Rebirth of the Old Woman of “Joyful Sound”, from the time of the Buddha

When the Buddha was in Vaiśālī, (in present-day central India), he stayed in a place called "Joyful Sound.” At that time, a poor old woman approached the Buddha to ask, "Where do birth, ageing, sickness, and death come from, and where do they go? Likewise, where do the six consciousnesses, six sense bases, and five elements come from, and where do they go?" The Buddha replied, "Birth, ageing, sickness, and death do not come from anywhere, nor do they go anywhere. Similarly, the six consciousnesses, six roots (sense bases), and five elements do not come from anywhere, nor do they go anywhere. It is like two pieces of wood rubbing together to produce fire: the fire burns the wood, and when the wood is consumed, the fire goes out. All phenomena are the same: when causes and conditions come together, they arise, and when causes and conditions separate, they cease. There is no coming or going." The Buddha used various metaphors to give this teaching. After hearing the Buddha's teaching, the old woman’s heart opened and she attained profound insight, realizing the Dharma Eye. The Buddha then said, "In a past life, when I gave rise to bodhicitta, I was her son. After this old woman passes away, she will be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha, where she will make offerings to all the Buddhas. After six billion kalpas, she will become a Buddha named “Bodhyaṅga­puṣpa­kara,” whose Buddha-land will be called 'Transformation.'" (The Buddha Speaks of the Old Woman Sutra)

- Excerpt from ‘Records of the Pure Land Sages’