Rebirth of Bhikkhuni Guangxue (Ming Dynasty)
Guangxue. Her surname was Gong, and she was from Chongming, Suzhou (Jiangsu). At the age of twelve, she stopped eating meat, and she recited the Buddhist scriptures and paid homage to the Buddha with piety and respect every morning and evening. She vowed not to marry. At the age of twenty-eight, she was ordained. She went to Hangzhou and lived with Master Taisu (Zhu Jin) of Xiaoyi Nunnery. She devoted herself to pure brahmacharya. Guangxue had always been weak, but she devoted all her energy to asceticism, worked hard and practiced without sparing her body. Soon after, she fell ill, gave up medicine, and waited for her time to attain rebrith, as she was dying and weak.
One day, she suddenly stood up, facing the west, and sat upright. The abbot set up a holy image of Amitabha Buddha for her. Guangxue stared at it carefully, put her hands together and worshiped it sincerely. Soon after, she washed her hands, put on clean clothes, held her mala beads, and faced the Buddha statue upright, as if in meditation. The attendant was afraid that she would fall, so she supported her underarms with two pillows. Guangxue waved her hand and said, "No need for that!" Everyone gathered around and chanted for her. She waved her hand again and said, "I am in control of myself. There is no need to trouble everyone!" After that, she sat cross-legged and did not move. After two days and nights, she chanted the name of Amitabha Buddha in a low voice, her breath gradually became faster, and then she attained rebirth quietly. It was 7th February, the 39th year of the Wanli reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty (1611 AD). She was 33 years old. (Record of Xiaoyi Nunnery)
明 广学
广学。俗姓龚，苏州（江苏）崇明人。年十二岁时，即断肉食，平日受持经藏，朝晚虔诚恭敬地礼佛，自己发愿不嫁人。年二十八岁时剃度。前往杭州，依止孝义庵的太素（袾锦）法师而居住。专精奉持清净梵行，纯一而不杂乱。广学体质一向虚弱，可是穷尽心力专事苦行，勤劳苦修而不吝惜自己的身体。不久之后得疾病，舍弃医药，一心等待命尽往生，因此气息奄奄体力不振。
有一日，忽然自己起身，面向西方，端身正坐。庵主为她设立阿弥陀佛的圣像，广学双目凝视仔细地观看，双手合掌至心归命。不久之后，盥洗双手，穿着清净的衣服，手持念珠，端身面对佛像，如入禅定。侍者恐怕她会倾斜跌倒，以两个枕头支撑着她的腋下，广学挥手说 ：“不用这个！”大众环绕着为她念佛，她又挥手说 ：“我自己有主，不必劳动大众！”说完后就跏趺不动。经过两个昼夜之后，以低微的声音称念佛名，气息渐渐急促，然后寂然地往生，当时为明神宗万历三十九年（西元一六一一年）二月七日，时年三十三岁。（孝义庵录）
