一一、唐綿竹淨惠寺尼信相傳
1. The Story of Nun Xinxiang of Jinghui Temple in Mianzhu, Tang Dynasty
信相，綿竹楊氏女。生而知道，終日凝然禪寂。父為道士，號三洞先生。弟惠寬為僧，居龍懷寺。初，楊族家世奉道，相、寬獨相偕學佛，見天尊像，不肯跪拜，父母雖詬詈之，亦不屈從。日惟互相譚論，俱非世事，父母怪異，使人錄其所論言句，蓋大莊嚴等論也。相與驚歎宿根，改宅為淨惠寺，自亦奉佛，聽信、寬一時剃落。寬出家已，神異日顯，俗呼聖和上。相悟解甚深，凡情莫測。嘗因淨惠寺異僧入定，滿寺紅燄亘然，而人未識之。相曰：「此火聚尊者入火光三昧耳。」因入其寺，自入水觀，一室湛然唯水，不見其形。異僧欽歎，以為得果，時亦號聖尼。
Xinxiang was the daughter of the Yang family from Mianzhu. From birth, she possessed innate wisdom and spent her days in deep, tranquil meditation. Her father was a Daoist priest, known as Master Sandong. Her younger brother, Huikuan, became a monk and resided at Longhuai Temple.
Originally, the Yang family had long practiced Daoism, but Xinxiang and Huikuan alone chose to study Buddhism together. When they saw statues of celestial deities, they refused to kneel and worship, remaining steadfast even when scolded and rebuked by their parents. Day after day, they discussed only profound teachings, showing no interest in worldly matters. Their parents found this strange and had someone record their conversations, which turned out to be discussions on texts like the *Mahāyāna-saṃgraha-śāstra* and other great treatises.
Amazed by their deep-rooted spiritual connections from past lives, their parents converted their home into Jinghui Temple and themselves began to practice Buddhism, allowing Xinxiang and Huikuan to shave their heads and renounce the world. After Huikuan left home to become a monk, his spiritual powers grew increasingly evident, and people began calling him the Holy Monk.
Xinxiang’s insight was profound, beyond the comprehension of ordinary minds. Once, when an extraordinary monk entered deep meditation at Jinghui Temple, the entire temple was filled with a continuous red glow, yet no one understood what it meant. Xinxiang said, “This is the Venerable Fire-Gathering entering the Samādhi of Blazing Light.” She then entered the temple and immersed herself in the Water Contemplation, filling the room with clear, still water until her form was no longer visible. The extraordinary monk admired her deeply, recognizing her as one who had attained the fruit of enlightenment. In her time, she too was known as the Holy Nun.