佛祖歷代通載 15.32

15.32

（二十四）　馬郎婦不知出處。方唐隆盛佛教大行。而陝右俗習騎射。人性沈鷙樂於格鬪。蔑聞三寶之名。不識為善儀則。婦憐其憨乃之其所。人見少婦單子風韵超然姿貌都雅幸其無侍衛無羈屬。欲求為眷。曰我無父母又鮮兄弟。亦欲有歸。然不好世財。但有聰明賢善男子。能誦得我所持經。則吾願事之。男子眾爭求觀之。婦授以普門品。曰能一夕通此則歸之。至明發誦徹者二十餘輩。婦曰。女子一身家世貞潔。豈以一人而配若等耶。可更別誦。因授以金剛般若所約如故。至旦通者猶十數。婦更授以法華經七軸。約三日。通徹此者定配之。至期獨馬氏子得通。婦曰。君既能過眾人。可白汝父母具媒妁娉禮。然後可以姻。蓋生人之大節。豈同猥巷不檢者乎。馬氏如約具禮迎之。方至而婦謂曰。適以應接體中不佳。且別室俟少安。與君相見未晚也。馬氏子喜頓之他房。客未散而婦命終。已而壞爛。顧無如之何。遂卜地葬之。未數日有老僧。紫伽黎姿貌古野。仗錫來儀。自謂向女子之親。詣馬氏問其所由。馬氏引至葬所。隨觀者甚眾。僧以錫撥開見其尸已化。唯金鎖子骨。僧就河浴之。挑於錫上謂眾曰。此聖者憫汝等障重纏愛故垂方便化汝。宜思善因免墮苦海。忽然飛空而去。眾見悲泣瞻拜。自是陝右奉佛者眾。由婦之化也。

(24) The origin of Lady Malang is unknown. In the flourishing zenith of the Tang, when Buddhism was widely practiced, the customs in Shaanxi favored riding and archery; people's natures were fierce and aggressive, taking pleasure in fighting, and they had never heard the name of the Three Jewels, nor did they recognize the rules for performing good. The woman pitied their ignorance and went to their place. When people saw this young woman, solitary, transcendent in grace and elegant in appearance, pleased that she had neither guards nor family ties, they wished to seek her as a wife. She said, "I have neither parents nor brothers, and I also wish to marry. However, I do not care for worldly wealth; if there is an intelligent, virtuous, and good man who can recite by heart the sūtra I carry, I am willing to serve him." Many men vied to ask to see it; the woman gave them the Universal Gate Chapter, saying, "If anyone can master this in one evening, I will marry him." By dawn, more than twenty people had memorized it thoroughly. The woman said, "I am but one woman of a chaste and pure family; how could one person be wed to so many of you? You must recite another." She then gave them the Diamond Prajñā Sūtra, under the same agreement. By morning, over ten people had still mastered it. The woman then gave them the seven scrolls of the Lotus Sūtra, with an agreement of three days: whoever thoroughly mastered this would definitely marry her. When the time came, only the son of the Ma family was able to master it. The woman said, "Since you have surpassed the crowd, you may inform your parents to arrange matchmakers and betrothal gifts; only then can we marry. For marriage is a great human principle; how could it be like the indiscretions of the vulgar alleys?" The Ma family prepared the gifts according to the agreement to welcome her. Just as she arrived, the woman said to them, "Just now, from receiving guests, I feel unwell. Let me wait in another room until I am slightly better; it will not be too late to see you then." The Ma son happily settled her in another room. Before the guests had dispersed, the woman passed away. Soon her body decomposed; seeing there was nothing to be done, they divined a site and buried her. Within a few days, an old monk wearing a purple saṃghāṭī, with an ancient and rustic appearance and holding a khakkhara, came along. Claiming to be a relative of the young woman, he went to the Ma family to ask what had happened. The Ma family led him to the burial site, followed by many onlookers. The monk pried it open with his staff and saw that her corpse had already decomposed, leaving only interlocking golden bones. The monk took them to the river and washed them, lifted them on his staff, and said to the assembly, "This was a holy one who pitied your heavy hindrances and entanglement in love, and so manifested expedient means to transform you. You should think upon wholesome causes to avoid falling into the sea of suffering." Suddenly he flew into the sky and departed. The crowd wept in sorrow, gazing up and bowing. From then on, many in Shaanxi venerated the Buddha, all due to this woman's transformation.