oil and set herself on fire. When the flames had
reached as high as her head she ordered her sister, "Tell the administrator
of the meditation hall to strike the gong to summon all the other
nuns that they may come quickly to say farewell because I am now
abandoning this life." She had not yet died by the time all the nuns had
arrived in great haste and alarm. Shan-miao said to the nuns gathered
there, "Each of you must diligently make the effort to perfect your
spiritual life because the cycle of birth and death is a fearsome thing.
You must seek to escape it, taking heed not to fall into further transmigration.

I have previously abandoned this body as a worship offering
to the Buddha twenty-seven times, but it is only this time that I shall
attain the first fruit [whereby I am no longer liable to rebirth in the
woeful destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, or animals]."[86] (I, Pao-ch'ang,
the compiler, have consulted with several elderly persons from that
region. Some say she set fire to herself in the seventeenth year of the
yüan-chia reign period (440); some say it was the hsiao-chien reign
period (454-456); some say it was the ta-ming reign period (457464).
Therefore I record them all.)