樂邦遺稿 2.101

2.101

李昌齡著《樂善集》最為龜鑑。其間有言「方朝請，政和初為歙縣。一日病篤，見一道士，曰：『公武后時人也。時河北大疫，死者如林。公以所藏祕方揭之通衢，餌者多愈。上帝嘉汝有活人之功，錄為上清仙伯。後與侍女宋道華起人間夫婦之念，遂謫之于世也。』晁逈太傅前生是淨居天主，王待制素前生是玉京黃闕，西門侍郎楊文公億前身是武夷君，陳康肅公堯咨前生是南菴菴主，張文公方平前身是山藏院知藏僧，曾相國前生是青草堂和尚。蘇文忠公軾自言：『母夫人初孕時，夢一僧來投宿，尚記其頎然而眇一目。蓋陝右戒禪師也。』寇萊公準自言：『初生時兩耳垂肩，各有肉環，七歲方合。』王文正公且自記前身曾為僧，與房琯事相似。文政為太平宰相二十年，薨時乃言：『願世世常得為一清淨真僧，味道自樂。不敢更入富貴之鄉。』且遺囑子孫，當為我剃髮著袈裟以殮之。」

The Leshan ji composed by Li Changling is the most excellent mirror. In it there is a statement: 'Court Gentleman for Consultation Fang, in the beginning of the Zhenghe era, served as [magistrate of] She county. One day, critically ill, he saw a Daoist priest who said: "You, sir, were a person of the time of Empress Wu. At that time, there was a great epidemic in Hebei, and the dead were like a forest. You posted a secret recipe you possessed along the thoroughfares, and most who took it were cured. The Sovereign on High praised you for your merit in saving people, and enrolled you as an Immortal Count of the Upper Purity. Later, when the thought of worldly husband and wife arose between you and your maidservant Song Daohua, you were banished to the world." Grand Tutor Chao Jiong's previous life was the Lord of the Śuddhāvāsa Heavens; Drafter of Decrees Wang Su's previous life was the Yellow Tower of the Jade Capital; Vice Director of the West Gate Yang Yi (Duke Wen) in his previous life was the Lord of Wuyi; Duke Chen Yaozi (Duke Kangsu) in his previous life was the master of Southern Hermitage; Zhang Fangping (Duke Wen) in his previous life was the library monk of Shancang Cloister; Grand Councilor Zeng's previous life was the monk of Qingcao Hall. Su Shi (Duke Wenzhong) said of himself: "When my mother was first pregnant, she dreamed that a monk came to lodge, and she still remembered that he was tall and slender, and blind in one eye. He was Chan Master Jie of Shanxi." Kou Zhun (Duke of Lai) said of himself: "When I was first born, both my ears hung down to my shoulders, each having a fleshy ring, which only closed up when I was seven years old." Wang Dan (Duke Wenzheng) himself recorded that in a previous life he had been a monk, an affair resembling that of Fang Guan. Wenzheng was a chancellor of Great Peace for twenty years; when he died, he said: "I vow that in life after life I may always become a pure and true monk, delighting in tasting the Way by myself, and not daring to enter again the realms of wealth and honor." And he left instructions to his descendants: "You must shave my hair and dress me in a kāṣāya to bury me."'