Rebirth of Wen Yanbo of the Song Dynasty

Wen Yanbo, courtesy name Kuanfu, was from Jiexiu in Fenzhou (modern-day Fenyang County, Shanxi). He served under four emperors of the Song Dynasty—Renzong, Yingzong, Shenzong, and Zhezong—and held high-ranking government positions for over fifty years. When he had risen to the position of "Grand Tutor" (Official title, the highest official among the Three Dukes), he, for a time, simultaneously served as the editor for the translation of Buddhist texts and was granted the title "Duke of Lu." Wen Yanbo was a devout Buddhist, and in his later years, he dedicated himself even more diligently to the Path, exclusively reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha day and night without a moment of slackness. He once made a vow, saying, "May I always be diligent and cultivate all good deeds, and may I realize the essence of the Heart, broadly liberating all sentient beings." Residing in the capital, he and Master Jingyan gathered one hundred thousand people to hold a Pure Land Dharma assembly. Most of the scholars and officials at that time were converted by this. Wen Yanbo attained rebirth at the age of ninety-two. (Dongdu Shilüe, the Buddha’s Chronicle, Golden Soup of the Dharma)

- Excerpt from ‘Records of the Pure Land Sages’