Rebirth of Ji Shi of the Liu Song Dynasty

Ji Shi. She was the wife of Ge Jizhi from Jurong (present-day Jiangsu) and lived during the Liu Song Dynasty. Ge Jizhi was a descendant of Ge Hong, and his family had been practising the arts of immortality (Daoist)  for generations. Only Ji Shi wholeheartedly believed in and upheld the Buddhist teachings, her respect and devotion never wavered for an instant.

One day, while Ji Shi was weaving, she looked up and saw the sky brighten as the clouds parted and the sun shone through, the sky clear and radiant. Suddenly, jewelled canopies and banners appeared from the western sky, surrounding the figure of a Tathagata, whose brilliant golden light illuminated the sky. Ji Shi immediately stopped her weaving to observe this scene closely. Her heart filling with joy and excitement, she said, "The sutras mention the Amitabha Buddha of Boundless Life —could this be him?" She prostrated herself in reverence, bowing her head to the ground, and then brought Ge Jizhi over to show him the place where Amitabha Buddha had appeared. Ge Jizhi was only able to see half of the Buddha’s body and the canopies and banners. Soon after, the sacred vision disappeared. Many people from the village, both young and old, witnessed the event. As a result, many of them followed Ji Shi and converted to Buddhism. (Records of Miraculous Responses, or Ming Xiang Ji)

- Excerpt from ‘Records of the Pure Land Sages’