樂邦遺稿 2.91

2.91

《武庫》云「歸宗宣禪師，漢州人，瑯琊廣照之嗣，與郭功甫厚善。忽一日南康守以事臨之，宣令人馳書與郭功甫，且祝送書者：『莫令縣君見。』功甫時任南昌尉，書云『某更有六年，世緣未盡。今日不柰抑逼何，欲託生君家，望君相照。』乃化去。功甫得書，驚喜盈懷。至中夜，妻夢寐髣髴見宣入臥內，不覺失聲云：『此不是和尚來處。』功甫問其故，妻答所見。功甫呼燈，以宣書示之，果有娠。及生，即名宣老。纔周歲，記問如昔。逮三歲，白雲端和尚過其家，功甫喚出相見，望見便呼師姪。端云：『與和尚相別幾年耶？』宣出指，云：『四年也。』端云：『在甚處相別？』宣云：『白蓮庄上。』端云：『以何為驗？』宣云：『爺爺媽媽，明日請和尚齋。』忽門外推車過，端云：『門外什麼聲？』宣作推車勢。端云：『過後知何？』宣云：『平地兩條溝。』及六歲，無疾而化。」

The Wuku states: “Chan Master Xuan of Guizong was a man of Hanzhou and an heir of Guangzhao of Langya, and was on intimate terms with Guo Gongfu. Suddenly one day the prefect of Nankang came upon him with some affair. Xuan dispatched someone to deliver a letter swiftly to Guo Gongfu, and enjoined the letter carrier: ‘Do not let the magistrate's lady see it.’ Gongfu was serving as the Defender of Nanchang at that time. The letter said: ‘I still have six years left of unexhausted worldly karma. Today, unable to bear being oppressed, I wish to take rebirth in your home, and look to you to look after me.’ Then he passed away. Gongfu received the letter, filled with shock and joy. At midnight, his wife faintly saw Xuan entering the bedchamber in a dream, and unconsciously blurted out: ‘This is not a place for a monk to come!’ Gongfu asked her the reason, and his wife answered with what she had seen. Gongfu called for a lamp and showed her Xuan's letter, and indeed she became pregnant. When the child was born, he was named Xuanlao. When he was barely one year old, his memory and inquiry were just as before. When he was three years old, Venerable Duan of Baiyun passed by his house. Gongfu called him out to meet him; as soon as he saw him from afar, he called him Dharma nephew. Duan said: ‘How many years have we been separated, Venerable?’ Xuan held out his fingers and said: ‘Four years.’ Duan said: ‘Where did we part?’ Xuan said: ‘At Bailian Manor.’ Duan said: ‘What is the proof?’ Xuan said: ‘Father and mother, tomorrow please invite the venerable monk to a vegetarian meal.’ Suddenly a cart passed outside the gate. Duan said: ‘What is that sound outside the gate?’ Xuan made the gesture of pushing a cart. Duan said: ‘After it passes, what is left?’ Xuan said: ‘Two ruts on flat ground.’ When he reached six years of age, he passed away without illness.”